RTW trip on the RX3?

MalcolmReynolds · 04-25-2018, 07:07 PM

I did a quick search looking to see if anyone has decided to do some major trips on the RX3. Something like Alaska, the TAT, or really wild like a RTW trip.

Would you be willing to take a major trip like that on your RX3? What would be your areas of concern with taking the RX3? Can we find parts and the things we are likely to need out on the road?

Would love to hear of anyone doing a big trip like that on the RX3. I saw some references to some people talking about Alaska on Advrider, but I hadn't run across any ride reports. If you guys know of some please share. Thanks!

ben2go · 04-25-2018, 07:44 PM

There is a big thread on advrider. Those guys have taken the RX3 to some places.

http://advrider.com/index.php?search...x3&o=relevance

pyoungbl · 04-25-2018, 08:52 PM

Next week I will start on the MABDR. That should be about 2500 miles round trip. DualsportChic is doing the same (she is going north~south, I'm going south~north). Do those qualify as big trips? My only concern is having a flat tire on tube type tires. That would be a real PITA but not a show stopper. Mechanically I do not expect any issues. I'm not taking any spares. FWIW, I have taken a bunch of long trips (2K + miles) on bikes with crappy dealer support (Guzzi & Ducati) with no spares. I could always count on getting parts in a couple days wherever I got stuck (never did get stuck), just like I can with CSC.

Peter Y.

rjmorel · 04-25-2018, 09:35 PM

I've done :
a certified 1000 mile Iron Butt in 20 hours at near 7/8 throttle most of the way
1980 miles in Baja Mexico with 10 or 12 other Rx3s last year
around 2000 miles on the Destination Deals ride if memory is right with 8-10 other RX3s.
1500 + miles up in Canada ,Jasper, Lake Louise area
A number of multiple smaller 3-4 day camping trips on it
Then Joe Berk did the 5000 miles in Western States ride with 8-12 other RX3s.
I have 16,200 miles on mine and wouldn't hesitate to go on a long trip with it. I figure if it will go 1000 miles w/o problems , then it would go long distances just as easy. If you ride it like a responsible adult it should take you around the world. If you ride it like a Dakar racer then probably not .
Its sitting outside my shop now waiting to take me home. It does that quite well also.
rj

2LZ · 04-26-2018, 11:03 AM

Man.....and I thought taking it to the bar in town was a long trip on a 250. ;-)

Jay In Milpitas · 04-26-2018, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmReynolds

I did a quick search looking to see if anyone has decided to do some major trips on the RX3. Something like Alaska, the TAT, or really wild like a RTW trip.

Would you be willing to take a major trip like that on your RX3? What would be your areas of concern with taking the RX3? Can we find parts and the things we are likely to need out on the road?

Would love to hear of anyone doing a big trip like that on the RX3. I saw some references to some people talking about Alaska on Advrider, but I hadn't run across any ride reports. If you guys know of some please share. Thanks!

I guess you have not seen how many countries the RX3 is sold in under one label or another. West Hemisphere is USA (and Canada) by CSC, Mexico by Italika, Central America & South American in several countries.

Lots of Asian countries. Note, although sold in Republic of Philippines the support isn't great.

England, Poland, Greece, Russia that I am aware of.

And a strong and growing group in Pakistan. There may be more but I'm overdue my meds.

So where are you going to go riding, Malcolm?

MalcolmReynolds · 04-26-2018, 09:35 PM

Most of my riding plans keep me local(Colorado and Missouri). I have been watching too many videos of other peoples RTW trips and just got me searching for others who may have done something like that with the RX3. After watching enough of these videos with other riders and their bikes the RX3 and smaller bikes appear to make more sense than the GS's and the big boys by a long shot.

Was watching a a guy that did a RTW on a KLR and he is doing it again this time on an AT. Just seemed like the wrong way to go with a bigger and heavier bike. After watching some of the Long way around series and watching the camera man lose his BMW due to brakes issues and getting a small chinese bike to follow Ewan and Charlie around the small bike skipped along just fine while the big boys were dying.

