Riding through China. I did it my way, without a guide. Mika Kuhn June 2015
 

Riding through China. I did it my way, without a guide. Mika Kuhn June 2015



As most of you are aware, it is still not that common to ride on your own through China, let alone with your own motorcycle brought in. Of course you can pay an agency get a guide, and/or ride in a group, being told where to stop, take a picture, sleep and fart, like a good sheep.

When I rode along the Chinese border down to Vladivostok in the year 2000, I stopped and had a look over the fence to China. And I promised myself to ride there one day. It took 15 years to attempt to cross this border, and now in 2015 I succeeded and crossed all of China, from North/East to West on my own.

Because I postponed my ride through Europe and Asia from 2014 to 2015, I had enough time in the winter to ask people and overland agencies for China how it should be done. As there was only one way for me to travel and I did not want a guide, most agencies could not offer any help. Bikers living in China warned me about the surveillance society and the police state. One even told me, that most parking lot attendants would report me to the police and I would end up in jail, for only riding around the block. Now I know it was mostly fear-mongering and that it is more likely to get killed on a motorcycle in China than to end up in jail. I know people that rode maybe 20 years ago on their own through China, but I decided not to ask them, as most things have changed in the last 20 years in China. And if you ask others, you will almost always never find your own way.

Laura Pattara traveled with her boyfriend Chris and another rider in October 2014 without a guide on her own motorcycle through China, they had to stick closely to the route accepted by the agency organising her ride. It was a start to ride China without a guide. Have a look at Lauras website.
Travel Independently through China…Take 2! | Laura's Travel Tales
Exchanging emails with her and the agency, I realised, that this could work also for me. But the agency gave me a quote of 38.000 USD, because I would travel a different route than Laura did. But exchanging emails with her, helped me to find my way. And also Ken Holmes from the HU community Beijing helped me to find my way. Thanks Laura, Thanks Ken.

Sure there was a risk of doing it my way, eg being arrested and/or loosing my bike. Is it an adventure to follow a guide? Maybe for some it is, but not for me. I hear many of you screaming now, “But it can't be done without a guide”. I still hear them screaming, “the world is flat”, “this is what the church says”, so it must be true. I tell you, if we always listen to authority, we will have the illusion of safety, but we will never get anywhere, let alone be free. And if we continue paying for guides in China, this agency/guide business is never going to end.

Sure there is nothing wrong with hiring a guide or traveling in a group, but I think there is something fundamentaly wrong with a compulsory guide. And it is not about money, it is about freedom, as Laura wrote on her website.

Anyway it is about my way you are reading now, your way will be different. So, don’t think you can just follow my footsteps and get the same results. But go to China, travel through this magnificent country, do it your way. And don’t be scared, if I can do it, you can.

To find your way to travel through China on your own, I am sure you can buy a bike in most motorcycle shops with cash in your hand. The Jialing 600 would be my prefered Chinese bike, but I don’t think it is that easy to find. The new Zhongshen RX250 did not impress me much. As most hotels don't accept foreigners, and you are not officially allowed on the motorways with a motorcycle, it could be also a good idea to buy a van.

Do it your way. A double entry 30 days tourist visa, with a 30 days extension is easy to get for most nationalities.

Just for the record, and for those obsessed with stupid laws on this forum, I am not telling anybody to break any laws. As far as I know, I did not break too many laws in China and I was not even caught once speeding on the motorways.

Dont forget, you are reading my ride report and not a manual How to get your bike into China.

Enjoy, it is your journey.



HERE IS MY STORY OF RIDING TROUGH CHINA. Mika Kuhn. June 2015




It had just developed as an idea when looking at a map on a cold winter day in Finland, I could try first to cross over to China in Blagoveschensk, as it would be on my way to Vladivistok anyway. Sure I would have to cross the Amur river somehow, but I have crossed a lot of rivers. A friend in Vladivostok told me, that it would be absurd to try to cross illegally, when I saw the river and both cities, I understood what he meant.

