Registering a Chinese made motorcycle over 250cc?

[chinabiker]

All the following is to the best of my knowledge about the situation in Beijing. Others may correct me, please.

Whenever you buy a vehicle (a legal one), you have to pay a purchase fee of 8.9% (I think) from the fapiao value, or if it is a second hand vehicle according to the inspection center's evaluation, before you can register it under your name.

Registration fees (except the plate) are not high, usually below 500 RMB and I think it doesn't matter what size of bike it is.

The pile of documents you have to present to register a vehicle
- passport
- working permit (sometimes they ask for, sometimes they don't)
- police registration paper (residence registration)
- technical test report
- fapiao
- release document from customs (if imported)
- the purchase fee invoice
- insurance
- road tax invoice

Annual fees are now down to road tax (I just paid it: 360 RMB) and insurance. I just payed mine (mandatory 3rd party insurance) for 2009 and it was 1200 (I'll double check). Coverage is 50000 and although I heard of a 100000 coverage policy, I never managed to get one. I have a separate 3rd party insurance from Austria, not tied to the vehicle but me, the driver, for 180 EUR pa with a reasonable coverage of 100000 EUR.

Technical inspection (the first two periods are two years then one year)
To go to the technical inspection you will need
- passport
- police registration paper (residence registration)
- technical test report (the previous one)
- insurance
- road tax invoice


In Beijing they have 6 + 1 different types of plates (licenses) for motorbikes (motorized 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles) from what I know and have seen.

1. small white plates with black numbers
electric bikes

2. blue plates with white numbers( they always are B plates)
up to 50cc combustion engine powered 2 wheelers

3 yellow plates with black numbers Jing A
License fee reputedly between 10,000 and 15,000.
for bikes over 50 cc. Jing A permits to ride within the 4th ring road, except roads where all bikes are particularly banned from (e.g. 2nd ring road).

4. yellow plates with black numbers Jing B
License fee around 1500.
for bikes over 50 cc. Jing B plated bikes are not allowed within the 4th ring road. This also applies to non Beijing plates.
You cannot get a B plate as a foreigner (I heard) and as local only if your address is outside urban Beijing.

5. Black plates with white numbers (these are A plates)
foreigners
these have been stopped from issuing in November 2007, and replaced by 3.

6. Embassy plates


6 + 1. No plates


Some people say that the Chinese dirt bikes over 200 cc and street bikes over 250 cc cannot be registered at all. I think this is a relict.

In Beijing and Tianjin they let us go on the expressways, no problem. But all other provinces seemingly have banned all bikes from the freeways.
I never saw other that black, embassy, yellow (A and B) and no plates on the freeways.


I am lucky to have a very reliable guy, who is doing everything related to my cars and the bike for a small service charge (except the technical inspection for the bike because he cannot ride it).
Usually such guys are around, wherever foreigners are present.


Andy

[ChinaV]

Andy,

Two Questions:

#1 Let's just say I had a really good game of Mahjong last night and I could afford a new BMW. I fly up to Shanghai and lay out my cash with residence permit, drivers license etc. Do I get plates and insurance in Shanghai? If the answer is that I must register the bike in Guangdong, could you please ask the BMW dealership if they have any knowledge of someone buying in Shanghai and registering in Guangdong province.

#2 Let's just say you happen to re-locate to Guangzhou. What would you do? They don't issue ANY motorcycle registrations from what I am told.

Cheers!
ChinaV

[chinabiker]

Andy,

Two Questions:

#1 Let's just say I had a really good game of Mahjong last night and I could afford a new BMW. I fly up to Shanghai and lay out my cash with residence permit, drivers license etc. Do I get plates and insurance in Shanghai? If the answer is that I must register the bike in Guangdong, could you please ask the BMW dealership if they have any knowledge of someone buying in Shanghai and registering in Guangdong province.

Shanghai is still a no go area for bikes if I am correct. There will be two BMW dealers in Shanghai (area?) within this year I was told two days ago.
You probably meant Beijing. We, the importer and me, will be with Guangzhou police for a training in March (date tbc) and we will try to find out the "how to" and the "if at all". Many BMW buyers buy from the importer in Beijing (the only real dealer in Mainland so far) and register in other provinces. I'll ask him these days.

#2 Let's just say you happen to re-locate to Guangzhou. What would you do? They don't issue ANY motorcycle registrations from what I am told.

Cheers!
ChinaV

I'd keep my Beijing rego

Andy

[ChinaV]

Andy, yes you're correct, I meant Beijing. I would think you could keep the Beijing rego until the following year, then your residence permit would be issued for Guangzhou and that is where it would be nice to find out what other BMW owners have done.

Don't forget to set some time aside when you get down south, you will only be an hour way

Cheers!
ChinaV

[ZMC888]

1. small white plates with black numbers
electric bikes

Where we are we don't have plates for electric bikes!

2. blue plates with white numbers( they always are B plates) up to 50cc combustion engine powered 2 wheelers

We have these plates, these plates are all on 50cc 2 stroke scooters but I've heard rumors of them being illegal, as 2 strokes pollute too much, and the bike should be handed in for a government cash payment.

3 yellow plates with black numbers Jing A
License fee reputedly between 10,000 and 15,000.
for bikes over 50 cc. Jing A permits to ride within the 4th ring road, except roads where all bikes are particularly banned from (e.g. 2nd ring road).

