Actual seat height for RX3?

[Dualsport Chic]

Argh - this is disappointing. Sounding like the stock seat is well over 32" standard height with the U.S. configuration. I detest lowering links as they change the geometry and as I ride heavily off-road, I need the suspension travel & ground clearance.

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by Dualsport Chic

Argh - this is disappointing. Sounding like the stock seat is well over 32" standard height with the us configuration. I detest lowering links as they change the geometry and as I ride heavily off-road, I need the suspension travel & ground clearance.

Not well over.....my stock seat height, with stock suspension link was right at 32".

It is my understanding that if you lower the front and rear the same amount, the steering geometry stays the same.

jb

[woodlandsprite]

Hello hello!
It *is* you Dualsport Chic! I thought I recognized your handle
I have the narrow seat on my bike....and getting the balls of my feet down is tricky. I am still thinking I might need to get a pair of daytonas. That said, it's a lot easier for me to handle the RX3 vs my husband's f800gs. Different boots definitely help. My older boots had a bit more sole under the balls of my feet. My inseam is approximately 29.25" and I have made no changes to suspension except for messing about with the preload.

[Dualsport Chic]

Hey There WS - I hope you are well and riding alot!


Sounding like you and I have the exact inseam as I am a smidge over 29". Ryan at CSC mentioned the narrow seat would provide 3/4 of an inch more reach - I am now thinking he was overly optimistic in that statement. I do have a pair of Ladystars which I can use but I don't wear them much as they're not super comfortable. The easy handling for the RX3 is a plus however so it may not be as bad as I'm thinking. Just frustrating to be inseam challenged when it comes to riding - all the good stuff is too tall. . .


Let me know your overall impressions of the bike thus far. I won't get mine until March I expect and probably won't have it out on the road until April as we're getting hit with a late winter here in the Northeast.

[woodlandsprite]

I can put the original seat on the bike and give you a non scientific qualitative observation if you'd like. It seems like it is harder for me to reach the ground to get the bike tilted to the right so I can get the kickstand up with the new seat but I did a no-no and changed the seat and preload at the same time so not sure which is to blame :P. Haven't tried putting the stock seat back on since switching it since the narrow seat does seem more comfortable.

As for the riding, I'm still very much a novice with just one season and just over 500 miles ridden. Went on the freeway for the 3rd time ever today and if I have one concern with this bike it's the lack of passing power on the western interstates where normal traffic speeds routinely are around 75mph. With WOT I was at 80mph indicated which means traffic was passing me handily. But that is a thread jack

[Dualsport Chic]

At least my $299 seat investment will get me more comfort if not more reach.


Where do you have your pre-load set in the range? I'm about 140 lbs max (winter weight) and with my back issues I need a pretty supple ride but without chance of bottoming out in potholes or rough terrain.


The RX3 for me will be a niche bike for touring the dirt roads of New England so it will see very little superslab thankfully - have my BMW F650gs for road work - and even that is troublesome on the highway due to engine vibration over 75 mph.


Have you ridden your RX3 on dirt roads yet and how does it absorb uneven terrain?

[Jay In Milpitas]

The stock shock as supplied to Zongshen doesn't seem to be consistent where the preload comes set, so you may or may not need to mess with yours. It's not a hard thing to do, fortunately. Rebound adjustment is very easy to access.

[RedHawk47]

How are you measuring inseam?
It seems to me that most men, when discussing inseam on motorcycle forums are referring to the length of their pants/trousers. I buy 30" inseam pants, and would wear 29" if I could find them. I have the tall saddle and can flat foot my RX3 with my riding boots on, with some to spare. The suspension is where it came from CSC; about 36mm of thread exposed.

Are you using PBH (pubic bone height) inseam measurement? In that case, my PBH is 34".

(to measure PBH: bare foot, place broomstick or similar between legs and raise until it contact the bone. Have someone measure top of stick to floor.)

[Dualsport Chic]

Using pants inseam length - a little over 29".

[woodlandsprite]

I gave PBH inseam measured by tape measure...and I buy 30" or "regular" inseam pants (since ladies pants don't have many inseam length options, don't get me started on that rant). "short" inseam pants are definitely short on me.

[woodlandsprite]

alrighty - before my ride today I did the seat height check - qualitatively, no actual measurements.
I did not notice any significant difference between the stock seat and the narrow seat.
In both cases only the balls of my feet were down...and since my boots are quite rigid, they seemed to be down about the same amount.

[Dualsport Chic]

Thanks WS!! I do think the SC seat will be more comfortable for all day riding even if it doesn't give me a footing advantage.


Now I wait patiently for delivery to CSC, build-out and delivery to ME! ; )

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by Dualsport Chic

Thanks WS!! I do think the SC seat will be more comfortable for all day riding even if it doesn't give me a footing advantage....

I know you have said how much you dislike lowering links, but if you lower the front and rear the same amount, the steering geometry will remain the same.

The trade off is slightly lower ground clearance.

As part of my quest to cure, or at least abate, the harsh ride, I have found that backing off on the preload lowers the seat height...seems counter intuitive, but it may help you get the seat height more to your liking.

The preload on my RX3 was set at 4 full turns of compression.



jb

[Dualsport Chic]

Thanks JB but I tried lowering a Tiger 800 I used to own with a Ohlins custom shock and raising the forks in the triples - adjusted several times - the bike didn't handle the same. Preload is tricky - when you back it off, you don't get the proper rebound and I have spinal issues so can't afford bottoming out. And, as my RX3 will be used specifically for off-road touring, maximum suspension travel and ground clearance is a must. I'm used to over 10" of ground clearance now on my XT250 and use that clearance to its full capacity when things get rough and I have to hop a tree or two etc. My focus will be on seat/tires to keep things in check from a reach standpoint. But, since I have not yet even sat on the bike, hard to tell where I'll be with reach. As long as I can get the balls of my feet solidly on the ground, I'm fine. Once I get the bike, I'll keep everyone posted on this grand experiment of fitting an ADV bike to a shortypants rider

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by Dualsport Chic

?....I'm used to over 10" of ground clearance now on my XT250 and use that clearance to its full capacity when things get rough and I have to hop a tree or two etc......

I may be wrong, but I don't think you will be hopping any trees on the RX3...



jb