The next TT250 Baja run: Are you in?

With all the excitement about the next shipment of TT250s coming in, I thought I would show the YouTube video of our last TT250 Baja run…

If you have a TT250 motorcycle and you’d like to ride Baja with us, just let me know at info@cscmotorcycles.com.  And if you’re wondering what it’s like to ride Baja with CSC, well, hey, you can find out right here

And if you don’t have a TT250 to ride Baja, well, hey, we have an app for that!

There’s nothing in the world like riding Baja, and a CSC motorcycle is the perfect motorcycle for your Baja adventure ride!

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Moto Baja! Now Available on Amazon!

Yep, you can order Moto Baja! now…and it is my best one yet!

It’s all about the photography in this one, folks, along with great rides through the greatest motorcycle playground on the planet!   High resolution, full color, and lots of photos!  This book discusses what makes a good adventure motorcycle, with my real world evaluations of motorcycles ranging from 150cc Mustangs all the way up to full dress Harleys under real world riding conditions!  From Tijuana and Tecate all the way down to Cabo San Lucas, with stories about the people, the attractions, the cuisine, and the riding…if you’ve ever considered riding Baja, this book is for you.  And if you’ve ever ridden Baja with me, you’re in this one!

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Chris checks in!

Whoa, I just posted the blog about the Long Beach IMS show and Chris Cianci heading out to Salt Lake City (that’s Chris in the photo above), and this email arrived!

Joe,

It was nice to see you at the Long Beach show. The next day I rode my RX3 270 miles to Las Vegas. Next day 290 miles to the NV UT border. Day after that 230 miles from the border to Salt Lake City. Had dinner with friends and family and rode back the next 3 days. Just got home. RX3 was great, performed flawlessly during the almost 1600 mile ride.

Chris

We’re glad you had a great ride, Chris, and thanks for your nice note!

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The Gresh DD video!

Nicely done, Joe!

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The Long Beach International Moto Show: 2017

Catching up, folks.  We lost the prior blog entries on the Long Beach IMS show, so allow me to repost and report on the things I mentioned a week ago.

For starters, the show was great.  Attendance was high and we received about a zillion visitors at the CSC booth.  The reaction was the same we get everywhere:  Everyone was shocked at the low prices on the RX3, the TT250, and a new CSC bike that’s making its debut this year, the 250cc San Gabriel (more on that in a bit).

Okay, first, the “look at me” photos (I’m such a hot dog).  The first one is with my good buddy Damian Doffo of the MotoDoffo Museum and the Doffo Winery…

…and the next one is Yours Truly and Mrs. Yours Truly reflected in the all-chrome tank of the new Royal Enfield 650cc twin…

The new Royal Enfield is a classy bike (of all the new bikes, excluding the CSC motorcycles, it’s one of two I found most appealing).  Here’s another shot, but this one is of an original 1960s Royal Enfield twin…

The new Royal Enfield twin is not yet available, and when it does become available, I think it’s going to be somewhere around $8K (that’s just a guess on my part).  It’s a cool-looking bike.

Okay, on to the next subject.  There’s been an awful lot written lately online, in the social media, and in print about the downturn in the worldwide motorcycle market, and in particular, the downturn in the US motorcycle market.  There was even an article in the LA Times written by our good friend Charles Fleming just as the IMS show was starting (thanks for mentioning us and showing our bikes, Charles).  Basically, a cabal of industry execs got together for an “invitation only” meeting (I wasn’t invited) to discuss the current state of affairs and why they aren’t selling as many bikes as they need to.  Oh, and they wondered at this meeting why more young people aren’t getting into riding.   Duh, let me help you out, guys…

  • Your bikes are too expensive.
  • Your bikes are too heavy.
  • Your bikes are too big.
  • Your bikes are too tall.
  • Your dealers are gouging people on freight and setup.
  • You’ve designed your bikes to make it difficult for folks to maintain them.
  • Because your bikes are difficult to maintain, you kind of force people to go to the dealer for maintenance.
  • When people go to the dealer for maintenance, the service fees are too high.
  • You don’t keep parts in stock.

