tashkent, motorcylces forbidden
 

I´m just arriving Tashkent, Uzbekistan Capital, and herds of policemen stopped me. No motorcycles in the city, they said. I thought it was just a trick to bribe me as usual. But it is not. Is real. Read it!

EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Uzbek Authorities Take Action to Improve Security in Capital


Central Asia could be so surrealist!

Not only in Uzbekistan. Almost all chinese big cities has banned motorbikes...

Wow...since the article was written in 2005 and I was there in May 2007...riding throughout Tashkent, I'm curious why all of a sudden they're applying the rules.

Can you provide more detail?
I know there are other moto travellers passing through the area...and it would help if they posted their experience about Tashkent.

I´m still in Tashkent getting visas to get away from Central Asia. Normal people are really nice in these countries, but policemen and civil servants are usually shit, corrupt and unfriendly. I rode the city and It seems that the real bann is only on the main roads where the President usually goes. President Ave for instance. But actually, in other parts bann depends of policemen. If they feel like to stop you just because boring or wanting money, they will tell you motorcycles are forbidden. It makes riding Tashkent estressful. Craving for going Samarkand and leave the city, really nice anyway.

2012 update
 

In case it's helpful to others, my wife and I have been riding around Tashkent two up on an F800GS for the past couple days, big roads and small, during the day, passing several policemen and haven't been stopped. Not sure if we're lucky.

since the last post on this thread is 2009 , hopefully they lifted the ban for motorcyclists

Sorry to say we were in Tashkent last year and motorcycles were still banned, but, like another poster mentioned, only on the main boulevards so you should be able to get around these.

Same was true in other big cities in the the region, like Bishkek and Almaty. We ignored the signs once or twice with the police watching, but weren't stoped... Tried to avoid this tho.

Can anyone recommend a mechanic in Tashkent,Dushanbe and Almaty with current names and contact information to be helpful to bikers without borders.
Best Wishes