A Road Less Traveled

We’re unconventional.   You already know that based on how we’re bringing the CSC Cyclone to you.   After long discussions and much thought, we’re taking a similarly unconventional path on the warranty and maintenance approach.  We’re betting that most of you either do your own wrenching already or, given the right support, you would like to do it yourself.

Consider this:  When was the last time you took your bike to a dealer for service and came away feeling good?   Were you confident that the work was performed to your satisfaction?   Did you pay a standard rate for a job that you knew didn’t take as much time as you paid for?   Did the dealer tack on other “standard” charges that just didn’t feel right (for example, the infamous “shop supplies” hit)?

Okay, you get the idea.   Our intent is not to badmouth dealers.   We just want two things:   To provide a great ADV bike and to save you money.    We know we’re already doing that with the Cyclone (it’s a quality motorcycle at a great price).   We want to do the same thing with the service approach.    To get to the bottom line, we want to empower you to do your own wrenching.

Think about it.  The Cyclone is a bike designed to go the distance.   It’s an adventure touring motorcycle.  If you need to fix something in Panama when facing the Darien Gap, or Baja somewhere south of Guerrero Negro, or even somewhere in the middle of the Mojave Desert here in the good old USA, is there going to be a dealer nearby?   Folks, the simple fact is that when a bike needs work (especially an ADV bike), we’re on our own.  That’s especially true for the places we’re going on our Cyclones.

So let’s get to the details.  Here’s how our program will be structured:

• We’re extending the Cyclone warranty to 2 years.  This is a quality motorcycle with a warranty to back it up.  The first year will be parts and labor; the second year will be parts only.  You tell us what parts you need, and we’ll shoot them out to you.
• When you buy a Cyclone, we’ll include a service manual.
• We’ll post detailed maintenance tutorials online.  These will include oil changes, valve adjustments, chain adjustments, changing the fork oil, suspension adjustments, lubricating the chain, adjusting the rear wheel for proper chain tension, adjusting the clutch, removing and reinstalling the wheels, changing tires, changing the air filter, using the electronic diagnostic system, and more.
• For any work requiring the Zongshen diagnostic test devices (needed for seldom-required adjustments to the fuel injection system or for evaluating the electronics), at your discretion we’ll either sell the electronic diagnostic equipment to you, or we’ll Fedex one to you on a low-cost rental basis.

Our intent is to empower you to keep your Cyclone in tip-top condition, to save you money, and to give you the skills you need to address any maintenance items when you’re out in the middle of nowhere.

We realize there may still be folks who absolutely don’t want to work on their bikes.   We’re betting that won’t happen too often.    But if you’re in that category, fear not.   We’ll find an independent shop in your area and arrange whatever maintenance your bike needs directly with them.

Hey, more good news:  We just received permission from the EPA to take the RX-3 on the road for limited testing, and I think I need to do some limited testing right now.   Time to get my knees in the breeze, boys and girls!   Watch for photos later!