How
To Buy A Chang Jiang 750 Motorcycle
A
Work In Progress by Bill Eng:
This
is a must read if you are going to buy a Chang
Jiang 750. I have decided to put this tips document
together to help you figure out which type of
Chang Jiang 750 sidecar is for you, when to look,
how to look, where to look, and finally how to
buy getting ripped off. I am far from an expert,
however I have been riding Chang Jiang 750 sidecars
in Beijing since 2001 and I have help countless
amounts of riders with their acquisition of Chang
Jiang 750 sidecars from many of the local dealers.
I have also helped a few shops with setting up
their website and importantly because I am a rider,
speak the local language and my previous job offered
me lots of free time to enjoy riding my CJ750,
along with my friends we have decided to help
promote more of the CJ750 community and clear
up all this confusion and different stories about
CJ750 sidecars. Every weekend I am out riding
in the mountians riding my Chang Jiang 750 sidecar,
including a dozen or more long distance rides
that were over 3,000km each, thus I have seen
and personally experience sidecars in action and
also know how they perform. Importantly I have
made many local friends that have been riding
for decades and have accumlated their years of
experiences and now will share it with you. My
goal is to help to help out fellow Chang Jiang
750 enthusiasts to not end up buying a lemon or
get ripped off.
INDEX
1. Buying Advice:
a. Why a Chang Jiang?
b. Buying for Local Use
c. Buying to Be Exported
d. Narrowing Your Choices of Styles
e. So Where and When Do I look?
i. In Beijing
ii. Overseas
f. Going To Look At The Bike – Checking
out a Chang Jiang 750
i. The Test Ride
ii. Documentation
iii. Patience
g. Closing the Deal
h. The Delivery - Congratulations on Your New
Bike.
2.
A Closer Inspection:
In
General, Take A Close Look At:
a. The builder
b. The Frame
c. The Wheels
d. The Common Leaking Oil.
e. The Spark Plugs
f. Cracks, Chips and Faded Paint.
g. Wiring - electrical
h. Odometers.
3.
The Chang Jiang 750 Sidecar Motorcycle:
a. The PLA Bikes
b. The Civilian Bikes
c. Parts
INTRODUCTION:
I
was introduced to the Chang Jiang 750 by Michael
W. and immediately fell in love with it because
there is a great community of people riding them
and also Beijing is Chang Jiang 750 capital of
the world. Tt attracts girls and they just love
guys that ride Chang Jiang 750 sidecar motorcycles….what
more reasons do I need than that? (Almost forgot,
and all the trips out to the mountains). I went
out and bought my first Chang Jiang 750 for 1,000USD
and since have spent a countless amount of time
riding Chang Jiang 750 sidecars in the city and
different parts of China in different road conditions,
importantly have met many riders from all over
the world riding them and we have become friends.
I have been to many PLA warehouses looking at
old stock, to all the shops in Beijing to fix
my Chang Jiang 750 and have been to many places
in China and surrounding Beijing that I never
imagined that I would ever go to. It’s a
great fun toy to have and in Beijing it is definitely
Chang Jiang 750 heaven, so a thanks to all the
guys that has made owning a Chang Jiang 750 part
of the Beijing experience.
My
first Chang Jiang 750 was registered as a Chang
Hong. It looked like any other Chang Jiang 750
sidecar and not being able to read Chinese or
knowing the history of the Chang Jiang 750 sidecar,
I really did not give much thought about what
I bought because it all looked the same and it
ran the same as all the other sidecars. The engine
was running and had all the trimmings I wanted
and it was only 1,000USD, it was cheap and I took
a leap and bought it. From that point on my life
was about to change, not only did I meet more
friends, go out to see all the little parts of
Beijing and ride through all the hutongs looking
at old houses, in late November of 2004 I put
up this website and now its quite famous and has
changed the Chang Jiang 750 market. It is the
only site I know that has prices listed, factual
information and I am the only one that gives an
itemized quotation of what a restoration cost.
The
CJ750.net website sure turned out to be a learning
experience and also I got to see the insides of
the Chang Jiang 750 business. Unfortunately the
Internet has not been a help to most of the guys
that are actually working on these sidecars in
Beijing. The are many CJ750 shops and mechanics
in Beijing whose livelihood are based on the Chang
Jiang 750 and are a crucial part of the Chang
Jiang 750 community. There are many dealers that
have been working on Chang Jiang 750 sidecar for
decades however due to their lack of ability to
communicate in English they are being overlooked
by many people in the international community
that want to own one. My friends and I have taken
a special interest to help any dealer with an
actual shop to set up a website so that buyers
will have more choices to choose from and also
to be more informed of what is going on in the
CJ750 market. CJ750 builders, custom shops, will
get more business and raise their prices a bit,
and the few shops/websites that are trying to
corner the market will have to lower their prices
to compete when shoppers know the real value of
a Chang Jiang 750 sidecar and who are actually
restores them, brokers them, or are just hustling
them..
From
inquires that we get from our website and the
amount of questions I get about "fake"
Chang Jiang 750 versus "genuine" Chang
Jiang 750 sidecars, I would have to say that the
Internet has proven to be a channel that perpetuates
rumors and lies by some for personal benefit of
a few in the business of hustling Chang Jiang
750 sidecars and parts at very high prices. A
very sad part of the Chang Jiang 750 community,
however we hope things will change for the better
and more Chang Jiang 750 dealers will soon have
websites up to offer you their services and products.
