Rx3s - Page 3

MalcolmReynolds · 04-26-2018, 01:23 PM

I don't focus much on top speed on bikes of this class, but the RX3S and RX4 top speeds may be more limitation to the gear and sprocket selection. The issue with the exhaust looks fine as long as your not going to be banging anything on the bottom of the bike.... LOL

Biker_Andy · 04-26-2018, 02:35 PM

Yes but it's nice if the adventure bike can do freeway speed on an incline with a headwind or passenger. I think a 250cc is not quite enough but not far off either. 380cc should be more than enough for these situations.

The more I think about it the more I agree that it must be KW not HP.

Sullybiker · 04-26-2018, 02:53 PM

The fixation on engine size is understandable, but a bit frustrating. It tends to dominate bike discussions at the expense of everything else.

I think CSC have stated that the RX3 is the right bike for the US market for the forseeable future; it's still enormous value for money (remember what you get out of the box) and Jo Berk has said 250 is enough for the majority of people that try it.

There's a natural tendency to think just a bit more will solve all your problems, but with that comes more weight, more complexity, more cooling, and more fuel consumption. In the case of a Chinese manufacturer, a whole host of unknowns as they're not experienced at OEM engine development. At least not yet.

2LZ · 04-26-2018, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sullybiker

The fixation on engine size is understandable, but a bit frustrating. It tends to dominate bike discussions at the expense of everything else.

It just really depends on what you're after from the bike. I think a 450cc bike would bridge a lot of gaps the RX3 has left open, especially in more grunt for trail riding and much more relaxed on the open highway.

pyoungbl · 04-26-2018, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sullybiker

In the case of a Chinese manufacturer, a whole host of unknowns as they're not experienced at OEM engine development. At least not yet.

I'll respectfully disagree here. The Chinese have been building millions of bikes each year for quite a while now. Zongshen alone built some 1.2 million in 2016 or 2017. Granted Zongshen did form a partnership with Norton to develop a powerplant but I think that was for something around 650cc displacement, much larger than what the Chinese normally build on their own.

Oh, finally located a source for the Norton deal: auto.ndtv.com/news/norton-to-design-650-cc-engine-for-chinese-motorcycle-firm-zongshen-1731390

Our NC250 engine is not a clone of anyone else's design. The NC250 is used by other, smaller, bike manufacturers such as GasGas so I think the design is pretty good on its own.

Juanro · 04-26-2018, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pyoungbl

Our NC250 engine is not a clone of anyone else's design. The NC250 is used by other, smaller, bike manufacturers such as GasGas so I think the design is pretty good on its own.

In fact, one can come to the conclusion, looking over Aliexpress for example, that -other- chinese manufacturers are licencing the building of this engine, or at least for many parts of it.

MalcolmReynolds · 04-26-2018, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2LZ

It just really depends on what you're after from the bike. I think a 450cc bike would bridge a lot of gaps the RX3 has left open, especially in more grunt for trail riding and much more relaxed on the open highway.

It is really hard for a manufacturer to offer all things to all people. If they were to make 1st gear a really granny gear for tractoring over stuff offroad then street riders are complaining your shifting to second gear really early. On the other end of it if they were to put a really tall 6th to make highway riding more relaxed then there is the compromise that if there is any incline or wind your going to be downshifting a lot to try and keep the bike in the sweet spot for power. You need a 7th and 8th gear to keep the engine in the sweet spot in varied riding conditions and to be able to move up into the higher speed demands of the freeway.

The RX3 is built to do mostly road with some offroad so they tried to set it up for that. As always you can't make everyone happy.

I agree I think the 380cc and the 450cc close that gap on the higher speed end of things and could provide more grunt down low. So simple fix, just give us 8 gears and we will be happy right?

jacaquarie · 04-27-2018, 10:11 AM

Maybe the 8 speed transmission with the 2 or 3 speed transfer case and this might work for some of us!

Biker_Andy · 04-27-2018, 10:13 AM

Every bike has compromises, especially adventure bikes. You simply can't build a bike thats great off-road and also great at touring but that's what the end goal of an adventure bike is. 250cc engines are underpowered for freeways and a slightly bigger engine (300cc or so) should be able to get better gas millage at speeds with little sacrifice to city gas mileage.

