Quote Originally Posted by raduop View Post
Well if it's going to be a bike, it will HAVE to be a Chinese bike...always better to buy or hire local...other recommendations beside the MT?

So my conclusions so far are:
- not really necessary to get residence and full DL, it should be possible to get a temporary car and MOTO DL at Chengdu airport; this temporary DL together with an IDL should be good enough to drive anywhere
- it should be possible to obtain the bike from some dealer (easier rent than buy??)
- any of this failing, there's still the backup option of car rental

Did I get it right?

Thanks and regards!
Hoping this thread develops more over the next few weeks / months! I'm in a very similar situation, looking (hoping / praying) to acquire a bike, and the documents required to ride it as peacefully as possible, through Yunnan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang, with a tourist visa.

Looks like it won't be possible to do it 100% legit, but potentially doable.

Anyone have experience riding in (the remoter parts of) Western China recently? If so, what's the situation on the ground with security / checkpoints / freedom of movement?

Thanks in advance!