CSC Blog

You know from following the blog that I have been real impressed with the Nikon D3300 camera I bought specifically for adventure motorcycle touring.   I have a Nikon D810 and its performance is incredible, but I needed something smaller (and less expensive) for tearing around in Colombia, Baja, and the other cool places I get to visit.   That’s why I went with the D3300.

I’ve been using the standard lens that comes with the D3300.  It’s an 18-55mm zoom, and it is surprisingly good.  I really like the vibration reduction feature, too, because the photos tend to be a lot sharper even when shooting from my RX3 going 60 or 70 mph.

The D3300 uses an approach that has the lens focusing motor in the lens (instead of in the camera).   That’s great, but what it meant to me was that some of the older lenses I had (which relied on the camera having the focus motor in the camera body) would no longer autofocus.  One of those older lenses was the Tokina 12-24 mm lens, which is a super wide-angle number that I really like.   Hey, no problem, I thought.  I’ll just manually focus and everything will be okay.  I took the 12-24 mm Tokina with me to Colombia and I scored a few great shots manually focusing it, like this one below just outside of Barichara, with the bikes on a sheer cliff overlooking the valley below…

I love that photo (so much so that I’m using it on the cover of Moto Colombia, which is progressing very well).

But, the issue is this:  I’ve been spoiled.  I like that autofocus capability, and I blew a few shots with the 12-24 lens because I was too used to the camera autofocusing.   I just assumed the thing was focused (I forgot to manually focus a few times) because that’s what I’m used to.

Tokina came out with an 11-16 lens about a year ago that replaced their excellent 12-24, and the new lens has the focusing motor in the lens.   It autofocuses on the D3300.  It went on sale recently, and that did it for me.  I pulled the trigger and UPS dropped the lens off at my front door a couple of days ago.  Here’s what it looks like on my D3300 (the photo below is from my iPhone)…

With that gigondo Tokina lens and the Nikon flash unit, the little D3300 almost looks lost. It sure works well with the new lens, though.   Here’s a shot I grabbed (with the lens at 11mm!) in the service area just a few minutes ago…

We’ve had nonstop rain here for the last day or so, but the sun put in an appearance and the San Gabriels just behind the plant are magnificent.   They are capped with snow right now, and I may get out to grab a photo or two of those a little later.

That’s it for now, folks.  Ride safe, stay dry, and stay tuned!

One of my favorite motorcycle forums is the ChinaRiders.net site.  They’ve got an active RX3 community and there’s a lot of good information on that site.   Somebody on ChinaRiders mentioned the venom that spews forth from the China haters when the topic of our favorite motorcycle (the RX3) emerges online.    The comment said something along the lines of “I’d be embarrassed to post some of the stuff these guys post…they are so stupid, don’t they realize they are broadcasting their ignorance to the world?”  I may not have the exact words that poster used, but I immediately agreed with the sentiment and then I thought of what Mark Twain said.  Ain’t it the truth?

My good buddy Joe Gresh, who rode the Western America Adventure Ride with us, had two interesting pieces in the latest edition of Motorcyclist magazine.  One is a piece on the Big Ride…our 5000-mile Western America Adventure Ride.   You should read that one (he titled it “Red Ryder,” partly because the RX3 he rode was red, and partly, I’m guessing, because we rode through country that looked like it was lifted right off the set of a Hollywood Western).   The other piece Joe wrote in this month’s issue was his monthly column, “Cranked.”  In it, Gresh directly takes on the topic of what he calls “motoracism.”  I think that is one of the best pieces I’ve ever read.   In the article, he suggests that a lot of the animosity directed toward Chinese motorcycles is little more than racist ranting.  I agree.

Here’s what I think:   Anyone who automatically dismisses a product as inferior without knowing anything other than its country of origin is nothing more than an ignorant racist.  That’s what the Internet haters are.  That’s all they are.

Some of this motoracist ignorance and bias is almost comical.  Take the guy who posted that he only rides “quality” and that’s why he has a Harley.  Really?  That guy is too stupid to know that parts of his quality Harley are actually manufactured by Zongshen.  Take those scooter dealer clowns in Cleveland who did a podcast a few months ago slamming us, the RX3, and all two-wheeled transportation from China.  They were too stupid to realize that Vespa, the marque they sell, uses Zongshen to make some of their models.  In China.  Right next to where they make the Harley stuff.  And on and on it goes.  Ah, if stupid was money, these guys would all be rolling in dough.

