CSC Blog

So I’m sitting at home today catching up on things with recorded episodes of American Pickers rolling on the TV (love that show), and I saw this Range Rover commercial.  A couple of clicks on YouTube later I found this, and I knew I had to put it on the blog…

You’ve probably heard that expression before, and there’s nowhere it’s more true than on a motorcycle.   What you may not have heard is that here at CSC we have an extensive selection of competitively-priced helmets (from Shoei and HJC) and outerwear (from Tourmaster and Cortech) to meet whatever riding need you have.   Warm gear is critically important when you’re on a motorcycle, and you can times that statement by two if you’ve ever been caught in the rain on a long ride.  We’ve got it all (helmets, jackets, gloves, and motorcycle pants), so give us a call if you don’t.

For you folks riding Baja with us, you’ll want to be here the day before we leave, and that gives you time to suit up with the right kind of gear!   For everyone else, give us a call at 909 445 0900 and we’ll help you with whatever you need.

This is an interesting project Gerry’s working for one of our customers.   It’s an old R100 that’s being reborn as a BMW Bobber.   It was a complete teardown to the bare bones, with extensive gusseting on the frame prior to a repaint, and lots of engine work.  There’s much more to come on this puppy…

As this project progresses, we’ll include more photos.   It looks like fun, and it’s just one of the things our fully-equipped shop gets into.  The menu includes routine service and maintenance, custom V-twins, restoration projects, and more.  If you need help on your project, give us a call at 909 445 0900 and ask for Gerry.

Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park on an RX3!  It was all part of the 5000-mile CSC Western America Adventure Ride, conceived in Chongqing at Zongshen’s worldwide headquarters, planned at CSC, and executed by one of the best groups I’ve ever ridden with.

Where it all began…conceiving the Western America Adventure Ride in Chongqing!

We had one hell of a grand time on that ride, captured well by Joe Gresh in his video about our adventure…

On the road to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming!

One of the cool things about the Western America Adventure Ride was all the great spots we got to visit.  I wrote Destinations pieces for Motorcycle Classics magazine about many of them, including a recent one about Grand Teton National Park.

You can click on the link to get to the Grand Teton article, and you can buy 5000 Miles at 8000 RPM to get the story behind the entire ride.

I saw this excellent YouTube video a week or so ago and I meant to put it on the blog, and then I got busy on other things.   My good buddy Greg spotted it as well and he sent the link to me last night, which was a good reminder for me to get with the program and post it.  EachAdventure, well down, and Greg, thanks for the email (hey, we’ll see you in Baja!).

Baja is right around the corner, folks, and our 2018 4th Annual Run is going to be one of the best!That’s the tank decal and it’s going to press soon.   Everyone who rides with us will get one!

You guys and gals will remember our good buddies Orlando and Velma from the great state of Texas. They are died-in-the-wall Harley riders, or I guess I should say they were, until Orlando bought a blue RX3 for the Destinations Deal Tour last September…

Orlando sent an email to me telling me about his and Velma’s most recent ride in Texas. Here are the high points:

• Orlando and Velma rode their RX3 from Mission to Castroville then Hondo for the rally, then on to Uvalde, Leaky, and Rock Springs through the Texas Hill Country for the world-famous Three Sisters ride.
• Orlando and Velma rode 864.1 miles on their RX3 with no problems, doing 70 to 75 mph (on the GPS), two-up on their RX3
• This  was a 3-day ride (Friday to Sunday).  It rained and temperatures were in the 40s!
• There were lots of Harleys on this rally, but Orlando hasn’t ridden any of his three Harleys since he and Velma bought the RX3. Orlando and Velma love the RX3!

Here are the photos Orlando sent to us….

Orlando, thanks for sharing your great ride with us. We’re glad you and Velma are enjoying your RX3.  Ride safe, and we’ll see you on the road!

Gerry’s Roadside Tire Repair class is underway, and it’s great.  We’ve got a good crowd here and the topic is timely (hey, we’re headed to Baja in less than a month).

Gerry is a great teacher, and he knows his business.   We’ll be doing more of these maintenance tutorials, so keep an eye on the CSC blog!

