Questions about Motorcycles in Taiwan

21K · March 22, 2013, 3:59pm

Hey everyone, I am a new poster in forumosa. I will be straight up, I recently turned 18 and have not much experience , in fact no experience in motorcycles. I have a Class C California Driver’s license when I turned 16, and I have driven even before that, in LA. I have also spent time, illegally driving in the Shandong Province of China. I recently started driving here in Taiwan in a 1.3L Veryca to deliever metal parts from the CNC job I took. I have a Taiwan Driver’s license for an automatic transmission vehicle, and a motorcycle/scooter up to 150CC. I do know how to drive a manual transmission, as the 1.3L Veryca I am driving is a manual, but since I wasn’t familiar with the driving course in Taiwan, I just wanted to take it in AT as a precaution. Anyways, I have some experience with scooters, as I borrow my bosses Kymco Racing 150 scooter and my uncles 50cc scooter and others , but I don’t like scooters at all. I feel very unbalanced with it, as I am used to driving a bicycle back in LA when I didn’t have a car, so I don’t know if anyone has this feeling, but I feel like a scooter has no balance, the weight is all in the rear and its a sitting position. I like a motorcycle , and would like to purchase a motorcycle in Taiwan, however I haven’t taken any classes on how to drive a clutch motorcycle. My friend might teach me, and in fact, I have watched Mordeths how-to on motorcycles. Anyways, bottom line, I am considering just a cheap 150CC Sym T1, or a Kymco Quannon 150CC, because like I said, I don’t like scooters . I have also searched up in the forums about these 2 bikes , yeah I know, they aren’t the greatest, but they will do for my time in Taiwan. I don’t want to wait a year, and take another test for the 250CC+ motorcycle license because I won’t buy anything over 250CC as its too expensive. Now here are the questions :

Should I purchase a new motorcycle or a used one ? I have looked on ruten for used ones, but this is Taiwan, and I am afraid they are scams or something. I do plan to stay for maybe 3-4 years before I return back to the states .
How do I go about on purchasing aftermarket modifications ? I understand that most motorcycle shops offer aftermarket mods, but I don’t want them screwing up the bike even more, and ripping me off, because my mandarin sucks . The reason I want to buy aftermarket mods is because those 2 bikes are pretty lame, stock, so I would just like to beef it up alittle with , a louder exhaust and maybe some part that could give this bike more HP, a better front fork, rearsets, you know, the simple stuff.
I did hear that there is an option where I can make monthly payments to a bike, but how is it done in Taiwan?
Approximately how much is insurance for a inexperience motorcycle rider who is 18? Because I heard it wasn’t much compared to the several thousand dollars for a new driver in California .
I heard that purchasing aftermarket mods, won’t let you pass some kind of check ? What is it , and why do they do it ? Is it smog check or something ? How do I go about avoiding any problems with the person inspecting my motorcycle , and still keep my parts on ?
Obviously a 150CC Taiwan brand clutch motorcycle isn’t going to beat a Kawasaki Ninja 250R or a Honda or a Yamaha R1, or a Ducati 1198, or a Triumph Street Triple R, but I would like to consider that cheap bike as a learners bike, because I am very interested in buying a large CC bike when I get back to LA a few years from now, so this would be a learner’s bike but I would like to make my learner’s bike alittle cooler. My boss has one of those working class SYM 125 Wolf motorcycle, that he said he could teach me on, is their any difference with other bikes ?? I heard something about the gearbox being different or something ?
Does anybody have suggestions on other motorcycles here in Taiwan, or is anybody selling ? Basically, I want a motorcycle , not a scooter. I obviously want a larger CC motorcycle, but I have to wait a year, and the cost of my transportation , to get to my job and back home is enough to put gas in a motorcycle for a whole week of driving, so that’s why I want to stick to a motorcycle or if I am desperate, a scooter, because even though Taiwan public transportation is quite convenient and quite cheap compared to the damn inefficient and high price fare of the LA metro, my kind of salary can’t afford 100NT + transportation fee everyday. By the way, I am not interested in “older looking” motorcycles, like the Hartfords and the Hyosung , and the old Sym Wolfs, which is why I picked the Kymco Quannon and Sym T1 as my choice.
Thanks for reading my ridiculous questions. I guess you all can say Im some inexperienced kid who already wants the big toys, but hey, It’s how I am .

