Zongshen CSC RX3 Cyclone REVIEW - BRUTALLY HONEST
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- The Zongshen CSC RX3 Cyclone is marketed to the ADV world as a light weight adventure tourer/ dual sport, but should it be? I rode the RX3 Cyclone 1000 miles through 3 states to find out. I was easier on the Zongshen RX3 than my other dual sport motorcycles, but still pushed it to its limit both on and off road. See the good, the bad, and the ugly in this brutally honest review!
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Loved every minute of this. You are truly a professional my friend... I sponsor a small select few people on patreon and with you it always feels like money well spent on a great product. Can't wait for what's next brother!
we meet again!
Tyler is why i signed up for youtube lol.
only found out about motovlogging from watching him.
PS the titanic bit was classic!!
I took some advice from an adventure rider last year and bought an RX3 last summer. Put 1.2k miles on it before covering it up for winter. Changed the oil once and tightened maybe two bolts. I ride well-worn trails and dirt roads but mostly pavement. I don't treat it like a dirt bike. I like to use my RX3 to commute on nice days, too. Over the course of thirty years I've owned CRFs and an XT, along with a Magna and my current VStar. For the money, fit, finish, and performance, you can't beat the RX3 as an adventure bike. You just hop on it and go. Unlike Japanese enduros, the RX3 loves the interstate and winding mountain roads. It feels solid and isn't wobbly at high speeds like the Japanese makes. In city traffic, the RX3 always keeps up, no problem, even on steep inclines.
Now, I get it, you want to judge it as a dirt bike. But it's an adventure bike, not a dirt bike. As an adventure bike, the RX3 is unbeatable in the 250 class, and I'd recommend it to anyone. It's surprised me. It's shown me what a little 250 can REALLY do -- after riding for 30 years.
I just ordered a 2022 rx3 ,looking forward to getting next week
@@Lloyd-mo I'm still loving my RX3. Over 3K miles down the road and no mechanical problems. I did buy a new battery for it, last spring.
It’s great that you had this experience. I own one of these and it has not performed anything at all as you describe yours does. I fall firmly in line with Tyler’s assessment. The bike looks nice in person, shows well on paper, but is simply not reliable at all in reality. It has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted and I would not recommend anyone purchase it based on my experience and that of many other people I know.
@@cliftonoram2923 Sorry you ended up with a dud. What year did you buy? Mine is 2021 and perfect for riding trails around Branson Mo. On pavement, it keeps up with any traffic, even going up the long hills. I don't have 5k miles on it and don't know how long it will last. So far I've replaced the battery and done regular maintenance. That's it. It sits under a deck, covered, during winter.
"the fuel gauge is about as accurate as a politician under oath" MADE.....MY......DAY
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Democrats and republicans are identical 😂
\-_-/ only separated by vocabularies rarely.
I know this is a while ago, but I kinda understand why this is still one of your best review videos. It's honest and should be appreciated.
It doesn't matter what you ride, just that you ride. Always loved this quote from easy rider magazine back in the day.
Its reviews like this one that will make this company up their game. Brutally honest reviews help tremendously. Everyone has to start somewhere and with time they will grow and become better, hopefully.
Exactly the kind of review I'm hoping to see more of! I wanted it to be better, but that's on the manufacturer. Thank you for keeping it honest!
I really REALLY wanted this to be a great bike.
Agreed, instead it seems to just be an "okay" bike.
I'd already ridden it 300 miles. I spent 700 more miles trying to find things I liked.
lol Cory you sound like a petulant six year old crying about a toy. "He didn't like the motorcycle so I'm going to unsusbscribe!" lol with 50000 other people watching who can stomach an honest review i'm sure he won't lose any sleep either.
It's a little pathetic that you're so offended about a review of an inanimate object. Then come the personal attacks. I'm sorry you're having a bad day, I hope things go better for you.
One of the best reviews I have ever seen... That is why we come to You Tube.... The honest, real life, truth from somebody who actually rides these type of bikes... Brilliant! I just subscribed because honesty is so incredibly refreshing!
