17 Best Motorcycle Rides in Taiwan - Taiwanese Secrets Travel Guide

riding a motorbike at Hehuanshan taiwan — Central Cross-Island Highway, between Hehuanshan and Dayuling

With hundreds of kilometers of gorgeous coastline, a firerce mountain range that bisects the island from north to south, dozens of glorious valleys, dense forests, wild jungles, and one of the world’s most spectacular gorges, it’s not surprising that Taiwan offers some of the best riding experiences and adventures in the world!

harley davidson in taiwan — Me, riding a Harley XR1200x on the North Cross-Island Highway

What’s cool about riding in Taiwan

After riding every kind of bike around Taiwan for 17 years, the one thing I still find awesome and exciting (and unbelieavable) is the fact that pretty much nobody knows that Taiwan has world-class roads and some of the best scenery that exists on earth.

road to jialeshui from eluanbi — Road to Jialeshui, from Cape Eluanbi, at the souther tip of Taiwan

It’s been kept a secret, like so many other things on Formosa. When the secret will be out, Taiwan could become as popular as Thailan’s Mae Hong Son Loop and the Golden Triangle Circuit, or the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Vietnam – both classic motorcycle rides in Asia.

sun moon lake taiwan — Sun Moon Lake in the central part of Taiwan

When I say “every kind of bike” I really mean every kind of bike. Since moving to Taiwan in 2000, I’ve owned at least 10 scooters, a Yamaha SECCA 1982, a Harley, two CB400, an FZ6, an FZ1, a GSX1400, a CB1300, a Ducati Monster 1100, I am now riding a 300cc Kymco scooter, and am planning to get a Honda NC750x (automatic) very soon. I love bikes! I live to ride!

Taiwan is my playground, I know it like the back of my hand, and I’d like to show you my favorite roads on the island, so that you can prepare your own motorbike trip.

Here’s a list of the best motorcycle rides in Taiwan:

1. Traverse the Central Cross-Island Highway

This road is the grand classic motorbike trip in Taiwan. It starts in Puli, a pretty uninteresting city on the west coast, then takes you right into the middle of the Central Mountain Range, at Hehuanshan, where you cross the range at more than 3000 meters, then ride into Taroko Gorge all the way to the Pacific Ocean on the other side of the island. Can be done in as little as 6 hours if you ride non-stop but I highly recommend you break the journey in two days and make overnight stops at Hehuanshan or Tianxiang in the gorge.

Bring warm clothes, rain gear, gloves, and make sure you fill your gas tank before crossing the high pass at Hehuanshan. You should only do this road trip on a proper, reliable scooter or motorcycle with decent tires and good breaks.

Roads: 14, 14甲, 8, from Puli on the west coast to Xincheng at the end of Taroko.

Central Cross-Island Highway in Taiwan — Central Cross-Island Highway

2. Ride through Taroko Gorge

If you don’t have the time to do the whole Central Cross-Island Highway, you could plan to “only” do this section from Xincheng to Tianxiang Village. Rich in both scenery and riding excitement, this epic journey is guaranteed to bring you tons of photo opportunities, and challenge your riding skills.

Road #8