Having a hard time deciding between CSC RX4 and SSR 302S

[ChopperCharles]

I've got some cash burning a hole in my pocket, and I want a new bike.

I loved my test ride on the Benelli TNT300, and now the 302S is out. More displacement (300cc instead of 285cc), more horsepower, and wider wheels that take the same rubber as any 600cc sportbike.

Benelli has a 37hp twin, weighs in at 408 lbs, and costs $4299

RX4 has a 40hp single, weighs in at 450 lbs, and costs $5395 (with free shipping, more $$$ when that promotion ends)

Performance and weight wise, they're not too far from one another. The TNT300 I thought had *plenty* of power, and it made such a wonderful noise. It handled well, and it felt way lighter than it actually is. The 302S has 5 more horsepower, and only 2 more pounds of weight. So that'll be nice.

The RX4 is kind of a porker, but it does have bags and crash bars already installed. They're small bags though, I'd likely have to use some throwovers to go touring.

For the Benelli, I'd get a set of Shad brackets and hard bags, and have 36 in each pannier... which is far more than fits in the RX4 side panniers. But it'd cost me an additional $500-$600 for those bags and brackets.

I'm bored with my vintage bikes and cruisers and slow 250cc bikes, and the Benelli would make the same-old backroads a lot more exciting, and I'd be able to tour if I spent a little extra on luggage.

If I got the RX4, I'd be ready to tour right now... but my same-old backroads won't get any more interesting. The Benelli is cheaper and I know I like it. The RX4 can handle some mild dirt. Both look great to me. It's a tough choice.

Charles.

[JerryHawk250]

For an everyday rider i would go with the 302S. If i were planning on long trips then i would go with the RX4 just for the fact of having luggage space. I always like the Benelli TNT300 and was looking at them pretty hard before i bought my last bike.

[wheelbender6]

At least you have already eliminated the Himalayan.

[ChopperCharles]

If I wanted something with a stronger dirt focus, I'd be considering the himma. But I want something capable of sustained, comfortable highway travel. There's not a lot of dirt near me, and while I do want to go touring, 99% of my riding is local and commuting, with the occasional weekend trip in the summer.

Charles.

[Working_ZS]

If it were my money, I would spend the extra $1100 and get the RX4.

It's more powerful, and it has a lot more torque - 29 ft/lbs to the 302S's 19 ft/lbs. That alone would seal the deal for me. You will feel that.

The fact that the RX4 is already packing luggage (the plastic luggage is most likely more than you need, if not you can always pack more in a DrySpec bag and strap it to the pillion seat), crash bars, a 19" front wheel, and a large adjustable windscreen further makes the case.

At 300 cc, I don't see where the 302S is any better than your SSR250; it's simply not a big enough displacement bump. And its pushing 408 lbs around, which is a lot for a 300 cc engine to be moving - ask the RX3's NC250 about that.

If back road excitement is what you crave, the RX4 will give it to you, as much as you can handle as a rider. You'll be the limiting factor there, not the bike.

As for touring, that's pretty much the RX4's forte. It will take you anywhere you want to go, if you are good enough as a rider. Again, you will be the limiting factor as to how gnarly the terrain is that you get to.

[NzBrakelathes]

Benelli way more popular here then the RX4 - see next to no RX4 but loads of Benelli up to 750cc

[Working_ZS]

Originally Posted by NzBrakelathes

Benelli way more popular here then the RX4 - see next to no RX4 but loads of Benelli up to 750cc

I suspect that has more to do with the Chinese consumers affinity for western name brands than it does with any specific features of Benelli's bikes. In the end, they are both Chinese, with Italian heritage in their respective designs; it's just that one of them hides it with a Chinese name, and one doesn't.

[ChopperCharles]

Originally Posted by Working_ZS

If it were my money, I would spend the extra $1100 and get the RX4.

It's more powerful, and it has a lot more torque - 29 ft/lbs to the 302S's 19 ft/lbs. That alone would seal the deal for me. You will feel that.

The fact that the RX4 is already packing luggage (the plastic luggage is most likely more than you need, if not you can always pack more in a DrySpec bag and strap it to the pillion seat), crash bars, a 19" front wheel, and a large adjustable windscreen further makes the case.

At 300 cc, I don't see where the 302S is any better than your SSR250; it's simply not a big enough displacement bump. And its pushing 408 lbs around, which is a lot for a 300 cc engine to be moving - ask the RX3's NC250 about that.

If back road excitement is what you crave, the RX4 will give it to you, as much as you can handle as a rider. You'll be the limiting factor there, not the bike.

As for touring, that's pretty much the RX4's forte. It will take you anywhere you want to go, if you are good enough as a rider. Again, you will be the limiting factor as to how gnarly the terrain is that you get to.

