Motorcycle industry asks to switch gears

Harley-Davidson has lobbied the Chinese government to ease restrictions on motorcycles, but the number of cities in the country with bans continues to grow. Around 200 cities, including Beijing, have restrictions on motorcycles. That number gets larger every year, Li Bin, secretary-general of the society's motorcycle branch, wrote in an article published in China Industry News. These rules hinder "the healthy development of the motorcycle industry and also deprive customers of their the lawful rights and interests", according to the motorcycle branch of the Society of Automotive Engineers of China.

The society wrote a development plan for motorcycles in 2006. "We suggest related government bodies cancel the ban or restriction of motorcycles in accordance with State laws and regulations," it said. Getting a license plate for a motorcycle can also be difficult, especially for people living in large cities, says a sales manager for Harley-Davidson in Tianjin who asked to be identified only by his surname, Li. Li says that people who live in cities often register their motorcycles under the name of a relative who lives in a rural area, where it's easier to get a license plate. The cost of a license plate can run into the tens of thousands of yuan.