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  1. #1 Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    C-Moto Noob
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    Hello all! My girlfriend and I are no strangers to riding in challenging and foreign places, and also skirting the law at times (we once drove a 40 year old motorcycle from India to Spain with fake papers the whole way). We just sold a little 150cc bike that we spent 3 months on in Indonesia and now we now want to buy a motorcycle in Xinxiang and spend a month or so driving around. So...how stupid would this be?

    I have no China license (but an international one I do have). We are on tourist visas. The plan was to buy two 50cc bikes (we heard that for those you dont need a license or papers). The alternative would be to buy a 125cc and ride two up, but then there is the issue with license plates and registration etc. The problem with the 50cc idea is the minimum speed limit...or is that a problem?

    Another problem is that I read on a post here that there are no motorcycles in Urumqi? Is that right? That was where we planned to buy the bike.

    So, thoughts on all this? Are there lots of police checking documents? Is it true with a 50cc we would be in the clear? Any reports on riding in Xinxiang? Any ideas at all how we could have some sort of a quasi-legal moto adventure in any part of China?

    Thank you for your ideas and thoughts!
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  2. #2 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    I am a little worried about you. Xinxiang is a random urban area in Henan province of no particular interest to motorcyclists; Xinjiang is an enormous province of China to the west full of interest. My worry about you maybe mis-writing a little J is that you are painting China with a wide brush without attention to detail. You might be able to ride a 40 year old motorcycle through Xinjiang with fake papers and have no problem. But, you also might not. You might instead be grabbed by one of the 10,000 military police that the People's Liberation Army recently marched down the streets of Urumqi in a show of force against Islamic terrorism in the province. You will be entering what is regarded (perhaps wrongly) as the most dangerous, most strictly governed province of China, where beards on men have been banned. I have no personal experience in Xinjiang, and I am desperate for a MCMer to come on here, tell me I've got it all wrong, and give us all a safe route to explore that wonderful place. But, it is not a place to assume you are just going to hippie-motor it on through with no complications. Please find people who live in Xinjiang right now who can give you a sense of what's going on, and plan very carefully. I wish you nothing but safe travels.
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  3. #3 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevenade View Post
    I am a little worried about you. Xinxiang is a random urban area in Henan province of no particular interest to motorcyclists; Xinjiang is an enormous province of China to the west full of interest. My worry about you maybe mis-writing a little J is that you are painting China with a wide brush without attention to detail. You might be able to ride a 40 year old motorcycle through Xinjiang with fake papers and have no problem. But, you also might not. You might instead be grabbed by one of the 10,000 military police that the People's Liberation Army recently marched down the streets of Urumqi in a show of force against Islamic terrorism in the province. You will be entering what is regarded (perhaps wrongly) as the most dangerous, most strictly governed province of China, where beards on men have been banned. I have no personal experience in Xinjiang, and I am desperate for a MCMer to come on here, tell me I've got it all wrong, and give us all a safe route to explore that wonderful place. But, it is not a place to assume you are just going to hippie-motor it on through with no complications. Please find people who live in Xinjiang right now who can give you a sense of what's going on, and plan very carefully. I wish you nothing but safe travels.
    Epic post!

    Momo034, it's nice to go through life thinking the rules don't apply to you. You will have no problem doing what you want to do... getting illegal bikes, riding with no license or insurance, etc. It will all be fine, until you get stopped by the police or scratch some locals car and then... it won't be so much fun. What you do reflects on those that live in China and many don't take things like illegal travel lightly.
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  4. #4 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevenade View Post
    I am a little worried about you. Xinxiang is a random urban area in Henan province of no particular interest to motorcyclists; Xinjiang is an enormous province of China to the west full of interest. My worry about you maybe mis-writing a little J is that you are painting China with a wide brush without attention to detail. You might be able to ride a 40 year old motorcycle through Xinjiang with fake papers and have no problem. But, you also might not. You might instead be grabbed by one of the 10,000 military police that the People's Liberation Army recently marched down the streets of Urumqi in a show of force against Islamic terrorism in the province. You will be entering what is regarded (perhaps wrongly) as the most dangerous, most strictly governed province of China, where beards on men have been banned. I have no personal experience in Xinjiang, and I am desperate for a MCMer to come on here, tell me I've got it all wrong, and give us all a safe route to explore that wonderful place. But, it is not a place to assume you are just going to hippie-motor it on through with no complications. Please find people who live in Xinjiang right now who can give you a sense of what's going on, and plan very carefully. I wish you nothing but safe travels.
    Thanks for the concern Steve, all of which have been duly noted. We also have our doubts of whether this is a good idea, hence my post here. We are just trying to gather info about what the situation is in the area to make a decision. We actually are in contact with several locals in Urumqi since yesterday, all of which have told us they think exploring the area by motorcycle is a great idea (and said the motorcycle ban only applies for the center of the city, a small area) and seem to think that the risks are not so great (of some hassles perhaps, but nothing too bad). That being said, even as locals I dont always trust their advice. I think our plan is to try and get a bike that has legal papers and plates, maybe find someone who will "rent" theirs to us... and as for the china license thing just wing it. I dont think that is such a terrible misstep (I have a license in my homecountry and an international one, I wouldnt be surprised if most provincial police dont even know that an international license is not valid in China). Anyways, we will see. We will feel things out once in Urumqi and decide if it makes sense. Will report back here on how it goes.