My idea of the perfect adventure bike would be a single cylinder engine (300-400cc) capable of freeway speeds with ease while keeping the bike as light as possible for off-road. That being said I'm a bigger younger guy who has no problems picking a bike up on the side of a trail. Someone who's smaller or older could have a different idea of the perfect adventure bike. I'm still waiting for someone to build my ideal bike.

2LZ · 04-27-2018, 10:30 AM

Indeed. I actually really like our RX3's regarding size, comfort and handling. It's about the perfect bike for where we live and how we ride. The only thing I'm wild about the bike is the lack of low-end. I believe that another 100 or so cc's would probably cure those issues. That's all I'm saying.......
I'm hoping the 300cc kit I'm about to install will give it a little more down low.

Biker_Andy · 04-27-2018, 02:55 PM

Yes that kit might make the RX3 better on the freeway too. Very interested to see how they alter performance.

CSC has an aftermarket exhaust for the TT250 on their blog. Maybe someday they will offer a big bore kit for the RX3.

Goshawk · 04-28-2018, 11:35 AM

I had a brief ride on an RX3 and thought it too much like my NX250 ( only 30 years younger) in that I found the constant high revs very tiring. Noise and vibration are the enemies of long distance travel as far as I am concerned. Ultimate top speed is of little concern to me but the ability to cruise at 65mph with out the motor doing 8000rpm is a deal breaker. I would otherwise be on the Versys300X forum.
Each of us has his/her own preferences and it is likely very few of us will get all that we want in an "Adventure" bike. We choose the compromises we find acceptable and try to work around them eg different sprockets etc. If the RX3 fits the bill for you, good luck to you, get out there and enjoy it. I am after sub 400lb weight, a high 6th gear for restful cruising, and a seat height that allows my ancient and stubby legs to reach the ground. Everything else I will make accommodation for, ie low first gear, easy maintenance, luggage carrying ability. No doubt there as many "ideal" bikes out there as there are buyers.

1cylinderwonder · 04-28-2018, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goshawk

I had a brief ride on an RX3 and thought it too much like my NX250 ( only 30 years younger) in that I found the constant high revs very tiring. Noise and vibration are the enemies of long distance travel as far as I am concerned. Ultimate top speed is of little concern to me but the ability to cruise at 65mph with out the motor doing 8000rpm is a deal breaker. I would otherwise be on the Versys300X forum. .

I agree with you 100%!
Before I could cross an intersection, when starting from a dead stop, I’d be at 10,000rpms or more! Too much noise & vibrations! And cruising the highway is not what the 300X was made for. It’s basically a good dirt trail bike with a hard seat!

2LZ · 04-30-2018, 04:40 PM

Even the fact we're having this conversation proves how far the CB's have come in such a short time. Just a few years ago we were talking about which small dirt bike would be the best for camping and how do we get parts.
Goshawk is right on the money when it comes to there's no one bike for everyone and their needs and the compromises a person makes to try to make it their own. Our RX3's have proven to be awesome and very dependable for us. Besides, if I want to put down some highway miles, I'll take the big V Twin. One does not race Indy in a Yugo.

MalcolmReynolds · 05-01-2018, 08:57 PM

I think what many of us are waiting for is that bike that has enough legs to tackle those highway miles within reason and still be competent off road. Granted we can all own a street bike, but I would like that off road bike to be able to get to the off road stretches reasonably well. So that is why I am just watching this space to see if the RX3s or the RX4 make it to the US and watching to see if Kawasaki brings that vx400. That appears to be the sweet spot. If Kawasaki would bring a KLR400 I think they would have a pretty big hit on their hands.