The thing is, the TNT300 (282 or 283cc) was actually WAY more powerful than my SSR 250 Buccaneer. I had the test bike up to 100mph and it had no problem maintaining that indefinitely. The Buccaneer's top speed is 75mph, flat out, on flat and level ground with no crosswind. (It will go faster tucked in the slipstream behind a large SUV or truck) The moment there's a hill, it slows down somewhere in the mid to high 60s. And this is with it geared so low it's sitting right at 8000rpm on the highway. The TNT300 had no problem going 80mph uphill in top gear. The Benelli 302S has 5 more horsepower than the TNT300 and only weighs a couple pounds more.

Buccaneer: 18-19hp, depending on who you believe. Benelli 302S has 37.5hp. That's a huge difference. The Benelli also has sportbike rubber, it's sized like a literbike (big and comfortable) but handles really well. And it feels lighter than it actually is.

The Buccaneer is a great bike, but the benelli is technologically far superior and far more powerful. Having ridden both, it's a night and day difference between the two.

Basically my decision is to go with a twin that I know I like, or a single I'm not sure about. That's a hard choice, both are supposedly great bikes.

Maybe I need to find someone here or on advrider who will let me test ride their RX4 in exchange for riding my Buccaneer or SCR950. Then I'll know for sure.

Charles.

[ChopperCharles]

Also, if the Leoncino Trial 500 made it to US shores I'd buy that in a heartbeat, everything else be damned.

Charles.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

If I wanted something with a stronger dirt focus, I'd be considering the himma. But I want something capable of sustained, comfortable highway travel. There's not a lot of dirt near me, and while I do want to go touring, 99% of my riding is local and commuting, with the occasional weekend trip in the summer.

Charles.

As much as I agree with Working_ZS on the RX4, I think you have been looking at the Benelli for quite a while, now. Besides, YOUR needs are for mostly commuting and NOT getting on dirt roads. I would personally go with the RX4, but I think if you did, you would regret NOT getting the Benelli.

[Working_ZS]

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

Also, if the Leoncino Trial 500 made it to US shores I'd buy that in a heartbeat, everything else be damned.
...

And therein lies the problem.

A lot of the interesting bikes in the 300-500 cc range from Chinese, Chinese owned Italian, and Indian companies never make it to these shores. Mainly due to the fact that the US is such a small market, especially when compared to Southeast Asia, or Central and South America. The ones that do make it tend to sell in low volumes, discouraging manufacturers from bringing in more.

The US motorcycle market just isn't worth the effort involved, when what sales there are go to larger displacement bikes from Harley, European and Japanese manufacturers. I do think that this is changing - slowly, but surely.
Mostly due to people aging and not being able to physically deal with a 700 lb plus motorcycle anymore, but they still want to ride; so they have to look at something smaller and less intimidating from a physical standpoint.

I believe that it is going to take another five years or so for the momentum in Chinese and Indian motorcycle sales to reach a critical point, one where they will really start to be taken seriously in the US. Now whether or not they come to dominate the market for smaller displacements is an open question, for now. However, there is no denying the enormous leaps in quality that they have made in the last decade. This is only going to continue. They are so close to the mainstream manufacturers now that it hurts. When they start to get more recognition for this here in the US, then I think that we will start to see a whole lot more different models being brought into the US as demand increases. For now, though, it's slim pickings, which pretty much sucks..

[Working_ZS]

Originally Posted by ChopperCharles

...Maybe I need to find someone here or on advrider who will let me test ride their RX4 in exchange for riding my Buccaneer or SCR950. Then I'll know for sure....

Yep, a test ride will pretty much seal the deal, one way or the other. You'll know if it is top end power, or down low get up and go that you find the most satisfying. Definitely ride them both, if you can swing it.

[krat]

I live out in the sticks, still I have a Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Indian, Harley, Ducati, and even a Royal Enfield dealership and service departments within one hour drive time from my door.

There is not a Benelli dealer within 500 miles of me, nor a CSC dealer, no service, no parts, no warranty support and no tech support.

I am not spending Jap bike money on a product that has no support system. That support network is what allowed the Jap bikes to grow and thrive while the original Benelli brand bit the dust due to lack of backup back in the 1970s.

$1500, yes, I'll take my chances and live with my decision.
$3500, no! I want backup and guarantees that mean more than hope and dreams.

[ChopperCharles]

I’m in Durham NC and there are three SSR/Benelli dealers within 45 minutes of me. One in Sanford (45 min) one in Durham (25 min) and one in Raleigh (20 min)

Charles.

[2LZ]

I've been following this thread CC and it seems to me your mind is already made up.

That said, I'm not really sure how the two bikes compare. Definitely not "apples to apples".
The CSC is larger in both displacement and physical size, and both bikes are made for different types of riding. The Benelli seems far more the street fighter and the CSC is an ADV bike.

When you get the Benelli, please posts lots of pics and the same awesome documentation that you did for your SSR. I enjoyed the read and info.

krat, I understand your concern but I've had three CSC bikes in my garage and even though they're 500 miles away, I've had better support from CSC than any local bike dealership I've ever dealt with. Just been my personal experience with them. Whatever parts I needed showed up virtually overnight, they never refused what I'd claim was a warranty issue even on the smallest of items, and they never failed to answer the phone or email. I wouldn't think twice about buying another bike from them, if I was in the market for one.