Only in Beijing? Protect your legal plate!!!!

**Lao Jia Hou** · 05-07-2012, 02:47 AM

We have all become used to strange "rules" and "policies" in China, but this one hit home ... hard.

Over on a Chinese board, there is a lively discussion about a "rule" in Beijing concerning motorcycle plates. Here is the thread.

Apparently, if someone steals your legal plate ("A" plates are around 25,000 rmb these days), you are screwed.

Now, one would naturally (and reasonably) assume that if someone stole the plate off your bike, that you would just go down to the Traffic Management Bureau (TMB) and endure the bureaucracy for a replacement (either the same number, or a new number). Well, NOT in Beijing. If someone steals your motorcycle plate, you can NOT get a new plate until the police find your old one. Yup, that's correct ... you are without a plate until the police, via their stellar investigative and enforcement practices, find your old one (and what is the chance of that?!?!?!?!)

Apparently, this "rule" is only in Beijing.

After reading about this, and chatting with a few "in the know" people I trust, I decided I better go to the source (TMB) for an answer. True to form, there isn't really an answer, but generally yes, if someone steals your plate you cannot get a new one until the old one turns up. Incredible.

OK, so I asked the "helpful authorities" ... that means, therefore, that if you drop 400,000 rmb on a fancy new LEGAL BMW/Harley/Ducatti, and then some joker steals the license plate one dark night, you actually can't ride it any more. The answer ... sure you can, but first you have to get a brand new plate (i.e., another 25,000 rmb). OMG.

It gets worse ... there is another "rule" that when you have a new plate, you cannot transfer it to another bike until after 3 years of ownership on one bike. So, in the (unlikely) event that after you drop another 25K for another plate and the old plate miraculously turns up, guess what ... you now have two legal A plates on one bike, but cannot transfer either until one of those A plates is 3 years old.

What if the thief steals the whole bike? Same story - your plate is gone, too.

For reference, with cars, if someone steals your plate you are entitled to a quick replacement, same or different number (your choice).

I'm going to weld my plates to my bikes.

**Graham** · 05-07-2012, 03:28 AM

Hi Lao Jia,

Thats a strange rule if ever I heard one.

How come cars are treated differently?
Surly an "A" plate cost the same for a car, as a "A" plate for a motorcycle?

May be I am missing some thing?

Gra.

**Lao Jia Hou** · 05-07-2012, 03:35 AM

Originally Posted by Graham

Hi Lao Jia,

Thats a strange rule if ever I heard one.

How come cars are treated differently?
Surly an "A" plate cost the same for a car, as a "A" plate for a motorcycle?

May be I am missing some thing?

Gra.

Hi Graham

Cars & motorcycles are completely different kettles of fish. Some argue, apparently correctly, that there is a distinct anti-motorcycle attitude/campaign.

In Beijing, there is a fixed number of existing motorcycle plates. No new ones are being issued. Therefore, if you want a plate on a new bike, you must buy an old bike that has a legal plate and then scrap that old bike and transfer the plate to your new bike. This secondary market has bid legal plate prices up to around 25K. Car plates are a few hundred rmb, but there is the silly "lottery" system for cars in Beijing. Nothing is simple in China.

Cheers

**MJH** · 05-07-2012, 03:40 AM

Maybe you can have some extras made….
http://www.buildasign.com/LicensePla...FQ7sKgodl0YM4w

**Lao Jia Hou** · 05-07-2012, 03:53 AM

Originally Posted by MJH

Maybe you can have some extras made….
http://www.buildasign.com/LicensePlates?pscid=10330&extcid=1375&mtcid=e&ntwc id=g&kwcid=custom made plates&gclid=CIfs1fif7a8CFQ7sKgodl0YM4w

Yeah, it crossed my mind ... get duplicates made and use those on the bike. Keep the genuine ones in a locked safe at home.

But, of course, I would never do anything like that

... nope, not me

**ZMC888** · 05-07-2012, 05:29 AM

Well this is because the rules are made by idiots who love cars. So if this 'policy' makes it more likely that motorcycles are illegal them they'll be damn happy about that.

This Chinese car love affair really needs to end. There is no sidewalk, park or tree safe from being turned into a retard friendly car moron parking area. The parking is bad enough, the driving, freaking abysmal.

**lobotomous** · 05-10-2012, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou

Yeah, it crossed my mind ... get duplicates made and use those on the bike. Keep the genuine ones in a locked safe at home.

But, of course, I would never do anything like that

... nope, not me

Hey LJH, in the event that you come across a supplier from whom you would never order anything like this, could you let me know so that I can join you in ensuring that I also never do this?