I’ve been riding a 150cc Sym for the last 6 months or so and am thinking about getting a larger bike, probably 250cc, maybe bigger if it doesn’t require a mortgage.
So the questions:
Thanks
Stuart
a 250cc scooter can be picked up for between 140,000 - 180,000 new…
250cc bikes (gear) range from 210,000 for a vtr250 to about 270,000 for a hornet250 (my bike)…
2nd hand of course is cheaper…
your standard licence allows up to 250cc… you need the bigger licence if you want to ride a yellow plate…
The baby Hornet should be cheaper than NT$270K… I’ve seen them in showrooms marked NT$255k and that’s for an '06 model, before negotiation… if you look around and bargain hard you could get a brand new box fresh '05 for about NT$220k on the road… or you could get a brand new CB400 for about NT$300k!..
Road tax and license tax for 250cc’s are very low, fractionally more than 150cc’s and you don’t need any special licences to ride them…
hmm… last time i looked they were 270,000… guess the prices have dropped again… i haven’t been bike shopping in 10 months (since i got mine)… mine was 280,000 after all on road costs and few little pieces…
@ StuartCa
My suggestion: Buy a real big one (>= 600ccm) or keep your 150. If you settle with an ‘intermediate solution’ - e.g. with a CB400 - I am almost certain that after a couple of months you will be looking for something bigger. In my eyes and not bad but also rather cheap (new: NT$ 350,000, 2nd hand >= NY$ 200,000) is the Kawasaki ZR-7S. UKbikerchick has it and I had it till 2 years ago.
Or if you want really cheap speed (compared to the NT200,000+ to buy a 250cc), try a Honda NSR150.
tw.f3.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/c21786903
That one is modded… looks pretty tasty 
Very light, handles like a dream, got that wicked 2-stroke acceleration and screaming exhaust… Yummy.
If only it were possible to get a legal NSR250 in this country… Back in SA I can get a second hand NSR250 in good condition, fully legal, etc, for less than NT100,000…
hm i hope this is a typing error “UKbikerchick has it and I had it till 2 years ago.”
i have had my bike for 3 years and still have it, although it doesn’t look much like it did at the begining.
haven’t seen you around much, riding soon?
[quote=“UKbikerchic”]hm I hope this is a typing error “UKbikerchick has it and I had it till 2 years ago.”
I have had my bike for 3 years and still have it, although it doesn’t look much like it did at the begining.
haven’t seen you around much, riding soon?[/quote]
Pei seh … my poor English. 
Just tried to say that I had a ZR-7S too but sold my 2 years ago. Still a good bike and great value for your bucks (IMHO).
Was out of country till early February and since then have been very, very busy. Can tell you more next time we meet. Weather forecast for tomorrow is anything else but thrilling, thus, probably another day at the office … 
I have a CB400 VTEC2 and just like Hm said, I want a bigger bike now 
…and this is what I have in mind :
tw.f4.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/d17561911
BTW, instead of NSR150, why not getting a brand new CBR150, like this
tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/1138555548
bugger me… that’s an awesome deal for that ER-6F… it’s still an entry level bike, no rocket ship and not the most cutting edge spec Japan’s ever made, BUT… and that’s a huge BUT… I reckon you could very easily get that out the door for NT$300k… NT$300k for a good, solid, brand new Kawasaki 650!!!.. the faired version too!..
That’s it… the debate has ended… Anyone who is intersted in getting a big bike and is looking for bang for your buck, enough go to comfortably handle blasting, touring, commuting and yet something that won’t wrap you around the nearest bin lang tree at high speed first time out… THAT is what you want to buy… NT$300k!.. wow…
Just a comment/question -
Are all motorcycles here on Taiwan reuired to have the “ASS in the Air” feature with the rear fender?
I am guessing that this is a feature of the “sport bike” category - is this correct?
What is the techno reasoning for this feature?
And these bikes don’t look to offer much cruising comfort for either the operator or the passenger.
I, personally, think it looks ridiculous. Too much air between the rear tire and the fender/seat. And that tank bulge is just too close to my belly for comfort.
Are comfortable cruising bikes just not fashinable here on the island?