Thank you for this! When struggling with a beloved, but underpowered and carbureted xt225 through the fantastic elevation changes of Nevada and Utah, I considered "upgrading" to the Rx3. I'm so glad I stumbled on the lowered DR650 as an option during my search. I know people who love their Rx3, and I'm thrilled for them, but for going 80 on the highway and then hopping on orv trails, I'm so happy with my DR650! Oh, and I think you are way better than an average rider. :-)
For a long time now I thought that this might be my next bike. But, I gotta say. This is the first review of this machine that wasn't sponsored by either CSC or Zongshen I've seen. I love the honesty and that honesty has got me thinking or more accurately, rethinking my decision to make this my next bike purchase. Not that I'm scrapping the idea of owning one completely. But, I think you might be right that time will tell with this bike and maybe in a few years, who knows. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to review this bike. Your input had been very helpful.
I recently found your channel and I have to tell you, no one else on RUclips can hold a candle to your videos. Absolutely fantastic!
My son and I are planning on an extended tour of the Philippines - balut and San Migs, and all - and plan on getting a couple of these RX3s. Perfect bike for the roads and terrain over there, plus lockable storage. Adventure is what you make of it. Thanks for the review!
love the fact you are brutal with the review and not sugar coating it........this is why I love your channel Tyler!
but for the money......I bought and built my xr650r. tractor like torque, long travel suspension and proven reliability. long live the dual sports!
This review was worth 20 minutes of my time (just as I had my backpack to step out the door)! I have no interest at all in the bike in my current situation but i really enjoy listening to you rationally review a product. The Morgan Freeman voice wasn't so much there this time around but I can always listen to the everVoice ;-) for hours on end. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work, I look forward to whatever comes next! :)
Tyler, just so you know, you are doing a really impressive job with your videos, it's just gorgeous !
On the review, it's also a nice job. Informative and honest. Not surprising for someone following you for some time but people discovering you will appreciate! 👍
Calling yourself an 'average' off road rider is probably selling yourself a bit short.
I really like how you have everyone do a video on it and added their opinions into this video. It really adds a lot of credibility to your opinion. You should do that every time. Great videos and awesome work.
Came here from Shadetree.
As he mentioned, consumers deserve honest, unbiased, and un-sponsored (by the manufacturer) reviews on motorcycles. I think he missed the fact that we deserve them on ALL products. And you, my friend, do not hesitate to provide them.
Regardless of the backlash, reviews like this are crucial to consumers. You compared it to its market competitors, which is information we need to make an educated purchase. Some may find that the 'baloot' may be exactly what they're looking for, others may want something a bit more... substantial. And refined.
Keep making quality content like this, naysayers be darned. Those of us who appreciate them will thank you.
Keep it shiny side up!!
Came here from shadetree surgeon, and I'm glad I did. I have ranted many times in the past over useless mainstream reviews that are little more than a PR piece, not only about motorcycles but also about cars, TV's, phones, laptops, tools and basically anything. A review that is not honest is completely useless as consumer advice, so I love it when people like yourself are honest despite potential loss in revenue as a result.
thank you Tyler !! I seriously love this review. I love my DRZ400S, and after watching your review, I honestly love my DRZ even more. In a moment of charity, I considered the fact that you reviewed that bike in the harshest, machine smashing environment our great country has to offer, (within normal limits of course), but the three states you rode in seem to be the perfect proving ground for every adventure bike.....Thank you for an honest and thorough review.
Good report. I bought a Lifan gy200 with no frills and it is strong a very capable. I tightened a few bolts and now is great, easy to ride off-road. I made my own accessories which work 3 years on.
Very good review - with a result to be expected. Quality costs money and there is a reason why other bikes are more expensive - and thats not because the manufacturers want to make huge profit. From my point of view there are points that disqualify the bike entirely. One is the suspension. The other one that it doesnt even comfortably reach the legal speed limit. While I hate riding highways sometimes you just need to use them to quickly get from A to B and the last thing you want to be is a rolling traffic obstacle.
Great review! I love that you included other people's opinions. They seemed familiar to me ; ) Thanks for a truly honest, thorough, and entertaining review. The big magazines and other reviewers can learn a thing or ten from you. I'll bet Toyota will sell more Prius's too! It would have been really funny to have a person using a walker in the first few frames of the drag race and then again in the last, as if they beat both of you to the finish line. Have a great day!
