Moto-ing China
 

Alright, so I'm new to this forum and just happened on it by chance an it sounds like the perfect place to ask for some help!

Anyhow, I'll be graduating from college at the end of the year and have for the longest time been wanting to do a RTW trip, but the cost of staying in Europe for 3 months followed by the Middle East, Asia, Australia and NZ seems to be out of the question so I've changed my mind and I've settled on trying to plan something that I hope is possible.

What I want to do is motorcycle Asia, well China more specifically. My plan would be to fly into Tokyo, spend time in Japan, ferry to S. Korea, spend time there, then ferry once more to mainland China (Qingdao), on mainland China is where I'd purchase a motorcycle, I've heard the Minsk is a favorite (at least in S.E. Asia), and then I'd want to drive from Qingdao up to Beijing then down through Shanghai to Fuzhou where I can catch a ferry to Taiwan, come back a few days later, hop on the bike and continue down to HK and Macau.

The problem I run into is the fact that I know nothing about doing this logistically? I've been to China once before in the past (Beijing, Shanghai, Xian) but it was when I was rather young; but I don't know anything about fuel prices, or if there are even the roads to allow this?

I'm clearly looking for an adventure and I know there will be fix-it costs, spontaneous costs etc. but it seems that this will still end up being far cheaper than entire trip around the globe, and more adventurous to boot. I also see this as being a bit shorter. I've got essentially an unlimited amount of time, so it's not the biggest of problems, but I'm still unsure of how long I'd like to go for, and was wondering if anyone had done anything similar about how long it took them? I'd be looking to stay in each of the major cities for roughly a week to two weeks.

I'm just getting my feet wet in the planning but figured this looks like a hell of a place to ask this question as it seems to be on par with what this is all about!

Thanks for all the help in advance adventurers! :scooter:

good luck
 

hi ericwight,

I'm planning a trip for next year as well, and I also wanted to ride to and in china. Seems almost impossible to enter the country with your own motorbike, you will need to take a guide in china (80-100$ a day) for the whole journey in the country + you are supposed to have a chinese licence to drive in china... That's what I heard.

I have some experience about vietnam, I rod for 1 month with my girlfriend 2up on a 12r Minsk that we bought for 550$ in Hanoi and sold for 450$ in Ho Chi Minh City. I's a fantastic country, very cheap, food is incredible, and people very kind. Always somebody to help when you have troubles with the bike.

Hope it helped

Wow you really need a guide everyday? What's that about? I couldn't just buy a bike in say, Beijing, and then head out on my own down through China? Seems strange, any further info would be greatly appreciated.

Just looked a little further into it. You're required to have a valid Chinese license but people said they have done it without it before it's just kind of a "do it at your own risk" type thing. So disregarding that, logistics from first post?

Well, I wouldn´t say it´s 100% impossible... But to cut a long story very short: motorcycling+China is very much jumping in the deep end, for several reasons.

The good news is this is a topic, that´s been discussed here, if not daily, then weekly for sure! So if you take your time, and read through the Route Planning & Southern Asia-sections of this forum, you´ll get a lot of great info about the subject.

You may also find, that there are many much easier places/starting points for motorcycling in Asia (that are dirt cheap compared to, say, Europe, if you worry about the money!).... and then you´re better off to make a decision, if you really want to face the hardships of China, or perhaps try doing something easier first. And especially if you consider to do some "at your own risk"-type of things, I´d strongly recommend to do your homework well, before you decide.

i have just returned from working in Qingdau, i met some english guys who had bought bikes out there, they were just winging it as far as documents went (they had been there 6 months so not doing too bad)
anyhow if you do start in Qingdau, i can recommend the Harvest hotel in Haungdau, Bob is the man to speak to he will do you a good deal,+8615253299580

Yeah, China!
 

Hey,

I am interested in a trip to China. I have a bike in cambodia where i have been living and working for the last 3.5 years. I have been riding round Cambodia and Laos, and now would luv to take my bike to China, probably for a round trip, maybe goin to stans and Mongolia as well.

Sorry, dont know much about China at this stage exept red tape, red tape, red tape! But, am pretty keen and reckon anything's possible!

cheers,
regie

Eric,

Japan to S.Korea

Beetle English

S.Korea to China

Weidong Ferry (Qingdao - Incheon South Korea) | Qingdao China Guide
Official Site of Korea Tourism Org.: Ferry to China

Ride from Pusan, to Incheon is about 4 hours.


Good luck,

'vette

.
Just keep your helmet on, so no one can see your a Westerner.
I don't know the fine if cought, but perhaps a little 'back hand cash' will work.

'vette

From what Ive been told the options are do it by the book, i.e. have a guide the whole time, no freedom and huge bills OR just wing it. Apparently (a friend is working in Beijing) the cops are pretty straight up and hate talking to foreigners, so they don't bother pulling tourists over.

Just don't ride into anyone!

advice
 

hey

i was recently in china (june-aug) and i bought a local bike in Lanzhou (the geographic center of the country more or less) and rode west for 7 weeks.

your plan sounds great apart from one thing! you are going to be in the east. in the west of the country its still kind of wild west ish so when ever i was pulled over the cops didnt know what to do with me and i was directed away! having long sleve, gloves, helmet and a face mask helped heaps, they couldnt tell if i was local or not. so if you go do this.

The bad news is a friend of mine was teaching there for a year and he had an electric scooter (also illegal for a foreigner) he got caught twice and the first time he bribed the office and left (he speaks chinese) the second time the bike was impounded and he had to pay some ridiclus price to get it back and the registered owner had to collect it.

from what i heard when i was there, if caught the police have the authority to confiscate the bike. it becomes unclear what happens next, i know a massive fine is imposed to get the bike back and you may need to get a chinese liscense before they give it back (impossible on a tourist visa) also mentioned was a short prison sentence (a couple of days) although im not sure.

hope it is of some help

Hi,

In July 2009 I entered China from Pakistan and travelled to Kashgar by bus. After approx 3 days i managed to purchase a 125 cc chinese bike for approx $900 (it was practically new) from a local and was careful to ensure that i had all the accompanying documentation for the bike. Alongside my Chinese visa in my passport, I decided to stick a copy of a chinese translation of my driving licence and bike details. The police did not always stop me, but when they did, then they just recorded the details and let me on my way.
I did have a serious head on crash with a vehicle just north of Xian, and that's when the police started to look closer into my eligibility to drive there. After approx 2hour at the police station they let me go, knowing that i was going to continue driving upto Beijing.
It took me approx 15 days to cross China and reach Beijing, where i sold the bike for $500.

Hope this helps.
H A

i wish they'd hurry up and open up to us soon, coz i'd sure like to include a loop around china into my RTW!