ChinaV's new Yingang YG250NF (YG250-6)

[soberpete]

The Jialing JH600 is another strong choice. Just sayin'...

I have nothing against that bike, however, there is something about the look of it that just doesn't attract me. I think it's the forward fairing + headlights. If they could be messed around with and altered then maybe....

Looks are not the most important thing though. I thought my first and current bike looked great when I bought it. The occasional Chinese person (who knows nothing about motorbikes) still comments on it and says it looks 'handsome' but they don't know that it's a total piece of . Things go bad on that bike quicker than I can fix them.

Even with all that said, I'd like to see some people riding JH600s around my area; it would be a nice change from the constant swarms of e-bikes that can't ride in a straight line and love to swing right across main roads without doing so much as glancing in the direction of the traffic that they are cutting up. I also wouldn't mind seeing less of the rusty old farmer motorbikes with exhausts that sound like a pig with diarrhea, or like an engine runs on bubbles... know the kind that I mean?

[jape]

Is there a replacement for the farmers riding wrecks of bikes worth a good few weeks of their wages? Is there a replacement for the many relying on Ebikes? They would all rather have a car or a truck I am sure.

But how can they do that? Go to USA or France or UK for a job such as you have in their country? Can they do that easily and then save enough for a car and all the petrol and maintenance for years? Would the infrastructure support it?

They have a culture of billions of people been evolving for thousands of years and are forced by our military and financial aggression to look outwards. We sell them the ideas of expansion and growth and see them as a market from which we, including those of us working there, profit. They become aware and reciprocate and want a small part of what the poorest people in most of our societies have - communications, transport, health systems, entertainment, possesions ... maybe freedom. And they do not have the regulated systems and bureaucracies we have and have grown up with to teach them how to drive, behave in this new world.

Don't blame any of them, that is ignorant and self-centred I believe. Of course they have fools and arrogant people and want to take what they can, and they are not all altruistic or unbiased or even friendly. They don't have to be. It is their ground not yours. Be real.

It is not as if our society is perfect even in the matter of road rules and compliance. The 'rich' west ride arrogantly around in empty SUVs or in unnecessary fuel guzzlers and muscle cars, the 'normal man' drinks or his kid smokes crack and drives and kills innocent folk. And accidents happen too. Kids run out of school yards, tyres blow, brakes fail, tired mothers back into the street, truck drivers work long shifts. There is no difference. Why the fuck do you think you should escape the simple consequences of daily life all over the planet and why shouldn't you play to their rules in their game?

[soberpete]

Is there a replacement for the farmers riding wrecks of bikes worth a good few weeks of their wages? Is there a replacement for the many relying on Ebikes? They would all rather have a car or a truck I am sure.

But how can they do that? Go to USA or France or UK for a job such as you have in their country? Can they do that easily and then save enough for a car and all the petrol and maintenance for years? Would the infrastructure support it?

They have a culture of billions of people been evolving for thousands of years and are forced by our military and financial aggression to look outwards. We sell them the ideas of expansion and growth and see them as a market from which we, including those of us working there, profit. They become aware and reciprocate and want a small part of what the poorest people in most of our societies have - communications, transport, health systems, entertainment, possesions ... maybe freedom. And they do not have the regulated systems and bureaucracies we have and have grown up with to teach them how to drive, behave in this new world.

Don't blame any of them, that is ignorant and self-centred I believe. Of course they have fools and arrogant people and want to take what they can, and they are not all altruistic or unbiased or even friendly. They don't have to be. It is their ground not yours. Be real.

It is not as if our society is perfect even in the matter of road rules and compliance. The 'rich' west ride arrogantly around in empty SUVs or in unnecessary fuel guzzlers and muscle cars, the 'normal man' drinks or his kid smokes crack and drives and kills innocent folk. And accidents happen too. Kids run out of school yards, tyres blow, brakes fail, tired mothers back into the street, truck drivers work long shifts. There is no difference. Why the fuck do you think you should escape the simple consequences of daily life all over the planet and why shouldn't you play to their rules in their game?

I stand corrected and feel exactly like this right now. I'm not entirely closed minded but I can seem it sometimes.

What you said is absolutely true; about 99% of Chinese people are only riding bikes, motorbikes and e-bikes because they are saving up for a car or simply can't afford one. I know all too well that westerners drive around too much in big cars or SUVs (especially from what I saw in the states) and it would be much better for everyone if they did more car pooling or took public transportation.

There are many things that I don't like about the roads in the west and roads over here in China. It's not my place to say what's right and what's wrong but I still like to express my opinion from time to time.

Whenever I ride my bike around a right hand bend and meet a group of e-bikes oncoming in my lane (it happens about twice or three times a week) I get a bit pissed off with their attempt to save time by cutting across the road to avoid waiting for the light to turn green again and putting me, or others in my situation, in danger by doing so. The terrible thing is that, before long, I found myself doing the EXACT same thing. I must have picked it up from them because I saw it so often and began to accept it as the norm. I sometimes still get the urge to do that kind of thing but I force myself not to. This isn't because I wish to continue getting angry at them and avoid being a hypocrite but simply because I don't like to be the cause of any inconvenience to other people while I'm on the road and I don't want that to change that for any reason. I wish that more Chinese people would eventually grow to become the same way but I don't expect it.