Okay, that’s enough of my rant.   On to the more positive stuff.  Here’s my prediction, boys and girls:  The RX3 motorcycles you folks are buying right now are classic motorcycles.  In 20 or 30 or 40 years, they will be as classic and iconic as many of the motorcycles we get all dewey-eyed about today.   I think I’m on firm ground here when I make that prediction.   I write for Motorcycle Classics magazine, I’ve been around the block a few times, and I think I have the eye and the emotion to recognize both past and present classics.

My vote on the past classic bikes?   Glad you asked.  Here are my favorites:

• The 1965 Harley Electra-Glide.   It was the first electric-start Harley and the last panhead.   As a full dresser, with those big chrome valve covers (hence the “panhead” moniker), with saddlebags and a windshield tinted to match the bike, with its huge valanced fenders and massive amounts of chrome, it was (and is still) an absolutely stunning motorcycle.  I first saw a full dress ’65 Pan at a trapshoot when I was a kid.  It stopped me in my tracks.   I was riding a Schwinn, fantasizing about the day I’d be able to get a motorcycle, and there was this magnificent blue and chrome beast.   Right then and there, I knew that someday I would own a Harley just like that one.
• Any mid-60’s white BMW boxer twin.    I first saw one of these when I was a kid accompanying my Dad on a trip to Lucerne, Switzerland.   We were strolling down the sidewalk past all the cuckoo clock and pastry stores when I saw a Swiss motor officer on a white BMW.    If I had committed a crime and that cop needed to slap the cuffs on me, it would have been an easy collar.  That white BMW was visually arresting, and I froze in my tracks when I saw it.  My Dad was a block ahead of me when he realized I was still staring at the Beemer.  Prior to that, I had only ever seen black BMWs with white pinstriping.  This Beemer was kind of an ivory white with black pinstripes.  It was almost as if I was looking at the negative of a BMW photo…what was supposed to be black was white, and vice versa.   Earles forks.  That weird sideways kickstarter.  The low stance of the thing.  The bike was just riveting.  I still want one.  Not a new BMW, but an older R69S.  In ivory white.  Just like that one I saw in Switzerland 50+ years ago.
• The 1965 Honda Super Hawk.  In black.  With those big chrome side panels.   My Dad actually owned one of those.  It was awesome.  When he bought it home, it stopped me in my tracks.  The latest, the greatest, the fastest, and with electric starting, no less.  I kept that Super Hawk spotless for my Dad and I loved doing it (I’d detail it every other day).
• The 1971 Honda CB750.   In red.  I had one.  I bought it new for $1559.  I wish I still had it.    Compared to the Triumphs and the Harleys of that era, it sounded like a Formula 1 race car.  When I first saw one, it had turned the corner in front of my house and accelerated away, hard.  It screamed.  The look and the Offenhauser-engine-like howl stopped me in my tracks.  Nothing else mattered in the months that followed…I had to scrape up the bucks to buy a Honda 750.  I rode mine all the way up into Canada and back as a college student.  I still dream about it.
• Any mid-to-late 1960s Triumph twin.  I guess my favorite is the 1965 Triumph Bonneville.   It looked and sounded just perfect.  Blue.  Silver.   The chrome parcel grid.   The big Smiths speedo and tach.  The big chome pipes.  I’ve owned several Triumphs from that era.  I loved every one of them.   I don’t own one now, which is a character flaw I will correct one of these days.
• Any of the first-gen KLRs.   They are so ugly they’re beautiful.  They’re functional.   They handle terribly compared to my RX3, but I still love them.    I own a 2006 KLR, the next-to-last-year of the Gen 1 bikes.  When I first saw one, I knew it made sense and, like I said, it was so ugly it was beautiful.  It stopped me in my tracks.  I’ve been all over Baja on mine.  I love it and I’ll probably never sell it (even though I hardly ever ride it any more, now that I have my RX3).

And yes, the CSC RX3.  It’s the bike that is changing how America views Chinese motorcycles.  It’s the bike that is bringing serious riders like you and me back to sensibly-sized motorcycles.  I’ll probably never sell my orange 2015 RX3 (orange is the fastest color, you know).  It handles well, it gets 70 mpg, it will go 84 mph, and it will run all day and every day at 75 mph on the freeway.   I know because I’ve done it.   I’ve already had a lot of great experiences on my RX3.  And, the bike just looks right.  Like all the others described above, it stopped me in my tracks the first time I ever saw one.   The RX3 is a classic now and it will be a classic in the future.  Mark my words.

