Deus exmachina

"The great thing about being on a motorcycle is that you can really lap up nature along the way," she says.

On that trip, she rode with 12 friends across the vast prairies of Hulun Buir and Genhe Wetland in Inner Mongolia.

"The close feel of cypresses on both sides of the road, big white clouds in the blue sky and their reflections in rivers, as well as different cultures and customs along the way still linger in my mind."

You cannot pigeonhole motorcycle riders, because they come from all walks of life, says Wang Hongwei, CEO of jiche.com, a Beijing-based website devoted to motorcycles.

"Be they white-collar workers or college students, their riding is born of a free and adventurous spirit."

They can come from anywhere in the country, too, but of course many come from big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen Chongqing, Chengdu and Xi'an.

More than 11.1 million motorcycles were sold in China in the first seven months of this year, the most popular brands including Haojue and Wuyang-Honda. The top 10 brands accounted for about 55 percent of those sales.

"On a motorcycle you really have the sense being on the road," Wang says, adding that the most important thing for many riders is being in contact with nature rather than enjoying comfort, and the satisfaction is heightened by a sense of being in control.