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kaar.a
Newbie
Joined: Oct 24, 2005
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Aug 28, 2007 - 12:05 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Registering 250cc motorcycle in Shanghai? |
Hi everybody, I am a foreigner working on Z visa in Shanghai, intending to buy a motorcycle - regular 250cc one, nothing bigger, but also no electrobike. Has someone tried to register such thing recently? I ve heard rumours it is difficult to get a plate for anything that runs on gasoline in Shanghai. Any problems if I register it elsewhere? When a car is registered outside Shanghai, it is barred from accessing elevated roads and bridges, but motorcycles are not allowed at these anyway, so that should be no problem... Thanks for informed replies!  |
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underh20
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Sep 27, 2006
Posts: 8279
Location: EOA Seminar
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Aug 28, 2007 - 09:29 PM |
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Try sending a PM to "sinned69" as he's our resident motorcycle expert. |
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sinned69
SuperStar
Joined: Sep 01, 2004
Posts: 1483
Location: China, Middle East, Asia Pacific
Status: Offline
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Aug 30, 2007 - 08:42 AM |
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I'll try to address your questions and give you some tips too... but, I'm no longer residing in Shanghai, so my knowledge for the local situation there is based on past experience as a Shanghai resident, and my current knowledge from riding from Ningbo to Shanghai (including inside Shanghai) on a fairly regular basis. Yes I ride a motor scooter all the way there and back often. Last year I was doing that on a 125cc scooter... finding anything bigger to buy legitimately was so difficult, and to certain extent still is... other times I ride through many of the mountains and small villages that Zeijiang is blessed to have. Its cheaper than driving my car between the two destinations, since motorbikes don't have to pay tolls. Tolls roads operate on many roads and highways, and even other places. The express ways that link cities here ban all motorbikes regardless of engine capacity. The alternatives then for motorbikes to get from one city to another include national highways and other minor highways and roads, all of which have tolls too. Now legally toll stations are meant to be situation at least 40km apart but there are many instances where this is not the case and a recent study (and my own personal experience) shows that some toll stations are sometimes even less than 20km apart (which therefore make them illegal). Many local governments set up toll stations as simple revenue collection points that contribute nothing to the local roading or transport infrastructure. Anyway with a motorbike it don't matter, simply look to the right of the toll station and there is usually a small passageway for bikes and pedestrian access, use that. If none is available then ride through the most right toll booth that is open/manned and be prepared to navigate around the barrier arm by riding to the very right of the lane, though some toll booth operators will raise the arm for you.
First, if you buy a bike that has been manufactured in China then things will go easier, but if the bike has been manufactured overseas (e.g. Europe or Japan or any other country including HK) then be careful, many bikes are smuggled into the country illegally and in fact are stolen. Most of these bikes come through southern China, so its buyer beware! remember all overseas manufactured bikes must have a import certificate issued by the PSB/Customs Dept. No certificate, then no registration. (also note that there have been a few bikes advertised on Shexpat and other sites, that have fake or bogus registration plates). DO NOT buy such bikes...! remember if its seems such a great deal, it IS too good to be true.
OK, things in Shanghai are complicated. Firstly you are correct, Shanghai government has banned large motorbikes (anything over 49-50cc) from many roads within the outer ring road area. Or at best there are restrictions on when one can use certain roads. Getting a motorbike/motor scooter licensed with a registration plate can be and is difficult, but can be done. That why you see so many 49cc bikes around, especially those powered by LNG, instead of petrol.
The opposite is true, that the government is making it more difficult to license petrol driven bikes vs. LNG powered ones.
The cycle lanes and roads where bicycles and small scooters (<49cc) are allowed to use cannot be used by other vehicles which are forbidden including bigger motor scooters/motorbikes. Note that many other cities have also banned motorbikes/motor scooters above a certain capacity from inside the main city areas, including; Changzhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Nanjing to name but a few. If you ride on non designated motorbike roads then the bike can be confiscated, but, if everything about the bike and you are legit, and you are a foreigner it might be possible that the authorities will be lenient.
Just keep in mind that the cost of the plate will undoubtedly cost you as much as the bike (expect to in the vicinity of rmb14,000+), you also have to pay an annual license fee. Another issue to keep in mind is the compulsory insurance, which has to be paid every year. Make sure you have a valid PRC motorbike license, which is easier to get if you have a motorcycle license from an overseas country that PRC PSB recognise.
If you fail to have any of these items, and are stopped by the traffic police you may locked up for anything upwards of 7 days in the PSB cells or Shanghai detention centre. The bike will also be most likely confiscated, and you may/may not get it back after paying a fine and promise to put the discrepancies right.
The major issue to note, is that, you should really buy a bike inside shanghai from someone honest and trustworthy, plenty of cheats there (almost everywhere). My advise is buy from a license motorcycle dealer, and/or have a good trustworthy Chinese friend who you can trust to protect your interests and tell you honestly everything. Better even to have a Chinese who has the experience of having bought a motorbike.
If you buy a bike from outside Shanghai (it can be done, but the authorities are making it harder in many outlying cities and provinces) then you usually have to have a residence permit indicating that you are living local. For example, before it was more possible to get a motorbike shop or someone else (local Chinese) to go register a bike for you, without you having to go to the PSB, but when I bought my last motorbike (CF250 export model) I was required to go with the motorcycle dealer to the local PSB motor registrations dept and be present, while the motorbike dealer dealt with the paperwork, I simply sat on seating some 20 metres away. Never asked any questions or spoken to by the PSB officer. This in comparison to the motor-scooter I bought in August 2007, when the same motorcycle dealer did all the formalities without my presence, just had to have copies of my passport and Visa.
Of course you could always get someone else to be the registered owner, and simply have the bike, but then all fines will go against that person, so many Chinese will not want to do that officially, but like all things in China, everything is possible.
Motorbikes cannot be bought legitimately, without the buyer having a PRC motorbike riders/drivers license and hold a valid 'Z' / 'Temporary Residence Visa' or PRC ID card.
hope its clear enough.
PM me for more answers... |
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