New Zongshen RX3 (ZS250GY-3) Dual Sport

[SpudRider]

[SpudRider]

[SpudRider]

I have many more mud photographs. These are merely the ones I found quickly.

[thillskier]

The stock vs aftermarket tread issues are why I wanted CSC to show a pic of the tread they have spec'ed on the bike from factory (at delivery to us).

That way I can sort of figure out what and where I can maybe do some offroad or single tracking riding (with friends in Utah and or Middle of Rockies in the Aspen and continental divide areas.) Thats also where I could change the tire also, into a better tread for all around type riding I will be doing after getting the bike back to Bama.

I'm pretty sure that the offers to help get a tire, and get it installed is about perfect as far as mileage goes (assuming the 3000-4000 mile tire life of course.

I'm also confident we can source a tire in the 17" size needed either from CSC or another vendor if I need some thing different than stock, which is a probablilty. I was looking at some DS/ADV tires a while ago, but stopped as I didn't have the exact size I needed to see who makes tires in sizes we will be needing. The Kenda adv tire had some good comments and also was good for about 25-30% more miles than some other more MX styled tires, so better traction on road, where I'll do 75-80 % riding anyway, once back home. This trip will be 95%+ on road, and at most, gravel, improved unpaved roads..and for sure, NOT after rain if muddy! I wouldn't enjoy a face plant, fully loaded and bungeed up, when mud stopped the front tire from turning with the bike still in motion! The resulting "Yard sale" of my stuff flying everywhere into mud and watery goo, isn't my idea of fun! hehe (nor the aftermath of re placing, rebunging, and mud removal later at campsite or motel!) Thats IF you don't "tweak" or break anything (u or MC!) As I'll just be off (or possibly finishing the treatment up) of the Ribavarin (chemo type crap) bones are still going to be brittle as hell so no falling allowed/recommended!
ARe the wheels 17" on your TMEC' bikes? If so, what size do you use?

[SpudRider]

If you stay on pavement and only ride during dry conditions, the stock tires will work well. However, if you are caught in the rain off road, or you ride off road even 48 hours after a moderate rain, you will be in trouble virtually everywhere in the Great Basin, or the Rocky Mountains. Here is a repeat of the information I put in post #1596 of this thread.

Replacing the stock, 15-inch rear wheel was a necessity. Having a 17-inch rear wheel gives RX3 owners access to a wide selection of excellent rear tires.

You can't go wrong with either the Dunlop D606, or the Perelli MT21; both are perennial favorites with dual sport riders.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...ual-Sport-Tire
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...ort-Rallycross

I would like to try the Kenda Big Block tire at some point in the future.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...ture-Rear-Tire

If you are riding an adventure in the sloppy springtime, you cannot beat the aggressive tread of the Kenda K760 TrakMaster.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...master-II-Tire

You certainly can't beat the affordability of the Shinko 244, Kenda K270, or Shinko 705 rear tires.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...ual-Sport-Tire
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...ual-Sport-Tire
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...otorcycle-Tire

With the 17-inch rear wheel you can easily find a tire tread to suit your preferred riding style, and the seasonal road conditions.

[Wolftrax]

Thillskier, many of your ?'s are answered here.
http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14096

[SpudRider]

I believe the stock, 15-inch rear tire was a CST C6017. However, I don't know which 17-inch rear tire is now being supplied with the motorcycles. Here is the photograph of the 17-inch rear tire, which I obtained from the CSC blog.



This is a nice tire for pavement, and dry conditions. However, I wouldn't want to ride this tire off road in muddy, or sandy conditions. In all fairness, many dual sport bikes come from the factory supplied with tires similar to this; in fact, it is a common practice.

I'm sure this tire will easily endure a trip from Azusa, California to Alabama. As long as you stay on pavement when it is wet, or sandy, this tire will do a very good job for you. However, don't venture off road if it is threatening to rain, or less than 48 hours after a moderate rain anywhere in the Great Basin, or the Rocky Mountains. Don't say I didn't warn you.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by Wolftrax

Just can't stay out of a tire discussion.

[3banger]

Thanks for the picks Spud, can't until we can start the dirtiest Cyclone thread!

[Wolftrax]

100/90 x 18 is a very odd size for front tire on a DS. I prefer running a knob on the front. The only suitable tires I can find are all rear tires and generally a bit larger. I like the MT21, TKC, Michelin T63 for the front. What the consensus, run a rear up front or bite the bullet and relace with a 21" rim?

[thillskier]

Hehe, I'm realizing I need to do a LOT of research re this tire selection...and thankfully, knowledgable people are on this forum to advise us newbies! Thanks much! (again) everyone. Maybe I should just GET HOME first, then start riding like I have a clue, and have a semi prepared cycle!

If I just come home via Ft Riley, and still get the views I want, I should make it on the stock tire. If not, I have GREAT and very generous options in Kato's domain, and KC also! (Thanks guys!!

I'm realizing this adv thing needs some thought b4 ASSuming you can ride a trail/even road, in any condition, unprepared.

Kinda makes me like this type riding even more!

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Wolftrax

100/90 x 18 is a very odd size for front tire on a DS. I prefer running a knob on the front. The only suitable tires I can find are all rear tires and generally a bit larger. I like the MT21, TKC, Michelin T63 for the front. What the consensus, run a rear up front or bite the bullet and relace with a 21" rim?

