New Zongshen RX3 (ZS250GY-3) Dual Sport

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I would be surprised. If our Russian friends are ordering the bike, they could certainly spec a 17" rear wheel with it. The cost would be negligible.

I doubt that the Russian dealer is relacing each wheel, when a selection of 15" tires is likely available to them. It would be easy to have a tire order included in the shipping container.

Do you think the Minsk specifications are wrong, and the Russians are getting a 15-inch rear wheel? Although I informed CSC the Minsk specifications report a 17-inch rear wheel, CSC has said they will import the RX3 to California with a 15-inch rear wheel. Why wouldn't CSC increase the chance of sales by specifying a 17-inch rear wheel, if it were available?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Wolftrax

Just got off the phone with Steve at CSC. I asked him about getting the RX-3 spec'd with 17" wheels like the Minsk. He said the bikes will ship with 15" wheels but they will have the 17" available as an option and either do the swap at the the time of pickup or DIY. He went on to say that they will also stock 15" tires in various configurations.

I wonder how CSC is supplying the optional, 17-inch rear wheel? If the 17-inch rear wheel is available from China, why not specify that wheel with the stock motorcycle?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

If they spec'd the wheel, then it is likely available in China. It's a matter of digging for it, and we know someone who is really good at that.

That said, your discovery that the hub is Honda-like makes the Tusk rim and spoke kit a better deal than shipping a 17" from China. I'd rather have an 18" wheel anyway.

If anyone can find the fabled, 17-inch rear wheel, HumanBeing can. However, I did an extensive search for it, and I can't find it. Let's ask HumanBeing for help.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

...I doubt that the Russian dealer is relacing each wheel, when a selection of 15" tires is likely available to them. It would be easy to have a tire order included in the shipping container.

Indeed, I would specify each bike to be shipped with knobby tires. If one is riding in any mud, he definitely needs a at least a moderately aggressive tread such as that on the Cheng Shin 858, Shinko 244, or Kenda K270 tires. No matter what the Russians did, I think CSC should have the bikes shipped with knobby tires. If the 17-inch rear wheel is available from Zongshen, I also don't know why CSC won't specify the larger wheel, instead of offering it as an option. I surmise the deal with Zongshen was negotiated for the stock bike, and now that the price has been announced, CSC doesn't want to muddy the waters.

[bogieboy]

my guess is that they are supplying it with the 15 because then if they stock tires for it, they have the corner on the market for replacements, but also make the 17 available, so they have the corner on that market too... very smart business tactic if you ask me...

[Wolftrax]

Well I hope someone at Minsk understand English. I just fired them a email asking if the 17" wheel was a factory(Zongshen) item/

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Do you think the Minsk specifications are wrong, and the Russians are getting a 15-inch rear wheel? Although I informed CSC the Minsk specifications report a 17-inch rear wheel, CSC has said they will import the RX3 to California with a 15-inch rear wheel. Why wouldn't CSC increase the chance of sales by specifying a 17-inch rear wheel, if it were available?

No, I don't think the specs are wrong. I think they had the good foresight to order the 17" rim, when they were in a position to do so. The rim is probably used on other bikes somewhere, so it wouldn't be a big deal for Zongshen.

My guess is that CSC didn't think about it.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I wonder how CSC is supplying the optional, 17-inch rear wheel? If the 17-inch rear wheel is available from China, why not specify that wheel with the stock motorcycle?

Perhaps a custom build, using the Tusk parts that you found online. I bet they wish they would have spec'd 17".

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

If anyone can find the fabled, 17-inch rear wheel, HumanBeing can. However, I did an extensive search for it, and I can't find it. Let's ask HumanBeing for help.

I spotted that you asked him.

Perhaps he can also find an 18" version that uses the same hub.

Humanbeing is a fantastic resource to us!

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I surmise the deal with Zongshen was negotiated for the stock bike, and now that the price has been announced, CSC doesn't want to muddy the waters.

I agree. I bet they regret not picking up on the small rim, and the second container that they order will have 17" (or perhaps 18") rims.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by bogieboy

my guess is that they are supplying it with the 15 because then if they stock tires for it, they have the corner on the market for replacements, but also make the 17 available, so they have the corner on that market too... very smart business tactic if you ask me...

Could be, but my guess is that it was a simple oversight.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I agree. I bet they regret not picking up on the small rim, and the second container that they order will have 17" (or perhaps 18") rims.

The very large discount for buyers of the first shipment of bikes will more than make up for the cost of modifying the smaller rear wheel. Even after paying $200 for custom spokes and a new alloy rim, the $600 discount on the first shipment is a very attractive incentive.

[jjn]

So there are no good 15" dual sport tires available? For a while, I was considering getting one of the TRex bikes, which have huge balloon tires. But, as I looked into it, I found that the size they use are nowhere to be found, other than through Rocketa (I believe it was). Found a foreign language forum on those, and they complained about not being able to get tires. Since the TRex uses the same tire front and back, it's an important issue. And, since I live in Hawaii, shipping would be costly. So, I didn't want to buy a bike, that would wear it's tires out every 3,000 miles (as per a British owner), that I couldn't find tires for.

[SpudRider]

Trust me, in North America it is now virtually impossible to find a 15-inch knobby tire which will fit the RX3's rear wheel. My ZS200GY-2 came stock with the same wheel sizes as the RX3. We have been searching for years, and we have been unable to find a knobby tire which will fit the rear wheel of the Zongshen Sierra, or the new Zongshen RX3.

However, such tires are readily available in China, so CSC should not have any problem stocking up on them. A nice side benefit is Zongshen Sierra owners will also have a source for knobby rear tires. However, CSC will be the only source for these tires, and one will have to be content with their tire selection, and be obligated to pay their price, since they will have zero competition.

Nevertheless, if one is content with street tires, he won't have a problem finding many different tires which will fit the rear wheel of the RX3.

[Wolftrax]

Over on ADV there were some pics of an RX3 with cast wheels. The cast wheels were also 17" on the rear.