We’re less than 3 months away from our scheduled departure to Baja, my friends, and I’m sure looking forward to it.   I was already thinking about Baja as my Avianca flight landed in LAX after the Moto Colombia adventure.

There’s a lot of info on the Internet about riding a motorcycle in Baja, and I found a great site from a Facebook reference earlier today.   It’s about two Scandinavians who recently rode through Baja (hitting many of the same spots we will), and I was greatly impressed by the photography.   You can get to it by clicking here.

Speaking of photography, you might want to bring a camera along on our Baja trip.  I’m sure most of you were already planning to do so, but I thought I would mention it.   My advice is to do the trip with a real camera.   Cell phone stuff just won’t do justice to what we’re going to see.  I like the Nikon D3300 with its standard 18-55mm lens.   That little camera does a fantastic job, and as a full-featured DSLR it gives you the ability to exercise creative control over your photos.  It has a built in video feature, too, which does an awesome job.   The point-and-shoot cameras are okay, I guess, but I’m a camera snob.  I like a camera that responds instantly (the point-and-shoots frequently have a lag that drives me nuts).   The D3300 is light enough to wear while riding, and its vibration reduction feature lets you capture tack-sharp photos from the saddle (like the one below from our last Baja trip).

For “on the go” videography, if you haven’t already bought a video cam, most folks go with the Go Pro.   I’m in the minority here…I don’t care much for their cameras.  The problem I have with the Go Pro is that it’s very difficult to tell when it is on unless you are in front of it, and that’s hard to do with a helmet-mounted camera.  I greatly prefer my Midland video camera, because its switch design lets me know when it is on or off.   I have the Go Pro camera (I had to buy one to see what the excitement was all about), but I don’t like it.   If anybody wants a cheap Go Pro, I’m probably going to unload mine in the near future.  I just don’t ever use it.

If you haven’t already signed up for the Baja trip, my apologies but we’re already at capacity and I’m not adding any more riders.   There’s always next year, or you can always venture into Baja on your own (and we encourage you to do so).   It’s a great place and a great ride, and the RX3 is the perfect Baja exploration platform.

We’ve had a few inquiries about a TT250 ride into Baja, and we’ll be doing one of those later in the year with an emphasis on more off-road travel (Mike’s Sky Rancho, Coco’s Corner, and one or more of the ancient missions that are well off the beaten path).   But that’s another trip for another time, and I’ll talk about it in another blog.

Stay tuned…more to follow.

As you may know from reading 5000 Miles At 8000 RPM, we spent the day before we started that ride at the shooting range.  When I was down in Colombia last month, Juan and I traded our photos and media from last summer.   Juan had a few videos and photos I stitched together showing our range session.   Here you go, folks…

It’s in work, folks, and it’s fun.   I finished the outline and I’ll knock out a chapter or two this evening, but before I do, I’m firing up my RX3 and going for a ride before the rain hits us here in southern California!

I’ll keep you posted, but look for this new book on the latest moto adventure by the end of January!

…and you can read about it here in Cycle World magazine!

It’s always interesting to read these reviews, and to read the reader comments that follow the article.  There are the usual moronic China haters, but folks, people outside those who have actually ridden the RX3 are starting to realize the RX3 is a great motorcycle.  Folks who ride the bike know:  The RX3 is a world-class motorcycle.  It’s a game changer.  Cycle World magazine.  They like the RX3.  Imagine that!

More than a few folks have asked about the differences between the CSC RX3 and the AKT Moto TT250 Adventour (the bike I rode on my recent Colombian adventure tour).   The bikes are basically the same Zongshen RX3 with minor differences.  Just to be clear, AKT Moto calls its version of the RX3 bike the TT250 Adventour (not to be confused with our new TT250 CSC dual sport bike, which is a completely different motorcycle).

You asked, so here goes.

The CSC RX3 is fuel injected; the AKT Moto bike is carbureted.   The only real discernible riding difference is that the AKT bike has a choke (the choke lever is underneath the left handlebar switchgear), and you need to use the choke to start the bike when it’s cold.   Once the bike is warm, I could not feel any difference in performance between the CSC and AKT versions.   They’re both solid performers.   The Colombian guys told me they evaluated fuel injection, but the gasoline situation is such that they felt carburetion was mandatory in Colombia.   They have issues with dirty and low octane fuel in Colombia, hence the carburetion approach.   Interestingly, we rode from sea level up to 13,562 feet (when we visited the Volcan Nevado del Ruiz), and the carbureted Colombian bikes ran fine.  I could not tell the difference between their bike and ours from a performance perspective.

