Custom motorbike designers are thriving in Taiwan. And while the scene isn't as well established as in Japan or the West, Taiwan's designers have big dreams.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00When Gao Xiangyan was a student, he never imagined he'd be a respected
00:06craftsman working on custom motorbikes. This was someone who'd studied
00:09telecommunications engineering, not the sort of person used to working with
00:13their hands. But a failed quest to trick out his first motorbike set him on a
00:17path that would become his life's work.
00:19Gao's career as a remodeler of motorbikes didn't start out smoothly. He says he
00:44had no credentials or reputation, and so getting customers was tough at first. But
00:49he ignored the temptation to give up, and now has a place as a professional in a
00:53niche but growing biker subculture.
00:55He's far from alone in the field though, as new talents are building a name and
01:02carving out a place for themselves all the time.
01:06Wang Minglong is 24, and was a rising star from his first attempt at turning a
01:12bike into a unique creation.
01:14Wang Minglong used to create a craftsmanship.
01:20At that time, there was a first time in the IIWA racing game. That was a
01:24tournament. I held it to win the first attempt at winning a professional
01:26design competition. But that was the first time I did.
01:30His dream now is to enter a competition in the U.S. and win, putting Taiwan's custom bike scene on the map.
01:52Motorbike redesigners like these are resourceful people.
01:55They often have to search out long discontinued parts from obscure overseas sources.
02:00They need a wide range of contacts, even furniture upholsterers to provide the right foam so the seats are perfect.
02:08They do their own part-making and DIY assembly as well.
02:16And of course, they have to test out their creations themselves too, checking to make sure everything is up to the highest standards.
02:23Maybe the hardest thing they have to do, though, is push back against misunderstanding about what they do.
02:29Taiwan has over 14 million scooters and motorbikes, but these are mostly standard models.
02:35And even though people have been customizing bikes in Taiwan for at least 20 years,
02:39there's still a sense that these bikes are dangerous, or worse.
02:42Taiwan's custom bikes are actually very perfect.
02:45But the main point is that it's the issue of認知.
02:48Today, no matter whether it's the people's認知, the警察's認知, or the檢驗員's認知,
02:54they're completely different.
02:56They believe that the custom bikes are approved.
02:58But they say this isn't what the law actually says.
03:04As the custom bike subculture grows, there are hopes in the community for even more explicit leeway from the government.
03:10In the future, if there's a better job, I can say, like, Japan, and the US,
03:15even though the government says,
03:17Hey, you can do it with an auto bike.
03:19You need to be safe.
03:20You need to be better.
03:21You need to be better.
03:22If that's what we want to do,
03:24if we want to do it,
03:25if we want to do it,
03:26or if we want to do it,
03:27we want to continue to do it.
03:28These DIY bike modders say,
03:30what they do is a form of art,
03:32and they hope for greater freedom to express themselves,
03:35and keep a thriving scene expanding.
03:37Luffy Lee and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.