When I arrived in Blagoveschensk, the border town with Heihe / China, in the Far East of Russia, I had done 680kms that day, on my little Suzuki DR350, called Yuhmak.

It was getting dark and all I wanted was an affordable bed and a cold beer. So I rode around the city just to find this, but I found two bikers from the Motors City bike club wearing colors and riding their choppers. Sergey answered my question for a hotel in english and offered me to stay in the club house. I knew there was cold beer, so I accepted the invitation.

Next morning in the clubhouse I met the vice president, P.V. Pascha and he asked me where I would go next. I told him I want to cross to the Amur river and go to Heihe. He said, that it is not possible and that I should go to Mongolia, it would be easier to enter China there.

When Sergey arrived, I asked him for somebody that would phone to Heihe in Chinese for me, as I had a contact person there willing to help me with getting the bike into China. So Sergey phoned Rustam Tulakpaev and I met him on the river bank, where cell phone reception with the chinese network is the best. Rustam did not only speak Chinese, he also spoke good English, and to my surprise he was a motorcycle traveler himself.

With Rustam there was an immediate connection, he understood what had to be done and he is good in getting things done. First he phoned his boss in China and explained whom he had met and what I wanted to do. The boss said, that when Russia would let me out, he will organize the entry for me and Yuhmak into China. The next steps were done in half an hour. Russian immigration and customs gave there ok's to let me leave and the ferry company agreed to allow Yuhmak on the passenger ferry. This left time for sightseeing in the afternoon, something that I did not do much on this journey.
Motors City members took me around town and the area in a car.

http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...psqzvj8qhf.jpg

Pic. 1 Riding into the port of Blagoveschensk on Yuhmak

We had the ferry tickets for the next morning and meet at 8am in the port. It was a crazy stunt to get Yuhmak through the passenger terminal and onto the passenger ferry. But everybody helped and only a lady from Russian immigration wanted to boycott our departure. But after some shouting, she finally stamped my passport.

http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...pslpjr6lww.jpg

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Pic. 2 and 3 Departure hall and with Yuhmak on the ferry

Arriving in China it was all different, nobody wanted to help to get Yuhmak off the ferry, the Chinese just starred at us. Finaly some of the Russian ferryman helped to lift Yuhmak over the railing onto the dock.
It was lunch time for Chinese immigration and customs, when we entered the arrival hall at the ferry terminal. It looked like any arrival hall at any airport around the world, with barriers, cubicals and scanners. After immigration staff had returned from lunch, Rustam took the iniciative and pushed Yuhmak past immigration barriers and the scanners for luggage at customs. He pushed Yuhmak passed the staring Chinese police officers outside. I was stuck with immigration as there was a problem with my passport number.

But then I saw Rustam pushing Yuhmak back into the arrival hall, Yuhmak had caused too much attention and had been impounded by customs. My passport number problem took ten more minutes to be solved and I arrived at five custom officals staring at Yuhmak in total disbelieve. Only one of them smiled and gave me the thumb up.

Rustam had called the media and a televison team was waiting for me. But this did not impress Chinese customs much. They could not find any rules or regulations to follow in case somebody would bring a motorcycle, they were completly lost but still would not give Yuhmak back to me. Yuhmak was handcuffed in the arrival hall. Everybody told me that I was the first to try to get a motorcycle into China at Heihe. And I gave a short interview outside the building to the reporters.

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Pic. 4 Rustam and me talking to a reporter


Next day we met the head of customs, he smiled a lot and said he would give Yuhmak back if we write a paper from Rustams Russian Chinese Auto Motorcycle association, that he had just established, so we did. Only to find out next day that he would not keep his word and the paper was not enough, he wanted something from somebody in the government.

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Pic. 5. Rustam and me talking to the head of customs

Rustams boss phoned one of his friends, and next day I went to shake hands with somebody in the government. Please dont ask me who it was, I have no idea, as everybody except Rustam could only speak Chinese. By now all Russians that would come to Heihe on business or tourism had seen Yuhmak in the arrival hall. In a restaurant some Russians bikers came to our table and wanted to shake my hand, they had heared the story of this crazy German and of course they had seen Yuhmak.

