Getting on and off an RX3

[JunkyardDog]

I currently have a 2001 Yamaha XT225, with over 30,000 hard miles on it. It had 1800 miles on it when I bought it used in 2008. I am partially disabled, and am having a hard time getting on and off the bike. It's getting almost impossible to get my leg over the seat. I literally have to grab my pants leg and use my arm to lift my leg over the seat. I don't do any serious off road riding anymore, but I would like to be able to ride on fairly smooth dirt roads. I also like the idea of having panniers to carry stuff. But since there are no dealers for this bike, I don't know how difficult it would be to get on and off of. The seat looks a LOT more comfortable than the 2x4 on the XT. Anybody have any opinions on this? I live in AZ, I guess I could drive to CSC in CA and sit on one. I would hate to order one and find out I couldn't get on it. Thanks for any input. Jerry

[2LZ]

Of course, when I was younger and as limber as a gymnast, I could mount a bike with ease. Now that I'm old, fat and stiff, I find I need to cheat. I step on the left foot peg while it's on the side stand and it makes it far easier to swing the leg over the seat.

[calvarez]

What part of AZ? I'm in Peoria at the very end of 67th Ave. You could try mine if we can get together.

You really can't swing a let over this bike with the tail box on it. I end up picking up my foot and stretching it out over the driver's seat. I use my hand to help it along.

[rjmorel]

I feel you guys. At 62yo and stiff in all the wrong places I have to do like Calvarez ---a Gestapo goose stepping kick to get my foot and leg as high as I can and hopefully clear the seat and get my leg over. Sometimes takes a few tries. Sometimes my foot gets stuck on the seat. Points added for not continuing over the other side and totally missing the bike. Sometimes it pulls my ham string.
I'm 5'6" and 28" inseam and have lowered my RX3 with lowering links and lowered the triple clamps on the forks.
I have no problem riding taller bikes , just getting on and off them as I'm not as limber as I was 10 years ago.
Some people have success with 2LZ method but you need to keep an eye on your kick stand mount as I've seen on 2 other bikes (not RX3) break the weld that connects the mount to the frame. Then the bike starts leaning farther and farther over like Lee Marvin's drunk horse in "Cat Ballou" movie, ya know what I mean?
What's a short fella to do? rj

[JunkyardDog]

I'm 60 with severe arthritis, bad knee and hip joints. I live in Chandler, AZ. I may just have to accept the fact that I can no longer ride such bikes. The XT has a very low seat for a dual sport. I have a Harley Sportster 1200, a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, a Vespa GT200, and a vintage 1979 Vespa P200E that I can still ride. But there are tens of thousands of miles of dirt roads here in AZ that I still want to ride on. I weigh 240, so I would likely break the sidestand off if I tried to use it to hold up my weight. I'm 6' with a 34" inseam, and used to be able to hop on tall bikes with ease. Age and to many years in the A/C business kind of put an end to that. Thanks for your responses. They are very much appreciated.

[calvarez]

My inseam is 31, so you have an advantage there. It might not be totally out for you.

[StevieUT]

I'm 60 with severe arthritis, bad knee and hip joints. I live in Chandler, AZ. I may just have to accept the fact that I can no longer ride such bikes. The XT has a very low seat for a dual sport. I have a Harley Sportster 1200, a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, a Vespa GT200, and a vintage 1979 Vespa P200E that I can still ride. But there are tens of thousands of miles of dirt roads here in AZ that I still want to ride on. I weigh 240, so I would likely break the sidestand off if I tried to use it to hold up my weight. I'm 6' with a 34" inseam, and used to be able to hop on tall bikes with ease. Age and to many years in the A/C business kind of put an end to that. Thanks for your responses. They are very much appreciated.

Ride the P200e on the dirt roads! Just throw some knobbies on her. tup:

I’ve got a 2T Stella that I ride on some of the forest roads.

[Emerikol]

Jerry, here's my two cents' worth, also from Arizona. I step on the footpeg to get on the DR, but that's a really tall bike. I have a 32" inseam and stand at about 5' 10" and can't even come close to flat-footing that bike. Even my Hawk has me with my heels just slightly off the ground. The V-Star is easy with a low seat height, but I don't think it would do very well on anything not paved. As for the Ural, that one is really easy to get on and off, and with the sidecar there's never an issue having to put my feet down. It really loves eating up the dirt roads and desert sand, too. I would say either a) take a trip to CSC as you mentioned, they're a great group of folks out there, or b) find something that you're comfortable with at one of the local shops. Both RideNow and GoAZ are good reputable shops, and I do business with them both. Give me a shout if you want to come down and look over the stable some time and see if anything catches your fancy.

