Good Old Clay "CJ" Jones in Beijing
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Red CJ out in the snow.  
March 8, 2010
Below: "I contribute to a Chinese motorcycle site that features posts by and about the V2 Motorcycle Club and recently I was contacted by a girl, via the website, who is part of a club called the Queen Bees. She had posted some pics of her CJ and I thought your CJ Unlimited participants might get a kick out of seeing some of the photos. Apparently, these girls hold exhibitions on Harleys but also own CJs and are interested in sport bikes as well as scuba diving. If I get a chance, I will attend one of their shows and report back with any photos of Chang related events."  
 
March 8, 2010
Below: When it comes to style, this solo is my kind of bike - stock and conservative. (And it's a flattie.)    
   
June 15, 2009  
"Saturday, I am out walking the dog and got a call from Jimbo about a party... complete with booths and displays. Oh boy! I headed off and upon arriving realized the sun ruled the day and the heat was so intense that most of the Chinese left packed up folding fans, t-shirts, face shiields and full helmets."
"Still there were bikes to look at and I met with a new Changster, Donnie Gonsalves, who is sporting a heavily chromed 24 flattie. Now back to adjustin' that clutch..."
June 14, 2009  
"Went to Mr. Cai's today, still the best as far as cost and work performed, at his new shop located near the ghost of Motorcycle Street. Now many of you know I have been friends with Cai for some time, and he just doesn't quit. Prices that are reasonable and a location on the edge of the city where a dirty bike can get the attention of several red suited ladies "workin' at da car wash". After a day at the shop, life in Chang-China has almost returned to the pre-Olympics stupor of hot days and warm nights at a BBQ cafe with plastic chairs. (Oh, I can just taste the chicken feets now.) One sits next to Cai's place so I know where I will have dinner tonight."  
 
 
June 8, 2009  
"Not sure what Clan of 750s this mill hails from, but this sled and its appearance at a Smoke Out BBQ in Tennessee left some speechless."
May 26, 2009  
"I thought something didn't feel right; the amount of vibration coming off the back wheel was just too much and the sound didn't come out like machine language, but instead, a low grind house. I even asked and was told that it was just a new part, or it had been low on oil, but I didn't buy it. So, after going by Mr. Cai's, who test rode my bike, and finding agreement as to the final drive - broke - the rear was pulled off and the offending gear was replaced. Even Jack wanted too see what was wrong. Lesson to be learned: Always listen to yourself, after all—you know your bike better than anyone."  
 
April 27, 2009  
"Lost in a supermarket, no longer shop happily, came in here for that special offer... a guaranteed CJ personality. Snack food and motorcycles seem to be the perfect cross- market platform... except I am still figuring out how to eat chips at 60km/h."
"Also, a little known fact is Doritos doesn't include a Chang in every package like a toy surprise in Cracker Jacks. While no amount of Green Stamps saved will ever get you this Chang, it is comforting that Frito-Lay reconizes the sales advantage of appealing to the sidehack market."
April 27, 2009  
"Black is the New Chrome. Just like the best tea in China is coffee, the best chrome in China is black paint."
"Check out the mirrors. Although I rarely use them, who wants to see where they have been? Actually there are good chromers in China."
"I just remember the words of Henry Ford: "You can have any color you want... as long as it is black."
April 5, 2009  
"Went today to have a beer and some bike talk with Tony of Western Quality Sidecars. Tony is kind of a homs, even though he was born in Taiwan. He used to run a restaurant near Montgomery, AL and several on the Redneck Riviera (the coastline bordering Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.)"
"Tony has been selling quad-bikes for sometime but decided to get in the CJ fray around three months ago. He has a talent for finding old parts and had a sleeved frame in his workshop today which I lusted after."
"Tony speaks English due to his time in the US and has among his associates the Black Bats MC of Shanghai. He has no web site but his shop is located on Jingshun Lu. His number is 010-84590633."
August 5, 2008  
A blast from the past—2004, to be exact, and the world's largest gathering of sidecars. Clay sez: "A friend of mine spotted this pic and asked if one of the guys was me. Indeed it was! On the right side is my (as well as G's) image from the rally."
July 29, 2008  
"Introducing the Cul-de-sac Cowgirl Chang."
"I came upon this "lil pink Chang" on my way home yesterday."
"For those who want to import Changs into the West, market it as a ladies' bike with the motto: When you think Pink, you think Chang Jiang."
June 28, 2008  
"Had this friend over yesterday and he allowed me to take pics of his iron if and only if I didn't include the tag as they are a touchy items during the Olympics."
"Long Horn's owner is a friend of Li Yang (the other guys who graces the pages of CJU with the McCool Chang)."
"This Chinese Chang is the current looker among the Chinese with its "extended" bars and "towards the sky" running light."
"A cow catcher of sorts is included on the sidecar and of course, the radiator in the front of the engine instead of on the side. Giddyup!"
February 23, 2008  
"As with anyone who has a Chinese girl or wife, some of your Spring Festival will be spent in a search for the elusive perfect purse or not so sensible but highly attractive shoes. While cruising the Mall Meccas, I spotted two photo CJ opportunities and decided to try and capture the CJ moment."
"One scene, at a mall in a sport shop offering camping gear on display, was the ultimate camping gear... the CJ 6V. (Notice I didnt mention the 12V.) The other one is of a guard, who stands vigilant, over new construction that is destroying and sucking the life out of the old structures housing books stores and quaint spots for get together. When I first came to Beijing, Gerald and I used to eat at a bookstore that had become an institution with the laowai looking for a little "back on the block" companionship and a book to read... .English book, that is... The guard now stands near the spot where I use to sit and have a cup o' "Joe" and read a borrowed book."
February 13, 2008  
"Ran into a guy today from weifengtang.com who is opening a Harley shop near the raceway outside Beijing. He also operates a BBS and soon to be online home page."
"Here are a few of the Changs that are for sale and an Army warehouse find that was posted on the discussion board under sidecars." (Click here to see that.)
January 8, 2008  
"Moving day on Bike Street is done with a different style. This delivery Chang is moving parts to a new location along Jing Shun Road, the new Mecca for the Chang buyer in Beijing."
"This is a flatbed Chang built specially to ferry parts around Beijing and is pictured carrying a sidecar with an engine destined for a new CJ, which explains the wrapping surrounding the parts touching the sidecar's flatbed. One of the men in the picture told me he had built this bike and these were for sale."
December 11, 2007  
"I went down to Bike Street to see the damage... an era gone by. The first shot is Sidecar Leo's, just the oil pit left. The second shows a lone worker who still can toil away as workers salvage bricks around in the rubble that was his competition. The third is a letter left by CJ Motor telling their customers where they will land, near 798's south door. Number four is a picture of CJ Motors closed doors and boarded windows, and the fifth one shows Big Bill's shop standing like a lone survivor in the sea of brick and dirt. This was Bike Street. It is now looking like Jing Shun Road will become the new Chang mecca in Beijing."  
 
