Zongshen RX3: 21-inch Front Wheel

[SpudRider]

When you wash your bike, you should remove the Shock Sox, and clean them separately. After the Shock Sox dry, you can re-install them on the fork tubes. Removing the Shock Sox requires you to remove the lower fork guards (chevrons).

[CSCDude]

That looks good, Spud. Nicely done and a great report.

[Jay In Milpitas]

Originally Posted by CSCDude

That looks good, Spud. Nicely done and a great report.

Joe, can you confirm if the TT wheel will swap to the RX?

[SpudRider]

The CSC tutorial for changing the front tire of the TT250 is located at the following link.

https://www.cscmotorcycles.com/Articles.asp?ID=292

Looking at the photographs, the front wheel of the TT250 appears to be the same as the front wheel of my Zongshen ZS200GY-2. If so, the brake rotor is different. Also, the right side of the hub, which connects to the speedometer drive gear, is also different.

[SpudRider]

I would be remiss if I did not mention the CSC Cyclone RX3 has retained the original wheel geometry with the stock tires. CSC made certain the size 130/70-17, C6017 tire installed on the Cyclone RX3 was actually a little smaller in diameter than the original, 15-inch rear tire. Measuring the stock tires delivered with my CSC Cyclone RX3, I see the front tire is about 1-inch larger in diameter than the rear tire.

I introduced an imbalance in the wheel geometry when I installed a knobby tire with a more aggressive tread on the rear wheel of my RX3. In general, knobby tires are larger in diameter than the stock tires. For example, the size 5.10-17, Shinko, 244 rear tire has a diameter of 25.63 inches, as specified at the Shinko website.

http://www.shinkotireusa.com/tire/244-series

However, if you examine the Shinko 244 tires which will commonly be chosen for the 18-inch front wheel, they have the following diameters.

Shinko 244 Tires

Size 3.00-18 Tire: Diameter = 24.69 inches
Size 3.50-18 Tire: Diameter = 25.55 inches
Size 4.10-18 Tire: Diameter = 25.16 inches

All of these tires are actually smaller in diameter than the size 5.10-17, rear tire. In fact, the size 3.00-18 tire is almost one inch shorter. Given the knobby tires I prefer to mount, it's easy to introduce an imbalance in the original wheel geometry.

In contrast, here are the diameters of the tires I have currently mounted with the 21-inch front wheel.

Michelin T63 Rear Tire (Size 130/80-17): Diameter = 26.14 inches

https://www.denniskirk.com/michelin/...prd/643293.sku

Cheng Shin C858 Front Tire (Size 2.75-21): Diameter = 27.4 inches

http://www.csttires.com/int/moto/dual-spor/c858/

In this case, the front tire is approximately 1.25 inches larger in diameter than the rear tire, which allows me to re-establish the original wheel geometry supplied by Zongshen and CSC.

Based upon your tire preferences, and whether you have a 19-inch front wheel, you might not have any changes in wheel geometry. However, given my tire preferences, I can retain the original wheel geometry with a wider selection of tires after switching to the 21-inch front wheel.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by CSCDude

That looks good, Spud. Nicely done and a great report.

Thank you, Joe.

[SpudRider]

I went for a ride yesterday on an unimproved road which can become a quagmire in the rainy season. I could not have completed this ride with the Shinko 244 tires. Here are some photographs from two muddy sections of the road.

[SpudRider]

[SpudRider]

After riding through the sloppy areas, these tires shed the mud very well.

[SpudRider]

The Shock Sox do a good job keeping the fork tubes clean.

[SpudRider]

Here a several photographs taken after I was heading home on the pavement.

[Merlin]

Nice thanks for the pics. Makes me want to take a ride.

[FastDoc]

Nice to see you in action, Spud!!! :-)

I hate that pasty type glue-mud. Every tire is a slick in one revolution.

[2LZ]

Great to see your pics again Spud!...and wow.....those tires do seem to shed mud very quickly.

[BlackBike]

Brave man, I think would been bypassing in the weeds. Looks like fun.