Yes, I´d like to buy a bike here, but I have some doubts… . Well, first of all, my target is a 200cc bike (hartford), and for the moment I don´t have any kind of license, not even from my country, but I´ve driven scooters for sooo long and sometimes some motorcicles here in Asia
I´m not sure about the following points:
[ul][li]Can I buy the bike before getting the license?[/li][li]If my intention is to ride a motorbike instead of a scooter, can I take the exam with a scooter?[/li][li]For this license, is it mandatory to go through some classes or can I take directly the driving test?[/li][li]Does anybody have a good offer for me? [/li][/ul]
So, that´s all… I hope that somebody can solve my questions… thanks!
You don’t need a license to buy any motor vehicle here, just an ARC or whatever you have to show ‘citizenship’ (i.e. government issued deal if you are married or lived here long enough to get ‘grandfathered’ in as a citizen). That is needed too transfer it into your name.
Jacked up part of the license process is that if you have an ARC it has to be ‘valid’ for over 365 days (many sob stories at the bar about the date the school applied for the ARC (after the actual date of hire) and when it expires is less then the required 365 (monkeys with their thumb up there rear this system I think). They will break out the calculator and figure it out, I couldnt get my license for two years (two different times trying) because it was withing DAYS of the required 365.
Now most ‘white plate’ scooter/motorcycles the police won’t pull you over randomly, however the bigger boys (251-549cc yellow plates and 550+ red plates) get pulled over or ‘questioned’ more since they are a lot more rare as well as a higher violation if caught without proper license. However if the cops are on the prowl, a violation of having no license on a ‘white plate’ bike is 6000nt (that is what happened to me five years ago). But mind you that to drive a ‘big’ bike (yellow or red plate) you need a valid ‘standard’ scooter license for at least a year before you can even try to get a ‘big bike’ license.
Now if you get in an accident (this is Taiwan people, accidents find you) you will want to make sure you have all your proper documents. It is easy enough to go get your drivers license (basic scooter is an easy test (online version that if you go through a few times will exhaust all the questions on the real test at the motor vehicle location)). Car test is easy as well (if you know how to drive that is!(same deal, take the online test enough times and you will have all the needed answers)). Might I add, as the furiner (spelling I know, for comedic value) is always in the WRONG, but just wait for the cops and dont give your info to the other driver without police involved (should start a thread just on the furiners getting screwed over in traffic situations…I digress).
If you go straight for the car test and pass you are all set for any scooter/motorcycle under 250cc’s in the same breathe. Which the driving (car) test is easier then the scooter driving test in a couple ways I think. But that is a discussion for another time. (for those wondering, the ‘steady line test’ for the scooter license is ridiculous I think. For instance I like going to get my renewal just to sit at the fence and watch all the locals fail it and then drive off on their own scooter (no license since they failed), as well as the random tear jerker from the girl who breaks down after failing the ‘balance’ test. Not an ‘anti-Taiwan’ thing, but a laugh at the system thing.
Bottom line, get your license sooner then later (I went two years without one, got the big ass ticket for no license and wised up, big bike certified now (but no big bike) and knock on wood no traffic accidents).
Now things are a little bit more clear to me, and I´m pretty sure that some people will find interesting this information. But still some doubts remain… for example, if I want to ride a 150/200cc motorcicle, can I use a scooter for the test? isn´t it mandatory to take some basic classes? Cause obviously I prefer not to pay any class, and also I find more easy to pass the test with a scoter…
Luckily enough, my ARC is valid for more than one year (still one and a half year remaining ), so one thing less to worry about!
It seems to me that if you can ride a scooter you can easily get the licence if you have the inclination. I have a local scooter licence and I can tell you the practical part is so easy as to be a joke, but I failed the computer questions once!
I am a responsible father and like my father always have in place the appropriate licence and insurance before driving or riding anything. I heard from other foreigners that some like to ride illegally on scooters registered to other foreigners who have left Taiwan with no intention of returning. Be aware that if you do this, it is illegal and you might have to pay a small fine if you get caught. If you are involved in an accident you are automatically in the wrong if you move the vehicle from the point at which it comes to rest after said accident, even if that’s in the middle of the freeway on a Friday evening. Never move the vehicle, or it’s your fault (this actually happened to me when someone drove into me at the airport). Even if your vehicle causes an inconvenience to hundreds or thousands of other motorists, never move it until after the coppers have taken their pictures and scribbled some chicken sratchings in their funny, funny little books.
As for your original question of can you buy one without a licence… what do you think 50% of the over-60 population of Taiwan did to get their old scooters and Nissan Cefiros? I don’t have any evidence to back this up, but I honestly don’t think most Cefiro drivers have licences, or the necessary eye glasses to bring their vision up to legal standards either.
It will be a lot better in 30 years when they’re all dead. Until then… when in Rome…
I advise against doing anything illegal. But take that with a pinch of salt. When you see copper after copper turning right on a red light, not giving appropriate turn signals, crossing solid lines, you start to realise that if the coppers think that’s normal and acceptable then everyone else thinks so too. Do you want to be the only mug following the rules to the letter when even the police don’t?
