Yes, I figured as much on sending the bike to China, however as the saying goes if there is a will there is a way. Connections can go along way, unfortunately, I have not made 'those' connections yet. The way that most have tried has not worked and the legal way is in fact expensive and doing a guided tour is definitely not my style. Many of the worlds bureaucratic rules are shit as far as I am concerned and as long as I hurt nobody I should be able to roam around where I choose, we know its not like that in many places and certainly in China. I have 2 more months here in the Philippines to get everything lined up and I am flexible and open to what works out best with no preconceived notions. I have learned that preconceived notions can and will only limit our options. Many of those options we may not have even considered. I came to the Philippines from Indonesia on ferries and then on a small fishing boat from a tiny island in the middle of the Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region, which I am pretty sure is not something too many have pulled off with a motorcycle if any, and it sure as hell was not my original plan lol. However, it worked and it was an awesome experience and one hell of a story to tell the grandkids. A year long adventure tour of nothing but touring is not really the way I prefer to roll when I go to China. I like to mix it up with a variety of things to keep things interesting. Short term living, touring solo, touring with fellow bikers, touring a new Chinese girlfriend, partying, learning about the culture, etc is all part of my idea of an adventure. We are all individuals and certainly there are infinite ways to trek through this incredibly diverse world. I appreciate your input and welcome any more suggestions you might have. ~ Happy Trails
Quote Originally Posted by ChinaV View Post
I was't really serious about sending your bike here, it's kind of one of those "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" questions. We're talking many thousands of dollars and you would have to work with a tour agency. You should search the site and look at some of the posts here about the rules and hassles of purchasing your own bike in China. What you want to do is possible, but a limited budget will seriously limit your options. Maybe familiarize yourself with the legal issues first and then get a little bit more specific about which kind of bike you want to buy and the type of mileage you plan on doing. Backpacking and couchsurfing around China via motorcycle is a lot different than coming here on a year long adventure tour.

Good luck!
ChinaV