tango42 · March 22, 2013, 4:48pm

yo, great story and information, but overwhelming…

May I suggest you prioritize your questions, ask one or two of them, then lead into the other questions.

johnledoe · March 23, 2013, 12:08pm

Well, I’ll help with a few questions.
#1. How much are you willing to spend? If you buy new, you’re guarantied not to have any problems and if there are problems you’d be covered under warranty. However, a new Quannon costs about 108,000 NT and I think the T1 costs about 90,000.
If you buy used, you’d have to really look at what the market says what the motorcycle is worth depending on how many KMs are on it. You’re right about worrying about scams. Here’s a scam I’ve heard of not long ago, replacing the odometer to claim
that the motorcycle has a lot less KMs on it than it really does in order to get an extra 10-15,000NT out of ya.
#2. As a suggestion I’d get to know your motorcycle for about 6 months before making any serious modifications to it. But let’s say you’ve done that and want to mod it up, it really depends where you live so someone can also recommend a shop near
you to do the work for you if you can’t do it yourself. Also, in that 6 months time, you can look up what kind of parts you want for your motorcycle.
#3. If you have Taiwanese ID, the shop you buy the motorcycle from will set you up with that. If you don’t have Taiwanese ID, then it’s cash up front.
#4. Don’t worry about your age, the insurance is stupid cheap here for motorcycles for a 150cc. I don’t even think they look at your age, just the size of the engine. Depending on how much you want to be insured, you can get 1 year for 1-2000NT.
Just don’t buy 2 years of insurance on a new motorcycle, as you are often paying too much for that 2nd year of insurance as you don’t have a new motorcycle anymore.
#5. Buying mods won’t let you resell the motorcycle when you go to transfer the papers over to the new owner, that’s when they check. All that means is if the mod is noticeably different from the stock photo of the motorcycle, it won’t pass. That means
keep your old muffler, mirrors, and any other thing that makes your motorcycle visibly different. Most engine mods will usually go unnoticed. Unless you mod your motorcycle to be a race motorcycle for the track, you’re motorcycle should easily pass the
emissions check, which has to be done about once a year. Even if you “fail” that test, most places that can do that check for you will help you “pass” it.
#6. Yes, that SYM 125 will most likely have a rotary gear box, which means that the gear box goes in a circle, 1-2-3-4-N. You can keep flipping through the gears in either direction like that and if you not careful you’ll be lost as to which gear you’re
in, which can make it a pain in the ass to find N. I know the Quannon (not sure about the T1, but I think it’s the same) has what they call international gearing, which is 1-N-2-3-4-5. It won’t go in a circle and you’ll know when you’ve hit gear 1 or 5.
#7. As for other motorcycles, I’m not sure what AEON puts out there for a 150cc motorcycle. I’ve seen that they have one of those “mini” motorcycles. Looks great for a girl, not sure why I see so many “men” from Taiwan ride them…