Thank you so much jaame for your post. I really appreciate the information. Definetively I´ll get the license and I´ll try not to use so much the scooter without it
The only problem is that I´m currently working and I don´t know when to take the tests, since it seems that it´s not possible to do that during the weekend… let´s see if I can have half day off for being… ah… sick? I´m leaving to my country on christmas, for two weeks, and my boss is already annoyed.
AFAIK it´s possible to use a scooter for the driving test even though I want to ride 150cc bikes… cool
Yea for the test you can actually rent one of their scooters at the motor vehicle place (25nt or something small). Hardest part on that (that everyone seems to fail) is driving 90 feet (I think is the distance) within two lines (about a foot/foot and a half) wide. Thing is you have to go slow, without putting your foot down or crossing either line, all while allowing the timer to run out (not sure the time, thinking about half a minute). Its the part I sit around and watch when I go to renew my licence (new ARC, have to get it stamped again to keep it valid). Good luck,
It’s actually 8 seconds but it feels like half a minute. You get a practice run thru the course and then you get two attempts. I touched the bar on my practice run but it was because I was going to slow and needed to touch the throttle a few times. I adjusted and started out fast enough that I could just coast although I was barely moving at the end. the rest really isn’t that hard as long as you are comfortable riding and don’t accidentally go over the wrong line when stopping. But they are clearly marked and they will have someone walk thru the course with you.
Yea, eight seconds sounds more like it…has been a while since I took the test. But agreed is that is the most difficult part, aside from knowing how to stop at a stop light and a train crossing.
That slow ride - just hold the revs up a bit which balances the bike and give it some back brake at the same time to control your speed. You can go as slow as you like and the force of the crankshaft spinning balances the bike much more than if you’re at low revs. After two minutes practice of this technique in a car park even my mother would be able to use more than ten seconds for the required distance!
Yeah, I got the motorbike!!! It´s a small but very nice/cute Wolf Leged, in good condition. I got it for 17K, but I also had to pay about 2600 for the papers (license, change ownership, and 2 years of insurance).
I think that if I take the driving test with the scooter I´ll have no problem to pass it, even though I´m quite absent minded and that could screw it up… . The theory test, if it has the same difficulty level than the online one, I´m not afraid at all
And now, I have one doubt… for getting the driving license, I need to hold an ARC valid for more than one year. That´s ok. But, what happens if I loose my job, or I decide to quit and study for a while? In that case, since my ARC is relies on the contract, I´m not sure if I should return the driving license, or I can keep it with me…
Hey, got the bike (SYM Wolf Legend), and got the license!
I´d say that it´s really cheap and easy to get a license here… yeah, can´t complain but may that´s the reason ‘cause I have to deal everyday with kamizake riders that put on risk their and others’ lifes…
Just study for a few days the tests they´ve on the web, practice a bit with the scooter (traffic jams are really good training), and the license is yours…
BTW, I do think that if my ARC is cancelled by any reason, I´ll loose the license as well… :S
Do NOT need a lisence to buy a scooter, register it and get insurance. Both my wife and I bought scooters (her from a friend, me from a used dealer) without licenses. Went to the DMV, got registration and insurance with our names in them.
[quote=“Confuzius”]Do NOT need a lisence to buy a scooter, register it and get insurance. Both my wife and I bought scooters (her from a friend, me from a used dealer) without licenses. Went to the DMV, got registration and insurance with our names in them.
This was last month, maybe the month before.[/quote]
i don’t think anyone has said that you can’t license a scooter w/o a driver’s license. You need an ARC. But everyone recommends having a local or valid international license because the police are starting to give a damn. Not having a license is an easy way to turn a 500NT ticket into a 5000NT+500NT ticket. And things could also be bad for you if you were in an accident where someone was injured.
Jesus, you can go check out Mark’s bike world on Facebook if you ever feel like making your bike look cooler (different handles, gas tank, or even a paint job) Cool tip for motorcycles here is always carry an extra spark plug with you:) You don’t want to get stuck out in the mountains with something that can so easily be fixed:D Happy riding!
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“Confuzius”]Do NOT need a lisence to buy a scooter, register it and get insurance. Both my wife and I bought scooters (her from a friend, me from a used dealer) without licenses. Went to the DMV, got registration and insurance with our names in them.
This was last month, maybe the month before.[/quote]
I don’t think anyone has said that you can’t license a scooter w/o a driver’s license. You need an ARC. But everyone recommends having a local or valid international license because the police are starting to give a damn. Not having a license is an easy way to turn a 500NT ticket into a 5000NT+500NT ticket. And things could also be bad for you if you were in an accident where someone was injured.[/quote]
Its just that the OP asked this and did not get a straight “yes you can” answer, though the issue is resolved and he has a scooter. My answer was more for future reference in case people search.
