The Kwang Yang Motor Co (KYMCO), Taiwan's largest manufacturer of powered two-wheelers (PTWs), recently announced that it had signed an agreement with Japanese PTW maker Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. to set up a joint venture in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. The new venture, the Changzhou Kawasaki & Kwang Yang Engine Co. (CK&K), is capitalized at US$10 million. CK&K will produce general-purp...

Sales of new powered two-wheelers (PTWs) in Europe dropped 35% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2009, following a 34% decline in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers in Europe (ACEM). Sales have been dropping sharply since the last quarter of 2008, the association said, as the severity of the downturn puts purchasing power under immense press...

Onorino Di Tanna, 31, a mechanical engineer who has been working at Piaggio for the past five years in the Scooter Technical Innovation section, was invited by the 4th Taiwan International Motorcycle Industry Show (Motorcycle Taiwan 2009) as a key speaker to talk about the successful innovation of the MP3. The mechanical engineer was also exclusively interviewed by the Taiwan Motorcycle and...

The 4th Taiwan International Motorcycle Industry Show (Motorcycle Taiwan 2009), the biggest and only international motorcycle show on the island, was lent more credibility by inviting as VIP Tim Buche, president of three major motorcycling and performance vehicle related organizations in the United States: the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), and M...

A few hundred reporters got an early peek at the world's latest and greatest powered two wheelers (PTWs) displayed at INTERMOT Cologne 2008 on October 7, one day before the event's grand opening. If the constant strobe of camera flashes was any indication, they were clearly impressed by what they saw. The world's largest international trade fair for motorcycles and scooters, INTERMOT ...

Due to limited driving range, light electric vehicles (LEVs) are making the biggest inroads today among commuters in high-density urban markets. Much of Taiwan's population is concentrated in the type of large and compact cities in which LEVs excel, giving the island a natural home market to fuel the sector's rise. A sound LEV manufacturing infrastructure and stringent emission standards promise ...

Taiwanese exhibitors impressed global buyers with a slate of innovative products at the 2008 INTERMOT Cologne, one of the world's top-three motorcycle and scooter shows. Assembled vehicles, parts, accessories, and even a new industrial standard were on display at the Taiwan booths, offering a glimpse at the rapid progress made by manufacturers in the island's powered two-wheeler (PTW) industry...

Pierangelo Andreani, an internationally known Italian who has been designing transportation equipment for over 40 years, generously shared his views on trends in powered two-wheeler (PTW) design, especially in the European market, during a recent visit to Taiwan. Andreani works with cars, motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles, as well as boats. He joined the global car-design firm Pinifarina S.P...

If there was any doubt that a green revolution is gathering force in the motorcycle and scooter sectors, 2008 INTERMOT Cologne put it to rest. Electric vehicles were the star attractions at the world's third-biggest motorcycle and scooter show, which ran from October 8 to 10. While pump prices are falling, electric powered two-wheelers (PTWs) have been riding the momentum of eco-friendly senti...

Motorcycle makers in Taiwan have been forced to brainstorm, besides relying on filling OEM orders in rosier times, to come up with creative ways to effectively compete in the increasingly harsh global arena, especially with players in emerging economies ready to reduce costs and margins to paper-thin levels. One recent example of the local makers' innovative attempt is the prototype RoboSooter, a...