It took another two days because of a stamp issue, before we had the right paper from the right person to get Yuhmak out. And I also had to pay a custom deposit of 2000 RMB (around 350USD), that would be paid back to me over Rustams Assosciation when Yuhmak would have left the country. After six days in the arrival hall, Yuhmaks handcuffs where taken off and I could wheel her out into China.

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Pic. 6 Yuhmaks handcuffs taken off, before being allowed into China.

Rustam gave me a ton of advise on riding in China, he even tried to explain the gps function on my newly bought phone. But there was no way for me to understand a gps in Chinese, as I am an old school map reader with nearly no expierince using a gps,. Anyway I lost the phone after only a week, and believe me I felt relieved.

Navigation was by far my biggest challenge in China, but I managed to cross the whole country. It was fun to get lost in a strange suburb and meet people that would stare at me like they had never seen a long nose face before in their lives. But it was also hot and frustrating sometimes.

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Pic. 7 having lunch with Zang, a Chinese rider on his way to Lhasa.

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Pic. 8 meeting a traveler (from Finland) next to the road

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Pic. 9 roadside trucker hotel with Yuhmak covered for the night.

Of course the police stopped me a few times, but the officers could not speak any language that I speak, but they were always friendly after they realised that I was a foreigner and not scared of them. Xingjang province was the worst what I saw of the police state of China, but still the only big problem I had, was getting fuel, as they don’t sell it to foreigners.

It took me a week and three attempts to leave China across the border to Kyrgzystan in the West. As I wanted to do it legally, because I had entered legally, I had to face the bureaucrats in the headquarters of customs in Kashgar. They gave me long list of documents that I should supply in order to leave the country with Yuhmak.


Talking to a travel agent in Kashgar, he told me that I cant get this documents when I am in China, only when I am outside of China, and than it takes three months.

When I told this to the custom officer I was dealing with, he said: Yes, we know this. My question on why then he would ask for this documents was not answered.

After five days dealing with them, I had already given up on leaving the country with Yuhmak, when they phoned and said that Yuhmak is allowed to leave. Somebody in a higher position must have realised that Yuhmak entered legally and that we should be allowed to leave. When I asked for a paper to confirm her exit, I was told, that no such paper would be issued.

Still I needed a car to guide me up to the Torugat Pass, as all tourists need this on this pass. It's just another Chinese money making scam for tourists, but after a week of arguments and waiting I just paid and left China for good.

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Pic. 10 Border station Turugat port to go to Turugat pass.


Arriving in Kyrgyzstan, I had to celebrate and I stopped at the first little shop that would sell cold beer. Drinking from the 1,5 liter plastic bottle, I realised:

I had done it, 8000km across China without an accident. It was hard sometimes but I enjoyed it every riding day of my six weeks.

Mika Kuhn

inspiring post. bookmarking it for future use!

Terrific story! Now that you've told us how you got the motorcycle into and out of China, let us know about your travels through China itself! I hope you will be posting more photos and more of your story!

Well done!!
 

Brilliant!!!!:clap:
What a way to inspire others Mika! Hopefully this is really the beginning of the end of guided trips through this incredible country. And you are SO right: nothing good ever came from playing it safe. Look how much one can achieve just by riding into the unknown and taking a few, but calculated, risks.
I'll be sharing this on the FB HUBB page, if you don't mind?? I'm sure everyone will be excited to read it.
Well done mate :D

Great story Mika and well done. :thumbup1:

Wayne

well done Mika!! That has cost you lots of energy and nerves but the experience and feeling you have are unpayable for you now!
Abrazo, Marcel

Amazing story Mika! And I am very pleased to notice you met a Finnish guy there too. We are mainly located only in Finland so nice to see us somewhere else too :D

I have done China to Norway as well in 2012. Bought Yamaha 250cc from China and drove it to Europe without ever being able to register it. Was quite a trip heh.