A pretty thorough review, and thanks for your honesty of your opinion. Wondering how much suspension upgrades would cost from aftermarket. I've read the shock from Progressive that CSC offers as an option is more harsh than stock. As you say, longevity is yet to be proven, and one Zongshen owner in Idaho had to replace his engine just shy of 70K (70,000) miles. Not sure how that compares to other 250's.
One thing that caught me off guard, was when you mentioned the smiles it brought when ridden within it's limitations. That seems to be the common sentiment on RX3 forums, outside of one guy who seems to have difficulty shifting in to 6th, even after CSC sent him a complete replacement engine under warranty.
Again, thanks for the video adventure.
Like a black light on a hotel bed your review not only exposed the shortcomings of the bike, it exposed the shortcomings of the vehicle's importer as well. I just read their insult riddled blog response to your review. Nice work.
do you have the link for the article?!
Thanks. I was going to get this bike, but due to your honest assessment, I'll keep looking. I don't need a lot, but I can totally do without this mess in my life. Appreciate you
Great review. Sounds the same as buying tools from Harbor Freight. Cheaper, and work fine for modest use, but not for something that I'll use all the time and expect a lot out of.
Was obsessed with this bike and thinking seriously about buying one .your review savaged that idea .eyes opening .thanks
I came over from ShadeTree... Great review!
SUB. DELINQUENT yep ...same here
Great honest review and you really ran it through the ringer. On those rocky trails, I'd be wondering about taking my KLX 300 with full knobbies on it. While the manufacturer promotes it as dual sport/adventure bike, a large percentage of ADV riders rarely tackle trails like you do. For those riders, this might be adequate to introduce them to the DS/ADV community. Then again, it could just turn them off, too!
Great review. I own Japanese motorcycles and a much loved Chinese bike, and know the pros and cons of both, so it's nice to hear balanced comments for a change.
I loved your honest review man, this bike was just launched in Bali under VIAR distribution, under the name Vortex 250cc, but no injection for us, only carburetor version, i will take it for a ride in Black lava Kintamani volcano soon, to see how she react compared to the CRF 250 Rally and the Versys 250 (yes 250 we don't get the 300 in Indonesia as well 😂), cheers from Bali mate !
I don't own an RX-3, but I do love this bike. However I really love this review because you offered me a perspective I did not have until I saw this.
Used KLR, DR, V-strom appear to be a much better deal. Very nice detailed review.
Hi, here in COlombia this bike is not injection, have carburator, more power but more troubles for tuning the carburator. ALso have a lot of problems for bad asembly. But for this money is the best choice. Have a cost of 4000 dollars here, but if you want buy other bike klr 650, dr 650 or other need 8000 dollars....For this reason is a medium choice. You say the true, is not a great bike, i say is a regular bike. But for this money in argentina, chile and Colombia is a on-off road good choice, no excelent only good. Nice day, sorry for my regular english. Regards from Colombia.
The real competition to this bike isn't brand new Japanese bikes, it's this bike brand new, against used Japanese bikes, and you can get those for less, and they'll still be more reliable. You could get a brand new RX3 for 4000 dollars, or you could get an 6-9 year old KLR, DR, or DL, and have a better experience and they'll still hold up better.
Kaerius, problem is that for 4000 usd you will not get anything like that, at least here in Argentina you need a lot more. If you want a KLR/DR/Dommie for usd 4000, it will only be a '90-93 with zillion miles on their backs, and God only knows how many hands went through them...
@@rodrigoruffa7460 I paid about usd 4k for an '09 Versys 650, in Sweden.
@Kaerius Good for you! I can positively confirm that things in Sweden are quite different than here in Argentina. By the way, I've been there in 2017, together with other 4 old Argentine schoolmates (30 years after graduation) we traveled from Lund to Nordkapp and back, 5600 km in 8 days, best adventure ever :2 BMW GS (1150 & 1200), one old BMW K100, one Honda Revere 650 & one Jialing 600...
Try the Royal Enfield Himalayan
Tyler, Jumping on the bike with minimal preparation for the rugged trail you were on, 80/20 tires, highway gearing and not going over bolt security was bound to produce some poor results. Yeah, first gen. , first year, gonna have some teething problems.