    And ChinaV, I dont mind playing by the rules. If there was a way to do this the right way we would do it for sure. But as you all know China makes it impossible to drive in the country while on a tourist visa. Some rules I dont break....speed limits are there for people saftey, I never break those kind of rules, but my driving is of no harm to you or anyone else, simply governments imposing restrictions that do just that...restrict, they might have their reasons but I am free to challenge or disagree with those reasons. I am also a sane adult, aware of the risks I take. I alone would suffer the consequences and punishments if my card is pulled. We are free to chose our own path. But thank you for your concern.

    By the way, for anyone reading this post who might be interested, there is a great blog about a couple traversing China on a little toy motorcycle, flying under the radar. Its a fun read: http://www.bugsonmyboard.org/2015/10...through-china/
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  5. #5  
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    Stupid and retarded questions from a white monkey less developed minds

    Chinese has rules and some order and follow it! Stop this nonsense talk illegal blah blah
    Get your shit together and do it correctly
    You need this like I've done several times
    Idiots like you make foreigners all look like shit here!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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  6. #6 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
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    Chinese has rules and some order and follow it! Stop this nonsense talk illegal blah blah
    Get your shit together and do it correctly
    You need this like I've done several times
    Idiots like you make foreigners all look like shit here.
    Easy Tiger ...
    What he does I don't think it reflects on you or me .
    Read this link ....
    By the way he had some help "ME"

    http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...-asia.1208680/

    Skip the first few pages, and read about China.
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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  7. #7 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    C-Moto Senior Asymptomatic's Avatar
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    I am not sure about Henan Province but I do know that 49cc or less bikes are legal without a license in a lot of provinces, including mine. You just need the certification showing its < or = to 49cc. Every province is different though! I am one of the assholes that road dirty for a year. Never had a problem because the bike had a plate. I am lucky my first accident happened three weeks after i got legal... You never know? Good luck though!
    “I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks"
    Triumph Speedmaster, Di ping xian da pao che 5000W, KTM Duke 390, Dayang DY150, Jencheng 150 Razkull Clone
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  8. #8 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
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    Hey, thanks for that link Prince! Just read the whole thing! Very helpful. So basically, seems I could buy a bike that is new and be legal on it for 30 days, which is exactly the extent of my visa and the duration we wanted to travel :)

    So that solves that problem. Just the Chinese license missing which I don't think is that big of a deal, I can just show my international one and play dumb and I think it will be fine, and if not whats the worst that can happen? they confiscate my shitty $500 bike....they get a new bike to ride away on and I have a new story to tell.

    But I was thinking I might even look in to getting a license if it is not so hard. I read one thing online saying it is easy as going into an office, paying $50, taking a super easy theoretical exam and then you get it the same day. If thats the case I might just try and do it.

    Anyone want to share their experiences gettting a China drivers license?

    And thanks for chiming in Asymptomatic with the confirmation of the 49cc rule. But we realizes Xinxiang just doesnt have enough provincial roads to make that feasible, there is only bigger highways.
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  9. #9 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by momo034 View Post
    and if not whats the worst that can happen? they confiscate my shitty $500 bike....they get a new bike to ride away on and I have a new story to tell.
    A fine, some jail time, and instant deportation.

    The drivers license thread is 65 pages long with 644 replies...because it's nearly impossible to get a DL in China without jumping through a lot of hoops.

    Just get a cheap bike and drive illegal, sounds like what you're going to end up doing.

    and it XinJiang not Xinxiang

    Have a safe trip and share some pictures with us.

    Cheers!
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  10. #10 Re: Riding in Xinxiang with no license....how stupid would this be? 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
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    Hi MoMo
    And welcome to MCM
    Members are correct here about not having a Chinese DL.
    I think it's fair to say that I have toured more then most on here all over China in the last 8 years clocking up well over 150.000 km just in china.
    And in those 8 years I have been stoped 100s times ,and only once which in fact was only 3 weeks ago that if my documents was not 100% in order I think I would of been in deep shit.

    Even in my early days when I had a fully legal bike but had not obtain my Chinese DL .
    I was involved in a crash and still was not a problem not having a Chinese DL.
    But that was on that day when the wind was blowing in the right direction.
    I was lucky.

    Now IMO the best solution is to fly into Beijing or Shanghia and you can obtain on the same day a provincial driving permit.

    Link .....http://motorhome-china.com/report_dl.html

    But I think it's only to be used for the Beijing or Shanghia area's.
    But having this is better then nothing IMO.

    Now if you can start your trip from Shandong province ,fly into yantai I will pick you up at the airport and take you to my local motorbike dealers (friends) And sort out a legally plated and insured bike.
    I am due back in Shandong in about 3 days time but will leave the area at the beginning of July.
    saying it is easy as going into an office, paying $50, taking a super easy theoretical exam and then you get it the same day.
    MOMO NO MATE DON'T HAPPEN AND DON'T TRY?

    All members here mean well but some get over excited.
    So listen to ALL advise posted and make up your own mind what is best for you ?
    But remember even the guy I posted the link to was not total volid of problems.

    Good luck
    Last edited by prince666; 06-05-2017 at 03:52 AM.
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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