More information, more shops, more informed consumers,
more competition creates better products, prices
and importantly services. Please read all my FAQs
before you make your purchase. Also on the same
note, I get many calls from people in Beijing
asking for help because they have troubles liability
after an accident because of their "yellow
Hebei" plates. Please read our information
carefully and I repeat, DO NOT BUY an illegally
registered CJ750.
Since
owning my Chang Jiang 750 sidecar I have rode
all over Beijing and the surrounding areas almost
every weekend with different CJ750 sidecar clubs.
Being able to speak Chinese, and English I ended
up kind of being a conduit for the expatriate
community and the local Chinese. One influence
to write this is that I have met many foreigners
that have been royally screwed, meaning that they
paid tens of thousands of RMB and more, in some
cases a couple of thousand of USD, or riders getting
something that is just common parts thinking they
got a one of a kind special item (genuine parts,
etc...). I am tired of explaining about the PLA
bullshit and people asking me if one's Chang Jiang
750 is real or fake. The only thing I really know
is the person that blows this kind of bullshit
just buys CJ750 sidecars from other dealers and
does not even have his own shop. Actually paying
a bit more is not uncommon, but to pay a few thousand
USD or more for the same or worst is a different
story. The other issue I am tired of is getting
calls from people that have problems because they
have bought a CJ750 sidecar with Hebei plates
only later to find out that they are fake or have
gotten into an accident and have to pay tens of
thousands of dollars because their insurance will
not cover an illegally registered CJ750 sidecars.
Also I cannot help one register a CJ750 from Hebei
plates to Beijing plates cause the Hebei plate
bikes have no official documentation and may be
from a very questionable source (ie; stolen).
My answer is they should have done their research,
call the police and go back to the dealer that
sold it to them. Legally registered CJ750 sidecars
with Beijing plates are available and cost about
9,000RMB / 1,000 USD and if one is so generous
to pay thousands of extra more for something illegal
maybe they deserve pay thousands of dollars for
the damage that they cause.
In
late 2004, a couple of riders and I discussed
doiing this website, took a few days to come up
with the name ZMW and in a month it was up and
running. It took a while because none of us actually
did this for a business but wanted to help out
other riders because we rode together. We created
some fancy websites, however in the end we decided
to choose something that was simple and direct.
We want you to get to the pictures in three clicks
and be able to read relevant information pertaining
to the sidecar. The ZMW website went up in December
of 2004 and it created quite a storm with the
listing of the local prices for a CJ750 sidecar
and from there we are known all over the world
and have clients from everywhere. Since our site
went up the market situation has changed quite
a lot especially when our friends out number the
cartel and their threats have proven to be futile.
There are more dealers with website, prices have
gone down for some, others have raised their prices.
Quality has improved and importantly people are
beginning to have more options to getting CJ750
sidecars and parts. What we have decided to do
is to make a list of all the dealers in Beijing
and China thus anyone shopping around can find
the best deal and importantly on our updated site
we have decided to list our prices again because
there is enough shops that have websites and clients
are able to do their research and compare so we
are are going to set the standards. If any shop
wants to make a site, we are more than willing
to help.
I
may sound like a cynic to a few dealers and to
some degree I am, because I am very stubborn when
it comes to my moral standing and I will not cheat
lie or steal or will tolerate those that do. Every
day I get questions about something being fake
or real, someone needing help because they got
their CJ750 confiscated, or the worst are accidents
where the owner does not have a legally registered
CJ750. I also keep emphasizing about not to buy
a CJ750 sidecars with Hebei plates because you
will be in unnecessary liability, may cause problems
with people you ride with, and if you are in Beijing
and end up in an accident, may be calling me for
help or advice. Many of these Hebei plated bikes
come from questionalble sources and we have seen
many cases of stolen bikes with Hebei plates buying
one only goes to perpetuate criminal activities.
There is absolutely no reason for such stupidity!
Read my FAQs, do your research, and save yourself
some trouble.
In
my opinion, most of the Chang Jiang 750 sidecars
are very similar in looks, everyone gets there
parts from basically the same sources and suppliers.
The main difference is the restoration process
and what details go into your restoration. In
terms of dealers there are builders, there are
brokers, and then there are guys that just run
around bullshitting people. There are honest guys
that will try to help you and there are guys that
are wolves in sheep skin. I think this kind of
people exist everywhere in the world, just like
some used car dealers or taxi drivers all over.
So I will say it again, do your research, and
buy your CJ750 from someone you can hold responsible
will not run away.
In
terms of what I think about the actual sidecars
sold, I have seen thousands of Chang Jiang 750
sidecars and strongly feel that the Chang Jiang
750 sidecar is better built by a shop in Beijing
than one from the “factory”. Having
been to all the shops in Beijing, there is no
reason one should pay more than necessary for
a Chang Jiang 750, unless there is a specific
reason. Get an itemized quotation, if the dealer
can't do that, they do not deserve your business.
