Dubai - The joy of riding big Japanese and American motorbikes was just one of the pleasures taken away from Iranians after the country's Islamic revolution.
But three decades on, to the delight of enthusiasts, there are signs of restrictions being eased. This month a dozen bikers on pre-revolutionary and newer models were allowed a strictly regulated ride in Tehran - but it was still a far cry from the open highways of “Easy Rider”.
Special permission is needed to ride just one weekend per month and the cruise is limited to specific streets during daylight hours. Women are still prohibited from ridng motorcycles.
It fits in, however, with other developments as Iran opens up to the West again under reform-minded President Hassan Rouhani.
The ban outlawing motorcycles with engines bigger than 250cc was introduced in the early years of the revolution to curb drive-by killings of Iranian officials by the opposition.
It was also part of an effort to eradicate vestiges of an un-Islamic Western lifestyle that had prevailed under the monarchy overthrown in 1979. Women were barred from riding motorcycles as it was seen as incompatible with Shi'ite Islamic values.
Big, powerful bikes were used exclusively by the Basij, the government's plain-clothes security force, which often paraded on them around Tehran in a show of force.
Under the reprieve, authorities select members of the Tehran Motorcycling and Car Racing Association to licence for street riding after running them through security checks. Police and Interior Ministry agents monitor the riders while they are on the road.
Association manager Mehrdad Hemmatian said: “We are hopeful that the restrictions on full-sized motorcycles will be revised and lifted - they are outdated.”
The government-linked association is also lobbying to bring down import tariffs on sports bikes from 100 percent to six percent.
SATISFYING THEIR PASSION
People involved with the government are mostly behind the demand for motorcycles as it is easier for them to obtain special permission and they are better able to afford the expensive American-made Harley-Davidsons.
Riders who are not from the elite tend to choose cheaper Japanese sports bikes for use on race tracks.
While the motoring association tries to have the ban lifted, Iranian bikers have found other ways to satisfy their passion.
Symbolising their love for Harleys, local bikemaker Tondar Shahab makes replicas with street-legal 250cc engines, as opposed to the 750, 883, 1690 and 1800cc engines of the real thing
Some ship in Harley parts from Dubai before assembling them in Iran - sometimes just to display the bike in a prominent place in their homes.
Dubai is a main source for international brands such as Apple that are barred from trading in Iran; these are often loaded onto small ships or dhows, which sail across the narrow Arabian Gulf to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and eventually make their way to Tehran.
Dubai is also where some Iranians spend their holidays and indulge in their love of riding American bikes; there are scores of Iranian Harley owners in the city.
Shabab, an Iranian enthusiast who lives in Dubai, often rides with his friend Shahbol on their Harley Ultras from the city to the desert resort of Bab Al Shams, a popular sheesha and drinks stop for riders.
At the end of the day, when you have a passion you will find a way to ride whether it is in Dubai, in Europe or the United States,” Shabab said. “And someday also in Iran.”