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05-01-2016, 04:07 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Posts: 632
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Horizons Unlimited Virginia meeting, April 2016
Well campfire friends, I just got back from the HU Virginia meeting. This was a 180 or so mile ride from home to Appomattox, Virginia, so it was a good distance to see how the Zong would do with a load. My ride was on US40, which bisects Ft. Pickett (an Army National Guard Base). Tanks really do cross the road!
near the main entrance to Ft. Pickett another (WW1) tank by the VFW in Crewe, Virginia. Bottom line, the suspension finally felt good! This is a big change from my experience while breaking in the engine. With no camping gear loaded and the shock preload totally backed off the suspension was entirely too stiff. The difference on this trip was so pronounced that I weighed my load as soon as I got home so I could quantify what it took to get everything working. Basically it took 83 lbs more than my normal 195 lb body weight. Thus, the 400/450 spring on the Progressive shock is set up for someone who weighs between 250 and 275 lbs. OK beyond the suspension, the bike ran just fine on two lane roads doing 55-60 with no issues. Yes, going up a hill can mean WFO in some cases due to the load. Still, it was a fun ride. The HU meeting was at a 4-H camp in the middle of a state park. This is a great location, being within easy riding distance from a number of major metro centers on the East Coast. I'm guessing they had 200 attendees. Of course we had people from all over the world so it's hard to call this just a regional event. Throughout the 3 days there was a steady stream of presentations about various phases of motorcycle travel, as well as detailed slide shows about specific journeys. Two guys had recently gone around the world in 93 days! There were trips to South America, Mongolia, Africa, and places I had hardly known to exist. Suffice to say the topics covered were fascinating. Makes one want to chuck it all and go for a long ride...maybe a year or three. I thought I'd have the only Zong but that was not the case. Imaging my surprise to see a white RX3 before I had even gotten off my bike. The white one belongs to Andy Pain, from Wisconsin. Andy is the go-to guy when it comes to minimalist motorcycle travel. He has written a few small books on the subject and had a one hour presentation on the subject. I noticed that throughout the weekend there were people gathered around the Zongs and Andy was answering questions. Here's 'madsocial'. Now if she can just get here new Zong out of the PA DMV maze...at least she got to see an identical bike in the flesh! Least one think this is just a BMW gathering let me assure you that's not the case. In fact, I saw some absolutely.......interesting....rides. Lucy has gone places I could only dream about...in a nightmare! The food was excellent, as were the other facilities. If you want to get inspired, attend a HU meeting. Be prepared to answer lots of questions about the Zong. The BMW rondels on my bike caused some serious head scratching. One guy was actually pissed off at the thought that the Chinese had made an identical clone of this little BMW (waving at Andy's white Zong). Imaging how deflated he was when I admitted that the 'little BMW was, indeed, another Zong). Great fun! Peter Y. Last edited by pyoungbl; 05-01-2016 at 04:35 PM. Reason: add name |
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05-01-2016, 05:10 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: San Jose, Ca
Posts: 52
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2016 counter shaft nut 32mm
Hello all,
In the process of swapping my counter shaft sprocket today I found the nut to be 32mm, not the 30 mm mentioned in Detours very goodi instruction post. Can anyone else confirm they have had this experience? Cheers! |
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05-01-2016, 08:48 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: vermont
Posts: 238
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mine was 30mm on my 2015.5
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Peace and Zong Life
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05-02-2016, 05:07 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: San Jose, Ca
Posts: 52
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well this is embarrasing......
I think I know what happened. I ordered a 13t sprocket, nut and spare lock washer at the same time I ordered the bike. It looks like the shop installed the 13t (thank you!). Two trips to the hardware store later and I can confirm the nut is indeed a 32 mm. Not sure if it was original or the spare I ordered, I will measure the "spare" nut shipped with my original 14t with calipers tomorrow, I'm guessing it will be 30 mm. A little humbling that I didn't catch the 13t was on there already and the shiny new sprocket sent to me was actually the original 14t. Oh well, quality time spent bonding with the bike By the way, took the bike offroad yesterday for the first time, it did well but I was really looking forward to gearing it down with the 13t to help with the steep sections...imagine my surprise when I found it was already installed. Not sure I want to gear any lower as I want to be able to freeway commute occasionally. Thanks for the feedback!
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05-02-2016, 04:50 PM | #7 |
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Warshington
Posts: 928
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Bling Thing
I added some bling to my Rx3. Got decal off Ebay. I wanted to let riders I ride with often that have 4-5 times larger motors know that I'm on a smaller bike as we go down the highway. Kinda like the helmet sticker "You've just been passed by a girl" rj
http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-IT250...5914Cg&vxp=mtr
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Live Zong, and Prosper |
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05-01-2016, 08:14 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: FL, GA, NC
Posts: 771
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Thanks for the excellent report, Peter.
jb
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2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........ |
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05-04-2016, 09:48 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Simpsonville, South Carolina
Posts: 4
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Great post about VA HU trip. This got me so excited to attend one that I finally ordered myself a red RX-3 after researching for months. This site is great and I really enjoy reading people's experiences with this bike. CSC has made the ordering process so easy. My bike was built and boxed in 3 days from my order and will ship today (just ahead of arrival of TTs)! I am like a kid waiting for Christmas day!!! Now I am planning my trip to attend the HU meeting in NC in October.
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SC RX3 2016 |
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05-04-2016, 11:17 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Tuscaloosa Al.
Posts: 433
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Quote:
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Wingless Hawk, 2016 orange RX3, 97 wide glide,2003 KLR |
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05-04-2016, 12:50 PM | #11 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Idaho
Posts: 25,054
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Quote:
Congratulations on purchasing your Zongshen RX3. Please post lots of photographs after your new bike arrives.
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Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience." Mark Twain 2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894 |
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05-04-2016, 06:52 PM | #12 |
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Warshington
Posts: 928
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For those of you who use a Motion Pro chain alignment tool 08-0048 I have listed a 14" extended rod for them on Ebay that doubles the viewing accuracy of the standard 7" long rod. rj
http://www.ebay.com/itm/162060034808...witem=&vxp=mtr
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Live Zong, and Prosper |
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05-24-2016, 09:25 PM | #13 | |
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Simpsonville, South Carolina
Posts: 4
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Arrival
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Adventure began immediately. Truck arrived with only a small Tommy Lift and a hand truck. There was no way that pallet was going to fit on that lift! Driver was great and we took the bike out of crate in the truck and rolled it onto the lift. I held it while lowering it to the ground. As it started down it seemed to tilt away from the truck and I was losing my balance. I shouted and the driver grabbed the bike and steadied it. Close call, we were about 3 feet off the ground! The RX3 exceeded my expectations and all my friends. One question, anyone else get some backfires when letting off accelerator? Hoping this will reduce with break-in. Also, I am not having a problem finding neutral. In fact I found it a couple times when accelerating and shifting from 1st to 2nd.
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SC RX3 2016 |
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05-24-2016, 10:53 PM | #14 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Idaho
Posts: 25,054
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I occasionally get a small pop from the exhaust during deceleration. These backfires should diminish after engine break-in. Shift more forcefully from 1st to 2nd gear, and the problem will disappear. This scenario can happen with many motorcycle transmissions.
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Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience." Mark Twain 2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894 |
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05-04-2016, 09:24 PM | #15 | |
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Maryland
Posts: 213
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