There are many shops that are willing to work
hard for your money. These sidecars are highly
available so check around and see what is available
in the market and shop around for prices. There
is no need to rush into a purchase and there is
no need to buy one with fake plates. We emphasize
this all over our website cause we know of many
people that have been in accidents with yellow
Hebei plates and have paid out lots of money.
Why one buys CJ750 sidecars with fake plates when
legal ones are available is just really out of
our comprehension. Insurance is only 12USD a year,
first time registration is only 40USD.
Some
basic points:
1)
All Chang Jiang 750s are real. (I am offering
a bounty for someone to show me a fake one)
2) There are tons of PLA parts floating around
the market.
3) Almost all the dealers gets their parts from
the same sources.
4) There is no need to ride with the risk or financial
and legal liability with fake plates when Beijing
“Jing A” plates are highly available.
5) The Chang Jiang 750 is high maintenance motorcycle.
6)
If you want perfomance get a new racing bike from
Honda, BMW, Ducati or Suzuki.
Remember
that the Chang Jiang 750 sidecar is very old technology
and should be respected as an old motorcycle and
it does require high maintenance. I hope that
you buy your Chang Jiang 750 as soon as possible
and join us on our rides.
I. BUYING ADVICE
a.
Why a Chang Jiang?
There are many reasons to choose a Chang Jiang
750 especially if you live in Beijing or China.
Importantly I am in China so there is absolutely
no reason to buy anything else, the roads here
really suck, the drivers do not respect you, imported
parts are hard to get and the Chang Jiang 750
is an inexpensive sidecar. The Chang Jiang 750
is versatile, parts are cheap, there are many
repair shops, outcall road side service is usually
free, and most importantly, Beijing has some great
mountain roads and the chicks really dig guys
riding motorcycles. There is no better reason
than that.
If
you are overseas, the Chang Jiang 750 is a collector’s
item and will sure turn many heads when you take
it out. To many Europeans the Chang Jiang 750
brings back memories of their childhood with their
dads or grand dads riding the original BMW R75
and R71 sidecars. To Americans, it is much cheaper
than buying a Harley or Japanese bikes. The cheapest
Harley sidecar will set you back about 20,000USD.
Importantly
do note that the Chang Jiang 750 is a high maintenances
vehicle and if you like to tinker and use some
tools, you will definitely fall in love with this
machine. If you do not like to tinker, work with
tools, and know about the basics of engine mechanics
DO NOT BUY this motorcycle.
b. Buying for Local Use in Beijing:
Shop
around and find out what is available. There are
over 20 shops and CJ750 sidecars range about from
7,000RMB to over 60,000RMB. It really depends
on what you want to pay, what you are looking
for. What is important is that you really know
what your are paying for. There is only one point
that is really important and I emphasize it very
often and feel that it is never enough. BUY A
LEGAL BIKE! If you bought one that has fake or
questionable plates, bring it back to the dealer
and get a refund. You will find that fully legal
CJ750 sidecars are probably less expensive than
one with fake plates.
Legal
Chang Jiang 750 sidecars start from 7,000RMB for
a pre-owned one 97 in mediocre condition to a
“new” one for 18,000RMB from the factory.
It usually takes about 3 days to do the title
transfer. I have seen many accidents and can say
that if you have an illegally registered bike
or one with fake plates you will be totally screwed.
You will be fully liable for the accident even
if it is not your fault. I really do not know
why someone would buy a CJ750 without proper registration
when legal ones are available, and from my inquiries
with owners of illegal Chang Jiang 750’s
they pay more than double what most of us would
normally pay for a legal one. If you own a Chang
Jiang 750 with plates from another city and use
it in Beijing, you are basically asking for trouble.
Someone can steal your Chang Jiang 750 and you
cannot even report it to the police. If you get
into an accident caused by someone else you are
100% liable. Why anyone buys an illegally registered
Chang Jiang 750 is really beyond my comprehension
unless there are certain circumstances such as
not having a resident permit. If you do not have
a permit, it is less of a criminal offense to
ride a Chang Jiang 750 sidecar with no plates
than one with fake plates. Buy a legal one under
your friends name and get it licensed! In most
cases that I have seen CJ750 sidecars with illegally
registered plates cost almost double a legal one.
It just does not make sense.
To
clear the information about buying a Chang Jiang
750 registered in other cities to use in Beijing.
A shop might tell you that you can ride it outside
of Beijing or whatever the story is and that there
is insurance on it, etc. Insurance companies will
insure anything; however that does not mean that
they will pay up and I can tell you that I know
people that learned it the hard way. People can
pay to have registrations done illegally, but
in an accident, and if the registration is illegally
done, you are 100% liable. Again the penalty for
riding an illegally registered Chang Jiang 750
is more than riding one without plates at all.
If you do own a Chang Jiang 750 that is registered
in another city, make sure you know who it is
registered to just to make sure you know the registration
is real and the actual owner may make claims for
the insurance.
There
are quite a few shops in Beijing that has very
good service or professional. I would recommend
going to one of the shops that has lots of local
customers, the reason being that the business
is based on service and not brokering bikes from
the “factory”. These shops are usually
not so fancy and may not have fancy sidecars on
hand to impress you, but they can get you a legally
registered Beijing “Jing A” bike for
a very good price and then customize it or rebuild
it. The shops that deal with local clients will
not screw around and risk trouble by selling you
an illegal sidecar. You should also get a warrenty
from your dealer cause the CJ750 is a high maintanece
motorcycle.
