Vintage bike owners want reduction in road tax

SEREMBAN: Owners of vintage and classic motorcycles want the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to reduce the road tax for their two wheelers by 90% a privilege which the government gives owners of vintage cars.

They said that since their machines were also collectibles, they should be entitled to a discount.

The JPJ gives owners of modern classic and classic cars an 80% rebate on road tax while those with vintage vehicles get 90%.

It is estimated that 15,000 two-wheelers, which were manufactured as far back as the 1950s by Triumph, Norton, Ducati, BSA and AJS, are still on Malaysian roads.

Expensive rides: Chandra Sekaran (right) and other owners of vintage motorcycles meeting up after a leisure ride in Seremban recently.

Malaysian Classic Motorcycle Club founding member Michael Sundram said owners currently paid between RM100 and RM400 in road tax.

“These bikers only use their machines between 20 and 30 times a year. It is not fair to make them pay so much when other motorcyclists pay only RM2 per year,” he told The Star.

Owners of a 750cc and above vintage and classic motorcycle pay RM400 in road tax per year, those with 501cc to 749cc (RM250), 350cc to 500cc (RM180) while those with 250cc machines pay RM100.

K. Chandra Sekaran, 57, who has a Norton and Triumph, said in many countries, owners of vintage and classic motorcycles only needed to have their machines inspected by a club which would then register the owners for the purpose of getting discounts from the authority.

“As long as the machines are roadworthy and in mint condition, the owners can apply for discounts on road tax as well as insurance.”

Chandra said the owners were already paying a hefty insurance coverage and this had caused many of them to give up their interest in such motorcycles.

“If nothing is done, you will never see these old beauties on our roads any more,” he said, adding that owners of these bikes were required to pay up to RM600 in insurance and loading.

Jagjeet Singh, 37, who owns a 650cc Triumph Thunderbird and other vintage motorcycles, said the authorities also required them to have their bikes inspected by Puspakom annually.

“Owners of classic and vintage cars are only required to take their cars for inspection once every three years. We should also be entitled to a similar privilege,” he said, adding that Mat Rempit, who are a menace on the road, only paid RM2 in road tax.

Another collector M. Manoharan 57, who owns several Triumph, Norton and Ducati models, said a road tax reduction would help as the owners had to spend a lot to maintain their bikes.

“There are very few people left who specialise in such bikes so it can cost quite a lot,” said Manoharan, who has been collecting such bikes since he was 18.