Opinions are, of course, like a**holes - we all have them and most stink regularly.
you are correct TC… it’s sportsbikes only (mostly) and the reason is purely for style… some misinformed folks will tell you it’s aerodynamics… that is rubbish… The reason is because Moto-GP bikes have progressively developed more and more upswept and pointy tails in recent years, it’s about the stance and design aesthetic of the bike, making it look fast even when it’s parked… take a picture of a modern sportsbike and fold it in half down the middle… as you bring the nose and tail together, you’ll notice the curve and angle of the front spoiler and screen will match the angle of the tail almost seamlessly… it’s an aesthetic, a visual design element a.k.a fashion trend…
its’ not aerodynamically crap of course, but the easy way to prove the point that it’s not about being aerodynamically “slippery” it’s about looking cool is to look at 250GP bikes and 125GP bikes… They don’t have the power to be able to stick their arse in the wind, on these little bikes that will cost several tenths a lap, so their tails are rounded down, organic, sculpted and very “slippery”… 250Hp+ and 160kg weight, ready to race, means that having an upswept tail is irrelevant to the MotoGP bike’s lap times… and when you get right down to it MotoGP is really just a huge 350km/h marketing exercise designed to sell sportsbikes… so flagship sportsbikes must look like GP bikes, always have… and these days the fashion has trickled down throughout most manufacturer’s ranges…
reason why you see so many here is that right now the Taiwan big bike buying market is very immature and quite small (both in number and in stature, which is an important consideration for sportsbikes…) They’ve only known what big bikes are for about 3 years so the vast majority only know that they want the biggest baddest fieriest machine on the market as their first bike bigger than 90cc… IMO the reason is a little bit of ignorance and a lot of “face” and peer pressure… also even though flagship sportsbikes become more and more irrelevant to road riding year by year, especially on Taiwan’s rubbish roads, a lot of people still want the ego comfort of having the highest top speed in the universe… it’s the killing a mosquito with a battle tank principle…
[quote=“StreetSpec”]
BTW, instead of NSR150, why not getting a brand new CBR150, like this
tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/1138555548[/quote]
The CBR150 is a 4-stroke, and (according to that page) although it’s brand new, looks cool and probably handles really well, only puts out 17ps power (that’s equivalent to hp right? correct me if I’m wrong).
A NSR is a 2-stroke, so it has a lot more power and torque than a 4-stroke of the same engine displacement, and is easier to modify to get more power.
A KYMCO NSR150 puts out 22hp (I think) and a Honda NSR (I’m talking about the actual HONDA model, not the Kymco/honda which is a different bike) puts out about 30hp stock, and I think can be modded to put out up to 40hp.
Plasmatron -
Thanks for the input. The points about design and style, as well as market maturity probably hit the nail on the head.
I think as ther market does mature, a diversity of bike will start to appear.
I personally think that among the first will be the 400cc/500cc “'scooter” style bikes that are catching on in the UK and the USA.
I’ve seen several yellow-plate scooters up here in Taipei. They look a bit clumsy to my eyes.
Drool, these auctions look like im looking at my next bike, moving on from the scooter :-).
Just thought I’d let anyone interested know, you can pick up a 250cc Grand Dink or Majesty 250 for around 110-120k. I was looking at them when I bought my scooter and those are the prices I was quoted for brand new ones.
Been trying to convince my wife to let me trade in the ole Techno and upgrade, but so far, no luck…
I’ve seen several yellow-plate scooters up here in Taipei. They look a bit clumsy to my eyes.[/quote]
clumsy looking… yes…
clumsy acting… no…
i know someone who’s quite fast on a t-max… sure, not as fast as on his ducati… but fast enough to cause problems for the vast majority of riders here…
what are you talking about? my friend has had his x4 for a lot longer than 3 years - no plates, but there were still big bikes here… just not as many as now… also, according to said friend, big bikes HAD been legal many many moons ago, but for some stupid reason they got banned…
Not AS fashionable but still available. There are a few big cruisers in my local bike shop, including a big 1100 Honda that looks a little bit like one of those old Indians and a 1200 BMW with big 'ol ape-hangers and a gorgeous brown leather single-seater saddle that looks sweet.