Sergey from Motors City died in a motorcycle accident.
 

Hi all,

thank you for the comments so far, I just received an email that Sergey, the biker that I had met in Blagoveschensk on his Honda just died in a motorcycle accident.

I will try to post a picture of us later.

Mika from Bishkek

http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/...pshxf2curn.jpg

Artyom, Rustam, me, Dimitry and Sergey RIP

Hi jasminamiika,

pls tell us more about your journey and if your Yamaha is in your living room in Finland now.

Mika

Hey Mika
Great trip, sorry to hear about Sergey. I didn't think you'd leave South America.........
See you on the road sometime.....
Gino & Fiona

Great read
 

It was fun reading your account. I know there is so much more you could have wrote. I did pick up on the "enjoyed every riding day..." Those days dealing with the gov was not much fun, just great stories and adventure.
Was glad to meet you, do pray you are feeling better, and real sorry to hear about your friend in Russia.

Mac

Looking forward to our next cold beer to hear more of this.

All our best, Merv and Sarah.

Amazing. Inspiring for us all

:thumbup1:

China without a guide
 

I just arrived in Dushanbe / Tajikistan after riding the Pamir Highway :rain: ... enjoyed it very much.

Here I met a Swiss guy, that showed me pictures and told me his story about riding in China without a guide. He bought a 200cc Chinese made motorcycle in the South of China and traveled for two months around China, up to Inner Mongolia and to the West, Kashgar. He bought brand new for around 900 Usd and sold for 600 Usd on a motorcycle market in Kashgar. Of course he had similar problems to what I had on the road, plus he had to get the bike fixed a few times. He even showed his Swiss driving license once, and it was accepted. And he did not put any numberplate on the bike. So, this confirms, it can be done and it is still an adventure ....

:mchappy: bier

mika

Well done Mika
 

Hi mate,
great reading your story. Sorry to bear about your mate Sergey. Look forward to having that beer some time. Stay safe, look forward to hearing more of your travels. Just returned to China from my India Himalayas trip. Cheers Ken.

Hello Mika. I'm Mikhail from GreenHouse hostel from Dushanbe.
Really great story. Spent one week on the border! You are really unstoppable man.
Hope you have a good travel and nice weather after Dushanbe. Will you post report about your further travel?
FYI We were lucky and passed Pamir Highway without any rain, all days were sunny. :mchappy:

Hi Mikhail,

did you guys get back to Moscow alright. Good that you had sunshine on the Pamir Highway. I had sunshine for two days in the Wakhan valley along the Afghan border, it this two days were one of the highlights of this journey.

For China it helped to have the German "Sturkopf" (pigheaded fellow or die hard) mentality, and my Sturkopf is bigger than that of any Chinese that I met. And of course, I met the right people at the right time on the right place.

Greetings from Baku
mika beer:scooter:

The word "Hypocrite" comes to mind?

Nuff Said

@ nuff said
 

Hello Nuff Said,

I would not call TBR-China, whos name is Butch, a hypocrite. Yes, he told me a lot of things about China, that I did not find when I rode across, but China is big and he traveled at another time in a different part. And I have enough travel experience to understand where he comes from and that his advise was meant well, but he did not know who he was writing to. So, of course I cant blame him for his advise here on the HUBB, but I had to post my story to show people that not all his advise is correct all the time and for all of China.

So, China can be crossed without a guide, without a stupid Chinese drivers license and without paying big bugs to a travel agency.

Your name, Nuff Said is interesting, as I had to google it after I read one of TBR Chinas posts a few months ago, because he uses this phrase a lot. This phrase is shorthand for "enough said," which means: there is no more discussion needed about the topic of conversation. The phrase is often intended to bring a halt to the discussion.

TBR China is a great asset to the HUBB, and I enjoy reading his posts. :thumbup1:

nuff said

greetings from Albania:mchappy::mchappy:
mika

Chinese border is opened to foreign registered vehicle with temporary driver permit s
 

Thanks for great information and your adventure spirit to China !

