Hi everyone,
I wanted to introduce myself instead of just lurking like I have been for the last couple of days.... I am in Ningbo, Zhejiang and am wanting to get back into riding after a few (12ish) years off the bike (I was strongly discouraged by my now ex wife : - D).
Up to that point I had been riding for about 15 years on all sorts of machinery in OZ. GSX550, TTR250, NSR250, GSXR1100, ZX-6R, KX125, CB125, Daytona 955i, SV1000, I am probably forgetting something..... as well as working at a Suzuki/Aprillia dealership and riding just about everything.
I also spet a couple of Years in Japan riding an SRV250
I was a bit of a victim of sports bike/dirt bike fever that most young guys seems to go through and as a consequence, rarely had a bike that I was comfortable on (I have long legs) until I tried (reluctantly and only after being threatened by my boss) a V-strom 1000 which I loved. it was a real eye opener at the time but I never bought one as I already had a newly bought naked bike....
Then I came to china in 2005, sold my bike at home, met my lovely ex wife and was "strongly encouraged" not to ride bikes anymore.
No big deal as I was riding a bicycle anyway and when I came to Ningbo in 2006 I found incredible roads in the nearby mountains and a side to china that I had never experienced before. One that was a complete contrast to the city below. After a year I moved back to Oz to finish my long lingering studies, got married, lived in Palau for a few years, went back to Australia, got divorced and returned to China to work. Where? Ningbo again... So back on the bicycle I got, I found that although things had changed for the better in the city they had changed for the worse in the mountains. the nearby hills now heavily developed and traffic horrific and terrifying on the weekends. Still if I went far enough, I could find some peace and beauty similar to what I remembered.
Last year I started to develop an injury that meant an end to my life as a cyclist. Missing the "time out" that I could find while riding I started to look into getting a motorcycle. I knew that they were banned in the city but I occasionally saw one around so supposed that there must be a way to do it if I wanted to badly enough.

So now you are caught up on my saga..... this is where I am at. In the process of getting my license transferred and looking for a bike. I have already met a couple of very helpful people who have offered me varying assistance and advice but I am still finding the local licensing/ownership chicanery quite bamboozling. In search of information I came across this forum which has been both helpful and entertaining.

I am looking for a bike that can handle the mountain roads/tracks and can handle my 35" inseam and bad knees with enough comfort. Initially (foolishly) I thought "I will just buy a new or lightly used Japanese adv bike, how hard can it be?" I had visions of blasting around on a V-strom/Tenere/Africa Twin or alternatively a dr650/KTM690 or some such thing but then I saw how much they cost and how difficult they were to obtain and... holy sheeit , I nearly gave up on the spot.

I then reassessed a little and wondered if I needed all the cubes... I don't. one of the bike I enjoyed the most was my srv250, although it was powerless and a little small but it worked well in Tokyo and the surrounds. Maybe an sr400 (perhaps not enough versatility)?

I have no real interest in going fast anymore but power does help with safety and it is fun.... but with the desire to not spend the earth and at the same time to do it all legit, I find myself a bit unsure. Do I got the way of the local well offs and get a BMW (I could only afford an F800gs and then only barely) or do I go my own way with lower expectations, i.e. a 650 Versys or SWM 650 and still spend a bunch? Or jump down the rabbit hole of local bikes..............

I know in myself that a poor quality bike will scare me and put me off. My question is, is there such a thing as a large local bike that is well made and up to the task? I am guessing not and haven't found any real evidence of such a thing but if anyone would know it would be you guys.

Sorry for the epic venting but the more you know the better you can help

Any suggestions? Also always happy to meet local riders etc