What Did You Do to Your RX3 Today?

[SpudRider]

Yesterday I completed the new paint job for my RX3.

[detours]

Looking good, spud! That's a classy shade of blue. What kind of paint did you use ... Plastidip?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by detours

Looking good, spud! That's a classy shade of blue. What kind of paint did you use ... Plastidip?

Thank you; I am pleased with the results.

I painted both of my Zongshen motorcycles with Krylon Fusion spray paint.

http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion-for-plastic/

I then sprayed most of the parts with Krylon Fusion Clear Coat, which provides UV protection.

http://www.krylon.com/products/fusio...plastic-clear/

I painted the RX3 fuel tank and plastic 'wings' with SprayMax 2K Clear Coat, which is fuel and UV resistant. I wore a 95P respirator while spraying this product.

http://www.spraymax.com/index.php?id=361&L=1

[Juanro]

Changed rear rim to 215 x 17

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Juanro

Changed rear rim to 215 x 17

You did a nice job, Jaunro.

I laced a size 2.50-17 rim to the hub of my rear wheel.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14974

[rjmorel]

We had beautiful weather here Saturday so some friends an I rode 200 miles to go check out their cabin that is by Layman Hot Springs in Oregon. We went up the old Emigrant Pass where the lads got to navigate the twisties of the old highway.
On the way back my RX3 was running fine till after we stopped for lunch. Then it would act like when you hit the kill button while going down the road ,it just would go dead. At 40-50mph I would pull in the clutch and let it back out which bump started it again and I continued on till we got to the next town 30 miles away. Every few minutes it would die, pull in clutch lever and bump start it and continue on before coming to a halt. Thankfully almost no traffic out where we were. My friend asked if I was running out of gas. Looked in tank and there was plenty sloshing around. Trip meter had 178 on it and I knew I could go to 200+.
Oh boy I thought , I'd finally get to use some of that 2 year warranty. Out in the middle of nowhere is the place to use your warrantee, gives you more bragging rights I always say.
I would call up CSC and they would coddle me and tell me exactly this and that an what was wrong and parts would be on the way pronto. I was thinking a new fuel injector or maybe a computer brain thingy or a fuel pump would be just the ticket warrantee wise.
I also unplugged the clutch lever safety switch wires thinking maybe they were the problem since when I pulled the clutch in and out it would bump start right up. I pinched them a little as they were loose on the mating connection but that didn't stop the dying. Next I looked at the sensor with allen screw that is on the throttle body, but couldn't get it off as it was roasting hot in there by the motor and exhaust pipe.
Friend kept asking me if I was running out of gas? Didn't think so ,still sloshing and under 200 miles on trip meter. Anyways we finally got to Pilot Rock and filled up at the gas station. 2.78 gallons. Fired it up and headed out of town and it bobbled a little then cleared up and ran like a banshee for the next hour all the way home. Whaaaaat????? But it wouldn't idle at stop lights so I pulled over with my friend as we got into town to say our goodbyes an I thought I would adjust the idle screw to get the idle back where it needs to be. Still to hot to get my hands in there so I thought I'd just leave it for tomorrow.
Anyway when I got back to my house the idle was where it was supposed to be an I hadn't touched or fixed anything????? just added gas and shut it off and restarted it several times.
So looking back on my adventure I think it was running out of gas and sloshing about not able for fuel pump to get enough gas, but I have never experienced it acting this way before at less then 200 miles on tank. Once I filled tank up problem went away in 30 seconds. The idling issue I assume was computer trying to compensate for all the dying and restarting nonsense while going down the road and maybe it got confused???? Is there a servo motor thingy that adjusts something somewhere that would affect idle?
Could a pick up tube have come off in the tank. I did have the tank off to adjust valves and maybe something inside came loose or flopped over when I put tank on it's back to keep fuel from running out?
Dou you think it hurt the fuel pump any running it low and starving it for gas?
Any ideas?
And what's the use of having a 2 year warranty if I never get to use it anyway and the bike kinda heals itself ???? dang Chinese stuff rj

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

...Is there a servo motor thingy that adjusts something somewhere that would affect idle?...

Yes, the idle stepper motor (idle air control valve) is located on the throttle body.

http://www.delphi.com/docs/default-s...f.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Originally Posted by rjmorel

...Could a pick up tube have come off in the tank. I did have the tank off to adjust valves and maybe something inside came loose or flopped over when I put tank on it's back to keep fuel from running out?...

No, the fuel pickup tube is very large, and very robust. It is the white tube shown in the photograph below. It will not fall off, or lose the correct position, even if you invert the fuel tank.

Originally Posted by rjmorel

...Dou you think it hurt the fuel pump any running it low and starving it for gas?
Any ideas?...

I think the fuel pump is pretty robust. However, you might want to perform the following checks.

Insufficient Fuel Supply

Turn the engine off for 15 seconds. Turn on the ignition, and listen for the fuel pump to build pressure in the fuel system.

Remove the fuel injector from the throttle body, and press the starter button. The injector should spray fuel.

