I am moving to Taipei in September school (National Taiwan University). I want to buy a used dual sport bike that fits my situation.
I will be living in Taipei commuting to campus in city traffic every day, but also commuting to Hsinchu twice per week (two 150km round trips along freeway #3), plus trips into the mountains and countryside on the weekends.
I need something that will last for around 5 years and I don’t want to spend over 100k-130k used if at all possible (am I being unrealistic?). I’d like something that can still hold its own on hills and from a dead start with a passenger.
I like the Kawasaki KLR650 but it’s a bit pricey and you can’t find it in Taiwan, so I am considering 650cc and 400cc versions of Adventure and Dualsport Suzuki models. What would you all recommend? If not a dual sport, then what? I’ve seen the Ninja 300 thrown around on here quite a bit.
I am moving to Taipei in September school (National Taiwan University). I want to buy a used dual sport bike that fits my situation.
I will be living in Taipei commuting to campus in city traffic every day, but also commuting to Hsinchu twice per week (two 150km round trips along freeway #3), plus trips into the mountains and countryside on the weekends.
I need something that will last for around 5 years and I don’t want to spend over 100k-130k used if at all possible (am I being unrealistic?). I’d like something that can still hold its own on hills and from a dead start with a passenger.
I like the Kawasaki KLR650 but it’s a bit pricey and you can’t find it in Taiwan, so I am considering 650cc and 400cc versions of Adventure and Dualsport Suzuki models. What would you all recommend? If not a dual sport, then what? I’ve seen the Ninja 300 thrown around on here quite a bit.
Thanks for your [/quote]
For that price range (100-130k) you will really find nothing above a 150-250cc here. Also, you can’t legally ride a big bike here (yellow or red plate 251cc plus) without first obtaining a white plate license and having it for one year. Any motorcycle that is under a 251cc isn’t allowed to be ridden on the expressways here too.
Good to know, thanks for the helpful reply, RK1951. Looks like I should expect to shell out quite a bit more dough.
So, let’s suppose I’m willing to pay around 200k (after a year). If I plan to keep the bike for 4 years, should I be looking to a dual sport or something like a ninja 650?
[quote=“rk1951”]
For that price range (100-130k) you will really find nothing above a 150-250cc here. Also, you can’t legally ride a big bike here (yellow or red plate 251cc plus) without first obtaining a white plate license and having it for one year. Any motorcycle that is under a 251cc isn’t allowed to be ridden on the expressways here too.[/quote]
That’s not totally accurate. He could use an international license. I know people who have done it with no problem. After a while, he will need to get a local license, and I’m not 100% sure about this, but it’s possible that he can just convert his international license in the local equivalent.
[quote=“5kold”]Good to know, thanks for the helpful reply, RK1951. Looks like I should expect to shell out quite a bit more dough.
So, let’s suppose I’m willing to pay around 200k (after a year). If I plan to keep the bike for 4 years, should I be looking to a dual sport or something like a ninja 650?[/quote]
200k -> the typical entry level Ninja. But I thought that you were aiming at a Dual sport (which makes a whole lot more sense than a Ninja, IMO).
I own 2 “big” bikes, the one I said before and an R1150R. I like the second better, but the first one is a much better all around bike, and makes a lot of sense in Taiwan. Actually something in between could be great for me (a Versys?), but if I had money I’d have a proper Dual sport AND a more modern version of the R I have.
Thanks for the input. I am also looking at the Versys 650. Its reviews suggest that it should work better on the crappier roads (of the countryside and mountains), but I can’t seem to find much stating its performance in that specific application. What do you think?
The Yamaha R3, Honda CBR and Kawasaki 300 are all around 240k right now brand new (they are smaller bikes, but really all you need in TW for power in my opinion). That could also be an option for ya. I don’t know much about the international motorcycle situation here. You would definitely need that to ride legally though and I wouldn’t even think twice about not having it. If you got into an accident without it there could be some serious consequences.
Bikes aren’t allowed on the freeways. Yellow plates and red plates can now ride on the expressways, but still not on the freeways (the “flower” highways).
Thanks for the input. I am also looking at the Versys 650. Its reviews suggest that it should work better on the crappier roads (of the countryside and mountains), but I can’t seem to find much stating its performance in that specific application. What do you think?[/quote]
A not so powered bike, but probably enough for normal use. The Dakar has (supposedly) something like 50hp. Don’t expect any of these bikes to be superpowerful but again you are going to enjoy them a lot more than the average 250cc… and probably more than the average street fighter or naked or racing machines out there.
Taiwan is full of traffic jams and mountains. I don’t need to tell you where you are more likely to have fun… so make your decision upon the kind of use you want to make out of the bike.
How about just getting a CPI SM 250, people say they are unreliable some say they are fine. A new one can be bought for around 120k and a decent second hand one for 60k. I loved my CPI, it was great for in the city and great for in the mountains. As long as they are treated with respect they are great bikes. Plus they are only a white plate so can be ridden with a scooter licence.
I had one. They are fun, but I just got tired of keeping fixing it, and parts are not as cheap as they should. But yeah, they are fun. For two up they are horrible though.
I don’t think the OP has done enough research about the rules to riding in TW. Things that the OP needs to understand that might determine what bike he rides here are;
-Only 251cc and higher sized motorcycles can legally ride on the expressways (not the freeways). So the number #3 freeway doesn’t allow motorcycles. You can take the 61 expressway though, but I haven’t ridden it much and don’t know how far it goes now down south. Also most bikes that are higher than 251cc are going to be 300cc or higher. The small cc bikes like the 300 cc are just now becoming popular here and aren’t nearly as expensive to buy as a 600cc plus.
-Bike are a lot more expensive here compared to other Western countries. New motorcycles prices can be 20% more than in other countries. I find that used motorcycles aren’t cheap here either.
-You need to hold a 50-150cc license here for one year before you can ride a 251cc plus size motorcycle legally. If you were planning on using an international motorcycle license that might work, but I am unsure about using this kind of license for riding big bikes here in Taiwan. Also, after June the big bike motorcycle laws are changing apparently. I have heard rumors that you will first be required to have a yellow plate license and hold that for a year until you can upgrade to a red plate license. (I am taking my big bike riding test on the 30th of this month, so I was going to ask about this rumor.)
The CPI is a cheap 250cc motorcycle here that has a lot of controversy. I also owned one. I loved it. Never gave me problems, but other people have had problems. I don’t think you are going to want a white plate motorcycle to ride from Hsinchu to Taipei twice a week. That will be at least a 2.5 hour ride, but plan on longer. Even on a big bike and riding on the expressways it will take well over an hour to get there. Also the weather isn’t the greatest here in the north. It rains a lot here (almost everyday this month). Are you sure you want to be riding that far twice a week? I think you would be much happier to by a bike (white plate) just for the mountains and around Taipei but use the trains for transportation to and from Hsinchu. There is the High Speed Rail that could be convenient for you too and much faster. I think total time to Hsinchu from Taipei will be about 30 min. It isn’t cheap though.
