Which Motorcycle Should I Ride to Patagonia?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by expat42451

...Amazing how many people don't do their maintenance or pre ride checks. Several people I ve run into here in my time in South America- traveling on loaded bikes- just get on and ride away. I have yet to see anyone check things like tire pressures for example. Amazing to me.

Expat

Indeed, that is amazing.

Incidentally, unlike many other Chinese motorcycles, I started riding my Zongshen 200GY-2 the same day it was assembled. I didn't need to check all the bolts and apply loctite, et cetera. My Zong was assembled very well at the factory, and all the hardware was of high quality. Therefore, I haven't have any bolts or parts fall off the motorcycle. Similarly, the husband and wife who toured China and Mongolia had their Zongshen bikes assembled on the street, and then immediately began their adventure.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371656







Zongshen manufactures motorcycles with excellent quality control. The new RX3 should exhibit even better quality of manufacture than previous Zongshen bikes.

[SpudRider]

Expat,

If a father and son can ride 4,500 kms across India and Nepal on 150cc Hero Impulse motorcycles, a Zongshen RX3 can certainly take you to Patagonia. For more videos, visit the following thread.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14205

[expat42451]

Good Lord!!....... puts a completely different spin on minimalist doesn't it......

[Weldangrind]

That movie looks amazing!

[MotoJ]

Hi Spud,

Never having owned a brand new bike, let alone one that would be shipped to me in a crate, I'm curious how these come, and the level of assembly.

I understand from CSC the RX3 basically comes with luggage and front wheel unattached, but everything else is done. Is that true?
What about motor oil, brake fluid, coolant, fork oil, etc? In the Silk Road thread the kid talks about a crank-case breather plug that was not extracted or something. Is that something to check for?

What can I expect to have to do the day I get my RX3?

Thanks!

BTW, that guy in the pic looks pretty strong holding up a whole bike by himself! I thought these Zongs were supposed to be porky!

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Indeed, that is amazing.

Incidentally, unlike many other Chinese motorcycles, I started riding my Zongshen 200GY-2 the same day it was assembled. I didn't need to check all the bolts and apply loctite, et cetera. My Zong was assembled very well at the factory, and all the hardware was of high quality. Therefore, I haven't have any bolts or parts fall off the motorcycle. Similarly, the husband and wife who toured China and Mongolia had their Zongshen bikes assembled on the street, and then immediately began their adventure.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371656







Zongshen manufactures motorcycles with excellent quality control. The new RX3 should exhibit even better quality of manufacture than previous Zongshen bikes.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by MotoJ

Hi Spud,

Never having owned a brand new bike, let alone one that would be shipped to me in a crate, I'm curious how these come, and the level of assembly.

I understand from CSC the RX3 basically comes with luggage and front wheel unattached, but everything else is done. Is that true?
What about motor oil, brake fluid, coolant, fork oil, etc? In the Silk Road thread the kid talks about a crank-case breather plug that was not extracted or something. Is that something to check for?

What can I expect to have to do the day I get my RX3?

Thanks!...

You are correct; the bike arrives in the crate with everything installed except the luggage, front wheel, handlebars, and controls. The bike is filled with motor oil, brake fluid, coolant, and fork oil. I only needed to add electrolyte to the Yuasa battery for my Zongshen ZS200GY-2. Personally, I never before heard of a crankcase breather plug. However, it certainly won't be difficult to remove any plugs. Posted below is a video showing the basic steps in assembling a motorcycle which arrives in a crate. You will need a helper to assemble the bike.

Originally Posted by MotoJ

...BTW, that guy in the pic looks pretty strong holding up a whole bike by himself! I thought these Zongs were supposed to be porky!

Actually, he is not holding up the motorcycle. He is using a technique I recommend for installing the front wheel. One man balances the bike on the rear wheel and the kick stand, while the other man installs the front wheel and axle.

[MotoJ]

In the Silk Road thread there's a post where oil has blown through the countershaft seal or something because the breather is restricted with a plastic plug. It's right around the post where the whole motor is replaced.

Many bikes have a breather valve in case the motor is overfilled with oil. On much older bikes there was a hose routed along the rear fender, to keep oil off the engine. It was just dissipated behind the bike. Or, like below, there was a filter that absorbed the oil right at the vent.

[SpudRider]

Yes, all of my motorcycles have a crankcase vent tube which is connected to the bike's air box. However, I never before heard of any crankcase vent being plugged. This is just another instance where Jackson puzzles me with his posts.

[expat42451]

Spudrider

Funny you mention that because he puzzled me with a few of his posts as well......

With a crankcase breather like the below pictured filter, might be good to put that on a tube and higher up for water crossings......