Turn off the ignition. Connect a fuel pressure meter to the fuel pump. Turn on the ignition. The meter should read a fuel pressure of 36 psi. If the pressure deviates more than 3 psi, either high or low, replace the fuel pump.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=15675

[pete]

[QUOTE=SpudRider;211214

The meter should read a fuel pressure of 36 psi. If the pressure deviates more than 3 psi, either high or low, replace the fuel pump.

[/QUOTE]

just a thought.....................

Is there a preasure relif valve that holds the pressure?

on the XT the pump puts out 90psi but the pressure relief
valve holds the pressure at 48psi to the injector the rest of the fuel
returns to the tank....


..

[RedHawk47]

my experience with a similar problem on a different bike: fuel pump
check electrical connections and pressure (with low fuel level).
check fuel filter
treat fuel with StarTron, Techron or Sea Foam.

[Jay In Milpitas]

That's a curious one, RJ.

It may not warrant exploratory surgery since you have quite a lot of fuel in the tank now. Keep riding it and see what happens at about the same miles. Perhaps start strapping a can with about 1/2 gallon of gas on if it reoccurs while riding.

If you can wait until time for the next valve adjustment, that would be a good time to tear in to the tank. If you're really eager to get in to it, or just very bored, I suggest checking the pump's inlet cover. I can't quite tell from the picture, but like many machines it looks to have a mesh/fabric sock over it. If the lower portion has gotten obstructed then it can behave more like a tube, allowing only fuel or air to get drawn in to it. Kind of like when a petcock "On" pipe is near the fuel level and needs to be switched to Reserve.

It's a long shot, but all I got. As to the fuel pump being hurt, sounds like you still had plenty to cool it if it only took 2.7 gallons.

[sqwert]

Sitting at a company shop, stuck, miles from home. Grrrrr!

Anywho, just finished all 46 pages of this thread. Lots of good ideas for lots of little fixits. Several ideas on parts to stock up for common fixits that may be hiding around the next holiday.

Answers to a couple of discussions:

1) Wheel sprockets are cut slightly out-of-round intentionally. Otherwise harmonics rear their ugly voices. Other than that, varying wear on different parts of a chain is quite common, so that is true, too.

2) A couple posts and a few other threads hold complaints of rapid wear of smallish countershaft sprockets. My experience over dozens of years has been that the biggest countershaft sprocket that will fit, then finalize the drive ratio with an appropriate rear wheel sprocket, and the best chain one can afford is the best for bikes that see lots of highway miles. Might cost a bit more to install such a system, but the expense is usually covered several times over with a 5- or 6-times increase in miles before a premium system fails compared to taking the "cheap" way out.

3) In the U. S. of A. it is a violation of federal law to modify a street vehicle headlight. The LED and HID systems that fit lamps designed for H4 and 9003 bulbs are also illegal, as they modify a headlamp by changing the lumen source technology. OEM headlights of any type are legal, if properly patterned and aimed. Modified or misadjusted headlights are not legal.

With all the blinded drivers out there that have suffered crashes from being blinded by such illegal modifications, many states are now rewriting state vehicle equipment codes to better empower state and local law enforcement officers to enforce the federal intent. Don't be surprised if cops begin targeting odd color, extremely bright, poorly patterned, and/or improperly aimed headlights, fog lights, and/or other forms of auxiliary lights for active ticketing enforcement. Too many people are needlessly dying from misused and mismodified lights. The latest Harley Davidson LEDs are examples of a good thing gone wrong because light intensity has seemed to become a compensation thing for those suffering condemnation to the low end of the mushroom curve.

Then, there are millions of people who have modified the lumens source of or turned their fog lights up to search for cheap nuts. Fog lights should never be turned on when low beams are on. The purpose of fog lights is to illuminate a little road surface to move a vehicle at a very slow pace when vision is blocked by airborne detritus with a minimum of glare from light reflecting off the detritus Fog lights are well over-driven at common speed limits in parking lots and have absolutely no legitimate use on higher speed roads. None. Huh, what? Oh, cheap nuts are those found under a buck. Anyone running fog lights when their is good visibility and high speeds are safe with headlights obviously has a mental illness concerning sexual activities with animals. There is no other logical explanation for the misuse of fog lights.

The H4 headlight bulb itself also illegal. The 9003 is built to the same drawing as the H4, with significantly tighter manufacturing tolerances. Therefore, the only replacement bulb that is legal in the U. S. of A. for highway use is a halogen 9003, which may or may not be marked H4. H4 means nothing in the U. S. of A. Not a terrible thing, considering there are several manufacturers of 9003 bulbs that are significantly brighter and better fill the illumination pattern than the 35 watt OEM RX3 bulb, yet gain their superior lumens by the use of more expensive materials rather than upping voltages as high as so many popular H4s (illegal) do.

