Day 1:

My first time. In Chongqing, with a big bike. After several years in Shanghai, two on an electric scooter, one on a beautiful second hand YBR125 (thanks to MCM and Steve_R) during which time I had been wanting to and constantly talking about my nebulous plans to explore China by a "big" motorcycle, I had finally ordered the JH600, some weeks ago, on the advice of an adventurer friend and based on what I had read on this forum. So, bike unseen, on that particular day on impulse really, I had transferred the money, faxed the form, reluctantly filled out by a Chinese friend of mine who tried his best to make me see reason (thank you, LK), and coordinated with the Jialing sales rep by QQ instant message that I would pick it up in Chongqing in person and there it was, waiting for me, surrounded by a small crowd, on the street outside the Jialing factory. On the first warm day this year, around 4.30pm on a Friday.

Handover was fast, I signed a letter, got my keys, gestured for instructions on how to turn on the bike and slowly made my way, heeding the three words of advice that the Europe export rep who kindly interpreted had given me "be careful". Three times. The Jialing staff had looked worried, like they had just given a dangerous toy to a child that didn't know anything. So I was careful.



MotoKai and Euphonius had prepared me for this a few days earlier (thank you, both!) but meeting my own motorcycle was still a big deal. I had read all this theory about how you should break in your new bike hard within the first 20miles, a few minutes in each gear 75% red line and some minutes in between for temperature equalization etc. I had imagined this in great detail and had enjoyed how it had all been playing out in my mind. On that day, however, there were sounds and sights and air and there was traffic and the theory just didn't seem so important anymore. I must have gone into the red a few times in first gear and, it shames me to confess, by accident really as I was mistakenly looking at the speedometer. The rest of the break in concluded on some windy roads up and down a hill with plenty of engine breaking and that was that. Most of the breaking in happened in my head that day.

I stayed at a simple "farmhouse" bed and breakfast which I had trouble finding using google maps so I stopped by the road to ask for directions, or more accurately, in my shameful hapless foreigner way handed my phone, having called a Chinese friend back in Shanghai to intercede on my behalf, to a friendly young couple who invited me to join them for Hotpot and offered to ride with me to the place. They found the owner, she opened the hotel, I was the only guest, it must have been off season, and locked the bike into the courtyard.