More
details may be found on our faq on Buying
in Beijing.
c. Buying for Export:
There
are quite a few dealers that can help you with
getting a CJ for export. There are currently five
dealers (not including a virtual shop) in Beijing
that is selling Chang Jiang 750 for the overseas
market, three of rebuilds CJ750 from PLA stock,
the other three sells factory sidecars. You can
check on the ZMW faq details about buying a sidecar
for export and also compare its price list and
quality. Look for an honest shop cause they really
need your business and will work hard to give
you the best for your buck.
When
you do deal with a shop on-line, get an itemized
list of the modifications that is going into your
sidecar. Shop around and get as much details as
you can. I would not recommend that you get a
“new factory” bike as currently they
are basically being restored from used bikes and
the guys slapping them together may not pay as
much attention to it as a custom shop in Beijing
that actually works on them. There are two shops
on the internet in East China that sells these
“factory bikes”, however they are
inexpensive and if you are lucky you may get something
good. In Beijing there are only about 20 shops
that repair and can sell you a CJ, of those 8
of them can do 100% ground up restorations. Only
3 are on the internet.
All
Chang Jiang 750 sidecars are original. I have
received and answered hundreds of e-mails asking
me about the price for an “original or authentic”
Chang Jiang 750. Or even more insulting is if
our low prices are for fake Chang Jiang 750 sidecars.
Most of the shops in Beijing will use PLA stock
for export because it does not have a residual
value which civilian Chang Jiang 750 sidecars
do. There are hundreds of these old sidecars sitting
in warehouses waiting for a new home. If someone
tells you they are the only one that has them
or that their sidecars are genuine or claim PLA
exclusive, they are basically full of shit and
you should seriously consider their sales approach.
Make sure that the shop you deal with is a real
shop and not a virtual shop.
d. Choosing Your
Style:
From the site that we manage, we have found out
some very interesting data about styles of sidecars
to the country. Americans like the flame and lots
of chrome sidecars with polished engines and second
choice are pinstripes (BMW R71 style). Europeans
like the WW2 military bikes (BMW R75 style) and
second choice are pinstripes.
The
least expensive CJ750 siecars motorcycles are
the stock PLA CJ750 especially ones with 6V engines.
Most riders prefer the 12V for the sake of conveniences.
Many of the older 12V engines are converted from
6V engines. Remember there are thousands of old
6V sidecars in military storage coming onto the
market. 6V engines are a pain in the ass especially
if you are riding off road or up hills and have
to kick start the engine.
For
the more expensive premium Chang Jiang 750 sidecars,
Danny California was really the first guy to set
the bench mark in aesthetics for these sidecars.
There are some items to look for because a few
shops do sell these high end premium restoration
Chang Jiang 750 sidecars and the quality of work
really ranges. Make sure that the shop re-welds
the frames, you can tell that by the fact that
the joint areas are not bulging with bondo to
make it smooth. Many of the other shops that make
premium bikes use lots of bondo to hide the weld
marks. The bondo can crack after a rough ride.
Make sure you get a good paint job, get high quality
chrome that does not rust, and importantly check
out the modifications on the engine such as carburetor
type, high speed gear, sectionalized wiring, etc.
We have a whole list of all the meticulous details
that go into a ZMW premium restoration so you
know what you are paying for. Of all the restorations
I have seen I can say that ZMW has the most details
and also best value, second to ZMW I would have
to say Frank’s Sidecars and FHL. Actually
Frank does lots of polishing and for quite a few
of the other shops in Beijing so if you want a
top end Chang Jiang 750 customized to your specifications,
there are really only two shops to go to, and
you will note the prices are fixed, all cost are
itemized. When you get good quality chrome, make
sure all of it is good quality, there are dealers
that mixes good chrome with stock chrome so check
carefully.
For
pinstripes sidecars, make sure the stripes are
seamless, and not just tape with clear coating.
Tape will wear off. Some shops will rip customers
off by just adding a few layers of clear coating
and insisting that the sidecar has been repainted.
Make sure your shop strips off all the paint,
smoothes out all the rough surface and properly
paint you Chang Jiang 750. Check on the underside
to see if it has been cleaned and repainted.
For
WW2R75 replicas, check out the amount of modification
such as fender guard, pannier boxes that do not
fall off and are quick release, machine gun mount,
light cover, sidecar cover, decals, etc. Many
dealers just paint the CJ750 and claim them to
be an R75 replica. Check out the close up details
and ask for an itemized list. Again use ZMW restoration
list as a standard and for sure you will get a
well built bike with all the proper details.
Remember
all of these Chang Jiang 750 sidecars are the
same underneath, the styles is what makes them
different and also the price difference.
e.i. So Where and
When Do I look if I am in Beijing?
