CSC Blog

In less than 36 hours, folks, I’m wheels in the wells and bound for Medellin, Colombia, to hook up with my good buddy Juan Carlos for a circumnavigation of that country on an AKT Moto RX3.  Here’s the route we’ll be taking…

To say I’m excited would be an understatement of gigantic proportions.   It’s going to be a hell of an adventure, and I’ve been having a hard time falling asleep at night thinking about it.    Colombia.  On an RX3.   As the guest of AKT Moto and DeMotos magazine (the only motorcycle magazine in Colombia).   I really fell into clover on this one!

I was in the CSC plant this morning just kind of checking things over on the Internet.   You know from reading the blog and following us on Facebook that we have two specials running right now…one is on the TT250 (a steal if ever there was one) and the other on the 2016 RX3.   Both are great deals.   I have an RX3 (as you most certainly know if you read the blog) and I’ve done some serious miles on it.   I love that motorcycle, and so do a lot of other people.   This morning, I fired up the dirty gal Ryan rode on Sunday (the black TT250), and I put a a quick 50 miles on it on the 210 freeway and then around town.   I love the TT250.  It’s light, it’s torquey, and it’s just flat fun to ride.

The TT250 runs with the big dogs on the freeway, and it’s comfortable cruising at around 60-65 mph.   The 34-inch seat height notwithstanding, it’s not that tall when you get on it.   I have a 29-inch inseam, and I can nearly flat foot it when I’m wearing my motorcycle boots.   At $1,895, this bike has to be the deal of the century.   And like they say, you ain’t seen nothing yet.  I’m in the middle of a series of things we’re negotiating with Zongshen right now, and when the bikes start arriving…well, let’s just say the folks who missed the boat are going to feel real bad.  We can’t talk about these things yet, but trust me on this, you are going to like what we are doing.

With our specials running on Facebook and our social media marketing, the Internet comments have been pouring in.  When we first started marketing the RX3, not many people knew about it and when the trolls started spewing their venom we were the only folks responding to them.   Today, we don’t do that too much any more.   Part of it is we are too busy selling motorcycles, and the other part of it is the folks who already own the RX3 and know our company shut down the trolls before we do.   You know, this whole business of trolling and badmouthing something on the Internet (in all cases, with no real knowledge) induced me to write a blog on the topic when we started selling the RX3.   I called it Venom, Viciousness, and Vituperation, and you can read that blog here.   Yesterday, while I was driving to CSC, I heard the radio talking head mention this same concept.   She referred to it as online disinhibitation.   I liked the term and I immediately Googled it when I got to the plant.  I found a good article that reinforced all of my conclusions on the trolls.  It’s a good read and it made me feel good…a team of high-falutin’ psychologists came to the same conclusions we did (and we’re not psychologists).  You can read that article here.  It’s a good read.  It says a lot about the trolls, and none of it is complimentary (but you probably knew that already; these are not well-adjusted people).

Okay, that’s enough for know.   35 hours and I’m on the Avianca flight to Medellin!

We’ve defined the new 2016 RX3 configuration, folks, and this blog explains what it is.

We’re going to have four colors (Sahara Orange, metallic Sierra Silver, metallic Garnet Red, and pearl Ice White).   The red and white colors are the same colors as the 2015 model.  Sierra Silver and Sahara Orange are brand new colors (that’s the silver bike in the photo above).   We’re painting the body panel behind the CSC logo for all of our colors, which gives the bike a much richer appearance.   Here are the two new colors, both up close and showing the entire bike…

Sahara Orange is a much deeper and richer color than the current RX3 orange.   The photos don’t do it justice…it really is stunning, as is the new Sierra Silver.

The bikes you see above are intended only to show the colors.  They don’t have the rest of the 2016 features incorporated yet.  We had the Sahara Orange bike built up just to assess the color, and it sold the first day we brought it to the Long Beach IMS show.   The Sahara Orange bike you see above has a few options (the lowering kit, knobby tires, and the Seat Concepts custom seat); they’re only in the photo because it’s the only Sahara Orange bike I had for the photo.

For 2016, the RX3 will have gold anodized forks (not shown in the above photos), new graphics (not shown in the above photos), adjustable forks (they’ll be adjustable for damping), new satin finish handlebars (not shown in the above photos), and bar end weights (not shown in the above photos).