I kick myself to goole more info and I found that

Chinese border is opened to foreign registered vehicle with temporary driver permit since 1989 !
And Chinese government renew to very friendly regulation 2007.

Here is papers by Chinese government and other department info

New Regulation for Foreign Vehicles And Drivers -- china.org.cn
New Regulation for Foreign Vehicles And Drivers

China has issued a new regulation on foreign automobiles and drivers in an effort to improve road traffic safety, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). The new regulation will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2007.

The existing law dates from 1989 but is seen as outdated for dealing with rapidly growing trade and traffic, the ministry said.

A large number of foreign passenger and freight vehicles cross into China at border zones for short periods, the ministry said.

Foreign vehicles temporarily entering China must be covered by automobile liability insurance and automobile safety and technical inspection certificates.

The regulation also requires foreign vehicles to use designated areas and routes and leave China by a certain date.

Statistics from the MPS show that in 2005, vehicles driven by foreigners caused 95 traffic accidents leading to 28 deaths and 90 people injured.

Taking into account all road accidents in China during the year, , a total of 40 foreigners died along with 198 injured.

Foreigners visiting China for a short period must either drive automobiles brought from outside China or rental cars. Authorized rental cars are compact models.

Foreigners holding an overseas driving license can obtain a temporary driving permit after being trained in China's traffic law and regulations.

The new regulation will govern day-to-day foreign vehicles and drivers in China. Foreign journalists driving in China during the 2008 Olympics will be treated as "special cases", the ministry said.

China will adopt the standard International Olympic Committee practices of convenience, the ministry said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2006)

This one is 1989
临时入境机动车辆与驾驶员管理办法
临时入境机动车辆与驾驶员管理办法


Here is temporary driver license.
Foreigners Can Apply for Temporary Driving License in China -- china.org.cn
Foreigners Can Apply for Temporary Driving License in China
Foreigners who have driving license issued by their home countries can apply for a temporary driving license and drive in China without having to take related tests, according to a clause in a regulation issued by the Ministry of Public Security. The regulation will start to take effect from January 1, 2007, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.



The regulation, which deals with the management of automobiles and foreigners that come to China for a short stay, stipulates that the valid period for the temporary driving license should not exceed the period marked in the entry and exit certificates, and the temporary license can be valid for three months at most. The valid period can not be extended. In addition, the temporary driving license should be used together with foreigners' driving license issued at his or her home country and foreigners should always take these two licenses with them, in case traffic police ask them to show these licenses at any time.



Although foreigners who have obtained their driving license at home can get their temporary driving license in China without having to take related tests, they need to attend lessons to study Chinese road safety regulations, before they can drive in China. And they can only drive small cars or automatic-gear cars.



If foreigners will stay for a relatively long time in China, they can consider obtaining an official driving license in China. To do so, they should take their foreign driving licenses and valid ID cards to the automobile management bureau, fill up the automobile driving license application form, take related physical examination, and attend a traffic regulation test. Once they have fulfilled all these procedures and passed related tests and exams, they can get the official driving license issued by the Chinese government.



(Chinanews December 29, 2006)

Chinese version.
临时入境机动车和驾驶人管理规定(公� ��部令 第90号)
临时入境机动车和驾驶人管理规定(公� ��部令 第90号)

Guideline of temporary driver license application

Somebody already tanslate into English. Thanks nice guy !

How to apply for a temporary Chinese driving license? -- china.org.cn

How to apply for a temporary Chinese driving license?

Dear Editor,

I am a holder of a foreign driving license; how can I apply for a temporary Chinese

driving license?

Dear reader,

According to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, applicants should go to the Motor Vehicle Administration to apply. Holder of a valid foreign driving license can apply for a license to drive the same type of vehicle(s) listed on his/her foreign license. An International Driving License will not be accepted.

Required documentation:

(1) Driving license application form

(2) Original and photo copy of applicant's identification documents

(3) Original health certificate issued by hospital of county level or above. Holders of a valid foreign driving license from foreign embassies, consulates and Chinese offices of international organizations do not need to provide health certificate.