Hope that helps a little…

21K · March 26, 2013, 5:40pm

-Thanks for the info John ! It has given me a much clearer idea on purchasing a bike here in Taiwan.
#1. Well you see, that is kind of the dilemma I have . Obviously I am “willing” to pay for a higher priced bike or a stock bike and put a couple thousand NT of aftermarket parts , but as of this coming Sunday, I will be quitting my construction job here, and I’ll be stuck with my CNC Machinist job, which doesn’t make over 1000 NT a day considering I don’t know much about CNC Machines and the language barrier. I would say , though, I am saving for a bike, that could be anything under 100,000 NT , and I’ll take into consideration of waiting a couple months before adding modifications. You said the Quannon is 108,000? Well in your opinion, which is better of the two ? I have seen a lot of Quannons recently, and I see some T1’s occasionally but I heard from Taiwanese people, the T1 has had some more problems then a Quannon does, and the Quannon has a better top speed / acceleration ? What about the Quannon Naked ? I heard that they bumped the max RPM level on the Quannon Naked from 10,000 RPM - 12,000 RPM, and the fuel tank on the Naked is slightly larger, but has the original Quannon gotten any of those improvements such as the 12,000 RPM redline ? I couldn’t find any info about that … On ruten, I noticed some Quannons are being sold around 50,000 NT + and there was this red Quannon near a school I went briefly, the shop is selling it for 85,000 NT. Reasonable ? It was like a yellow/purple tag , and I was told by others that it was a repossessed bike, like the person didn’t even finish paying for it. Would that be a good deal to grab considering I have seen the bike in person, and the bike looks completely new and its for 85,000 and it’s stock .
#3 I don’t currently have a ID , but I have a Taiwanese Passport. I was told, that I would have to leave Taiwan and come back in with my Taiwan Passport and then go apply for the Taiwan ID ? I came in with my American Passport. Oh, now that I mention this, if I do not have a Taiwan ID, do I still need to serve in the ROC Armed Forces ? I already exceeded my 4 month stay at a time, and I am already 3 months past my 18th birthday . I heard they come looking for you when your 19. Could I leave Taiwan before I turn 19 or will they stop me at the airport ? Also, I heard from one of my mothers friend who used to be some kind of Lieutenant rank or something in the ROC Army, and he said that you don’t have to serve if you pass a certain weight and height. Im 5 foot 8 inches and I weigh around 240 pounds. And the funny thing is I don’t look like fat albert, I look pretty stocky, so would they judge me for my physical appearance regardless of my real weight ?
#4 I also heard , from a friend yesterday, that insurance is absolute crap in Taiwan ?? They don’t really insure you completely , unlike the US. Like if you got into a bumper to bumper or some accident, people fight it out because the insurance company won’t help as much ? And the police don’t do anything either ? Again, I just heard these stories, I could believe it considering I see car incident/accidents almost everyday… and very rarely I actually see them almost throwing punches but usually their are cops their to determine whos fault it is ?
#5 Woah what?? Really? So some of those bikes I see on Ruten with their slip on exhausts or they changed the front fairing to an R1 or CBR shape, they can’t sell it like that ? Do they check the actual displacement of the bike then ? Like if it was modified to 200cc, even though on paper it’s supposed to be 150cc , will they catch it , or are they more concerned about cosmetic changes ?
#6 Hmmm… between the two, which gearbox do you think I could be used to faster or be able to learn quicker ? So I could keep tapping the gear forwards and backwards ? Its not a solid all the way down click for 1st gear? How the hell do these Taiwanese workers get used to a bike like that lol,
#7 Ohh yeah I have seen those Aeon’s. They would look , EXTREMELY small on me. It would be like a mini bike to me haha. Do you suppose the Quannon would be a great fit for me, meaning, is the size somewhat comparable to a large displacement bike ? Or would it feel like the Sym 125, a bicycle with a motor. I wouldn’t want a bike that’s too narrow .

shiadoa · March 26, 2013, 5:50pm

Just remember as per my recent thread today about Taiwan yearly bike test…every “extra” you fit will have to be removed every year for the test,then refitted… :loco:

holajr · March 27, 2013, 1:31am

also just for reference a couple thousand worth of mods is maybe one subpar second-hand switchout at best.