[2LZ]

I'm 60 with severe arthritis, bad knee and hip joints. I live in Chandler, AZ. I may just have to accept the fact that I can no longer ride such bikes. The XT has a very low seat for a dual sport. I have a Harley Sportster 1200, a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, a Vespa GT200, and a vintage 1979 Vespa P200E that I can still ride. But there are tens of thousands of miles of dirt roads here in AZ that I still want to ride on. I weigh 240, so I would likely break the sidestand off if I tried to use it to hold up my weight. I'm 6' with a 34" inseam, and used to be able to hop on tall bikes with ease. Age and to many years in the A/C business kind of put an end to that. Thanks for your responses. They are very much appreciated.
My twin.
I'm 60, 34" inseam, shot body, and currently weigh in at 250, thanks to steroids. If you change your mind, the side stand will handle you, trust me.

[Working_ZS]

I'm 15-20 years younger than you lot of "geezers":p, with a 29" inseam and I have never thrown my leg over a bike. I always use the foot pegs, even on my Gold Wing. I don't see the point in the gymnastics necessary, especially with anything over 30" in seat height. Throw in a top box and side cases, and it becomes damn near impossible to get your legs over all of that. I have no problems mounting and dismounting the bike from either side using the foot pegs. If you are really worried about the side stand mount breaking, use the right side foot peg to get on and off the the bike. That will keep the weight off of the side stand and help lever the bike up off said stand at the same time when you are getting on it. Having said that, the RX3 side stand mount is pretty beefy, unlike the BMW G 310 GS, which is under recall for that particular issue. With gear, I'm in the 200-210 lb department and have not had any problems with my RX3's side stand bearing the weight.

Using the foot pegs will probably take a little practice on your part, since you are not used too doing it, but it is a worthwhile investment of time on your part if it keeps you on the bike that takes you where you want to ride, be it a XT225 or a RX3.

[calvarez]

I would avoid RideNow if at all possible. Bunch of lying weasels, who have been scamming Arizona riders, especially young guys who don't know better, for a couple decades. Simply awful people who would rip off their own mother. They changed their name a few years ago to try to get rid of some of the bad rep.

[rd1959]

I'm 60, 5' 9" with a 30" inseam and degenerative disc disease. When the bike is on the side stand I will place my left foot just ahead of the footpeg, grab the handlebars, go up on the ball of my left foot, and lean forward and over the bars while I throw my leg over. Leaning forward eliminates snagging the side or top cases with my foot. Getting on is much easier if you have the center stand. Just step on the peg and swing your leg over.

At my age I don't like hearing the "E" word (exercise) any more than anyone else but there are some exercises that do help with hip and joint flexibility and increase range of motion. Doing hip flexors (lying on your stomach and raising your leg) will help with getting your leg up high enough to swing over the seat. Stretching the hamstring muscles also helps.

[sqwert]

63, 5'11", 30 inseam, 225 pounds.

With side stand:
Approach from left, facing back of seat (45* angle off side of bike};
Hold left handgrip to steady bike with left hand;
Place ball of left foot on peg;
Stand on left foot (use momentum of approaching bike to rise up);
Lift right knee along side of seat;
Place right hand to right of right knee, palm under knee on top of shin bone right below knee: PULL UP;
Pull right knee to chest and gently extend, not swing, right foot over seat;
Rotate left foot to normal position while placing right foot on right peg, butt on seat, and right hand on right grip, while straightening the handlebars to central position.

Sounds complicated, but very easy IF YOU START FACING BACK OF SEAT and use the momentum of the twist to line everything up all at once.. Lifting right knee/leg is easy with the hand and arm helping.

[pete]

New Honda CC110 Cross Cub.... Re-make of the CT110..



..

[JunkyardDog]

I actually seriously considered an old Honda CT90 or CT110. I am not a hardcore off road rider, at least not anymore. For those in the Phoenix area, I do most of my off road riding either down around the Florence area in the winter, and up around Forest lakes, between Payson and Heber/Overgaard in the summer. But those bikes are so cramped it makes them extremely uncomfortable. I haven't given up on the RX-3 yet. It has plenty of room to carry stuff, and an optional centerstand for fixing flat tires. And I just love the look.

[calvarez]

If you want to drive up to Peoria for a test sit and a chat about it, you are welcome to. I probably won't be riding it in the city much at all during summer, it sucks.

[rpandey]

I am really glad this thread bubbled back up to the top: I am sure I looked silly the first time I tried to throw a leg over my RX3 with the box on back the same way I did my Ninja......it didn't work, my foot hit the box, I almost lost my balance, reminded my of getting kicks blocked in Karate back in the day :-). I was left wondering what the best practice was for the RX3.

I did get a center stand put on the bike, so now I just grab the handlebars, put my left leg on the left foot peg, and sort of sissor/fold my right leg over the bike. Getting off I always scruff the pad on the back of the box for the comfort of the mythical 2-up passenger after I put down the side stand, but I have managed mounts and dismounts without testing the crash bars (thus far, knock on wood :).

Happy riding (and mounting/dismounting)!

[dpl096]

That center stand is well worth the money.....soooooo much easier.

