A note from RTKing…

Here’s another note from one of the guys who got on the boat…

Hi Joe,

Question for you and Steve:  While likely premature, I did want to inquire whether Zongshen had an overbore kit, higher flowing head and camshaft for the RX-3?  While I think 250cc is going to be great for 90% of my needs, considering my size and weight, I would love to be able to bump up HP and torque a bit (30 hp a bit too optimistic?)  I suspect a muffler change and improving intake air flow might help a bit with responsiveness.  Don’t get me wrong, I think the RX-3 is the perfect sized Adv Moto (and I can’t wait to take delivery of mine. in orange, of course!) but just wanted to see if options exist to eek out a bit more power on the same sized platform.

I also saw that Joe (and maybe Steve?) are firearm enthusiasts.  It would be fun to arrange a ride up to Burro Canyon (or an overnight BLM trip) that involved some range time, camping and riding.  Perhaps more interest from others when the bikes are delivered?

Thanks much to everyone at CSC for brining the RX-3 stateside!  As I said before. cannot wait to take delivery and ride!

Bob (“rtking” on the forums)

Bob:

Thanks for your note.

I’ll be in Chongqing for discussions with Zongshen later this month and we’ll be asking some of the same questions you are asking.   The RX-3 motorcycle has only been out for a short while, so the aftermarket has not caught up with it yet.   Zongshen has a rich racing heritage, though, and it may be that they are already working in the performance enhancement area.  In any event, I’ll know more when I meet with their engineers.

On a related note, I’ve pretty much moved away from any hot rodding on my motorcycles.   I’ve done that on a couple of street bikes I owned over the years, and I was never satisfied with the results.   To gain a little bit of extra power, it seemed like I had to give up low-end torque, fuel economy, and general streetability.

I once put an S&S engine in my Harley when its motor went south, and although I gained some top end and acceleration, the fuel economy went from about 45 mpg to 30 mpg (which was terrible; my Harley suddenly had a 120-mile range between fill-ups).    I put Jardine carbon fiber cans on my Triumph Speed Triple and had the engine remapped, and it lost quite a bit on the bottom end.   For my money, leaving the powertrain stock seems to work a lot better.

My Harley’s new 96-inch S&S engine…fuel economy dropped to 30 mpg

My Speed Triple…one of the best looking bikes I ever owned

In any event, any engine mods we offer will be fully vetted by us, and we’ll make sure the entire motorcycle works well as an integrated unit.    I’ll know more after my visit this month with Zongshen.

Regarding an overnight camping trip, that might be a possibility.   I thought I had my fill of sleeping on the ground in my Army days, but I’ve since been on a few hunting trips that required camping in some pretty remote areas…so it’s a possibility.   Let’s see if any other riders are interested and we’ll take it from there.   We’ll be staying in hotels on the Baja trip, but a lot of folks camp on those rides, too.

Like you, I am also getting the orange Cyclone.   All of the colors are nice.   I’m thinking of a custom paint job in hi-viz fluorescent yellow, which I think would look cool with black and orange pinstripes.   It would match my jacket.   We’ll see.  One of the really exciting things about introducing a new bike is what happens after the introduction, when we start seeing how our riders customize the bikes.   It’s going to be fun.

Thanks for taking the time to write to us, Bob.