21K · March 27, 2013, 12:36pm

@holajr, I don’t really get what you said, are you saying, go for a second-hand bike , like a more powerful bike ? My license only allows me to drive 150CC, but this is Taiwan, I see plenty of these High School students driving their beefed up scooters and some are just cosmetic, but some you know that its got more horses then it looks . I definitely would like to buy a bike over 250cc but in don’t I have to wait over 1 year , and take additional driving school and another driving test ? Here’s a question directed to all you experienced people. I don’t make over 1000NT a day, and It costs just about 100NT daily for transportation alone, I’ve trimmed down my food costs to less than 100NT 1 day, so I use no more then 200NT a day, and I currently took on a new job, which was a CNC job, and its paying me 800NT, so in reality , I’m making 600NT. Don’t you think I could be putting that transportation money into something else ? Like say, gas money for a bike or something ? This is why I am pretty rushed on getting some kind of transportation, I mean I have been lent this 10 year old Giant Bike, but I can’t peddle my butt from Zhonghe to the Fu Jen University area in such a limited time. I have to wake up 6:30AM, get on the MRT, and take a bus and walk to my work, and start work at 8:30AM-5:30PM, and usually I do overtime, to make that extra 400NT , and so I work 6:30PM-9:00PM , and by the time I get home, sometimes it could be 10:20 PM, sometimes it could be 10:40, sometimes, at the most 11PM. I am already limited on sleep , so I doubt I could wake up any earlier to use a bicycle to get to work. I had a car in LA , and it’s still in a garage, but I don’t plan to import it, as I am very reluctant to stay in Taiwan for a decade, the most I’d stay would be 5 years.

johnledoe · March 27, 2013, 6:49pm

Here’s my response to yours re-guarding questions 1-7
#1 I’m going to say go for the Quannon Naked, as I happen to now own one myself now. I’ve enjoyed riding it, and I like how it has a rear disk brake instead of a rear drum brake that
the T1 has. The T1 just has a bunch of plastic slapped on the engine, but it’s still the same Wolf engine. As for getting the engine over 10,000 RPMs, it’s not that easy, and trust me I’ve
tried. The best top speed I’ve managed so far on that motorcycle is 125/KMH and the engine was at just a little over 10,000 RPMs. I think one thing that the Quannon is lacking is a 6th
gear, as I keep on wanting to shift up to it and it’s not there. BTW, if anyone has heard of an aftermarket gearing swap for the KMT that gives it a 6th gear, I really want to know! One
thing I don’t know about the T1 compared to the Quannon is how’s the T1’s 2nd gear. On the Quannon, it’s really short, so you have to shift up fairly quickly to the 3rd gear, as compared
to the other gears. As for acceleration, I think the Quannon is preaty good, if you know how to shift. I hammer the throttle and up shift at around 7-8,000 RPMs and I leave most vehicles
in my dust. Most scooters will beat you to the punch if you don’t know how to get you motorcycle up to speed from a dead stop, but I wouldn’t worry about that at the beginning until you
really know the feel of a clutch.
As for that Quannon you’ve seen for sale, it really depends on how many KMs it has on it. I’d say if it has 5,000KMs or less on it, and it’s still under warranty, then it’s worth it. If it has more
than 5,000 KMs on it, but still under warranty, then maybe. If it has more than 10,000 KMs on it, and it’s out of warranty, no it’s not worth it.
#3 That’s a whole issue that way outside my knowledge, as I’m not Taiwanese. As far as I know, it’s not like they will grab you off the street when you’re 19 to make you do your mandatory
service. I think it’s more like you have until you’re 35 to do your service, but I don’t know what the punishment is if you don’t do it. I think it’s best to figure that out first, than try and get
out of it. Also, I too have heard of a fitness requirement for military service, and again I would look up the facts. I’m fairly sure that the government would be up front about that, so it
wouldn’t hurt to ask anonymously about that.
#4 Yes, the insurance companies here in Taiwan don’t really cover pain and suffering, only actual damages. So lost wages and damage done to the vehicle, depending on the age of it, and
any medical expenses because of the accident. The other problem with medical expenses is that if the long term care for the problem caused by the accident may not be fully covered, as
most insurance companies say you have a limited time to finalize you claim. This means if your injuries will take longer to recover from than the time you have to finalize your claim, it
could be problematic to get the money you need to cover your medical needs. As for the police determining who is right or wrong or who is mostly as fault, it’s not their job. They can
(and do) give their opinion as to who is at fault and make suggestions to the parties involved, but it’s really up to a court to decide that. The police can not say who is at fault.
#5 Sure, you see motorcycle with all the mods on them, that’s how you’ll sell a motorcycle. In the end, they can’t be transferred if the mods are obvious like I said before. As I have just
been through transferring a motorcycle (my Quannon) I can tell you what they checked when I did it. They looked it over quickly to see any differences, checked to see if the brake, turn
signals and the horn worked and if the frame and engine ID # matched, that’s it. It took all of 2 minutes.
#6 As for learning what gear box is best for you, I don’t think that’s the real problem. The real problem is understanding how the clutch works. You really have to learn the feel of it,
especially when you want to get the motorcycle going from a dead stop. Once you know the feel of the clutch, the rest is easy. You’ll know if you’re in the wrong gear by how the engine
sounds, by the RPMs, and how well you accelerate.
#7 I think you’d find the Quannon to be a full sized bike for you. You seem to be the right size for it. For me, I’m just a little to long in the legs for it to fit right for me. I know I weigh
a lot less than you from what you’ve said, but even so, the previous owner of my motorcycle weighed over 110 kgs and was able to go 131KMs on it (still trying to figure that one out).
I’m not sure about the acceleration for someone your weight, but I think it has more to do with how high you have the RPMs when you start to release the clutch from a dead stop to
detirmine how fast you’ll get going. Try and get the motorcycle going from low RPMs, it’ll take a while to get going. Once you get the motorcycle going, it all depends on how long it
takes to get those RPMs up to 7-8,000 and shift up. I’ll tell you one thing though, once you do start shifting at those RPMs from 1st gear, it doesn’t take long before it gets there again.
As for the motorcycle feeling like a bicycle, it is only a 150, not a 1200, so ya don’t expect too much from the size of the engine.