I hope CSC is giving good feedback to Zhongshen. The drag race with the Prius showed that the RX3 was fine until it was topped out. Overloading the bike by at least 100 lbs. (sorry CDS) is hardly a fair test (max. load 330 lbs.) Love your channel, keep it up!
Great Vid. I wanted this bike originally because it looks so good. But since it didn't have a long track record I ended up getting a DR650. Looks like I made the right decision for the type of riding I do.
Great video, I really like your presentation style and positive comments even when something isn't very good. You've talked a lot about the KLR and DR-Z, but rarely mention the DR650. Are they less popular in the US than the other two?
An honest DR review would be excellent- I'd be really interested to see what you think of a stock machine versus your heavily modded KLR and DR-Z
I had ordered the TT250 and not the RX3 based on what I planned to do with the bike. . Wanted to see what CSC looked like before I signed the dotted line. So bought a motorcycle rack from CycleGear and drove to LA to pick it up. Really liked the shop and sales system. Was able to test drive the bike before I finalized the purchased. They were great. I totally agree with the review of the RX3 and would still consider it as another bike to add to my collection. CSC does have upgrades like front brake kits, which I would recommend. Did have issues with the TT250 and parts were sent quickly. I am hopefull that, as the review suggested, it is like Hyundai and will improve over the next few years. Now I say this as I worked for a dealership that had Hyundai as one of its 4 lines of cars and Hyundai has become an excellent car over the years. Visit CSC if you have the chance.
Tyler, this is a well thought out and researched review. You have enough experience to know what you are talking about and be able to compare it to other similar motorcycles. I've just read that blog post aimed at you and that was far more brutal than this review, but maybe not as honest. I think you are right. Give it a few more years and they could be a game changer. But not yet. I'd rather go with the tried and trusted DRZ400 or similar which has a plethora of aftermarket goodies.
Great review. You did a great job of pointing out weaknesses and strength's with out being a jerk about it. the review had a very positive feel even when pointing out the weaknesses.
Thanks for the review! Good to see a comprehensive detailed review of this bike, as there are too many unknowns concerning it.
17:43 "There is no such thing as cool looking scooter! Even when you're on a Ruckus, people still know exactly what you look like when sitting on the toilet"
lol
xinic5 hahaha... I own an nmax155 ad a serow225. don't look cool but the way traffic is fucked up here in Manila a scoot is the way to go.😁
lol it's cool, I drive a Smart car. So I know that hate you get for your choice of vehicle. Despite what other people say, and that the Smart car isn't best at anything, I love my little clown car. :P
xinic5 ahaha! clown car! well a commuter is a commuter. 😁
I almost fell off my chair laughing when i read that ... 😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks. I will add more later. Having some issues. But I will say it is MORE than a commuter bike. I've been on some fun street rides along side some of the finest cycles made. I kept up quite well on the twisties, back paved roads, etc. And fairly well on highway if they are considerate that I'm on a smaller bike. Many of them are pleasantly surprised when I tell them it's a Chinese 250. And it would be good off road on moderate occasional off road. It's actually quite fun on smoother fire roads and such. But from my experience, it does not do what they personally tell me it should on rougher roads. As you mentioned, the RX3 can do it but should it, no. Especially stock.
@eveRide Hey boss, I know there's been a ton of drama about this video, but I wanted to drop by and say thanks! Your video really helped me make an informed decision. I watched it beginning to end about five times. In the end I actually decided the RX3 WAS the right bike for me. I purchased on earlier this week and I'll drop back in periodically and let you know how it goes.
You answered all the questions I originally had about the bike, and that was reassuring. Not only did it help me make an informed choice, I was also able to manage my expectations about what I was buying, and what it was capable of. Even seeing all of its weaknesses, I still feel strongly that that 'niche' market you mentioned, apparently includes me!
Again, thanks for the hard work you put into this video, and as far as the drama is concerned, we should not let our biases divide us as a community. That goes for the 'for' and the 'against' crowds. In the end we're just one crowd, the ADV crowd, and no matter what we ride, if it makes us happy that's all that matters!