After all is said and done and I complain about the things I don't like over here this is still, just like you said, their ground not mine: I consider that to be the bottom line. I may rant a bit because I still have some expectations left over from my time in the west but I'll never forget the bottom line... I'm getting married here very soon and will live the rest of my life in China so I can't afford to.

Pete

[jape]

You are no more an asshat than I am Pete. And thank you sincerely for a 'sober' and balanced response. Sometimes I let fly a bit and it is not always at the poster, just a general salvo. I too often see in these pages what I perceive as narrow or misguided western thinking. Of course that is the way we think, we were brought up like that. Once in Bali I lost my temper with a rip-off 'bemo' driver, I shouted and swore colourfully and picked up the back of the 'bemo' so the poor sod sat there, enging revving, going nowhere. Six foot two, 200lb muscular white monkey goes berserk! The point is, the whole area cleared. Plenty of tough dudes around, some with working machetes even, but they do not do it our way. I learnt in that moment, and I worked it out. I started laughing out loud and they all came back, patted me on the back, making jokes at the expense of the bemo driver - and I was their friend. I never forgot since then that I was not back in a down-town western city with a knife in my pocket and alert senses.

Maybe I take things too seriously at times and could just let it sit but I read every post, everyday, (I know 'get a life' but I can't do much else at present) and the 'mood' of the forum at times makes me ashamed. Yeah I know, who made me judge and policeman? But I don't back off, I enjoy debate and arguments here and see it as a meeting place not just a place for queries about an exhaust bolt.

Posts like yours make me proud. I secretly envy you younger guys a lot, I wish I had the opportunities and years you have. i wish you well in your marriage btw, that is great news!

[soberpete]

I'm honored to make your acquaintance Jape!

Sometimes I let fly a bit and it is not always at the poster, just a general salvo.

...I'll bear that in mind while viewing your posts in the future. I've only read a small handful of your posts so far but I'm sure you've had a lifetime of good and bad experiences from here and there.
Your experience in Bali sounds unique to me. I would love to have seen that and I also look up to a lot for resolving the situation the way you did.

I look up to all of the posters on CMC a lot too, from those with over 500 or 1000 posts down to the guys with less than 10 but still have very valid/interesting info. I feel pretty small next to you guys (especially you at 200lb! I'm always struggling to keep myself around 140lb) and that makes me think over and over about everything that I dare to type on here. I will still continue to post in the likely event that someone will find one of my experiences interesting or just funny.

I too enjoy this site for the debates and arguments as well as the technical information and experience with motorcycles that people share here.

Thanks for your good wishes on my marriage. I've yet to tell the family back home that we're planning to have the marriage within the next month but at least most of them know I'm engaged by now.

Pete

[jape]

Don't worry, although it was all muscle back then, since I bust my back I am down to mere existence, as a pot-bellied, skinny old bloke of 140lb.
60 in a couple of weeks, where did the time go? Don't sell yourself short, I don't know what you do or your age but even in this connected, travelling world, it is rare a bloke is willing to move and fall in love and join in and work and live and hopefully raise kids (?) in another culture so different as China is. Takes courage and perseverance and other qualities to do it right.
I didn't have any choice, I'm hiding!

[euphonius]

Thanks for your good wishes on my marriage. I've yet to tell the family back home that we're planning to have the marriage within the next month but at least most of them know I'm engaged by now.

Pete

Dear Soberpete,

You could just forward your family a link to this thread! How's that for an announcement: "I'm running with bunch of motorcyclists AND I'm marrying a Chinagirl and staying here forever!"

Congratulations and good luck with the life ahead!

[dewsnap]

Happy birthday for next week Jape.

60's not old btw. Haha. My old dear is pushing 60 and she's still mad as ever, travelling the UK doing the biker rallies and all that.

Not saying that's a good example, but all we can do is keep on keeping on.

All the best.

[dewsnap]

SoberPete, congratulations are certainly in order.

I'm also recently married to a Chinese girl...
The Chinese mentality and way of life is a joy and being part of a Chinese family will be the most rewarding thing you'rel likely to experience.

[soberpete]

Don't worry, although it was all muscle back then, since I bust my back I am down to mere existence, as a pot-bellied, skinny old bloke of 140lb.
60 in a couple of weeks, where did the time go? Don't sell yourself short, I don't know what you do or your age but even in this connected, travelling world, it is rare a bloke is willing to move and fall in love and join in and work and live and hopefully raise kids (?) in another culture so different as China is. Takes courage and perseverance and other qualities to do it right.
I didn't have any choice, I'm hiding!

I've been fascinated with the Chinese language, culture, history, food and more since I was around 14 years old. One day when I was 22 my Dad finally kicked my arse into setting a date for coming here instead of me always saying "I'm gonna go to China one day". A year from that day I had saved my money, arranged a TEFL job and was on a plane over here just before I'd turned 23. I'm going to be 26 and married before the end of this year. Since I arrived here I've had some great times and some really bad ones too but this is still the place that I want to be in.
I didn't meet my misses straight away but when I found her I knew she was the one. Always told myself I'd never get married but I changed my mind from the first day that I met her. I will settle down here and have a least two kids by the way! Even though I miss family back in the UK and USA it still just feels 'right' to be here.
I'll take my wife back to the west for a bit of travel and to meet the family when we can both afford it. I'd also love it if my brother, sister or any other family members could make it out here so that I could show them how different, and sometimes wonderful, it is in The Far East.