November 30, 2007  
Post Card From Beijing:
"An endearing scene of a young girl waiting for her guy while sitting in the sidecar of a CJ and using an umbrella to shield her skin form the sun. Chinese girls like white skin for the most part and spend a great deal of money on whiteners to insure the pale complexion."
"Sidecar culture in Beijing is often focused on the expat population while ignoring the rank and file of the "Kua Zi" nation, the young and older Chinese who love this motorcycle and live a lifestyle defined by their Chang involvement, or should I say Chang environment."
September 11, 2007  
"Check out the new CJ Solo, 6V with original ole skool rear drive, mags and of course the dreaded non CJ exhaust pipes. This machine is sick and the sound of the engine makes the Red Chinese believe in God, that is if God were a flathead... with straight pipes. Anyway sounds like unwashed thunder coming down the street. Not sure if I will keep this bike or if I want to pass it on to someone who can appreciate a vintage 6V. I still have two Type I engines waiting for a chance to explore the Middle Kingdom."
August 31, 2007  
"Just another day in China..."
August 18, 2007  
"Came across some well made vintage points dated 1969 and 1970."
August 17, 2007  
"Introducing the CJ Garbage Wagon. I was walking around Jilian on a parts search and came across this running utility vehicle."  
 
 
August 11, 2007  
"No way!"
August 2, 2007  
"While walking to the US embassy to get one of those new high tech passports (overseas we're lucky as it only takes around five days to acquire one), I saw what appears to be one of Jim's creations with a nicely molded sidecar frame and a custom fender."
"The bike is flawlessly chromed... but the passport comes with a warning that it contains electronics and my feelings give way to paranoia as to tracking devices in my papers."
"The handing over of the passport comes with a stern warning not to bend, spindle or mutilate."
"Yeah, like I ever had a passport that didn't get roughed up a bit while traveling in my back pocket."
August 1, 2007  
"Here is the lastest in toys for the CJ boys, but they are not cheap. They will set you back around a hundred bucks to own this fine reproduction crafted in metal and hand painted to your specs."
July 15, 2007  
"Shot through the bakery store window you can see a gong an who stands guard (in the daytime) to insure the bootleg DVD stores don't open their doors in daylight, but every afternoon as he is pulling away for the shopping area, the canvas that covers the windows comes down and the foreigners pour in to buy their favorite newly released titles."
"They're often on the shelves even before playing in US movie houses. One of the great joys of living in China is cheap Western entertainment even though we, as Westerners, have a bone to pick with Chinese who rip off copyrights. Often the foreign dollar is what supports loads of stores that cater to the Western entertaiment interest."
July 15, 2007  
"Devin and QiQi wedding party. You may remember QiQi as one of the girls who use to ride with Jia Yin and me in Dalian. Devin has been featured on CJU."
July 15, 2007  
"I went to the James Harley party where I met Jimbo and Jimmy Purvis as well as others." [Yeah, and on the way there Clay had a confrontation with a puke from the Egyptian embassy that started to escalate nicely once Gerald, Jia Yin and a bunch of bystanders got involved. Too bad this is just a bike site! I just wish I could have been there—Danno]
July 11, 2007  
"The Old Grey Mare... she ain't what she used to be! While out looking for a new warehouse today I came across these warhorses that had seen a better day. Decaying beauty and rusted history make for a breathtaking landscape."
June 23, 2007  
"Here is a pic of Jia Yin near Endora, an eatery popular with expats (well, some expats as I find paying almost $3 a Coke a little extravagant) but apparently they do have some patterns with money and taste as evidenced by the Chang parked outside."
June 11, 2007  
