Riding/ buying in Shanghai

[dannyboy]

Hi, I'm looking into buying a bike in Shanghai, can anyone reccommend me some bikes that are available here, either Chinese made or register-able imports?

Ideally I want something bigger and with a bit of power after having ridden sports bikes at home, but I recognise that you can't ride fast on Chinese roads. Main purpose of the bike is to get out of the city and explore the countryside. I was thinking about a bigger-engine enduro bike maybe? Or something like a CB400 would be kind of cool for around town and comfy enough for touring.

I'm a bit wary of buying some cheap Chinese-made brand as I don't want the brake cable snapping on me as I'm going into a turn.

Also, how is the riding around Shanghai? Is it possible to get to some nice roads and back in a weekend?

I don't read Chinese and my speaking/reading level is vastly improved but still basically rubbish, so it's really hard to get information here...

Thanks for any pointers

[Fred]

Hey Dan,

Welcome to the forum.
You can get all the information you're asking for (bike & weekends getaways around Shanghai) on this forum.
About bikes, you can get register-able ones in Shanghai like Yamaha YBR 250 (standard looking) or Jialing JH 600 (dual-sport) for a reasonable price. Imported bikes which you can register can be found in Ducati, Benelli, BMW or HD shops, but are really really expensive (more than in Europe) due to the import taxes.
Bikes like the one you mentioned (CB400) are not register-able anymore : some illegal imports, or some legally imported bikes before 2002 or 1998 I forgot, the year they got "banned".

For weekends getaways, check the ride reports sections. You have topics about nice riding roads around Shanghai (not so many unfortunately) and trips to Moganshan, Tonglu, etc. basically most of them in Zhejiang province.

Don't hesitate to ask questions after reading all the threads !

Cheers,

Fred

[bikerdoc]

Best idea would be to peruse the various threads in the MCM forum as you will find a wealth of information that's pretty reliable and most of which is answered already... have a look at the CIMA 2011 link as the photos will give you an idea of what's available. As for riding, SH is interesting initially, I know I rode there almost on a daily basis for two years, of which I did solid for six months everyday (after I decided to walk away from my job/contract), rain, hail, shine or smog... mainly smog. The better riding is on your southern back door in Zhejiang province, which south of Hanghzou gets you into mountainous ranges. I have so many riding routes that I have covered more than once, it's silly.

Some of the better local brands include (although not completely inclusive):
CFMoto
HaoJue (Suzuki's JV partner)
Jialing
Lifan
Loncin
Qingqi
Regal Raptor
Shineray
Zongshen

then you have the JV factories between overseas motorcycling giants such as...
BMW
Honda
Kymco
Suzuki
Yamaha

added to that you've also got official imports from...
Aprilia
Benelli
BMW
Ducati
Gilera
Harley Davidson
Honda
Kymco
Piaggio
Suzuki

I posted a while back about official 1000cc+ imports from both Suzuki and Honda, though none of them are officially importing adventure style bikes, or maxi scooters as yet, both of which I feel have a real market here - but TIC... give it time.

If you haven't worked it out, be very careful and selective when dealing with any agents or supposed motorcycle dealers on Taobao and also a special warning on Jimmy of JLMoto who has a shop out at the Tianma racing circuit, I know of a first hand experience (close friends) where Jimmy sold two bikes (BMW R1150GS and a KTM250) with questionable documents and license plates. When it came time for the motorcycle re-inspection Jimmy could not help. Normally the vehicle has to present to the Traffic Police testing facility for inspection where the vehicle registration documents and computer entry will be updated, this will allow the owner to renew the vehicle compulsory 3rd party insurance when it next due.
The respective bikes now sit in garages as they are no longer road legal. The BMW also needed a complete tranny overhaul and rebuild for a cool CNY40,000 (imported parts) not long after purchase from JLMoto, and since none of Jimmy's bikes come with any warranty the BMW owner had to cover this expense.