Would love to know as well. Imagine its because people swerve too much without looking and thus too dangerous or that it would annoy the folks in the bigs cars to see ´anyone´ pass them while they´re stuck in traffic..

Guangzhou doesn't allow motorcycles in the city either. I don't think it matters what plate you have, they're pretty much banned.

Scusi? No comprendo.

I have seen many f..king 2-wheelers (manual, electric, gas, petrol) ride on the sidewalk and/or on the wrong side of the road. I am slowly getting used to it, but at times I really want to smack them with my umbrella or kick out at them when they're on the sidewalk.

I am an avid motorcyclist, but I can surely see plenty of good reasons for banning them. Many of them have small, high revving motors that release large plumes of exhaust. They weave in and out of every nook and cranny in the traffic, so that both pedestrians and cars can never really know when it is safe to cross or execute a turn. And I don't think they are particularly environmentally friendly compared with a car, and each person operating one motor is not very efficient. Cities that have banned them are certainly more quiet and relaxing, and anyone who has ever spent any time in Thailand or Vietnam knows that they are a big source of fatalities and and headaches.

Aside from the current traffic restrictions due to the Olympic Games, there are several reasons why motorcycles are not allowed in Beijing proper, and several reasons why you see them anyway.
Some motorcycles are allowed in Beijing, namely those with Jing "A" plates. Jing "B" plates are legal in certain places outside of the city center.
However, almost all of the Jing "A" plated motorcycles are really just motorbikes, and all, to the best of my knowledge, are under 250cc, with most being 125cc motorbikes. Pretty well ditto for the Jing "B" bikes.
You don't see a whole lot of these bikes for the simple reason that, aside from getting hassled by the police for licenses and registration, many of which are fake, the cost of getting one of these plates is pretty steep. Most Chinese and damn near all foreigners don't bother.
Then, you have the dangers of driving a motorbike in the city. I'm not sure if the gov't restrictions are an effort to spare the funeral companies from being overwhelmed or not - likely it's just a case of the gov't not wanting to look bad when it comes to releasing traffic death stats.
However, you do see a good number (not like Shanghai, for instance) of motorbikes on the streets. They tend to avoid known police check spots, but you do see them in many of Beijing's streets. They come in two types; grotty looking motorcycles with drivers matching their motorcycles' appearance, and scooters that are preferred by both male and female drivers, along with many expats. A few of these scooters are legal, a few of these drivers are legal, but many of both categories are not. Oh well!
Then you do see a few larger motorcycles on the Beijing streets. Anything over 250 cc's is not allowed inside the 3rd Ring Road (nothing other than Jing A is allowed inside the 4th Ring Road right now), so anyone with a larger motorcycle is taking their chances. Still, you do see a few of these in the city on occasion. I have an 1100cc V-twin that I routinely drive inside the 3rd Ring to work in the CBD district every day, and I've only been hassled once. That was at the intersection at the Silk Market, and the cop was only interested in seeing my driver's license (I have one). Once I produced that, I was free to go, even though I have no registration or insurance papers and fake Hubei plates. Not a word about those. Still, I do tend to try and sneak past the cops, even if driving an 1100cc V-twin with straight pipes tends to make sneaking past anyone hard.
As someone who has been driving a motorcycle on Beijing streets and in the 'burbs for several years now, I must confess that the dangers are considerable, and you've really got to be paying attention to what's going on around you, especially where there are a lot of pedestrians and cyclists, and while doing 140 kph on the expressways. So far, I haven't had an accident or an 'off', but it's not that Chinese drivers haven't tried to off me. You can't take anything for granted here, especially green traffic lights, common sense, driving in proper lanes, manhole covers or those ambling along on foot or bicycle going only where they should, when they should.
I was going to take the straight pipes that came with the motorcycle off when I first got it, but quickly realized that the noise was beneficial; it made both drivers and peds aware that I was coming. A whole lot better than a horn!
An actuary friend of mine in the insurance industry here asked me once if I wanted to know how many times my chances of dying on the roads here in Beijing were increased each time I got on my motorcycle. Nope, didn't want to know! Ignorance is bliss sometimes. I do, though, understand why my friends think I'm crazy to drive a big motorcycle here in China.
By the way, I've been told (by unreliable sources, but aren't all Chinese sources unreliable?) that it is illegal to drive a motorcycle on expressways. However, I do, every day, and when I go through many toll gates, they even have a special rate for motorcycles, even if they aren't allowed. How's that for a good example of the way things are here. Not that I'm complaining.

This morning I decided to try and resolve what's up with motorcycling in Beijing finally, and stumbled across this thread. The reasoning for banning bikes is interesting, and I've heard one primary other reason for banning motorcycles: illegal taxi-ing.

The locals I talked to in Xi'an and from other cities claimed that too many people were "offering" rides into the city through horrible traffic and making good money at it, at a high risk to safety and some damage to business for regular taxis.

As a long time (BMW) motorcycle rider, I like the idea of getting one here, despite the ridiculous prices, and still being able to live inside the third ring road. Even with the expensive A plate however, this is impossible? Weak!

I used to work with a guy who was trying to get me to buy one of those chop-shop bikes from Japan - like a third or a quarter the price of a legit bike, but then avoiding cops becomes a necessity, not just a suggestion.

I saw a BMW R1200GS in Sanlitun yesterday, but there were no plates on it ... Still, nice bike!

Once we upgrade the "Stealth" technology you won't be able to see us either! Ouaha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

thought about building a chopper once. just to mess around on.
make some noise.

I was in the mood to just buy a used bike for my elder brother. As I want to take the motorcycle back home to london after my work has been complet, I got the need of some bike paper's but the dealer has not provided me any papers. anyway thanks for sharing this,
regards,
Golf Carts

Screw the nonsense, If you want a bike they are here. If you are a real biker you do not talk about the death toll? Motorcycling is not a hobby for the faint of heart. And an Electric bike is not a motorcycle, it's a disease.

I can build you almost any bike you like as long as it's worth building.

marq18@myself.com

I check my emails every few weeks.