"Went to What Bar last night and a few expats showed up—Thomas, a newly arrived ole China hand came down and introduced himself around as well as Liang with his liquid cooled CJ was also in attendance. There was also a newly crafted CJ with parts from the plastic Chang grafted in place offering shocks on the back and the sidecar for that smoother more gentle ride. Devin's band sounded great and What Bar has a future of being a haven for side hack jockies tired of the brightly lite discos playing bad Chinese acid house music. Come by next time we throw a party and enjoy the CJ festivities! Anyway, below is the bike with the grafted plastic CJ parts. Notice the shock on the the sidecar tub. Disk brakes and a Donghai headlight complete the custom."
June 10, 2007  
"After doing a little work and replacing a divot donut with a Chang Jiang marked donut I spent some time with the Snow Wolf MC and talked turkey with Bing Zi (a member of the Snow Wolfs) who wanted to trade a Donghai headlight for his custom CJ. He has a shop located on Jiang Tai Road which mainly caters to young Chinese riders who are into the road clubs.

Notice some of the rad customs (which I would never agree with) but nevertheless take a great deal of creativity to even imagine some of the custom work that transpires after nightfall, when the torches come out and alien parts are crafted.

There was a great deal of disk brake action and reservoirs in the most unusable places. (Did I say unusable? I mean unusual.)

Anyway, some of the add-ons were pretty wild as were the riders and with all the extra metal hanging in the wind, it looks like these rides could be tracked by spy satellites."

May 13, 2007  
A few shots from a recent ride.
May 5, 2007  
Here's a flattie Clay spotted on the street while out buying goggles the other day.
May 5, 2007  
Here's a flattie Clay spotted in Beijing.
It has cast wheels in at least two different styles. It's hard to tell, but I'll guess it's a 12V M1M.
April 29, 2007  
Below: "On my way home from the doctor I spied another unusual Chang. Check out the air filters. Looks like OCC has made an impression of some Chinese bike builders!"
April 23, 2007  
"The Chang outside this shop looked odd with the mechanism in the center so I went in to ask a few questions. They told me that this was a bar to tow a trailer. Well you don't say! It sure looks like an add on to me. Well anyway, it looks like we havea new playa on the Chang field."
February 21, 2007  
"After seeing the toys that you placed on CJU I decided to send you a pic that was sent to me by a friend." [Is it an OHV or a flattie?]
February 17, 2007  
A friend of Clay's sent him this download from a Chinese message board which Clay then forwarded to CJ Unlimited. It's an OHV CJ with a valanced rear fender inspired by the Indian.
February 13, 2007  
This picture is from the same source as the one above. What makes this bike appealing (to me, anyway) is the color distribution. Note the black rims, spokes and front brake hub.
February 13, 2007  
"While at the tool market I ran into a fella with a sweet Type I sidecar frame. The only problem with this bike was the insertion of the OHV engine and the BMW tank emblems offset by knee pads."
February 8, 2007  
"This is Red Star's offering for the sidecar cover collection, decked out in military green with a red star outlined in yellow. (It was night when I met with him at a coffee shop ) Notice the sidecar cowl cover and the addtitional cover for the spare."
"The tire cover tightens by a cord, much the way pup tents did when I was a kid. The nose cover is held on the top by eyelets that join the others already in place."
"Anyone interested can contact me at hclayjones@yahoo.com and I can be your under cover liaison."
February 8, 2007  
"Staying warm in the hutongs requires a little help from a heater that burns a coal cylinder. This old guy has had this bike for some time and still rides."
"He lives in these hutongs and brings his bike in at night."
January 23, 2007  
"Secondary alternator to provide power to a big sound system. "
Well, if it works, why not?
January 23, 2007  
"Peng Yuan's bike which just received a 800RMB paint job, good work for the money, as a matter of fact as good as many a new bike's coat in this time of all the glitter of hokey paint jobs. It is refreshing to see that some folks are still grounded in good simple color on metal. (Okay, white is not traditional but...)"
January 23, 2007  
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