My response to the everide RX3 review
 

Here is what I posted on a few groups, the youtube video and everide's Facebook page. Yes it's probably petty and comes across butt hurt. Oh well, I have an opinion too and and 6000 more miles than him on my RX3...:grr:

As an RX3 owner I was curious as to what the review would entail and I will say it was exactly what I expected. It was accurate and honest but no surprise, disparaging as expected. Came across as the bike is ok but it can’t do x, y, z, etc… It reminded me of pandering to “purists” because if you said the Chinese bike is a good deal for what it is, your primary fan base would call you a sellout, tell you all the places and things this bike CANT do that they can on their KTM, KLR, BMW, etc. I felt the point you were trying to make, and I’m paraphrasing, “CSC markets the bike as a true Dual Sport Adventure bike and it can’t do what the other true Adventure bikes can do”. Really? Adventure is a subjective term. You ran that bike, stock configuration, through some pretty rough shit. As you showed, it made it, can do it but not as good as heavier duty established dual sport bikes. Muffler bolts came out, screws loose, bent rim, crash bars bent, I get it, really do. Bike ran great didn’t it? No engine issues? You might have mentioned that, but where is the laugh in that? You thought it’d be cute to have your wife beat you in a drag race with her Prius, great for a laugh but dude, it’s a 350lb 250cc. Of course the bike will beat it off the line but the top speed is 70-80mph. It’s not marketed as a fast bike, it can’t be and never will be. But you got your laugh from the primary fan base of “true” Adventure riders.

Here’s my point. Im 5’5 145 lbs. I wanted a small bike that had crash bars, luggage, bucket/passenger seat, large fuel tank, water cooled, fuel injection. I had a budget of around 6000. I looked a TONS of used and new bikes. I keep reading peoples comments about “for 4000 bucks you can buy a used dual sport from an established manufacturer”. Really? Where is this small used dual sport with all the things I mentioned I wanted for under $6000. Sure, lots of bikes out there for that price but not with the options I’m looking for. I don’t want a dirt bike with addons. I don’t want an 800cc (smallest I could find) BMW that I have to squash the suspension on so I can ride it. I wanted a small adventure type bike and low and behold there’s the RX3. I researched CSC and Zongshen for 2 months before pulling the trigger. Why? Because like everyone else I was skeptical of the Chinese and price too good to be true thing. I will say after reading tons of material, talking to CSC and other owners of the RX3 and Zongshen powered motorcycles I was surprised at the overwhelming positive info. Long story short I bought it.
It’s my belief that the RX3 fits a niche. Not everyone wants to be Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman doing an around the world adventure on gigantic $25000+ motorcycles. I live in the PNW. I can ride an hour any direction and get semi desert, mountains, ocean, multiple state and national forest parks. I just needed a bike to get me to work and do some gravel road exploring. I only have 7000 miles on the bike and owned for just over 7 months. I’ve had ZERO mechanical issues. I’ve wrecked it on some pretty wicked clay/mud/rocky trails that I really probably shouldn’t have been on but was able to get back home no problem, able to get parts and get my bike back together VERY inexpensively.

My concern is your review will further stigmatize this small reliable dual sport as a novelty. It is not by any means in my opinion. There are thousands of these bikes all over the world, traveling across China, Russia, Europe, South America under different brand names and mostly carburated versions. You could have totally reviewed it as a good bike for what it is, instead you focus on what it is not because you think it’s being marketed that way? In reality more of an entertainment piece. Get a good laugh trying to beat the shit out of the bike and make the “purists” feel good about spending a ton on their bikes that most will never even take on trails like what you did on the RX3. Again, “Adventure” is subjective. I hope that people who are thinking of the RX3 as an option for a small, reliable inexpensive dual sport bike will not be swayed by your review. In reality you beat the shit out of it but it’s still going and you’re able to auction it off. Most people who would by this bike ain’t gonna subject it to that degree of “offroad” riding.
I do agree with your comparison to Hyundai, Kia, etc. I appreciate you trying to put the positive in but obviously came across as not to disappoint your fan base for the sake of entertainment.