The big excitement at our booth was, as always, price.  The common question is always:  Why do they cost so little?  Folks, it’s not that our bikes are so inexpensive.  It’s that the others are so expensive, and the main reason for that is the dealer markup.  No dealers, no dealer markup.  Duh, yet again.  I could be an industry advisor in this game!  But hey, we’re not suggesting the other guys change anything.  We want them to keep doing exactly what they are doing!

The action at our booth was lively, and we didn’t hear anyone badmouthing Chinese manufacturing or Chinese products.  I think a big part of that is time (folks are getting used to the idea that a lot of manufacturing is done in China).  Maybe another big part is that people who favor other marques (including the big ones from Milwaukee and Bavaria) have finally tumbled to the fact that those bikes contain a lot of foreign content.  And another element is undoubtedly the reputation that our bikes have established.  You know, the stuff about riding across the US, riding across China, riding across Colombia, the annual CSC Baja runs, and more.

When folks saw the RX3 at $3895 (currently on sale for $3495), they were just blown away.   When they saw the TT250 at $2195, they were blown away again.  And when they saw our newest bike, the San Gabriel for just $2495, they were shocked!

So on that name for the Café Racer…the San Gabriel.  That suggestion came to us from none other than our good buddy Mike Baldwin, who rides an RX3 and runs Motos of Michigan.  Mike, it was a great suggestion and thank you very much!

You know, we had a funny thing happen at the CSC booth.  On Friday night, two industry execs from a large company I won’t name (they are one of the Big 4) came over to our booth and they wanted to know all about us, our bikes, and our business model.  “We talk about you guys and what you are doing every week,” they said.  The tone was not one of derision or animosity.  They were in awe of our bikes and of our business model.  “We wish we could do what you are doing,” they said.  They examined our bikes closely and I tried to get one of them to sit on an RX3, but he saw I had my camera ready and they both knew where that photo would get posted!

So, on to the competition.  I saw the Kawasaki Versys 300 and the new small BMW.  First, the Kawi.   It’s a physically large bike that is about the same size as their KLR 650 (I think they will have a problem, too, with how close the two bikes are in price).  Check it out, and check out its pricing!

Hey, do the math.  To get the Kawasaki equipped to the same level as the RX3, you’d have to go over the RX3’s price by something like $3K to $4K, and that’s before you’d have to start contending with the typical dealer’s inflated freight and setup fees.  Wowee!  Where does the line form?

Then I wandered over to the BMW booth.  I was eager to see the new 310cc GS, and I did…

The Beemer wasn’t bad looking, so I sat on it. It felt about the same in size and weight (more on that in a second) as an RX3, but that was without any of the accessories that are standard equipment on the RX3.   And the pricing?  Well, glad you asked…

Yep, you read that right:  $5695, compared to our $3895, but the Baby Beemer doesn’t have bags, guards, the accessories outlets, and all of the things we provide as standard equipment on the RX3.   Wowee, yet again.

Neither the Kawi nor the Baby Beemer have online maintenance tutorials, you don’t get a shop manual, and last I looked, neither company has a really cool blog (like we do).  I don’t think either company is providing free Baja tours, either!  And here’s another kicker…both the BMW and the Kawi, without any accessories, weigh roughly the same as the RX3 with its standard equipment accessories!  Wowee, one more time!

I didn’t see the Suzuki 250 V-Strom at the show, nor did I see the Honda 250.   When I see those bikes, though, I’ll provide a similar comparison.   Apples, oranges, whatever.   We like the competition and we’ll continue to make the comparisons.

More interesting stuff…there was the usual collection of custom bikes and exotic paint at the show.  These three stood out to me…

And like always, there were interesting helmets worthy of a click or two…

One of our good buddies, Chris Cianci, showed me a photo of his RX3 parked out in front of the Long Beach Convention Center.   He was riding it to a family get-together in Salt Lake City!

And finally, I always ask myself which bike of the many at the show did I find the most interesting to photograph.   To me, this year it was the Moto Guzzi El Dorado. It’s a massive 1400cc V-twin monster, but it kept the classic looks of the El Dorado Moto Guzzi offered in the 1970s.  There was something about this bike I especially liked, and I think it was its classic black look with white pinstripes, just the right amount of chrome, and the wide whitewalls on its classy wire wheels.  My compliments to Moto Guzzi…that El Dorado is a beautiful motorcycle!

