Biker Gangs on China¡¯s Roads

[Randy W]

Okay another one that I'm not that interested in, but it DOES contain some details about motorcycles in China, which many have said are outright "BANNED" - it's just not enforced.

 

From the Sixth Tone

 

Born to Be Tamed: The Biker Gangs Revving on China’s Roads

With red tape and social stigma, motorcycle clubs are finding it’s hard to be outlaws.

 

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/9/331.jpg

 

 

 

It’s a hobby that can be prohibitively expensive, meaning many of China’s so-called bikers are wealthy men with respectable jobs. Katrina Wu, a sales associate at a Shanghai Harley-Davidson dealership, says the imported bikes cost 98,000 to 600,000 yuan ($15,500 to $95,000) new, plus up to 320,000 yuan for a Shanghai license plate. People often join local clubs to “be cool” or meet other bikers, but most clubs aren’t as serious as the Red Devils, she says.

 

. . .

 

Motorcycles are restricted or even outright banned in a number of cities and are prohibited on motorways in many provinces, according to Zhai. In Shanghai, only riders with limited “A” license plates that can go for up to 320,000 yuan can ride in the city center — and even then, many roads remain off-limits. The high price of plates is hurting Harley-Davidson sales locally, says sales associate Wu.

In December last year, authorities sent text messages to registered Harley-Davidson owners in Shanghai, telling them that they could no longer modify their bikes, a core component of Harley-Davidson culture.

. . .

The large number of motorcycle accidents in the 1980s, in part due to poorly made local bikes and low awareness of riding safety, has led to a common saying that “no biker made it through the ’80s,” says Zhai. Authorities may have also been worried that city streets would fill with low-end locally made motorbikes, which can quickly end up grimy, with peeling paint and parts messily held together with tape. From an economic perspective, motorbikes bring in far less tax revenue to cities than cars, meaning municipal governments have little incentive to encourage people to use them, explains Zhai.