The price on the 2016 RX3 will be $3,895.   We had ten 2015 RX3s left in stock at the time I posted this blog, and they’re still $3,495.   They’re going fast, so if you want one of the 2015s, call us now at 909 445 0900.   And we’re already taking deposits on the 2016 models (they are going fast, too, so if you want to reserve a new 2016 RX3 in the first shipment, give us call at 909 445 0900).  We’re offering free shipping on RX3 2016 pre-orders (in the continental US only), so give us a call!  To pre-order now, call us at 909 445 0900 or click here!

An osprey in Guerrero Negro…we’ll see a lot of them

This is what I posted for our last Baja trip and it’s relevant for this trip, too.

On the hotel reservations, we’ll have that squared away…you’ll have to pay for your rooms, but we will contact the hotels so they will hold the rooms for us.  You won’t have to contact the hotels to make your reservations except for the night before we leave if you are getting a hotel in the US.   Somebody asked about double occupancy.  That’s up to you.  I’ll be sending out the list of people who are going to the folks on this trip and you can contact each other if you wish to double up.  One more word on the hotels:  These ain’t the Waldorf Astoria (I’ve stayed at the Waldorf, and I like the ones in Baja better).  If you’re expecting 5-star luxury, you might want to lower your sights a bit.

A typical Baja breakfast

The next question you might have is:  How much money should I bring?   I’ll be posting that shortly, too.  Not many places down there take credit cards, so don’t plan on that.   There is an ATM in Santa Rosalia, but I wouldn’t count on it working.

People often ask what other stuff they should bring. Here’s what I’m bringing:

• Cash (I’ll post how much later).
• Digital camera with charger and spare SD card, and my laptop (so I can post to the blog if we have Internet reception).
• Motorcycle gear (helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, boots, and the jacket and pants are rain-proof).
• Two pairs of jeans (one I’ll be wearing on the way down, and an extra pair).
• Two extra pairs of underwear, two extra pairs of socks, two T-shirts and one sweatshirt.
• Deodorant, toilet paper, disposable razor, Immodium, toothbrush, toothpaste and my cholesterol pills.  On that Immodium thing, I don’t get sick down there, but I’ve traveled a lot in Mexico and my stomach is used to their flora.   If you haven’t been in Mexico before, you might want to bring the Immodium just in case.  This isn’t a slam on Mexico; they get the same thing when they come up to the US.  It’s just different bugs that your stomach takes time to get used to.
• Passport, driver’s license, and BajaBound insurance policy (printed proof of Mexican insurance).  I’ll post where to get the insurance later.
• Toolkit (beyond the RX3 toolkit), including 8, 10, 12, 17 mm sockets and ratchet, Allen wrench combi-tool, reversible (slot and Philips) screwdriver, an adjustable spanner, my Gerber pliers combi-tool, duct tape, and tie wraps.
• One spare clutch cable, one quart of oil, one can of chain lube, one mini air pump (we sell these), tire irons, a countershaft sprocket nut, and two tubes (one for the front, one for the rear).  I never use that sealant goop you put in your tires to fix a flat.  All of the other times I’ve seen other people use it, it hasn’t worked.
• One positive attitude (that’s probably the most important thing on this list).

If you are picking up a new RX3 prior to the trip and you plan to change your oil as part of the break-in process while you are in Mexico, you’ll need to bring two quarts of oil, an oil filter, a tray to catch the oil, and the tools you’ll need.  Take a look at our online maintenance tutorial if you’re going to be doing this.   I’ll be there to help you, but I’m not bringing extra stuff for you.   You’ll have to pack what you need.

One of the cave paintings at Sierra San Francisco…these are over 10,000 years old

My observation is that most people pack way more than they need to.   We’re not on an expedition to Mars; we’re going into Mexico for 8 days.   The more stuff you pack, the more stuff you’ll have to load and unload every day, and the more your bike will weigh.   Travel light, folks.

That’s it for now.  If you have any questions, let me know.  Just shoot me an email (jberk@cscmotorcycles.com).

The planning for our second annual Baja run is shaping up nicely, folks.

Ah, the things we’ll see!   The whales!  The missions!  The prehistoric cave paintings!  The food!  The riding!

Nothing (and I mean nothing) is better than a motorcycle ride through Baja.   You’ll be telling stories about this trip for the rest of your life..trust me on this.

