CSC Blog

This maintenance tutorial explains how to set up your new RX3 motorcycle.   If you opt to do the setup yourself, your RX3 motorcycle will be delivered in a crate as you see in the video below.

Let’s get the warnings and stuff out of the way first:

• The first thing you should do is check the condition of the delivered crate.  If there are any anomalies, stop and give us a call at 909 445 0900.
• The next thing you should do is check the VIN numbers on the exterior of the crate.   Compare these numbers to the documentation delivered to you. If the numbers don’t match, stop and give us a call at 909 445 0900.

We’re not expecting any problems, but I had to tell you the above to satisfy the legal beagles.

Unpacking

Disassemble the shipping crate, taking care not to damage the motorcycle or its components.  When you cut the cardboard off, cut it straight at the vertical corners so if you need to box it up again, you can tape it (bear with me, folks…more legal beagle stuff).

Carefully examine the motorcycle and the other components to make sure there’s no shipping damage.   If there is any shipping damage, call us at 909 445 0900.

Unbolt the top and sides of the shipping container.   Take out the parts around the motorcycle.  Note that the motorcycle will not have the front wheel installed (the motorcycle forks will be bolted to the shipping container base).    The motorcycle’s rear wheel will be captured in a trough in the shipping container.

At this point, it’s best to proceed with two people.   You don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger types; on our bikes, Steve and Lupe did the unpacking and the steps I’m going to describe next.

You have to get the motorcycle off the shipping container base to set it up.  Unbolt the front forks from the shipping container base.   Lift the rear of the motorcycle and swing it out of the shipping container base.   Lift the front end of the motorcycle, swing the front end away from the shipping container base, and prop up the motorcycle with a suitable support.   You want the front forks off the ground so you can install the front wheel.

Front Wheel Installation

Install the front wheel using the hardware already installed in the front forks (the front axle, the front axle nut, and the four clamp bolts).   Add grease to the bearings, the speedometer drive, and the axle.   We recommend Maxima grease, and if you need this, give us a call at 909 445 0900.

Make sure the speedometer drive is aligned with the slots in the front wheel.  Move the front axle through the forks from right to left, oriented as in the photograph.  Install the 17mm axle nut and tighten.   Tighten the two pinch bolts on the right fork.

At this point, you can take the motorcycle off the support used to get the front end up in the air and put the motorcycle on its sidestand.

Handlebar Installation

Install the handlebar into the top yoke with it centered and adjusted before fitting the clamps. Install four M8×30 hexagon socket head screws and tighten. Be careful not to scratch the motorcycle.

Clutch Lever Installation 

Remove the bolts from the clutch lever support using an 8mm wrench.  Install the clutch lever on the handlebar and tighten.

Motorcycle Guard Bar Installation

We used to call these crash bars.   Now they are guard bars (ah, those lawyers again).   We’re going to install the forward guards first.  The forward motorcycle guard bar layout and required fasteners are shown below.

Start by installing the upper portion beneath the front fender.  It attaches with a single M8×16 flange bolt as shown in the photos below. It’s under the headlight.

Next, we’ll install the lower portion of the forward motorcycle guard.  Install the guard with two bushings to the lower portion of the guard and two M8×50 flange bolts.   Install the U-bolt and attach to the frame using two M8 flanged self-locking nuts.  Install two M8×45 flange bolts to connect the upper and lower portion of the forward motorcycle guards.

Once you’ve assembled everything with all of the nuts and bolts, tighten all of the fasteners.

When finished, the forward motorcycle guards should appear as shown below, with red arrows indicating the bolt attachment points.

Rear Rack

Okay, so far, so good.  Let’s install the rear rack next.  Carefully install the rear rack over the rear body panels (be real careful not to scratch the rear body panels).     Although the rear rack bolts and the rear guard is shown in this photo, don’t install them yet.  Steve and Lupe got a little ahead of me when I was photographing the setup of this motorcycle.

Rear Motorcycle Guard Installation

The rear motorcycle guards and their components are shown in the photo below.

The photo below shows the rear engine guards assembled off the motorcycle.  I’m showing you this photo only for the purpose of clarifying the relative position of the parts in the assembled condition.   Don’t pre-assemble these pieces yet; I only wanted to show you how everything fits together so it will be more clear in the instructions below.

Position the right rear motorcycle guard on the right side of the motorcycle, like you see in the photo below.