So that got me to looking to see if anyone has run off to do something like that on the RX3. Just wondered if the parts and support for the bike were better overseas than here in the US. Since would be kinda rough to be on the road with a down bike and nobody has parts or knows anything about it.

The other thing that stands out from the RTW videos and ride reports is that old school makes more sense than new tech. So I wouldn't want ABS or much in the way of bike dependent electronics on a bike. So on the RX3 the thing that might be a concern would be the ECU and fuel injection system. Something old school like a DR or KLR doesn't yet rely on the new tech much as far as an achilles heel there.

So I thought I would ask you guys what your thoughts were. If I were to do any big trip travels it would have to wait until I retire, but it is fun to watch and read about others adventures. :-D

Emerikol · 04-26-2018, 10:57 PM

Malcolm, my DR is set up to ride the TAT. It was a trip I had planned for about a month and a half, and then my little sister's husband got orders to Germany. I was going to ride from where I lived at the time in Georgia out to the end of the TAT in Oregon, then head north to where they were living in Washington State. Since the TAT ride fell through, I was at least able to make several rides down into the Florida Everglades and the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area. Since we moved out to Arizona, the DR has taken to the desert trails like a champ. I have some trips planned to go a little further out and check out some of the airplane crash sites that in the desert. I've found one so far, here are a few pictures:
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1524797583
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1524797583
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1524797583

Back to the original question, though; I find the DR is about the simplest bike on the market today. Plenty of DR's have already gone around the world, and there are some ride reports where people were able to go out with nothing more than a couple days worth of food, and the clothes they had on their backs. They worked odd jobs at various places around the world to cover the cost of their travel and maintenance, and always seemed to land on their feet. I would feel perfectly comfortable taking the DR on a RTW trip. I would also feel just fine taking the Hawk on a RTW trip, although a much slower one. I think it just depends on your faith in your own maintenance and problem solving abilities, as well as your faith in humankind. That's my two cents' worth, your mileage may vary.

culcune · 04-26-2018, 11:33 PM

Where was that photo taken, Emerikol?

Emerikol · 04-27-2018, 04:18 AM

There is an abandoned airfield down near Chandler, AZ. You can barely see the top of one of the vertical stabilizers on one of the planes from the road. I was lucky and just caught it out of the corner of my eye when I was riding past one day. I decided to circle back around and have a look. If you notice in one of the pictures, my DR is parked off in the background on the right. I didn't even realize I had the motorcycle in the shot I was so engrossed in the airplanes.

willy dog · 04-27-2018, 05:20 AM

as soon as the ground thaws i ride my zong to work rain or shine six miles round trip

Sullybiker · 04-27-2018, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmReynolds

Most of my riding plans keep me local(Colorado and Missouri). I have been watching too many videos of other peoples RTW trips and just got me searching for others who may have done something like that with the RX3. After watching enough of these videos with other riders and their bikes the RX3 and smaller bikes appear to make more sense than the GS's and the big boys by a long shot.

Was watching a a guy that did a RTW on a KLR and he is doing it again this time on an AT. Just seemed like the wrong way to go with a bigger and heavier bike. After watching some of the Long way around series and watching the camera man lose his BMW due to brakes issues and getting a small chinese bike to follow Ewan and Charlie around the small bike skipped along just fine while the big boys were dying.

So that got me to looking to see if anyone has run off to do something like that on the RX3. Just wondered if the parts and support for the bike were better overseas than here in the US. Since would be kinda rough to be on the road with a down bike and nobody has parts or knows anything about it.

The other thing that stands out from the RTW videos and ride reports is that old school makes more sense than new tech. So I wouldn't want ABS or much in the way of bike dependent electronics on a bike. So on the RX3 the thing that might be a concern would be the ECU and fuel injection system. Something old school like a DR or KLR doesn't yet rely on the new tech much as far as an achilles heel there.

