Here is a reason why motorcycles are barred from most cities

[Lao Jia Hou]

Interesting.

There is some big gov't mtg about to happen in Beijing (September/October), so we're back in crackdown mode. The Chinese motorcycle forums in Beijing are exploding with stories of police checks, seizures, etc. Interestingly, Beijing TV ran some news reports earlier this week about the "serious problem" with illegal bikes in Beijing. Essentially, the report was saying that because it has become so difficult to plate a car in Beijing (>1 million hopefuls in the plate lottery this month, vying for 20,000 plates), people are purchasing bikes. When the reporter interviewed a police official, he said "the illegal bike problem has become difficult because those people who ride illegal bikes are also the people who are breaking the laws and making it dangerous on the roads."

Yesterday was one of the rare days I drove my car. I crawled past two motorcycle check points (one can only crawl in a car in Beijing). I couldn't really see what was going on, but I did notice several unhappy faces in the assembled crowd.

I wish my Chinese language ability was better - using Chrome translator, it seems that there has been a spike in negative posts about a "foreigner on an illegal bike" pervading the Chinese forums. Can't blame them, actually. I often see unplated R9s, with an unhelmeted foreigner riding like crazy in the emergency lanes of the Ring Roads. Pisses me off, too. Those morons are F'ing it up for the rest of us ... but I am sure they think they are the coolest, most bad-ass rider ever.

Sigh, where's my blood pressure meds?

[bikerdoc]

^LJH, I can relate to what you are saying about foreigners feeling some form or "misguided" sense of entitlement. Ironically most of us foreigners complain about the double standards, yet sometimes we're not just victims of it, but the perpetrators too.

I ride often and sometimes do so faster than the masses. When I chose to ride faster than the majority of the flow of traffic or the masses as it were, I do so for a multitude of reasons; whether it be to avoid being coated by diesel fumes, dirt, dust off the truck/bus (insert your vehicle of choice here) ahead, or else other road related debris (spray from vehicles when its wet/raining), or else to avoid some other potential road hazard seen ahead or predicted well in advance. I ride and drive using the 11 second rule as well as the oval bubble. Advanced driving techniques taught while in the fire and ambulance services in NZ, techniques developed from the London Police.

When I am riding/driving faster than the average it generally isn't by much (just enough to stay ahead), and the chosen speed is condition appropriate 99% of the time. I also try where possible to be courteous without being subservient. Where there are traffic lights I will stop, and even on the occasions where I ride through a red (usually at night or out in the semi rural areas/small towns etc plus keep in mind I don't live in a major city), I slow down to a crawl first or make a complete stop to make sure the way is clear. Most of the time I do stop at red traffic signals (especially in cities, or during the day) and am passed by other riders who don't and some don't even slow down!

When I know I am travelling faster than the speed posted, I take all necessary steps to avoid triggering speed or red light cameras so that I don't become another motorcycle speeding statistic which might be the penultimate deciding factor the regulators use to decide it is time to start enforcing speed and red light infringements on motorcycles.

I exercise my right to use my brain in a logically linear fashion not just for my own sake but with other riders and road users in mind. Not something so easy to do all the time here in PRC (TIC).

Oh and one last thing, I always use the horn as a warning device (upgraded to loud on all my vehicles in PRC), all the time... sorry if YMMV but it has saved my arse countless times. I swear by this method... use the horn when passing, attempting to pass, approaching intersections especially uncontrolled ones, when approaching side roads/lanes, whenever I pass ebikes, scooters, cyclists, basically any other road user, and especially on twisty mountain or rural roads even they may appear to be deserted.

[Lao Jia Hou]

I ride often and sometimes do so faster than the masses ... the oval bubble.

Totally agree! People who have ridden with me comment "Sh1t, I thought you were supposed to be Mr Safety Instructor! You ride so damn fast, sometimes!" Yeah, well, I want to stay away from those man-eating sharks (aka cars, buses, trucks). I'm always looking for a spot where nobody is around me. In China, where the average driver doesn't care a rat's-ass about road-sharing, or is too busy texting on their mobile, I don't want to be a little bug. And, you are also right on about the horns. I wish I could figure out how to put one of those truck air horns on my bikes.

mosquito helmet.jpg

[TB-Racing]

back in crackdown mode.

HOG Shanghai board has / had a thread about a crack down on all type of bikes in Shanghai area till 31st.October, better to be fully legal.....

I often see unplated R9s, with an unhelmeted foreigner riding like crazy. Pisses me off, too. Those morons are F'ing it up for the rest of us ... but I am sure they think they are the coolest, most bad-ass rider ever.

Quite a common sight with teenagers around the international schools in Minhang / Qingpu districts (Shanghai). friggin' w@nkers......

[Lao Jia Hou]

Here's the BTV report (motorcycle part starts at about 4:00 in)

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDQ0NjkzNjA0.html

(sorry, for some reason I can't get it to embed)

[humanbeing]

[Lao Jia Hou]

HB ... my hero! Thanks

[TB-Racing]

Beijing Strike Hard Motorbike Campaign: http://www.bjjtgl.gov.cn/publish/por.../info40673.htm
http://translate.google.com

Traffic police stopped and confiscated a lot of bikes and scooters at the big intersection near The Den (Sanlintun Beijing) last night.

[Lao Jia Hou]

This is a more serious "campaign" than I have seen before. However, it is apparently only for a month.