Insert Bolt A through the right rear motorcycle guard and the rack and hand tighten to frame.  Do the same on the left side of the motorcycle   The next stop is to install Bolt B.   There are two of these bolts.  They go beneath the fender, and they go through both the left and right rear motorcycle guards.

Now we’re going to install the rear motorcycle subguards.   Insert Bolts D and E through both the right and left rear motorcycle subguards.   The upper portion of the subguard secures to the rear motorcycle guard with Bolt D; the lower portion of the subguard secures to the rear footguard strut with Bolt E.   You can see where these go in the photos below.

Once the rear motorcycle subguards have been installed, the next step is to install the strut that connects them.   Install the strut to the left and right rear motorcycle guards with Bolts C, like you see in the photos below.

After completing all steps above for the rear rack and rear motorcycle guards, tighten all of the fasteners.

Top Case Installation

Place the trunk connecting plate bushing beneath the top case support, and install one M8×85 flange bolt.

Install top case support plate with two truss head Allen bolts and two truss head bolts.  Tighten all fasteners.

Now we can put the top case on the top case mounting plate with three 4mm Allen head bolts.   Tighten the Allen bolts and then install the top case pad over the bolt heads at the bottom of the top case.

Pannier Installation

Each pannier is secured to the rear motorcycle guard with four M8×20 flange bolts and flanged washers  (a pannier is what we used to call a saddlebag).   The annular step on the washer faces toward the motorcycle and centers the bolt in the rear motorcycle guard bushing.   Install all four bolts and tighten.

After doing the right saddlebag (oops, I mean pannier), repeat the process for the left pannier.

Rearview Mirror Installation

Install the left and right rearview mirrors on the handlebars.

Battery Installation

The RX3 motorcycle is shipped with the battery installed in the motorcycle, but the battery contains no electrolyte.  The electrolyte is packaged separately and included in the motorcycle shipping crate.

The battery is located under the seat on the right side of the motorcycle.   It is accessible by removing the right body panel underneath the seat.  It is not necessary to remove the seat to gain access to the battery.  It will be easier to work around the battery, however, if you remove both seats.

The red harness is the positive side of the motorcycle electrical circuit; the black terminal is the negative side of the motorcycle electrical circuit.

Remove the electrolyte container, remove the battery cells’ covering strip, and fill each cell with electrolyte. Be careful not to spill the electrolyte.  If any electrolyte contacts your skin, flush the area with large quantities of water.  If any electrolyte contacts your eyes, flush your eyes with large quantities of water and seek immediate medical attention.

Prior to installing the battery caps, charge the battery with a battery charging device with a charging rate that does not exceed 2 amps.   When charging the battery, leave the battery cell caps off.  Only charge the battery in a well-ventilated area, and keep the charging battery away from any ignition sources.   We recommend using a Battery Tender charging device for this initial charge.   These things are great, and I use mine all the time.  I keep the my bikes on a battery tender whenever they are in my garage.   If you wish to purchase a Battery Tender, please contact us at 909 445 0900.

After the battery is fully charged and the battery caps are secured, reinstall the battery in the motorcycle.   The battery should be oriented so that the positive terminal faces the rear of the motorcycle, and the negative terminal faces the front of the motorcycle.    Connect the red cable to the positive terminal, and the black cable to the negative terminal.   Secure the rubber retention strap around the battery, and reinstall the right body panel.

Oil

We recommend that you drain all oil from the engine, and replace it with 1.7 liters (55.4 ounces) of approved 5W-40 or 10W-40 motorcycle oil.  Don’t use any oils intended for automotive applications.  Those oils usually contain friction inhibitors, which will make your motorcycle’s clutch slip.  We sell Maxima motorcycle oil, and if you want us to ship a couple of quarts to you, give us a call at 909 445 0900.

Radiator Fluid

You should check to make sure the radiator fluid is at the proper level (it’s supposed to be even with the bottom of the radiator cap neck), and the overflow reservoir should be about half full.  Add approved coolant if the radiator needs to be topped off.

Make sure you use a coolant approved for use in a high performance aluminum engine.   We sell that, too (we recommend Maxima Coolanol), so give us a call if you need this item.

Windshield Installation

Install the windshield on your motorcycle.  It is secured with six Allen head bolts like you see in the photos below.   A cap head nut is used on the inside of the windshield for each Allen head bolt.

Fuel

Fill with the fuel tank with 87 octane (or higher) gasoline.

