Assembly and Shipping time

[SpudRider]

It's raining for the next three days, and the daily high temperatures won't exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit until next week. Fall is rapidly approaching; it officially arrives on September 23.

[Huck369]

Yes, it's been mid 40's on my way to work this week, supposed to get mid 70's today, hoping for some more warm weather before it turns off cold for the winter...Fall is definitely rolling in..

[SpudRider]

April was a great time for the RX3 bikes to arrive. I really enjoyed watching the Minben travel down the Yangtze River, and the Hanjin Germany sail across the Pacific Ocean.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?p=179267

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?p=180209

[detours]

We get snow in Denver, but it usually melts fast. I rode my Vstrom a lot last winter, but only when it wasn't snowy or icy ... and there's always ice in the canyons. But it did stay unseasonably warm last year. We'll see how much riding I can do this winter.

[jjn]

The last couple of years that we lived in Puyallup, Washington (near Tacoma) I rode year round to work and back, and anywhere when I went alone. If the roads aren't iced, it can be done. Then we moved here. Year round riding. There can be rain storms that come down so hard that you can't even drive a car in them (they don't make windshield wipers fast enough that you can see anything!). But, these usually don't last long.

[Lee R]

Originally Posted by detours

Dude, the 19" wheel is sweet. It completely corrects the odometer and mostly corrects the speedometer. And the bike still feels planted and ready to ride. Better off road too.

And I saw your post about the tu250x. It's a great bike. My wife has one and she loves it. The quality is superb and I admit maintenance and valve checks are easier with its air-cooled engine and naked bike design.

But it has a short suspension and will only do improved dirt roads, definitely not fire roads (the fork bottoms out way too easy).

Check out my full comparison of the TU and RX3 here.

Welp, I grabbed a 19" front and added shinko 804/805s to the order. This bikes going to see some dirt road exploring around the adirondacks.

[SpudRider]

Good for you, Lee. Welcome to The Cult of The Zong.

[detours]

Congrats, Lee! Since you're going off-road, I recommend the 13T sprocket.

So what color are you getting?

[Lee R]

Originally Posted by detours

Congrats, Lee! Since you're going off-road, I recommend the 13T sprocket.

So what color are you getting?

Forgot about the 13t I'll call and add that too the shipment. Orange for the color, can't resist black and orange bikes as this will be the 3rd.

How do you like the shinko 804/5s?

[Lee R]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Good for you, Lee. Welcome to The Cult of The Zong.

Thanks Spud, great information on this site!

[detours]

I like the Shinko 804/805s. They are a great adventure tire. Smooth ride on road, holds a tight line in curves.

The lugs are arranged in a straight line with shallow siping. This is great for straight line traction and braking in dirt and strengthens the lugs for cornering on pavement, but it also makes them more slippery cornering in dirt. And that's the only weakness.

Because of that, I would call it a 60/40 (on/off-road) tire. If you're going to spend more than 40% off-road, you may want to consider a Kenda Big Block instead. But up to 50% off-road, the Shinko will do well.

[SpudRider]

You have a lot of good choices in tires for the RX3. You might also want to consider the Shinko 244, and Kenda K270 tires.

For the rear tire you might select:
Shinko 244, size 5.10-17
Kenda K270, size 5.10-17

For the 19-inch front tire, you might select the Shinko 244, size 2.75-19.

I have ridden about 9,500 miles with a Shinko, 244 rear tire, and a Kenda, K270 front tire. These tires have performed superbly, and are still in very good condition.

[Lee R]

Good to hear the 804/05 works well. Spud I'll likely try the Shinko 244 after as they are less expensive. The package deal with the 805's and 19" wheel reduced the tire cost and I'm curious about the 805 for my Moto Guzzi as well (19"/17 tires).

I've had really good luck with Shinko Ravens on my previous 17" wheeled Tiger 1050. Those are really good for the price.

It's going to be 50/50 riding for this bike here in NY. Lots of mud here so I figured the 805 would be a good fit. Last bike I used in these conditions was a KLR650 in Maine. Worked great on the dirt logging roads and improved roads (same intention for the RX3) but bad choice for single track or real dirt trails. The KLR 650 also wasn't happy past 75 on the highway. I doubt the RX3 will disappear fasteners like the KLR either and it weighs less.


Lee