- This topic has 80 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
@AM – If you are intending on buying one then I would check with a traffic cop first as I could be wrong. I was informed by a motorbike riding friend of mine that <50cc motorbikes can be ridden inside the 2nd ring road. I don’t think they give much advantage over an electric scooter though.
50cc bikes are more fun than electric scooters and obviously don’t require charging. Unlike electric scooters they require the driver to have a license and plates though, cops do stop people for that and check. I know a few people who lost 50cc scooters that way.
I had an old battered 125cc before but the cops took it off me.
I bought a newish 50cc about 6 months ago and I’m more careful about where I ride it now. I only have it because I work outside the 3rd ring road. It takes 30 minutes door to door from yulin on it. It would take way more than an hour on electric bike or by bus.
In my opinion the newer 50cc is faster for zipping about than the 125. Now I’d only buy a larger bike if I was planning to go on a longer journey.
@AM what were the circumstances of getting your 125cc bike taken?
How much did the 50cc bike set you back? Sounds convenient.
By the way, this afternoon I attended a meeting organized by the Chengdu Immigration Department where they basically lectured F-Visa holders on the rules of being a foreigner in China. They covered things like overstaying your visa, registering at the PSB, carrying weapons, etc. Interestingly they went out of their way to mention that “many foreigners break traffic laws by riding motorcycles unlicensed”.
This is the first time I’ve seen police draw attention to this.
I was at the first main junction south of tian fu square on ren min. Pulled up at the lights and got stopped by one of the traffic cops. First time I’d been stopped in over a year of having it.
I tried to talk my way out of it (ting bu dong!) but he wasn’t having it. He told me the minimum fine was 1000rmb. My bike was worth 500 tops. I just left.
New one cost 1600.
I heard of the same thing, actually. The fine being more than what the bike is worth and people just saying “fuck it” and walking away.
There are rules about the maximum fine they are allowed to impose, for minor stuff it’s usually 20-200RMB, and for more serious offences it’s 200-2000RMB. In the case of not having plates or a license the multiple choice test answer book they issue here states….
1.1.1.52 If a motorized vehicle on the road has no license plate, the traffic control department of the public security organ should ____________________.
A. Detain the driver
B. Impose a fine of 200 yuan ~ 2,000 yuan
C. Impose a fine of more than 2,000 yuan
D. Detain the vehicle
Answer: D
1.1.1.66 If a motorized vehicle driver who fails to obtain a driving license drives a motorized vehicle, the traffic control department of the public security organ should impose a fine of ____________.
A. 100 yuan ~ 200 yuan
B. 200 yuan ~ 500 yuan
C. 200 yuan ~ 1,000 yuan
D. 200 yuan ~ 2,000 yuan
Answer: D
1.1.1.68 If a motorized driver who fails to obtain a driving license drives a motorized vehicle, the traffic control department of the public security organ should impose a fine according to the stipulations and may also _____________.
A. Detain the driver for less than 15 days
B. Revoke the driving license
C. Detain the vehicle
D. Ban the driver for five years from re-obtaining a driving license
Answer: A
So I guess technically they could take your bike and fine you 2000RMB!
Damn! Another words we’re all relegated to scooters, bar dropping a bucket of RMB on a decent bike and plates!
My girlfriends folks live out in shuang liu so I asked about getting them to register a bike out there for me.
They told me that it’s now near impossible to buy bikes with real plates as the plates cost more than the bike.
So those guys cruising around Chengdu on the red bikes with plastic helmets dropped 15k on plates? Or they were registered and set up before the price of registration got out of hand?
If I were to get a motorcycle again I’d probably stay outside of second ring road and just use track plates with a real license. And carry around 500 yuan in bribe money just in case!
I think the latter would apply. I guess they’re making harder for new bikes to be registered.
I’m not sure how accurate their information was either, it could be a load of BS.
Quick question:
Looks like i’m going to get a scooter. Are the prices there good? Should i get a used one instead of new one? I’m most likely going to get a gas guzzler scooter. Do I still have to get a license for it?
Also, should i get chain and locks for it?
You’ll need a license for a motorized scooter. A lot of people ride on them without being licensed but you’re running the risk of getting caught and paying a fine or having the bike confiscated. If you decide you want to run that risk, you’re better off with a used bike which you can often find for a few hundred kuai. If you can, it’s best to get licensed obviously, the test isn’t that difficult. You can find a copy of the test here: http://www.carlparker.com/chengdu
I would get a chain for it just to be safe, although I don’t personally know anyone who’s ever had a motorized bike stolen.
edit: also, about the used bike you can find them at the motorcycle market on the north side of 3rd ring road in Chengdu. They sell all kinds of new/used bikes up there and have repair and parts/accessory shops.
Sorry, what are 1st, 2nd, third tier roads? Do you mean toll roads? Sorry I am a newbie in China.
Also, I have a US license. Do I need a International license?
Do you have the address for the motorcycle market on the northside 3rd Ringroad? Would love to check that out.
@kopi
Chengdu is laid out like a spider web with Renmin Road down the center and 1st ring, 2nd ring and 3rd ring as the web around that crux. So first ring is the inner most ring road, packed with electronic malls and universities; 2nd ring is currently the middle ring, with some high end stuff, teahouses, club, but basically its a movement artery (ie traffic moves along) 3rd ring links the north/south/east/west parts of the city with each other via a vast ring with turnoffs. So third ring is right now the ring between the urban and the rural, big, almost like a highway and GREAT for zooming on a bike.
i saw your earlier posts. an international license is prob best, a Chinese one is easy to come by (so i hear), but really this thread has the answers and the people) for anything motorcycle related.
welcome to the du
There is no such thing as an international driving license. It’s actually an International Driving Permit, which is no more than a translation of a normal driving license in to multiple languages. It allows you to drive in countries that have signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. China is not one of these countries and thus you will need a Chinese license to drive here.
Ben is right. An international drivers license won’t do you any good here, you’ll need a Chinese license to be legal. I posted a link to the Chinese motorcycle drivers exam in this thread, check that out if you’re interested in taking the test. If you’re licensed to drive a motorcycle in another country (and took the exam and training, etc) then the exam here won’t be too much of an issue for you.
- The forum ‘General Discussion’ is closed to new topics and replies.