New Zongshen RX3 (ZS250GY-3) Dual Sport

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

my chain blew his nose also all over the counter shaft sprocket cover. rj

My drive chain did the same thing.

[rjmorel]

Just got back from the Wallowa ADV gathering in Enterprise , Hell's Canyon Oregon area.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1028251
5 days, 1000 miles. Had a great time perfect weather. Ussually we get rained on pretty good at least 1-2 days while there. So I'll post some pics and give a few thought s on what I liked or didn't like on the RX3. Have around 2300 miles on it now. 62mpg at 55/60mph for hours on end on pavement, 74/75 mpg when doing 3rd 4th gear fire roads at 35-45 mph.
First an intro, me rj, 176 lbs, 58 yo, 5"6" tall, self-annoyed machinist , plastic injection molder and maker. MPH from my GPS, not the RX3 generous speedo. Stats to compare with yourself so you know if this would be a suitable bike for you. Not and advertisement for me or the bike.

RX3 wannabe ?????

Headed into the Blue Mountains

Coming down into Troy, OR

First RX3 to Boggans's Oasis. Notice how the RX3 just makes the other vehicles dazzle and look so good next to it?

First RX3 to ride the "Rattle snake"

More "Rattle Snake"

First RX3 to Chief Joseph Overlook

First RX3 to Buckhorn Overlook

Riding buddy on a Tenere showing how small we are compared to the Canyon.

RX3 Heading out into the open range

Mi Casa at Log House RV campground. Owner's Brian and Margaret are motorcyclist and are great hosts if your staying in the area.
http://www.loghouservpark.com/

Went on a poker run with Brian. Was fun but not the RX3 forte'. I have more respect for 4 wheelers now seeing where they can go. I about died going up the steep loose switch backs. Here's where the RX3 suspension is criminal. Single track or forest roads with rocks and water drain ditches, 1st ,2nd gear technical really works the suspension to max and pogo sticks while carrying you happily on your way. On the highway, or fast gravel with wash board the suspension works great at 50-60 mph. Throw something at it with 6-12" ground variation at speed and your kidneys end up where your tonsils should be. Spuds we gotta get this figured out before my back gives out. Thinking maybe of adding some Schrader valve gizmos to the fork caps so I can put a few lbs. of air in to stiffen forks up a bit ????
Everyone looking at the RX3 wondering what is "that" doing here. I think they were afraid to touch it. hah hah

Having said that , the motor is dialed spot on for it's intended purpose I feel, gearing great except for the 1st gear trails type picking your way through the ruts and rocks. A little tall for that and needed clutch slippage to navigate places I ought not to have been. Cooling never got above 3 bars, fans did come on. Nothing broke or leaked although I did put coolant in the over flow bottle, twice. Don't know where it 's going. Stock tires were excellent for paved and fast gravel road. It was warm and they really stuck to the pavement. Expect they will wear out soon from the soft compound there made of. The brakes are very good for me. I found that on gravel and with the stock tires I could go as fast as I wanted 50/55 mph but slowing down or making sharp turns needed advanced planning because of the gravel and smooth tires. Stock battery seems to be working fine. Luggage was a little small but worked well for a 5 day trip. I got tired of locking and unlocking them so I took off the piece that the lock finger hook goes into on the lid, 2 screws as per another's advice on here. None of the luggage ever opened while banging around and believe me we banged around.
Pre poker run "What am I getting into" jitters ,which were pretty much justified.

Back after poker run with ADV petina

Made me want to take off my boots and squiggle my toes in there. Grande Ronde River from Troy.

two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

take care kiddos, rj

[jjn]

Thanks for the writeup. Sounds like a great bike!! I miss riding in Oregon and Washington States. Oh, and, I saw a photo with a 1975 Honda XL350 red and black, just like the first motorcycle I bought on time payments after I turned 21 years old. I lived near Seattle. I loaded that XL350 up with full camping gear and, along with some friends, we rode and camped our way down the W. and Or. coasts. That trip was about 1975 -1976 and showed me once and for all, that riders that spout the "you have to have a Road Glide (or fill i the blank) to tour!!", were simply full of bs.

I am 61 and always had lots of relatives in Portland and Eugene, and got down there a lot for many years. The Oregon coast Hwy 101, is a favorite of mine. My mom died about 5 years ago at 91, and she grew up in Newport, Waldport, and Wheeler Oregon. We let her ashes go at Yachats recently, as she had requested we do it on her beloved Oregon coast.

She actually used to ride a little Yamaha Chappy moped at her lot near the "washaway" area in North Cove, Washington.

[rjmorel]

Heres both sides of my RX3 air cleaner after trip eating alot of dust. Looks like it did it's job pretty well. Hate to see what my lungs look like. rj

[CSCDude]

A very impressive report with great photos. Thanks for posting it. Makes me want to ride that region.

[rjmorel]

Joe, have we (the Pacific Northwest) got a deal for you.
Talk your boss into letting you come up to this and letting guest speaker Clement Salvadori ride the RX3. Clement said he wanted to ride an RX3 in a mag article he wrote on the new bikes coming out somewhere I believe I saw on the CSC blog months ago:

August 26-30 2015 Hood River, Ore. Sound Rider Rally in the Gorge
http://www.soundrider.com/rally/schedule.aspx

or/and this in 2 weeks June 25-28 2015 in Plain, Wash. Touratech Rally
http://www.touratechrally.com/#!