-Mike
Same here. I'm not an experienced enough rider to take serious trails. So a small bore, semi capable, cheap bike (buying used) is pretty much perfect for me.
"and I'll drop back in periodically and let you know how it goes..."
It's been 3 years, so how's the bike going?
@Vladimir I think that was a poster sent over by joe, I see he removed his blog about evaride's review.
How's the bike?
Excellent review. I feel like I was on the csc for those thausand miles with all the good information, feedback and comparison given. Thanks for getting out there and doing the hard labor for us.
EXCELLENT review. Thanks for saving me the time looking any further into the CSC bike. Keep up your good work. I enjoy the videos.
I'm so glad you reviewed this. I've been wondering about it since I first heard about it and in my experience I can trust your reviews implicitly.
as someone who currently lives as an expat in china basically your conclusions from your 3 different riders towards the end were 100% accurate. its what they use it for around around here - a scooter/commuter that doesn't look like one
The only thing that you didn't portray accurately is the carrying a passenger part. Here the riders (i guess) weigh 65kg with 50kg ish girlfriends on the back so its perfectly suited for commuting with a passenger
I don't think the review was as negative as you made it out to be. It was honest and factual. I think you hit the highs and lows accurately. Nice job, keep it up.
Excellent review! This bike is textbook Chinese production. Take something that works, copy it, and build it with the least amount of quality necessary to just make it work, once it's had some use, toss it because it ain't worth fixing
Very thorough review, and about the only one out there also. A point about the manufacturer, Zongshen has apparently been been around a long time, and the bikes that CSC sell from them are basically Americanized versions of bikes they already sell successfully in other markets, so getting replacement parts shouldn't be a problem long-term.
I actually got one of CSC's TT250's (a dirt-bike style dual sport) as my first bike, because it's dirt cheap so if anything happens to it I won't feel to terribly bad about it. But I can be honest about it, it's kind of gutless and old-tech these days, but I'm not concerned about that right now, I just need to learn what I'm doing, and when I get a proper street bike (probably one of Honda's 500's), it can become a dirt-only bike and it'll be fine.
Dude, you 're awesome! First I want to apologize for my rude comment about leaning on the gas tank for added traction on the front wheel. Second, I am going to start supporting you on patreon. Please keep doing what you're doing. Thank you for your awesome content!
Next review should be Honda CB500x with rally raid level 3 kit or steal CDS's Africa Twin! Haven't really done any crazy off road on my AT until I get crash bars but I'm absolutely loving it.
I 2nd those ideas!
But there is so much content surrounding those bikes already. The market is aching for a middleweight ADV bike and I think that the CCM GP450S should be the next review. It's the only adventure ready 450 right now and it's just coming to the US this year.
That should be exciting. Just a little over $12,000 plus fees, much cheaper than a GS or KTM. www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/ccm-gp450-adventure-us-distribution-confirmed/
Excellent review. I started riding a year ago and I appreciate your channel so much.Keep up the good work.
Excellent review. It ended up being pretty much what I expected the review would turn out to be. I think given enough time and continued interest in Zhongshan stateside there's a possible future for them like Kia and Hyundai once were, but hopefully they don't go the route of Daewoo or the Pinto.
Man - this really makes me want to steal your entire video track and put my own impersonated voice over to it; the most positive RX3 everide review that no one expected :D
Great overview on a bike I wanted to be better - It may not be what I wanted to hear, but it was well considered and honest.
My biggest hope for CSC / Zongshen is to break open the market for genuine high-reliability, low-cost Chinese bikes. There's definitely a sweet spot somewhere at the $3k to $5k range for a bulletproof dual sport tractor or a nimble touring hound
Once upon a time I had alittle Chinese flywing 150cc dirt bike Once I locked all the bolts down and changed out the cab it was actually a good bike for beginner/intermediate riders. Great motor with a lot of low end. I'm not sure if Honda used most of the same parts but from cables , plastics (looked different but same mount holes on the frame), motor parts , etc.... If it broke I just went to the Honda dealer said I had the 150 and got my parts....
The Titanic bow replay was BEAUTIFUL ! (APPLAUSE)
I love when people have a sense of humor even on the worse of things and/or situations.
