A Work In Progress by Bill Eng:

This is a must read if you are going to buy a Chang Jiang 750. If you are going to buy a CJ750 reading this will save you lots of headache! 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 without getting ripped off. I have included also goverment issued information here so that you will not be fooled. 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. From starting out as a rider, to helping a local shop do a website, and now to owning my own shops, I have many experiences to share. I have helped a few other shops with setting up their website and importantly because I am a hardcore 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 with no BULLSHIT tell you the real story to getting a CJ750. Every weekend I am out riding in the mountains doing tours around the Great Wall, riding my Chang Jiang 750 sidecar, and also I have done over three dozen rides that were more long distance rides that were over 2,000km 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 accumulated 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. Picking up your bike
i. 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
d. The CJ750 as a SOLO

INTRODUCTION:

I was introduced to the Chang Jiang 750 by Michael Wix. 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. It attracts girls cause 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 and various parts of the Great Wall, and all the friends we make going out on rides). I went out and bought my first Chang Jiang 750 for about 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 and it is definitely a Chang Jiang 750 heaven. I want to thank all the guys that has made owning a Chang Jiang 750 part of the my 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 courtyard houses, then in late November of 2004 I put up this web site and now its quite famous and has changed the Chang Jiang 750 market. It is the first 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. (actually owning the Chang Hong registered bike gave me a shocker one day when a French bike "dealer" looked at my registration and told me that my bike was fake - another funny story of the BS that goes on in BJ with bike dealers and this guy is almost out of business now, well he never had his own shop in the first place, only an internet website and he even calls himself "Mr. Chang Jiang". I have challenged him to bring a CJ750 to my shop and I will pay him 10,000USD. That challenge also got me kicked off the CJE community website and till today I am still waiting to see a fake CJ750. I cannot tolerate liars!

The CJ750.net web site 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 of these bikes. My friends and I have taken a special interest to help any dealer with an actual shop to set up a web site 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/web sites 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. There are some community web sites that do post information however the integrity of the dealers that sponsor the sites might deserve a double check. You can check the site www.cj750.org for dealer information.

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 web sites 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. Beijing plates are available - I am sure most expats in their home country would not bike a bike from an unknown source with fake plates, so don't do it in China, importantly the bike probably came from another biker unknowingly lost his.

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, some guy cliams to be the only dealer in Shanghai and charges 18,000USD, or riders getting something that is just common parts thinking they got a one of a kind special item (genuine parts, etc...), some dealer claim to be PLA exclusive, enought of the BullShit! 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 them their bike. Legally registered CJ750 sidecars with Beijing plates and plates from other provinces are available. I will list what legal plates should come with.

A couple of riders and I discussed doing this website, took a few days to come up with the website 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 web sites, 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 web site 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 has thousands of clicks and the market situation has changed drasitically especially when our friends out number the cartel and their threats have proven to be futile. Also many of the "so called Cartel" is going out of buisnsess in Beijing and we are one of the few actual shops left - you can confirm that with youtube videos. 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 and the whole vintage BS has died out. 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 web sites 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. Since then we have also changed the name to Big Bill's Bikes now and have moved locations almost every year. This is due to the rising price of real estate in Beijing. The construction just does not stop!

I may sound like a cynic to a few dealers and customes, hence my motto - NO BULLSHIT! - 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 and have strong words for dealers that cheat or lie to customers. 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 questionable sources and we have seen many cases of stolen bikes with Hebei plates buying one only goes to perpetuate criminal activities. Just the same are dealers that sell the M5 wheels with proven quality problems. They have fractures in them and I have seen over 50 of them shatter on rides. Why does dealer sell wheels that put riders at risk of life and limb and even have a community website promote this dealer that is messing with riders lives? The good ones are sold only by Jim Bryant and I. There is absolutely no reason for such stupidity! Read my FAQs, do your research, and save yourself some trouble. If you were in the USA or a western country anyone that sells you a faulty wheel knowlingly risking your life, he would probably be in jail and the saddest part of this is that there is a community website promotes that dealers. Even the earls forks, one dealer cuts and spots welds them himself with only 3 weld spots to hold a whole fork together, this danger was stopped when the bike went for a license inspection in Australia. Thus you must get your bike from someone that rides and can be trusted to make your bike reliable.

