New Zongshen RX3 (ZS250GY-3) Dual Sport

[Scrami71]

Hey All, finally got to go for my first ride. Here is a little writeup I did on it

It was with great anticipation that I left the parking lot of the DMV office. I had been waiting over a week to take the RX3 Cyclone imported by CSC Motorcycles for its inaugural run. Not wanting to waste anymore time since the temperatures were supposed to reach 97 ferinheight, I pulled out onto the main road and I was off. A mile down the road I figured I had better pull off and check tire pressures just to be sure. A quick check revealed both tires were within acceptable parameters. Pulling back onto the road I rolled on the throttle, and grin spread across my face. Though the RX3 only has a 250cc engine, it feels like more compared to other small displacement bikes I have ridden. It spools up quickly, makes a rather pleasant howl, and shifts quickly and smoothly. One thing I already knew about this bike was that the speedometer was very optimistic. Due to that I had mounted my trusty Garmin so I got get a more accurate speed reading. From the low 30mph to around 50mph the speedo is approximately 4-6 mph fast. (Ex. garmin reads 35 mph, speedo reads 41 mph.) At higher speeds the the error increases to 6-9 mph optimistic on the speedo. I decided I wanted to really put the bike and myself through it paces, so I headed for the East Hayden Lake Rd. This road is 15 miles of nonstop tight corners, many of them which are decreasing radius and off camber. Once I reached this choice piece of tarmac, I started to chuckle and giggle like a school girl. The bike is very nimble, and even though it will never pull out of corners like a liter bike, it's responsive throttling and energetic engine had me already adoring this little machine. Right away I picked up on a couple of things that I will want to address. Front and rear suspension is sprung much to light. This was not surprise as everyone who has been posting in RX3 forums had stated as much. I was getting more nose diving when scrubbing off speed before corner entrance then I would prefer. Then while accelerating out of corners I was experiencing exaggerated weight transfer to the back. Granted, I was pushing the suspensions to get a feel for them. Brakes are a little underwhelming, however very adequate for everyday use. When running the twisties, however I actually found them to work well for this type of riding environment. I determined that both brakes did not grab so fast that I constantly felt I had scrubbed off too much speed. Instead the reduction in speed was very linear and predictable allowing me to keep a more consistent pace. I at some point soon will find a parking lot and do lots of emergency stopping practices which will inform me what to expect in an emergency situation. On my way home after running 30 miles of very twisty and technically challenging road I contemplated the performance of the RX3. It is nimble and quick to respond to input. Once addressed, the suspension will provide a more stable, predictive ride. Brakes are adequate, but emergency stopping practice is a must so I can learn what needs to occur to be effective and safe. (is a must for every bike) Engine is energetic and strong for a 250cc. Overall, I think this little bike will be a ton of fun.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting your first ride impressions, and the nice photo from North Idaho.

[Backroads]

Hello everyone new member here and owner of a orange RX3. wanted to thank everyone for sharing their knowledge and ideas on this great motorcycle. I have been riding a big cruiser and the more i ride the RX3 the more i like it. looking forward to many miles on this bike.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Backroads

Hello everyone new member here and owner of a orange RX3. wanted to thank everyone for sharing their knowledge and ideas on this great motorcycle. I have been riding a big cruiser and the more i ride the RX3 the more i like it. looking forward to many miles on this bike.

Welcome; we are glad you joined us.

[rjmorel]

Just got back from 2015 RX3 Touratech Rally in Plain , Wa. Will post ride report in the next day or two. Its 110 deg here in Walla Walla. Was a hot ride. Should I post it here or in a "ride report" section?
Scrami71, glad you got your scoot on the road. You'll find after several hundred miles the motor gets smoother and brakes wear in and mine are pretty strong compared to my other bikes where they engineered in safety for noobies so the rear will hardly lock up. rj

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Just got back from 2015 Touratech Rally in Plain , Wa. Will post ride report in the next day or two. Its 110 deg here in Walla Walla. Was a hot ride. Should I post it here or in a "ride report" section? rj

I usually post a full ride report in the Ride Report Forum. I also post a few photos and a short synopsis of the ride in this thread, with a link to my detailed report in the Ride Report Forum.