Final Inspection

Perform the following inspections after completing the setup procedure:

• Check to confirm all fasteners are properly tightened and all components are installed correctly and in an operational state.
• Swing the handlebars from side to side to make sure motion is uninhibited.
• Insert the ignition key and turn it on.
• Check horn function, turn signals, headlight high and low beam, brake lights for front and rear brake activation, and instrument panel readout.
• Check the oil level and the tire pressure.
• Check the rear wheel alignment and chain tension.  These are set up from the factory, but it’s always a good idea to check these items.
• Confirm the motorcycle is in neutral.
• Pull the clutch in and start the motorcycle.   Allow the engine to warm up.
• Test ride the motorcycle to confirm everything works the way it is supposed to.

And folks, that’s it.    It’s time to go for a ride!

Things have been going extremely well with everything that’s been occurring with the RX3 motorcycle, and our customers (you folks) have been giving us high marks for keeping everybody up to date on all developments.   We’ve been worried about the first time we stumbled, knowing that sooner or later we’d make a mistake on something.

Well, today was that day, and the “we” was me.

After tracking the Hanjin Germany doggedly for the last couple of weeks, and confirming that our containers made it to Shanghai and onto the Germany, we found out today that our bikes didn’t make that shipment.   I could make all kinds of excuses, but I won’t.   The information I had was for the RX3 parts and accessories containers.   The shipping agent misunderstood what I was asking when I asked about the shipment, and I didn’t realize they were talking about containers other than those that contained the motorcycles.

So, with a heartfelt apology, I have to tell you that the bikes did not arrive today.  They are currently scheduled to arrive in Long Beach on March 24^th.   They made it to Shanghai 3 days before the Germany left, but they didn’t get on the Germany.   The motorcycles didn’t leave until 8 days later on the Xian Fei Zhou, another ship.

Again, my apologies, and we’ll keep you posted.   One thing you can count on:  We’ll give you the truth all the time, even when we drop the ball.

One screen capture says it all, my friends…

We’ll keep you posted, as always.

And just think…in just a little while, we’ll all be doing this on our own CSC RX3s.

Counting the days, folks!

Super weather out here today!   So much so I fired up both the KLR and the Baja Blaster to let those two machines get their knees in the breeze!  It’s been too long for both motorcycles, but both bikes fired right up thanks to my keeping them on the Battery Tenders.   If you don’t have one of those great little trickle chargers, you really need to get one (and yep, we sell them).

Every time I get out on the Baja Blaster I fall in love all over again…it is a beautiful motorcycle…absolutely jewel-like in its fit and finish…

I’ve had my little CSC 150 for nearly 6 years now, and she still runs like a top.   The best ride ever (they’ve all been good) was the Baja Run we did shortly after introducing these bikes…all the way down to Cabo and back.   If you haven’t read that trip report yet, you can see it here.   Our good buddy Simon Gandolfi rode with us, and it was a hoot!

I’m Baja bound next Wednesday, folks, to do some serious mapping, hotel negotiating, and photo shooting.   They’ve got Internet service in parts of Baja now (I haven’t decided if that’s a good thing or a bad thing), so I’ll be posting reports and photos starting Wednesday night.

Later, guys!

It’s been close to 90 degrees here in So Cal for the last few days, but as recently as yesterday you could still see snow up in the mountains.   Some of us saw it from below, but our good buddy Bill and his Military Series CSC-150 got up close and personal with the cold stuff.

Here’s a note I received from Bill a couple of days ago…

Joe:

Another great day to ride up the Crest.  It was cold but no ice on the road.

Just another great day on a California Scooter.

This was at 7000 ft.

Bill

Very cool indeed, good buddy Bill!   Thanks for the awesome photo and for being a loyal CSC rider!

The boss took a ride out to Long Beach to see if he could spot the Germany….these photos were literally shot just minutes ago…

That ship on the right in the second row back is ours, and if you look real closely, you can see the address label that says CSC Motorcycles, Azusa, California….

Nah, I’m just kidding…Steve couldn’t tell the ships apart from the shore, but she’s out there, my friends, and like we said a blog or two down, it won’t be long now.

Here are a couple of additional shots from Steve’s iPhone…

That’s it for now.  I’m getting ready for my scouting run down to Baja…I’m leaving on Wednesday and we’re going to check the route and hotels, and I’ll do what I can to negotiate better hotel and motorcycle insurance prices for you adventurous souls who ride with us on the CSC Inaugural Baja Run.   I can’t wait to get down there next week.   Photos to follow…

I saw this article on riding a motorcycle coast to coast this morning as I was catching up with the Internet, and I thought I’d post the link for you…

http://www.motorcycle.com/features/50-tips-riding-motorcycle-across-america.html

It’s a good read, especially the part about cutting back on what you bring with you.