The AKT Moto bike right handlebar switch has off, parking, and on positions for the headlight. As you know, our North American headlights stay on all the time the bike is running, and we use this switch to control two accessories outlets underneath the seat.

The AKT Moto bike includes a standard headlight grill with two spotlights mounted on either side of the headlight. I really liked this and we are investigating what it would require to import that accessory to our North American market.

The AKT Moto bike has the AKT logo on the tach face and on the dash shroud.

The AKT Moto bike has a satin finish on the handlebars and bar end weights are standard.   You can see the satin finish in the photo above.  This will be the configuration of the 2016 CSC bike’s handlebars.   I thought this had a rich look to it.  The bar end weights worked well, too.  I had a clear image in the right rear view mirror.  Incidentally, the “Kontrol” name you see in the above photo is the name of AKT’s parts and accessories line.

The AKT Moto bike had the shorter, dark windshield.  The CSC bike has a larger windshield.   My perception at first was that both windshields were about the same in terms of their ability to shield you from the wind, but at the end of the day I had a lot of neck and shoulder pain.  I don’t know if that’s because the shorter AKT windshield induces more buffeting, or if it was the tension I felt dodging in and out of traffic in the twisties.   I think it was more the latter than the former.

The AKT Moto bike does not include the engine guards and the luggage that the CSC RX3 has as standard equipment.   A lot of the folks who buy these bikes in Colombia add an optional Givi-like top case.  They like to keep their bikes narrow over there.   Spend a minute riding in Colombian traffic and you’ll understand why.

My AKT bike in Colombia was equipped with the optional Tourfella aluminum luggage.   Folks, I really liked these bags and as you know we offer them in the US.   They are spacious.  I carried my laptop, its mouse, its power supply, a couple of books, and a bunch of other stuff in an old briefcase on this trip, and the whole shebang fit into the left saddlebag with plenty of room left over.   I had no problem carrying all of my clothes and a bunch of other stuff in the top case and the right saddlebag.  The accessory Tourfella bags make a lot of sense on these bikes.

Both the AKT bike and the CSC RX3 have the 17-inch diameter rear wheel, and both bikes use the standard Zongshen-supplied CST tires.  They worked well.   As I’ve mentioned before, we rode about a hundred miles on dirt, and a lot of that included mud and soft sand.  I never felt like I needed more grip than what the stock tires provided.

The AKT bike’s sidestand is procured locally and it has a different configuration than the CSC sidestand. The CSC sidestand is either cast or forged; the AKT sidestand is a weldment formed from a tube with a bent and flattened end.

AKT has an accessory centerstand just like CSC does, but the AKT centerstand has its extension on the right side of the bike (instead of being on the same side of the bike as the sidestand, as the CSC bike does).   I didn’t have the centerstand on my bike in Colombia (I don’t have one on my US bike, either).    Even though I don’t have one, I think I like the US version better.   On the AKT bike, if you want to use the centerstand, after you put the bike on the sidestand you have to walk around to the other side to lift the bike onto the centerstand.

The AKT has different seats than the CSC bike.   The shape and padding seem to be the same as our bike, but the Naugahyde is different.  I liked the appearance of the AKT Moto seat better than I do the CSC bike.  The comfort level is the same; when you are on them, I could not tell the difference between the AKT Moto seat and our seat.

The AKT Moto has a locally-produced exhaust pipe and muffler (you can see it in the photo above).  The sound level is, I think, identical on both bikes…both have a deep growl that I like.

The AKT Moto bikes are available in three different colors:   White (not a pearlescent white like ours, but a regular gloss white), black (that was the bike I rode), and metallic brown (that was the color of Carlos’ bike).    AKT paints their bikes in Colombia.    All three AKT colors looked good to me.  You can see the white and brown bikes in the photos above; here’s a photo showing my black Colombian ride…

Another minor point…the AKT frames were gloss black (compared to ours, which is a satin black).

The AKT Moto bikes had different graphics than ours (you can see their graphics in the above photo).   The AKT Moto graphics had the “TT250 Adventour” logo rather than our “Speed” logo.   They looked good and I liked them.  We’re changing our logo for 2016.   Too bad; I had a lot of fun tweaking the trolls about our logo.   Invariably, some Internet weenie with more time than brains (or manners) would make a snide remark about our “speed” logo.  I always respond by telling them we wanted it to say “methamphetamine,” but the font got too small to read (so we went with “speed” instead).

