How to Buy a Motorcycle?

[sulavaca]

I am a new rider. It is just lately that I learned how to ride a motorcycle. I am planning to buy a new motorcycle but I don't know how to choose one. Do you have any idea or tips on how to buy a new motorcycle that is perfect for newbies like me? Thank you very much!

Firstly, I presume you are familiar with the lack of road rules and how to handle yourself here.

I'm sure this will get into a debate, as I know I don't share the same opinion as some Yamaha users here, but I would tend to recommend a Kymco 125cc.
I've only known Yamahas to have more issues than Kymco, and I've heard Jeremy at bike farm say the same when it comes to scooters. He has the most experience with them after all, bar none I would say. Motorcycles may be a different matter entirely though.

Scooters are great. They take your shopping, your girlfriend and your dog. If you're feeling more local, then they even take your three or four kids to school with no helmets on. Although I would say that if you love your kids, then you might consider offering them at least the protection of a car.

A new, larger seated Kymco 125cc scooter, the last time I checked was being sold for around 75,000NT. I wouldn't recommend the 250cc types as these tend to all suffer multiple issues of every kind it seems from everyone I know who's had one. I don't know your height, but if the larger seated 125cc will do, then that's what I'd go for. I was 180cm when I had one, and it was a good fit for me. The only thing I'd do next time, is have the seat re-made to loose the slanted front part, which makes the rider have to keep re-adjusting their seated position.
I had my Kymco for a good five or six years, and the only thing I changed were tyres, bulbs from time to time and the usual service oils.
Of course in that time, it was hit by a few cars and scooters and such. I'd replace or respray its panels to keep it looking fresh, but that was all.
Our apprentice has a new Yamaha 100cc. Actually he has two new ones. His mum runs one. They both have all sorts of issues it seems and he hates his. It's worse that now it's barely over a year old, that all the parts he has to put into it cost a hell of a lot as they are imported, and there are very few spurious or OEM components available. I think he prefers his old Dio. Being Taiwanese, and old now, the bits for it are super cheap, and are readily available.

In order to register it with your local gang government, you will need an A.R.C/local I.D. card, and one other local proof of I.D. such as a national health card or riding/driving licence. You may sometimes get away with a passport if you have neither of those last two.

You can take your test at a local government testing grounds. You can find location information online. I have some related information for motorcycles in our article section on licences. http://actaiwan.com

[Ducked]

Perfect? No. That doesn't exist

Some suggestions:-

(1) Ignore that article you link to. Its irrelevant to Taiwan and the guys first bike choice is spectacularly stupid.

(2) Don't. Its dangerous.

(3) Go to some area in Taiwan where motorcycles are parked and identify the motorcycles you see.

(4) Sit on one of each and try and get a feel for how well they fit you. Make a list of the ones that seem OK.

(5) Rank them in order of commoness. Common is good

(6) Check availability new. Some models didn't make the transition to FI a couple of years ago.

(7) Do a search on here for opinions on each model on your shortlist.

(8) If you still have questions, post a specific enquiry about your shortlist.

Avoid anything with a fairing. Avoid heavy "cruiser" style bikes like the Kymco Zing (I don't believe any new cruisers are available anyway). Avoid that Sym T1 because its unusually and offensively fake. Avoid the SYM T2 because its reported to have engine troubles.

This is not really a big deal decision because your choice of NEW machines is very restricted indeed, and all the common models are fairly suitable for beginners, if they fit you.

Note: I'm assuming here that by "motorcycle" you do mean motorcycle, not scooter.

[omerojs]

I am a new rider. It is just lately that I learn how to ride a motorcycle. I am planning to buy a new motorcycle but I don't know how to choose one. Do you have any idea or tips on how to buy a new motorcycle that is perfect for newbies like me? Thank oyu very much!

