SYM Motors

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SYM's scooter Fiddle II

SYM Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 三陽機車; pinyin: Sān Yáng Jī Chē) was founded in Taipei in 1954 by Huang Ji-Jun and Chang Kuo An. The company's headquarters is established in Hsinchu, Taiwan and SYM's three major production bases are in Taiwan, China and Vietnam. The company manufactures and sells scooters, motorcycles and ATVs under the SYM brand. Since the beginning, the company has produced 8.9 million scooters and motorcycles (and should have reached 9 million units in August 2005). The company reported a global turnover of 500 million euros in 2004. Today, the annual sales revenue of the company exceeds 1 Billion US dollars and it produces more than 600,000 units of motorcycles and 20,000 automobiles per year. SYM currently employs more than 2,000 people in its manufacturing plants.

Contents

History [edit]

The parent trading company, Ching Feng Hang, was founded in 1947 and imported their first motorcycles (BSAs) in 1949. In 1954 Sanyang Electrics (with four employees) was formed, restructured into Sanyang Industrial Co. Ltd. in 1961. In 1962 they formed a joint venture with Honda to begin local assembly of motorcycles, the first motorcycle manufacturer in Taiwan (30% local content).[1] In 1969 assembly of small Honda cars (N600, TN360) began. As Sanyang's own motorcycles entered direct competition with Honda's products worldwide, the relationship was terminated in January 2002 and Honda began building cars themselves as Honda Taiwan Co. Ltd.[2] Sanyang instead signed a contract with Hyundai and currently assembles much of their lineup for the domestic Taiwanese market.

Sanyang Industry Co. Ltd. has its main office in the Hsinchu Industrial Park in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. It has a subsidiary in Xiamen city, China, named Xiamen Xiashing Motorcycle Co., Ltd., and another subsidiary in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, Vietnam, named Vietnam Manufacturing & Export Processing Co., Ltd. (VMEP).

Global operations [edit]

SYM also has a co-operation with Hyundai Korea in manufacturing of cars in Taiwan. SYM also has ties with international companies like International Truck, Bombardier Recreational Products and Mahindra & Mahindra Limited in India.

In July 2005, SYM launched a new range of two-wheelers for sale in the European market. The range includes the GTS scooter (available with 125cc, 200cc and 250cc engines), the MIO scooter (50cc and 100cc). Also included are two ATV models: the Trackrunner leisure ATV (200cc engine), and the 250cc Quadlander offroader.

In January 2006, SYM signed an agreement with the Kinetic Motor Company of India for a purchase of 2,065,000 equity shares and technical collaboration. This will amount to SYM holding a 11.1% (approx.) stake of the enhanced capital of Kinetic Motor Company Limited. With SYM taking a minority stake, the management control will be retained with the Kinetic Group. SYM plans to start producing and selling 50–250cc capacity SYM brand scooters in India through the widely established Kinetic sales, distribution, and service network sometime in 2006.

In January 2006, SYM also signed a partnership agreement with Carter Brothers Mfg. Co. Inc. for exclusive distribution rights in the United States of America. Operating out of a 235,000 sq ft (21,800 m2). office-production-and-warehouse facility in the small town of Brundidge, Alabama, 60 miles (97 km) south of Montgomery, Carter Brothers claims to be the oldest and largest continually operating manufacturer of go-karts and off-road buggies in the world. Established in 1936 by the brothers W.W. Carter and Charlie Carter, the company initially specialized in manufacturing agricultural machinery, lawnmowers and personal gardening equipment.

On July 12, 2010 a fire destroyed Carter Brother's main warehouse and manufacturing facility,[3] resulting in the loss of approximately 3,000 unsold SYM scooters. [4] A subsequent investigation by the Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office determined that the cause of the fire was arson. [5]

In March, 2011, an official at Carter Brothers Mfg. Co. Inc. made it known to the editor of the Team Symba web blog that the partnership agreement between SYM and Carter Brothers would end as of April 1, 2011. [6] Also in March, 2011, Alliance Powersports, Inc. (a subsidiary of Lance Powersports, Inc.) of Mira Loma, CA notified existing SYM dealers that it had signed an exclusive distribution agreement with SYM for the western half of the USA. [7]

In 2008 the two-wheeler division of The Kinetic Group has been taken over by Mahindra, a leading manufacturer of utility vehicles in India.

In October 2006, SYM opened a second manufacturing facility in Nagoya, Japan. They are known for their parody advertisements on Japanese subways, taxis and cars. Their slogan, reading "名古屋にこいや!" literally meaning "Come down to Nagoya!", is known by many locals.

Models [edit]

SYM Attila in Ho Chi Minh City
SYM Mio in Durham, North Carolina
SYM GTS EVO 125i at HMS Royal Arthur in Corsham, Wiltshire

Scooters [edit]

  • Cello
  • Citicom 125
  • Citicom 300i
  • DD
  • Duke
  • Euro MX
  • Fiddle
  • Fiddle II
  • GR125
  • GT125
  • GT125 EVO
  • GTS 200
  • GTS (called Joymax in Israel)[8]
  • GTS EVO 125
  • GTS EVO 300
  • HD EVO
  • HD 125
  • HD 200
  • Jet
  • Jet 4
  • Jet Euro X
  • Jet Sport X
  • Joyride (called Le Grande in Australia)[9]
  • Mask
  • MaxSym 400i
  • Megalo
  • Mio
  • Orbit/Classic
  • Radar-X (Also called Radar 125 in Thailand)[10]
  • Red Devil
  • RS
  • RV250
  • Super Duke
  • Shark
  • VS/Excel II
  • JetPower
  • JetPower EVO
  • Fighter (carburated,ZR dual disc version and EFI VIP)
  • New Fighter (EFI with STCS intake technology)
  • Xpro series
  • Symphony
  • Symphony SR
  • Jet 4
  • Symmetry

Motorcycles [edit]

  • Wolf 125/150
  • Wolf Classic 125/150
  • T1 150
  • T2 250
  • XS125-K[11]
  • wolf sb125n

Cubs [edit]

  • Bonus
  • Magic 110RR
  • RV1
  • Symba

ATVs [edit]

  • Track Runner
  • Quad lander

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ "SYM History". Sanyang Industrial Co. Ltd. Retrieved 2010-12-13. 
  2. ^ Chen, Kevin (January 11, 2002). Honda to sever ties with Sanyang. Taipei Times. p. 18. Retrieved 2010-12-13. 
  3. ^ Keaton, Holli (July 12, 2010). Devastated. Troy Messenger. Retrieved 2011-03-17. 
  4. ^ Henry, Bryan (July 13, 2010). Fire marshal puzzled over discovery in Pike Co. warehouse fire. WSFA12 News. Retrieved 2011-03-17. 
  5. ^ Keaton, Holli (July 19, 2010). Arson named cause in Carter Brothers fire. Troy Messenger. Retrieved 2011-03-17. 
  6. ^ Dahl, Nathaniel (March 17, 2011). SYM and Carter Brothers - Splitsville!. Team Symba. Retrieved 2011-03-17. 
  7. ^ Martin, Joel (March 14, 2011). Lance - Alliance email confirms West Coast Relationship with SYM!. MRP-Speed.com. Retrieved 2011-03-17. 
  8. ^ Joymax 250i
  9. ^ Le Grande 200 specifications
  10. ^ Radar-X 125 in Thailand
  11. ^ Sym on-line showroom

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: SYM motorcycles
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