I just hope CSC continues on and are successful. They believe in their product and back it 100%. The warranty is great and their customer service cannot be beat. Parts have been super easy to get. It’s a good looking bike with cool options, easy to maintain, reliable, fun to ride and inexpensive. I could go on and on.

Im the type of guy you addressed in the beginning of your review, so hope I didn’t disappoint…

Not petty at all--you nailed it on the entertainment front and pandering to people with small, you know whats, who have to compensate with massive sized 'adventure' bikes. This bike has never, in my opinion (and this is from WELL before CSC was even considering bringing it in as we discussed it here on the hallowed chinariders site years ago when it was coming up in the world) been a dual sport. It is an adventure bike-lite.

Funny, too, that as a member of Horizonsunlimited I read posts from people who have been to exotic lands on their BMW 1200 something or another who were very impressed with the 'locals' on Chinese 150's taking terrain like African desert much better than the member on said BMW. A few have mentioned similar things about S. and Central America, too.

Having been a member here on Chinariders for 10 years now, and seeing many a Chinese 'dual' sport come and go, but still excellent deals when compared to name brand dual sports, the RX3 was king of the hill. I don't think any of us pre-U.S. RX3 days thought of this bike as being on par with name brands, but rather a superior adventure bike over the common Chinese dual sports.

I would love to see him take a stock CB500X or VeeStrom 650 through the same paces he put the RX3 through...

We got that wee storm 650 though the scree slides... had deep water channels
running down it.... these slides are a couple 100 metres across....
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/.../V%20Storm.jpg

So, are you suggesting the guy being helped in the forefront of the photo is on a Zongshen??

:) :) :) :) :)

So the review turned out exactly as we'd suspected? Not a surprise at all.

Out of ALL of the riders I've known through my life, only ONE had that "I'm going to scale Everest on my dual sport" mentality. The rest road mostly on pavement, gravel roads and some basic trails while camping.

If Everride is pandering to the ONE rider I knew, he's missing a lot of audience....but I feel most of his audience is like the 99% I knew. Bought expensive gear and use it to commute to work most of the time but talk big with the "choir" to feel cool.

Oh well, what did we really expect? We know the truth of the RX3 and CSC and since we own them, that's all that matters to us. We'll keep it our little secret.........

I just hate to see reviews like this hurt an awesome business like CSC. Im afraid too many prospective buyers would be swayed coming across this review in their researching the RX3. No, it's not cool but I know there will be sales lost because of the stigma and this review perpetuates that perception.

I'm not so sure Everride has that big an audience. Every bike I have ever owned has been reviewed by someone who dissed it...as well as others who loved it. I'm talking about 20+ motorcycles over the years. The mainstream rags have all had positive things to say about the Zong. Yes, they did point out what they did not like but the overall view was positive. This guy has his own niche and his own motivation. I'm still happy with mine so his opinion does not matter to me.

Peter Y.

50,000+ people (his current number of subscribers) potentially watching the videos is a decent audience IMO

Sure it's not as much as 6foot4honda or C2W, DoItWithDan, Walterrific, etc... but still... 50,000+ people who may be swayed one way or another by his reviews

2 or 3 people in the comments stated that they were thinking of this bike but not after Everide's "honest" review.

William
'15 Mustard

There are not quite 7,000 views of his review video as of this posting... And of the 100 or so comments, only a couple people who let his review change their mind. Since most of us owners will be grouped into the category he starts off with (we have one and we like it) he isn't changing our minds on anything. I doubt his review will cause any significant drop in interest of the RX3. If someone is on the fence, there are plenty more positive reviews out there than his.


I feel as though he went out of his way to be brutal in his "Brutally Honest" review and played up all of the "bad" and just glossed over all the good. He said the thing I hear most often: telling people they can get a used KLR for the same price, but doesn't mention that the KLR won't have crash guards, panniers, top boxes, aux. wiring, etc. :doh: He bashes on the bone stock RX3 harder than most people would with any other stock bike, and then complains it can't handle the abuse even though it seems to be running and driving just fine after it was all said and done. He loads it up well beyond it's stated capacity, with two full grown men, and then tells us how it's under-powered...

