A few of us are creating a North China riders’ club. We’ve secured a large clubhouse, in a great Beijing location for recreational motorcycling. It is currently being renovated and is scheduled to be finished by the end of December (which probably means the end of January), but the basics are:


  1. A large building facing onto a courtyard, with other motorcycle shops around;
  2. Tucked away off the main road for privacy;
  3. Central courtyard includes large BBQ area;
  4. Games room with pool table, etc.;
  5. Luxurious & clean western bathroom!!!!!! Yes, it is true!
  6. DIY shop area with tools & lift. There is also a well-known shop right next door for those who prefer to relax while others sweat away;
  7. Romantic fireplace for those special “events”;
  8. Bike storage;
  9. 24/7 onsite security personnel;
  10. Large lockers for members (for gear & helmets);
  11. Cappuccino/espresso machine, commercial coffee-making, stand-up cooler (for sodas, beer, etc), probably a popcorn and hotdog machine;
  12. Bike washing facility;
  13. Loft area for lounging (with TV, chairs, stereo, etc.);
  14. Overnight facility for out-of-towners; and,
  15. Much, much more.


The purpose of this club is to provide a comfortable place to lounge and assemble for before/after rides, and also as a destination for activities. It will be a member-only club, although members’ guests will naturally be very welcome. There will be an initial joining due, as well as annual dues, to cover rent, electricity, water, coffee, and so on. It is non-profit (as an ex-banker, I’m guessing we’ll be in the red for a long time – oh well).

It has been expensive to gut the building, and rebuild it from the ground up, but the primary purpose is to make it comfortable for members. Once finished, we may be working on setting up a satellite clubhouse next to the Great Wall (an incredible location has been found), in the Northern Mountains, and a second satellite clubhouse in the Western Mountains.

Member benefits will include 24/7 access to the clubhouse(s), bike storage and winterization, emergency roadside assistance (in English!), bike purchase/selling assistance, vehicle registration assistance (new plates & transfers), driving license assistance, route assistance, organized rides, riding lessons, and monthly special events. For example, aside from the typical things like a “poker run”, we’ll offer events like photo shoots with professional photographers & videographers (one member is a well-known videographer that has done the motorcycle shoots for a few movies), scooter days, classic Chinese motorcycle days, dirt-bike days, and so on. In addition, we’ll offer whatever else the membership wants/decides. Long multi-day rides will also be organized, with bike transport and support vehicles. Next summer will be along the North Korean border, and also one up into Inner Mongolia.

A key founding principle of this new “club” is that we are all-inclusive. Riders of mopeds, scooters, sidecars, dirt bikes, 125/250 cc class, sport bikes, all the way up to full dressers are encouraged to get involved. It is not what you ride that is important, it is simply that you ride. Attitude is key. And, yes, you can do long multiday rides on a scooter, if you are so inclined. Just check any Chinese forum for the many ride reports of 125cc scooters circumnavigating China, time and again.

Currently, we have been overwhelmed by the building’s renovations. Our website is under construction. We also haven’t finalized the “official name.” This is a work-in-progress.

Some of you might be familiar with H.O.G., which is a well-run worldwide organization. It is active in Beijing (and growing very quickly across China), but it is rather exclusive to Harley owners. I’ve been a life member of HOG since its inception (yes, I am “old”), and witnessed, first-hand, its ups and downs. I’ve always thought that a professional association for ALL riders is warranted, especially in China.

What we are definitely NOT going to encourage is a “biker gang” mentality, or any form of “mine is better than yours.” That needs to be said, firmly, up-front. We’re around for mutual respect and encouragement. Our objective is more along the mindset of a Golf Club, or Yacht Club, but for motorcycles (and definitely not as snooty - that's for the pirates).

Those from outside Beijing are also encouraged to get involved, as we will have bike storage for your own bike, bike pickups (at the train station) for your bike, and we will even offer LEGAL low-cost rental bikes (e.g., GW250s, YBR250s, JH600s, etc.). And yes, we encourage LEGAL riders, as we’re not interested in sending members cigarettes during their 15 day stay in that “free tourist hotel” operated by the police. Things have changed in Beijing, and area, and it is silly to ride an illegal bike these days. Further, there is no longer any need to. Yes, A plates are expensive, but B plates are not. Further, the clubhouse is outside the 5th ring road, so out-of-province legal plates are perfectly acceptable.

Price? Well, that is still being debated … but we’re looking at an initial founding member price of 10K rmb, which is a one-time payment (no annual dues, ever, but you need to provide time & effort in the running & development of the club), and full, free-access to all benefits (including rental bikes, and no agent fees for transfers, purchases, etc!). Otherwise, we are thinking of regular memberships of 2K rmb for the first year, and 1K rmb thereafter. Out-of-towners are probably looking at half that price. These are back-of-envelope calculations which show us in a break-even position. Frankly, I think I’ll be personally funding much of the outflow for a few years. Who knows. I'm working on some commercial sponsorship and publicity. Although the annual dues might seem high, you only need to buy/sell one bike to recover the annual dues by not having to pay the typical agent's fees.

I’d like to hear comments, suggestions, and questions. For example, even if you are not interested ... what would YOU think a riding club/association should offer its members? By the way, the new girls' riders club has expressed interested in getting involved, so we are strictly a family-oriented club.