Many
of our friends that are in the sidecar business
has asked us to help them with a website, however
we are limited in time, resources and decent URLs
so we have decided to create a map page and also
a list of dealers page. This is so that you can
really shop around and find yourself a good Chang
Jiang 750. There are many decent guys in this
business and especially guys that have been building
and maintaining Chang Jiang 750 sidecars for many
decades. They might not know English but it is
really worth checking them out because you will
end up saving lots of money. I am not talking
about thousands of RMB, I and talking about thousands
of USD. We know many people that are really in
regret cause the difference is the in the thousands
of USD from buying from the wrong dealer and we
are not talking about a different product but
the exact same product. This map page is also
to help you out in case you are in town and your
Chang Jiang 750 breaks down. We do not list any
virtual shops on our site. Ask around with people
that own a CJ750 because there are many shops
with different reputations and there is a few
that are famous for screwing people. It is not
only about spending money but quality of work,
service, and when in a country with such income
disparity, helping the small guys that work hard
to make a dollar should make your Chang Jiang
750 even more worthwhile.
Winter time is always the best time to buy a Chang
Jiang 750. Usually prices are a bit cheaper because
people are riding less. If you shop around bargains
are available year round. There are some local
chat sites that occasionally post sales. The only
problem with buying the sidecar from an individual
is that when it brakes down some shops will purposely
screw you on fixing it knowing that you are a
new rider and did not get the sidecar from them.
The smaller maintenance shops will be more than
glad to do your business.
Before
you start calling, you will need a little preparation
which is quite easy as we have spend many hours
on this site to help you with getting a Chang
Jiang 750 sidecar and I can say it’s the
only site made with the thought to help out riders
in BJ which is why we have a large selection of
FAQs, price list and map. You'll need to collect
your pricing information and details of what kind
of Chang Jiang 750 sidecar you want. With a budget
in mind go shopping! Check out what the each shop
has to offer. Again importantly do not
buy an illegal Chang Jiang 750 sidecar.
Buy one that has Beijing “Jing A”
license and pay up fully only when you have the
bike transferred to your name and all the documents
complete. In order for the sidecar’s title
to be transferred you must have a valid resident
visa.
Pertaining
to illegal CJ750 sidecars. If someone has sold
you one with fake plates (Hebei plates), demand
that they get you legal Beijing "Jing A"
plates, if not, then return the CJ750 for a full
refund or call the police. Beijing "Jing
A" plates on CJ750 are highly available at
all the local sidecar shops. Insurance is less
than 100RMB a year, that is about 12 USD. When
you ride such a vehical you no only put yourself
in a liability but also to all the riders that
are in your riding group. Do your research, obey
the laws and regulaltions of China, and be considerate
of those that you ride with.
There
are a couple of reasons this is really important:
a) It is less of an offence to ride an unlicensed
CJ750 than one with fake plates.
b) If you are out riding as a group and an accident
occurs, every one is responsible.
c) Preowned CJ750 sidecars with legal "Jing
A" plates starting price is about 8,000RMB.
d) Insurance cost is only 100RMB a year for 3rd
party insurance with coverage of 50,000RMB
Read
our Buying in
Beijing FAQ.
e.ii. Where and
When Do I look if I am Buying Overseas?
Check
out the search engines and do your research. Anytime
is a good time, it just depends on what you want,
how much you want to spend and which shop you
feel comfortable with. Every shop has their own
story so find out the details and bargain. Make
sure you get all the details before you make your
purchase. You should be able to establish the
type of shop you want to buy from and also the
price you want to pay. If you are going to spend
your hard-earned money on a sidecar that you will
have for a while, you need to confirm virtually
everything the seller tells you or you will end
up paying for bullshit and worst after the bullshit
is getting a lemon. The product is very identical;
the main difference is in the workmanship.
What
to look for:
- Is
the shop real or a virtual shop?
- Does
the shop rebuild Chang Jiang 750 sidecars or
do they just broker factory sidecars?
- What
is my budget?
- Do
they pay attention to details and quality?
- What
am I actually paying for?
- What
do I get with my purchase (spare parts, after
sales service)?
- What
is their reputation?
- How
much am I willing to risk? (Remember in the
U.S.A. there is an anti Chang Jiang squad at
customs).
- This
is very important: Do the shop have any local
business, is he a broker or restores himself?
More details are available on our FAQ export page
and also on our export PLA
page.
f. Checking Out
a Chang Jiang 750:
There
are quite a lot of details to cover however if
you are in Beijing you are lucky because this
is Chang Jiang 750 heaven. If you are buying online…though
shit, you will have to trust your luck. If you
are in Beijing buying from an expat, because he
got suckered does not mean you have to be suckered
too, find out what the local shops are charging.
Check out the details and make sure you do not
buy someone else’s lemon.
Beware
of dealers that do not have a shop or the switch
and bait technique. Most of the parts on a Chang
Jiang 750 are inexpensive and can be easily replaced.
What we normally look for is:
a. Rust in the bucket (the bucket is expensive)
b. Bent sidecar frame
c. Abnormal sound in the engine
d. Blue smoke from the exhaust pipe
e. Spray paint covering rust
f. Tire’s tread wear
g. Serious oil leaks
h. Amount of bondo covering damaged areas
i. Reverse gear transmission
If
the bike is not 100% what you want, do not buy
it. Check around there are many shops and so many
options to choose from.
