Hi everyone, a little advice needed to start...

[pastyboy]

Hey everyone,

I've just arrived in Beijing from the UK to start a new job, and I'm looking into getting my first motorbike here.

The bike I'm looking at does come with a Jing B plate but unfortunately no ownership papers. Added to that I don't have a license. I'm just wondering how much of a problem this will pose if/when I get stopped by the police. I've owned similar bikes abroad before with no problems, but as I've just arrived here I'm not sure what the situation is like now in China.

I was thinking I could at least draw up a contract of sale with the sellers details, so at least if I did get stopped the police wouldn't think I stole the bike!

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to maybe riding with some of you guys when I do finally get a bike!

Cheers,

Joel

[Nuhaus]

Hi Joel,
Welcome to the forum. Please search on the topic of getting a license, I'm sure you'll find much information. As to your stated aim of getting your first motorbike and then riding it unlicensed and unregistered in Beijing, well, I'm not sure exactly how to advise you other than to ask you to reconsider.

If you are pulled over, the police have every right to arrest you, confiscate your bike, deport you and/or detain you in jail. Whether or not they do this is entirely at their discretion. For now, why don't you investigate getting a legal license in Beijing? Highly recommended.

[slabo]

Hi Joel,
Another welcome ..
You post is kinda funny in a way because another new member is in your exact position, new to China new to bikes also pondering the necessity to be legal.. There's also one member explaining why its a good idea to run on fake plates ... The mob is out to burn him.. haha..

have a look here ::
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...e-New-vs.-used
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ad-trip-advice

[pastyboy]

Thanks for the advice guys. They do seem like silly questions when you consider some of the risks involved (accidents,incarceration etc). However, I have previously done a fair bit of motorbike touring abroad and police issues have always been resolvable. I've also just been living in Vietnam where everyone has a bike and no-one has a license/papers and there are never any issues. I have chatted to a few foreigners with bikes on the street here in Beijing and they have all said they don't have a license and don't have a problem, so I'm not sure how they get away with it.

The other useful bit of info I picked up on the forum was about the "B" plate. I live between ringroads two and three and don't fancy getting fined each time I ride in central areas!

Guess I'll have to think more carefully about this before jumping into a purchase.

[Ekkicore]

haha were you looking at the yellow zhongshen 200gy as well?

[pastyboy]

Ha, yeah. That's the bike I was thinking about!