You know, I’ve never done a coast-to-coast motorcycle ride myself, and I think my RX3 will be the bike with which I break that deficiency.   I might be interested in doing a Four Corners run, but I wouldn’t do it under the Iron Butt Association’s rules.   I’ve been to Key West (an interesting place, but a boring ride getting there), and I don’t want to restrict myself to however many day the IBA allows.

The Gulf Coast is interesting along the stretch from New Orleans to Destin, and it’s beautiful, too.   They have a fish down there called amberjack, and grilled amberjack in any restaurant along Florida’s Emerald Coast is about as good as it gets.

Destin, along Florida’s Emerald Coast

I would like to circumnavigate the US, but at my pace and hitting the parts of it I want to.   I think the RX3 would be perfect for that.   Maybe this summer.   We’ll see.

I checked the Germany’s location, and she’s still parked just offshore of Long Beach.  I expect that will continue for the next week plus a few days.   When we hear more, we’ll let you know.

A lot of folks emailed me with questions about how much weight came off the RX3 when we built the SuperMoto styling study bike.

Here’s the deal, boys and girls…we weighed the stock luggage, the rack, the engine guards, the passenger foot pegs, the passenger footpeg mounting brackets, and the bolts.

You ready for this?  The combined weight of those items is 47.45 lbs.  There’s a few other things that further lightened the bike, like the aluminum wheels, the tank panels, the shortened beak, and the abbreviated front fender, but I didn’t want to include those items when calculating the weight reduction.   The question I was interested in was this:  If you take the stock CSC RX3 and remove all the goodies listed above, what’s the weight reduction…and the answer is just a scosh under 50 lbs.

The SuperMoto styling study bike felt noticeably lighter and faster, but I didn’t realize just how much weight came off with the bags, the guards, the passenger footpegs, etc.  And on our stock RX3 motorcycles, that’s something we can unbolt and bolt back on whenever we want.

Okay, that’s if for today.  Time to get out and fight the traffic home.   Ride safe, my friends…

Overland Expo is an event I’ve never been to, but I’m going this year and I’m pumped about it!  It’s for explorers on two wheels and four, and it’s one of the world’s quintessential events for folks who do what we do.

Ride your RX3 with us to Overland Expo in Arizona!

The basics first…it’s going to be held on May 15^th to the 17^th in Flagstaff, Arizona.    It’s focused on people who take overland exploration seriously.   Over 180 exhibitors will be present, and there’s going to be a series of presentations on all things related to adventure riding.   And yep, yours truly, little old me, is doing a one-hour presentation on the CSC RX3 motorcycle!   We’ll have the CSC Inaugural Baja Run under our belts by then, and I know I’ll have some great photos and stories to tell about it.

On the road in Sedona!

But that’s not the best part.   We’re going to have a bunch of bikes on display at the show, and I’m going to be leading RX3 demo rides in the surrounding area.   And more… if you’re there on your RX3, I’ll take you through Sedona and Jerome, two of Arizona’s most amazing areas.     Sedona has some of the most dramatic scenery anywhere in the world, and Jerome is an authentic old western mining town that just oozes character.  I’ve ridden in both areas, and folks, trust me on this: The photo ops and riding are amazing.    I liked it so much I did a story on this magical place for Motorcycle Classics magazine, and you can read it here.   Jerome is another cool spot, and it would make an ideal place to stop for lunch before heading back to Flagstaff!

And you know what?  That’s still not the best part.  If you’re in the area and you’ve been thinking about buying an RX3, we’ll bring your bike to the Overland Expo and you won’t have to pay the freight!   That’s right, buy the bike from us and take delivery at Overland Expo, and we’ll eat the freight fees!

And you know what else?   If you want to ride with us from So Cal, we’re headed out Thursday (that’s the 14^th of May) and we’re taking rural roads with an overnight stop to Flagstaff.   Hey, why not ride with us on this mini-adventure ride and create a few stories of your own?  I’d love to have you ride with our group!

One more thing…if you own a CSC RX3 and you show up at our booth, we’ll have a free RX3 T-shirt for you!  Who knows…you may even get your photo on the CSC blog!

If you’d like more info on Overland Expo, here’s the link: http://www.overlandexpo.com/west/

Keep an eye on the CSC blog, folks, and we’ll keep you posted on the Overland Expo!