RX4 talk
 

Just saw this post on mychinamoto regarding the RX4. Of course, any time period discussed regarding China and the RX4 will be pushed back somewhat for those whose importers will need to emissions and road certify the bike, but it does give some vague time periods as to when we could possibly see these bikes (later 2018 is my guess and is a time period I think has been discussed before). Also, mentioned by the poster (a European ex-pat in China) is the test ride coming up in a few months, which I am guessing Joe Berk will be on. The person I am writing about goes by the handle 'prince666' and he has some photos. Scroll down to find it.

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...en-450cc/page2

:zzz: rx4

Ktm390 adv?

I might have the full Monty saved by the time either decides to go up for sale ...rats

I wonder if the RX4's looong timeline to release has anything to do with their bikes burning up in the Dakar? :lmao:

I imagine it's still ongoing development of the product.(Aka prototype phase) I know all manufacturer in my industry will rush stuff out to compete then will continue development after rollout with retro fits, svc bulletins etc. They always want to delay until the last min possible to weed out all the weakest links. competition always accelerates the process . I'm sure bmw KTM etc don't consider zong competition so mabey zong will sneak this rx4 in as an outstanding product and value as was the rx3 that made the Japanese builders wake up in this segment.

Actually, one bike burned after a crash. Most of the others DNF due to rider issues.

Culcune was just being a little flip as signified by the :lmao: in his comment. He knows the difference between the rx4 and the 450cc enduro Racer with the expansive frame fuel tank.

I wished, and still wish, that Suzuki will pursue development of the GW250 based V Strom 250. They have certified the GW250 several times via the EPA, and just recently, the GSXR 250 and the V Strom, like the GSXR 250 is GW 250 based. It would have been quite easy for them.

BB, we tend to forget that others outside our normal little campfire group will read a flippant post and take it as total truth. I'm convinced we are all expecting a quality product from Zongshen. Nevertheless, we constantly face those nay sayers looking for any fault in a China product. I do not want to feed the trolls.

Peter Y.

Not regarding your post

True... but you now when I sense booshit from some company churning out crap that I have to make the customer "understand" , i get a little annoyed. There has been a few examples over the years in my industry.

I was looking at the verses 300 . 39 hp. Comparable suspensension travel as rx3 and 7 inch clearance. Not the greatest specs but low weight and awesome price of $5400 great value. With lots of tech. Hard to beat for the rx4 to come. See adv pulse http://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/20...s-x-300-specs/

Genuine (scooter company) has suffered delay after delay in bringing their ShineRay based 400cc standard motorcycle to market in the US. Getting 50 state emissions certification on a large thumper is getting more difficult and costly.

I was a bit surprised at the reaction the vstrom 250 got on advrider. I should not have been as that forum seems full of a-holes but I digress. To me these lil 250 adv bikes are great for city driving as well as dirt roads two tracks and fire trails. Expecting them to be dirt bikes is beyond what they were made to do.

....or to be as settled on the open highway as an 1150cc bike.

I have seen the certification on the EPA certification list. It is an Excel (sp?) document, and is kind of primitive, but I did see it. Shineray is the certification holder, not Genuine (I mention that because sometimes the importer pays the certification and becomes the 'manufacturer' as far as the feds are concerned. CSC is the certificate holder for the RX3, not Zongshen, for instance). So, maybe things broke down between Shineray and Genuine?

I take advrider with the proverbial grain of sand. It seems most all of the members with big expensive bikes either blow smoke up everyone's behind, or want to justify spending tens of thousands on the 'latest great bike' so they belittle everyone else's ride. It seems, those not in the above categories as owners of the latest/greatest are wannabes. Think of everride's viewing audience who look up to him, as an example of that.

I tend to view adventure bikes more from the perspective of Horizonsunlimited.com/hubb The members there tend to get out and about, and not all are on the latest/greatest. In fact, many buy 125cc Chinese standards (not even enduros!) and ride all over places like South and Central America.

