New rider British in Shanghai. Want to buy first bike

**Metalmonkey** · 03-20-2017, 06:44 AM

Was gonna post a massive rant about the system here/lack of Japanese (legal) bikes. Thanks for Bikerdoc's PM...

Umm...The drz400 seems to be a really popular bike for long distance travel. Don't suppose anyone knows of a legal one for sale in the PRC.... heck, or a Kawasaki klx250
Pretty much giving up on the XianYu （闲鱼） app at this point...

**TexasAggie** · 03-20-2017, 02:11 PM

Did you note the Jialing for sale here in this forum? The plate is legal and even though not a Shanghai plate, it could but good for a while. As long as you do not plan to cruise the Bund daily, I suspect you would be OK for what I think you are wanting. Price seems fair.....

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ale-24-500-RMB

Not affiliated with the seller, just thought you might want to look at the package as a legal option.

**Metalmonkey** · 03-25-2017, 01:54 AM

Thanks for the nudge... You also have a jh600 for sale. Seems a popular bike on here.. I've only come across it with sidecar on my hunt for a second hand bike.
. I'm really a new rider, although I've ridden a 400cc before.. Dunno about the weight and power of that 600... Seems like China's answer to the klr650 though eh? (From totally inexperienced eyes)
The one above certainly seems to come with a lot of extras . Having never been on something that big... I'm not sure... Can certainly see the touring possibility it holds... Especially with all that luggage.. Looks comfortable too. Who needs a beautiful bike;)?
Kidding aside, I do appreciate the recommendation.

Can I ask the chap above something 666 , what bike did you ride back to U.K.? Must have been epic. For years I've wanted to do the overland to China.. Even bought maps of Turkey and Iran... Was planning on getting a 4wd... Now with my new motorbike license... Seems the real vehicle for such a trip has only two wheels.. Awesome stuff. Do you have a ride report or bog or videos or something?

**bikerdoc** · 03-25-2017, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Metalmonkey

...
Can I ask the chap above something 666 , what bike did you ride back to U.K.? Must have been epic. For years I've wanted to do the overland to China.. Even bought maps of Turkey and Iran... Was planning on getting a 4wd... Now with my new motorbike license... Seems the real vehicle for such a trip has only two wheels.. Awesome stuff. Do you have a ride report or bog or videos or something?

Prince666... rode from Ch!na to EU and return on a CF650TR-G... The Long Way Home

**TexasAggie** · 03-26-2017, 07:45 AM

I sold my JH600 bike to an inmate here by the call name Zhu. You can see his input on Jialings. I also saw an old friend Franki is selling his for very cheap. He says he rebuilt it. My dealings with Franki were always up and up. For RMB8000, I would look into it for sure. I am even contemplating it as a back up ride for friends...

**TexasAggie** · 03-26-2017, 07:48 AM

Here is the link:
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...by-first-owner

For what it is worth, I bought the Wilbers suspension for my JH600 with help from Franki. He treated me very fairly in my opinion.

**Metalmonkey** · 04-06-2017, 11:48 AM

Hmmmm, on Monday, I went to try out a second hand bike for sale here in Shanghai. It was from the xianyu (闲鱼) app.... Resist is I liked the bike and wanted to buy it... Only 8k km on the clock, a 2013 shineray x5 400cc....i asked what hos lowest price is and he and his wife said well there are two options to buy the bike.. The first is without a plate and the second is with the 苏F plate that was in there.. They rang the middle man who had plated out for them and he apparently said because I'm a foreigner with an address in Shanghai it wasn't possible to transfer this plate to me... Further to this, they said that a 沪c plate would be like 10万 RMB. Disappointed... The fifth bike I've ridden with a view to buy... Short of moving to another city in China which would mean changing jobs.. I'm stumped
I mean, do the powers that be actually want me to get a bike that sits in a grey area?
Maybe you guys outside Shania would just say move.. Perhaps I should

I live inside the 内环路 atm... The plan is to move outside the 外环路 this month... Still if all sellers are like this guy that royal Pita won't be worth it.... Won't achieve the aim of registering a bike... Don't know what to do... One thing forget about motorcycles... Is this an option?

**prince666** · 04-06-2017, 01:30 PM

I can understand you being pissed off.
All you would like to do is buy a bike be legal and ride about.
But TIC (This is China) the zogic free zone.
So just keep trying to work out what is best and in the end you will get there.
Good luck and keep us all posted on MCM.

P.s. Talk to BikerDoc on here because he has a CFMoto TR for sale in Ningbo and I am sure he can get it plated in your name over in his area without you moving.

Or speak to TexasAggie.
Both these guys have good contacts and knowalage about how things work here .
"Never say Never"

**ChinaV** · 04-06-2017, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Metalmonkey

I mean, do the powers that be actually want me to get a bike that sits in a grey area?

No, they don't want you to have a bike at all. Bikes are for poor peasants and China doesn't want them on the road. You only need to move for a few minutes, just long enough to get a piece of paper with a non Shanghai address on it.

**Metalmonkey** · 04-07-2017, 09:09 AM

Bikes I've considered -

drz400 (number one choice given power, reliability, off road ability, weight etc) Actually have found one for 28950 on 闲鱼.. ugly white colour, but the owner says it's legally registered
klx250
shineray x5 400
qingqi qm200gy (also weirdly names qm150 by qingqi)
dr250 and dr250xc
dr350

Five bikes I've ridden, supposedly for sale but sketchy when it comes to plating (slash several offered me "help")-
Shineray x5 400cc one in Nanjing, sticky breaks plenty of rust, seat fell off when I threw my leg over it
klx250 in Shanghai- guy said his 沪A plate was fake... battery was dead over twenty years old(un-platable?) and wouldn't come down from 9500
shineray x2x in shanghai seller said he replaced the engine himself to a 300cc 10000yuan for the bikes. Just felt him skidding to a halt in front of me and saying let's go where there are no police wasn't the right vibe.. loose clutch and break levers.. but general the air of the meeting and the power to weight...
dr250xc 07 English speaking seller.. smuggled said he could help plating it... excellent condition although difficult to find neutral when stopped.. 2wan expensive but good condition, where I learned about the shuihuo plating that goes on.. rattled by it and thought what's the difference between buying this and a stolen bike- seems the norm the more I ask
Last one shineray x5 400cc only 8175km on the clock good condition, about to make and offer and he and his wife start telling me a complicated tale of the options- illegal without the plate or we can transfer it.. quick call to their "friend" whilst still stood in the pitch black of the alley in their housing estate "no, sorry, you're a foreigner with a Shanghai address, he can't change the plate over to your name.." since then he's said he's using the plate on a smuggled yamaha xt660 so it's no hegezheng (the police really keep the original at their office when its plated???!!- his reason for not being able to give me this)