Great review as usual, thank you! I was so hoping that you were going to say it was at least good for a lightweight "dirt road" bike. But if it's prone to washing out from under you with no notice because of poor contact with the ground, as you said, knobs aren't going to completely fix that. Thanks for your hard work. I enjoy your reviews very much. Drag race with your wife was a nice touch... My buddy's constant comment on his Prius... "I really love it, but it is soooo slooooow!" All my best.
As an RX3 Owner I agree with this entire evaluation. I also own an XR650R, SV650S and many project bikes. I bought this for around the town and fire roads. I have only 700 miles on mine and I'm on the 2nd engine. Mine will be sold or traded in the spring.
As also a RX3 owner, I feel this review is fair by a experienced rider who have tried many difference bikes. My original bike I want is Honda CB500X, it's not a off road setting in stock either, but a used one still cost 6K+ & expensive for a new / very beginner rider in my area. I had tried a 250cc nude bike, 250cc Cruiser bike and 250cc dual sport bike in Basic Rider Course. Only a dual sport bike I can make a U Turn or Figure 8 without put my feet down. So, I have to stick in dual sport / Adventure Bike. However, all dual sport & adventure bikes I check around are still too high to me without lower it. Although I am 5'10，I don't have long legs. I still have to tip toe when stopping at stop sign or traffic lights on the RX3. I seldom on freeways, only few times when traffic not faster than 50 mph, and I usually stay in roads are no faster than 50mph as a beginner level rider. So, the RX3 is pretty good and enough for me as a beginner. My bike is just over 5K miles and lucky it's still running good for me. And it's also enough for me when riding in unpaved road (I consider it's off road for me). this 400 lbs is just okay for me to pick up when it's dropped.
Ohhh maaaan..... Seeing Jeffy on the back of that bike made my day... He looked like a big teddy bear giving Ol' EveRide a big hug!...lol Oh that was great!
Thanks for the review. I almost got this bike before getting the KLR. Now I feel better with my decision.
Totally agree, I saw this, it's sold by ITALIKA here in Mexico and well I just got a KTM 950 Adventure for 3500 so there is that, or if you want a light low seat 250 you can get a Super Sherpa or a Yamaha for like 2000 tops! It's just a cool looking bike for city rides and maybe just maybe gravel roads, the new VersysX 300 and G310 GS will kill it, it will be probably around 5 or 6k but it sounds leagues better.
My wife is offended by Hermit da vlog's scooter comment. She said he's wrong, and her scooter is cool looking.
Great review, thank you for posting it.
Was that Ms Stacey cackling during the 2 up with CDS? Great review Sir, you had me rolling at the "tupperware painted black" comment!! keep it on 2wheels and ride safe - 2 thumbs up
Thanks so much Mike! Stacey was laughing so hard because we were totally bottomed out and the throttle was nearly pinned! :D
It appeared that Jeff is quite fond of you in that clip.
It was like one big long man hug...but bouts of uncontrollable laughter and dancing.... A little broke back Zongshen if you will.
No dog in this hunt - I'm looking for a bike for my wife/daughters to use. The review was good though I think you might have taken the bike on some rougher trails than it was meant for. For the price it is a bike we all really WANT to love. The owner community seems to have good experiences with them. It's definitely a good time to be alive in the small ADV bike world with all the models coming out.
So, um... Basically this is a $4000 bike right? LOL - this has to be the best review I've ever seen (thorough, detailed, well justified) and definitely the most entertaining.
I loved Ms. Stacy laughing at the two of you, it was hilarious!! great review as well. I have worked on Chinese bikes and quads, im curious if parts will disappear and fade away for this bike like they do for many other Chinese made bikes.
I've read other reviews and they all seem to say the same thing, ok on the road and terrible off. I tend to think that most dual sport owners don't ride the kind of trails that you do so that might not be an issue for them.
My only complaint, which means absolutely nothing, so don't pay any attention to it, is what you're comparing it to. It's almost like taking a stock Geo Tracker head to head with a Jeep that's been tricked out and then lamenting the fact that you can't go rock crawling with it. I know, they call the Zongshen a dual sport, but they also called the Tracker an SUV. Should they all perform at the same level? Is a KLR going to match the KTM? No, but nobody expects it to. There are differences in price for a reason and that is almost always reflected in quality.
