Top 2 scooter, motorcycle makers roll out heavy models in Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 17, 2003 (CENS)--The top-two motorcycle makers in Taiwan, Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. (SYM brand) and Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd. (KYMCO), are actively promoting their heavy motorcycle and scooter models in the domestic market.

Taiwan's over-150cc motorcycle and scooter market was reopened after a closure of about 20 years as one of the conditions agreed to by the Taiwan government to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) last year.

Sanyang plans to demonstrate the RV-180 180cc scooter model in Taiwan by the end of January. The new model will be priced at about NT$85,000 (US$2,457 at US$1:NT$34.6) and have a 15.5 horsepower output, equal to the power of a general 250cc model. Sanyang expects to sell 150 units of the new model each month. The firm began production of its first heavy motorcycle model, the 200cc RV-200, last year, though only for export.

Sanyang said that it had received orders for over 40 RV-180s before the formal demonstration and the company is confident about the sales prospects of the new model as it is very price-competitive.

Kwang Yang was the first local company to debut high-powered motorcycles and scooters in Taiwan. The company demonstrated two heavy PTW models, including the Grand Dink scooter and the Venox street motorcycle, three years ago and began exporting these models to Europe. Kwang Yang claimed that it shipped a combined 2,500 units of the two heavy models last year.

The Taiwan government lifted the engine displacement limits on locally sold motorcycles and scooters in July last year. Kwang Yang has sold about 700 such units in the past few months and has asked distributors to further promote these models.

A senior Kwang Yang official said that his company would concentrate on the development of heavy-duty scooters and is in intensive R&D works on two new models, including a 750cc model (currently the world's largest-displacement model) and a 400cc model. The official said that the engine development work has been completed.

Kwang Yang said it adopted a flexible design on the frame of its Grand Dink heavy scooter model so that the platform can be fitted with engines with displacements from 125cc to 750cc.

In addition, Kwang Yang claimed, it would sign a cooperation agreement during the upcoming Taipei International Motorcycle Show with Kawasaki of Japan to import several 900cc to 1,200cc heavy motorcycle models from the partner. Kwang Yang won the local dealership right for imported Kawasaki motorbikes late last year. It said that such imported models would be priced at NT$400,000 to NT$700,000 (US$11,560 to US$20,231).