Can Large-Displacement Motorcycles Be Licensed?
2 Answers
Yes, they can be licensed. The licensing procedure for motorcycles is as follows: After entering the licensing office, park the vehicle in the designated area in an orderly manner. Obtain the "Application Form for Motorcycle, Light Motorcycle, and Fuel-Powered Vehicle Permit" (hereinafter referred to as the Application Form), fill it out as required, and then proceed to the review window along with the licensing documents to wait for review in sequence. Upon passing the review, take the Application Form and relevant licensing documents to the vehicle inspection window to wait for vehicle inspection in sequence. After the vehicle passes inspection, take the Application Form and relevant licensing documents to the recheck window to wait for recheck in sequence. Upon passing the recheck, obtain the "Installation Notice for Motorcycle, Light Motorcycle, and Fuel-Powered Vehicle Permit" (hereinafter referred to as the Installation Notice). Take the Installation Notice and push the vehicle to the permit installation area, waiting for the call to install the permit. Large-displacement motorcycles require either an E-class or D-class driver's license. In China, there are three types of motorcycle driver's licenses: F, E, and D. The F-class license only allows the operation of light motorcycles with an engine displacement below 50CC. The E-class license permits the operation of any two-wheeled motorcycle, regardless of displacement. The D-class license allows the operation of all two-wheeled and three-wheeled motorcycles. Therefore, as long as you have an E-class license, you can operate all two-wheeled motorcycles, and there is no separate license specifically for large-displacement motorcycles. When riding a large-displacement motorcycle, it is important to note that when the motorcycle is still in a cold state, especially in winter, starting the engine and immediately riding at high speeds can lead to crankshaft wear and connecting rod bending within a year.
I've been riding motorcycles for years, and many of my friends own high-displacement bikes. Licensing mainly depends on local policies—there's no national upper limit on displacement as long as the bike has a certificate of conformity, invoice, and meets China IV emission standards, the DMV will register it. However, big cities like Beijing and Shanghai have stricter controls; some districts don’t allow motorcycle licensing at all, let alone high-displacement models. Recently, I wanted to upgrade to a liter-class bike and specifically asked the DMV—they said high displacement alone isn’t enough; the specific model must be on the approved list. So, I’d suggest checking local regulations before buying, since spending over 100,000 yuan on a bike that can’t be licensed would be a huge waste.
