Riding legal decisions-insights wanted

**HarbinSteve** · 07-05-2012, 05:48 AM

You need, a number of items to legally register and plate your wheels...
Passport
Valid Visa (employment/residence)
PSB registration slip
Bill of sale
Sale Invoice (not the same as above)
Tax invoice
Quality certificate from manufacturer
Work unit approval (this might not be needed in all circumstances and locations)

Does anybody happen to know the characters for the: 1.Quality certificate from manufacturer 2. Sale Invoice (not the same as above) and 3. Bill of sale? I want to make sure I get all of the correct paperwork when I buy the bike, as I will probably buy it in Harbin, then ride it to a different city to register. It would be a big pain to have to ride all the way back to the seller to pickup a paper I didn't get the first time.

**euphonius** · 07-05-2012, 06:01 AM

Dude, did you just go ask at Harbin vehicle management office? On the off chance that you are making this harder than it need be?

There is no 150cc limit, unless it's just this town making it.

**euphonius** · 07-05-2012, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by HarbinSteve

Does anybody happen to know the characters for the: 1.Quality certificate from manufacturer 2. Sale Invoice (not the same as above) and 3. Bill of sale? I want to make sure I get all of the correct paperwork when I buy the bike, as I will probably buy it in Harbin, then ride it to a different city to register. It would be a big pain to have to ride all the way back to the seller to pickup a paper I didn't get the first time.

I think those are in my thread on Getting Legal in Shanghai.

**bikerdoc** · 07-05-2012, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by HarbinSteve

I found a trustworthy friend who lives in a city North of Harbin who will let me register in his name, and an uncle who is a 交警 (can register it for me) and also owns a lifan shop. Which seems perfect, but.... he says you can only register bikes under 150cc in China. I am almost completely certain this is wrong (Maybe that city has its own regulations) Has anyone heard of this 150cc limit before? A 250 is wimpy enough, I don't think touring on a 125 or 150 would be much fun.

Sounds like an avenue, but word of caution here... be somewhat careful registering under a friends name since you won't be able to do anything with ownership of the bike legally without involvement of your friend. For example be involved in an accident where the bike is impounded, or required to be transported back to the traffic police station or any some such situation where the registered owner is required to front up, then you are dependent on that friend. Need the bike inspection done, again you will need your friend to be there to present their ID card so it can get done. Need to get insurance etc, then again that friend with ID card will be needed. Any situation that arises that requires the owner with their ID card and you are dependent on that friends generosity, which might be okay round Harbin - though I recall you planning on riding all manner of places. Prepare for everything but plan for the worst case scenario - just in case. Worse, what happens if something happens to your friend?

While having a friend register the bike seems easy it doesn't come without complications and limitations.

As for the 150cc regulation, that sounds fishy to me, just based on the "you can only register bikes under 150cc in China" comment, as many of us have >150cc motorbikes all over China with legal plates. Sounds like your friends uncle (traffic police officer) is seriously misinformed, or referring to some local ordinance which in itself seems unlikely, since no city I am aware of bans bikes based on displacement, only on the basis of being a motorcycle/motor scooter or not.

Have you tried to find the traffic regulations relative to motorcycles in Harbin online using Baidu? Worth a shot, naturally Mandarin skills needed for that.

Remember that the easy things in China are complicated while the complicated things are easy!

Good luck.

**HarbinSteve** · 07-06-2012, 06:29 AM

While having a friend register the bike seems easy it doesn't come without complications.

That is a good point, you mentioned a few things I had not thought of.

In the end, I think I will have to go with this method for now. My work visa expires in September (not enough time left to register a vehicle) and my boss said they will renew it in late August. So even if I did decide to rent a room in a different city for a while to register the bike, I would not be able to do it till at least mid-September. By then my vacation is over, and its starting to get cold in these parts. So for now, I think the best option (for my situation) is to register with the friend. That way I'll hopefully be able to get some riding in before next year.

The good news is I picked up my license today, so I'm at least one step closer to riding and being legal. One battle at a time I guess.

I think those are in my thread on Getting Legal in Shanghai.

I just saw the English list but not Chinese in this thread:

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ering+shanghai

I could have missed it though. Or maybe wrong thread.

**kikikillercat** · 07-08-2012, 04:18 AM

it seems in china things can get done one way or another, as in the western world development that is too fast makes the people crazy...so even technology is delivered slowly....here they have to get used to the idea of motorcycles being larger than 150..and foreigners getting licenses etc..... in my city i can buy a car and get a plate no problem...but a foreigner registering a motorcycle!!! "does not happen"...only because it hasn't happened..thats all... anyway..i have two....250 galaxy and a 650tr both i had to register in my friends name...which means she owns the motorcycles as the receipts are in her name.... i have both car a motorcycle lic.
there was some thought that a 650 could not be registered here...but a chinese guy has the same bike and he got a plate so i felt it was do..able.

**bikerdoc** · 07-08-2012, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by kikikillercat

it seems in china things can get done one way or another, as in the western world development that is too fast makes the people crazy...so even technology is delivered slowly....here they have to get used to the idea of motorcycles being larger than 150..and foreigners getting licenses etc..... in my city i can buy a car and get a plate no problem...but a foreigner registering a motorcycle!!! "does not happen"...only because it hasn't happened..thats all... anyway..i have two....250 galaxy and a 650tr both i had to register in my friends name...which means she owns the motorcycles as the receipts are in her name.... i have both car a motorcycle lic.
there was some thought that a 650 could not be registered here...but a chinese guy has the same bike and he got a plate so i felt it was do..able.

Tell us how you have found the 650TR so far? Any pictures and a full report or review would be great.

**bikerdoc** · 07-08-2012, 06:17 AM

Opps, you beat me to it, as I see you have posted a little something about the 650TR here

**HarbinSteve** · 07-08-2012, 12:51 PM

Bought a bike today. A water cooled Lifan 125. One step closer to traveling. It is being registered in my friends name. They said it was impossible to register to a foreigner ( I know thats not true, but the only "truth" that matters is what the person who can register the bike says.

Anyhow, it should have a plate/insurance/etc... by Wednesday this week, and I will go back to pick it up and ride it home. I'll get some pics up then.

**slabo** · 07-08-2012, 07:10 PM

you don't really have to move out of Harbin, you just have to show paperwork that you live outside of Harbin. Get someone to agree to rent you a place, at least get the paperwork saying that you've rented someplace out Harbin, then go to the local police station there and get a proof of residence.