If I would suggest anything else would be try and find out what motorcycle you feel most comfortable riding on. I really wouldn’t get it in my head to only have this or that motorcycle
to only find out that it hurts to ride it, especially if the only time you really get to ride it is to and from work. You’ll end up hating it. For me, my Quannon is my 2nd ride, so I don’t have
to depend on it to get me places. If I had to ride it everyday, I know I’d have to at the very least change where the foot pegs are on it so my legs rest against the motorcycle right. I don’t
think you’d have that problem, but it could be something else about the Quannon that doesn’t feel right. At the very least, I’d get to know that SYM 125 so you have something to judge
your motorcycle to be against.

mad_masala · March 28, 2013, 12:37am

Talking about top speeds… don´t even think that the top speed of those things is close to 125 kmh. I´ve got two bikes, one taiwanese and one japanese, and a sillyphone with GPS. Even though I´ve reached similar speeds on both clocks, you bet which one was actually right… and which one is f**** off.

Sko · April 1, 2013, 4:22pm

What are those Aeon bikes you guys are talking about? Do they come in 50cc? I found this one with google: http://www.hdwallpaperspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2008-Aeon-AX-50-Mini-Bike.jpg Is it the one you guys mean?

I kind of have the same problems with scooters as OP does, so I’d be interested in a small motorcycle, even if they are a bit more expensive and look ridiculous. Also, I assume you can ride a 50cc motorcycle with the same license you can ride a 50cc scooter with, right?

