[quote=“joesax”]
But many big bike riders have been riding in particularly aggressive and idiotic ways that puts them in a bad light when they campaign for something that legislators may see as a privilege, not a right.[/quote]
Yeah right…it was pretty wasted 3 years ago…I feel it’s getting better now but I must admit that it’s not helping us much.
But cars can also be really dangerous…
Lot of VN 1500, vstar 1100, 400 Shadows 750, 400, and some harleys (road king, fatboy, softail…). I think there will be some bike show organized (will confirm during the week)
I was talking to a French (I think) bloke yesterday in a bike shop who has been buying and selling big bikes for the last few years here. He also told me about the 751cc freeway limit deal, which is why he was at the shop, trading in his 750 for an 1100 of some sort.
According to him, this will be a trend and will bring the prices of sub-751 bikes way down. Good news for me, that’s for sure.
[quote=“sandman”]I was talking to a French (I think) bloke yesterday in a bike shop who has been buying and selling big bikes for the last few years here. He also told me about the 751cc freeway limit deal, which is why he was at the shop, trading in his 750 for an 1100 of some sort.
According to him, this will be a trend and will bring the prices of sub-751 bikes way down. Good news for me, that’s for sure.[/quote]
Hmm. The average 600cc sports bike…and most 600cc bikes on the road are sports bikes…will do 270km/hr. And this isn’t fast enough to be allowed on Taiwan’s expressways which have a speed limit of 90??? Fucking retards making these rules.
Do any expressways go North and South? As far as I can tell they all go east and west…and if that’s the case it’s not really that big a deal either way.
I just thought of something else…once big bikes are allowed on the expressways even more Taiwanese will run out to buy them. But they’ll have to buy larger than 750 for their FIRST BIG BIKE if they want to go on the expressways…such a smart rule.
True…true…
This law is wasted. Well, let’s hope that the ‘new’ licence will prevent new riders to get such heavy bikes.
Sandman: obviously…you were talking to me
I’m keeping my 750cc anyway, will see how it goes around july, my friend still push to avoid this stupid law. Let’s hope!
[quote=“Mordeth”]
Hmm. The average 600cc sports bike…and most 600cc bikes on the road are sports bikes…will do 270km/hr. And this isn’t fast enough to be allowed on Taiwan’s expressways which have a speed limit of 90??? Fucking retards making these rules.
Do any expressways go North and South? As far as I can tell they all go east and west…and if that’s the case it’s not really that big a deal either way.[/quote]
Police: Sir, your bike is too small, please get off the expressway.
Mordeth: But I can do the speed limit in first gear?
Police: I’m sorry, your bike is only a 600cc.
Mordeth: My bike has six gears.
Police: I’m sorry your bike is too small.
mordeth: :taz: :fume: :raspberry:
This law is obviously coming from people who ride 50cc scooters with no mirrors.
Perhaps you could have a custom paint job or a nice sticker showing 900R or something like that on your fairing. It might be enough to get away with it “most of the times?”
You can count on this government to run efficiently when it comes down to passing moronic taxes and laws that restrict our lifestyles in unpleasant ways.
They should enforce the existing laws not make new ones.
They can take their exspressways and eat it. Why not jam the expressways with slow moving bikes, couple of hundred would do with passengers videotaping in case of Cager harrassment.
This whole thing reminds me of the annual squirming that used to go on to retain MFN status, or the weaseling to get into WTO. The government will in theory allow the import of item x, but in practice set up so many structural impediments that no-one will bother. Basically they don’t want to have big bikes in this country so they will make it as difficult and expensive as possible to own one, and as unenjoyable as possible to operate one once you have jumped through all their burning hoops. :raspberry:
I’m gonna ask this again. Has anyone ever seen an expressway that runs from North to South? I’m guessing no. And that means that the longest expressways you are going to find in Taiwan are about 10-15 minutes long from end to end. And the fine for riding on them…is less than 1000 if caught…and if they care enough to give a ticket…which they usually don’t.
enough already.
you can bitch about it until hell freezes over but you won’t change a thing.
just accept the fact that this is not your backyard where you make the rules. and i bet in our respective countries do exist enough other moronic laws as well that nobody comprehends. not you and no other foreigner who happens to live there and tries to get along.
what the streets in taiwan need is a healthy portion of respect for each other, and so does this discussion.
But WHY?
is it to protect their market of locally made scooters? If so, I find it hard to believe that a great percentage of riders would switch from a scooter to a bike anyway. After all, there are still way more scooters around than motorbikes mainly due to the practicality of them here.
Even if they made it unrestricted ownership, my guess is that most people here who are interested in a big bike would own a CB400 or similar (based on what I have seen in other parts of Asia).
What they would be better of doing is making the big bike license reasonable difficult to get by including a real driving test and safety course like other countries (and thus increasing bike safety), and whacking on huge fines to those without a license (or even more logically, requiring proof of license to buy)
Or is it because the lawmakers don’t ride bikes, find them annoying and generally believe TW is better off without relaxed laws for big bikes? (aka wankers).