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 and there are the few that are actually riders and put bikes together. 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. Look for someone that has a shop, local customers and actually rides. Becareful of the fancy paint job or BS story.

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” in the countryside. 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, a fancy Chang Jiang 750 sitting in the Ritz Carlton may be worth four times the price to some, however I think it is just excessive price gouging. 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 web site cause we know of many people that have been in accidents with yellow fake 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 30USD a year, first time registration is about 80USD.

Some basic points:

1) All Chang Jiang 750s are real. (I am offering a 10,000USD bounty for someone to show me a fake one)
2) There are tons of PLA parts floating around the market. If someone claims they have exclusive rights - you know they are full of BS.
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 and legal plates are available.
5) The Chang Jiang 750 is high maintenance motorcycle. It needs to be treated like a vintage bike, with care and love.
6) If you want performance get a new racing bike from HD, Honda, BMW, Ducatti or Suzuki, we also have those in stock to include Agustas, Boss Hogs, Big Dogs, Triumphs, etc.
7) The CJ750 is a vintage vehicle designed from the 1930s and it needs attention, its a bike that you will need to get some grease on your hand to be comfortable with, it requires patience and constant maintenance.

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. It goes faster than it can stop. Be patient, read through my points and 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 a relatively inexpensive sidecar motorcycle. The Chang Jiang 750 sidecar 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 for riding and tours. Just imagine a weekend riding to the mountains and camping out on the GreatWall and watching the sunset and sunrise. You can do that with a CJ750. Its one of the few places in the world I have been to that offers such incredible riding so close to the city.

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. The CJ750 is a collectors motorcycle.

Importantly do note that the Chang Jiang 750 is a vintage vehicle and to many it is high maintenance vehicle and if you like to tinker with mechanics, don't mind getting your hands greasy and using some tools, you will definitely fall in love with this machine. If you do not like to tinker, work with tools, and do not know about the basics of engine mechanics DO NOT BUY this motorcycle. The Chang Jiang 750 does not have fuel injection, rear disk brakes, anti-slip, etc...

Where you buy your Chang Jiang 750 sidecar motorcycle, how you break it in, and how you keep it maintained is going to dictate how your bike performs

b. Buying for Local Use in Beijing:

Shop around and find out what is available. There are about 10shops 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. If the dealer does not refund you call the police! Most important is to find a dealer that has service and local customers. Do not buy a bike from someone that does not ride. They don't even know how the bike performs! You do not want a lemon! You should spend your weekends riding and not fixing your ride! It might sould incredible, there are shops here that do not even have a torque wrench or feeler gauge!

Legal Chang Jiang 750 sidecars start from 38,000RMB for a 2009 plate and about 25,000RMB for a 2003 in mediocre condition. Used 97 CJ750 with expired registration can cost from 3,000RMB to 40,000RMB. 2011, 2012 Chang Jiang 750 motorcycles with Beijing plates go up to 60,000RMB. For Beijing legally registered CJ750 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 patronize criminals, you would not do it in your country, please do not do it here.

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 serious than riding one without plates at all.

To get around the high price of a legally Beijing license, many shops offer out of city license. This is especially relevant for riders in Shanghai. 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, offer rides and are part of the biking community will not screw around and risk trouble by selling you an illegal sidecar. You should also get a warranty from your dealer cause the CJ750 is a high maintenance motorcycle. The local riders are smart, they will not deal with criminals, you also should not. This also applies to shops that steal my photographs or copy my website, use my text, etc. If you are in Beijing you will see a few shops using my pictures and name - Do not patronize them, they are theives, you would not support them in your home country, I recommend you not support them here either. If they do not respect and honor others, cheat and lie, do you think they will respect their customers once they have taken their money?

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 CJ750 for export. There are currently quite a few dealers (not including virtual shops) in Beijing that are selling Chang Jiang 750 for the overseas market, however only a few shops in Beijing that hands rebuilds CJ750 from PLA stock, the others sell factory sidecars that are restored in Guangdong. You can check on the Big Bill's Bikes faq details about buying a sidecar for export and also compare its price list and quality. Look for an honest shop that is part of the community 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 CJ750, of those only a few of them can do 100% ground up restorations. Only a few of them are on the internet. The others shops that are selling on the internet are selling BS and unfortunately some are highly promoted by "community websites" to the cost of misleading customers of the local situation of CJ750 sidecar restorations in Beijing.