I cannot belive there are so many steps and things to think about in order to get the most common thing there is in Taiwan...

to get a scooter just think of your budget, if its over 50 then buy new or else then 2nd hand..
if you can buy yamaha, everything else is the same...
to buy a new one walk to a shop and look at the new bikes and ask price... you will need your ARC and health insurance card.. also cash..
if you want check a few shops for different prices... if you buy new there is not much to think about brand, yamaha is always reliable and works.. they have been making scooters and bikes for a long time...

if its a 2nd hand then walk to a few stores and look for what you think looks nice, then ask for a test and drive a few blocks back and forth with it, if you like it then buy it, dont think too much about it... its just a scooter... if the scooter has any problem most stores give you a 3 months warranty that they will fix evey thing you dont like, so dont worry about that either..
good luck

[rk1951]

I cannot belive there are so many steps and things to think about in order to get the most common thing there is in Taiwan...

to get a scooter just think of your budget, if its over 50 then buy new or else then 2nd hand..
if you can buy yamaha, everything else is the same...
to buy a new one walk to a shop and look at the new bikes and ask price... you will need your ARC and health insurance card.. also cash..
if you want check a few shops for different prices... if you buy new there is not much to think about brand, yamaha is always reliable and works.. they have been making scooters and bikes for a long time...

if its a 2nd hand then walk to a few stores and look for what you think looks nice, then ask for a test and drive a few blocks back and forth with it, if you like it then buy it, dont think too much about it... its just a scooter... if the scooter has any problem most stores give you a 3 months warranty that they will fix evey thing you dont like, so dont worry about that either..
good luck

I totally agree. It is not rocket science. And that statement about Yamaha is ridiculous. I am not saying that Yamaha is just amazing and that they will never have problems, but do you honestly think that Kymco or any other brand is just that much better? No! I have owned so many different scooters and motorcycles here. I am not just saying that. I could count them, but I think I have owned about 40 different bikes. I usually buy old junk foreigner bikes, fix them up a bit and sell them back to foreigners for a little profit in my free time. I also love motorcycles and I have a mental problem. I just cant stop buying them!! All scooters and motorcycles here are going to have small problems. Actually I bought a used Yamaha Cabin 50cc 8 years ago. I only had to replace the piston and cylinder once. It had broken a few belts, brake lines, and throttle cables in its day, but that thing was the most reliable scooter ever. I actually just sold it for 10k to a foreigner a month ago. It is still on the original crank from 8 years ago, and I am sure the previous owner 8 years ago never rebuild the engine. Good job Yamaha! See everyone will have their own experiences. It is like when you go traveling and some people say they had the best time in a certain country, but other people had the worst experiences there. You decide for yourself!

Whatever you want being a motorcycle or a scooter than just get it. It will have problems, and in the future if you don't like it sell it and find something else. Everyone is going to have their opinions on what to get, but just get what you want. I was told that the CPI 250cc was a horrible bike. I wanted to learn a different riding style, but that was my only option without buying a liter bike. Everyone told me that they have all these problems. Bullshit!!! I own one now, and it doesn't have any problems. Yeah it has small annoying motorcycle problems, but so have all my other bikes I have owned! It is awesome and I'm so happy that I didn't listen to other people.

If you are going to stay here for awhile, then I would just recommend buying a new bike. New scooters are great and will treat you well if you take care of them like changing the oil every 800-1000 kilometers. If you want to get a motorcycle then they are all fine. I find that motorcycles are way more fun to ride, but they have more annoying problems than scooters. They also are harder to carry things and riding in the rain with a motorcycle all the time wears on you. When I first got here I only rode motorcycles, but I slowly switched over to scooters. I now have both! I find a scooter for daily riding around town is just more practical, but everyone is different. If you decide on a bike then they are all going to be fine. Fairing or no fairings. T1 or Quannon....they are all going to treat you well if you treat them well. Good luck!

[Battery9]

ok
I take it you want a motorcycle, not a scooter. If I were you, I'd go to that parking lot behind Warner village and look at all the bikes. That's how I chose mine. How wide is it, how easy is it to spot, which parts of it bumps into scooters when you need to squeeze it into a tight spot (which is important if you need to park on a busy street) Look at which parts rust first...look at which seats tear easily..stuff like that.

[sandman]

Go with sulavaca. All the way. He knows what he's talking about.