But like he said... This owner is happy with their bike. I have not, and don't plan on taking my bike anywhere like that rocky trail he beat his up on. I commute back and forth every day just fine with no problem. So he can keep his opinion, and I will keep my bike!

Here's a guy who gets it:

http://rbrhsv.wixsite.com/travel-blo...SC-RX3-Cyclone

This is the review Everide should have done.

Peter Y.

I read this and was impressed ... not just because it was favorable to the RX3, but because he judged it based on what it was designed to be and to do ... not on what it's not.

His progression from bike to bike was also an interesting aside. It helped demonstrate what he learned from each bike and about himself as a rider. Very interesting read.

I know what it is with this guy and what I found wrong with Everride--he did not sound ignorant! Everride's on-camera personality, with him being very confident, masks that he is somewhat ignorant, in all that he ripped on the RX3.

This guy KNOWS his stuff and what does what!

Not sure if I should weigh in on this.. but what the heck, the water is warm.

Everyone has an opinion and Everride is entitled to his. But like many opinions, I don't have to agree with him. And having his friends provide their opinions does not validate is opinion or theirs. If the bike works for you, that's fine. If it does not, that's fine also. There is no perfect bike. Just like there is no perfect flavor of ice cream. Vanilla? Strawberry? Chocolate? Neapolitan for the indecisive or those that want it all? It's all good.

The RX3 hits so many points for me. Sure, it's not perfect and I'll freely admit it. I would like another 10-20 horsepower, I would like a more comfy seat, I would like slightly larger panniers and top case without going to the Tourfella cases. All of these things can be fixed with enough money. But that's not the point of the bike. It's a tremendous value for what it is, and quite frankly, that the bike survived the rough riding Everride put it through without a failure is probably a much higher testament to the bike than Everride really gives it credit for.

Would I ride my RX3 on roads like that? Maybe. But not at those speeds. I'm old enough that speed isn't what works for me. What does work for me is a bike that can do it all, and do it reasonably well. The RX3 is great at that. Besides, if you're looking at a 250cc bike (any 250cc bike) you're really not looking for speed anyway.

Now the review that Peter linked... that's a solid review. It was fair and balanced, and really showed the thought process to arriving at the conclusion that the RX3 worked for him. I liked that review quite well.

At any rate, I agree that this bike isn't for everyone. But for those that find it agreeable, it's a fantastic ride. My $0.02...

I saw the video after I saw it mentioned on Facebook. I never heard of Everide before. I drove down to Azusa on Saturday and bought one with the 10% discount they were offering I ended up getting a few farkles for it. It is unfair to compare oranges to apples and there is no other bike in this category. Reviews are supposed to be objective not comparisons to other similar bikes in theme only. The Rx3 could be compared to the Africa Twin since both are "Adventure" bikes, it is not a fair comparison. I wiould do my review of the bike but only after I put on 3k miles on a nice trip and it would only be my opinion. If not ask me about my 2013 Drz400 with 40k miles and over 5k in upgrades.

When i was in my twenty's, i had a vw bus it was under powered had to adj. the valves more than i would have liked. it helped if you knew the road so you could get a run at the hills, but it would keep up with traffic. the heater sucked it blew up on me once, but it was just dam fun to drive, and i wish i still had it. well my RX3 is not for everyone but i love it and i will never sell it. It's not perfect but it does everything i ask and then some who knows in 5 years the bike might slow down but right now i love my fastest blue TOO MUCH FUN :tup::tup::tup:

Congratulations on the purchase, RascalFlyer! And you got a great deal at 10% off the RX3. What color did you get?

CSC has some great farkles for the bike. The one I'm yearning for the most currently is the upgraded seat (tall seat kit). But one of the many things I really appreciate about CSC is that the entire team has experience with the accessories and the bikes, and can give you input into the farkles to help you decide.

I got the red one, my wife chose the color for me because I could not make up my mind. I got the luggage, skid plate, foot pegs, headlight cover, hand grip warmers, drive lights, side stand wide foot, 19 inch wheel with knobby tires and dash accessory power plug. I am waiting for it to ship since I asked them to install everything for me. I am poor in time so I figured might as well support a great business and have them do all the work.

