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  1. #21 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
    C-Moto Guru fahni's Avatar
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    Well, for what it's worth, I think it is common knowledge among the BJ bikers that it is possible to go on the expressways and that is the normal way to get out of the city. We pay just like cars and only once I got a surprised look from one of the tollgate clerks. I don't know where I read it but I have this fixed idea in my mind that this is true for BJ and Tianjin.

    And btw: We rode two up on the BJ expressways many times...
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  2. #22 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
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    This thread hasn't been touched for a while but it's been on my mind the whole time.

    I'm still not ready to go in and test the water yet. All my docs are in order and I'm ready to book the test but I'm still studying the endless book of almost useless test questions (currently on page 125 out of 231).

    On my recent bus trips to and from the wife's hometown I've noticed that a number of the gao su lu entrance signs on the way don't include the sign that prohibits motorcycles. Xintai, in particular, definitely only had signs forbidding tractors, three wheelers and bicycles. I think it was the same in Boshan.

    If I have time tomorrow I'm going to view the the Zhangdian gao su lu entrance sign and photograph it... if doing so helps.
    I don't expect them to allow me on just because they haven't put up the 'no motorbike' sign yet but it's a good starter for an argument in favour of motorcycles.
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  3. #23 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
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    I'm on page 160 of the test today... didn't have time to visit the expressway entrance though.
    I think tomorrow I'll post a photo of the sign, just to keep this thread going .
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  4. #24 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
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    Here it is...
    IMAG0051.jpg
    This won't be my first choice of entry. There is another entrance on the north west. That'll probably be the same but I should check it out.
    If that fails, my first choice of entry will be Boshan. I swear I never saw motorbikes on the signs there.

    I won't get on without either a huge debate or slipping through the 2ft gaps on the right hand side of each gate. The debate will help all China bikers in their efforts to enter expressways, slipping in will likely do the opposite.
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  5. #25 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    The gap in the far right lane is always at least 1m wide.... (Not that I'd ever use it....)
    jkp
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    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
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  6. #26 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
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    Quote Originally Posted by soberpete View Post
    I won't get on without either a huge debate or slipping through the 2ft gaps on the right hand side of each gate. The debate will help all China bikers in their efforts to enter expressways, slipping in will likely do the opposite.
    G'Day,

    Easy as to slip onto the expressway like the infamous Frenchy speed-biker but thats not the point, I want to go onto the expressway the legal way and don't mind paying for the privilege.
    The gaps in the ETC lane are big enough to slip through but........
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  7. #27 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    IMHO, sure you'll get the bike through the auto-pay ETC booth, but then with the bored police who will be 500% more than any western country to keep artificial near full employment will be a tad rudely awoken by the presence of your bike and you'll have a bunch of blue and white Sanatanas in your mirrors.

    The way it seems to work is, you approach a senior policeman or official in a good mood, say something nice about China or his lovely road then he gets on his radio to tell the other cops up and down the road that there is a laowei coming on a big bike and to let him pass as a one-off, because he is in a good mood, really very bored and also wants to show the subordinates that he has the power to break or bend the rules at his whim. Of course the next laowei could find this very same officer in a bad mood who may want to show his underlings how the law is enforced strictly with no exceptions.
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  8. #28 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZMC888 View Post
    IMHO, sure you'll get the bike through the auto-pay ETC booth, but then with the bored police who will be 500% more than any western country to keep artificial near full employment will be a tad rudely awoken by the presence of your bike and you'll have a bunch of blue and white Sanatanas in your mirrors.
    I've been seeing lot's of police KIA sportage SUV's at the entrances these days. They may make a much more interesting pursuit than the old Santanas.
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  9. #29 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Do Chinese highway police have a policy of giving chase, whether in a Santana or an SUV? I've been pursued only twice: once by a repair crew in a yellow official truck while ryanjpyle and I rode through the expressway tunnel linking Shanghai with Changxing Island, and once when Motokai and I waved politely and rolled through the gap on the westbound G50 toward Huzhou and a small police van followed half-heartedly, at one point pulling up next to Motokai to size him up.

    In far more instances, enforcement, to whatever degree, happens at the next tollgate. Typically, the tolltaker will be surprised to see a bike, and befuddled if the rider has a recognizably foreign face. I usually just smile, and roll through. If a police officer comes out, there's often a discussion. I'm not good at pretending I don't speak Chinese, but I am good at being friendly and schmoozing and backslapping, which usually wins the day. Sometimes not.

    More darkly, I remember hearing a story about police in Hangzhou laying down spike strips and choking all traffic down to just one lane to snare a couple of riders who they seemed to know were riding in on the expressway from Huangshan. It's disheartening to know that they'd be willing to cause such extremes of inconvenience for everyone else on the road just to chase a couple of bikes off the expressway.

    It's even scarier to contemplate the day when the Chinese police DO start copying from Hollywood movies and actually give chase. For that reason alone, I'd like to see a new class of expressway tolls for bikes. I'm even happy to pay the passenger car toll, as our comrades in Beijing are allowed to do.

    cheers!
    jkp
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    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  10. #30 Re: Motorbikes / Expressways 
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    Quote Originally Posted by euphonius View Post
    Do Chinese highway police have a policy of giving chase, whether in a Santana or an SUV?
    I would be more than happy to give you an answer by trying it out but on the other hand I agree with TB-Racing; it should be done the legal way. Slipping on illegally will only encourage them in their efforts to hinder the entrance of any and all motorcycles.

    I just want to portray to them, somehow, that there are bikes out there (such as my 250cc and maybe later some 600+cc bikes) that are more than capable of safely using the expressways than most of the cars and trucks on them right now. If - for example - they set a minimum engine size to 250cc they'd cut out 99% of the other Chinese motorcycles and leave a clear road for the 1% of us who take riding seriously.
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