Philippine version of the RX3

[Terrahelix]

Hello, I went to a Motorstar dealer in metro Manila on Wednesday and looked over 3 Zongshen's. They're called Motorstar Xplorer Z250 here in PH. These are Carb versions with an 18" front wheel and a 15" rear wheel.

The price is excellent.......126,100 Philippine pesos = $2735 usd.....out the door!!


Wifey Approved!



At this time they have Yellow and Red....No Blue or White.

[Adjuster]

1 for you 1 for your wife. Perfect!


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[culcune]

I hope you got the orange one! Those are the fastest!! Congratulations!!

There was/is someone who had/has posted about his ownership of a Xplorer Z250 from the PI. I cannot remember his name, but he might still be posting.

[SpudRider]

What are you waiting for? You know you want one. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

[Weldangrind]

That's an excellent price. Warm up your credit card!

[Terrahelix]

Thanks and you're both right........I'm very close to buying one and it is an excellent price......heck you'll spend more in China to buy one than here. My wife likes the bike and don't let the scooter fool you....she's ridden her Kymco over 300kms in a day trip and darts thru Manila traffic like a pro.

Two Things scare me:

!. The absolute lack of dealer support...by that I mean no knowledgeable
mechanics and the extreme difficulty in getting any parts from the dealer.
Including basic items such as oil filters,etc....

2. My utter lack of mechanical ability


I've read Riceburners account of his trials getting his RX3 to run correctly.
The scary part is I've met numerous Filipino "Mechanics" who make the problem worse.......just like in his case with the carburetor. In reading Riceburners posts, it's obvious he has a measure of mechanical skill which I do not possess.

Nevertheless........I'm retired with too much time and not enough hobbies. Therefore I'll take the plunge and be looking for your guidance in the future.
Now.....where do I buy tools? Cheers

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Terrahelix

...Two Things scare me:

!. The absolute lack of dealer support...by that I mean no knowledgeable
mechanics and the extreme difficulty in getting any parts from the dealer.
Including basic items such as oil filters,etc....

I believe the Motostar bike comes with a stainless steel (SS), reusable oil filter. I bought three of the SS oil filters, and I like them very much. They are easy to clean, and do an excellent job filtering the engine oil.

You can buy any other parts you need at Taobao.

Originally Posted by Terrahelix

...2. My utter lack of mechanical ability

I've read Riceburners account of his trials getting his RX3 to run correctly.
The scary part is I've met numerous Filipino "Mechanics" who make the problem worse.......just like in his case with the carburetor. In reading Riceburners posts, it's obvious he has a measure of mechanical skill which I do not possess.

Nevertheless........I'm retired with too much time and not enough hobbies. Therefore I'll take the plunge and be looking for your guidance in the future.
Now.....where do I buy tools? Cheers

The experience of Riceburner can be an superb source of help for you. However, you make an excellent point. Owning a Chinese motorcycle presents more challenges than owning a Japanese or European motorcycle. Even in the United States, owners should be comfortable with doing all of their own maintenance, and repair.

Also, as much as I like the RX3, it might not the best choice for someone who lacks mechanical experience, and is diffident about working on his own motorcycle. A dual sport bike is much easier to maintain, since it has much less plastic to remove, and replace. Also, valve adjustments for the RX3 are tedious, since the engine is shoehorned into the frame so tightly, et cetera.

In addition, purchasing parts from Taobao is much more involved than getting them from a helpful, local dealer. Also, if problems arise, getting warranty coverage or diagnostic help from a Japanese dealership will be much easier.

Owning a Chinese motorcycle is much different experience from owning any other motorcycle. Even in the United States, with superb customer service offered by CSC, owners need to be comfortable with being self reliant to a large measure, which is not required with either Japanese or European motorcycles.

[Weldangrind]

Jumping into two RX3's in a country with little to no parts support and novice mechanical skills is like baptism by fire.

There is a ton of good tech on this forum, and plenty of helpful people. With time, willingness and a sense of humour, it could be quite rewarding.

The alternative, as my good friend Spud suggests, is a typical China dual sport bike. They're a great way to get your feet wet.

[SpudRider]

As Weldangrind said, the RX3 is an excellent value, if you are willing to undergo the 'baptism by fire.'