We’ll be on the road from Sunday to Sunday (13 March to 20 March), as outlined in the itinerary and map below…

I’ll post a lot more on this trip when I return from Colombia.  I wanted to get this on the blog today to let the folks who are riding with me know the general plan.  Here are a few things to consider:

• We’ll have two high mileage days at just under 350 miles (you might not think that’s a lot of miles, but trust me on this, trying to get 15 guys moving at the same time is like herding cats, and 350 miles in one day is a lot of miles with a group this size).  The rest of our days will be right at around 200 miles (give or take).
• There will be a 23-mile stretch on dirt through some fairly gnarly stuff when we cross the peninsula from Catavina through Coco’s Corner and on to Gonzaga Bay (on the Sea of Cortez).   There’s a 14-mile dirt stretch when we go to see the Sierra San Francisco cave paintings, and portions of it are gnarly.   You’ll want to make sure you’re up for this.
• Our last day will be a high-mileage day (when we cross back into the US).   That will be a long day for us.  Hey, it is what it is.
• On all but the high-mileage days, we’ll be on the road at 9:00 in the morning.  On the two high-mileage days, we’ll be on the road at sunup.
• Think about your riding abilities.  We’ll be covering a fair amount of miles and some of it will on gnarly roads.  If you’re new to motorcycling or you’re just getting back into it after a long hiatus, this is not the ride to do it on.
• You’ll need Mexican insurance.   If you don’t have Mexican insurance (I’ll post where to get it as the trip draws closer) and you get stopped, you’ll be in a heap of trouble.
• You’ll need a valid US passport.
• You can’t bring any illegal drugs or guns into Mexico.
• You’ll want to bring any spare parts with you that you think you might need.  I’ll post more on what I’m bringing well before we leave on this trip.
• We’re not meeting anybody along the way.  If you’re not leaving with us from Azusa, you’re on your own.
• Safety is my primary concern.   We’ll want to keep 30 meters between bikes and we’ll ride in a staggered formation.
• We’re only riding with RX3s on this trip.
• If you’re not on the list already you can get on the waiting list, but you’ll only get to ride if someone else drops off.   Ryan and Steve tell me about the requests they have been listening to, but we’re not adding anyone else.   The following year might be your ticket in, but this year’s ride is full.
• You’ll need a full complement of safety gear (a helmet, gloves, a jacket, and boots).   You’ll also need rain gear.  I’ve been doing Baja for 25 years, and in all that time, I’ve only had one trip with no rain.  I’ll post more on that later, too.
• We’ll be making lots of photo stops.  We cut down on our daily mileage for just that reason.   Bring a camera.   You’re going to see things and ride places most people never get to see.
• Finally, you’ll want to make sure your bike has been serviced.  Our total mileage will be just under 2000 miles.   You’ll want good tires, fresh oil, a chain that has sufficient life left in it (the stock chain is good for about 6000 miles, tops), a fresh valve adjustment, and a good battery.

That’s it for now.   Keep an eye on the blog…more info will be forthcoming.

Here you go, folks!

Lots more to follow, folks….it was a fun morning!

Keep an eye on the blog…we have a lot more to share with you!

Last week was the best sales week we’ve ever had.  We don’t publicize sales numbers (we’ll keep the competition guessing), but suffice it to say a lot of people decided not to miss the boat on the new TT250.   We always introduce a new model with a rough concept of the target market, but we’re always surprised when the sales start to role in.   We’re seeing a lot of folks buy the TT250 who also own an RX3, and they tell us they know CSC and they know we won’t let them down.   We’re seeing folks with sports bikes who want to try riding in the dirt.   About half of our buyers already own several motorcycles and they want to add the TT250 to their collection.   And we’re seeing a lot of folks who are responding to our web presence and who recognize an exceptional deal.  Age is not a factor, nor is riding style.   It’s all very interesting.

One of the guys on the Chinariders.net site asked for a video of the TT250 starting and running.  We’ll have a lot more video tomorrow, but in the meantime, here’s a quick shot of Gerry lighting the fire…

As we’ve experienced in the past, whatever color we show on the blog or elsewhere on the Internet dominates our orders for the next several days.   Our press release featured the white TT250, and predictably, most of the initial orders were for white bikes.   We also have red and black versions of this great new motorcycle…

That’s about it for now.  I’ll be posting more details on the March Baja ride here on the blog in the next few days, so as always, stay tuned!

