Capn_jer

[jape]

Back door seems to suit you. A couple of folk tried to explain to you that it wasn't advisable and you decided to ignore them and continue with your attitude that a 'stubborn headed' guy from Florida can expect other folk, perhaps honest folk or certainly cautious folk would explain to him, a stranger, on a public forum frequented in the main by foreigners living in China, but certainly also by a good few friendly Chinese nationals, how to circumvent the law?

That is foolish and deserves contempt and rebuke. It is an attitude that many that are not American find all too common, it is VERY frustrating and very arrogant. The Chinese have a right to set in place whatever laws they wish to. You of course have a right to dislike that, and to circumvent them too. But don't expect any member of this forum to publically support you in it, the world isn't set up just for an immature Floridean fool to ride his KLR wherever he choses.

And your remark about welds was ill considered too, your favoured maker of the KLR, had to withdraw two years worth of those bikes after 2008 because they were in some danger of catching fire due to a design fault and a retrograde step to cheap plastics. We are all well aware of the faults of China bikes, it is why we come here to this forum.

Perhaps if you introduced yourself more politely, with tales of yourself and pictures of your machine, you would be tolerated more by arseholes like me. I know I am an arsehole, you haven't learned yet that you are. Perhaps a few more folk telling you, will teach you that.

Unfortunate as you may have felt the Iraq remark to have been, and perhaps it was, it was meant to convey two things - you can probably do illegal things more easily there as your country has certainly destroyed the structure of law, and over there you will have tooled up mates to back you. Here, you are just a mouth.

Some advise. Of course you can get a bike illegally into China. It is not hard. A good few trucks cross the massive borders in several places every day! And ships. But would a truck driver, an underworld contact, any Chinese national willing to help, or someone on here who may actually knows how to do it actually respond to you?

Would they trust you to be loyal and not squeal if caught? Would I tell you how to do it? Never, you are just another arrogant, mouthy prick and therefore untrustworthy, you deserve to find out the hard way and pay top dollar in my eyes. Maybe one day if you grow up you will learn how to approach the rest of the world and maybe then you may make friends and contacts and gain power enough to actually function. Then you may achieve what you wish. I do not mind a good argument, so contact me privately if you choose to continue this. The rest of the forum may or may not be amused but I am willing to educate you further.

[ChinaV]

Thanks again ChinaV for your words of advice. I've tried to re-invent the wheel several times in my life, and this looks like a formidable challenge. I found the site www.export.gov/china/exporting_to_china/CCCAnnouncement8.pdf (A US govt translation of a CCC document) which reads; " 1. The products which don't need the CCC certificate; (a) The personal products which are brought into China by foreigners for personal use only." Any chance one could use this provision to bring in chains and brake pads?

That usually only works when you are physically carrying the goods across the border. Sometimes they stop you, create a big hassle, and then slap a 35% tariff on the perceived value of the goods. Other times, you just tell them it's for personal use and they let it slide. I lost two sets of tires at the border last year… sucked big time. Last week I carried my new Cannondale bicycle and nobody even gave me a second look. If you're shipping into the country, they are definitely going to take a peek, and quite often, asses an import tax. My family no longer sends Christmas gifts, as the import taxes were exceeding the value of the (Made in China) gifts .

RE illegal bikes, do you know of any deportations of US expats for this or any other reason?

It's not like people will get on forums and talk about getting booted out of a country, but I do know of people that have been expelled and denied VISA's. China is more powerful today than just a decade ago and there's a lot more nationalistic pride floating around. Ten years ago, being a foreigner was carte blanche to doing whatever you wanted. Over time, a lot of foreigners did just that, and started to build up resentment with many of the people here. Best thing is to keep a low profile... just like anywhere else in the world, be nice and respectful of people and they tend to treat you well. What you're probably going to have to do is find a mid size city with an active group of Chinese bikers, spend a huge amount of time drinking and befriending them, and then finally see if you can make connections with someone who knows someone. It's still going to require some cash, but things can happen.

Here in Florida illegals get in trouble with the law all the time. Unless it's a felony involving drugs or assaults they go through the legal process, do a little time and go back out on the street. IT also depends on what the illegal's nationality is (Mexican vs Chinese). Go gotta love this, here in Fort Myers we've got illegal Chinese who own a Chinese restaurant (what else!) and employ illegal Mexicans to bus and wash dishes.

