MOTOR Trader 2025

Peter Chu From the Publisher A fter years of development, Taiwan's motorcycle industry has accomplished complete autonomy in design and manufacturing. It has reached the same level of product quality as Japan while gaining wide recognition in the global market. Taiwan's motorcycle brand not only occupies an important position in the domestic market but also entered the international market successfully. With the establishment of its brand, it’s thriving as a globally recognized motorcycle manufacturing country. However, since 1995, when Taiwan's motorcycle sales reached a peak of 1.62 million units, the market performance has begun to show a tendency to decline. Particularly in the domestic market, the development of mass transit systems in metropolitan areas has led to a gradual decrease in the demand for motorcycles. Domestic sales once reached 1.19 million units in 1994, but with the improvement of the public transportation system, domestic sales have declined year after year to approximately 750,000 units in 2018, a 17.09% decrease. In response to the decline in the domestic market, Taiwan's motorcycle industry has turned its attention to the international market and has been actively expanding its export business over the years. It is establishing manufacturing bases in Mainland China and Southeast Asia. The proportion of Taiwan's motorcycles exported once reached a peak of 41% in 2009, but with the intensification of competition in the global market, the proportion of exported vehicles has declined year by year. From 2024 January to September, the proportion of exported vehicles has dropped to about 11.58%. This change shows the challenges and opportunities facing Taiwan's motorcycle industry. How to maintain competitiveness in the international market in the future will be a key issue for Taiwan's motorcycle industry to address. 2025 The premier motorcycle & parts buyer’s guide Photo/EICMA 10