I went and did it
 

I purchased an RX3 this past Friday so, while I'm waiting for it's arrival I get to bombard you guys with questions :hi:. It'll be used mainly for commuting and running around town and probably the only time it will see dirt is if I get run off the road :lmao:. My first question is what sprocket combination would be better for street riding? Let me add, my commute consists mostly of 45 mph two lane roads and one 3 mile stretch of 55 mph two lane. :thanks:

rd, now you must experience the pain of waiting for that delivery. We feel your pain. Rest assured the joy of unpacking your RX3 will be well worth the wait. Oh, do your best to save those tie down straps because they are pretty nice and come in handy. As for sprocket combo, wait until you have about 500-1000 miles on the bike before you make many changes. You need to learn the torque curve (mine has zero torque under 5K) and get used to how the bike performs. Be careful with the brakes. You need to bed them in. The bike really does run and stop better after about 1K miles.

Welcome! pyoungbl nailed it! Put a 1000 or so miles on it before doing anything. It will change as it breaks in and the gearing may be just fine for where you're at.
You're going to like it the more miles you ride it. Out of my entire rolling stock, the RX3 is my "go to" bike.

Congrats RD1959! What color did you get? Post the unboxing (uncrating?) photos when you get the bike!

As for gears and what-not, I agree with Pyoungbl and 2LZ. Ride it for a little while before you decide to make any changes. You'll get a pretty good feel for what you'd like to do after getting familiar with the bike.

Now to answer your question, some folks changed the 14T front counter sprocket to a 13T gear. I, on the other hand, went with a 42T rear sprocket (from the 44T stock rear sprocket) as I wanted to reduce highway RPM and extend the gears a bit in town (able to get across an intersection without shifting into 3rd gear), but I live at sea level, so this works for me.

Congrats again! Looking forward to your impressions and next posts!

welcome to the group!

I'm in Mooresville and have a Hawk. like others said, don't be too quick to start changing. mine took some time to "burn in". These bikes are terrific for dirt/gravel road fun. you might consider riding out to Uwharrie sometime and having some fun there.

I was thinking about getting the Hawk before I went with the RX3. I've always wondered how many Hawks,TT250s, and RX3s are in North and South Carolina.

After 3 months of "internal debate" I went with the blue.
Probably the first BIG modification will be to change the rim color. I hate black wheels on anything other than BBQ grills and lawnmowers. If I can afford it, I'll go whole hog and replace the stock rims with aluminum ones.

Welcome

I haven't ever seen an rx3 other than black wheels. You would be the first as far as i know.

Someone, please Photoshop one up with chrome or gold or alum right quick.

I agree with people saying wait until 1000 miles before changing anything. Mine did the stalling thing right up to my first valve adj. Runs strong and smooth now with synthetic oil. I did go to the 13 tooth cog, though. Works better for me in the hills.

by far the best thing I did was to install the 13 tooth sprocket on front keep the rear stock i still can go 60mph in 5th but so much better taking off and better power band big difference CONGRATS ON Your ZONG the greatest thing would be the concept seat because the stock seat is painful maybe santa will bring me one watch out with the blue ZONG fastest color

Wow, that was quick. Ordered Friday, shipped today.

Congratulations and welcome aboard.

Congrats on taking the plunge, RD. Those of us in the know are all smiling as we get to watch another convert being born. These bikes are just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I have a list of mods on my Hawk that are pretty extensive, and they're all worth doing for one reason or another. In the end (which is really just the beginning), you're the person who gets to decide which mods are the most worthwhile. From the description you've laid out, I think that a carb-retune (although I seem to remember seeing somewhere that the CSC bikes were FI) and sprockets should be pretty high up on the list. Also, don't be afraid to get tires that are more street oriented. I run the Shinko 705's on my DR650, and I've kept my Hawk more dirt oriented. The Hawk is noisy and wobbly on the street at higher speeds, but it will really dig in when the pavement ends. Another thing to look at would be either replacing the stock seat and pan, or getting an inexpensive seat pad. Riding on the street means you'll be spending most of your time sitting down, and seats on adventure bikes are really uncomfortable. I think that Satan himself moonlights as a seat designer for some of these companies. :lmao: In any event, let us know when the bike arrives, take lots of pictures, and have fun!

not Photoshopped.Scroll down this page as this one has a bunch of pics, and it seems the wheels are sealed for tubeless tires as well
http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...07040/page-237

Thanks for the photos Roronoa Zoro. I bought a blue one so these pics were perfect for me. I like the headlight he uses too. I might even look into using the same setup if it's brighter than the stock light.