Well, maybe a range morning…I didn’t spend the entire day at the range.   I took my old Ruger Blackhawk out.  It’s a .357 Magnum and it’s a honey….

That particular revolver was manufactured in 1976 (the 200th year of American Liberty) and every gun Ruger manufactured that year carries that stamp.  It’s a classy piece.  Stainless steel works well, and Ruger was the first gun manufacturer to use stainless on a large scale.   I like blued steel, too, but I’m clearly in the minority on that one.  These days when I go to the range, I’m usually the only one shooting something other than a black plastic gun.   Different strokes for different folks, I guess.   You couldn’t give me a Glock or an AR unless I had someone waiting to buy it.

I enjoy shooting the Ruger single-action sixguns.  Maybe it’s because I grew up on a steady diet of western movies and TV shows, or maybe it’s because these guns are just so phenomenally accurate.  Those targets you see above were punched at 25 yards, and the load is a classic one:  7.0 grains of Unique behind a 158 grain Keith cast bullet.  That target on the left was a warmup; the one on the right was after the gun and I had settled in.  Like I said, these puppies are accurate.

Okay, enough off-topic stuff for now.   The next blog will be on motorcycle stuff, I promise.  And that’s going to be easy to do.  We’ve got lots of good stuff coming up.  We’ll be out on the TT250s this weekend, and I’ll be in the plant tomorrow for our Dual Sports and Donuts Saturday.   And we’re going to start publicizing the RC3 in a major way in the very near future.   That, my friends, is another cool CSC motorcycle coming your way…

That’s it for now…stay tuned!

Our good buddy Chris found a photo of himself back in the day, with a new ’63 Triumph.   I love old Triumphs (I owned more than a few of them before they became too expensive)…

Chris also had this more recent photo from a Four Corners ride he did with his brother, Marty (another good buddy)…

We enjoy these “then and now” photos, and if you’ve got a photo of yourself back in the day and a current photo, shoot them to us and we’ll post them right here on the CSC blog.

Chris, thanks very much for sharing your photos with us!

A couple of quick notes on other topics…folks, the TT250 orders are (as expected) pouring in (and so are the RX3 orders).   As always, we’ll be open for our Dual Sports and Donuts Saturday, so if you want to see the TT250 in person, feel free to swing by.   Our good buddy and Internet Wizard Matt added a link on the CSC website that allows you to order the bike without even calling us.   Orders are pouring in with that link, too!   This bike is selling briskly, my friends.   If you want one, now’s the time…don’t miss the boat!

Several online magazines have picked up the CSC TT 250 story, and we’ve posted info on the bike on our Facebook page.   Wow, the comments have been flying in!   There are the usual assortment of trolls who seem to exist just to spew their venom online, but there are far fewer of them than we’ve seen in the past.   We’re making inroads, folks, and the rabid hatred we saw for all things Chinese last year has subsided substantially.  A big part of that is your comments in response to the haters, and a big of it is the actual performance of these fine motorcycles.

Here are just a few of the online mags that have picked up the TT 250 story, and all of them have a comments section.   Please feel free to weigh in with your thoughts:

ADVPulse

ADVMoto

Motorcycle.com

Canada Moto Guide

Revzilla

One of the questions that came up in the comments section of one the above magazines concerns the amount of assembly you will have to do when you receive your new TT 250.   Here’s the answer:   None.  I just confirmed this with the boss, and the TT 250 will arrive just like the RX3 does…fully assembled and ready to roll. We’ll assemble every bike at our Azusa facility, put a few test miles on it, and then crate it fully assembled for shipment to you.  The only thing you’ll need to do is add gas.

So, back to those magazines…I particularly enjoyed reading the Revzilla article’s opening paragraph.   A lot of these journalist types just returned from the big EICMA European motorcycle show, where they were wined, dined, and all the rest by the big guys promoting their latest motorcycles.   Seems we made an even bigger impression, though, with our big-bucks TT 250 rollout.   Here’s how the Revzilla article opened:

EICMA brought us all types of new shiny, two-wheeled toys to be excited about, but releasing bikes in such a grandiose style costs money. CSC took a different approach with the release of its new TT 250: The company sent out an e-mail.

You gotta love it.  All those EICMA high-faluting marketing gimmicks, displays, and dazzlements are priced into the other guys’ products.  Here at CSC, we’re avoiding that kind of silliness so we can bring the savings to you, and apparently, that’s making more of an impression in the motorcycle world.