[quote=“Stefan”]enough already.
you can bitch about it until hell freezes over but you won’t change a thing.
just accept the fact that this is not your backyard where you make the rules. and i bet in our respective countries do exist enough other moronic laws as well that nobody comprehends. not you and no other foreigner who happens to live there and tries to get along.
what the streets in taiwan need is a healthy portion of respect for each other, and so does this discussion.[/quote]
wow… you’ve clearly not been here long, this is an amazingly civilized and tranquil discussion by Vroom vroom standards… and we’ve all heard the “if you don’t like it go home” whining before and it doesn’t work…
In a word, yes… there are many elevated roads and expressways that would be accessible under this new law… As it stands it seems that the law, if passed, would derestrict everything except the “flower” freeway network to big bikes… That means anything except these freewayswould be open to bikes over 3843cc or whatever they decide in the end, more of a “what isn’t included” under the new law situation, more than “what is”…
If nothing else, the elevated roads and expressways in and around the major cities, especially Taipei and even the very useful elevated circle roads that run around Taichung etc. would be open, which by themselves would make it worthwhile… In addition there are several North South expressways including the, erm, I think it’s 71 ?.. which runs down the coast from somewhere in Taoyuan to somewhere around Gaoxiung (hard to be specific since they are constantly adding to it)… as well as quite a few others… It’s quite a large chunk of the road network they are talking about…
In a word, yes… there are many elevated roads and expressways that would be accessible under this new law… As it stands it seems that the law, if passed, would derestrict everything except the “flower” freeway network to big bikes… That means anything except these freewayswould be open to bikes over 3843cc or whatever they decide in the end, more of a “what isn’t included” under the new law situaion, more than “what is”…
If nothing else, the elevated roads and expressways in and around the major cities, especially Taipei and even the very useful elevated circle roads that run around Taichung etc. would be open, which by themselves would make it worthwhile… In addition there are several North South expressways including the, erm, I think it’s 71 ?.. which runs down the coast from somewhere in Taoyuan to somewhere around Gaoxiung (hard to be specific since they are constantly adding to it)… as well as quite a few others… It’s quite a large chunk of the road network they are talking about…[/quote]
The 61…and it’s a fine road too. It actually already is open to any 2 wheeled vehicles because all along it it has those outside lanes for bikes and scooters. The only difference I can see will be that you can go on the main lanes which means you don’t have to do the whole rollercoaster thing down and up the on ramps at every intersection like you do at present.
But the thing is, it’s the car drivers that will need educating because on the 61 for example they will not understand why you’re not on the bike lane and will honk/push you off the main lanes.
61, of course, that’s what I said wasn’t it? erm… pass the aluminium cook ware will you?..
not entirely true mind you, as I recall there are fairly vast stretches where the “slow lane” you mention drops away and you’re forced to take your life in your hands on the surface road, possibly the 17 ?.. that’s why I always “accidentally” take the main elevated section that is largely uninterrupted…
bizarrely that road seems to be almost traffic free no matter what time of day I’ve taken it before… apart from around the major cities, there are seemingly no other vehicles that use it… except for the cops that one time…
Thanks guys…I was trying to convince myself that I wasn’t going to be missing out on anything by not being allowed on them. And now I feel let down again…thanks :fume: .
[quote=“Truant”]
But WHY?[/quote]Why did they fight so hard to avoid importing turkey meat that noone wanted to buy anyway? Because it’s long been an export-based economy and they would just rather avoid importing anything at all?
Why was it that >150cc bikes were banned in the '70s? You really think it had anything to do with the oil crisis? Hell, if it were then why relax that law now of all possible times? Why were cars with greater than (say) 2 liter engines not also restricted from import?
Why are the new emissions laws on motorcycles stricter than California’s? There are far bigger polluters out there which are going about their business unmolested.
Why is it still technically illegal to modify a motorcycle in any way, shape or form? Just a deep distrust of any kind of youth culture which dates back to the martial law era?
Why was dancing considered a crime until the 1980s?
Maybe having been here since those days I’m just more used to things being illegal unless specifically allowed, rather than the other way round.
actually i don’t have to explain myself but for all that’s worth, i’m here for nearly 9 years. and riding bikes and driving cars just like the rest of you.
all i’m trying is to get along - doesn’t mean i like everything (far from that) but i just accept the things the way they are. i don’t have the time nor energy to try to understand every stupidity here. certainly i won’t and you’ll neither change a tiny little thing here, no matter how hard you try.
so i’m certainly not that kinda guy that you quote. all i want is that ppl use common sense when living abroad and don’t expect everything to be like home. and if that means some roads are off limits for whatsoever reason - so be it. not the end of the world
sure, sure… understood… Believe me “Oh well I’ve been in Taiwan since Shakespear was a boy” pissing contests do not interest me… what I meant was that you’ve not been on Forumosa long… I say that because more often than not things can get pretty, er, “volatile” here in Vroom vroom, so your comment that the posters in this thread need to show more respect seemed a little unecessary and out of place since this was already a civil discussion… of sorts…
also, if we aren’t supposed to bitch and complain about things that are crap but that we can’t do anything about, then why the hell do we have weather, religion and Taiwanese pop music?.. But seriously Stefan, that is pretty much the reason for internet discussion forums like forumosa… to discuss issues that effect us, often negatively… thanks for sharing your wisdom that we won’t change anything by complaining, but we don’t need you telling us what we should or shouldn’t spend our time discussing mate… also if you come here looking for advice from the people here who are very knowledgable and can help you, try being a little more polite and perhaps more patient… you might get better results…