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 surplus stock for export because it does not have a residual value of the plates which civilian Chang Jiang 750 sidecars do. There are hundreds of these old sidecars sitting in warehouses waiting for a new home. This is military surplus. The Chinese PLA in 2002 has moved on to using Jeeps and 650cc modern sidecars - the JL500. 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.

To export your bike, the export as of 2012 is most easy from Tianjin - Beijing port is very hard to export. The bikes are exported as personal article. The time to export varies depending on how the clogs of customs work. Sometimes bike are approved for export in days, other times it may take a month or so. For importation, different countries have different rules. The USA requires an ISF form to be filled and filed with Homeland Security BEFORE the bike is shipped. For Australia you need to have proof the bike is vintage - photos before the restoration are needed for the application of Import permit. Spain is one of the most expensive Europeans countries to import a bike. Customs brokage fees can be up over 1000EUROs.

Importing a bike does not mean that the bike can be registered. Many bikes have run into problems which I will list:

1: lack of documentation to prove that it is vintage
2: the date of the bike say 1980s will require that it complies to the 1980s laws, thus some countries will require the bike to have emissions and brakes tested.
3: lack of vin and or engine number- quite a few builders have sent bikes without these numbers which were polished off when sandblasting the bike. Normally we put tape over this area to protect the numbers from being blown off.

When (before)you purchase your bike, make sure you know what is required for registration and that the dealer knows what is needed to be sent with the bike. Normally all my bikes have the following: blue registration card (issued by gov't), bill of sales, invoice, bill of laden.

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 on the 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 R71 style with only a limited amount of Chrome.

The least expensive CJ750 sidecars motorcycles are the stock PLA CJ750 especially ones with 6V engines. This is basic surplus military material. 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. Most 6V engines were sold as scrap metal, however now (2012) there is a shortage of them cause not many riders used them or kept them.

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 and also in prices, some of his bikes sell for over 18,000USD at the Ritz Carlton Shanghai. (I wish I had a few customers like that). I have personally repaired a few of them and towed a few home, I will have to admit that the paint jobs are very nicely polished. The engines do not have imported bearings, which I believe is a MUST have item to ensure reliability. 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 and rust. The bondo can crack after a rough ride. Make sure you get a good paint job (many bikes look shiny cause they use lots of clearcoat however most paint shops do the process wrong and the paint will crack under the sunlight, get high quality chrome that does not rust, and importantly check out the modifications on the engine such as carburetor type, high speed rear drive gear, sectionalized wiring, etc. We have a whole list of all the meticulous details that go into a Big Bill's Bikes premium restoration so you know what you are paying for. Of all the restorations I have seen I can say that our restorations have the most details and also best value, second to Big Bill's Bikes I would have to say Jim at BMWsidecar and FHL. Actually what really sets us apart from the rest is that we are actual bikers and have spend many weekends riding all over and many local customers Chinese and Expats. Our standard bikes come with items such as tapered bearings, sealed bearings, imported bearings, high quality tires, good chrome, LED lights, etc.

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 paint job with pictures, we have seen many and would not recommend you to it unless you are here to inspect the bike before it is shipped. Make sure that the picture is airbrushed, not a film that is coated over with clear coat. If a sidecar paint job has too much clear coating, it will be smooth as glass however there is a high risk that the paint will crack once exposed to light heat and cold or it might wrinkle after a period of exposure.

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 Big Bill's Bikes 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 way the Chang Jiang 750 is put together will determine how well your bike is and it makes all the difference to have a reliable bike.

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 web site, however we are limited in time, resources and decent URLs so a friend our set up a dealer community site: www.cj750.org 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. 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. If the shop does not have local clients you should be aware.

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 especially from expats that are leaving Beijing. 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. There are a few shops famous for that, the way around that is to ask them to let you watch them repairing your bike. Ask them when they are going to take apart your engine and tell them you want to watch.

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 a bike from someone that rides and has a shop with customers.

