Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Darkness]

Just curious if someone could give me an approx price of those Magna bikes I see all over Korea.

Anyone have one for sale, or know a website where I could find one (besides Craigslist.com).

Also I see a lot of second hand stores for bikes/scooters I'm sure I could get one there, but I dont know if it's a goo deal or not, or how much I should try to talk them down.

I am hoping to get one for around a million won or so....

How do I get insurance and plates for the bike??

[RobWest]

I've got a buddy with a Magma for sale. It's actually the first bike I owned and learned on last year which I sold to him and has given both of us good service. He's selling because he just got an SUV- Wifey didn't dig hangin' on back! I think he wants W650,000 for it. If you are interested, I'll hook you two up.

Insurance is easy- around W110,000 for a year and registration, tax and civic fees came to less than W40,000.

Anything over 125cc and you have to get a Korean driver's license- difficult. Helmets are mandatory. If you choose to not wear it, be sure to keep it on the bike so you can doff it when a cop realises you are a foreigner without a helmet on a bike and he has some spare time to correct you of your dangerous ways before you injure yourself, you helpless foreigner!

[Darkness]

So I need to have a Korean drivers license to ride it around?

What if I just ride it without one? I'm in a smaller town, and with a helmet on, I probably wont get hassled too much about it.

[esetters21]

Hey there! I saw your post and was curious about the actual cc's of the bike that you are looking to buy (you said 500cc's). I currently have a Daelim Magma. They are only 125cc's (not 500). It's a great smaller bike. I might be willing to part with mine. I have pics. Let me know if you are interested and I can give you more particulars at that time.

[Darkness]

Doesnt need to be 500cc's, as long as I can get it on the highway and not get plowed over by a truck, lol.

I would like to cruise around to different towns in the spring/summer on the bike....

[earthbound14]

you need a licence for a big bike, you can't get plates or insurance without it. And your not going to get a 500 cc bike for a million unless its complete shit. 2 million you might be able to get an older cruiser lets say a 1990 or 1992. You can get a 1995-1997 Honda 400cc for 3 to 4 million. Bikes are expensive here unless you buy Korean (Hyosung or Daelim). You can get a 125 cc bike cheap (about 500,000W), and you can get by without a licence on one of them. I bought my 125 off another foreigner and I never bothered to change the plates or get it registered. I rode the bike in Seoul with no problems. You are supposed to get a drivers licence to ride a 125 cc bike, which is fairly easy (if you have a Canadian licence they will pretty much hand you a Korean one). If you want to ride anything bigger than 250 cc you need to take a riding test which can be pretty hard if you don't have any experience, but its worth the effort.

Hyosung only started making 650cc bikes a few years back so older bikes are all imports and were subject to hefty import taxes. There aren't many old bikes in the country and the price is fairly high. If you don't have a licence yet, get a cheap 125 and take some time to learn how to ride here, then once you've got things figured out ride your little bike down and get your new licence and then a new bike. The 125's are really cheap to fix, just make sure you take it in and have it checked alot, you don't want a chain snapping on you while going through a tunnel at 90 kms an hour (they are built light and running at high speeds is pretty hard on them).

good luck

[Darkness]

I should have mentioned I have been riding for a while. I have my license at home, and had a bike at home as well. Home is Canada.

I am basically wanting something to tour around to different cities on weekends, and do trips with the bike.

[galen57]

I read your posts about riding in Korea. No motorcycles, regardless of size, are allowed on the toll roads. You will be forced to use the secondary highways.

I am currently riding a Hyosung 125 pseudo sport bike. The engine was designed with Suzuki's help. It has a 4 valve, DOHC configuration. It doesn't start making power until 9,500 rpm. Needless to say this can be a buzzy, fatiguing ride. With a small Asian woman on the back,(40kgs), on twisty, climbing roads, I am lucky to get out of 3rd gear.

The trucks, busses, and other vehicles don't respect bikes at all, so be prepared to be cut off, passed too closely, or generally abused.

As for having a license in Canada, if you got an International license before you left the country it will have all the same endorsements as your Canadian license. They are good for one year. I paid $10.00US at AAA in the States. If you don't have one and are going back for a visit, it is worthwhile to get one.

As for bigger bikes, I am planning to buy a used Suzuki from my local dealer. He has a couple of Harley Police Specials, a BMW cruiser, and a number of Japanese crotch rockets around 400cc's. Shop around, you can get good deals on used bikes. They usually have low mileage, since you can't really go that far in Korea.

[Darkness]

I dont have an internation drivers license, didnt even know they existed!

