Long before Taiwan joined the WTO, owners of bikes larger than 125cc were gearing up for the day when they could legally cruise the nation's highways and byways on their mighty two-wheeled chariots of fire. For hog enthusiasts, news that the government would lift the ban on big bikes was greeted with fanfare.
"I'm really happy about WTO entry ... Big bikes are going to be in big demand starting next year and it won't be a passing fad ...," said Peterson Hsueh (
Since the opening up of the nation's roads to hogs, however, bikers like Hsueh have found little to cheer about. Prior to the legalization of big bikes the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) estimated that sales would reach somewhere in the region of 10,000 to 12,000 units per year.
Both the MOTC and the National Police Agency said such a huge influx of hogs on Taiwan's roads would lead to increased traffic congestion, more traffic accidents and a jump in the number of roadside fatalities.
Needless to say, this did not come true. There have been a few accidents, but thankfully nobody has died and big bikes have certainly not become the on-road irritatants they were once thought they may become.
There are currently only 10,000 registered bikes with engine capacities of 250cc or more plying the nation's roads. According to Mark Tsai (
"We sell an average of between 120 and 180 units per year," he said. "Riders still can't walk in off the street, buy a bike and drive it away. Bikes are expensive, there are additional levies and costs and various emissions and engine tests need to be carried out before any new bike can take to the road."
As a result of a heavily publicized demonstration by hog owners a year ago the annual road tax was cut from NT$24,000 to NT$7,000. Buying a big bike and keeping it on the road in Taiwan remains a pleasure that only the rich can enjoy. Import duties stand at between 30 percent and 75 percent, depending on engine capacity. The cost of registering and securing a license plate for a new import bike costs in the region of NT$80,000 and the average retail cost of a big bike is between NT$400,000 and NT$ 1million. For some the price is just a little too high.
"I could buy two bikes in the US for the price of one in Taiwan," said hog enthusiast and drummer for China Blue, Dino Zavolta. "Then there's the problem with parking them. I mean you're not going to leave a bike like that on the street. It'll get ripped off and then what?"
Of course, with 10,000 registered bikes nationwide not everyone shares Zavolta's pessimism over ownership of a big bike. Taiwan's most popular bikes are Japanese brands, with Honda leading the pack, closely followed by Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki.
"It's not surprising that Honda and so on are the top sellers in Taiwan. Riders are more familiar with Japanese bikes and, of course, before they were legalized the vast majority of bikes were smuggled in from Japan," said Triumph's Edward Chen (
The Japanese may currently hold pole position, but European rivals haven't pulled into the pits just yet. The leading European contender is BMW, which, according to Tsai, is slowly coming up behind Honda's taillights. But then, like its Japanese rivals BMWs are easily obtainable from most independent dealerships nationwide and can cost as little as NT$450,000.
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