You can't ride your own motorcycle in China but you can buy a bike in China and ride it there. Jim Bryant of Jimbo's Classic Sidecars was my sponsor in Beijing for both trips and he is now putting BMW engines in Chang Jiang motorcycles. (Which is great, if you've read my China Road dispatches you know that the original CJ is about as reliable as the original Ural. Why? Maybe because they're made from the same factory equipment.) If you want, you can buy one there and ship it or, what the heck, ride it home. It's been done. If you ship it, it's a bit of work but Jim can get you all the paperwork you need, at least. You'll just need to pick it up from your friendly local harbormaster.
Jim's an American who has done business in Korea and China for many years. He now lives in Beijing with his wife and kids, and after working in the shoe business and starting a Subway franchise in Beijing, he turned his attention to Chang Jiang motorcycles. You can hear an interview with him on the Internet radio show Side Stand Up, Episode 21. (Or search for the free podcast in iTunes.) He talks about the CJs, how he came to create the business, his plans for the future, and how you can get one built to your exact specifications for $6-$8000. They may also be able to get you a real CJ for half that, if you don't mind wrenching your way around the world.
Jim's also a world traveler, and his stories of riding his Chang Jiang/BMW from China to Russia and beyond are just riviting. You can find them on the Adventure Rider Forum.