So no bikes are allowed on toll roads, well that sucks. If I cant use the bike to really travel around, then screw it.

But if I can get a bigger bike, ride it over the summer and sell it for approx the same amount, I would do that. I heard bikes hold their value over here

[esetters21]

I can attest to the previous posts on the requirements for riding and registering here. No bikes are allowed on the "expressways". You can travel on secondary highways as much as you want.

I am from America and rode big bikes back home. It was very simple to get a Korean license. I took an eye test and the written test. No problems. I am now able to ride up to a 125cc bike and drive a 9 passenger car here without having to take a rode test.

Bikes larger than 125-250 cc's are very expensive here..especially if they are not Korean made.

Regardless, if you have any interest in the bike that I have please feel free to inquire. Good luck!

[RobWest]

Darkness,

The Magma IS a 125cc.
There are plenty of ways to get to where you want to go without taking the highways. More scenic as well, even though it may take a tad longer.

I can't stress enough how important it will be for you to get whichever bike you end up with insured and registered. A potential bucket of misery for you can be avoided with a couple of hours and W150,000. They have very heavy personal injury laws here that could ruin your plans if you can't pay cash for damage you cause. You won't be able to register a bike over 125cc without a Korean license, though.

Rob

[Darkness]

Oh I plan on registering it etc for sure!!

I thought the Magma was bigger then 125cc. But I guess if I could get a decent Magma I could still travel with it!!

I think a magma would be better off for long trips then the scooters, what do you guys think??

*edited* as I was editing I noticed the post below, wicked thanks!

[earthbound14]

You can find bikes on line at
http://www.auction.co.kr/
and
http://www.motorlink.co.kr/

There is another site but I can't remember it, if anyone out there knows what it is post it!!! it has lots of bike listings.

Once you find the price you can get a Korean friend to help you buy it or you can head to Chungmurro Station in Seoul. They have all the big shops there. I was there today and I saw about 5 Honda CB400 1997 selling between 3.4 and 3.8 million, but I've seen some 1995 models sold on the net for 2.7-2.9 million won. I've seen some older cruisers (Honda Steed 400-750cc, Kawasaki Vulcan 500cc, and a few old Yamahas) for sale between 2.5 million and 4. Kinda expensive for old bikes here. I also saw a Hyosung 650cc Comet sell for about 2.5 million. The little 125cc bikes are good but not so fun on the highway, but they are cheap as shit to buy and maintain (I keep one for riding around town, and I ride my Honda when I feel like hitting the highway).

When you buy a bike keep in mind that the couriers use them, and they kick the crap out of them, try to avoid one that may have been owned by a courier (look for signs that a rack was once on the back of it). The couriers in Seoul will use anything, I've seen a few lads rip past on a 600cc race bikes and loaded with tires, computers, or god knows what strapped on the back. Also the bikeshop guys are prone to lying about the age and mileage of a bike, don't trust the odometer and don't trust him when he tells you what year it is, get the papers and make sure they match the number on the frame (they can still swap engines on you).

The Hyosung Comet 250cc is a pretty good little bike with a top speed of about 135 KM/hr. It has lots of pep off the line and you will feel comfortable on Korean roads with it, you just won't be pulling out to pass too many buses.....and perhaps that's a good thing. The Comet 250 might cost you anywhere from 1 to 2.5 million used (they sell for 3 million new). The only draw back is that even Korean mechanics think the quality of it suck in comparison to a Honda....but then there is a huge cost difference and if you're buying a 1995 Honda vs a 2003 Hyosung....

The toll highways are off limits, but there are plenty of highways and getting around without the expressways (toll highways) is no big deal. I've ridden my bike from Seoul to Kyeongju (near Busan) in a day, done day trips to Sokcho and back, and once you learn where to toll booths are you can sneak on the express way once and a while for a rip so you feel like your back at home in Canada for a minute instead of in a mess of tangled taffic.

Since you're Canadian and you have your licence from home, head down to the local office and have them issue you a Korean one....very easy.

good luck

if you need anything else send me an email

kris

[Darkness]

Oh I can just go to the local office and get my Korean license, that's awesome!!

I wouldnt mind something that is not too much money, and something I can travel with. I'm really bored in this country and thought I would pick up a part time job in order to buy a bike and use it to get from my p.t work, to my f.t work then I could look forward to seeing new towns, and the country side on a bike in Korea!!

I should get and start a motorcycle touring group. Meet up and go to different towns, and trips on the weekends!!

[Darkness]

The second website I can't seem to find prices, and I dont read Korean.
I'm seeing numbers like 209, is that 2.09mil? or something....