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  1. #1 Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
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    Welcome to Tianjin! No bikes allowed.

    I've been living here in Tianjin for 4 years now, trying to figure out WTF is going on regarding bikes 3, and actually riding one for 2. I'm far from an expert but I've done some leg work so I thought I'd share it here. Anything that is a FACT* I will state as such, anything that I've heard I'll make sure you know, anything I think, well you get the idea...

    *this is China, facts can change...

    Please remember that Tianjin is both a province AND a city - much like Beijing. I am talking about Tianjin province mostly or I will refer to "Tianjin City".

    Fact: Tianjin city is a no-bike city (see photo above...) anything inside the outer-ring road (外环线) but NOT including the outer-ring road itself is a no-bike area. In addition some highways and expressways are explicitly "no-bike" as well.

    Fact: Tianjin province can ride legally registered and plated motorcycles, no problem ;)

    Fact: If your residence permit is inside the ring road you cannot register a Tianjin province motorcycle in your name or get a license plate for it.

    ----

    Ok, rumor has it that before 2007 there were bikes all over the city. This apparently pissed off the audi owners or something. There used to be a lot of horses and donkeys too - which is why you'll also see "no motorcycles or horses" signs elsewhere on the ring road... Thus the city-wide ban. This is why you'll also see occasionally an extremely old Honda, Suzuki, Jialing, chained to a building with a 津A, 津B, or 津C plate. I don't know what plates they issue now, I've literally never seen a "new" Tianjin bike or plate.

    In about 2008 people (farmers) wised-up and bought the switching e-bike + gas engine for using inside and outside of the city. Those too were banned (see about where it says "including gas assisted vehicles" in Chinese) and the police confiscated a ton of those bikes. BTW that's what happens - the police setup "stings" in their periodic enforcement times by getting a larger trailer, parking it at an intersection with about 12 cops and then nabbing every gas bike that rolls by and throwing it in the trailer. bye-bye!

    In 2010-2011 the "delivery boy" bikes (see my old lida in my signature) became popular. Rumor was because it had pedals it was technically a bicycle. When I purchased mine (naively) the shopkeep said you couldn't plate/register it even if you wanted because it's a bicycle, not a motorcycle. Also gaining popularity at that time the 50cc scooters. Then another 2-week "enforcement" downtown netted a few hundred bikes, but actually this seems not to have deterred people.

    In 2012 the R9 came. Especially popular with Korean students for the ability to go fast and not have to pay attention to the road while driving with 2 or 3 other people on the back. Now bikes from Hebei are being seen in town occasionally too. BTW for you people in cities that are bike "friendly", "occasionally" means maybe you see a bike every 2 to 3 weeks- it's kind of bizarre. CB250, AX-1, F650GS, Harley. But not more than I would say 15-20 bikes in the city still. And these are never seen being ridden. I suspect that the owner has a moving van follow his taxi to starbucks so he can show off his "status symbol" while sipping his chai tea lattle, and then it gets loaded up in the van again.

    In April 2013 Harley Davidson dealership opens (inside the ring road??). The only motorcycle dealership in the city (or province) that I'm aware of. In 1 month they've sold 28 bikes. And I've never seen a single one on the road. And no, they can't do registration for you like the 京B plates. You need a "friend" who lives outside the ring road to register it to their residence - this goes for Chinese too.

    -------

    The reality: If you're comfortable with the prospect of your bike being seized and walking away from it, then don't worry about license/reg - especially if you're on an R9 or a delivery boy bike. It's only a couple thousand RMB. And unlike other tier-1 cities, Tianjin is very much still the "wild west". Enforcement (of anything!) is lax, people, including police, are lackadaisical, and as long as you don't run someone over, you're alright. Just don't run someone over...

    So what can you do? Simple.

    Go to Beijing, buy a nice bike from a reputable dealer, get it plated with 京B plates, and drive it back down to Tianjin. I have done this, as well as another user on this forum. Finally, stay out of the city, mostly... 1.5Km of my daily commute is inside the ring road, but it's worth the risk to me. My dog's shoulder blades are taller than 15cm (which is also illegal inside the city, big dog ban...) but what can you do... Oh, one last rumor: IF you get pulled over on a legal bike (license, reg, ins.) driving illegally in the ring road it's a 200RMB fine payable on the spot. Much better than getting a bike confiscated, eh?

    Oh, and yes, there is a bike market in TEDA full of chop-shop stolen bikes. But you don't want one of those.

    tianjin.jpg
    map of tianjin.

    harley.jpg
    If you have 250,000-300,000RMB you can get a bike here too.
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  2. #2 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    This is very informative - thanks!

    Is outer TJ going through the same situation with getting gas for a motorcycle, as is happening in Beijing? Gas stations requiring proof of registration, etc.? It has reached ridiculous levels in central Beijing, where you now have to go inside the gas station and register your driving license, etc, and smile at the camera as they take your pic.
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  3. #3 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou View Post
    Gas stations requiring proof of registration, etc.? It has reached ridiculous levels in central Beijing, where you now have to go inside the gas station and register your driving license, etc, and smile at the camera as they take your pic.
    how about using the pre-charged SINOPEC cards up north in Beijing?
    they are very convenient and using the SINOPEC cards for years all over the motherland without any questions, no cash involved ~ in & out of gas stations very quickly....
    yes, got two different ones (Shanghai / Hainan) as they can only be charged in the province / municipality they have been issued, TIC all over again...
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  4. #4 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
    GW250 JayDee's Avatar
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    Very good information there!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou View Post
    Is outer TJ going through the same situation with getting gas for a motorcycle, as is happening in Beijing? Gas stations requiring proof of registration, etc.? It has reached ridiculous levels in central Beijing, where you now have to go inside the gas station and register your driving license, etc, and smile at the camera as they take your pic.
    As Danny mentioned, Tianjin is still "wild west". You can get fuel with any kind of vehicle (possibly without vehicle as well) in and outside the city. There is no such regulation.