Pertaining to illegal CJ750 sidecars. If someone has sold you one with fake plates, demand that they return your money. If not, then return the CJ750 for a full refund or call the police. Beijing "Jing A" and legal plates on CJ750 are highly available at all the local sidecar shops. Insurance is 400RMB a year, third party coverage only. When you ride such a vehicle 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 regulations of China, and be considerate of those that you ride with. If a shop is messing with you - Call the police and ask for City level police - not district. You are a foreigner and they will help you sort out any type of fraud.

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) Pre owned CJ750 sidecars with legal "Jing A" plates are available
d) Insurance cost is only 400RMB a year for 3rd party insurance with coverage of 50,000RMB
e) Many bikes with fake plates are restored from stolen bikes, you would not buy one in your own country, I ask you not to buy them in China.

Read our Buying in Beijing FAQ.

e.ii. Overseas - 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.

Some community web sites may be misleading as they are for profit and webmasters may have personal interest in promoting certain dealers. Go with a dealer that has a large amount of customer base and an actual shop. Make sure the seller can give you some references for his bikes and best if he has customers that are always coming to China because they can help with spare parts.

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. and Australia there is an anti Chang Jiang 750 squad at customs, Australia has issued two brochures and listed in them are dealers that bikes cannot be registered - please read it in the attached 1, 2).
• This is very important: Do the shop have any local business, is he a broker or restores himself?
• Is the dealer a rider?
• How long has his business been in operation?

It is vital that your bike is tested before it is sent out to you. These bikes are hand put together and the best way to check the quality is for it to be on the road. When you do get your bike - make sure you change the motoroil, only a few shops here that I know of uses good motoroil, our bikes all use either Conoco 10/40 or Castro 10/40. The price is 4 times but I know my bikes motoroil is not going to burn up. Other dealers will not spend the extra money for your motoroil. At Big Bill's Bikes we send you a spare parts box standard so that you can have everything you need. We do not want to waste time going to the post office to mail you items, we warrenty everything we sell so that you are a happy customer.

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, ask him where he got his bike, who does the maintenance work. Because we ride often and run an informal club we have seen many bikes and many problems. Over paying is normal in China, but the most terrible thing is to get a lemon cause you are stuck with something that is going to suck up your time and make you unhappy - money we can make, time and happiness is in limited supply!

Beware of dealers that do not have a shop or the switch and bait technique especially ones offering vintage hard to find genuine CJ750 sidecars. Beware of anyone claiming to be exclusive or has hard to find items.

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 (or there is a thick layer of bondo covering the bucket)
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
j. Type of wheels - wheels are expensive!

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 though everyone cliams to rebuild them, and one that has ride 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 clicking noise. When applying the brakes make sure that the bike does not drag or the front wheel have a strange wobble. It is normal for the handlebar to 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 pay 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, in 2006 I had a CJ750 that I bought at a very low price from a German expat 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 partner on the north 5th ring road) has left town (Xiao Wei). 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. Also many foreigners here take it lying down, if a guy messes with you or cheats you, call the police! They will help you out cause many of the shops operate illegally.

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 Big Bill's Bikes. We offer fixed prices and does not give referrals or kick backs to your translator or driver. Do your research. And for those that are working in the U.S. Embassy, I am an American so no need to bring your translator to help you pay more. I hope US Embassy staff see this - everyone that has bought a foreigner over to help with the purchase has asked us for a kickback - we do not give kickbacks and I don't care if you are DSP embassy staff!

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 Big Bill's Bikes, Jimbo's, 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 our 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. Remember that there is always someone offering something cheaper and most likely they will cut some corner to make it back up. At our shop we throw everything with the price so we do not waste time haggling, we want you on your bike and riding asap importantly we want you to be happy and your friends will also buy from us.

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. If its a local sales I would wonder (and be very cautious) about a seller that demanded the entire amount in cash before showing you the bike. 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.

If a dealer offers you a 1960's bike - you better check our M72 page and notice the differences.

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 to transfer the title.

I. Picking up your bike:

Now the bike has arrived and you need to pick it up, the crate is normally around 1.4 tall, 1.6 wide, 2.4 long. You can haul it home or depending on who built your bike, you can ride it home. If you plan on riding it home then bring the following item to make sure you can ride bike: Air pump, size 36 battery, tools - screw driver, wrench set, hex keys, gasoline.