(4) Original foreign driving license and photocopy. Driving license in non-Chinese language must be accompanied by a Chinese translation.

(5) 5 1-inch color photos with a white background

The upper age limit restriction for applying for a temporary Chinese driving license is 70.

For further information, please contact the Foreign Affairs Department of the Beijing Motor Vehicle Administration.

Tel: 86-10-87625150
Website: 北京市公安局公安交通管理局




Chinese version.
临时机动车驾驶许可
临时机动车驾驶许可

Temporary driver permit application form
临时机动车驾驶许可申请表
临时机动车驾驶许可申请表


Read all info and printout Chinese documents above, then go to the border !

Please let us know when you try to across the border.

I hope I can try to across border from Laos net spring?


Have fun !

Hiroshi

Dear Mika,
I had struck off China on my 2017 rtw starting from india. But reading your travel has inspired me to put it back on the route. Maybe contacting Rustam would be a good idea or people like him. Thanx a lot and happy riding!
Aditya from india

aditya

Chinse border is opened to foreign registered vehicle -2
 

part of upload was cut off, so last part is here.

How to apply for a temporary Chinese driving license?

Dear Editor,

I am a holder of a foreign driving license; how can I apply for a temporary Chinese

driving license?

Dear reader,

According to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, applicants should go to the Motor Vehicle Administration to apply. Holder of a valid foreign driving license can apply for a license to drive the same type of vehicle(s) listed on his/her foreign license. An International Driving License will not be accepted.

Required documentation:

(1) Driving license application form

(2) Original and photo copy of applicant's identification documents

(3) Original health certificate issued by hospital of county level or above. Holders of a valid foreign driving license from foreign embassies, consulates and Chinese offices of international organizations do not need to provide health certificate.

(4) Original foreign driving license and photocopy. Driving license in non-Chinese language must be accompanied by a Chinese translation.

(5) 5 1-inch color photos with a white background

The upper age limit restriction for applying for a temporary Chinese driving license is 70.

For further information, please contact the Foreign Affairs Department of the Beijing Motor Vehicle Administration.

Tel: 86-10-87625150
Website: 北京市公安局公安交通管理局




Chinese version.
临时机动车驾驶许可
临时机动车驾驶许可

Temporary driver permit application form
临时机动车驾驶许可申请表
临时机动车驾驶许可申请表


Read all info and printout Chinese documents above, then go to the border !

Please let us know when you try to across the border.
Have fun !

Hiroshi

Nice story but...
 

I'm one of those people you so wittingly describe as being a 'good sheep'... I don't dispute that it's possible to ride through China without a guide, but it all depends on where you go in China. You already wrote that you needed a guide to get up the Torugat pass to Kyrgyzstan. Going from that pass south towards Pakistan, you'll need a guide too. I've just done it. Going towards the Pakistan border we still needed a military escort... it's not all as simple as you described.
Apart from that we had non of the sheep following as you described, non at all.

Hello Aditya, I will send you Rustams email address as a personal message. Maybe he can help you, or point you into the right direction, but as you could read in my short report, he lives in Heihe, in the NE of China. Good luck with your trip and please keep us up to date here on the HUBB. Greetings from Bolivia mika

Hello LittleMike,

thank you for your reply. You are right in one thing, it depends where you go in China, if you need a guide ... but it also depends whom you meet and how you approch this person or area. E.g. I crossed some restricted areas and had no problems. And I know, that could have done Torugat pass without a guide, it would have just taken longer to do it. But I just wanted to get out of China at that point, so I took the easy option with the guide.

Reading your last sentence a quote from one of my countryman, the poet Goethe comes to my mind. *The best slaves are the ones that believe to be free.* I would say: *The best sheep are the ones who believe to choose their own path.*

All the best to you and your journey
Mika from Bolivia

I just started looking for info about China and came across your name again. Is this Mika Kuhn???? Yes it is.