I’m going to Taiwan to study Chinese later this year and I’m not very well versed in this kind of things, so I really need to ask these kinds of questions!

johnledoe · April 1, 2013, 4:53pm

Sko,

If you’re just coming to Taiwan to study Chinese, I’m guessing that you’re not going to be here for a long time. I wouldn’t suggest trying to get a 50cc motorcycle,
I don’t think they even exist. I know you posted that pic of one, but I really doubt that it’s street legal here in Taiwan. If you have an international motorcycle
license, or plan on getting a Taiwanese license (get the heavy scooter license, good up to 249cc), get a motorcycle that 2nd hand and around 125-150cc. Also,
you may as well get a used one. The sym wolf is a very common 125cc. motorcycle here, and they are often very cheap if it’s a used one. I’m suggesting this
because since I believe you are from Sweden, you’re going to be around 180+cm. Those small motorcycles will drive you nuts after a long time.

I guess one thing that confuses me is how one feels “top heavy” on a scooter. Maybe it’s the smaller wheels that make it feel to easy to fall one way or the other.
I’ve seen some fairly large Taiwanese men (and women) that seem to have no problem with this. I guess my point is that if you are going to use your ride for
mostly, if not all of it, in the city, then a scooter is a lot more convenient and relaxing to ride. Unless you love shifting ALL the time, then I guess a motorcycle
is for you. But if you’re not that great at shifting or don’t like it so much, then a scooter is the way to go.

Sko · April 1, 2013, 5:14pm

I’m going to be there for one to two years. And I researched the bike I posted a bit more, it’s a 125cc.

I’ll have an international license for driving 50cc scooters, and I don’t think I’m going to go for any bigger than that. I don’t have very much experience riding scooters, and couple that with a traffic environment like what I’ve heard it’s like in Taiwan, I don’t think it’d be too smart of me to try and ride something strong.

Yea, I did a bit more research and realized that a scooter probably is a better choice. I suppose it’s a matter of just getting used to it. And it was like three years ago since I last tried riding one, I was trying out a friend’s moped at 15, it might not be the same now. I don’t remember exactly what felt wrong, it just didn’t feel right to ride it, whereas riding one of my friends’ more motorcycle like moped felt pretty natural. I’m pretty skinny ~180cm ~62kg, so I don’t think it’s a weight issue for me.

Thanks for the help!

