Job Discussion Forums

[justin20]

I am currently working on my TEFL certificate, and planning to go to Taiwan for a few years to gain experience before I go to Malaysia. I love riding motorcycles here in Canada and want to continue in Malaysia.

I have been browsing the Malaysia classifieds to get a idea of prices on motorcycles and for used ones they seem extremely high, In allot of cases I would be able to buy a brand new bike here in Canada same model and it is 5+years newer.
I just want to know if there is a high import tax on bikes going into Malaysia and that is why they are so expensive for used ones? I have seen many priced in the rm40k mark for like a 600cc bike. I have seen brand new Honda cbr 600s for rm77k.

One other thing, can expats buy motorcycles in Malaysia, and can they get a bank loan for on them, or finance them if I bought new?

[tttompatz]

Bikes are cheaper on the street and more expensive on-line.
You can buy a bike.
You can drive a bike.
You (as a foreigner with no permanent ties to Malaysia) CANNOT get financing for a bike (with the exception of 100% down and easy monthly payments of 0 MYR per month).

.

[KayuJati]

justin20

As tttompatz says, the prices that you are looking at (online) are ridiculous. Those must be for Ducatis or Harleys.

Most Malaysians ride 80-130 cc motorcycles, which run RM4k-10k brand new and as low as RM1k used. These tend to be Japanese brands (Yamaha, Suzuki) or Malaysian brands (Kriss). There are also some older Italian Vespas around which carry a higher price tag because people buy them to fix up and show off at Friday and Saturday night races.

Larger bikes run in the 250-800 cc range and cost in the low RM20k to RM30k range new. I bought a Yamaha Virago (535cc) back in 1997 for RM16k (RM23k new) from a guy who didn't like the license number (had 4's in it, which is bad for Chinese). So, you should consider buying a used bike since that first year is the largest depreciation.

I don't know about financing. I have never financed anything here, paying cash for everything: motorcycles, car and, yes, even a house. As a foreigner with a contract and work visa, I could have gotten up to 50% financing on the house, but why finance when you can buy cash outright and not have to worry about financing issues. What counts as a decent down-payment in Canada can buy you a house outright here.

I concur with tttompatz's recommendation. Buy a bike; ride it; forget about financing.

[gloomyGumi]

is "buying motorcycle" sort of like "taking walk"? it could either be the odd omission of the article "a", or equally likely the more-acceptable omission of the plural "s", that i am truly wondering about.

[justin20]

The only reason I thought about financing was because the prices seemed so crazy on used bikes.
The prices were for Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki bikes. It was the approximate price for bikes 2002 and newer. Most of the bikes I seen after 2002 were quite allot.

[KayuJati]

[KayuJati]

justin20

FYI. Motorcycle prices, small selection.

Yamaha FZ150i (150cc) brand new RM8,212
Yamaha Lagenda 115Z (115cc), step-through, new RM4,947
Honda CBX 750cc, (used, 4,500 km) w/saddle bags, RM18,000
Yamaha 110cc (used, 10.3k km), RM1,500
Honda Wave 125x Ultimo (125cc) new RM5,734 - electric start
Honda Wave 110cc new kick start RM5,044

Not too many big bikes on sale at that shop (most were for show).

Again, most Malaysians ride bikes in the 110-250cc range. Anything above ~600cc gets stuck in traffic, i.e., you end up driving like a car. There is NO benefit to a big bike in city traffic since it is like a car but without air-conditioning. Better to ride a smaller bike (<600cc) which can go to the front of the traffic queue at lights. Makes for easier parking also.

For me, my Yamaha Virago 535cc has been perfect. Big enough for the major highways; small enough for city traffic.

[justin20]