Track days in China

**rapidvancleef** · 10-28-2015, 01:57 AM

Hi Guys. I am a Brit living in New Zealand at the moment. I am looking t omove to China to work as a teacher in 2016. I am an avid track day rider and aspiring club racer. I have a good spec purpose built race bike, Yamaha R6. So far I have looked at jobs in Shanghai, Qingdao and Beijing. I am trying to find out information on race tracks for track days, clubs etc. Can someone reply with some links to appropriate clubs and tracks? Any helpful information would be appreciated.

Thanks guys. Cant wait for my new adventure in China.

**ZMC888** · 10-28-2015, 02:36 PM

There are more and more tracks in China every year, but cars dominate. Not many bike track days as far as I'm aware other than at Tianma Shanghai, Ordos inner Mongolia, and possibly Zhuhai and some smaller tracks for small capacity bikes. Prices are more or the same as western standards, but safety, marshaling and medical are far behind.

There might be a club or two in some areas, do your research, but so many things are changing so quickly it's pretty hard to pin down.

**zhu** · 10-28-2015, 06:02 PM

Welcome to the forum and China. You do know you won't be bringing that R6 here right?

**rapidvancleef** · 11-08-2015, 11:34 AM

Why cant I bring the R6 ?

**moilami** · 11-08-2015, 12:18 PM

TIC....

**rapidvancleef** · 11-17-2015, 07:55 PM

Well ive had a job interview for Beijing, looks promising. Hopefully I can find a club level race series for 600 class an track days to attend

**bikerdoc** · 11-18-2015, 01:32 AM

KiaOra rapidvancleef... hopefully you've factored in the air quality up there in the north of PRC.... or lack of it. PM2.5 in particular. >2 million people die from diseases directly attributable to air pollution/quality annually. Be prepared to wear a mask most of the year - everywhere.

As for motorcyclists and motorcycling in 173 PRC cities, key word is discrimination. Either full on bans, partial restrictions, or denial of entry, to mention just a few discriminatory practices.

There is NO guarantee over any supply chain no matter the industry or sector in PRC, now apply that to the necessities of daily living here (food, clothing, apparel, furniture, equipment etc) then add in any industry and any work-site = challenges => stress/frustration. While moving and working here might be a worthwhile experience, it WILL come at a significant cost, much of it unseen and likely to play out some time after the fact.

If your interview was with a local PRC enterprise, factor in that you may get half of whatever you negotiated even if you get tacit verbal agreement. Absolutely get everything in writing, however even then to the locals a contract don't mean much - it's just paper. Really quite literally! Locals will say anything...

From one kiwi to another, while it's great to look at everything with a glass half full mentality, be forewarned that "EVERYTHING in PRC is just for looking, for nothing is as it seems - be[A]ware the smoke and mirrors." author - me...
Another mantra to live by in PRC is that 'the simple/easy things are complicated/difficult, whereas the complicated/difficult things are simple/easy'.

I'm not a pessimist - just a realist after 15 years in PRC as both an avid motorcyclist and working in healthcare and medicine.

AFAIK the better track days for motorcycles are held at Zhuhai with a healthy calender supported by HK based riders/racers & clubs see BG-Perfomance Superbike Racing & Training, and Bike HK both of which have information that should prove useful.

YMMV

**rapidvancleef** · 11-18-2015, 01:40 AM

Thanks for that reply. What do you mean by full on bans or discrimination re track days/racing? I dont ride on the road anywhere. Ill be working in a top private school with fully filtered air inside the whole building. even outdoor sports fcilities are under air filtered domes. Housing also comes with air filters. we are planning ion spending all of our holidays travelling OUT of China. Thtas 1 week every 6 weeks

**bikerdoc** · 11-18-2015, 02:18 AM

Apologies my comments related to motorcycling are just that, and don't necessarily include track days. However, even track days aren't likely to be anything like what you might expect in NZ, UK... marshalling or pre-hospital care/first aid wise <roll eyes>. I can imagine scrutineering would be well, a challenge one way or the other.

In relation to filtered air and the related filters within all the buildings and facilities, are you really assured they use the air filter equipment year round? Are 'they' using HEPA filters, and are the filters replaced on a recommended schedule (or more so given the propensity for poor air quality in the north) to an international standard?

Go back to my first principal "EVERYTHING in PRC is just for looking, for nothing is as it seems - be[A]ware the smoke and mirrors." With that in mind, just because the facility has the air filtration equipment, even the best or class leading international equipment, is it installed correctly, does it get used, and even then, used in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations/instructions without any short-cuts? Who operates the equipment, who does the maintenance and importantly how (methodology)?

I see short cuts used all the time in many many different areas of daily life and in a wide variety of settings. I've seen air-conditioning filters washed in dirty polluted streams/canals. I've observed a cleaner using a mop, dunk it into a toilet to clean it, then 'clean' a hospital floor with it. When questioned the 'cleaner' denied doing so. Lied flat out, so that tells me the cleaner knew better. Short cuts aplenty, I could go on and on...

If you're a qualified credentialled teacher, personally I'd recommend an alternative location like Thailand. Better in every way possible. Air, people, food, daily living, standards, motorcycling and track day options... You'd still be close enough to the middle kingdo0m to be able to fly in to visit the best bits (Yunnan, Sichuan, western PRC, t!b3t etc) as a tourist.

Just my opinion...

YMMV

**Hok** · 11-20-2015, 04:09 PM

Hi,

Just want to give you an idea. There are clubs and racing in China. But its not like in the western world. It is very expensive and also exclusive. They purposefully try to make it elitist as possible for making people feel like they are someone special. Very different atmosphere.

Here is the Honda racing track days but you will have to be able to read Chinese and speak. I think you have to buy a Honda. http://www.honda.com.cn/motorsports/motor_racing/

I don't know if its like Ducati, but with them you have to prove your "abilities and worthiness" on the track, IE you have to start at beginner and then work into the higher classes. Also you HAVE to have a Ducati. :(

This is for Shanghai only.

In Southern China, I am still researching, but you can join some of the Hong Kong guys for track days in Zhuhai. I am still researching.