I'm partial to the Sylvania Silverstar Ultra 9003, but there are several other brands just as good, maybe even better. Buy a pair, cut a few vent holes in the back of the RX3 headlight to allow heat to escape. Don't be surprised at a relatively short 2000 hour life. Such premium bulbs run hot. That's why best to buy a pair so you have a spare. The Ultra 9003 draws 55 watts on low beam, 60 watts on high beam, but the stock RX3 electrical system handles the load just fine. With a Silverstar Ultra 9003 I really don't need auxiliary lighting on the highway. One bulb is enough, even at 70mph. Silverstar Ultras and other legitimate premium 9003s are that good.

However, a little light to the sides of the existing pattern would be quite comforting in low speed, tight turn, crowded situations. That calls for auxiliary lighting.

As for HID and LED auxiliary lights, any technology that generates lumens is legal. Just make sure not to change to a different light emitting technology than originally fitted by the manufacturer.

Any light that illuminates above the horizontal on low beam is illegal. The exception is late model headlights that some moron in DC has decided should project 20% of their low beam lumens on street signs above and beside the road. I can't fix the stupids of such government morons. Sorry. Yes, they are stupid--the rest of us figure out quite quickly how to flick the high beams to read a sign without blinding oncoming traffic with a permanent focus on their eyes since we are not to stupid to flick the high beams to read signs as the government morons are. However, an auxiliary lighting used on low beam must NOT pattern above horizontal.

The headlight now features a Sylvania Silverstar Ultra bulb. The 5 3/4 inch diameter headlights on each side of the headlight are LED systems made by J. W. Speaker, specifically for motorcycles. They are Adaptive LED Model 8691. They have a fairly normal low beam with a perfectly flat topped pattern and more light closer to the bike. Nice offroad. High beam is pretty normal, just brighter. There are a couple other features. When leaning into a turn extra LEDs illuminate the area beside the normal headlight patterns that normally go dark while cornering. Super confidence inspiring. There's a super high beam that I think lights up every LED in the housing. Very good anywhere no oncoming traffic. Shows up overhead and roadside signs, too. Not cheap, but all my illumination is functional and LEGAL.

So, how to tell if your choice is legal? DOT doesn't test every product. DOT lists expectations and limitations for specific types of products. Business people claim their products meet the DOT expectations and limitations when they place "DOT" on their product. I've seen such "DOT" marks cast or ground into glass on lamps, on stickers stuck on lamps, and of waterproof ink stamped on lamps. If a product marked "DOT" is reported to the DOT as not meeting the DOT's expectations and limitations, then the DOT may choose to test that product. Don't bet on it.

Anywho, with all the levels of government devising new ways to deal with the lower bell curve hooligans who are too stupid to use vehicle lights safely and responsibly, best to start learning about the DOT's lighting expectations and limitations and start living by them There are very functional options available in auxiliary lighting that meet DOT's notions, but they generally are not inexpensive. Cheap crap coming from the Orient isn't going to cut it.

Some things to shoot for:

Head and auxiliary light colors range from amber for fog lights to white for headlights. Some incandescent bulbs give off a slightly amber light, and that's okay. A very light amber tint won't usually be a problem with headlights, but the brighter headlights are, generally the whiter the illumination. No idea where the governments will go with this. One thing for sure, too amber headlights will be as big an issue as blue, green, pink, purple, and any other color headlight. Ticket city.

DO NOT run any lights on the street that have "NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE", "FOR OFF HIGHWAY USE ONLY", "NOT LEGAL FOR USE ON PUBLIC ROADS", or anything similar.

[nachipolis]

Hi.... I want yo do they same rimm change in my rx3.... It's the 17" rimm fits good on the rear space? No touch any surface? And... The spokes are the same from the 15" rimm? (Here in México the rx3 comes with 15" rear wheel)...
I can get an 17" alluminum trim... But i don't know for sure if it's gonna fit well... And if i need yo order a diferent size spokes.....
Thanks in advanced.....

[NzBrakelathes]

Originally Posted by nachipolis

Hi.... I want yo do they same rimm change in my rx3.... It's the 17" rimm fits good on the rear space? No touch any surface? And... The spokes are the same from the 15" rimm? (Here in México the rx3 comes with 15" rear wheel)...
I can get an 17" alluminum trim... But i don't know for sure if it's gonna fit well... And if i need yo order a diferent size spokes.....
Thanks in advanced.....

USA version and several other countries get the 17 inch rear wheel.
Jump the boarder and buy a wheel at CSC in the USA maybe
Of course if you want to fit a 17 inch rim to your hub the 15 inch spokes can't work 17 - 15 = 2 inch difference and it takes 2 spokes to make up the diameter.
kinda logical really

[nachipolis]

Thats what i thought.... I'd had to replace the 17" trim and get a new set of adecuated spokes..... Thanks for ur feedback....

[NzBrakelathes]

Originally Posted by nachipolis

Thats what i thought.... I'd had to replace the 17" trim and get a new set of adecuated spokes..... Thanks for ur feedback....

Try and keep threads on point etc maybe make a new thread for something you like or need, this thread as you can see is more about what you did on your RX3 today/recently not so much a random question about something else.