I might have missed one or two things, but I think the above summary captures most of the differences.   As you can see, they are minor.  Both the AKT Moto and the CSC bikes are essentially the same motorcycle, and they are both world-class bikes.    I didn’t feel out of place at all on my AKT Moto bike.  The AKT Moto bikes performed flawlessly on our Colombian ride.  You can’t go wrong with either machine.

Take a good look at that photo, folks….it’s our new super-stopping front disk brake!

Yep, we’ve listened…the front brake is one of the very few things folks said could be improved on the RX3, and that’s exactly what Steve and the wonder works boys have done!

The new front rotor is 11.5 inches in diameter (the same size rotor that stops a 900-lb Harley-Davidson) and 5mm thick (compared to the stock rotor at just 4mm).   The complete front brake upgrade includes the rotor, all mounting hardware (yes, you get new rotor bolts), DP sintered brake pads (wow!), a 6061-T6 aircraft-quality aluminum machined caliper mounting bracket, and tons of stopping power.  I rode that puppy yesterday (the one you see in the photo above), and it’s incredibly strong!

The whole enchilada goes for $299.95, and it will be available in about 30 days.  The disk configuration will be very slightly different than the prototype you see above, and if you want to pre-order to get anything after the very first one, my advice is to get your order in now (you can call us at 909 445 0900).    The very first one already has a home, and it’s on my RX3!

My good buddy Juan Carlos and I traded photos before I flew back to California last week, and I’m enjoying viewing them in this cold California weather.   Juan grabbed a more than a few photos of me, and seeing them is an unusual experience.  I’m usually the guy on the other side of the camera.   It’s fun looking at photos of yourself.

Folks, it’s cold here in LaLa Land…colder even than where I grew up in New Jersey.  Weird weather, to be sure…it’s in the 70s back east and it’s been in the mid-30s out here in California.  It’s sure different than the weather I enjoyed during my adventure ride in Colombia…we were in the tropics there, and it was either hot and humid in the valleys or cold up above 13,000 feet.   What a ride that was!  It was one of the best rides of my life, and Juan’s photos are adding to my joyful recollection of it.  Allow me to share just a few with you.

This first photo is a personal favorite.  It was the end of our first day on the road when we rolled right up to the Caribbean (right on the beach…at one point we were actually riding through the sea water as the waves crashed on shore).   That’s Carlos (and no, we don’t share the same barber).

Here’s another two shots I particularly like…it’s me rolling onto (and then off of) the ferry that took us down the Magdalena River to Mompos.   Folks, that was a ride, and it was definitely not easy getting on and off that boat.   I was a little nervous about it (especially leaving the ferry, as the climb off was very steep), but it all went well.  Juan is a master at getting out in front and grabbing these great photos.   Most of the time I didn’t even know I was being photographed.

Another favorite…me playing Rowdy Yates on Rawhide (any of you remember that one?).   Yep, we actually rode about 100 miles on dirt, and at one point, we rode right through a herd of cattle…a very mooooving experience, to be sure…

And just one more…this is another one Juan grabbed of Carlos and me on one of the many dirt roads…

Like I said, it was the ride of a lifetime.   Juan Carlos is the guy who planned the entire thing and he did a magnificent job.  I’ve planned a few big rides in my day, and I know how much work goes into organizing these things.   It’s nice to have someone plan it all, including the routes, the restaurants, the rest stops, the hotels, the photo stops, etc.  I would have never attempted this ride on my own, and if I had, I never would have seen the things I saw during the Colombia adventure.   Juan knows the country, the roads, and the best spots.  It was an amazing adventure.

Many of you have written and expressed your admiration (and perhaps a bit of envy) regarding my 8-day adventure ride in Colombia, and that’s certainly understandable.   I’ll remember this ride as long as I live.   You might be wondering if you’ll ever have a chance to do something like this.

Well, the answer is yes.   Based on the success of this ride, my good buddy Juan Carlos is establishing a tour company to take a very small number of people on similar rides using RX3 motorcycles.   If you would like to know more, let me know, and I’ll get you set up with Juan.

Folks, this ride needs to be on your bucket list.  The RX3 motorcycle is the bike to do it, and (trust me on this) Juan Carlos is the guy you want to lead you around beautiful Colombia.  I’ll be posting more on the blog about Juan’s new touring company in the near future.  In the meantime, if you want to be one of the first to get in on these well-led and very exclusive rides, drop me a line and I’ll hook you up.