04-27-2018, 10:30 AM	#40
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,078	Indeed. I actually really like our RX3's regarding size, comfort and handling. It's about the perfect bike for where we live and how we ride. The only thing I'm wild about the bike is the lack of low-end. I believe that another 100 or so cc's would probably cure those issues. That's all I'm saying....... I'm hoping the 300cc kit I'm about to install will give it a little more down low. __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
	3

04-30-2018, 04:40 PM	#44
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,078	Even the fact we're having this conversation proves how far the CB's have come in such a short time. Just a few years ago we were talking about which small dirt bike would be the best for camping and how do we get parts. Goshawk is right on the money when it comes to there's no one bike for everyone and their needs and the compromises a person makes to try to make it their own. Our RX3's have proven to be awesome and very dependable for us. Besides, if I want to put down some highway miles, I'll take the big V Twin. One does not race Indy in a Yugo. __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
	2

04-26-2018, 01:23 PM	#31
MalcolmReynolds Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 29	I don't focus much on top speed on bikes of this class, but the RX3S and RX4 top speeds may be more limitation to the gear and sprocket selection. The issue with the exhaust looks fine as long as your not going to be banging anything on the bottom of the bike.... LOL
	0

04-26-2018, 02:35 PM	#32
Biker_Andy Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 347	Yes but it's nice if the adventure bike can do freeway speed on an incline with a headwind or passenger. I think a 250cc is not quite enough but not far off either. 380cc should be more than enough for these situations. The more I think about it the more I agree that it must be KW not HP.
	0

04-26-2018, 02:53 PM	#33
Sullybiker Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Western PA Posts: 363	The fixation on engine size is understandable, but a bit frustrating. It tends to dominate bike discussions at the expense of everything else. I think CSC have stated that the RX3 is the right bike for the US market for the forseeable future; it's still enormous value for money (remember what you get out of the box) and Jo Berk has said 250 is enough for the majority of people that try it. There's a natural tendency to think just a bit more will solve all your problems, but with that comes more weight, more complexity, more cooling, and more fuel consumption. In the case of a Chinese manufacturer, a whole host of unknowns as they're not experienced at OEM engine development. At least not yet.
	0

04-27-2018, 10:11 AM	#38
jacaquarie Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 19	Maybe the 8 speed transmission with the 2 or 3 speed transfer case and this might work for some of us!
	2

04-27-2018, 10:13 AM	#39
Biker_Andy Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 347	Every bike has compromises, especially adventure bikes. You simply can't build a bike thats great off-road and also great at touring but that's what the end goal of an adventure bike is. 250cc engines are underpowered for freeways and a slightly bigger engine (300cc or so) should be able to get better gas millage at speeds with little sacrifice to city gas mileage. My idea of the perfect adventure bike would be a single cylinder engine (300-400cc) capable of freeway speeds with ease while keeping the bike as light as possible for off-road. That being said I'm a bigger younger guy who has no problems picking a bike up on the side of a trail. Someone who's smaller or older could have a different idea of the perfect adventure bike. I'm still waiting for someone to build my ideal bike.
	1

04-27-2018, 02:55 PM	#41
Biker_Andy Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 347	Yes that kit might make the RX3 better on the freeway too. Very interested to see how they alter performance. CSC has an aftermarket exhaust for the TT250 on their blog. Maybe someday they will offer a big bore kit for the RX3.
	2

04-28-2018, 11:35 AM	#42
Goshawk Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: New England Posts: 43	I had a brief ride on an RX3 and thought it too much like my NX250 ( only 30 years younger) in that I found the constant high revs very tiring. Noise and vibration are the enemies of long distance travel as far as I am concerned. Ultimate top speed is of little concern to me but the ability to cruise at 65mph with out the motor doing 8000rpm is a deal breaker. I would otherwise be on the Versys300X forum. Each of us has his/her own preferences and it is likely very few of us will get all that we want in an "Adventure" bike. We choose the compromises we find acceptable and try to work around them eg different sprockets etc. If the RX3 fits the bill for you, good luck to you, get out there and enjoy it. I am after sub 400lb weight, a high 6th gear for restful cruising, and a seat height that allows my ancient and stubby legs to reach the ground. Everything else I will make accommodation for, ie low first gear, easy maintenance, luggage carrying ability. No doubt there as many "ideal" bikes out there as there are buyers.
	0

05-01-2018, 08:57 PM	#45
MalcolmReynolds Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 29	I think what many of us are waiting for is that bike that has enough legs to tackle those highway miles within reason and still be competent off road. Granted we can all own a street bike, but I would like that off road bike to be able to get to the off road stretches reasonably well. So that is why I am just watching this space to see if the RX3s or the RX4 make it to the US and watching to see if Kawasaki brings that vx400. That appears to be the sweet spot. If Kawasaki would bring a KLR400 I think they would have a pretty big hit on their hands.
	3