Quote Originally Posted by jape View Post
And away from coffee table analysis, is the grandfather's axe solution viable? What does the license apply to once you have it, engine side plate and frame, one or both? Easy to get round for a good while, especially if it applies to just a number on a frame. I had bikes in the UK that were totally reincarnated many times, just an engine side-plate and frame that had many new lives in different set ups.
In China, the registration includes a color photo of the bike. Then, two years after initial new bike purchase, and annually thereafter, the bike must be inspected and tested. ANY modifications, including change of color, application of stickers, addition of racks, etc, will result in the bike NOT passing its inspection and not being able to be registered. Prior to the annual testing, therefore, the bike must be returned to its original condition.

And it is not just bikes:

I had an aftermarket roof rack on my Jeep 4WD ... fail ... roo-bar on the front ... fail ... Jeep stickers in the window ... fail, and so on. So, there is a large industry of returning your car/bike to original ... pass the test ... and then put the farkle back on. These helpful shops can be found next door to the testing stations.