Motorbike ride in China: informations for italian biker

[euphonius]

Dear Momi,

Is your job portable? Or can you take an extended leave?

Here's what you should do:

Sign up for a teaching job in China that gives a visa of six months or more, spend a few months teaching Italian or some other skill that you have, get your license and and a properly plated bike, learn a bunch of Chinese language, meet a bunch of friendly Chinese people, fall in love with a beautiful Chinese girl, eat, drink and be merry (married?), ride with or without pillion to your heart's content.

Then, when love turns sour, pack your panniers and head for Tadjikistan.

Cheers!

[bikerdoc]

Dear Momi,
Is your job portable? Or can you take an extended leave?
Here's what you should do:
Sign up for a teaching job in China that gives a visa of six months or more, spend a few months teaching Italian or some other skill that you have, get your license and and a properly plated bike, learn a bunch of Chinese language, meet a bunch of friendly Chinese people, fall in love with a beautiful Chinese girl, eat, drink and be merry (married?), ride with or without pillion to your heart's content.
Then, when love turns sour, pack your panniers and head for Tadjikistan.
Cheers!

Now there's an idea. <thumbs up>

[bikerdoc]

hi Momi, and welcome to MCM.

Many of the replies you have had are from foreigners living and working in mainland China, who are motorcycle mad after all the unofficial name of MCM (MyChinaMoto) actually MCM stands for Motorcycle Central Madness. That's us, and you are now included!

OK, the advice you are getting here is on the money, what the French guys told you was incorrect.

Firstly, 30 days is way too short, but since you have been in China in 2005 I guess you are aware of that. Motorcycles are banned from most (not all) expressways which will slow your journey immensely, though you'd see and experience more the real China off them.

To drive/ride a vehicle on public roads in mainland China, you will usually require a China issued drivers license. There are some exemptions, but they don't apply in your case - nor mine. Getting a drivers/riders license requires you to be in the country on something more than a L visa for 30 days, unless you go through a approved guide who will have the connections required to get you a legal drivers/riders license. You might be able to get it done in some places, but connections is what you'd need.


The international drivers license referred to often is a misnomer as it is actually an International Drivers Permit (IDP), and only becomes valid when used in-conjunction with the drivers license of the country where both were issued. The International Drivers Permit is not a drivers license, and cannot be used on its own. Providing just a IDP without the applicable drivers license, is the same as driving unlicensed in many jurisdiction even those where IDP's are valid.

If you don't get a legal Chinese drivers/riders license, then you will likely find it difficult to have any motorcycle you buy in mainland China, registered in your name, notwithstanding, that in many parts of China you are required to have an official Chinese name in Chinese characters to get a drivers license and legally own anything of value that needs to be approved with some regulatory body.


Importing a motorcycle either temporarily or permanently, is doable, but rather complicated and in the case of the latter, rather expensive - I know as I'm importing a new XT1200Z at the moment. If you want to import a motorcycle temporarily then you can do so on a Carnet (like a vehicle passport for temporary import with financial bond posted as collateral) but it's complicated and you will have to hire the services of an officially approved agent or guide in mainland China. No way round that one.


You mention you have neither the financial resources nor the time, so it seems that unless you can strike some kind of deal with someone (either privately or a motorcycle dealer) you might like to consider getting a job in China (maybe as a language tutor) or save some more money, or just keep dreaming until the day when China opens more... it's not a question of if, just when.

Another way is to use the services of a motorcycle tour/guiding company like Asia Bike Tours or Adventure Bike Tours or Motorcycle Tours and also check Horizons Unlimited which you said was out of your budget. But I post the links here as other voyeurs might find it useful.

Good luck.

[bigdamo]

Ok now i know what you want to do.

The license well there are people in Xinjiang that have/are riding in Xinjiang with no license.The rest of China would probably be the same. Wouldn't recommend it but people do it.

Quite a few Japanese riders rode through Ti bet this last season. I'm betting they didn't have a license but then maybe they did.

I heard there are Europeans riding through China and exiting out of Xinjiang some make it with there bikes some don't and have to sell there bikes in Xinjiang but that is only what i was told from some Chinese people who live here.So I can not base it on personal experience.

Can you ride through China and back to Italy in 30 days.That would be one extremely rushed ride.
I think riding across China in 30 days would be doable but rushed you will have to factor in breakdowns Chinese motorcycles are not the most reliable but they can be fixed easily.

You can not ride a motorcycle even if you have a Chinese motorcycle license on the toll roads/highways you will have to ride on the back roads.Your average speed will be low.

Navigating will be difficult well in Xinjiang it will be.No road signs in English here.Correct maps are hard to find Google maps are basic at best many many roads missing.But you have done many adventure rides so you should be OK.

I would think your best option would be to fly China and buy a bike and ride to Kashgar sell it and fly home.Not that I am recommending riding illegally but it can be done just depends how bad you want to do this trip.

I would recommend not stopping at Urumqi and continuing further on to Kashgar the scenery is just incredible.Big mountains big deserts.Nothing like you will see in the rest of China.

Drop in and see me if you make it.That's if I'm still here.I am presently living in Xinjiang.

As for the name Momi a cat chose to live with us and I would just call it cat my wife got fed up with me calling it cat and named it momi she told me it was Chinese for cat.I probably didn't get the full translation right.

Hell no.
No need to change your name.

[bigdamo]

This might help http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...light=xinjiang

I am not saying they all work out this way.

[NZBrakelathes]

http://www.adventurebiketours.co.uk/china.htm
Seems these guys managed to do something

[ZMC888]

I worry though. The problem being that if you pay a company, they pay the Chinese g'ment lots to allow the bikes through. Then the g'ment get used to that income and never want to allow bikes to legally enter independently.