In the top 10 Youtube search results for CSC RX3, 8 were from Everride.
So yeah...Everride is very popular and influential on the internet.
He is making money from his channel on youtube.

I'm afraid his review will have a bad impact. Because people don't realize he doesn't know much about adventure bikes.

Most people don't realize Everride is more of a DRZ400 dualsport rider.
He's used to riding bikes with 12" of suspension travel.
On his channel, the biggest bike he tested is a KLR.
I don't think he is an authority on adventure bikes.
I want to hear it from an expert rider who owns true beastly adventure bikes.
But most viewers don't know that.
Everride sounds very convincing if viewer is ignorant of his background.

I'm also very concerned about his claim that this bike is "too dangerous" to ride. That'll send a lot of potential china bike customer looking else where.

Wait, he claimed it was too dangerous to ride, but he is selling it ? So knowing something is too dangerous to ride, he's fine with someone else riding this deathtrap? He has an ethical or moral obligation to destroy the bike...instead of having someone else risk life and limb on it. I've sold lots of cars and bikes in my day, and that is typically not a selling feature.

I've not heard him say that, but IF he did. ..he gets a thumbs down from me.

I am more concerned with breaking in the new bike than any review, I don't think his opinion will sway future buyers one way or the other, It's not so much the bike but the rider, I am sure he would find something wrong with anything he rides, there is no perfect bike. It's the ride that counts. I just finished a trip on HWY 1 and I had a blast with the wrong bike. I took my overpriced, over modified DRZ400 and I ran into a lot of riders that seem to really enjoy my bike. I included a picture of the dr and one of the new RX3 that I saw in Azusa.

Seems as though he is now deleting any responses from owners that are happy with the RX3. Brutally honest only goes one way.

William
'15 Mustard

He back-tracked one some of the harsh words in his "for sale" video of the bike. But pity that he's deleting the responses from the happy RX3 owners.

It is unfortunate that positive responses for the RX-3 are being deleted.

Lost all respect for everide. I'm a KLR guy and enjoyed everide's channel very much in the beginning. However,it appears he's gone to the dark side since becoming a full-time vlogger, catering to his sponsors and their ideas of what an adventure/dual sport bike should be. Brutally honest..... not so much.

He also loaned the RX-3 to another vlogger buddy to test ride and bash. He's obviously done no homework on the bike and spews the same CB hater rhetoric.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvw0qyhcL9w

Disappointing.

Rojo

funny you say that.... seems to be very true...

i once read a interview with a bike tester than worked the the now
gone Aust REVS mag.....
he said that they could not be totaly honest about the bikes they were testing if
it was a pile of crap....
as there surpply of free bikes to test would soon dry up if they run them down...




...

This is one of many reasons why I subscribe to Motorcycle Consumer News, MCN, they do no allow advertising, but they are still able to review the latest and greatest from the manufacturers. They're not perfect, but then again, who is?

Get'm Joe !!
 

Saw this on the CSC blog today.

http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=23145

Now that's what I call BRUTALLY HONEST!!

Rojo

Cool read thanks for the link.

Everide blocked me from his channel for this 'hater' comment ... or one like it.

The guy just likes his echo chamber. And if you don't tell him he's awesome, he blocks you.
___________________

Your review may be honest, but it is incomplete. It's fair to review any bike stock. But it's also fair to give your bike the best chance of success. With a few free or inexpensive mods, it would perform much better both on and off road.

None of the bikes you compare the RX3 to are perfect out of the box. Each benefits from upgrades, both simple and complex, both cheap and inexpensive.

To complete your review fairly, I would recommend the same kind of upgrades you have given other bikes you have tested off-road, to be reviewed by a team of dual sport riders.

* A $13 front sprocket (13T) to widen the power band on and off road.
* 19" front to improve performance off-road and help correct the speedometer.
* Better tires to improve off-road traction.
* Remove the side cases and bars to save weight and improve agility.

It will not transform into the ultimate adventure bike, but will much better reflect what a real rider will do in the real world.

