Originally Posted by
euphonius
Dear Manji01,
Welcome to Shanghai. MCM is filled with people who love bikes, and there are plenty of us in Shanghai. But a word of caution: There will be extremely little overlap between your field, people "specializing mainly in motorcycle design," and "people who love bikes." This is one of the fundamental problems of our sport in China. Motorcycle companies are not run by motorcyclists. It's just a job, and I'd lay strong odds that the dream vehicle of damn near everyone working in the motorcycle industry, from shop floor to executive suite, is a car, not a bike. In their minds, motorcycles are for farmers and foreigners.
Nor is Shanghai a paradise for motorcycling. There is excellent riding in nearby Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian and further afield, but you'll be slabbing for at least 4-5 hours on blindingly chaotic urban highways to reach the closest bits of rural joy, which really cuts down the enjoyment of a weekend outing. Best bet for extended adventure: Ship your bike by train to Kunming, Chengdu, Guiyang or other jumping-off point, and ride for a week or so, then ship it back. How about a three-day weekend? A couple of us are thinking of shipping to a relatively nearby location -- Lishui in southern Zhejiang -- to minimize the awful urban schlepping to get to the good stuff. Join us!
Then again, you may be one who enjoys the special thrills of urban riding, in which case, ignore the last paragraph!
Welcome and looking forward to meeting!
euphonius