Thoughts from 4000 miles around Newfoundland.

[Lee R]

I just recently completed a 4000 mile trip around Newfoundland from Upstate NY on my RX3.



Newfoundlands amazing go there, it's basically a giant Acadia National Park. Heres a few observations for those who are planning something similar in the future. I'd like to say first that the bike completed the trip without any mechanical problems other than some really noisy valves when I got home. It does have some serious limitations for long trips which I'll note below.

The Good!

It's pretty comfortable for all day riding. Not BMW GS or large ADV comfortable but it's really not bad for ergonomics. If you keep speeds to about 55-60mph or 80-90kmh it cruises really well.

Fuel economy is normally about 50-60 mpg, for me it's about 53 average. Not wonderful for a small engine but better than larger bikes which saves a few bucks on gas. I filled up every 150 miles or so and the RX3 saved 1 liter of fuel over the KLR 650's when they filled at the same time.

Chain adjustment is a breeze on this bike, takes maybe 10 minutes in the field.

Tire life is long. The stock CST tires were used and after 4k miles they are about just past half worn. You could likely count on 6000 out of them on the east coast, not sure about out west with the rougher pavement and hotter temps though. The Shinko 805's go about 4000 miles as well if you need more aggressive tread.

It's good in wind for a light motorcycle. The 2nd gen KLR had some serious speed wobble issues in crosswinds at 70-75 mph which the RX3 does not have. Pretty stable to max speed

The BAD.

Fuel range is too low, it makes for way to many stops for my tastes. If you're in a group like I was it means your stopping the group all the time for gas when they're at near half tank. I carried a spare fuel can and used it half a dozen times so we didn't have to stop so much and because I ran dry twice.

Fuel economy in adverse conditions. If you encounter a headwind be ready for your mpg to take a huge nosedive. I saw 29mpg. Be prepared if you're crossing a 100 mile gap as you might not make it.

Top speed is fine for off highway use. It's a 250 so the highway is really only under ideal conditions and then only barely. I used the trans-canada on the way there and could barely maintain 110kmh but was so far off with a headwind on the way back it was not even close to doable. I couldn't maintain better than 82kmh in 4th pinned with traffic flowing at 130-135 which is pretty unsafe and maybe illegal if the min speed limit exceeds that. This was without luggage which I offloaded into my dads truck (his TT250 didn't make it in time) to get better speeds, with luggage I would have been far slower. Even in 90kmh areas the RX3 couldn't maintain the speed limit at times due to winds. Due to the need to get to work and no extra day of vacation to use an off-highway route which the bike would have done fine, I loaded it in the truck and skipped about 300 miles of highway.

Valve adjustment intervals got in the way on this trip. After about 2800 miles they started to tick pretty loud and when I got home they were very obviously out of adjustment. I wish the interval was longer because doing valve adjustments in a campground or parking lot isn't my idea of vacation time well spent. That interval needs to be a solid 5000 miles. Mine were set at .08mm when I left.

The USB accessory is low output and won't keep a phone running or a Delorme PN-60 running for more than 4 hours or so. I burned a ton of battery's on the GPS to keep it running. The regular 12V with a usb plug works but rattles loose a bunch.

Headlights are ridiculous, get aux lights and make sure the mounts are strong. I had one break due to vibes, the other when I fell in loose gravel. That made the ride home limited to daylight only. Way too many deer in the Northeast and never mind the Moose at night. Even with an H4 which I tried I'd want aux lights to be safe.

Don't try to keep up with KLR's on proper rough trails the RX3 has far less suspension travel than those bikes. It's basically a street bike dressed in ADV clothing with some great crash bars and a skidplate that'll likely break at the front weld when you hit something. That and the centerstand mounts are way to low and hit everything.

The paint. It scratches/chips very easy and gravel will basically bead blast the low areas. Lots of touch up needed on mine as it's missing a lot of paint. I did about 150 miles of very loose gravel and it took it's toll. (Golf ball sized)


So that may of sounded overly harsh but I'm just trying to be honest with my experience. In the end a 3500 dollar motorcycle just did a pretty good amount of miles to a location where had it broken parts replacements would have taken a long time to arrive. It made it without any mechanical failures which says a lot. Would I take it again? No. Next time I'm using my Stelvio as it's far more comfortable and the fuel range is double plus great lights and headwinds don't affect it. You could buy 3 RX3's for the price of a Stelvio though and take some friends. To be fair the KLR owning friend of mine is now buying a Super Tenere for the next long trip. Those same headwinds kept them at max 65mph on the highway.

A few photo's from the trip, Newfoundlands pretty amazing.

