Motorcycles in China: how the myth of the two-wheelers is perceived in the Middle Kingdom

Abstract

Passion sometimes is not just something coming from the inside, it forms what our beliefs, creeds and aspirations are. Sometimes passion is a mixture of our inclinations but also includes factors that are determined by the environment that surrounds us: historical events, cultural traditions, social behaviours political and economic events. In this dissertation I will examine how passion and the concept of the motorcycles is perceived in China and how the two-wheelers entered the country. The essay will begin with a historical analysis of the Chinese motorcycle industry development and market growth stressing which were and still are the limits of such expansion. The attention will shift on the Chinese motorcycle sport industry examining the historical development of such expensive sport and understanding how much it is felt by the Chinese audience. The paper will continue with the contemporary perception of the motorbikes as a leisure vehicles or vehicles that let bikers declare freedom, joy and self-expression by analysing interviews that involved bikers living in China and members of some of the most famous independent Motorcycle Clubs.