I hope to go there next year if I can work out the bike and (no) guide issues. I just returned from a southern Africa ride. My friend told me that he's been to China several times and never had a guide. He wasn't on a motorcycle though. But he said I was wrong about needing the guide. So I got on the HUBB and started researching again. And then I rediscovered you. I read Lauara's posts. Unfortunately all of her links are unresponsive. I would probably prefer to buy a bike there. I'm just starting to look at what is required and decide if I can put it all together. If it looks doable, I will be be visiting Vietnam,Thailand, and Cambodia (non motorcycle) with my wife first.

Buying a motorbike in China for short term visitors (non residents) brings miles of red tape and difficulties not limited only to language barrier as a few documents (bike / d-license) are required to be fully legal and no need to look over the shoulder all the time.
Renting a nice decent motorbike over in Thailand and explore the "Land of Smiles" Thailand, Laos, Cambodia is way easier....

A few China tour operators got told seriously to refrain from illegal doings (temporary vehicle import / travel permits) and some got shut down by the government.... spent your $$$$' wisely ~ nuff' said...

Hi Doogle
 

Hi Doogle, yes its me. Still riding every day. :scooter: Hope you did not do South Africa on a push bike :innocent:


China. Read this fantastic ride report for the China part they did.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...r-a-wave-82280

Forget about tour operators for China, if you want to do it without a guide. I had only the help of a tour operator in Kashgar because I had problems to leave China with the bike and he would do phone calls for me and help me with translations and in the end I hired a car and a guide from him to do the Torugat pass. But as TBR China said, a tour operator wont do anything that is not 100 percent according to what he is permited to do ... as most people in China, they are also scared of the police state.

enjoy China, it is a fantastic place to travel and explore on your own.

all the best and hope to meet you again soon
mika from Bolivia

No pedaling this time.
I would prefer to buy a bike in China and ride about 3 weeks-then sell. I don't know about riding a 48cc bike for 3 weeks though. And they rode 2 up?

So Bolivia is home now? And you now have a DR350?

Hi Doogle, yes Bolivia is home now ... the small mountain village of Samaipata. Yuhmak (the DR350) is here, but I was ripped off badly shipping to Valparaiso. All the best for your China adventure. mika

respect.:thumbup1:

I know it has been 5 months since I responded to this thread. But I had given up on China. But it won't go away. Where there's a will (not the end of life document) there's a way.

TBR, are you suggesting to buy/rent a bike in Thailand and ride it into China? Would that be easier than buying in China?

My wife has now declined to visit Asia. So now I would like to visit all the mentioned countries by motorcycle. And I think I would have about 2 months.

August 2016, well ~ what do I know, CHINA is a very fascinating country with great regions to explore, the HUBB / WWW has many China experts that know everything better and in more details. To my limited knowledge you still need a government approved guide for CHINA to ride / drive legally coming from another country by motor-vehicle as a non China resident. Do a google search on CHINA tour operators ($$$$'s), they should be able to assist with all necessary documentation (visa, temporary registration, temporary driving license, etc.etc.). Few China tour operators got told seriously to refrain from illegal doings (temporary vehicle import / travel permits) and some got shut down by the government over the last years, lets not forget quite a few CHINA tour operators promise a lot but in the end are just full of sh#t.... spent your $$$$' wisely ~ nuff' said...

ps: plan your Asia trip as many threads all over the internet about Asian countries restricting access by motor-vehicles now (advanced permits required) and seems they all follow CHINA now somehow as the PRC has restrictions in place for decades ~ unfortunately...

I found this blog from Laura recently. It seems to have a lot of good info. And I hope it is accurate. I haven't messaged her yet. But she says a guide is only needed in 2 of the 22 provinces-currently Xinjiang and Tibet. And when they went through they didn't need an official guide. Only a national Chinese person escort. And it sounds like a permit is needed for each province that is entered. Almost like a separate country with their own laws. Even though there is no border/check point.

I still want more info on what it takes to get a temporary drivers license. She didn't indicate that it was a big problem.