[Azhule]

Been watching Bob Ross lately and some of those landscape pics need to be painted

Thanks for posting up your trip and KLRs feel a little better at higher speeds with a Fork Brace installed (I like Eagle Mikes version)

[rjmorel]

Lee R, great report and super pics. I concur with your observations on the RX3. It is what it is and I sure have fun on it and it fits me way better then my Nc700x which can get better mileage then the RX3. Like you said for $3500 its paid me that back many times in faithful smile miles.
On the 12v plug I put a length of electric tape on both sides of the male plug between the grounding ears and it tightens up the fit so it doesn't come loose. rj

[Lee R]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Lee R, great report and super pics. I concur with your observations on the RX3. It is what it is and I sure have fun on it and it fits me way better then my Nc700x which can get better mileage then the RX3. Like you said for $3500 its paid me that back many times in faithful smile miles.
On the 12v plug I put a length of electric tape on both sides of the male plug between the grounding ears and it tightens up the fit so it doesn't come loose. rj

Yeah I hope people don't think I'm beating up the bike, it's great for the price I paid! It also made the trip without failure and it's pretty comfortable. It's not in the same league as any of the larger ADV's for comfort and range though. Anyone planning a trip should make sure they stick to 55 mph zones and lower unless it's a calm day. I used the 18" wheel on the trip in order to use up the CST tires I had in the garage. The CST's were actually really good in everything for what they are, including torrents of rain. The 18" is terrible on those larger melon sized and above rocks though, it try's to push the rock instead of roll over it which ends up with a front wheel wash out. The RX3 doesn't have the grunt to really pop the front over anything either, it's just too heavy with luggage for that.

The Red KLR in the photo above cost 2100 dollars used with 7500 miles on it. 2006 model. It made the trip without issue and fell a few times. That's probably the RX's biggest threat is other used models that fall below the 4275 asking price, which is a lot of them. For 4275 I'd find a 13/14' CB500x and buy a 19" front wheel and bars/skid plate for it. Just too close in price tbh.

Good tip for the 12v plug I'll give that a try.

[2LZ]

Great report and ride Lee! Thanks for sharing!

[jbfla]

Thanks for the great photos, Lee, and the honest evaluation of the RX3 on long trips.

From my experience, I agree with your conclusions.

Have you had time to check the valve clearances since you've returned?

I'm curious as to how much they have changed.

jb

[Weldangrind]

Wonderful pictures!
How long were the ferry rides?

[BlackBike]

Everyone on this site is intelligent/mature enough to understand your observations on the rx3. GREAT REPORT, THANK YOU!

I love that sand track photo. That could be the black and white Ansel Adams like signature photo for Adventure Riders. We all know that feeling it let's you know your ALIVE! All your photos are super but this says a lot to those who understand what they are looking at.

That looks like one of those lifetime trips.

[Lee R]

Originally Posted by jbfla

Thanks for the great photos, Lee, and the honest evaluation of the RX3 on long trips.

From my experience, I agree with your conclusions.

Have you had time to check the valve clearances since you've returned?

I'm curious as to how much they have changed.

jb

I'm starting the valve check this afternoon so I'll let you know what I find, I expect they're quite loose.

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Wonderful pictures!
How long were the ferry rides?

8 hours for Sydney to port aux basque, 16 for Argentia to North Sydney. We opted for a reserved seat for the first leg which is pretty comfy and ok for that leg (both are overnight). The 16 hour we had a cabin split between 4 of us, so 50 a night for the cabin. The other port of entry is through Labrador way up north if you go that route.

Originally Posted by BlackBike

Everyone on this site is intelligent/mature enough to understand your observations on the rx3. GREAT REPORT, THANK YOU!

I love that sand track photo. That could be the black and white Ansel Adams like signature photo for Adventure Riders. We all know that feeling it let's you know your ALIVE! All your photos are super but this says a lot to those who understand what they are looking at.

That looks like one of those lifetime trips.

Thanks! You might like these as well. I love photography and the editing process afterwards, it's rewarding when you get something special. I'll drop two of the before and after shots from lightroom at the bottom.
















The time to learn something light Adobe Lightroom is very well spent if you want the maximum from your photo's. I shoot everything in RAW for the most part and expose manual trying to preserve both the highlights and shadows enough to fix in lightroom. The auto exposure usually prioritizes for one or the other when you can get both in post production and the results are closer to what you actually saw.

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by Lee R

I'm starting the valve check this afternoon so I'll let you know what I find, I expect they're quite loose....

That's what I am curious about.

My experience with checking the valves is that they have always been tighter, especially the exhaust valve clearances.



More great photos. I'll need to try Lightroom.

I've been using the limited capabilities of the Mac OSX built-in "Preview"

jb

[SeerAtlas]

Originally Posted by jbfla

Thanks for the great photos, Lee, and the honest evaluation of the RX3 on long trips.

From my experience, I agree with your conclusions.

Have you had time to check the valve clearances since you've returned?

