New Zongshen RX3 (ZS250GY-3) Dual Sport

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by katoranger

I could almost see buying one at $3400. The weight may be an issue, but there is likely places to to cut some out.

I usually draw the line when the price of a new, Chinese motorcycle approaches $2,000. However, I think the Zongshen RX3 is an exception to this rule, since it has so many excellent features as stock equipment.

Fuel Injected Engine
Water Cooled Engine
6-Speed Transmission
Crash Bars
Windshield
Digital Dashboard
LED Turn Signals and Brake Light
16-Liter Fuel Tank
Integrated luggage
Stainless Steel Muffler
USD Forks
1-inch Fat Handlebars

The RX3 also appears to have fans on both radiators, and even the switchgear looks pretty nice! The only additional equipment I would add to the RX3 is a nice set of Tusk handguards for about $65. The RX3 is not a typical, Chinese motorcycle. I think this bike compares well to the Honda CRF250L, which currently sells for $5,000. Yet the CRF250L does not have all the adventure equipment of the ZS250GY-3. Indeed, you would spend a lot of money trying to add the same adventure equipment to the CRF250L, and it would still not work as well as the RX3, since the Honda was not designed to accommodate this equipment.

[culcune]

Chinamotoworld had an interview months back with one of the main people at Zongshen (it might have been the founder, Zuo Zongshen himself), and he seemed willing to put his money where his mouth was in saying that the entire Chinese industry needed to concentrate on quality, and that Zongshen was going to do so (this interview was right before the international rollout of the RX3).

A few Chinese joint ventures (not necessarily Zongshen except for some Piaggios) produce several mainstream bikes, such as a few of the engines for BMW and I believe KTM, if not the majority of the bike.

I think a $3400 price in the US would be easily justified as pretty much the maximum for this bike once it has been proven as reliable. This could even be the strategy from Zongshen if they are planning a reintroduction to North America? Or a re-label from a joint venture? We will see--or it will be the best Chinese bike in the world that never comes this way?

I do think that Chinese bikes in general better do something soon if they ever want legitimacy in North America. It took years for Korea to produce reliable cars (part of the 'years' was convincing people to accept their cars once they already were reliable), and Chinese bikes have already left a lot of people with bad taste in their mouth (including people who have never even rode one, but were simply pundits of the proverbial "friend of a friend who had one and it broke down just from looking at it...") from the time period starting around 2005 or 2006 when these bikes were getting more popular.

Fancy accessories cost $, however, and this bike is testament to that. Spud, those rides from the past on the old Zongshens, were done easily by ex-pats in China when the price of the GY-2 was about $1k USD in China. These new ones have come a long way from that, including being over 3 x's the price in China!

[SpudRider]

Culcune,

I think you summarized the situation very well when you stated the Chinese are not currently interested in establishing a network of supporting dealers in the United States. Until the Chinese change their mind in this regard, I don't foresee them returning in force to the North American market.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

The only additional equipment I would add to the RX3 is a nice set of Tusk handguards for about $65.

Or, a set of Acerbis handguards from Taobao for $13.15 US. Not joking; those are the handguards that you saw on Son of Weldangrind's Lifan. http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=13150621412

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Or, a set of Acerbis handguards from Taobao for $13.15 US. Not joking; those are the handguards that you saw on Son of Weldangrind's Lifan. http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=13150621412

A Chinese bike deserves Chinese handguards.