Cycle World
October, 1999

Learning to moto in Chinese

China's national motocross championship is proof that motorcycle racing - and umbrella girls - is an international language.

Learning to moto in Chinese What would Chairman Mao think? Is there a word for "roost" in Chinese? If there isn't, there will be soon. And Mao? Who cares? The dude's croaked, and Fleshgear never made a Mao jacket and riding pants anyway. But the Chinese are learning to moto-talk about human-rights progress!

American John Light, 29, a road-race team manager in the Championship Cup Series' Mid-Atlantic Region, recently visited the world's most populous country to participate in a round of the Chinese National Championship.

Light got his first taste of Chinese MX a year and a half ago, when he visited an exchange student his family had hosted previously. "I went to a couple of tracks in Shanghai and Hang Zhou, and they were pretty primitive," he says. "There were no double-jumps or whoop sections, and I figured that I could handle it without too much trouble."

During that visit, Light met the Shanghai team mechanic (who wanted him to send parts from the U.S.) and kept in touch via e-mail. He finally arranged a rental ride with Lang De Long, senior coach and director of the Shanghai Motorcycle Training Center, part of the city's Automobile and Motor The American competed in the communist country s fast improving national series Sports Association. A rental fee of 2500 yuan ($300 including fuel and insurance) bought Light the use of a 1999 Yamaha YZ 125 for a few days of practice and a couple of 30-minute motos in round one of the four-round series. He was initially offered an older YZ250, but quickly learned that only Chinese riders are allowed to ride 250s.

John Light goes airborne in China. The American competed in the communist country's fast inproving national series.

Upon his return to China this past May, Light found that the sport had advanced considerably. "When I arrived at the track in Shen Zhen (near Hong Kong), I discovered that they had come along way," he says. "There were a dozen double-jumps with short approaches and two whoop sections."

Light finished ninth in the race, earning about $100 (the winner received $600 while the championship is worth $6000) after competing against racers he says would be A or B level amateurs at his local track. And he was surprised to find how serious the Chinese had become since his initial visit. "If you're a motocrosser in China, that's what you do," he says. "They don't have other jobs. It's not like you're a high school student and an MX racer. They're much more serious about it."

Aside from having track food that was even worse than what you'd find Stateside, Chinese MX isn't that different, says Light. Overall, he says he was warmly received, particularly at the post-race awards banquet, where the competitors attempted to drink each other under the table. Boasts Light, "I won that race!"

-Mark Hoyer