Just ordered my new JH600 from the Jialing factory

**cz81** · 02-25-2012, 06:32 AM

Hi to the MCM JH600 crowd,

This is my first post here but I’ve been following your adventures, the Pfaelzer, euphonius and the other MCM stories. And so after months during which just thinking about it made me happy, two weeks ago, I finally transferred the money for a JH600A (red) to the Chongqing factory. I’m told it will be ready by mid April and I can’t wait.

About me: I’m a medical doctor by training but ended up co-founding a social marketing technology company in Shanghai, and I’ve had the usual love-hate relationship with China since 2006. I’ve been riding a YBR125 for a year now in Shanghai with a few weekend trips and it’s changed my life.

Now I’m looking at longer touring with my JH600, this is the first babysteps I plan to make and I’ll be grateful for any feedback and advice you guys have to offer:

1. I plan to order the tourfellas panniers set and an engine guard from the master builder Du Rui in Yongkang (based on what I read here, thanks) and ask him to ship those parts to the factory or a Jialing authorized workshop in Chongqing.

2. I’ll pick up the bike and break it in hard with non-synthetic oil (just to be contrarian, I'll follow the mototuneusa guy's advice) and do an oil change after the first 20 miles...

3. I’ll sign a rental contract for a room with a friend-of-a-friend to be identified somewhere in Chongqing who has a garage, go to the police station with the rental agreement to get my local residence registration paper, and get help from the workshop hopefully to obtain a Chongqing license plate for my bike (in the expectation that the process is similar to what was shared here in the thread on Kunming).

4. I’ll probably leave the bike with a workshop or a friend in Chongqing, fly back to shanghai, and wait for the paperwork for the license plates to get done. (I don’t want to invest in Shanghai A plates at this point and instead just leave the bike waiting for me in South-West China, but I may eventually change my mind about this).

5. I’ll take a week or so to ride down to Kunming along the routed suggested on this forum in summer, leave the bike with a friend in kunming and fly back to Shanghai. Repeat as time permits :-)

Eventually, as I get more experienced I want to take the bike to south-east Asia and through Myenmar and India. I understand the German motorcycle club ADAC will issue the Carnet required for India to owners of China registered bikes. Will share whether I have any success with this.

I’m sure I’ll make a ton of beginner’s mistakes, which I will be happy to share as they occur. Meanwhile, if you have any words of warning or advice, I’ll be sure to heed it.

Thanks in advance, safe riding,
Christoph

**Lao Jia Hou** · 02-25-2012, 07:10 AM

Welcome Cristoph & congrats on your new JH600. There is getting to be quite a JH600 community in SH. I have the "old" 2010 version in Beijing, currently being "upgraded" to a 2012 "A" model.

My guess? Hmmmmm ... you'll bite the bullet within a year and get a Shanghai plate.

Have fun & ride safe!

**euphonius** · 02-25-2012, 11:16 AM

Dear Christoph,

Greetings from somewhere nearby, and echoing LJH's welcome to our little JH600 community. Look forward to meeting you, and curious to learn whether you are linking your social marketing technology with your medical training in any way. May be some spillover with my somewhat eclectic work, which blends grassroots social marketing with anti-blindness technology.

And, yes, while I can understand the idea of leaving your new bike out there in "good riding country" every minute that you are not out there with it will be agony. Shanghai is NOT a great place for motorcycling, but with a bike of the size and power of the JH600, Shanghai becomes an excellent place to escape. You can be in the mountains southwest of Huzhou in a couple of hours if you can onto the expressway...

cheers!

**cz81** · 02-26-2012, 12:51 PM

Dear both,
Thank you for the warm welcome and yes, you're probably right, I'll probably cave and get a Shanghai plate for my new bike :-)
Will let you know how I get on.
@Euphonios: Interested to learn more about what you're doing, I'll PM you!
Best,
Christoph

**cz81** · 03-10-2012, 05:34 AM

So I got a call from the factory on Thursday that my bike is ready - one month ahead of schedule!

I'm flying to Chongqing on Friday to meet my new motorcycle :-) I'll post picture of how it all goes...

**ShuBen** · 03-11-2012, 01:27 PM

Something must be wrong. In 15 years China i never had any chinese company or other services that was ahead of schedule. Even not a day .......
Let s know whether miracles still happens nowadays.

**MotoKai** · 03-11-2012, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by cz81

Eventually, as I get more experienced I want to take the bike to south-east Asia and through Myenmar and India. I understand the German motorcycle club ADAC will issue the Carnet required for India to owners of China registered bikes. Will share whether I have any success with this.

Welcome to the fun! And looking forward to having a Red JH600 in town one day (that is if you ever decide to bring it back here). And even if it's not Black, it seems you've done due diligence to know that the Red ones are faster than the Blue bikes (sorry Barry).

Your decision for now to keep your bike remote will be interesting. I'm sure you've read the many threads from Franki who's done just this and he's had some amazing experiences! Looking forward to your Chongqing photos and upcoming ride reports! We'll include you on the next no-Bike night (we're due to have one soon).

Motokai

**euphonius** · 03-12-2012, 07:21 AM

Dear Shanghai denizens,

The royal order of suffering JH600 owners, Shanghai branch, has organized a welcoming ritual of hazing, torture and other merriment for our newest member, CZ81, and all are invited to join. Please bring your favorite instrument of punishment.

Time: Tuesday 13 March, 8:30 p.m.
Place: Kaiba at 528 KangDing Lu (near Xikang Lu) in Jing'an District

Sorry for the short notice, but CZ81 needs to be properly flagellated before Friday when he flies to Chongqing to fetch his JH600.

There will be beer present, so bikes are optional.

cheers!

**Barry** · 03-12-2012, 09:40 AM

You guys in SH have more no-bike nights then that you actually drive! The blue bike in BJ just did about 600 km this weekend, blue bike season has started already.

Black bikes: Covered in huge layer of dust in an underground? Stalling issues? Are only taken out to Starbucks?

**cz81** · 03-13-2012, 01:40 AM

Thanks everyone once again for the warm welcome and thanks, Euphonius, for organizing the welcoming tonight! I do look forward to the merriment part of it :-)

@MotoKai: My present small bike has worked well for getting around Shanghai but maybe I'll feel different about that after coming back from Chongqing! Lao Jia Hou's guess is that I'll bite the bullet eventually, and I suspect he's right. I'm not sure how practical it will be to keep the bike around Chongqing for trips around that region but I'm sure I'll find out ("hello again, i'm here to pick up the bike I left here a few weeks ago" - "what bike? never seen it..."). Not planning this out, that's what makes it an adventure, right?