So I thought I would ask you guys what your thoughts were. If I were to do any big trip travels it would have to wait until I retire, but it is fun to watch and read about others adventures. :-D

Chinese bikes are even more common south of the border due to affordability. Here's a video from the Americas a guy did on what I think is a Hawk/TT250 variant, purchased for around USD 2000. he took a drone with him and I think you'll agree it's rather special.
https://vimeo.com/165069400

**JerryHawk250** · 04-27-2018, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sullybiker

Chinese bikes are even more common south of the border due to affordability. Here's a video from the Americas a guy did on what I think is a Hawk/TT250 variant, purchased for around USD 2000. he took a drone with him and I think you'll agree it's rather special.
https://vimeo.com/165069400

WOW!!! Assume video.

2LZ · 04-27-2018, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

WOW!!! Assume video.

Indeed. I'm keeping on my desktop to watch after really bad meetings.

RC · 06-04-2018, 10:33 AM

I flew mine to Europe last year and went across 17 countries, from France to Armenia, then left it sleeping over winter in Bulgaria. This year, if timing allows, I hope to go further East and maybe do the Pamir Hwy.

As Jay mentioned, the RX3 is being sold in quite a few countries around the world, but usually branded with a different name, like Romet. But comparatively speaking, its a brand new model and the dealers are far and few between. BMW, Honda, Yamaha, and probably even KTM has a denser network of parts distribution. (Note for reference: I just emailed a Greek company for a new tank cap and they quoted 55 Euro, which is $65, not including shipping, where was CSC charges $30.)

I don't have any other bike experience to compare to, but I think the Chinese parts are less than ideal- the nuts, bolts, and screws are cheap, soft metal and more likely to round off or break. That usually isn't catastrophic, but annoying at minimum. The frequency of oil changes and valve checks doesn't make life easier when you are constantly riding. But on the flip side, maybe forcing yourself to do regular maintenance has benefits because I've met a few moto travelers who neglect maintenance and pay for it with catastrophic failures, though usually on slightly older bikes.

The bike's power/speed is ideal for gravel roads, unimproved roads, twisty mountain roads (except for climbs). But the world is a big place and sometimes you just want to get somewhere as quick as possible, and on the RX3 everywhere seems to take longer than you expect. Also, the quality of roads and the driving speeds around the world has improved vastly over the last 10 years. Even poorer countries like Moldova have some major highways where the RX3 struggles to keep pace with cars.

The RX3 is also limited in carrying capacity- the weight it can carry is far less than most ADV bikes. You really have to be a minimalist to not exceed the weight capacity (and it also doesn't hurt if your body weight is under 160). However, this might also have a flipside, as the biggest packing mistake people make isn't forgetting stuff, its packing too much crap. All the RTW gurus will tell you that everybody brings too much, even them, even after a decade of travel they often ship home or donate some stuff a few weeks into a trip. Coming from the US, where life seems to revolve around owning stuff, it’s hard to accept that you will spend the next 4 months having only 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of pants to do everything in- hiking, climbing mountains, walking around cities, going to restaurants/bars- but it beats spending an hour every morning repacking your gear just right so everything barely fits (and then you don't have room to carry food/water for a few days of camping). If you bring too much, you will quickly gain a hatred for packing.

Between the lighter bike weight and the limited gear weight, I think the RX3 actually has some advantages over some big ADV bikes, especially if you ride solo. I can pick the bike up by myself, and get it into tricky parking spaces easier than some bigger bikes. Also, I'm quite confident that a fully loaded RX3 can go offroad better and to more places than a fully loaded GS 1200. Surely some pro riders could prove me wrong on that, but I think the average guy on a big ADV bike doesn't go much more extreme than rough gravel roads.