One last thing…Moto Baja! is done.  It’s off to the publisher, and we’ll be announcing its availability in the next few days.  This book is all about the photography, riding in Baja, and you.

Yep, you.

If you’ve ever ridden with me in Baja, there’s a photo of you in this book!

Moto Baja! is in high resolution full color, too.  I wanted to do that to showcase the photography and the great folks I’ve ridden with in Baja, and I kept MotoBaja! to 120 pages to keep the cost reasonable.  You’ll want to pick up a couple hundred copies!

One more thing…the TT250s are inbound!  Did I mention we’re taking deposits now?

Folks, that’s it for today.   Ride safe and stay tuned!

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On the air once again…

We sure have had an interesting month, and I personally have had an interesting month, and it’s all been computer related.   For starters, as most of you know, the blog has been down for about a week.  I don’t pretend to understand everything that’s happened, but basically the servers that house the blog crashed.  In general, the term “crash” in any kind of a motorcycle context is not a good thing, and in this case that’s absolutely true.  The people that manage the servers had not backed up anything after October 28th, so we lost everything that was on the blog for the month of November.  Zip.  Nada.  Vanished from the face of the earth.  Ah, well.   I’ll post a few bits from memory in a bit.

It’s also been sort of rough for me personally.  I upgraded to a new laptop and that mandated a software update, so I’ve got a new machine with a new keyboard (which I’m sort of used to now), Windows 10 instead of Windows 7 (or whatever it was), MSOffice 2016 instead of 2010, and the new suite of Adobe programs (Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, and more).

Anyway, I think we’re back now.   Watch for a few more blogs tonight.  I need to catch up.

Oh, and the 2018 TT250s are inbound.  We’re taking deposits now.   You might want to get your oar in the water on this one before we sell out again.  At $2195, those bikes go fast!

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Joe Gresh rides New Zealand…

Hey, our good buddy Joe Gresh toured New Zealand on a Victory motorcycle and his story about that adventure is now up on Motorcycle.com.   Check it out here, and leave a comment at the end for Joe.  It’s a great article and I think you’ll enjoy it!

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The Top 15!

A few months ago, your blog (the CSC blog) was listed as one of the top 100 motorcycle blogs in the world (I think we were listed as No. 37 on that list).   Well, hey, we’re getting even more recognition.   We received notification yesterday that we were named to another list:  The Top 15 Motorcycle Blogs as listed by a group called Test Facts.  I have no idea who these folks are, but I like our blog being listed as one of the best!

Top15

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The gauntlet has been thrown!

Now that we’re back from the Destinations Deal Tour we’ve got a little breathing room, and it’s time to get back to the open rifle competition we discussed a month or so ago on the CSC blog.   Rob, who rode with us on the DD Tour, stayed over to a day to fire the first entry, and folks, the gauntlet has been thrown.  Right now, Rob is the man to beat!

171028_7311-650Rob fired his M1 carbine (chambered in 9mm Luger) this morning at the West End Gun Club to nail down a very impressive 180-3X score!

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That’s nice shooting, Rob!

The rules for our competition are simple:

  • Any centerfire rifle with iron sights.
  • 50 yards.
  • Any position, including shooting from the bench.
  • 20 shots in 20 minutes.
  • The SR-1 target.

We have several people who have expressed an interest in shooting this course, and targets are being mailed to you next week.   Drop me a line (info@cscmotorcycles.com) if you’d like to participate!

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Death Valley!

I love Death Valley.   It’s surreal, dramatic, stark, and beautiful.  I knew from the outset of our ride it was a “must see” location and it was a great way to finish a great ride.   If you’ve never made the trek to Death Valley, you need to.  It’s magnificent.

We had an easy (but cold) run south from Tonopah to Beatty, but by the time we made Beatty it was already heating up.  We stopped as soon as we entered Death Valley to “delayer” the heated vests, the motorcycle pants, the extra sweatshirts, and all of the heavy-duty-keep-the-cold-out clothing we had put on earlier in Tonopah. It was quite a day…from a little above freezing in Tonopah to about 95 degrees in Death Valley.   Death Valley is the hottest place on the planet.