Anyway, good job.
Did you not listen to anything he said? He's not trying to use this as an endure bike. He's not trying to race Ninja 500s off stoplights. He's not trying to outdo KTM 690 Enduros in Baja California. What he said is that this bike is crap all around. You'd have better commuter performance with a Vespa and you'd have better offroad performance with a CRF230F.
Has to be compared to anything else you can get for the same money ....which (as he stated) is a WHOLE LOT of used low mileage motorcycles you could buy either already equipped with aftermarket upgrades or cheap enough there is still room for upgrades. To me that has to be the comparison because no well informed person with the means to buy whatever model bike they wish to is ever going to choose this model ...not sane and sober anyway ...leaving only the "dollar for dollar" reasoning ....which means used market basically...But I mean there a number of people that have a thing about not ever buying someone else's old anything....I don't get that personally but whatever ....maybe felt deprived as children only getting hand-me-downs downs type thing ....was not me so I can't really judge I guess ...If it were me though? I HOPE I would get the hell over it if I were buying a motorcycle and only had $4k to spend....I'd be researching the hell of past models and making a list and searching for good deals on top choices....personally anyway...
I have a Chinese rps hawk for 1100 and a Suzuki dl650 which I got for 2800. The hawk is great for fire roads and commuting at 55mph and some dirt trails. The dl650 is great for eating up highway miles and fire roads. I got both for the cost of the csc. I'm happy with them but wouldn't ride them as hard as you do in your videos. I think a drz400 would be better suited. Thanks for the review.
I was excited to see a bike like this at the price that they are offered. Thanks for rolling up your sleeve and putting 1,000 miles 9n it and giving it a fair shake. I know not to buy one.
Great review dude. The judgmental side of me wants to jump to criticizing China for creating notoriously cheap products, but on the other hand, I really wanted to hear that this bike was capable. Or at least not dangerous. I think reviews like this are exactly what you should focus on doing, because it really is what people like. Maybe if you're known for being a serious critic, companies will take that risk sponsoring you knowing that a favorable review will mean much more.
Wonderful intro! I didn't watch the whole thing, because at the 5:00 you point out the deal-breaker, slow to 60mph. Thanks from Texas! Good stuff! Great video work!
Damn you're rough on bikes! That was a good review. That kind of stuff is what needs to be done to test their claims. I would like to see you review the hawk 250.
Hey Tyler. Thank you for the honest review. This motorcycle has recently been imported to the UK, and tbh I thought it might be exactly the bike for me. But your review and other reviewers of the RX3 have changed my mind. Please can you and other patreons drop the Chinese products and choose something decent to review next time. I'd love to see the Benelli 500TRK or the SWM Dual Sport on test as these both appear serious contenders coming from quality manufacturers.
Really ?????? You want him to drop the "chinese crap" and want him to review the benelli ... what are you 10?? Either that or you are trolling. The Benelli, imo a very cool bike, IS chinese made !!!
If doubting en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benelli_(motorcycles)
Qianjiang Motorcycle
I think that was a great review. I almost bought this bike a couple of months ago, so glad I didn't. However, I don't think parts will be an issue, it is made here in Europe under license in Poland. And thousands built in china/Asia.
Thank you for this brutally honest review of this bike from your newest subscriber. Keep up the great reviews!
Good review bro, keep the good work, we want honesty no bs from people who fill their pockets, respect
The ones sold here in Argentina are suffering from starter override clutch premature wear. Lots of them. Some people found out that there is a Japanese replacement from Honda that is the exact fit (part 28125-MEY-671). Cheers.
Your review is just awesome and let me stop from falling for its Younger sibling RX 1 just bcz of its price... A really good review well done
I have to say I am dissappointed alittle, but honestly not shocked. When Im in the market for a proper offroad capable bike I guess Id rather shell out the money for a dual sport.
I love your reviews, you're incredibly well spoken and you explain all the ups and downs of the bike. Keep up the great work man, and keep on riding - 8bit
I was really interested in this bike until I watched this video, but I really don't feel that it would be the bike for me. Thanks for the great unbiased review!