As
for buying from the internet, you are at risk
to who you can trust or not trust. Doing business
with a guy that is thousands of miles away is
not the same as doing business with someone down
the street. My recommendation is to go with a
shop that rebuilds them and not brokers them,
and one that has experience. Look for a shop that
is busy and caters to the local market. If the
locals are going there, they have to be doing
something right. Almost all export bikes are from
PLA surplus stock so there is no reason to pay
extra for someone using the PLA name.
f.i. Test ride:
The
test ride is important especially if you are buying
the Chang Jiang 750 sidecar as is. During the
test ride you will have to listen very carefully
and pay close attention to the "feel"
of the engine because most of the problems that
can not be seen by examining the bike can be discovered
through the test riding procedure. Feel the response
of the acceleration, and also listen for any strange
noise. When applying the brakes make sure that
the bike does not drag or the front wheel have
a strange wobble. Let the engine run for a while
and feel the temperature. Beware of strange clicking
noises in the engine.
f.ii The Document Inspection:
When
you decide to buy your Chang Jiang 750, if it
is from a shop, they will be able to assist you
with all your documentation. If you are buying
from an individual, I strongly recommend that
you take it to a shop to have everything checked
and pay only after the title has been transferred.
Give a deposit and balance when every thing is
completed.
There should be no liens or traffic warrants outstanding
The registration should be up to date
All invoices should be present
There should be a vehicle ownership certificate
A blue registration book
Name of owner in registration book should match
with seller.
Numbers in registration book match the frame and
engine numbers.
The
title cannot be transferred without all liens
and traffic warrants being cleared. They are the
seller’s liability. When the title is transferred,
make sure that the Road Tax Bureau is also notified
and the name is changed or in the future you will
not be able to update the road tax which will
accumulate and also penalties will be added onto
the bike. My German friend has this problem which
is why he had to sell the Chang Jiang 750 at a
very low price.
A
warning, I currently have a CJ750 that I bought
very cheap of a German that left China. Because
his documents are not complete, this CJ750 is
registered in 2004 (Jing A 520). He bought his
bike from a well known internet dealer that calls
himself “Mr. Chang Jiang” and the
guy that that dealer buys from (his parther on
the north 5th ring road) has left town. During
the purchase the buyer was not fully aware of
the whole document transfer process and it is
incomplete. The internet dealer will not provide
service for the bike and also will not provide
the updated material to complete the registration
process because his partner is gone. Thus the
bike is in good condition, however the documentation
problem it has made the CJ750 lose its value because
the road tax registration cannot be renewed and
penalty will be applied every year and it cannot
be insured. Moral of the story is make sure all
your documents are complete and best to buy it
from a shop where you can find the owner that
did all the work.
f.iii. Patience:
Are
you deciding to buy this because you know it is
the right bike, or because it is the right bike,
right now? Check around and ask questions. Be
patient, now a sad note about patience, if you
have come with a local colleague he may ask you
to wait and look around or he can find a better
deal, be careful that he might have his finger
in the deal. We have seen this many times especially
with the some of the local translators for the
U.S. Embassy contractors that come to China. They
all come back after the sales and demand a kick
back from the sales of the sidecar and though
it is a common practice for some shops that charge
a very high price, however this is not a practice
at ZMW. Zhang offers fixed prices and does not
give referrals or kick backs to your translator.
Do your research.
f.iiii:
Success:
Well,
you like it, it is mechanically sound and you
like the cosmetics, you have a reliable maintenance
history, you can afford it AND it is what you
have been seeking…….Congratulations!
You will probably get to this point at least once
before actually succeeding in buying a bike.
g.
Closing the deal:
So,
you've decided to buy the bike.
Step
one; is to come right out and tell him you want
to buy it, then ask for a schedule of when you
can take hand of the bike and all the details
you want on it done. Depending on the dealer you
will have to negotiate the price. At ZMW, Franks,
FHL, Jiang Wei's, there is not much negotiation
because the prices are rock bottom and bargaining
is not the norm. At a few other shops you can
ask for up to half off so check on out the ZMW
prices list and you will see what we are talking
about. In terms of cost there are other items
to consider that needs to be in the budget. The
options are endless such as type of handle bar,
blinkers, wheels, new tires, better carburetors,
new battery. By now you already have a budget,
however consider the following items to be in
your budget: helmet, lock, bike cover, extra motor
oil, tools, the list goes on.
Step
two; is to prepare for buying the bike. First,
how does the seller want to be paid? Cash is the
easiest but you should consider some protection
should something go amiss. It is best to bring
someone that has experience to have a final look
at the bike and even take a photo of it to make
sure it’s the same bike that you paid for
will be the same as you are getting. Pay a deposit
and the balance on delivery. I would wonder (and
be very cautious) about a seller that demanded
the entire amount in cash. Now is NOT the time
to lowball, the seller is taking a chunk of time
from his day to sell you a bike you have told
him you want to buy. Making this appointment in
order to make a wild stab offer is not only dishonest,
it certainly will not do much for your reputation
in the (normally very tight) Chang Jiang 750 circles.
Be careful of dealers that do the bait and swap.
We have some friends that thought they were getting
a 1960’s Chang Jiang M72, but ended up with
a Chang Jiang 750 registered as a Hong Yang that
was like any other Chang Jiang 750.
Step
three; involves documentation. Bring you passport
with a valid residence visa and work permit, a
business card. The dealer will need it for a few
days.
h.
The delivery - Congratulations on your Chang Jiang
750:
Make
sure you have all the items that comes with the
bike (basically all the documents), and the insurance
is up to date.