21K · June 4, 2013, 4:11pm

[quote=“johnledoe”]Here’s my response to yours re-guarding questions 1-7
#1 I’m going to say go for the Quannon Naked, as I happen to now own one myself now. I’ve enjoyed riding it, and I like how it has a rear disk brake instead of a rear drum brake that
the T1 has. The T1 just has a bunch of plastic slapped on the engine, but it’s still the same Wolf engine. As for getting the engine over 10,000 RPMs, it’s not that easy, and trust me I’ve
tried. The best top speed I’ve managed so far on that motorcycle is 125/KMH and the engine was at just a little over 10,000 RPMs. I think one thing that the Quannon is lacking is a 6th
gear, as I keep on wanting to shift up to it and it’s not there. BTW, if anyone has heard of an aftermarket gearing swap for the KMT that gives it a 6th gear, I really want to know! One
thing I don’t know about the T1 compared to the Quannon is how’s the T1’s 2nd gear. On the Quannon, it’s really short, so you have to shift up fairly quickly to the 3rd gear, as compared
to the other gears. As for acceleration, I think the Quannon is preaty good, if you know how to shift. I hammer the throttle and up shift at around 7-8,000 RPMs and I leave most vehicles
in my dust. Most scooters will beat you to the punch if you don’t know how to get you motorcycle up to speed from a dead stop, but I wouldn’t worry about that at the beginning until you
really know the feel of a clutch.
As for that Quannon you’ve seen for sale, it really depends on how many KMs it has on it. I’d say if it has 5,000KMs or less on it, and it’s still under warranty, then it’s worth it. If it has more
than 5,000 KMs on it, but still under warranty, then maybe. If it has more than 10,000 KMs on it, and it’s out of warranty, no it’s not worth it.
#3 That’s a whole issue that way outside my knowledge, as I’m not Taiwanese. As far as I know, it’s not like they will grab you off the street when you’re 19 to make you do your mandatory
service. I think it’s more like you have until you’re 35 to do your service, but I don’t know what the punishment is if you don’t do it. I think it’s best to figure that out first, than try and get
out of it. Also, I too have heard of a fitness requirement for military service, and again I would look up the facts. I’m fairly sure that the government would be up front about that, so it
wouldn’t hurt to ask anonymously about that.
#4 Yes, the insurance companies here in Taiwan don’t really cover pain and suffering, only actual damages. So lost wages and damage done to the vehicle, depending on the age of it, and
any medical expenses because of the accident. The other problem with medical expenses is that if the long term care for the problem caused by the accident may not be fully covered, as
most insurance companies say you have a limited time to finalize you claim. This means if your injuries will take longer to recover from than the time you have to finalize your claim, it
could be problematic to get the money you need to cover your medical needs. As for the police determining who is right or wrong or who is mostly as fault, it’s not their job. They can
(and do) give their opinion as to who is at fault and make suggestions to the parties involved, but it’s really up to a court to decide that. The police can not say who is at fault.
#5 Sure, you see motorcycle with all the mods on them, that’s how you’ll sell a motorcycle. In the end, they can’t be transferred if the mods are obvious like I said before. As I have just
been through transferring a motorcycle (my Quannon) I can tell you what they checked when I did it. They looked it over quickly to see any differences, checked to see if the brake, turn
signals and the horn worked and if the frame and engine ID # matched, that’s it. It took all of 2 minutes.
#6 As for learning what gear box is best for you, I don’t think that’s the real problem. The real problem is understanding how the clutch works. You really have to learn the feel of it,
especially when you want to get the motorcycle going from a dead stop. Once you know the feel of the clutch, the rest is easy. You’ll know if you’re in the wrong gear by how the engine
sounds, by the RPMs, and how well you accelerate.
#7 I think you’d find the Quannon to be a full sized bike for you. You seem to be the right size for it. For me, I’m just a little to long in the legs for it to fit right for me. I know I weigh
a lot less than you from what you’ve said, but even so, the previous owner of my motorcycle weighed over 110 kgs and was able to go 131KMs on it (still trying to figure that one out).
I’m not sure about the acceleration for someone your weight, but I think it has more to do with how high you have the RPMs when you start to release the clutch from a dead stop to
detirmine how fast you’ll get going. Try and get the motorcycle going from low RPMs, it’ll take a while to get going. Once you get the motorcycle going, it all depends on how long it
takes to get those RPMs up to 7-8,000 and shift up. I’ll tell you one thing though, once you do start shifting at those RPMs from 1st gear, it doesn’t take long before it gets there again.
As for the motorcycle feeling like a bicycle, it is only a 150, not a 1200, so ya don’t expect too much from the size of the engine.

If I would suggest anything else would be try and find out what motorcycle you feel most comfortable riding on. I really wouldn’t get it in my head to only have this or that motorcycle
to only find out that it hurts to ride it, especially if the only time you really get to ride it is to and from work. You’ll end up hating it. For me, my Quannon is my 2nd ride, so I don’t have
to depend on it to get me places. If I had to ride it everyday, I know I’d have to at the very least change where the foot pegs are on it so my legs rest against the motorcycle right. I don’t
think you’d have that problem, but it could be something else about the Quannon that doesn’t feel right. At the very least, I’d get to know that SYM 125 so you have something to judge
your motorcycle to be against.[/quote]