I'm curious as to how much they have changed.

jb

I too REALLY appreciate your candid observations on the bike. Having owned /ridden a great many of the supposed specialty adv bikes, I sometimes have to work seriously at trying to avoid the nausea engendered by the CHEERLEADING squads for some of these things:(. Hope your buddy is a big guy, the super tenere is BIG, heavy bike anywhere but the dealers showroom . have him let the dealer lay one down on the showroom floor, so he can pick it back up. Remind him that will b the EASIEST(and least expensive) recovery he will ever see.:


Now, consider it travel loaded in the sand.-
Remember, more often than not, the job of the mad avenue types is closer to that of a trial lawyer than a conscientious news caster- ie., to MIS-represent!

[BlackBike]

Lee, I know nothing about photography, but it's easy to spot tourist photos vs someone that takes even just a little effort thinking about a little composition and angles. Makes a world of difference. Thanks for sharing. This site is what is inspiring me to become/continue adv riding.

Roughly speaking, What % did you camp vs lodging?

How many days was the trip?

What were the temperature extremes? I will stop

[Lee R]

Originally Posted by jbfla

That's what I am curious about.

My experience with checking the valves is that they have always been tighter, especially the exhaust valve clearances.



More great photos. I'll need to try Lightroom.

I've been using the limited capabilities of the Mac OSX built-in "Preview"

jb

The Exhausts were .02mm and the Intakes >.10 so the exhaust valves went way tight (explains the last two hard starts in the morning) and the Intakes were the ones making the racket. They were all .08mm when I left.

Originally Posted by SeerAtlas

I too REALLY appreciate your candid observations on the bike. Having owned /ridden a great many of the supposed specialty adv bikes, I sometimes have to work seriously at trying to avoid the nausea engendered by the CHEERLEADING squads for some of these things:(. Hope your buddy is a big guy, the super tenere is BIG, heavy bike anywhere but the dealers showroom . have him let the dealer lay one down on the showroom floor, so he can pick it back up. Remind him that will b the EASIEST(and least expensive) recovery he will ever see.:


Now, consider it travel loaded in the sand.-
Remember, more often than not, the job of the mad avenue types is closer to that of a trial lawyer than a conscientious news caster- ie., to MIS-represent!

I know what you mean, I tried to be objective for those considering the bike.
My buddy's 6' 4" and about 215 pounds and in very good shape so the Tenere will be within his means. He's mainly looking for something that will do interstates and longer distances better which the Tenere will be good for. I know what you mean for picking one up, I tipped my Stevio over which is about the same weight and it's HEAVY.

Originally Posted by BlackBike

Lee, I know nothing about photography, but it's easy to spot tourist photos vs someone that takes even just a little effort thinking about a little composition and angles. Makes a world of difference. Thanks for sharing. This site is what is inspiring me to become/continue adv riding.

Roughly speaking, What % did you camp vs lodging?

How many days was the trip?

What were the temperature extremes? I will stop

I camped all but one day in provincial parks/national parks. Canadian parks mostly have really nice showers and laundry to pretty cushy camping conditions. I stayed in a hotel one night on the way back only because I left my camping gear to pick up at a later date at a buddys house (lighter faster on the way home) The trip was 22june to 04 July. Temps were average 65 but low/high of 45 to 85. Newfoundland's usually about 50 low/60 for the high in the summer. It only rained 2 of those days and we had very lucky sunshine and warmer than average temps.

[SeerAtlas]

Originally Posted by Lee R

I know what you mean, I tried to be objective for those considering the bike.
My buddy's 6' 4" and about 215 pounds and in very good shape so the Tenere will be within his means. He's mainly looking for something that will do interstates and longer distances better which the Tenere will be good for.

might b a great match for him then,super comfortable on the highway.one thing, get a serious bash plate.engine cases extremely vulnerable to impact from below, even curbs. good bike for man his size off the serious trails.

[FastDoc]

What a great trip! Thanks for the time you put in for an amazing thread. We appreciate the sharing.

I rode from Connecticut to Newfoundland/Labrador MANY (about 20) years ago on a 1980 Suzuki GS1100E. My buddy Ron rode a 1980 BMW R100. Great ride. 'The Rock' had few paved highways, a D/S would have been epic, thanks for the pics. Brought back good memories.

Rough weather out there, even in the summer.

About the range. I've discovered the ecomomy advantages of smaller engines fades as stress increases. At low power settings a little engine does well on gas. Under stress, lets say long stretches at 70%-100% throttle, you'll get much less economy than a bigger engine like the KLR running at 25% under same circumstances. Also, the fuel pumps need gas to cool them, so running out not good for longevity.

It was good you had KLR's around. They are like tanker ships. No one in history has ever run out of gas on a KLR ;-) 'The Rock' is made for the KLR:-)

The valve adjustment interval is an Achilles heel of that design.

The RX3 has a very effective windshield for it's size.

Odd the power port would not keep your stuff charged.

Thanks again!