The
bike should be everything you asked for, sit on
it, go for a test ride, make sure of the following:
Bike is the same one you test rode
Blue book (registration)
Ownership certificate (green book)
Insurance
Receipts/invoice (transfer invoice)
Battery is fully charged
Wheels and tires are in good condition
Sit on the bike and make sure the brake and foot
peg is in comfortable position.
Load up on gas!
Remember
that if your bike has just been restored, the
first few hundred kilometers will be quite testing
because it takes a bit of riding to teeth in all
the gears. Nuts and bolts may come loose, seals
may start to leak oil, brakes may loosen up, wiring
may also loosen up, the wheels may start to re-align.
Make
sure the seller gives you a going over on all
the operating points such as how to kick start
the bike, where the gas reserve is, how to find
the electric breaker switch, how to open the gas
cap, etc….
II. CLOSER INSPECTION
General
Information:
a.
The Builder:
Who put your Chang Jiang 750 together is vital
most of the Chang Jiang 750 sidecars are very
similar. If you are in Beijing there are over
20 shops you can go to for a Chang Jiang 750.
On the high end there are about 6 dealers that
are able to help you in English.
The difference in getting a Chang Jiang 750 is
basically the quality of restoration, and also
price. An example of how prices can range. One
shop has Hebei plate bikes for 28,000 (illegally
registered) while another shop has legal “Jing
A” Beijing plates for only 8,000 RMB. Both
bikes are identical from engine, wheels, chrome,
tires, etc. so do your research and check around.
One shop may charge 60,000RMB for a premium restoration
while another offering you the same is only 30,000RMB.
There
is a misconception that with lower price you get
a lower quality product, unfortunately this is
not so in Beijing because the source of the Chang
Jiang 750 sidecars, engine, parts, accessories
are all the same. The higher price shops are looking
for customers that do not know better or have
not done their homework, which means mostly expats
just arriving in China and rushing to buy a Chang
Jiang 750, while the local shops that cater to
local customers are servicing customers that already
own a Chang Jiang 750 and know the market situation.
Do your research!
From
my experience I would recommend one to purchase
a Chang Jiang 750 from a shop that’s primary
business is maintenance. This is because the guys
at the shop know what is going on with the Chang
Jiang 750 from its engine, to the electrical to
the transmission, and importantly if I have a
problem I can give them a call no matter how far
I am out of Beijing and someone will come to help.
b. The Frame: Look extremely closely at major
weld points. While welds rarely go bad, it is
not unheard of and certainly difficult to find
until major damage has resulted. Pay particular
attention heavy bondo weld points as some dealers
think that they can charge more, basically they
are trying to copy premium restorations. A correct
premium restoration will re-weld the joint areas.
Importantly look at the sidecar frame to make
sure that it is straight and none of the bars
are curved which is evidence of a previous accident.
We have seen many bent sidecar frames which results
in bad wheel alignment and excessive wheel tread
wear.
c.
The Wheels: Wheels are unfortunately often overlooked
in assessing a used Chang Jiang 750. Wheels are
quite expensive to replace and many say dangerous
if the brake lining is worn, or the gears are
worn. Often a problem can not be "felt"
at normal test drive speeds, it is best to take
off the wheel to have a closer inspection of the
insides of the hub.
Alloy
wheels cost hundreds of 500RMB to replace so make
sure that they are in good condition. The Guan
Jun brand alloys are the best. I recommend them
for long distance trips and rough riding. However
if the brake lining is worn, the wheel is only
good as a side wheel.
There
are quite a few different types of spokes going
around the market. A fact to note is that the
excellent quality chrome spokes break easier than
normal quality chrome spokes, however the excellent
quality chrome will shine and not rust. The stainless
steel spokes are very strong, however when used
with the alloy wheels, they can tear off from
the hub under rough riding conditions or warp
the hub.
It
is hard to find a 100% true Chang Jiang 750 wheel
because the steel rim are too soft. Most of local
guys that I ride with have alloy wheels and some
of the more expensive restorations have alloy
rims.
d. That Leaking Oil: You will find a few drops
of oil under the Chang Jiang 750, this is normal.
You might want to place some cardboard under the
bike to keep the floor clean. A few drops is normal,
however if you are getting a puddle that is a
problem. Oil fume also comes out of the front
top right side of the engine and it is suppose
to go back into the air filter so some parts of
the CJ such as the oil filter will be a bit greasy.
Some CJ 750 sidecars have been modified so that
the fumes go out the back of the bike. This is
done with extended hoses. For the European markets,
countries such as Austria and Germany are very
strict about pollution and leaking oil.
Some
of the places to watch for leaking oil that will
need immediate repair is the transmission (will
send oil all over your ankle), engine back seal
( you do not want oil to get on to your clutch
plates), engine front sea (can damage alternator)
back rear drive (it will leak onto your brake
shoes and also dirty up your wheel), front wheel
(bad shock seal).
e.
Spark Plugs: Pull one of the sparkplugs and closely
inspect it. Spark plugs are a great indicator
of undiagnosed problems with the bike, from carburetor
adjustments to major ignition malfunctions (remember,
with fuel to air mixture would show up immediately
on plugs by the amount of carbon residue). If
it is too lean the engine will run hot and back
fires often, if it is too rich, the engine will
get too much carbon buildup.
f.
