OEM reenters market with large-sized motorcycles in Taiwan
News release
Honda Taiwan Co., Ltd. (HTW), a wholly owned Honda subsidiary in Taiwan, has begun sales of large-sized motorcycle models in Taiwan.
On April 18, nine models went on sale at four HTW dealership locations, which will open sequentially in major cities in the northern, southern and central regions of Taiwan. The nine models include INTEGRA, CTX700N, CTX1300, GL1800C, NC750X and CB1100EX, which will be imported from Japan, and NSS300, CBR500R and CBR650F, which will be imported from Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a Honda subsidiary in Thailand.
HTW will offer this broad lineup of large-sized motorcycle models to fulfill the diverse needs of customers in Taiwan. Moreover, each dealership location will be staffed with service mechanics well trained by Honda in Japan, and will offer a good selection of associated parts and accessories with high-quality services to satisfy customers in Taiwan.
In 1961, Honda began local production and sales in Taiwan of small-sized motorcycles, mainly 125cc-class models, through a technology licensing agreement with a local company (under a technical collaboration agreement). With the dissolution of the partnership in 2003, Honda discontinued its motorcycle business in Taiwan. However, the market for large-sized motorcycles has been expanding due to the fact that the large-sized motorcycle market in Taiwan was liberalized after Taiwan became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, the recent rise in income level and changes in highway traffic laws which will lift a ban on riding large-sized motorcycles on highways. In 2014, industry-wide sales of large-sized motorcycles in Taiwan reached approximately 17,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent.
In such changing environment, Honda determined to reenter the motorcycle market in Taiwan and begin sales of large-sized models to accommodate the needs of many existing Honda motorcycle owners and latent customers who are considering a new purchase in Taiwan.
Comment by Hisao Kobayashi, president of Honda Taiwan Co., Ltd.:
“As we evolve our large-sized motorcycle business in Taiwan, we will strive to contribute to widespread acceptance of large-sized motorcycles in Taiwanese society, including promotion of traffic safety as well as the establishment of relevant laws and regulations, the riding environment, parking facilities and the motorcycle-related insurance system.”