Taiwan PTW makers see smoother road for heavy-duty models

Taipei, Nov. 25, 2003 (CENS)--Both two leading powered two-wheeler (PTW) makers in Taiwan, Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. And Yamaha Motor Taiwan Co., are actively deploying their big-displacement PTW business on the island.

Taiwan lifted the long-term ban on importing heavy (over-150cc) PTW models after becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Jan. 1, 2002, allowing the first batch of such heavy-duty PTWs to be sold in July last year. The domestic sales of heavy PTWs, however, were not so smooth as originally expected, as only 5,600 such models were sold between July 2002 and October 2003.

To help promote the sales of heavy PTWs in Taiwan, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) recently confirmed that it plans to authorize local-level governments to choose some proper high-speed roads for heavy PTWs. The freeway systems around the island, however, won't still be open to heavy PTWs, according to MOTC.

For the possible business expansion, Sanyang, maker of SYM brand PTWs, recently claimed that it would ally with SACHS of Germany and introduce the partner's models, including a 650cc model and an 800cc one in the first batch, into the island for local sales.

Sanyang said that it has sent six units of the said two models for local specification and emission tests by Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and the two models, which will be priced at NT$400,000 to NT$500,000 (US$11,765 to US$14,705 at US$1: NT$34), are expected to be formally vended in the domestic market early next year.

Sanyang said that it would sell the imported heavy models via existing sales channels around the island but does not rule out setting up another new distribution system for the imported PTW brand in the future if everything goes smoothly.

In addition to the imported models, Sanyang claimed that it would also pour over NT$100 million (US$2.94 million) into the development of under-500cc heavy PTW models in Taiwan for domestic sales and exports (mainly to Europe). Sanyang, in fact, has developed several heavy PTW models, including a 180cc scooter and a 180cc motorcycle as well as the world's first scooter model equipped with a 180cc electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine debuted recently.

Yamaha Taiwan, the local subsidiary of the big Japanese PTW brand, recently also plans to jointly develop heavy PTW models with its Japanese parent company.

Yamaha Taiwan's special assistant to chairman Lin Ji-song said that his company is actively carrying out a heavy model development project with Yamaha Japan and plans to open a flagship demonstration center of heavy PTW models in Taipei next year for both street sport and cross-country heavy models.

In Taiwan, the top-two PTW brands SYM and KYMCO (Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd.) have pushed 180cc and 250cc heavy models, respectively, to compete with imported counterparts such as Yamaha, BMW, Harley Davison, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda etc. Honda is currently the most popular heavy PTW brand in Taiwan, accounting for about 1,000 units of the total sales volume since the market opening.