04-25-2018, 07:07 PM	#1
MalcolmReynolds Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 29	RTW trip on the RX3? I did a quick search looking to see if anyone has decided to do some major trips on the RX3. Something like Alaska, the TAT, or really wild like a RTW trip. Would you be willing to take a major trip like that on your RX3? What would be your areas of concern with taking the RX3? Can we find parts and the things we are likely to need out on the road? Would love to hear of anyone doing a big trip like that on the RX3. I saw some references to some people talking about Alaska on Advrider, but I hadn't run across any ride reports. If you guys know of some please share. Thanks!
	0

04-25-2018, 09:35 PM	#4
rjmorel Join Date: May 2007 Location: Warshington Posts: 928	I've done : a certified 1000 mile Iron Butt in 20 hours at near 7/8 throttle most of the way 1980 miles in Baja Mexico with 10 or 12 other Rx3s last year around 2000 miles on the Destination Deals ride if memory is right with 8-10 other RX3s. 1500 + miles up in Canada ,Jasper, Lake Louise area A number of multiple smaller 3-4 day camping trips on it Then Joe Berk did the 5000 miles in Western States ride with 8-12 other RX3s. I have 16,200 miles on mine and wouldn't hesitate to go on a long trip with it. I figure if it will go 1000 miles w/o problems , then it would go long distances just as easy. If you ride it like a responsible adult it should take you around the world. If you ride it like a Dakar racer then probably not . Its sitting outside my shop now waiting to take me home. It does that quite well also. rj __________________ Live Zong, and Prosper
	8

04-26-2018, 11:03 AM	#5
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,078	Man.....and I thought taking it to the bar in town was a long trip on a 250. ;-) __________________ "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, 11:33 PM	#9
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	Where was that photo taken, Emerikol? __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
	0

04-27-2018, 04:18 AM	#10
Emerikol Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Carrollton, GA Posts: 1,465	There is an abandoned airfield down near Chandler, AZ. You can barely see the top of one of the vertical stabilizers on one of the planes from the road. I was lucky and just caught it out of the corner of my eye when I was riding past one day. I decided to circle back around and have a look. If you notice in one of the pictures, my DR is parked off in the background on the right. I didn't even realize I had the motorcycle in the shot I was so engrossed in the airplanes. __________________ First Rule of Aviation: -Never Pass Up The Opportunity to Pee I was struggling to get my wife's attention; I sat down on the couch and looked comfortable. That did the trick! My wife says I only have two faults. I don't listen and something else... If at first you don't succeed, try doing it the way I told you to... The Stable: 2005 Yamaha V-Star 650 - SOLD 2015 Suzuki DR 650 2015 RPS Hawk 250 - SOLD 2016 Ural Gear Up
	0

04-25-2018, 07:44 PM	#2
ben2go Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,335	There is a big thread on advrider. Those guys have taken the RX3 to some places. http://advrider.com/index.php?search...x3&o=relevance
	1

04-25-2018, 08:52 PM	#3
pyoungbl Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Portsmouth, Virginia, USA Posts: 632	Next week I will start on the MABDR. That should be about 2500 miles round trip. DualsportChic is doing the same (she is going north~south, I'm going south~north). Do those qualify as big trips? My only concern is having a flat tire on tube type tires. That would be a real PITA but not a show stopper. Mechanically I do not expect any issues. I'm not taking any spares. FWIW, I have taken a bunch of long trips (2K + miles) on bikes with crappy dealer support (Guzzi & Ducati) with no spares. I could always count on getting parts in a couple days wherever I got stuck (never did get stuck), just like I can with CSC. Peter Y.
	2

