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  1. #1 Beijing Sportbike Ride Reports 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Hi Beijing Sportbikers,

    I noticed a lot of support for the trikes and the dual sport tourers, but not much info on sportbiking in Beijing. So with that in mind I propose that we post up nice rides/routes we discover or know. I pretty much know none, but am on a mission to discover at least 5 close to town routes that can afford a quick 2-3 hour stress-busting jaunt nearly anytime. I'd also like to discover a couple longer 5-6 hour loops for days off. With that being said here is:

    Short Route #1> G108

    This morning I got up at 6:30am and rolled out at 7:15am. I studied a Beijing roadmap last night and saw that the G108 might be a nice, twisty road. So I decided to give her a go.

    I went West on the North 4th Ring road to get there. Traffic was about average; no real heavy congestion at 7:30am. I missed the G108 exit. I wasn't worried because the G109 also offered some nice twisty riding according to my trusty tourist map. However, despite driving in Beijing for over 2 years I still managed to misread the attrocious signage and missed that one too. I took the very next exit, headed West and gassed up. I figured I'd ride out to the 5th Ring, and then backtrack a bit to get to the highway in question. As I went back on the main road, a sign told me I was back on track to the 108. Joy! Within 6 minutes I was on a semi-divided 4 lane sparsely trafficked highway with wide gentle curves. It was a good chance to test out the top of 2nd and 3rd gears. After about 7 or 8 minutes of that, I passed through a touristy area (temple of some sorts) and came to a roundabout. G108 was to the left and that was where the highway turned into a twisty, 2 lane ride through the hills. Lots of slow to medium paced turns, some with nice banking (!), a few sharpies to watch out for. The pavement itself was nice, but there was quite a bit of fine gravel and debris on the road. Nothing too upsetting, but you wouldn't want to be caught leant over too far on one of those curves. There wasn't much traffic, but expect to have to over take a car or truck every minute or so. The scenery was refreshing, lots of trees, some hilly terrain (after living in the city core, it felt like the Garden of Eden). After 20-30 minutes of nice riding I hit a construction zone and the road surface turned rough, workers all over the place. I went ahead for about 10 minutes at a slow pace before stopping for a few minutes and turning around. I'm not sure how far the construction is, but it's safe to say when it's finished the road will be wider and have a better surface. I'm also pretty sure if I continued another few kilometers the construction zone would have finished, but I had to be back in town by 10:00ish. Way back was on a downhill incline, and I came back from the 3rd ring road. Traffic was grat until the 3rd ring and it was slower going from there. I got back at 10:00am.

    I didn't take any photos or GPS routes or anything. Maybe in the future I will. My next trial run is going to be the G109. Hopefully sometime early morning next week. I'll post up the results when they happen.

    I'd like to encourage everyone here in Beijing to add their own 'Sportbike' friendly rides and experiences if possible. Ride safe!!!!
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  2. #2  
    C-Moto Guru
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    What bike are you riding now Taimur?
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  3. #3  
    Motorcycle Addict chinabiker's Avatar
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    Hi Taimur

    Go North instead of West. G108 and 109 are actually the most shitty roads you can find here. The North is much better regarding road conditions, traffic and scenery. Let me know if you need any tips for routes around the North. I'd like to join
    Andy
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  4. #4  
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nuhaus View Post
    What bike are you riding now Taimur?
    a 2003 GSXR1000
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  5. #5  
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Quote Originally Posted by chinabiker View Post
    Hi Taimur

    Go North instead of West. G108 and 109 are actually the most shitty roads you can find here. The North is much better regarding road conditions, traffic and scenery. Let me know if you need any tips for routes around the North. I'd like to join
    Ahhh!!! Well, it's all part of learning. Starting at the shittiest keeps my expectations nice and low. Check PM.
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  6. #6  
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    Quote Originally Posted by Taimur View Post
    a 2003 GSXR1000
    Nice, registered and plated? I've seen a few bigger bikes being driven around by foreigners here near Shanghai. Of course, legally the largest bike I can have here is a 250, or so I'm told.
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  7. #7  
    Motorcycle Addict chinabiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nuhaus View Post
    ... Of course, legally the largest bike I can have here is a 250, or so I'm told...
    Not quite. From the locally manufactured bikes there is the Jialing JH600, which can be registered and maybe some time soon the Asiawing 450 can be registered too.
    Some imported big bikes can be registered (not in all places) but these are $$$. From what I know these are: BMW, HD, some say the Yamaha R1 can be and there is a Honda dealer in Beijing.
    Andy
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  8. #8  
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    Yep, what he said.

    I'm going to take your advice Chinabiker and do a bit of a Northern exploration tomorrow morning. Will post up what I find. Happy motoring!
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