I. 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 puts your Chang Jiang 750 motorcycle sidecar together is the most vital part of buying the Chang Jiang 750 sidecar detail that is going to determine if you get a POS (a lemon) or not. 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 good or bad Chang Jiang 750 is basically the quality of restoration, and the price, most of the bikes look the same from afar, you need to be close up to see the real difference especially with chrome parts. 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. I have met a Chang Jiang 750 owners that paid over 150,000RMB (23,000USD) for their ride and it broke down near my shop and he complained that I was going to charge him 100RMB to get his bike running again.

There is a misconception that with lower price you get the same quality product, unfortunately this is not so in Beijing because the source of the Chang Jiang 750 sidecars, engine, parts, accessories are almost all the same however it is the workmanship that counts. The way over 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. There are good shops, bad shops and then there are the idiots to avoid. 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 and riding. 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 to make it run properly, 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. Some dealers will use lots of bondo on their buckets to hid the fact that the buckets seams are swollen from rust. Make sure you bucket does not have too much bondo. Bondo will also crack if not applied properly.

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 to make sure that all the teeth are new.

Alloy wheels cost hundreds of 800RMB 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.

Regarding new M-5 wheels. Jim Bryant originally ordered these wheels and had a very tight QC on them. One of the more populate online dealers promoted on a Chang Jiang Community site got backdoor access to all the bad quality wheels and unloaded them onto the market. A serious warning, these are defective wheels and can cost you your life. However many customers are not aware and are buying them. Not only are they ripping you off, they are playing with your life. If you want good quality M-5 type wheels get them directly from Jim Bryant. Anyone else offering you M-5 wheels, if you buy them, you are playing Russian Roulette. Riding a motorcycle is a serious matter that can cause you your life!

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. When the CJ750 is newly restored be prepared to change plugs often.

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. A few dealers order NanChang bikes and then they get to Beijing they are given a thick layer of clear coating to make it look shiny and thus they are sold at a higher price.

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. I use an electronic bicycle speed odometer which is very accurate and has many functions such as letting me know how many calories I would be burning if I was on a bicycle.

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. That is over 1.4 million produced. 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 are 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. The army now has a 650 sidecar from JiaLing. They are similar to the TDM - V type engine, dual sport design.

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. This basically means no new registrations are issued but if you have an old registration you can transfer it to a new one that is valid for another 10 years.

Aside from the Chang Jiang factory, there are quite a few other “factories” that restore Chang Jiang 750 sidecars and register them for civilian use. These Chang Jiang 750 sidecars are registered as Hong Yang, Xuan Wu. Other manufactures also include Chang Hong.

Civilan Chang Jiang 750 sidecars are highly available, why one buys a Chang Jiang 750 sidecar without proper plates, without proper documents, is really beyond my comprehension. And in most cases those people that do buy these illegal CJ750 sidecars usually pay more than double what a legal one cost.

c. Parts:

Parts for the Chang Jiang 750 are an interesting story itself. The Chang Jiang factory was out of money so it gave all its dies and molds to their creditors. Now all parts are made from various people that have the dies and the quality varies. There is lots of rumors about old parts being better, etc.

From the amount of parts I have seen, there is bad and good parts, you just have to look closely and in many of the parts such as crank shaft, it may look fine however you will never know till you put it in and run the engine. One cannot really tell the metallurgy from just looking at the part.

d. The Chang Jiang 750 as a Solo:

The Chang Jiang 750 is very old technology. The bike as a solo requires that the rider is experienced in riding a vintage type motorcycle. The front of the bike is very heavy, the frame flexes and is not very stable around hard turns. Do not try leaning this bike too much or it will slide out from under you. The front brakes are not very effective. Having said that, the Chang Jiang 750 as a solo is a very fun ride and play around with especially for those that are vintage bike collectors. It wont stop on a dime and you wont be able to pull a wheely, however it will offer you many years of fun if you take care of it. On my solos, I install high speed rear drive, use racing tires, M5 hubs, and a grenade box on top of the pillion rack for tools and as a seat.

Conclusion:

Well that is my story and quite alot of words to digest. Now you can proceed with getting a CJ750, and hopefully all this text will have put us higher on the google search. Feel free to drop me a line at: cj750net@gmail.com