THANK YOU!... you had just saved me of making a BIG MISTAKE (Y)
Awesome review! I'd love to see this same kind of review on the BMW G310 R (not the GS but the R, because R has lower seat of 30.9 inch)...which is a similar category, to the CSC, as in its the smaller/lighter bike spec (possibly suited for some mild off-road use).. I'm trying to find a low seat bike for my wife that is reliable and able to put some knobbier tires on to ride on state park roads and trails in Utah (with me on my Africa Twin)...
I first saw the BMW G310 R which could possibly meet this task, but then a friend told me about the CSC and it made me curious, but I did suspect that being so cheap in price that it may just be built for looks. You have confirmed this as well. They may come along as the years progress (hope they do), but for now the BMW is looking like has good potential. My wife won't be going on such rough road as you for a long long time, but looking for low seat option that can do ok on fire roads and things like that.
i want to see the review on the BMW Gs310 in the same rout used by the CSC and the diferent in prices. sorry for mi english. i am from argentina
thank you so much for an honest review.... I think the world needed this. I wish CSC would market this bike properly
Wonderful review. I can't wait to see what you do next.
Thanks! I'm thinking I'll sell the CSC and get some different riding boots, review them, then give them away to you guys :)
Did we really need a review that told us a Chinese bike is a POS? Is anything from China NOT a POS?
Try Apple computers and iphones, work pretty well for me even though it is made in China. Ops, so is the chromebook I am writing this with.
I watched your review and read about a dozen or so mixed comments. While I think your review was honest given the rigors of the testing arena, the RX-3 was probably not designed to be flogged like a true hard core dual sport bike. None of the major players got it right the first time. As their R&D departments refined bikes like BMW, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki, etc their suitability for dual sport or adventuring set a standard which we all look for in a rugged off road two wheel motorcycle. I would say Zhongshen has some work to do on their product, and once that work has been done, the $4000.00 price tag will probably take a major hit. Where the manufacturer could refine this nice looking bike is in the obvious areas: better paint, panniers, and hardware. Better QC during manufacturing would reduce defects such as the oil drain. Here is where I very strongly agree with your review, it is a good around town, dirt and gravel road bike, it has average power for a 250cc but tall gears. The suspension travel and weak rims make it an Adventure class sideliner. It is candidate for a sales market that has little or no competition. When there is no choice, you buy what is available. When the manufacturer rules their market area , they will continue to only meet a minimum standard. It doesn’t make a difference if they make a million motorcycles a year, their competition in the US market has set a high bar. Zhonshen needs to up their game. Right now the RX3 is the Harbor Freight of motorcycles, but give it a little time, let’s see what happens.
Well organised and detailed review of the product, nice editing and content. keep it up...
Loved the honesty. Wish they would have voted for the 250 hawk dual sport from China for $1300.00. Would like to know how it stacks up. As always great video.
I've always wanted to know more about the HAWK too.
+
I own one, lmk if you want more info.
The Hawk cannot be registered in California, too bad
CSC has a version of the hawk as well now.
Ouch. Lol. The Kia reference was a dead-on analogy. I have to say I am leery of anything with a motor that comes from California. Not to knock our west coast brethren, it's just become a place associated with difficult and or cheap products. They have great ideas, but often poor execution in areas like this. However, it's only a matter of time until one group out there gets it right and changes the world of its perspective category and maybe CSC will do it. California is a great state of visionaries, so here's to them and let's keep our fingers crossed.
That was one of the greatest drag races I have ever seen!
you answered my question about this bike. thanks for the honest review I'll not even ask about highway buzz through the bars
I'm over 200 lbs as well and I don't think I'd want a 250 for long rides as well as off-road. Off road MAYBE with a 250 2 stroke ;)... but the DR650 I just got rid of was probably the smallest I'd want to take on a semi-long journey. Good job on the review though.
Great and honest review, bro! Subscribed 👍
Great honest review! Very well explained and executed. If you get the chance to review a rally raid 310gs please do!
Came here because of a Shadetree Surgeon video. Great review man, I hope to see a lot of great future content.
The wheeltravel and max weight Boxes apparently weren´t checked.
These are pretty big and important boxes for an offroad adventure bike.
I would have loved to see a XT tenere review.