I'll figure it out. What I don't understand is my city of residence isn't motorcycle friendly, but they aren't banned either. I didn't speak to them first hand, but apparently they told my girlfriend that the motorcycle exam isn't even offered there--which I find hard to believe.

What pisses me off is that my company (where I am more often than my actual home) provides my an apartment, but when I asked our equivalent of HR she claimed they had asked the local PSB about getting me a temporary residence permit here before I even arrived and they said it wasn't possible as my work permit uses my home's address--which I also find hard to believe.

My girlfriend and I are both off Friday, so we will go try again with my same residence at an office a bit north of the city using my same address. If that doesn't work I'm going to have to make my company get me a temporary permit. Unfortunately Hebei province isn't exactly a hotbed of foreigners--mostly third rate English teachers from non English-speaking countries and some university students both of whom don't typically apply for licenses.

Thanks for all the advice. I hear you loud and clear and have read much of the same in this very thread before, but my girlfriend doesn't seem to get it and my Chinese isn't quite good enough to get this sorted out on my own.