Esteemed Chinamotorists...

I have thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful forum from the sidelines for the better part of a year. In that time I grew from a motorcycle virgin interested in taking on China's roads in my first year teaching in Zhongguo, to getting my Chinese motorcycle license the hard way (taking the Chinese exams in Chinese), and now helping other people in Xiamen (Daowai) enter the local motorcycle market. I, along with two close friends, are planning an ego-stroking adventure that I have pompously titled "Journey to the West 2015." I, along with my colleagues, whom I have probably misnamed according to the character of that famed Chinese novel, will post information on trip planning, etc., in the hopes that you all may be entertained by our mishaps, rain cutting criticism upon our mislaid plans, and in general endeavor to urge us to abandon this fool's journey. Or, some advice, mayhaps? :)

Tentative trip outline: Xiamen - Longyan - Ganzhou - Shaoguan - Guilin - Liuzhou - Nanning EITHER THROUGH SE ASIA OR GUANGXI - Xishuangbanna - Dali - Lijiang - Deqen - Chengdu - Chongqing - Guiyang - Changsha - back to Fujian as fast as possible.


Characters:

Zhu Baijie aka the Boar Warrior - Wandrin' desperado from the United States of 'Murica. Rides a Suzuki GW250. University professor, master of Chinese medicine, accomplished cook and photographer.

Sha Wujing aka the Sand Priest - Citizen of the Democratic People's Republic of New York City. Rides a 2013 YBR250. University professor, law school graduate, speaks Spanish and HSK 3 Chinese, which is actually pretty sad all things considered.

Sun Wukong aka the Monkey King - Subject of Her Majesty's Crown Colony of Hong Kong. Rides a 2010 YBR125 bored to 150 and various modifications. Mechanic, speaks Mandarin and Cantonese, will probably save our lives repeatedly over the course of the trip.

On a more serious note, we are soliciting sound counsel regarding the feasibility of sojourning through Southeast Asia for the Guilin - Xishuangbanna leg (can we ride into Vietnam? Laos? Thailand? Burma?) also if anyone thinks it's possible to put together a reasonably priced Tibet trip considering paperwork by July then we are all ears.

I will wait for the others to post. They are probably already upset with me due to the content of this post.

Live well and prosper!