CPI went downmarket with 150cc and 125cc motorcycles after launching the 250. It’s understandable, given the no man’s land from 250cc to 549cc. The Kymco scooters in the 250cc to 549cc range have not sold well in the 'wan, but sell well in Europe. Honda doesn’t even sell its SH300 in the 'wan, but it’s the top selling 300cc scooter in Italy. (!) Similarly, the SYM 300i. Not sold in the 'wan, but does well in Europe.
Which leads to the question of whether CPI will jump from 250cc to 550cc and whether it’s first “heavy” will be a scooter or a motorcycle.
CPI’s smartest upscale move would be a red plate twin, I think. Everyone with a yellow plate that lusts for a 550cc+ but can’t afford an import would have zero options other than a CPI 550. It would be like Hyosung 650s in Korea, and after a year CPI would get it right (meaning, as reliable as current CPI 250s, unlike the Hyosung, who can’t even make a scooter that won’t bring the owner a lifetime of anguish and remorse).
Plasma, you’ve got to have an opinion on this, since you are the bard of Dali City.
I hear that they are working on their 250cc range. They seem to be having problems with the emissions. Apparently the government is insisting on domestic bikes passing phase 5 emission levels (which standard this is I don’t know). And they’re having trouble with that.
Anyone got any suggestions on how to easily and cheaply reduce the emissions? We can let them know and get the ball rolling.
I have 2 things to say, first of all I wouldn’t trust my life on a machine that has so much power and comes from a company that works the way CPI does… trial and error… get a Honda or Yamaha or Kawasaki or ducati or Agusta or triumph or Harley or something like that… something that has been on the market for many years and has the reputation of a life time behind them with hundreds of engineers working their asses off to produce a powerful yet reliable motorcycle…
now, what would CPI do now… i think they will try a cheap entry level red plate, no yellow plates since they wont make money because of the express way things…
[quote=“omerojs”]I have 2 things to say, first of all I wouldn’t trust my life on a machine that has so much power and comes from a company that works the way CPI does… trial and error… get a Honda or Yamaha or Kawasaki or ducati or Agusta or triumph or Harley or something like that… something that has been on the market for many years and has the reputation of a life time behind them with hundreds of engineers working their asses off to produce a powerful yet reliable motorcycle…
now, what would CPI do now… I think they will try a cheap entry level red plate, no yellow plates since they wont make money because of the express way things…[/quote]
I own a CPI and totally agree. Actually, I don’t think they will be pumping out any kind of red plate bike in the near future. God, who would buy that??? According to a few shops/clubs that are always at the track, CPI really isn’t doing well here in TW. I think they should defintely focus on what they have and try to improve. They have a decent 250cc engine. Im sure they could build off of that and put out some different style of bikes with that engine.
[quote=“rk1951”]
I own a CPI and totally agree. Actually, I don’t think they will be pumping out any kind of red plate bike in the near future. God, who would buy that??? According to a few shops/clubs that are always at the track, CPI really isn’t doing well here in TW. I think they should defintely focus on what they have and try to improve. They have a decent 250cc engine. Im sure they could build off of that and put out some different style of bikes with that engine.[/quote]
I agree with you my friend… they should work more on the 250cc bikes… but i think they will want more revenue from sales… anyways, we will see !!
If they do make a red plate I wouldnt count on it being a good value. I think they would make it about the price of what a Japanese bike costs in the US. They will price it just cheap enough to lure some dummies who dont want to pay the full import price.
Case in point - look at the ludicrous price of the Kymco Venox 250 compared to what it costs in the US.
Taiwan is a depressing place to be into bikes (but not as bad as some places)!
[quote=“omerojs”][quote=“rk1951”]
I own a CPI and totally agree. Actually, I don’t think they will be pumping out any kind of red plate bike in the near future. God, who would buy that??? According to a few shops/clubs that are always at the track, CPI really isn’t doing well here in TW. I think they should defintely focus on what they have and try to improve. They have a decent 250cc engine. Im sure they could build off of that and put out some different style of bikes with that engine.[/quote]
I agree with you my friend… they should work more on the 250cc bikes… but I think they will want more revenue from sales… anyways, we will see !![/quote]
I’ve had some email banter going back and forth with CPI, they tell me that they want to release the XR250 here in Taiwan, but it doesn’t meet the emission tests (have now found out that they have to meet Euro regulations).
When I asked them about using the engine from the SM250 as it’s already on sale here and passes the emission tests, they said that because it’s a water cooled unit it’s more expensive.
Translation…they’re not going to make any more water cooled units because they don’t make enough profit. And their air cooled 2500cc lumps are too dirty to be legal here (how ironic).
They’re not gonna make anything new that has a 250cc or bigger engine in it.
Case in point - look at the ludicrous price of the Kymco Venox 250 compared to what it costs in the US.
lol, so true, I found a Vennox online with a US dealer, it was cheaper to buy in the states than it was to buy on Ruten. How messed up is that! I mean, it’s not an ugly bike, just a bit fat and weak. I could put up with that to an extent if the price was right. 150,000-200,000nt for that. At that price getting an import with 70% tax is cheap!
In response to PaddyB’s comment about this being a depressing place to be into motorbikes - I absolutely agree. Since I came here I’ve almost stopped riding, lost the passion for ever owning a big bike again, stopped reading UK magazines.
TW is a great place to be into cycling though, so that’s where my attention has switched. Now I’m reading MBUK abnd Dirt and just leaving my CPI collecting dust in the basement, while I amass a collection of pushbikes at a fraction of the UK cost.
Plus I have next to no chance of dying or being seriously injured. Some might say I’m getting old. See the light fellas!
[quote=“jaame”]In response to PaddyB’s comment about this being a depressing place to be into motorbikes - I absolutely agree. Since I came here I’ve almost stopped riding, lost the passion for ever owning a big bike again, stopped reading UK magazines.
TW is a great place to be into cycling though, so that’s where my attention has switched. Now I’m reading MBUK abnd Dirt and just leaving my CPI collecting dust in the basement, while I amass a collection of pushbikes at a fraction of the UK cost.
Plus I have next to no chance of dying or being seriously injured. Some might say I’m getting old. See the light fellas![/quote]
Sorry i get a bit off topic here… what kind of cycling are you into? Taiwan is full of mountains so it requires a lot of strength and stamina to be into cycling… unfortunately the big bikes left me out of both lol…
Inside Taipei, I’m on a bicycle (or on MRT with the bicycle folded). Outside Taipei, I’m on a motorcycle.
My plan is to get a motorcycle big enough to take the folding bike on the pillion. I routinely tour on a m/c with a folding bike bungeed to the top case and passenger grip bars in the U.S.
There are lots of trails I’d like to do outside Taipei, but getting the bike there when you only have a m/c is the engineering challenge.
Ha Ha!! that sounds a lot better now !! but how do u go back to your car? is your wife driving the car or you just take a Taxi back? actually i have seen that !!!