Expat

[SpudRider]

Dual sport bikes and dirt bikes usually route the crankcase vent hose into the air box in order to prevent sucking water into the engine during water crossings. Zongshen has excellent quality control, and is continually striving to improve even further in this area. Therefore, I find it hard to believe the factory didn't install a crankcase vent hose, and put a cap on the crankcase vent. I never heard of any Chinese motorcycle being delivered in that condition, or any other motorcycle, for that matter. However, stranger things have happened.

[MotoJ]

GJACKSON:
Yesterday, I went in to pick up the bike. When i arrived, I found a whole new engine had been installed. Everything looked alright, it sounded good so after a quick check I drove it home. When I arrived, I noticed that the entire rear end was covered in oil and a nice little pool was quickly forming under the engine... The sound remained but i didn't dare test the new engine for the speed problem.


ZHU:
A couple of things to check. New engines sometimes have the crankcase vent sealed for transport so if they fitted a new engine maybe the did not remove the plug from the case vent . If the engine is sealed then it will spew oil from any available seal or gasket.

GJACKSON:
And by the way, Zhu, you were right. They forgot about the plug in the crank case vent. Thanks. I'll also try to find some fuel cleaner.

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...3-report/page6



Man, this was bugging me! I went back and found the entries I was thinking of. The replacement motor was transported with the breather plugged, and the mechanic who installed it forgot to remove it, leading to a blown seal somewhere. Probably nothing to worry about on a crated bike from the factory....but, curious to see where they do route the breather, and if it's plugged during transport. I assume CSC will have instructions.

The boys at Honley have evidently written their own shop manual, independent of the Zong Shen manual- meaning it's not just a translation. Maybe they would license it to CSC?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by MotoJ

GJACKSON:
Yesterday, I went in to pick up the bike. When i arrived, I found a whole new engine had been installed. Everything looked alright, it sounded good so after a quick check I drove it home. When I arrived, I noticed that the entire rear end was covered in oil and a nice little pool was quickly forming under the engine... The sound remained but i didn't dare test the new engine for the speed problem.


ZHU:
A couple of things to check. New engines sometimes have the crankcase vent sealed for transport so if they fitted a new engine maybe the did not remove the plug from the case vent . If the engine is sealed then it will spew oil from any available seal or gasket.

GJACKSON:
And by the way, Zhu, you were right. They forgot about the plug in the crank case vent. Thanks. I'll also try to find some fuel cleaner.

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...3-report/page6



Man, this was bugging me! I went back and found the entries I was thinking of. The replacement motor was transported with the breather plugged, and the mechanic who installed it forgot to remove it, leading to a blown seal somewhere. Probably nothing to worry about on a crated bike from the factory....but, curious to see where they do route the breather, and if it's plugged during transport. I assume CSC will have instructions.

The boys at Honley have evidently written their own shop manual, independent of the Zong Shen manual- meaning it's not just a translation. Maybe they would license it to CSC?

Okay, that makes some sense. I didn't realize the problem occured after the new engine was installed. Indeed, I would also plug the crankcase vent when I shipped an engine. However, installing an engine without connecting the crankcase vent hose is gross incompetence. I have never heard of a Chinese, or any other motorcycle, being shipped from the factory in this condition.

Please post a link where you found the information regarding a Honley service manual for the RX3. If such a manual exists, I don't see why Honley would not sell one of those manuals directly to us.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by MotoJ

...Probably nothing to worry about on a crated bike from the factory....but, curious to see where they do route the breather, and if it's plugged during transport. I assume CSC will have instructions...

The crankcase vent hose is routed to the proper location upon assembly of the motorcycle, and there is no logical reason to plug the crankcase vent hose on an assembled motorcycle. That's why I have never heard of such a thing happening.

[MotoJ]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Please post a link where you found the information regarding a Honley service manual for the RX3. If such a manual exists, I don't see why Honley would not sell one of those manuals directly to us.

I can't find the link to that- It was mentioned in the comments in one of the Honley Venturer reviews and can't find it again. Here is the dealer that imports the RX3 as a Honley:

http://www.earnshaws.bike/

http://www.honley.bike/

I've inquired about a manual....

[MotoJ]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Okay, that makes some sense. I didn't realize the problem occured after the new engine was installed. Indeed, I would also plug the crankcase vent when I shipped an engine. However, installing an engine without connecting the crankcase vent hose is gross incompetence. I have never heard of a Chinese, or any other motorcycle, being shipped from the factory in this condition.

I'd still like to know the reason for the motor transplant in the first place!
It's hard to know how much of Mr. Jackson's travails are due to inexperience from him, incompetence from the mechanics, or product failure.