New Zongshen RX3 (ZS250GY-3) Dual Sport

[rtking]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Reading through Joe's new book on the RX3 and find it very informative.

... Great Read . rj

RJ - I completely agree. I got it last Friday at 6:30 PM, and I didn't put it down until I turned the last page at 10:00 PM. It was a great read, and a lot of great history on CSC and the RX-3. The approach to market and support of customers is different, amazing, and refreshing. It's well worth the $20 for the book in my opinion, though I wish I had sprung for the full color version.

[rtking]

Cross-post from my other thread about "Sorting the RX-3", but putting here for visibility

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Woke up early this AM to do a ride and ended up putting about 50 miles on the bike. Some observations:

1. The bike is really happy all the way up to terminal speed (on today's ride, about 81 mph.) There is some buzziness after 75 mph, but the bike didn't seem to mind cruising with the throttle nearly pinned.
2. I purposely rode the bike over the 73 Toll Road because the hills are about as steep as I'll encounter just about anywhere where I'd ride. (Other steep highways are the 101 in Castaic, and I-15 going over Gorman Pass on the way to Vegas.) With my weight (250 pounds) and no panniers (just top case), I had to drop to 5th gear, but still maintained 62 mph (GPS speed) over the steepest hill on the 73 toll road.
3. I really like the bike's handlng. I only have mild twisties on Laguna Canyon Road, but will try Ortega Highway or Santiago Canyon next time. The bike leans into turns with ease, and the wider handle bars makes maintaining a line (through the turn) easy.
4. The front brakes, as others have noted, are OK. I don't think they're bad, but they just don't give an immediate bite on the rotor. The rear brakes feel great and subconsciously, I was using them a bit more as they were a bit more effective. I understand that CSC is working to bring us sintered metal brake pads and, when those become available, I'll give them a try. I think that's all that's needed to give the bike a bit of an edge in the braking department.
5. Fall is here in Southern Calfornia. It was cool this morning, and I wish I had worn the inner liner to my mesh jacket. But for the next few months, I am seriously thinking that heated grips (that CSC just released) would be a great thing to add. That and the hand guards would make me a (mostly) happy camper. Depending on how cool it gets, a heated vest would be nice too.

Other things I noticed, but not necessarily RX-3 Cyclone related?

1. When I had my previous motorcycles (years back), I learned that Harley riders don't give the motorcyclists' wave. This is still true today.
2. People sure seem to be in a hurry lately. I had a guy in a pickup truck go full-throttle just to get in front of me, only to slam on the brakes and slow to 20 mph. Not sure what that was about, but a little lane splitting up to the traffic light and onto the freeway onramp, and he was behind me.
3. I must be a magnet for really peeved-off Prius and Lexus drivers. In just about any vehicle I have, I always find Prius' flying by at very un-eco speeds. Seems they picked the wrong car for their purposes. And Lexus drivers... just seem so oblivious around me as they cut me off without a second glance and refuse to make eye contact. That's OK, I'm a magnet for mosquitos too... and have learned there's not much I can do about them other than to not put myself in proximity to mosquitoes. Same goes for Prius and Lexus drivers... as much as I can.
4. Just for safety's sake, I'm thinking of replacing the RX-3 Cyclone's horn with a pair of Hella Supertone horns (wired via relay.) I think a dual-tone horn gets cagers' attention more readily. Heck, it's not just the RX-3... I need to add those to my Jetta as well.

Anyway - enough babble about me, more about the bike. I'm still impressed by the RX-3 Cyclone. It's not meant to be a super-slabber motorcycle for triple digit speeds, but it does 75-80 mph, and it'll do it all day long. (Besides, faster than that on just about any highway gets you lots of attention from the constabulary.) And as an adventure bike, knowing it can handle pavement, fire roads, and any speed between 5-80 mph makes it a really versatile machine for my needs. I would not hesitate to take the bike on a long ride up to Mammoth Lakes, and out to Bodie. In fact, that's something I am thinking about for late Spring 2016... a ride out to the Eastern Sierra, and out to Bodie and into Nevada on the dirt trails.

Hope everyone has a great weekend on their RX-3s!

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by rtking

4. Just for safety's sake, I'm thinking of replacing the RX-3 Cyclone's horn with a pair of Hella Supertone horns (wired via relay.) I think a dual-tone horn gets cagers' attention more readily. Heck, it's not just the RX-3... I need to add those to my Jetta as well.

These are awesome:

[SpudRider]

Well, I guess it's official. Joe Berk reported on the TW200 forum that Zongshen will be offering a 450cc version of the RX3, but it will be at least another two years before it is manufactured. Here is the quote.