    Same for the police, except the occasional crackdown-week they couldn't care less - really, they try. I've seen an unplated bike following a police car on the expressway. But then again, motorbikes are a really rare sight - even though I saw some bikes cruising through the city (including Harleys), all unplated.


    Oh, one last rumor: IF you get pulled over on a legal bike (license, reg, ins.) driving illegally in the ring road it's a 200RMB fine payable on the spot. Much better than getting a bike confiscated, eh?
    That is the most important rumor I would like to get confirmed, also if you can get caught on camera. Unfortunately it's hard to get something solid in the wild west. Guess Danny and me are the only "as-legal-as-possible" bikers in Tianjin anyway. When I went into the traffic police station next to my home, naive as I am, to ask how to get a motorbike drivers license and license plate in Tianjin the first guy told me there is no such thing as a chinese motorcycle license. After I insisted something like that exists, while showing them my license with the explanation on the back, another guy chimed in that I don't need a license and plate, "just drive", especially since I'm a foreigner. Not really helpful advise, guess you can't quote that guy after something happens.
    As far as I know, you can't make your motorbike license in Tianjin, if you are registered inside the city.

    Another rumor: You can ride the old jingjintang Highway to Beijing with your motorbike, as long as you pay the toll fee.
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  5. #5 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
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    Going JingJinTang by Motorcycle I got confirmed from a friend who is doing it.
    It works at least from WuQing to Beijing.
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  6. #6 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
    motor maniac ShuBen's Avatar
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    BTW: I made the experience with a brand new bike where they didn't let me fill gas because of no plate. Even the bike dealer receipt of the same week didn't help.
    I tried it with the pre paid gas card, but they didn't let me.
    They said they will be punished when the surveillance video shows they allow to fill a unplated bike.
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  7. #7 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShuBen View Post
    BTW: I made the experience with a brand new bike where they didn't let me fill gas because of no plate. Even the bike dealer receipt of the same week didn't help.
    I tried it with the pre paid gas card, but they didn't let me.
    They said they will be punished when the surveillance video shows they allow to fill a unplated bike.
    But that was in Beijing, right?
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  8. #8 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou View Post
    This is very informative - thanks!

    Is outer TJ going through the same situation with getting gas for a motorcycle, as is happening in Beijing? Gas stations requiring proof of registration, etc.? It has reached ridiculous levels in central Beijing, where you now have to go inside the gas station and register your driving license, etc, and smile at the camera as they take your pic.
    nope, not at all. I even gas up at the station near work inside the ring road without issue. Only once have I had an attendant not willing to fill up my spare can because it was plastic and not metal. After I told him it was imported from Canada and thus safe he filled it up w/o issue. Heck, I've had gas poured into an empty binghongcha 1L bottle to refill a buddy's empty bike. So nothing like Beijing ;)

    Is Beijing really that bad? I'll be up there for about 4 days for a conference in October staying at the CITIC by the airport. I was planning on taking the bike but I don't want hassle...
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  9. #9 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou View Post
    It has reached ridiculous levels in central Beijing...
    have been asked three times so far to show my blue bike registration book to fill up gas (out of Beijing plate) in the Beijing downtown area but no problems after they check the bike booklet.
    now please don't get me started on the foreign (western) "cheap-charlie" type individuals with non-plated scooters approaching me at the gas pump to use my blue bike rego booklet to fill up....
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  10. #10 Re: Getting (il-)legal in Tianjin 天津 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thedannywahl View Post
    ... Only once have I had an attendant not willing to fill up my spare can because it was plastic and not metal. After I told him it was imported from Canada and thus safe he filled it up w/o issue. Heck, I've had gas poured into an empty binghongcha 1L bottle to refill a buddy's empty bike. So nothing like Beijing ;)
    A friend and I recently tried to get fuel in a can, out in the suburbs (Shunyi), to fill up his near empty bike. We were expecting the "metal can" requirement, but the station told us that we had to first go to the local police station and apply for a permit. Same story at the 2nd station we tried. We were told it had something to do with terrorism. Whatever.

    Quote Originally Posted by thedannywahl View Post
    Is Beijing really that bad?
    It really depends on which station you use - some require you to go inside and register your driving license, and get your picture taken ... some just ask to see the blue book ... others don't bother with anything. The Chinese forums keep an updated list of the easy / hard stations. Unfortunately, my residence is in the Central Business District - and all the stations around me are "hard."

    Quote Originally Posted by thedannywahl View Post
    I'll be up there for about 4 days for a conference in October staying at the CITIC by the airport. I was planning on taking the bike but I don't want hassle...
    October is a nice time to ride in Beijing - the stations out in the mountains are usually "easy."
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