Cracks, Chips and Faded Paint: Chang Jiang 750
sidecars in Beijing go through some rough roads
however it is not too expensive to repaint. What
you do have to look for is if there is any damage
that is under the paint. If you have a newly painted
bike and it is cracking or chipping then the paint
job has a problem. If you are getting your bike
restored make sure the shop gives you some type
of warranty. If you have a CJ750 that has black
paint and you bought it stock, it is important
to find out if your bike has been repainted or
just clear coated. If it is just clear coated,
it will crack and chip after exposure to the sun
light and rough weather.
g.
Wiring: Local CJ 750 riders love to customize
and pimp their Chang Jiang 750 sidecars. Unfortunately
this often means irrevocable changes to such necessary
things as blinkers, sidecar buckets and brake
light or head lamps. Any nonstandard wiring that
was added with anything less than the OEM procedures
is bound to cause you problems and headaches.
Look for soldering and high-quality wiring connectors
on any non-standard electrical work. Also keep
an eye out for chaffed or abraded wiring (the
most frequent cause is replacing zip-ties after
adding new wiring to a bundle or moving or re-routing
wiring.) Pay attention to wiring around fairing
pieces and especially under the seat.
h. Faith In Odometers: This is an easy one…
don't have any. It is too easy to replace flaky
odometers, most of them do not work properly anyways.
III:
The Chang Jiang 750 Sidecar Motorcycle:
a.
The PLA Chang Jiang 750:
The
Chang Jiang 750 has been in production for almost
half a century in China, supposedly 30,000 of
them per year till the early 2000. This vehicle
was originally used by the communications bureau
and the military. In the 80’s civilian started
to use them. In military areas such Beijing, Shangdong,
Xiamen there are thousands of these sidecars and
they can be seen in many places. The PLA used
these sidecars till 2004 and they arel no longer
in commission. The jeep has replace the sidecar
as a small vehicle for mobilization troops. However
in some areas the armed police and the city management
are still riding sidecars but not the Chang Jiang
750.
There
are many rumors of how different the PLA sidecars
are from Civilian sidecars and that they are better.
All this Bullshit! In fact the major difference
is not between PLA to Civilian but 6v engine to
12 v engine sidecars. The unsubstantiated fact
if they are better or not remains a big debate
on the internet, however I have seen both and
can tell you that there is not much difference.
Many PLA sidecars are licensed for Civilian use
so that right there throws a spanner in the rumor
that there are two types of sidecars. The PLA
unloads there inventory of surplus CJ750 sidecars
every year and the parts are used on civilian
CJ750 sidecars.
Older
models of the Chang Jiang 750 have minor differences
in the sidecar frames such as grease nipples on
the neck of the frame, and also seat, however
how useful these grease nipples are to remain
a mystery and whether if one drill a hole and
installs it afterwards makes a big difference
or not or in most cases the grease will out last
the bearings. Every few years the production of
sidecars had some modifications and changes to
them so to find two exactly the same is not easy.
Even the frame jigs are different in length. Some
years the frames are smaller, some years the frames
are more tubular. Gas tanks from different years
also varies from size, to shape and how the back
is tapered.
There
is the rumor that the metal works from the 1970’s
are better, again unsubstantiated and I have seen
buckets from the 1970’s which are even thinner
than the ones made today. And for those that like
the nostalgia of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s
this was a very turbulent time in history and
lets not forget about the great leap forward,
communes, Lysanko’s economic theories, the
burning of door hinges for metal, and the start
of the cottage industy of mass production of inferior
goods, etc.
In
Military warehouse all over China, Chang Jiang
750 sidecars are being sent to the junk yards
or are being sold as surplus so there are many
sidecars available and no one has exclusive rights
to them and importantly they not hard to find.
Most of the sidecars today are from PLA storage
because the Nan Chang Air Craft Factory itself
has not had a production run since 2002.
Almost
all Chang Jiang 750 sidecars for export are from
PLA surplus because there is no residual value
where as civilian Chang Jiang 750 sidecars have
licenses that can used. There are thousands of
old PLA Chang Jiang 750 sidecars waiting for a
new home.
b. The Civilian Chang Jiang 750 Sidecar Motorcycle:
A
civilian sidecar is basically a Chang Jiang 750
sidecar that has been properly documented, registered
and licensed for road use by a civilian. Depending
on what city you are in China there are different
rules. I will speak for the city I am currently
in which is Beijing.
Statistics
from the Beijing vehicle registration bureau claims
that the maximum number of sidecars registered
was 17,000. All Chang Jiang 750 comes in 12v 24hp.
Guan Jun, and Xiang Jiang sidecars comes with
the 32 hp engine.
There
are 6v sidecars available however most riders
prefer 12v, for the sake of convenience and advantages
such as brighter headlamp, louder horn, starter,
etc. For those that want 32hp engines, that is
an after registration modification.
In
1997 the Beijing government passes a law that
requires the Chang Jiang 750 to be salvaged after
10 years. What does this law actually mean is
still in question. Currently 1996 and 1997 licensed
Chang Jiang 750 sidecars are still allowed to
be sold and registrations transferred. For newly
registered licenses one must hand in an old registration.
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