I plan on going to both, come on Joe, it will be fun, rj

[CSCDude]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Joe, have we (the Pacific Northwest) got a deal for you.
Talk your boss into letting you come up to this and letting guest speaker Clement Salvadori ride the RX3. Clement said he wanted to ride an RX3 in a mag article he wrote on the new bikes coming out somewhere I believe I saw on the CSC blog months ago:

August 26-30 2015 Hood River, Ore. Sound Rider Rally in the Gorge
http://www.soundrider.com/rally/schedule.aspx

or/and this in 2 weeks June 25-28 2015 in Plain, Wash. Touratech Rally
http://www.touratechrally.com/#!

I plan on going to both, come on Joe, it will be fun, rj

Hmmmmm......I'll be in Chongqing during the Touratech event, but that one in August is tempting.

[rjmorel]

Joe are you taking a "list" with you to Chongqing of changes you'd like to see on the Rx3? rj

[CSCDude]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Joe are you taking a "list" with you to Chongqing of changes you'd like to see on the Rx3? rj

Not really on this trip, RJ. We talk to Zongshen on an almost daily basis, so the communication on improvements, changes, etc., is going on all the time. A lot of it is really mundane stuff a customer would never see.

On this trip, I am going primarily to coordinate the next shipment and to discuss plans for a ride we are doing with the Chinese later this year. I like going to China and I never turn down an opportunity for a visit. I enjoy it and the people interested in the RX3 seem to enjoy it as well (I can put a photo or two on the CSC blog or Facebook of things we see in China and within days they are pirated on sites all over the world).

If you have RX3 improvement suggestions, I'd like to hear of them via email. You can reach me at info@cscmotorcycles.com. Or you can PM me on this board (but I prefer email, and it is the best way to reach me).
Regarding desired changes, I try to keep up with the comments on the various boards but there is so much misinformation out there on other sites it is hard to keep up with it all. This is clearly the best-informed and most technically-accurate forum and I follow the posts on here regularly. Spud, you, and others who post here are impressive. Your trip report, in particular, was stellar. I enjoyed reading it.

Let me return the favor...think about joining us on our upcoming ride to Baja. It will be a shorter one, down the Sea of Cortez side, across the peninsula on dirt, and then back up along the Pacific side. Three or four days, tops. I haven't set the dates yet because we are letting our riders tell us when they can do it, and I have to set up my summer schedule.

I've got a lot of riding planned this summer, and the Oregon event you mentioned in August is now in the mix (I love Oregon; I've done three articles on destinations in that state for Motorcycle Classics magazine). I am going to work in a coast-to-coast trip to visit my mother in New Jersey, I am doing the aforementioned Baja ride, I want to do a ride or two in Arizona, I am very interested in the Oregon event, and maybe a few others. Looks like I am going to need to set a couple of new tires aside.

[Weldangrind]

Thanks for your wit and wisdom, RJ. I especially enjoyed the Frost reference and the open range pic.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Just got back from the Wallowa ADV gathering in Enterprise , Hell's Canyon Oregon area.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1028251...

...I about died going up the steep loose switch backs. Here's where the RX3 suspension is criminal. Single track or forest roads with rocks and water drain ditches, 1st ,2nd gear technical really works the suspension to max and pogo sticks while carrying you happily on your way. On the highway, or fast gravel with wash board the suspension works great at 50-60 mph. Throw something at it with 6-12" ground variation at speed and your kidneys end up where your tonsils should be. Spuds we gotta get this figured out before my back gives out. Thinking maybe of adding some Schrader valve gizmos to the fork caps so I can put a few lbs. of air in to stiffen forks up a bit ????...

Thanks for posting the great ride report and the beautiful photos, RJ.

I love almost everything about my RX3. I love the U.S. Delphi EFI, the engine, the 6-speed transmission, and all the standard features. However, the suspension, especially the shock absorber, needs major improvement. The forks also need stiffer springs.

I've been told CSC is working with a company to produce an aftermarket shock absorber for the RX3. I hope this shock absorber has at least 7.5 inches of travel, and eliminates the harsh, sometimes punishing action of the stock shock absorber. A good shock absorber will transform the RX3, and allow it to achieve its full potential as an adventure motorcycle.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Heres both sides of my RX3 air cleaner after trip eating alot of dust. Looks like it did it's job pretty well. Hate to see what my lungs look like. rj

Indeed, the air filter did an excellent job. What air filter oil are you using?

[rjmorel]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Indeed, the air filter did an excellent job. What air filter oil are you using?

Spuds, I believe when I first setup the bike I just put some motor oil on the filter which is what caught the dirt you see in the above pics. Today was first time I cleaned it as I've stayed out of the dirt except on the trip. I sprayed it with PJ1 filter cleaner and reoiled with PJ1 filter oil. Came in a set and makes cleaning filter pretty simple. Spray on , leave for 15 min. , wash out in water, let dry and reoil with the filter oil. How are you cleaning yours as you seem to be out there in the dirt far more then me Spud? rj

[SpudRider]

For conical air filters I use No-Toil Evolution (green) filter oil. It is much easier to apply than other air filter oils, and I can clean the air filters with Oxy-Clean and water.

For flat, foam air filters, such as the air filters in my two Zongshen motorcycles, I apply BelRay, air filter oil. It does an excellent job catching the dirt, but I need to clean the air filters with nasty solvent. As soon as I use all of my remaining BelRay, air filter oil, I am tempted to switch completely to No-Toil Evolution filter oil.

[fishman10]

spud ,,,,you are spot on ,,,this bike with better suspension ,,,wow,,,it would raise it to another level........but just imagine this bike ,,with good suspension an a 450cc,,,,,,,,oh well a guy can dream