[rjmorel]

started a RX3 Tourtech Rally ride report in the "ride report " section here: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14871
Lots of pics so it will be done over several days as I have time to load pics, etc
806 miles in 95-114 deg temps. Was a killer heat wise but fun ride, rj

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the ride report, RJ.

[CSCDude]

Joe Berk here. I’m the guy who writes the CSC blog and I’m involved with a lot of the company rides we do.

First, my thanks to you for buying an RX3 motorcycle if you already have one. We greatly appreciate your business.

Next, I’d like to alert you to a great riding opportunity we have coming up in about two weeks. We are hosting several Zongshen engineers and a Chinese motojournalist on a ride through the western United States from 15 July to 31 July. Our route will take us through California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and back down the Pacific Coast Highway to our corporate headquarters in Azusa. I would like to invite you to ride with us for the entire route or any part of the ride. My good friend Baja John and I will be finalizing the ride and the route this week, and I’ll post it on the CSC blog.

Some of you rode with us on the Baja ride. We’ll do fewer daily miles on this ride and a bit more sightseeing, so the pace will be a bit more relaxed than the Baja ride. We’ll do somewhere around 300 miles each day, and on the days where we go over that, the riding will be mostly on the freeway. Most of the Chinese who are riding with us have never been to the US, and they are keenly interested in seeing the sights.

This is a good opportunity to ride with us and to have direct conversations with the engineers from Zongshen. I’ve never needed an excuse to take a motorcycle ride, but if you need one, this is as good as it gets. We’ll also be offering test rides at various points along our route, so if you don't already own an RX3 and you want to see and experience the bike firsthand, this is a good opportunity to do so.

If you already have an RX3 and you want to ride with us, please let me know this week (and if so, for which parts of the ride). You can reach me at info@CSCMotorcycles.com. Again, you are invited for any part of it or for the entire ride.

One last note…the recent article in Motorcyclist magazine, as expected, resulted in a sales surge that has our inventory down to about 12 motorcycles as I write this. I expect they’ll sell this week, and then we won’t have any more RX3 motorcycles until the end of August or early September. If you are thinking about jumping in, this is a good time to do so.

[Adjuster]

Wow that sounds like a great ride and a great opportunity all around with getting to meet the Zongshen folks.


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[rjmorel]

a few more pics posted of RX3 Touratech Rally, Plain, Wash. 2015 in ride report section, rj
http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14871

[Weldangrind]

Thanks for the heads-up, Joe! Would non-CSC bikes be welcome?

[CSCDude]

Yes, they would, and thanks for asking. We will be offering test rides on the RX3s to folks who want to experience the bike, and we anticipate that they will be on other brands when they meet up with us to do so.

[rjmorel]

Joe , looking at your map when you go from east to west in Oregon, you'll be riding in some of my favorite places. Any way to get this route map with more detail to me? There are some killer places to ride and it looks like you'll be very near them but I can't tell your exact roads on some places to point them out.
Coming down into Pendleton on Hwy 84 from La Grande there is the old highway that parallels the new 84 and it has nice twisties on it and hardly any traffic with a rest area at the top of the decent into Mission city.
http://rideoregonride.com/road-route...-road-bikeway/
I may join you somewhere around Pendleton or the rest area above the downhill twisties and go along with you to Portland. Work permitting.
On #11 stop on your map is Hell's Canyon area and the Rattlesnake Highway 3 that goes from Enterprise north to Clarkston ,Wa. a PNW favorite motorcycle road.
Even if I can't make the ride with you here, I'd be glad to answer any questions about the area, rj

[CSCDude]

Thanks very much, RJ. I'll be posting more details on the ride in a blog later today (a busy day for the CSC blog, to be sure).

We've had lots of inquiries and suggestions (favorite roads, etc.) already, and we greatly value the input. Also, as you may know, I write the "Destinations" pieces for Motorcycle Classics magazine, and a lot of these places will end up as features in that fine publication.

I'm delighted that both you and the Spudmeister have expressed an interest in joining us on parts of the ride. The excitement here at the plant is tangible. It's going to be fun.

Keep your suggestions coming.