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Willie, Dan, and Gary at our first stop in Death Valley.

The scenery in Death Valley is beyond stunning.   We picked a good time to visit.   It was not too hot (it has reached over 130 degrees there) and we saw several other riders doing the same thing we were doing…taking in the views and enjoying one of the most unique places on the planet.

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The wave…saying “hi” to others having a great ride, just like us.

I had initially planned to make just two stops in Death Valley (Artist’s Palette and Badwater), but Dan suggested we include Zabriskie Point and Dante’s Peak.   I’m sure glad he said that.  I’ve been to Death Valley several times but I had never stopped at either of the places Dan suggested.   They were great suggestions, and they were the high points of the ride for me.  Both spots are awesome.

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My RX3 at Dante’s Peak. I’ve got a little over 16,000 miles on my 250 now. It’s a fabulous bike.

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Death Valley, as seen from Dante’s Peak. It’s beautiful!

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With my friends at Dante’s Peak. From left to right, it’s Gary, Willie, Orlando, Rob, Velma, Dan, and Leighton.

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The bikes…Orlando’s, Rob’s, and Gary’s.

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Leighton suggested buying sandwiches in Beatty and eating them in the Park. It was a great idea. Here’s Leighton enjoying lunch while taking in a great view of Death Valley.

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Dan, Leighton, and Willie.

I’ve mentioned earlier that Orlando and Velma rode two up on our ride.  Orlando and Vilma own several Harleys and now, an RX3.   They love the RX3 and had no problem keeping up with the group.  Surprisingly, their RX3 returned the same fuel economy as the other bikes.

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Orlando and Vilma two-up on the RX3.

After our stop at Dante’s Peak, we were off to Zabriskie Point.   The scenes from the road and the riding were great.

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On the road…

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At a roadside photo stop.

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Dan the Man leading the pack.

Dan previously rode with us on two of the Baja rides.  I joke around with Dan a lot, telling him that he’s our male model…

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A very photogenic guy…

Zabriskie Point was another amazing spot.   It involved a short hike up a nearly-vertical hill, but the scenes were worth the trek up.

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Wille, Rob, and Orlando at Zabriskie Point as seen through the Rokinon 8mm lens.

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A wide-angle shot from Zabriskie Point.

After visiting Zabriskie Point, we were off to Artist’s Palette.

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Our favorite two-up couple in Death Valley.

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On the road again…

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Yep, we were headed down…

Here’s a cool shot of two of the fastest RX3s at Artist’s Palette. The hills have different mineral contents, which makes the area look like, well, an artist’s palette…

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This is one of my favorite photos from this trip.

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The crew at Artist’s Palette.

I was wearing my Nikon around my neck.  I like getting these kinds of “from the saddle” photos.  This one is on the way out of Artist’s Palette.

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A stunning ride on a stunning bike.

Badwater was only a few miles further down the road from Artist’s Palette.   Check this out…

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Yep, we were well below sea level!

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The view at Badwater in Death Valley.

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My obligatory selfie…

We rode south out of Death Valley at the end of our day to spend the night in Shoshone, and it was grand.  The ride was desolate and beautiful, and the Shoshone Inn was fun.  They had an outdoor fireplace in the courtyard, and we all sat around it telling stories and jokes.  This was our last night on the road, and it was a great way to wrap up a great trip.  We walked across the street to the only restaurant in town, and it, too, was great.

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A great evening in Shoshone, California.

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A super dinner. The smiles are real, folks. Hey, come ride with us on the next one!

Folks, that about wraps it up.  We had breakfast the following morning at the Mad Greek in Baker, California, and then rode the last hundred miles back to the CSC plant.  The ride overall was about 1600 miles and we didn’t have a lick of trouble with any of the bikes.

I sure love doing these rides.  There’s going to be a story about this one in Motorcycle.com (that’s one of the reasons Joe Gresh rode with us), so keep an eye on that great publication.  You might think about joining us on the next CSC adventure ride.  All you need is a CSC motorcycle and you can be part of the fun.  Like we always say…come ride with us!

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