Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Recently, city residents have seen more motorcycles with elaborate custom modifications, some emitting excessive noise. The Taipei City Motor Vehicle Office would like to remind vehicle owners that any alterations to motor vehicles must comply with all road and traffic safety regulations. Alterations which violate road and traffic management regulations will be reported and continuously monitored until rectified.
One of the most common modifications is exhaust pipe alteration. Vehicle operators who are stopped and cited at the roadside will have their data transmitted back to the Taipei City Motor Vehicle Office, which will require the vehicle to undergo a provisional inspection after the problem is rectified. If the vehicle owner refuses to report for inspection or fails to pass the re-inspection, the vehicle owner may be fined or even have his vehicle license revoked based on Article 17 of the Road and Traffic Management Penalty Ordinance. In 2008 alone, the Taipei City Motor Vehicle Office issued a total of 201 inspection notices to owners of motorcycles with altered exhaust pipes.
The Taipei City Motor Vehicle Office asks that any city resident with evidence of illegal alteration of motorcycle exhaust pipes, including license plate number or photos, submit it to the Office, which will immediately issue a notice for provisional inspection. As for noise produced by motorcycle exhaust pipes, city residents may submit location(s) where the noisy vehicle often appears to the environmental protection authority, which will investigate and follow up on illegal conduct.
According to the Road and Traffic Safety Regulations, alteration of motorcycle exhaust pipes is permissible, but any such alteration must include an exhaust system heat isolation protection device, and the opening should be located at the rear of the vehicle. According to Article 16 of the Road and Traffic Management Penalty Ordinance, owners of motorcycles whose exhaust pipes or mufflers are missing, damaged and unrepaired, or altered from the original specifications, and who are endangering others, may be fined from NT$ 900 to NT$ 1,800. In addition, regarding the problem of improperly positioned motorcycle exhaust pipes affecting other motorcycle riders, the Directorate General of Highways has forwarded relevant suggestions from motor vehicle offices to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for amendments in the Road and Traffic Safety Regulations, in order to improve the cityscape and reduce inconvenience and annoyance to road users.