I remember one guy who had the latest/greatest in Morocco stating how he 'could barely ride some of the sandy roads while locals on 150cc Chinese bikes were passing him left and right...' I think the thread was discussing small displacement bikes for touring, and this guy kind of summed up his experience. He did not seem like he lost his manhood for admitting it either! :lmao:

Which brings it together--as someone who lives on the US/Mexican border who would like to ride one of these months/years into Mexico (I want to start with Baja), I am leaning to practicality over latest/greatest. I have spent a while figuring out which bikes available here, in the US, are available down south. I believe the RX3 and a 250cc V-Strom would be good for what I intend to do, not to mention serve my daily commuting duties. Heck, with Lifan going big in Mexico, I would consider their 200cc enduro...

I think it will be a difficult decision for CSC and others, as it will cannibalise sales with an amount of risk.

The RX3 was the first big jump for CB bikes; a contemporary little thumper that for the US market is pretty unique. I think a big displacement single...is going to be a challenge to do right.

Let's say the bike turns out as mechanically reliable as the RX3, I think proper pricing is the trick to being successful with the RX4. They need to come in substantially under the competition, and that includes the luggage and bars. There's still the CB stigma, especially among the spendier crowd, and in my view it's "value for the buck" and media saturation that will be the key to successfully marketing it.

The reason CB's have been successful to this point is because they're cheap...and sell them to cheap ba$tards like us who can turn a wrench. The guy with the thicker wallet, who takes every rig to the shop, may have trouble opening it for a CB when a Big 4 bike is only 800+/- more, not counting luggage and farkles.

Just my thoughts on this. Nothing more...........

I'll add to 2LZ's comments (I agree 100%). The 450cc thumper is a logical step up, recognizing that many riders in the US are convinced that a 250cc bike is too small for our highways. They reject the idea of riding 70 mph @ 7-8K rpm. If Zongshen can offer 35-40hp in a package about the size of the RX3 they suddenly have the small displacement ADV bike that nobody else offers. Everything else in that displacement range is either a street bike or serious dirt bike. Yes, the 450 might steal some RX3 sales. OTOH, the 450cc ADV market is untapped. We will have at least another year to watch this develop.

Peter Y.

New pictures from Zong on the RX4
 

Zong has posted about a reveal and this is what they posted. New new photos and angles of the RX4. Interesting but I'm actually more interested in the RX3s with the parallel twin 390 but that's another year further out than the RX4 according to some material I read.
https://www.facebook.com/ZongshenMot...94276534056409

I am also more interested in the proposed RX3S. I think that would be an ideal size lightweight adventure bike with enough power for longer, faster highway trips when needed.

It will have to be priced attractively however, the Versys seems to be selling well and has great reviews. I think RX3S will have to cost less and come with more standard features to remain competetive.

Anything lighter than the RX3 with Tourfellas becomes a kite when a speeding semi passes. Happened to me on my RX3. Adventure bikes catch a lot of wind with windshield, hand guards, double front fenders raised rear fender rumpflyer styling, and luggage. I'm not sure the RX3 modded with more speed would be safe when the luggage was empty. Loaded, no problem. 2 up, no problem.

As for the mechanical excellence of the RX3, I must have a lemon. Both brakes warped rotors, rear pads cracked linings, coolant and oil leaks, parts falling off, hardware falling out, etc. Reminds me of Japanese bikes of the early '60s. Then, way too much time for simple maintenance like an oil change with so many filters/screens/plugs, way to much time to get to the valves for adjustment, then reassemble the bike, etc. I can do a complete service on one my TW200s in about the same time it takes to adjust the valves on the RX3. Working on the road days at a time I resent the hours of riding lost to maintenance and repairs on the RX3.

The RX3 is a wonderful bike, rides and handles well (19-inch front a big improvement on the street), stops well (with upgraded brakes), good lighting (especially with 35watt HID headlight), comfy with accessory seat, etc. The RX3 is pretty good at lots of things, but excellent at not much. Typical bike with widely ranging capabilities, dirt trails to highways and everything in between. It is a great performing package at a very good price, but mine has been a maintenance nightmare compared to my significantly modded TW200 adventure version with practically identical capabilities, other than the TW will walk away from the RX3 in soft terrain because it has so much more traction. For those who don't know, the TW's front tire is bigger than the RX3's rear tire, and the TW's rear tire is bigger than the tires on some cars, and that kind of traction requires a significantly different riding style some people can never adapt to to function well, so if you're one of those, the RX3 is a much better choice. Don't forget the modded RX3 costs about half the modded TW200, weeks less labor and minds less knowledge, and gives up only the extreme traction which some people actually find threatening.