Overlanding China: what you need to know BEFORE you go | Laura’s Travel Tales

Mate, sorry to burst your bubble once again but you might not be aware about them provincial vehicle checkpoints all over China (usually located at the tollgates crossing from one China province or municipality over into another China province / municipality).
Some of the China info available all over the internet is unfortunately outdated and hate to repeat myself ~ during recent years a few China travel agencies involved in international motor-vehicle tourism (China international border entry / exit) got shut down (gettin’ the drift / hint here).

Anyhow ~ enough on the ongoing China travel discussion from my end as not my line of business and not a free China consultant, great weather ~ going ridin’ …. good luck with your PRC travels in the future ~ stay safe!

Very interesting.
I am from England, and married to a wonderful Chinese girl in China..
Heilongjiang is her home province, from Harbin
Lucky we both have full legal Chinese driving licences.

I would also like to contact Rustram if you would be so kind.

vette

Rustam
 

Sorry for the late answer, but did not see your post earlier.

Rustam does not live in Heihe anymore, he lives now somewhere South of Shanghai. Pls send me a private message if you still want his email address.

Harbin was the first big Chinese city that i rode into, it was fun ... I ignored all the no motorcycle signs and rode next to a police car for a few minutes with the police just staring at me. Enjoyed Harbin very much, as I had a nice woman showing me around and taking me for dinner. The Suzuki dealer let me use his workshop for some needed maintenance. But one thing is for sure, I dont want to be in Harbin in winter :freezing:

Greetings from Bolivia
mikabeer

PM Sent

vette

Purchase a bike in China is easy
 

Hi, I have been living in China 9 years, and the last 2 years, I had no job anymore, so no nice company car. I purchased a ChanYang 750 sidecar and rode this one 4000km around ShangHai.
I purchased it "new" from a bike dealer in ShangHai, it had the number plate of a remote province with a Chinese name on the license. I bought an insurance very cheap as well and no problem (almost: it burnt only once and a tyre blowed up). Of course, this kind of bike has no break, you have to anticipate a lot, and it's trikky when speeding up and down. But it's a lot of fun. Costed me about 2000€, sold it 900 at the end. I had the Chinese driving license (it's a specific one for 3 wheels).
Unless you do something really wrong (going through at red light is a piece of cake, something tougher than that), you can ride unstopped. All people are thumb up, and some even stop you to ask you where to buy or if you want to sell. Beware of parking on restricted places though, they are quick at towing away...(picture)

Concerning the regulation, I can say that most of you are right, the law (decree Nb 90 of the Public Security Law, dated from Dec. 2006, and decree Nb 212 of the Customs Law) doesn't specify that foreign drivers with their own vehicule must have a guide on board. BUT there is a strong connection between Travel Agencies and Tourism Offices... It's difficult to introduce your finger in-between. They all make money on this. And the few who would like to raise their heads get hit.
XinJiang is a special part of China as well as Tibet and Yunnan to some extend. If you enter presently in XinJiang, it's difficult to get the permit. And impossible to obtain a permit with a guide only in XinJiang and on my way for the rest. Torugart pass is a military area, and the army people are not fun at all. I believe it's impossible to go through presently without the guide, even if you seat down there (3775m high...) for a week. It's easier through Irkestam pass.

I appreciate this is old, having just joined the forum and looking for info on China this has been a great find! Thanks Mika!

I rode through China a few years ago. My RR starts for China about 2/3 down this page:
https://advrider.com/f/threads/renti...1208680/page-4


Great trip and people. I didn't go to the forbidden areas. But it was all good.

We were back in China in September 2019
Me and my wife both have full legal Chinese car licences, mine is also for big motorbikes.
We borrowed my wife's sisters car.
I drove from Beijing to Zhangiakou, Hebei, north of Beijing, to Yantai, Shandong, then to Weihai also Shandong, then to Zibo, Shandong, then to Beijing.
This is about 2500km.
We seen a few police, but none ever stopped us to ask anything.
We got some surprised looks when we pulled up at some of the motorway services.
China is a very easy place to drive in, and I imagine, also easy to ride in.