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  1. #1 Registering a Chinese made motorcycle over 250cc? 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    What is the system for and cost of registering a Chinese made motorcycle over 250cc?

    For a few years we've been allowed to register bikes over 250cc, this usually applies to bikes such as BMW's and Harley's.



    So here we have the Jialing JH600 and the Asiawing Spark 500. Both bikes I'm interested in (I'm sure many other people are too), both made in China and in the future I may be able to afford. (BMW's are out of my price range ) Question is, how much do these bigger bikes cost to register approximately (I know this will vary from province to province and city to city). How much extra will the bike cost to insure? Also what kind of plates will the bikes come with? If the bikes come with different plates to regular bikes under 250cc are they allowed to travel on freeways? Yet another question is, with bonkers Chinese car-loving anti-bike policies in some areas like Guangzhou for example, if these bigger bikes are registered differently, are they then not subject to so many of the bike bans that the smaller bikes are subjected to? Or if there is a law change in certain cities banning bikes am I less likely to have my bike banned out from under me? (If this was the case the bike would be a more worthy investment).

    Tricky questions, I know maybe nobody knows for sure...this is China after all but anybody got any ideas?
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    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    Very interesting point you bring up with the upcoming 400-600cc models about to hit the market. I think the facts are going to be very difficult to pin down because these rules are generally implemented at the local/provincial level and won't be uniform across the country. I think one point we continually underestimate is that cities in China have a lot of autonomy about how they interpret and apply laws.

    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. 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. You would have to check with other people, but I think Beijing and Shanghai registrations for BMW's and Harley's are "special". They won't get you on the expressway, but they will allow you to ride from home, out of the city. Guangdong, Shenzhen, and Dongguan do not have this type of bike registration.

    Another big problem we face is that China does not have a motorcycle industry council lobbying the government for industry support. Do you think the factories in China have approached the insurance industry and the motor vehicle departments with their intentions of selling large displacement motorcycles? I'm guessing they are building these for export purposes and they will figure out selling the local market later. Jialing is a slight exception because of their state/military connections.

    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.

    As you say, this is China. The day we can easily answer these questions with a simple list of procedures would be a good time to think about getting out here. What fun would it be without all the unknown stuff we get to face on a daily basis?.

    Cheers!
    ChinaV
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    Motorcycle Addict chinabiker's Avatar
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    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
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    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    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
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    Motorcycle Addict chinabiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChinaV View Post
    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.


    Quote 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.

    Cheers!
    ChinaV
    I'd keep my Beijing rego

    Andy
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  6. #6  
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    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
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  7. #7  
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chinabiker
    1. small white plates with black numbers
    electric bikes
    Where we are we don't have plates for electric bikes!

    Quote Originally Posted by chinabiker
    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.

    Quote Originally Posted by chinabiker
    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.

    Quote Originally Posted by china V
    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.
    Quote Originally Posted by chinabiker
    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!)
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    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by China V
    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.

    Quote Originally Posted by China V
    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
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  9. #9  
    Motorcycle Addict chinabiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZMC888 View Post
    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
    Andy
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  10. #10  
    Motorcycle Addict chinabiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZMC888 View Post
    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
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