[calvarez]

I wouldn't buy the stand again. It's in the way, a pain to use, and improperly balanced. The stand was never an original option, and there are no proper places to attach it. It's CSC's best effort to use a shipping hole to add a cobbled-up stand. The price is ludicrous and the result is annoying at best. I should have spent my money on a good swingarm stand.

Of course, that doesn't help if you need to do maintenance on long rides. I'll never do long rides on this.

[Working_ZS]

I wouldn't buy the stand again. It's in the way, a pain to use, and improperly balanced. The stand was never an original option, and there are no proper places to attach it. It's CSC's best effort to use a shipping hole to add a cobbled-up stand. The price is ludicrous and the result is annoying at best. I should have spent my money on a good swingarm stand.

Of course, that doesn't help if you need to do maintenance on long rides. I'll never do long rides on this.

No, ludicrous is $300 US I had to pay for the center stand on my Versys 650. Pricing is similar on other makes and models. Personally, I haven't had any problems with mine. In fact, I find it makes deploying the side stand easier, since that doesn't have a deployment loop welded to it. The arm on the center stand is easy to catch with my boot, and that allows me to push down the center and side stands at the same time. When down far enough, I just let the center stand spring back up out of the way and finish deploying the side stand.

As for never using it except on long rides, breakdowns (flats, lost master link, etc.)occur on long and short rides; better to have it than not. I consider it a much better investment than the aluminum skid plate that I bought, but have never bothered to install.

[Gaijin]

I wouldn't buy the stand again. It's in the way, a pain to use, and improperly balanced. The stand was never an original option, and there are no proper places to attach it. It's CSC's best effort to use a shipping hole to add a cobbled-up stand. The price is ludicrous and the result is annoying at best.
It looks like the CSC store offers two center stand options; can you clarify which one you are criticizing?


They offer a two-piece "emergency" stand:
https://store.cscmotorcycles.com/2-PC-STEEL-CENTER-STAND-RX-3-p/csc-1003.htm


And a "bolt-on":
https://store.cscmotorcycles.com/CENTER-STAND-BOLT-ON-FITS-CSC-RX3-p/csc-1004.htm

[Working_ZS]

It looks like the CSC store offers two center stand options; can you clarify which one you are criticizing?


They offer a two-piece "emergency" stand:
https://store.cscmotorcycles.com/2-PC-STEEL-CENTER-STAND-RX-3-p/csc-1003.htm


And a "bolt-on":
https://store.cscmotorcycles.com/CENTER-STAND-BOLT-ON-FITS-CSC-RX3-p/csc-1004.htm

I believe that he is talking about the "bolt on" version, designed by CSC, that utilizes the assembly line mounting points that are left on the bike after manufacture, for mounting of the center stand. Virtually no one that I know of on this forum has, or uses, the two piece stand. Compared to that, the CSC version is light years ahead in the functionality department. It's not perfect by any means, but considering that the bike was never designed by Zongshen to fit a permanent center stand, it is a satisfactory effort. And as I posted previously, I have not had any problems with mine. I do not regret purchasing it.

[calvarez]

I was talking about the bolt-on. If I were riding long distance, I'd buy the "emergency" stand to take with me, and a real shop stand to use in the garage. The centerstand is always in the way of the sidestand. It probably was the reason I lost my sidestand spring once, which could have killed me. The bike doesn't balance properly on it. Total trash.

Oh, and of course it didn't fit well at first and I had to do some minor modifying.

[larryinseattle]

I currently have a 2001 Yamaha XT225, with over 30,000 hard miles on it. It had 1800 miles on it when I bought it used in 2008. I am partially disabled, and am having a hard time getting on and off the bike. It's getting almost impossible to get my leg over the seat. I literally have to grab my pants leg and use my arm to lift my leg over the seat. I don't do any serious off road riding anymore, but I would like to be able to ride on fairly smooth dirt roads. I also like the idea of having panniers to carry stuff. But since there are no dealers for this bike, I don't know how difficult it would be to get on and off of. The seat looks a LOT more comfortable than the 2x4 on the XT. Anybody have any opinions on this? I live in AZ, I guess I could drive to CSC in CA and sit on one. I would hate to order one and find out I couldn't get on it. Thanks for any input. Jerry


I live in Yuma.... would love to show you the bike. I am in San Diego until Sept.

Larry

[sqwert]

My RX3 came off the first container. CSC quickly had a centerstand available. It was very difficult to use until I figured out it had no leverage and raised the front of the bike instead of the back. CSC came out with a different stand with a longer foot pedal for more leverage. Welded similar up for my stand. Much easier to work. A piece of PVC pipe slide under the swingarm keeps the rear tire up for changes and chain lubes. Still relatively easy to roll off going forward, so be careful.

[willy dog]

I have the original center stand it works ok if you are a yeti have to muscle the bike on the stand. As far as getting on bad knees and 280lbs i stand on the left foot peg with bike on side stand