Seriousyl, why are people still using photobucket?!??
 

I really, really would like to see the pictures, but:

Attachment 11602

:thanks: Exactly why I don't post photos. I've used three different photo host sites over the years and they've all gone greedy. I don't have hours to sit behind the computer and retrain myself for jumping through different hoops and/or redoing thousands of links, again, repeatedly, over, ... . Internet access is expensive when one's business requires so much travel one can not justify a permanent address, and all the loading, reloading, uploading, etc., adds up. Every time Microsoft shoves another unwanted, uninvited upgrade package to Windows 10 it costs me $45 to $90 if I'm not hooked to a free source, and Microsoft runs those upgrades in the background, no way to shut them off. My opinion is turning to the notion that all techies are thieves selling tainted software, just like the government's they will never use against you. :doh: My next laptop will be Apple for that reason.

I found a video posted on YouTube a couple days ago titled "New Zongshen RX3s and RX4 ride and review...Southern China Nov. 2017 (sorry, I can't get the link to work) that listed prices for each. They will also be available without the Tourfella luggage. Prices for the RX3s are between 4080-4992 USD AND 4535-5295 for the RX4. Sadly the video is not good quality as the volume gets cut out in several places so you can't hear what the reviewer is saying.
Also, those prices probably don't take into consideration the cost of EPA certification in the USA.

Actually, the RX3 price is more than it costs to get the bike on sale, shipped, to the continental U. S. of A. Therefore, I expect those prices are sufficient to cover certification.

I bought a RX3 from the original shipment. Quality has been disappointing, but it is Chinese. CSC has pushed through a number of improvements that apparently have rectified a number of the quality issues, and dealing with the Chinese, that isn't easy, so CSC deserves credit.

On the other hand, other than the brakes and maintenance, performance has been excellent on the back roads, paved and dirt, of western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee. It is the perfect bike for touring off the main highways. It is quite spunky until the brakes decided to act up.

I've been thinking of buying another RX3 with all the improvements to reduce maintenance time, but I already have 1 and would like a bit more spunk on interstates and a wider powerband, which I expect the 450 will provide since it apparently has a lower power/displacement ratio. I expect the 450 will easily handle the RX3s too tall final drive. I expect the RX4's brakes will be mounted to an appropriately machined surface. I've not seen any evidence of CSC allowing the same fraud twice.

EDIT: I'll not waste the excellent RX3 engine of the original bike. I have a hook on a TW200 with a blown crank and holed case that could make good use of a RX3 engine. Still cheaper than building a TW up to RX3 capabilities.

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bf2D8IOjGk

Regards!

EDIT: Video seems to be down now :shrug:

Juanro

Thanks Juanro.

Found another thread on Mychinamoto that might be of interest...

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...-rx4-test-ride

This is a very old thread BUT I'm wondering if you guys ever did get a RX4
.... I did and love it the only real big complaint I can't fix is the enormous weight !
all the rest of my complaints I've finally managed to fix....
the seat height was a big one for me but I got it to 30" or less compressed.
the ride was very harsh.... it's better now with a 500;b spring and a new lowering link I made but it could be softer... ( but I dare not go any softer as the tire will scrape on the rear fender well... so it is what it is now.)
...
My biggest complaint is the Weight to me it weighs as much as my 1100cc Honda Shadow I had years ago.....it's so heavy it's extremely cumbersome !
the wide back tire has a tendancy to throw off your balance at the worst of times hit a little rock when coming to a stop with the side of the tire and the whole heavy bike all of a sudden leans to the side.......
I think the answer to that problem is lower tire pressure but I am already at MIN on the dash readout but I think I will lower the air pressure anyway !
....
I've had no problems with the bike as far as crusing goes 70mph is easy for it. faster than that is slow on the uptake....I've done 80mph with it. and it had alot more to go.
the ABS brakes took alot of getting used to.... they scared the heck out of me at first !
but if you burry them in an emergency stop, they will stop you very fast !
.... as far as logging road worthy I would say that is about as far on the dirt as I would want to go with that heavy beast , simply because of the weight.
....
Bob.........