This morning I’m playing with a couple of things, and one of them is designing the tank decal for our upcoming Baja ride.  (I call them tank decals, but you can put them anywhere you want on your bike…that is, if you’re riding to Baja with us next month.)

Joe Gresh, in a recent article on our Destinations Deal Tour, said I’m making the tank decals smaller and smaller because I’m running out of space on my gas tank. I took that as a grand compliment, but don’t you worry. This next decal will be a good one. I’m playing with the idea of working in one of the figures from the cave paintings we’ll see on the Baja ride.

Or maybe the whales…they are pretty cool, too!  Seeing the ballenos is one of the high points of the ride…

Hey, Gerry’s doing his roadside tire repair tutorial tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to seeing it.  I’ll post photos and more right here on the blog after that event.

Later, folks!

In exactly one month (and that’s just 4 short weeks away, as February only has 28 days) we will be “wheels in the wells” and headed for Baja.   It’s our 4th annual CSC Baja Run, and I’m really looking forward to going.     We’ve got riders who have ridden magnificent Mexico with us before, and riders who will be seeing Baja for the first time.   It’s going to be awesome.  I’ve ridden Baja on Harleys, Suzukis, Triumphs, Kawasakis, and (trust me on this) there’s no better bike to do it on than an RX3.

For all of you folks who are riding with us, you’ll want to make sure your RX3 is ready for this adventure.   Here’s some guidance I posted for our prior Baja runs.  This is a 2,000-mile ride and you will have to maintain your own bike. You absolutely do not want to leave with anything on your bike being sketchy. I’ve gone on rides with guys who thought they could get one more trip out of a set of tires, or a chain, or without changing their oil. Folks, that’s a false economy and you don’t want to do leave without your bike being fully prepped. With that in mind, here are my recommendations:

• Tires. If your rear tire is the stock CST tire and it has more than 4,000 miles on it, replace it. The CST tires are great tires and they are inexpensive. If you are running knobbies and you have more than 2,000 miles on the rear tire, replace it. Knobbies wear faster than 80/20 ADV tires (like the stock RX3 CST tires). If your front tire is showing wear, replace it.
• Chain. If your chain is the original equipment RX3 chain and it has more than 3000 miles on it, replace it. The stock rear chain is only good for 5000 or 6000 miles. You don’t want to lose a chain in Baja. The replacement chains we sell are of much higher quality and they last a lot longer. Adjust your chain before we leave and be prepared to adjust it during the ride. I will lube my chain every night on our ride and I’ll adjust the chain every 2 days. You should be prepared to do the same. Bring your own chain lube with you. You can buy it from us before we leave, but order it beforehand so we’ll have it for you.
• Brakes. If your brake pads are worn, replace them. If it’s been more than two years since you’ve replaced your brake fluid, you should do that, too, before we leave.
• Oil. Change your oil and the oil filter before you leave on this trip. As mentioned earlier, bring a quart of oil with you.
• Valve adjustment. If your bike will be in the zone for a valve adjustment during our 2000-mile ride, adjust the valves before we leave.
• Clutch. Check your clutch cable adjustment before we leave.
• Air and fuel filters. If you need a new air filter or a new fuel filter, replace them before we leave.
• Battery. If your battery will be more than a year old or if it is showing any signs of impending doom, install a new battery. You do not want to have your battery give up the ghost during our ride.
• Spokes. Make sure you don’t have any broken spokes and that all of your spokes are tight. Don’t overdo it, but do make sure they are crisp.
• Overall fastener condition. Check all of your fasteners and make sure none are loose. Common places to check include the fork bolts, the axle nuts, the swingarm, the muffler mounts, and the exhaust pipe, but don’t limit your inspection to only these items.

If you want Gerry to service your bike before we leave, please contact us well in advance of our departure to make an appointment. We’re happy to help you with this, but you need to let us know and you need to give us enough time to service your bike. Bear in mind that Gerry’s service department is always busy.

Stay tuned, folks.   We’ll be posting lots more on Baja!  Me?  I’ve got to get busy designing the ride decal for this run!  If you’re riding with us, you’ll get one!