New Spanish member in Beijing

[Desmo]

Hello everybody!

I've been around for almost 4 years now, had to leave my beloved Ducati back in Spain, mainly because the headache of bringing it in, the risks involved in doing that, the ten years and to scrap policy, and..... My wife's policy about riding big bikes in a city like Beijing, hehehe.

So I've been "riding" on a e-scooter for over 3 years now, which made me crave, even more ever since, to have a real bike. Don't get me wrong, these e-bikes can be great commuters for short to medium distances, but to me also have great downsides, such as been unable to predict how much battery is left when you don't do the exact same distances, and/or directions. Plus I' grown tired of trying to find a way to charge the batteries in every different location I've been living at, because mines are impossible to take home with me. Well, more importantly, they are just not a real motorcycle!

Now I have in mind a little project to use my spare time on... A tiny cafe racer, something in between 125 to 250 cc. I am looking at the moment to many little Chinese and Japanese bikes as starters, but want to make every change as reversible as possible, because I want it to be legal and pass the examinations without issues, so I will keep all the original parts and produce/buy the ones that I will use for the cafe look... If I cut the chassis, then I will make some inserts into the cut away piece to screw it back into place when needed, etc...

I had been reading the forum for a long time now and found it super helpful, I thought that now, late, I know, it is just the right time to sign in and contribute a bit, (stop beeping a leecher, heehehehe) and get to know you guys better... Who knows, maybe a little ride with some of you when I get my cafe in order!

Thanks!

[Lao Jia Hou]

Welcome Desmo. I've replied to your PM.

Kudos to you for being legal - a very wise thing to do these days, in Beijing. First, and most importantly, ensure you have a Chinese motorcycle driving license (DL). It seems that DLs are the focus of police-attention these days. Second, make sure your bike is legally plated. I ride around all over the inside/outside of Beijing and the few times I have been stopped, it has been entirely unexpectedly. If I had not been 100% legal, I'd have some problems.

As for doing a cafe conversion, I have been seeing quite a few for sale, recently, on Chinese websites - but I think most were never plated and are running fake plates (if plates are even present). Prices, however, seem very, very high for what they are. Must be fashionable these days.

Hopefully you have a shop to work in? Building management companies get rather angry if you do any sort of mechanical work on their premises.

Cheers

[Desmo]

Thank you for you quick reply!

As usual I found all the information you provided me super useful.

I do have a Chinese DL, C1D, That, as I understand, covers pretty much everything I wanted, car, motorbike & even side cars, hehehe.

I don't have a workshop per se... But I have been invited to collaborate with a CJ restorer, to help him customize and soap up in his store/workshop, I am pretty sure that it is so I can help him with his foreign customers more than anything, but I am really happy to have the chance of getting my hands dirty, learn more technical Chinese and, more important than anything, learn a little bit more of mechanics, specially on these "vintage" rides...

I never really learn... Here, when things seem to be too good to be real..... It is because they are just not.

Well thank you very much for your help and support, I will keep posting and when time comes, probably after Christmas, I post pictures and maybe we can have a ride together.... Or share some beers!

Cheers!

[Symon260z]

Desmo,

Bienvendido a MCM y suerte con tu proyecto de cafe racer.

[gorka]

Aupa Desmo,
un saludo desde Tianjin. Somos casi vecinos.
Hoy he visto a no de los chavales que para en el mismo taller que yo con una Monster...es la tuya?
Gorka.

[Desmo]

Gracias Symon260z!

Gracias Gorka!

No, mi Ducati esta en Bilbao, por problemas burocráticos, papeleo, pasta, la normativa esa chorra de Los 10 años, y, sobre todo por mi mujer, que no le gusta la idea de que ande con un bicho gordo por las calles de Beijing, con este maravilloso y educadisimo tráfico que tenemos por aquí. Ya me gustaría, pero bueno...

Por cierto, intuyo que no somos solo casi vecinos aquí en China... Eres Vasco? Jejeje.
Un abrazo!

[gorka]

De Bilbao? No jodas! Pues sí que somos vecinos.
Quería decir que sí tu moto es una monster, porque casualidad ayer vi una por primera vez en china. Por lo que se, no puedes traerte nada usado de fuera, tampoco tu coche.
Algún rinde de estos quedamos por beijing. O si prefieres bajarte hasta Dagang, al menos te garantizo que puedes andar en moto!
Gorka.

[Desmo]

Pues sí tío, de getxo, para ser más exactos, jejeje.

Traerme la Ducati es algo que di por imposible años atrás, ahora estoy en el proceso de comprar y modificar una pulguillas china en una café racer, para pasar el rato... De momento ando con una scooter eléctrica. En cuanto tenga el proyecto listo y legalizado podremos hablar de una escapa dita, por supuesto, jejejeje, cálculo que sobre enero, más o menos. Entre tanto, si te pasas por Beijing, avísame y tomamos algo.

Un abrazo