04-26-2018, 09:35 PM	#7
MalcolmReynolds Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 29	Most of my riding plans keep me local(Colorado and Missouri). I have been watching too many videos of other peoples RTW trips and just got me searching for others who may have done something like that with the RX3. After watching enough of these videos with other riders and their bikes the RX3 and smaller bikes appear to make more sense than the GS's and the big boys by a long shot. Was watching a a guy that did a RTW on a KLR and he is doing it again this time on an AT. Just seemed like the wrong way to go with a bigger and heavier bike. After watching some of the Long way around series and watching the camera man lose his BMW due to brakes issues and getting a small chinese bike to follow Ewan and Charlie around the small bike skipped along just fine while the big boys were dying. So that got me to looking to see if anyone has run off to do something like that on the RX3. Just wondered if the parts and support for the bike were better overseas than here in the US. Since would be kinda rough to be on the road with a down bike and nobody has parts or knows anything about it. The other thing that stands out from the RTW videos and ride reports is that old school makes more sense than new tech. So I wouldn't want ABS or much in the way of bike dependent electronics on a bike. So on the RX3 the thing that might be a concern would be the ECU and fuel injection system. Something old school like a DR or KLR doesn't yet rely on the new tech much as far as an achilles heel there. So I thought I would ask you guys what your thoughts were. If I were to do any big trip travels it would have to wait until I retire, but it is fun to watch and read about others adventures. :-D
	1

04-27-2018, 05:20 AM	#11
willy dog Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: vermont Posts: 238	as soon as the ground thaws i ride my zong to work rain or shine six miles round trip __________________ Peace and Zong Life
	1

06-04-2018, 10:33 AM	#15
RC Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: EurAsia Posts: 46	I flew mine to Europe last year and went across 17 countries, from France to Armenia, then left it sleeping over winter in Bulgaria. This year, if timing allows, I hope to go further East and maybe do the Pamir Hwy. As Jay mentioned, the RX3 is being sold in quite a few countries around the world, but usually branded with a different name, like Romet. But comparatively speaking, its a brand new model and the dealers are far and few between. BMW, Honda, Yamaha, and probably even KTM has a denser network of parts distribution. (Note for reference: I just emailed a Greek company for a new tank cap and they quoted 55 Euro, which is $65, not including shipping, where was CSC charges $30.) I don't have any other bike experience to compare to, but I think the Chinese parts are less than ideal- the nuts, bolts, and screws are cheap, soft metal and more likely to round off or break. That usually isn't catastrophic, but annoying at minimum. The frequency of oil changes and valve checks doesn't make life easier when you are constantly riding. But on the flip side, maybe forcing yourself to do regular maintenance has benefits because I've met a few moto travelers who neglect maintenance and pay for it with catastrophic failures, though usually on slightly older bikes. The bike's power/speed is ideal for gravel roads, unimproved roads, twisty mountain roads (except for climbs). But the world is a big place and sometimes you just want to get somewhere as quick as possible, and on the RX3 everywhere seems to take longer than you expect. Also, the quality of roads and the driving speeds around the world has improved vastly over the last 10 years. Even poorer countries like Moldova have some major highways where the RX3 struggles to keep pace with cars. The RX3 is also limited in carrying capacity- the weight it can carry is far less than most ADV bikes. You really have to be a minimalist to not exceed the weight capacity (and it also doesn't hurt if your body weight is under 160). However, this might also have a flipside, as the biggest packing mistake people make isn't forgetting stuff, its packing too much crap. All the RTW gurus will tell you that everybody brings too much, even them, even after a decade of travel they often ship home or donate some stuff a few weeks into a trip. Coming from the US, where life seems to revolve around owning stuff, it’s hard to accept that you will spend the next 4 months having only 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of pants to do everything in- hiking, climbing mountains, walking around cities, going to restaurants/bars- but it beats spending an hour every morning repacking your gear just right so everything barely fits (and then you don't have room to carry food/water for a few days of camping). If you bring too much, you will quickly gain a hatred for packing. Between the lighter bike weight and the limited gear weight, I think the RX3 actually has some advantages over some big ADV bikes, especially if you ride solo. I can pick the bike up by myself, and get it into tricky parking spaces easier than some bigger bikes. Also, I'm quite confident that a fully loaded RX3 can go offroad better and to more places than a fully loaded GS 1200. Surely some pro riders could prove me wrong on that, but I think the average guy on a big ADV bike doesn't go much more extreme than rough gravel roads.
	4