"You're hearing it here first: There is a 450 in the works. It is at least 2 years out. When it is out, I will probably have one due to the work I do with CSC, but it would not be my first choice. I rode a prototype in Chongqing, and without getting into specifics, I greatly prefer the 250cc version. At my tender young age, I've come to the realization that a 250 is the perfect size for a motorcycle."

http://tw200forum.com/forum/other-bi...tml#post218846

Joe, why did you tell the Yamaha guys before you told us?

[katflap]

This was posted on the Zongshen website ( 29 Jan 2015)

http://www.zongshen.cc/news/dtdetail.aspx?id=140

Zongshen motorcycle R & D Director in accordance with product planning.
Zongshen 350cc of RX3S expected to be released in 2015 or 2016,
and is expected to carry NC450 year 2017 listed on the RX5,
or equipped with a twin-cylinder 500cc RX7
then, Zongshen will have a strong product line of SUVs.

[Weldangrind]

I could work with a 350cc version.

[detours]

I like the extra power and torque of a bigger engine, but I love the size and weight of the RX3. If the new models stay under 400 lbs, that will be tempting.

[rtking]

A little extra power wouldn't hurt, and I agree about weight... I wouldn't want it to weigh substantially more.

It's going to be a few years out anyway (2 years for the 450 per Joe's post on the TW200 forum), so I'll give it greater consideration then. But for now, I'm very happy with the RX3, and I've got at least 2 years to put on plenty of miles on it.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by katflap

This was posted on the Zongshen website ( 29 Jan 2015)

http://www.zongshen.cc/news/dtdetail.aspx?id=140

As always, great research, Kat. You even deciphered the Chinglish for us.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by katflap

This was posted on the Zongshen website ( 29 Jan 2015)

http://www.zongshen.cc/news/dtdetail.aspx?id=140

I seems the proposed RX3S, with a 350cc engine, materialized as the RX3, with a 250cc engine. It also appears Zongshen has chosen to manufacture the RX5 with a 450cc engine, instead of the RX7 with a twin cylinder, 500cc engine.

The RX5 won't be here until 2017, at the earliest.

[Riceburner]

I mentioned, for me, this 250 is just fine for the conditions I now ride. Highways here are not like the US and I no longer have to ride 90 to 120 miles on those long highways out of Las Vegas, so I don't really need more speed.

And bigger usually means more weight. At my young age (62) this bike is at the max I want to be wrestling with out in the back country at aprox. 175 Kg / 385 Lb and then I'm loaded with 20 top 30 Kilos of vitamins, the tank bag, 2 liters of water, tools, maybe the rain suite, more than enough exercise for me to wrestle with.

Like last weekend, I was trying to get down to the beach road to find a child, it's been a year since I was there, took a little side road I thought would be a short cut (wrong thought). I had asked if this little trail goes to the beach road, "yes" the young man says. He's right, the trail does go to the beach but I wasn't smart enough to ask if I can ride the bike on it...

It got narrower and narrower and deep slick mud, I get to a T, look to the right where I need to go and another T but even smaller, and then another T. I couldn't have gotten the YBR through those T's. It's a walking trail, not a riding trail but "yes" it goes to the beach road .

I had to turn the TheZone around, had to get off, push, pull, push, pull and Nixon wasn't offering any help other than to say this wasn't his idea... Couldn't put the side stand down because of the mud, just sink in. Today I'm having a larger side stand foot made.

This bike has a turning radius of an Army Deuce and a Half.

This bike is big enough for me and Nixon.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Riceburner

...This bike has a turning radius of an Army Deuce and a Half.

This bike is big enough for me and Nixon.

I agree. The RX3 does have a large turning radius.

[rjmorel]

I had to turn a 180 on a switchback once with my RX3. Got off the bike , put on front brake, leaned it over and got the rear wheel spinning and pushed rear end around with my hips. Decided then and there I ought not to be going such places. rj

[SpudRider]

I agree. I own a Honda CRF250X for going nasty places.



The Zongshen RX3 is an adventure motorcycle, not a dirt bike.

[rtking]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I agree. I own a Honda CRF250X for going nasty places.

The Zongshen RX3 is an adventure motorcycle, not a dirt bike.

So... with Joe accepting the challenge from the TW200 folks to ride the Northwest Territory and Alaska, do you think the RX-3 will have any issue? I have no doubt about the reliability of the bike. I'm just wondering if things such as the turning radius will pose a problem? I'm guessing that, as the date gets closer, Joe will select tires that might be better suited to the terrain up in the NW Territories? (Bog, permafrost, mud?)