RX3 Testimonials and Issues

BigDukeSix · 04-27-2019, 05:26 PM

My new 2018 arrived with bent spokes that caused headshake. CSC fixed my problem, but it took a while to figure out what the issue was and to work through the logistics of taking care of it.

at about 400 miles or so, my rear brake began giving me issues - would only work if I pumped it. I stripped a screw when attempting to bleed the brakes and wound up having to replace the master cylinder.

Once that was replaced, all was good for another 100 miles or so and now the problem is back - but not every time I ride. I'm betting that I still have the original problem but it was just temporarily solved when I replaced the master cylinder.

I ride the bike now just a few times per week for running errands in town and when I run down to the community college where I teach a class a couple of times per week.

I really like the RX3, but my V Strom is my go-to bike for most riding these days. It's a little better suited for the high speed limits on country roads out here and I have a lot more confidence in it. Once you get outside of my town, there is a whole lot of nothing and if you break down, you could be there a while.

sqwert · 04-27-2019, 08:51 PM

First container 2015.

Throttle would not return to idle. No lubricant anywhere under grip or in cable. Surface rust on inner cable. Cleaned with SeaFoam Deep Creep, kerosene, SeaFoam Deep Creep, blown dry, then lubed with Blaster Chain and Cable.

Poor front brake. I rarely use rear brake unless loaded and on the highway.

Rear brake a bit grabby, so "grooved" to reduce surface area. Now, very nice.

Poor headlight bulb. Replaced with 55w H4 from Walmart. That was better than CSC's LED.

Rear axle nut torqued to specs after replacing worn out chain and sprockets parted company out in the country. Fortunately, found apparently abandoned car with lug nut that fit rear axle. Made it home. Drilled nut and axle for cotter pins.

Several electrical doodads under tank and seat failed while riding in rain. Hard to figure what was good and what was bad with so many concurrent failures. Replacement parts failed next rain. Both sets of parts ran fine once set atop the fridge to soak heat to dry. Solution was waterproofing like an Everglades swamp buggy, time and money never spent on any other bike. Bike runs in rain.

Bike would run several minutes to several days without leaks, then drain coolant in minutes. Never figured why or how. Refill, ride on to next pissing match.

No idea what has failed this time, just quit at 45mph on a back road..

Sad thing is, the RX3 is a quite pleasant bike to ride the paved back country roads. Handled great once preload and fork oil adjusted for load, even better when switched to softer sport touring tires, braked good once front upgraded with CSC parts and rear modified, to be less grabby, plenty of alternator for auxiliary lights that filled the blank spots from CSC's LED, Secure luggage for trips (CSC aluminum upgrade), and really nice ride with Tako's seat cover over CSC's taller seat. Ride and performance were perfect for where I wanted to go. Even the occasional tractor lane. Those positive attributes will be sorely missed, especially since the replacement will not share them. However, I was generally missing those attributes anyway since the RX3 couldn't keep itself running without constant trouble shooting and repairs in addition to scheduled maintenance.

Working_ZS · 05-02-2019, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDukeSix

...
at about 400 miles or so, my rear brake began giving me issues - would only work if I pumped it. I stripped a screw when attempting to bleed the brakes and wound up having to replace the master cylinder.

Once that was replaced, all was good for another 100 miles or so and now the problem is back - but not every time I ride. I'm betting that I still have the original problem but it was just temporarily solved when I replaced the master cylinder.

...

Not much can cause the problem that you are describing. Since the master cylinder is new, I think that you can eliminate it as a suspect. Things to check would be the rotor for warpage, which can cause knock back of the piston into the caliper, which would necessitate pumping the pedal like you describe, to get any rear braking. The caliper could be binding, so check the forward caliper slider pin, make sure that it is lubricated with silicone grease, AKA plumbers grease. The slider pin should slide in and out of the rubber bushing effortlessly; and the caliper itself should rotate upwards clockwise easily when you remove the rear pin. If you haven't already, I would replace the brake bleeder with a Speed Bleeder, and then re-bleed the brakes. If I recall correctly, the bleeder is a M8 x 1.25 - these are the ones that I used:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WJ2SYK...ustomerReviews

They make bleeding the brakes pretty much foolproof, and air in the line can cause your symptom. Water in the brake fluid can do it as well, if your brake fluid has been sitting around awhile in a container that was not tightly sealed. Hard braking can cause the water to boil, flashing into steam, and causing you to have to pump the pedal. If yours is suspect, get some new DOT 4 brake fluid. One more thing to check would be for any soft spots in the rear brake line. To spot these, look and feel for any bulges in the line when you apply the rear brake.

04-27-2019, 05:26 PM	#1
BigDukeSix Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Montana Posts: 46	My new 2018 arrived with bent spokes that caused headshake. CSC fixed my problem, but it took a while to figure out what the issue was and to work through the logistics of taking care of it. at about 400 miles or so, my rear brake began giving me issues - would only work if I pumped it. I stripped a screw when attempting to bleed the brakes and wound up having to replace the master cylinder. Once that was replaced, all was good for another 100 miles or so and now the problem is back - but not every time I ride. I'm betting that I still have the original problem but it was just temporarily solved when I replaced the master cylinder. I ride the bike now just a few times per week for running errands in town and when I run down to the community college where I teach a class a couple of times per week. I really like the RX3, but my V Strom is my go-to bike for most riding these days. It's a little better suited for the high speed limits on country roads out here and I have a lot more confidence in it. Once you get outside of my town, there is a whole lot of nothing and if you break down, you could be there a while.
	0

04-27-2019, 08:51 PM	#2
sqwert Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 382	First container 2015. Throttle would not return to idle. No lubricant anywhere under grip or in cable. Surface rust on inner cable. Cleaned with SeaFoam Deep Creep, kerosene, SeaFoam Deep Creep, blown dry, then lubed with Blaster Chain and Cable. Poor front brake. I rarely use rear brake unless loaded and on the highway. Rear brake a bit grabby, so "grooved" to reduce surface area. Now, very nice. Poor headlight bulb. Replaced with 55w H4 from Walmart. That was better than CSC's LED. Rear axle nut torqued to specs after replacing worn out chain and sprockets parted company out in the country. Fortunately, found apparently abandoned car with lug nut that fit rear axle. Made it home. Drilled nut and axle for cotter pins. Several electrical doodads under tank and seat failed while riding in rain. Hard to figure what was good and what was bad with so many concurrent failures. Replacement parts failed next rain. Both sets of parts ran fine once set atop the fridge to soak heat to dry. Solution was waterproofing like an Everglades swamp buggy, time and money never spent on any other bike. Bike runs in rain. Bike would run several minutes to several days without leaks, then drain coolant in minutes. Never figured why or how. Refill, ride on to next pissing match. No idea what has failed this time, just quit at 45mph on a back road.. Sad thing is, the RX3 is a quite pleasant bike to ride the paved back country roads. Handled great once preload and fork oil adjusted for load, even better when switched to softer sport touring tires, braked good once front upgraded with CSC parts and rear modified, to be less grabby, plenty of alternator for auxiliary lights that filled the blank spots from CSC's LED, Secure luggage for trips (CSC aluminum upgrade), and really nice ride with Tako's seat cover over CSC's taller seat. Ride and performance were perfect for where I wanted to go. Even the occasional tractor lane. Those positive attributes will be sorely missed, especially since the replacement will not share them. However, I was generally missing those attributes anyway since the RX3 couldn't keep itself running without constant trouble shooting and repairs in addition to scheduled maintenance.
	0