4. yellow plates with black numbers Jing B
License fee around 1500.
for bikes over 50 cc. Jing B plated bikes are not allowed within the 4th ring road. This also applies to non Beijing plates.
You cannot get a B plate as a foreigner (I heard) and as local only if your address is outside urban Beijing.

We of course have these plates, but obviously they are all local, but look the same, in terms of color, registration including license and insurance is currently 300RMB or so, here.

Originally Posted by ChinaV View Post
#2 Let's just say you happen to re-locate to Guangzhou. What would you do? They don't issue ANY motorcycle registrations from what I am told.

I'd keep my Beijing rego

I'm sure Beijing A rego 'trumps' any local rego. But if they say no motorcycles, can they enforce this for not with a special 'A' plated black Beijing plate? I suspect most of the time Andy could probably ride around Guangzhou, but he could get his bike impounded if he was unlucky.

It's all confusing, yet a little interesting. One of my Chinese friends who has police connections registered a 400cc bike in 2006 with yellow plates. But he said that some police would recognize the bike as having being illegally registered.

When I go to see Asiawing I'll ask about buying a Spark 500, but I'll say only if they can help me get plates and insurance (don't care if the bike is in my wife's name). Then wait and see what they say! I'm sure that they'd prefer I bought the bike. If there is any way to register it it then a motorcycle factory boss must have connections (as the bike would be registered in the same province it is made). More than likely they'll lie about the engine capacity in the documents! Most of the local Chinese riders in this area wouldn't buy a License fee or plate with insurance unless it was really cheap, even if it was available. I'd be willing to spend a decent amount of money (up to 5000 RMB) to have the bike road legal. Sometimes exceptions can be made (but don't hold your breath!)

[ZMC888]

I think we're years away before any legislation is passed issuing special plates for big bikes that are purchased for recreational use, but I wouldn't be surprised if they go that route eventually.

According to Andy it's been and gone!

I think this will be sooner than later. This is because for example in Guangzhou bikes were banned because they were all owned by people from outside Guangzhou (such as Anhui) trying to make a buck living in Guangzhou. Such as motorcycle taxi riders, three wheeled delivery bike riders, plus a few bag snatchers on 125cc bikes. Guangzhou residents want to keep these 'undesirables' out and banning bikes was a means to do this. I think as the roads clog up with cars they wouldn't have any problems with expensive bigger bikes that paid the local government a hefty registration and license fee, especially if they were made in China.

When your city decides to remove motorcycles from the roads, it doesn't matter what you bought, how big it is, or what registration you carry, no means no.

This probably won't happen where I am, because we've got too many rural areas inside the 'city' limits.

I feel your pain brother, I would drop 35K on a JH600 in a second if someone could point me to a shop and let me walk out with registration and insurance all in my name, but I'm not holding my breath for someone to make it easy. If it's easy, it's probably not legit. I challenge anybody on this forum to provide pictures of a new, Chinese made motorcycle over 250cc, sitting on a showroom floor that can be purchased today with registration and insurance.

Is it possible or impossible outside of Beijing? This is what we need to know! I went to a Yamaha dealership about a year ago and they were advertising in Chinese that the R1 and another bike were available in China (had a brochure). The shop staff said they were expensive to buy and register. (Something to do do with the license fee a or registration fee being a percentage of the price). Still confused

[chinabiker]

Is it possible or impossible outside of Beijing? This is what we need to know! I went to a Yamaha dealership about a year ago and they were advertising in Chinese that the R1 and another bike were available in China (had a brochure). The shop staff said they were expensive to buy and register. (Something to do do with the license fee a or registration fee being a percentage of the price). Still confused

It should be possible. I saw JH600s with Yunnan, Xinjiang, Hebei, Beijing plates - can't tell if they were legal though.

The R1 is imported, I assume. Price calculates approx. as follows:

Landed price (the CIF price) + 31% (import duty) + 10% (environmental fee ??) + dealer margin + 17% VAT = fapiao price + 8.9% (purchase fee) = A LOT + plate (depending on the city / province)

Andy

[chinabiker]

I'm sure Beijing A rego 'trumps' any local rego. But if they say no motorcycles, can they enforce this for not with a special 'A' plated black Beijing plate? I suspect most of the time Andy could probably ride around Guangzhou, but he could get his bike impounded if he was unlucky.

You are right there, a black Jing A plate is not a trump anymore. I wouldn't ride in GZ anyway, but outside.

Andy

[chinabiker]

Andy,

Two Questions:

#1 Let's just say I had a really good game of Mahjong last night and I could afford a new BMW. I fly up to Shanghai and lay out my cash with residence permit, drivers license etc. Do I get plates and insurance in Shanghai? If the answer is that I must register the bike in Guangdong, could you please ask the BMW dealership if they have any knowledge of someone buying in Shanghai and registering in Guangdong province.

#2 Let's just say you happen to re-locate to Guangzhou. What would you do? They don't issue ANY motorcycle registrations from what I am told.

Cheers!
ChinaV

We examined Q #1

If you would send a copy of your docs and a deposit today, fly up here tonight and put the cash on the table, you are the owner of a legal Jing A plated tomorrow evening, provided the bike is in their showroom now.


The GZ rego thing is still under investigation.

Andy

[andre555]

@ZMC888: How about your visit & the registration issue on a 500er Asiawing?

@chinabiker: any news on the #1 issue Guangzhou? (assumption: it would be similar for other provinces)