I knew I liked Joe....hard to stop a man that knows he's right, and just keeps on coming.

Well, the obvious solution to the problem is to flood YouTube with our own 'brutally honest' reviews. When Everide is the only game in town he is the expert. When he is the outlier....that's another story.

I agree, but most of us cannot play for a living. I have full time school (again at 45 years old) 2 part time jobs (I'm an RN), I have a wife I LOVE spending time with, we have 5 kids between us and all that goes on with sports, band, ROTC, a grandchild and one on the way. So, in theory I agree with us flooding YouTube with RX3 videos, I'm not the one to be able to do it.

Heck in fact, I am realizing I may not even have time to watch his channel anymore.

(Disclaimer**** If you are retired, you have earned the hell out of the right to go ride, play, be a kid again, and I am envious of you!!!)

x2

Holy cow! Remind me never, EVER to cross Joe!
A great response by him, for sure. I'm certainly glad he's on our side.

The RX3 is what it is. As a matter of fact, I don't see ANY ADV Bike being very good at off-road as a true dirt bike, especially the very large displacement models. To me, the KLR and DR are NOT ADV bikes They're Enduros. A whole different, more dirt oriented bike that you can put cases or panniers on. That does not make them ADV bikes.
Maybe that's just the twisted way I see things, but it is what it is.

Everide's buddy is no better. I could only take a few minutes of that "test ride" video as I scanned/skipped through the video. His bashing of why anyone wants a 250cc adventure bike is amusing as the rest of the world embraces the smaller displacement bikes, and even BMW is entering this market with its G310R (and possibly a G310GS).

Now a moto-vlogger I do enjoy is "A Girl and her Bike." She rides a GSX-R and a WR250 that she's made a Supermoto, but she rides with a group willing to do it all, including folks with Honda Groms and Ninja 300s going up to Santiago Peak. (Yes! Street bikes that go on dirt tracks!) While there's no RX3 content there, it's just the pure enthusiasm for riding in her vlogs that makes it so entertaining. And in the end, isn't that why we ride? Because it's enjoyable?

Everide is a paid Youtube star. No doubt that youtube's search algorithm is biased toward its celebrities.

Yikes, this hermit dude doing the video also crapped on scooters and groms. So, I guess if your not riding a bike that he approves of, you don't rate. Kinda makes me glad I sold my WR250R, that way at least I don't have that in common with him. Lol! :)

The RX3 and RC3 share an engine but have different platforms, the TT250 is totally different. Zongshen did not decide to bring these bikes to the USA CSC did.
They also are bringing over the RZ3 that also shares the NC250 Engine, for 2017, it does not share a frame with the others, they are all different other than the engine.
Zongshen has a 450cc version in R&D an RX4, they also are developing a 400cc twin.
http://www.mojie.mobi/upload/image/2...1333283328.jpg
It is not uncommon for people to make assumptions, The RX3 was not built to compete in Dakar. However, if the people at Zongshen want to garner more respect they may want to engineer the RX4 to do so. They could call that version a Marathon version.
These guys both of them should test the SSR250 with the NC250 engine on the trails they like to ride on. But they do not have to, it is a free country.

Good grief....I simply cannot believe the thread over on ADV rider. Joe is more polarizing than I thought. I've posted a comment or 2, but it has probably doubled the RX3 thread views just on his blog posting alone. Can't we all just get along?

Not sure if you all saw that Joe posted an apology on the CSC blog.
http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=23212
I'm glad he did. 99% of what he posted was spot on but I could tell that as he composed the blog that he was getting madder and madder and that escalated into the personal attacks which should have been left out. Without those the blog should stand as it had merit. Everide's series on the RX3 started out biased when he said he didn't want this bike even though his subscribers are the ones who voted for it to be tested and raised the funds. He should have done a valid and non-biased/comedic in his own mind review. Now I'm just hoping that this thing quiets down and doesn't impact CSC negatively. Who knows, maybe the old phrase of bad press is better than no press will hold and CSC gets a bump in sales rather than being impacted negatively. I hope that's the case and I wish them luck!