the 15 is a smaller wheel, a 15 inch wheel.

great bike you ve got there, i have two zongs (well, one zong and one zong motor) and they ve been very good. don t worry about the beefy bike boys, no need to compete. true motorheads will appreciate a good set of wheels.

Thanks for the link and pics of the stainless panniers; they're huge! I don't think I'll pull the trigger on boxes that are that big.

To respond to your tire size question, a 130mm wide tire with a 90 sidewall ratio is 69.23mm high. A 130mm wide tire with a 70 sidewall ratio is 53.85mm high. For easy comparison, a 15 inch rim is 381mm, and a 17 inch rim is 432mm.

The 15 inch rim would be a 381mm rim + 69.23mm sidewall = 450.23mm overall.
The 17 inch rim would be a 432mm rim + 53.85mm sidewall = 485.85mm overall.

The 130/70-17 is about 35mm taller overall, which would change the seat height and the speedometer reading. The 130/90-15 would have a much softer ride, due to the tall sidewall. The choice depends on your personal preference, and local tire availability. In North America, a 130/90-15 is a little harder to find.

This bike will be available in the US soon
 

Check this out:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1000180

And here:

http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=13253

I read the advrider thread maybe a week and a half ago. No price set yet. These guys sell a 150 and a 250 air cooled little bike similiar to the old Mustang motorcycles from he past, and have for a few years now.

Thanks for the links. I appreciated the blog about Zongshen.

My thoughts are that it is great they plan to bring the bike here but they will never take off on the sole basis of price. Based on the scooter pricing the RX3 will be priced to high for a Chinese bike. :cry:

Thanks for posting the links. :tup:

I agree on both points. ;) How much are they charging for the scooter? Can you share a link for the scooter price?

It is retail but even with a generous discount they are still very pricy.

http://www.californiascooterco.com/retail_prices.htm

RX3 price
 

They haven't released the price yet. They are waiting for the EPA, and whoever else has to approve the sale of these, in the US. Interesting that California Scooter Co. should bring these in. I think they have done a pretty good job with their Classic line of bikes, that look like the old Mustang. I got a chance to look at a few in Tacoma, Washington, at a dealer. I was pretty impressed with the bikes, and owners seem to like them. Pricing may be high. Those bikes are assembled at their place in California.


I probably wouldn't buy a new RX3 for myself. I prefer a more traditionally styled dual sport, more on the order of an XT250, or DRZ400S, or KLX250. Also, I live on the big island of Hawaii, and would be concerned about warranty issues.

I read that these engines have a rocker, or rocker arm with a roller bearing. I wonder if they run the dual overhead camshafts on replaceable bearing also? I haven't seen a good drawing of engine internals. For me, a 250cc would be fine. Especially one with 26 horsepower (I think that's what I read on this bike). It is a heavy bike, but has a lot of good features. I wish Zongshen and Ca. Scooter Co. good luck with this bike. Your 65,000 mile Zong is a proven workhorse, and I hope the RX3 turns out to be as good.

Indeed, I also hope the RX3 proves to be as reliable as my Zongshen 200GY-2. :) I am glad to see CSC is importing this bike to the United States. :tup:

Uh oh I want this.

Thanks for the links! I do like their scooters, they look like fun, to the extent you can buy that off the rack. i suppose they sell to a niche market where the price is not an issue for those who want to look hip but can t or won t DIY.
A few lines from the sales rap on the blog caught my eye:

That s why one should always insist on genuine china (over fake, rebadged china) ;)

So if I didn t have a stable full of small bikes, I d keep an eye out for the RX-3! If it comes here, I d like to test ride.

Indeed, one should accept no substitutes. ;) I am proud to own a genuine, Chinese clone of a Yamaha motorcycle. :tup:

:hehe:

zongshen rx3
 

well californiascooter is taking orders for the new zong at a special one time ,,,price $2895 at that price man i want one,,,,But no one know if they are any good ,,,,I got burnt bad on the pitster pro 400......I must admit im in love with the orange and black one..I have my harley on craigslist. If it sells ,i will probably do it an be a guinea pig.

there is a forum member, an american who lives in china, who has one. i tried to find his post, but was not successful. he had a good impression of the bike, but he had just bought it. maybe somebody else here remembers his post and can link you up.
i think it s not too much of a risk, the bike is probably good value.