Hi all.
Very happy to have found the forum. Friend and I have been riding around various bits of the planet for a few years now - France - Kazakstan via the Parmir, Mexico, South America, Iran / Iraq, Australia, India, Burma, Russia - and enduro riding in Mauratania, Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal.

We've been working towards the 'final frontier' - China - for a while now. Last year, we headed to China, did our exams, and are proud owners of a PRC DL.

We're at the point of purchasing bikes and finally dipping our toes into China. Initial thoughts are to start from Xi'an, and head west, ultimately weaving through Lhasa to Kashgar.

The big question: the bikes.
I've heard horror stories about local bikes, but lurking here seems to indicate that with some intelligent choices and a bit of prep, it's not all doom and gloom.

We're not afraid of dirt - we'd actually prefer it - nor the occasional thing breaking or exploding - as long as it can be fixed in a day or so.

My eye was initially caught by the:
Jialing 250cc Motocross ( http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...cket=17#detail ) - around CNY 5k

Then on the other end of the scale:
The Zongshen RX3 looks quite interesting too (BMW F650 lookalike..?)

But it's a world of bikes I'm unfamiliar with. What lies between the 5k price mark and the 20k price mark? Pain, sorrow and suffering?
I'd be really interested in member's thoughts, advice and experience - seems a lot of guys have ridden similar paths, and would know what to expect.

Finally, a few images from recent trips to add some colour to the post :)




Iraqui police loved the big BMW :D


Thanks in advance!