I was asked if I could lay out how the motorcycles laws worked over here so I am doing just that.
This will explain for anyone interested or anyone here and not in the know of what it’s like to ride on the road here.
1st of its dangerous as hell. If you can survive on a bike here with out dumping it your amazing. Not a matter of skill so much as it is the odds. Figure your in Shanghai which has about 25 million people. Hard not to get hit to tell the truth. There are just way too many people on bikes, foot, cars, busses, trucks, trains, trolleys, what ever. Just total chaos in the morning and evening rush hour no mater what city you’re in.
Now as far as the legal rule sits kind of like this.
Driver License:
You need to convert your foreign license to a Chinese license. If not its 14 days in a Chinese Jail (Not recommended)
You can brave it and try not to get caught however you have no control over when some asshole will hit you and then you’re screwed. No license and they take your bike as well until they can determine its legal for the road.
My advice take the time to go get the test done and to be quite honest if you can not pass this test you should not be on the road to begin with. Its one of the most basic tests I have ever taken. No practical just a written is needed to convert. But when you apply bring money. 200 for this 200 for that fees here taxes there. You end up spending about 600 RMB (85usd) to get through it all. Hint – if you’re not a fluent Chinese speaker bring a translator
After you got your license your good to go anywhere in China no questions asked.
Note: for motorcycles you will have an “E” added to your “C” class C being for car E being for a 2 wheeled motorcycle.
If you want a side car license which is good for two and three wheeled vehicles you need to get a “D” added to your license NOT and “E”.
If you opt for the “D license you need to bring proof your home land or home state allows 3 wheeled vehicles to drive on a Motorcycle license.
In the USA for instance a three wheeled trike or a two wheeled Yamaha can use the same license not so here. So they need proof this can be had at a local web site explaining the coverage. Print it out and make sure the web address is therefore them to go there and look it up themselves. They won’t look it up but it will help your case. It’s a hard sell but if you argue enough you want the “D” they will give it to you.
Also no extra testing for a motorcycle or a side car. Same test for cars covers all standard licenses.
Bike tags:
When you buy a bike you really need to know what you’re getting.
Up in Beijing the cops look the other way mostly for illegal bikes. Illegal meaning black market imports that were never legal for the Chinese roads. Even if you get a bike with tags and papers you might have copied documents and tags with five other bikes on the same tag. It’s insane over her how much they cheat the system.
(Note the lack of tags on hr bike. She rides this thing tippy toes on the ground when she stops she is so short. Does wheelies and tears up the road illegally with her boyfriend.)
I can get exact duplicate papers for any bike I see that’s looking like mine and the cops will have no clue unless they run the Vin number. Most of the cops her don’t have a way to do that in an quick time so its not done. If the forgery is good you will get a traffic fine and be sent on your way. If they are bad and they spot them as fakes your screwed.
Best thing is to buy a bike from a good dealer. If it’s a used bike run the tags and vin number at the local Police station before you buy it.
If the owner refuses to allow you to do this walk away.
Insurance:
Insurance is required. I am not sure of the minimum for motorcycles but for a side car motorcycle it is 50,000 RMB liability. Trust me if you’re a foreigner her you want max insurance ‘cause when you hit a local they see a bike cash cow and fake injury to the max to get cash out of the insurance company.
Accidents:
When you do finally hit someone or they hit you then it’s a matter of standing your ground if your in the right. China does have driving laws though you would never know it. So when that asshole pulls a left run in front of you and you “T” bone him he is in the wrong. You still might be 20% responsible for the damages but at least you get 80% of your money back.
How’s this work simple the cops come do their thing then you all go to the nearest police station if you can not resolve the issue on the spot.
At the police station you tell your side. He tells his and the cop in charge makes a decision and that’s that. You can argue if you feel your wronged but its not much help.
I hit someone and went through this. Its’ different but not stressful unless the other guy is totally unreasonable.
Surprisingly the cops are very reasonable and look at it all with zero emotion and deal with the facts. I my case I was treated very fair and I paid what I felt I owed and the other guy got what he felt he needed to get and the cop handled it al quick based off facts. Not bad really.
Bike size restrictions.
250cc is the limit in most cities. Some cities don’t allow motorcycles in the city limits anymore so you need to know what’s what before you go on a journey.
Beijing, Shanghai and I think the Guangzhou are now trying to allow large bikes to be licensed. Harley Davidson and BMW can now import sell and license large cc bikes. AS a result other large bikes like sport bikes are being allowed to tag because they have no legal right to stop you form doing so.
A test case in court helped open the door as well.
A regular Joe sued the Chinese government for not allowing him to register his large bore bike. The loophole being there is nothing written that says 250cc or less it says something worded different which I have not gotten a clear detail on yet but basically it s in the translation and while they limit the cc they can not restrict.
Plus all the cops want large bikes in the big cities. It’s hilarious to see two large cops on a 250 or a 150cc Yamaha cop bike. Key stone cop for sure. So if they get large bore bikes the Citizen have to be allowed to get large bore bikes as well.
If you’re going to be I the Country for a long period of time hook up with a bike club. There are many clubs in China. I belong to the Clan Suzhou motorcycle club (Suzhou City) its a club for side cars and sports bike and our relationship with the local authorities gets us three “Free days: a year.
We get a special sticker and ride in a group (Somewhat) and go on the elevated roads and about anywhere we want for a day. We have a paper form the government stating we are cool for the day as well license the cops stop you and it’s a lot of fun. We generally get a police escort as well.
Organized riding is not really my bag but when you get to go on the elevated roads and open up your bike for the first time in ages its worth the BS of a group ride.
Besides where else can you do burn outs Tokyo drifts with rally cars that join us and have wheelie contest all over public roads in the middle of traffic with the cops there taking pictures and smiling giving you a thumbs up.
OK Well that’s about it so good luck. And drive carefully. There are no real rules her and its dog eat dog rule of thumb is when driving here look in 6 places at the same time and listen in 8. Good luck.
A few pics from our rides:
My daughter on a hello kitty themed bike I made for a client (I restore these old sidecars for a living here)
A line of sidecars ready to go out for a day of fun. ( I restored them all - such satisfaction all going on a days trip together with 12 sidecars you built with your own hands.)
Nice BMW
Random pics:
