Day 2 & 3: Motorcycle?

Day 2

I have always thought of doing a motorcycle trip in China and so I am going to try and realise that dream. However, getting a bike in China is not an easy task. First and foremost, there are not much choices. Therefore it is not easy to find a suitable bike. With Brice, we spend one whole day running around from town to town looking for hopes. We ended the scouting game with mix feelings as we had seen bikes of qualities that are on both end of the scale. Finally, we decided that we had seen enough for the day and we headed back to Brice's place to take a break before going for dinner.

Brice stays in a 3 storey house that has a garden where he parks his beloved motorcycle.



As we will be having dinner with his family, we definately could go on his bike and so he drives us out on his Jeep.



Brice's family and me.



After dinner, Brice send me back to my hotel. The surrounding of my hotel reminds me of how Singapore is like in the old days. Here, there is an open air skating ring where people still skate on those type of skating shoes with 4 wheels at each corner of the shoes and not those that have wheels in a straight row. I had tried these skates before when I was a kid. You dont even have to take off your shoes to put on the skates. The skates are meant to be wore underneath the shoes and are secured by tying strings to the shoes like how you tie shoelaces.





Fancy a game of pool under the stars? This reminds me of one of Stephen Chow's movie.



Then in my room, there are these very classic water flasks.



For those in my generation and earlier, remember this? You will always see it on the TV in those days. Oh my, I am getting old.




Day 3

After thinking it through, I have decided to go back to one of those shops that I have visited yesterday to buy a bike!!! HAHAHA.... Just the thought of it makes me feel excited. Now let me share with you the biking scene of China. Did I mentioned that the biking scene here is complicated? And that the bikes here are more often than not, misleading? You will see what I mean.

First of all, most of the bikes here are very identical in their outlook and to make things worse, most of them are of the same colour, red. My guess would be that the chinese wants the lucky colour to ward off the dangers of riding.



Then, there are these confusing shop signs which makes you think that they are the official dealer of a certain make but in fact they are not. They just "borrow" the big names.



There are also misleading makes which you think that it is the real stuff at the first sight. I thought it is a YAMAHA.



But it turn out to be a YAMWNA.



Many of the bikes here often are the replica of japanese bikes. If I am not wrong, this is a replica of a Kawasaki.





One interesting thing here is the biking terms they use. Scooters are refered to as "Female" and the others are "Male". So, if you are looking for a bike, they will ask you if you want a male or female. The below picture will show you the females in the foreground and the males in the background.



Here are some of the bikeshops.





Here's the bike we found. Brice testing out the bike.



Everything seems ok and so we only requested the engine oil to be changed. Here's the bike owner at work.




Handing him the money and settling the necessaries.



These are the documents.





Doing last min confirmation.



Done!! Here's my new bike.



And here's the new owner, proud and happy.



Shall we ride it away?



Brice keeping an eye on me while I ride. Do you think that I blend as a China chinese?











After riding back to my hotel, I went to get some sparts and necessary tools. I also got the mirrors change as the one that comes with it are too small.





After all these are done, I am still short of a helmet. This is the one that comes with it. Like Brice said, it is a piece of shit. It can't protect anything.



And so he gave me a full face helmet. That's very kind of him.



As we consumed our dinner, we brought along the road atlas and were happily discussing on the routes.



Brice mentioned so many times that how he wish he could join me for this ride. Guess he really wants to ride very much. Anyway, we had a very nice sweet dish. I cant remember what it is called but I am gonna try and make it when I am back home.



As of now, I am looking forward to rock and roll tomorrow!!!!!

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