My Chinese wife and I were eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco this summer, all the cooks were Mexican. She asked me why, and I told her the American/Chinese owner must be very successful .

Cheers!
ChinaV

[ZMC888]

Capn Jer, here is a 2nd opinion, I've been in China for over 8 years, I speak Chinese and I have Chinese friends, here is my take.....

OK, so you are dead certain you want to ride a KLR around China. Lovely bike, and yes almost ideal for group adventure touring here, although I would prefer a 450 for adventure touring on my own in China, but you won't find hardly any here, and the chance of bringing one in is all too much of a headache. Sure they say you can bring in things that don't have a CCC, but that is for things like laptop computers, autos are really unlikely, because cars and bikes come under a different category. Also any law that puts a regular foreigner above the perceived status of a Chinese national is resented, and another law will be used to override it.

Take our advice buy a locally made 250cc bike. Why?

-You'll be able to get parts and tires.
-You'll have a registered bike.
-You'll have minimal insurance.
-You'll be less likely to be stopped by the police and get in less trouble in the event of an accident.
-The bike will be easier to sell or export.
-The bike will be easier to fix.
-You'll be able to get a minimal warranty.

So let's pretend you could bring in a KLR, where are you going to get parts? There aren't any in China.

[Capn_jer]

So you're calling me a loud mouth prick now and telling me that in some way I'm responsible for the conditions in Iraq. You are a complete jerk and given the chance I'd kick your ass in, but being that you're just a demented miserable old codger I'll let the 'loud mouth prick' insult slide. Perhaps they need to up your meds at the infirmary cuz you got some serious problem going on inside your head

[Capn_jer]

"I've lost two sets of tires at the border..." you said. What's the likelihood of buying good used parts across the border in Lao Cai, Cao Bang or Ha Giang, Vietnam? Surely there has got to be motorcycle shops servicing foreign bikes there. Could one ride across the border, have new tires, chains brake pads installed and then return. Just a thought

[jape]

[ChinaV]

"I've lost two sets of tires at the border..." you said. What's the likelihood of buying good used parts across the border in Lao Cai, Cao Bang or Ha Giang, Vietnam? Surely there has got to be motorcycle shops servicing foreign bikes there. Could one ride across the border, have new tires, chains brake pads installed and then return. Just a thought

I don't think you're quite grasping the magnitude of the entity you're dealing with here Capn. Have you been to S.E. Asia yet?

Anyway, the answer to both your questions is no. Used parts for your KLR in Vietnam from the bamboo hut that has never seen anything other than a Minsk . Very few people have entered Vietnam with a motorcycle from the outside.

Cheers!
ChinaV

[andre555]

Kawasaki stuff readily available in Thailand, as manufacturing facilities are located there. Readily means not, that it is cheap!
As the holder of a monopol, Kawasaki ask as much as they can get...and they get a lot...

Maybe Thailand is a better base for your intended KLR venture...China is definetly not suitable (I'm 7 years in China as well).

[chinabiker]

Hey Capn,

although you had a bumpy entry here, another welcome to the site

It isn't so that you come to China and freely work, ride or do whatever you please - by far not. There are rules and you would have done much better if you had investigated a bit more after your first posts and replies to them.
The long nose bonus which existed a decade ago, has expired and most of us living and riding here have acknowledged this fact and are acting accordingly.
I believe that most of us on this forum who ride in China, are legal in terms of paperwork and more and more folks than ever before are going to get a Chinese driving license and are caring about a bike with a real registration, in other words, being fully road legal.
Sure, there are way too many bike related restrictions in this country, but it still provides extraordinary riding opportunities.

I am surely one of the guys who has always promoted (and still does) riding legality and I had my fights about it on this very forum

Your options in brief, provided that you are going to live in a bike friendly area, are:
- buy a legal bike in China, new or used, domestic or imported
- buy another kind of bike in China

Importing is only possible for new motor vehicles. The definition of new may be stretchable though

It is unlikely that your plans succeed as nobody will take the risks involved for such a little thing and you will need someone to help.

Safe


P.S. Don't expect anyone publishing other than legal advice

[Barry]

I believe that most of us on this forum who ride in China, are legal in terms of paperwork and more and more folks than ever before are going to get a Chinese driving license and are caring about a bike with a real registration, in other words, being fully road legal.

You're talking about me?

Just picked up my Chinese driving license yesterday, a street legal bike is the next thing on my list!