Heyy John ! Haven’t been on Forumosa for a while hahaha. Basically I want to thank you for your input and I did purchase a 2011 Yellow Quannon Naked. I have to say, this bike turns heads, really does, especially when its yellow I actually was more interested in the blue Quannon but I didn’t want to go store shopping for a bike. Bought it for 70,000 and had less than 600km on it. Apparently it was from another owner like my age, and he never finished payments so it got repoed. I so far put about 350 km on it . I really enjoy the bike, and honestly I got into the hang of it in less than a day, I mean I used the same fundamentals you use on a manual trans car and I watched Mordeth13’s how toos so it was really great for me . It does feel pretty big and small on me though… Because Im a big guy, it does have somewhat of a big bike feeling but once I sit on it, I feel kind of small with the 13L tank when I wrap my legs around it. I usually am the first dude out of the stoplight , this bike hauls ass ! I did try the highest RPM and yes, it maxes out at 10,000, so usually I shift around 9,000 for the hell of it. A couple of gripes I have with this bike. I hate the fact that Im a heavy guy. When I sit on this bike, the rear shock only leaves maybe about 3 inches of wheel travel before it scrapes the wheel well. and when I put my friend on in the bike, my heaviest friend, is about 70KG, damn man, its literally scraping the wheel well. I was curious to see if the rear shock could be replaced? I have noticed on scooters and bikes like the KTR, changing out the suspension is easy, but I have never seen someone who owns a quannon or a T1 who has a custom suspension. I do agree with the 6th gear too. I can’t tell you how many times, I like “forcefully” shift up after the 5th gear, hoping for a 6th gear to pop up >.> The highest speed I’ve ever gotten was 110KMH on the bridge from xinzhuang to banqiao. And one more thing, I notice that NOBODY ever follows the speed limit, only the obvious radar cameras do they slow down. Im doing usually 70-80 on a 50 road, that alright ? How do they work you with tickets and violations in Taiwan? In Cali , I think it was 3 speeding tickets and they suspend your license so Im curious as to how the rules are in taiwan. One other gripe is the fact that my foot scapes the ground when Im cornering or leaning on my bike, I’m pretty sure rearsets would solve the problem ? Since the suspension sags so much because of my weight, the bike is lowered signifciantly that my foot scrapes and if I tuck in my foot more, I feel inbalanced. I’ve read up on a site, WRRP? They sell aftermarket parts for most 150cc bikes, so I was thinking about buying some rearsets first, and a longer handlebar and better grips, and lastly if I do have a job still, a aftermarket exhaust. I have one question about the front forks… is it worth replacing the triple clamp front fork ? Or is the stock already decent? I looked at the WRRP triple clamp and my stock one, and I do see a slight reducton in weight but overall , it makes the bike look sexier.

Lastly, theres this problem I’ve been having, and since my chinese isnt good enough to explain to my friends here in taiwan, they can’t really diagnose whats up. I notice, that sometimes, if I throttle it , and let the clutch out fast, like im gonna do a wheelie, even though all Im trying to do is launch out faster , my bike makes this weird rattling noise, like my chain is slipping. I know it has something to do with my weight because this is a 150, not a 1500cc. And when I had a friend in the second seat, and Im downshifting from 5th to 3rd, the bike makes the same noise, and I could smell some kind of burning smell, possibly in the engine area. It doesn’t lock up my tires if I downshift too fast, but rather it feels like my chains slipping out of the gears? I took a glance at the chain, and it seemed fine to me, so… just curious.

Once again, thanks for your input! I do enjoy my bike, and I am hoping to upgrade soon… Either a Ninja 250 or a Honda 250 Hornet. I find the hornet really aggressive but with a classic look. Damn, 180 tires and a 17L tank ? That bike looked as huge as a large displacement bike and it looked bigger than a ninja 250. Both bikes cost like 160,000+ used… so I guess I’m saving for one of those bikes. I DO want a large displacement bike, but from the looks of Taiwan and how they treat large bikes as gods of the roads and all the damn taxes and regulations , I find that its not worthy for me to go for a red plated bike. Besides, the way these idiots drive on the street, and the way they park? Man, I park my bike sometimes, between other scooters and its a pain in the ass to pull my bike out sometimes, since its fairly bigger than a scooter and much heavier. a Quannons like what, 300 pounds? I already have trouble maneuvering it by hand but I can lift my rear tireoff the ground if I need to pull my bike out … I doubt I can lift a 600 pound bike from a parking spot LoL.