Indeed, a knobby tire on the front wheel is more important than a knobby tire on the rear wheel. If the rear wheel spins a bit, you can usually fishtail the bike and remain upright. However, if the front wheel either slips or locks up, you are usually going down.

Here are my two favorite tires for the 18-inch front wheel.

CST, Surge I Tire: Size 100/90-18

http://www.csttires.com/int/moto/off...c7210-surge-i/

http://www.bikebandit.com/tires-tube...-BWhoCHQnw_wcB



Shinko 244 Tire: Size 3.00-18

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/9877



However, I'm pretty sure I am going to convert to a 21-inch front wheel. I have two, spare, Chinese, 21-inch front wheels. One wheel has as 21-inch rim laced to a hub from my Zongshen ZS200GY-2. The other wheel is a standard, Lifan, 21-inch front wheel. I will first experiment to discover if either of these wheels fits the forks, speedometer pickup, and front brake caliper of the RX3. If neither wheel fits, I will order custom spokes and lace a 21-inch rim to the RX3 front hub.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by thillskier

...Maybe I should just GET HOME first, then start riding like I have a clue, and have a semi prepared cycle!

If I just come home via Ft Riley, and still get the views I want, I should make it on the stock tire. If not, I have GREAT and very generous options in Kato's domain, and KC also! (Thanks guys!!

I'm realizing this adv thing needs some thought b4 ASSuming you can ride a trail/even road, in any condition, unprepared.

Kinda makes me like this type riding even more!

I think you have reached good conclusions on both points. If you don't have experience riding off road, it is best to ride your new RX3 home on the pavement. After you get home safely, you can mount more aggressive tires and practice on dry trails with an unloaded bike as you acquire the skills needed to ride off road.

[CSCDude]

I wouldn't get overly concerned about the tire question. If there's one thing I've observed over the years, it's that folks sometimes tend to overthink things. (They also tend to underthink things, too, but that's a topic for another post.)

The RX3's stock CST tires are what we call an 80/20 tire, which basically means they are more focused on street riding than they are on dirt riding. The tread is not as aggressive as a knobby, but it is not quite as subdued as a pure street tire. I've ridden the RX3 in the dirt and soft sand, some of it mildly wet, and the bike was sure-footed. These tires excel on the street, and as I said in a post earlier, they hook up well in the twisties. The magazine guys who tested the bike said the same thing...good enough in the dirt, really good on the street.

I've run mild knobbies and pure street tires on my KLR, and I'm using that as a basis of comparison because in some regards the KLR and the RX3 are very similar. The pure street tires were awesome on asphalt, and to me, the biggest advantage was a smoother and quieter ride. The bike actually had a bit more top end with the pure street tires, too. The mild knobbies (Shinko 244s) did a lot better for me in the dirt. Most of my riding is on the street, but I use the Shinko 244 knobbies on my KLR. There are two disadvantages to the knobby tires from my perspective...they sing going down the road (they are a lot noisier), and they wear more quickly than a pure street tire or an 80/20 dualsport tire. The dualsport CST tires that come stock on the RX3 are quiet, and that's a good thing.

On the super muddy dirt roads and trails like Spud shows in his photos (great photos, by the way), I'm no expert. It's like the old question about what would you bring if you were invited to a gun fight...a shotgun or a handgun? Me...I'd decline the invitation. I don't like riding in deep mud.

I do sometimes find myself in soft sand, especially in Baja. The Shinko 244s work wonderfully well in that stuff as long as I keep the speed up (over 40 mph). Anything slower and the bike gets scary.

The KLR with Shinko 244s...


In the photo above, my friend John's KLR (the green one) had a more aggressive knobby. I didn't really see a difference in the dirt, but that tire sure wore quickly. If I recall correctly, it was toast after about 1800 miles.

Having said all of the above, I'm going to put a set of Shinko 244 tires on my RX3 as soon as I get it. They have served me well on the KLR, I get about 4,500 miles out of a rear tire on the KLR (the RX3 should do even better), they hook up real well on the street, and they are inexpensive. They make more noise than the RX3's CST tires, but I can live with that.

The Shinko 244s look pretty cool, too, which is something that's important to me (I know it's silly, but I'm being honest).

If there's enough interest, we'll look into stocking the Shinko 244 tires.

Incidentally, if any of you want to live vicariously, I've updated the Mexico page on the motofoto.cc site. It's at http://motofoto.cc/mexico.htm and it will give you an idea of what we'll see on the RX3 Inaugural Baja Run.

[Wolftrax]

Originally Posted by thillskier

Hehe, I'm realizing I need to do a LOT of research re this tire selection...and thankfully, knowledgable people are on this forum to advise us newbies! Thanks much! (again) everyone. Maybe I should just GET HOME first, then start riding like I have a clue, and have a semi prepared cycle!

If I just come home via Ft Riley, and still get the views I want, I should make it on the stock tire. If not, I have GREAT and very generous options in Kato's domain, and KC also! (Thanks guys!!

I'm realizing this adv thing needs some thought b4 ASSuming you can ride a trail/even road, in any condition, unprepared.

Kinda makes me like this type riding even more!

+1 to what Spud said. I spent most of my adult life living in the Rockies, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Most of the higher elevations will still be snowed in and the lower elevation off roading will be mud in March. Crossing any of these three states on pavement during the months of March and April can be very cold and snowy. Conditions change rapidly and drastically. My wife and I left our house on our bikes one morning during April to ride into the desert south of Durango. It was a beautiful day, sunny and near 60. We returned home 5 hours later to a foot of snow.