"Makes the Royal Enfield look like crap." That's the pitch in an ad for a 1968 Chang Jiang motorcycle in Whittier, Calif.The seller is just having fun with a bit of attitude. That's obvious, since he also refers to how well the Chinese motorcycle rides with his own "fat ass" on it. (Just for reference, he says his own specifications are 6-feet tall, 240 pounds).
His Chang Jiang is interesting, since it appears to be a solo motorcycle; like the Ural and Dnepr, Chang Jiangs are usually seen hooked to a sidecar. Because not everyone is familiar with it, the seller provides a link to a great Chang Jiang web site.
It explains that while the Chang Jiang, Ural, Dnepr and others all descended in some ways from a BMW boxer twin of the 1930s, their histories and thus their parts and workmanship are distinctive. As far as workmanship goes, the Chang Jiang would tend to be far from the BMW original.Brand new Urals are actively sold in the United States, often alongside Royal Enfields, and have a network of dealers. A vintage Chang Jiang is something else again.
These were built for military service with the People's Liberation Army. This means they are basic, rugged, slow and like lots of maintenance. Draftees are the cheapest labor there is. One feature the military especially liked was the shaft drive.
Although the BMW heritage sounds attractive, it's important to realize that it is long in the past. The BMW original was replaced with a new design for the German Army by 1941!
According to the web site, a 1968 Chang Jiang M1 would be a side valve model, with 22 horsepower and a 6-volt electrical system. The seller says his has less than 500 miles on it and runs perfectly. The asking price is $4,000. He says it has a California title and plate "so all you have to do is take it to the DMV."
Is his motorcycle really a 1968, or just registered that way? It looks too nice to be that old. If it's not, it may have more modern features, but it is still a long trip back in motorcycle design. If you want to dial back your personal time machine, his phone number is 702-578-1945.
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