CSC RX4 Adventure Bike

[HadesOmega]

The CSC RX4 Cyclone is in it's testing and certification phase according to CSC Motorcycles. Looks like it will be available early next year. Look very interesting 450CC chinese adventure bike. I rode the RX3 a while back and I liked it but would want something bigger like this 450 here. I think I would be more likely to buy a Versys X-400 though if Kawasaki were to sell one. 43 horsepowers! That's more power than my DR650 but then again a lot of bikes make more power than my DR650. Comes with USB and 12V charging ports already! Hopefully it is sprung for Americans.

CSC RX4 450cc single cylinder liquid-cooled motor producing 43.5 horsepower, fuel-injected, 6-speed transmission, 450 pounds, 110 x 19 front and 150 x 17 rear tires (possibly tubeless tires on cast wheels?)

http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=30037

 

[dangerzone02]

TIL CSC is a motorcycle company. What am I missing here, they seem like great starter bikes on the cheap.

 

[HadesOmega]

They sure are a company an interesting one. You order everything online or you can go to their store/hq in Azusa, California. I actually went there one time, if your in the area have a sit. They were at a Horizons Unlimited Meetings couple years ago and I got to ride a RX3, it impressed me a lot for a cheap Chinese bike.

The bikes are actually made by a company named Zongshen in China but CSC is the ones importing and certifying them for sale in the US.

https://www.cscmotorcycles.com/

They also recently started selling the cheapest electric motorcycle in the US the City Slicker. It's like a grom sized electric motorcycle.

 

[Hoppalong]

They were at a Horizons Unlimited Meetings couple years ago and I got to ride a RX3, it impressed me a lot for a cheap Chinese bike.

Could you be a little more specific about why the RX3 impressed you? I'd like to know your impressions about the build quality, components, whatever you'd like to expand on.

Thanks

 

[usedtobefast]

This was sounding a bit interesting until I thought about the 450lbs part. Wow, that's heavy for a 450cc bike. I wonder if that weight number includes all the bags and a full tank of gas??

 

[Slow Goat]

A pound per CC?

This was sounding a bit interesting until I thought about the 450lbs part. Wow, that's heavy for a 450cc bike. I wonder if that weight number includes all the bags and a full tank of gas??

I thought the same thing. They run out of aluminum for parts or something?

 

[HadesOmega]

Could you be a little more specific about why the RX3 impressed you? I'd like to know your impressions about the build quality, components, whatever you'd like to expand on.

Thanks

youtu.be/uXEZI13Pqxg


youtu.be/iHDX7b7nzb0

The build quality was ok for the RX3, it's kinda low on power. You really have to rev the crap out of it to get any power out of it. It's got buncha accessories for it from CSC also. Probably the lowest priced adventure bike you'll find out there. I would definitely take the Versys X300 over the RX3 though, but the RX3 has been out for a couple of years now.

Yeah 450lbs does seem pretty heavy. The RX3 was not heavy at all it was super light in my opinion. It would be easy to pick the RX3 up if it toppled over. Hopefully it is just a typo, that is a prototype bike or testing bike in the picture.

 

[HadesOmega]

From the website:
The 2019 CSC RX4 Adventure is powered by a 450cc single cylinder, liquid-cooled motor producing 43.5 horsepower. This is the same motor that Zongshen developed for its 2017 Dakar racing bike! The engine is fuel-injected and mated to a 6-speed transmission.

The bike with racks and luggage has a wet weight of approximately 450 pounds. The stock tires are 110 x 19 front and 150 x 17 rear dual-sport tires on spoked wheels with aluminum rims. CSC will offer knobby tires as an option. Tubeless DOT highway tires on cast aluminum wheels will also be offered as an option.

They have pictures of another bike also
http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=30070

 

[HadesOmega]

youtu.be/IMvhOyMuFR4

 

[Junkie]

450 wet with bags doesn't seem too bad

 

[m0t0_ryder]

Not to bad but I do see that shift lever as being a very bend prone design.
Look how far it comes out before bending forward.

As for the weight... my 06 KTM 950S is 454 lbs dry.

 

[norcalkid]

The last thing I'm guna do is pick a bike made in China of questionable quality with no dealer network to do extended adventure travel on. WTF do you do if it breaks, wait for parts to come in the mail while stuck in some foreign country.

I just don't think their business plan works for long distance adventure travel. If I'm stuck 1000's of miles from home I want a name brand that is commonly worked on, parts stocked, and proven reliable.

 

[HadesOmega]

Not to bad but I do see that shift lever as being a very bend prone design.
Look how far it comes out before bending forward.

As for the weight... my 06 KTM 950S is 454 lbs dry.

Yeah that does look like it'll bend pretty easily. Hopefully the crash bars catch it before it touches the ground =P

 

[HadesOmega]

The last thing I'm guna do is pick a bike made in China of questionable quality with no dealer network to do extended adventure travel on. WTF do you do if it breaks, wait for parts to come in the mail while stuck in some foreign country.

I just don't think their business plan works for long distance adventure travel. If I'm stuck 1000's of miles from home I want a name brand that is commonly worked on, parts stocked, and proven reliable.

You can order all the parts online look at the RX3 parts list you can literally build a bike from all the parts:
https://store.cscmotorcycles.com/RX3-OEM-PARTS-s/305.htm

From travelling cross country and riding the TAT back I can tell you good luck finding parts available for any bike. I rode a Suzuki DR650 probably one of the most common dual sports in the US and it was tough finding tires and sprockets along the way. Best thing to do is carry your own spares and CSCs online parts store allows you to do that. You might be able to have them ship it to an address and pick it up there also, I had to do that to get tires one time.

 

[norcalkid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJkVl-Ll9c


Kinda looks like a POS. His review of the Royal Enfield is much more positive. That's a guy that actually owned both.

EDIT: Just doesn't seem worth the money to me. Unknown if parts will be available in 5 years, guna take a bigger than normal resale hit, no aftermarket support, poor quality to start with. etc I'd take a couple year old VStrom/KLR/DR/Versus over that thing in a heartbeat. And a new Versus 300 probably wouldn't cost much more when you go to sell. Depreciation is your biggest expense and a unknown chinese brand is guna depreciate a LOT.

 

[HadesOmega]

Didn't seem like a POS when I rode it.


youtu.be/uyUtq1xvLxs


youtu.be/9LMRO-HPNlw

 

[norcalkid]

I haven't even seen one in person just going off reviews, you rode it...


When thinking about price you also need to consider depreciation. Biggest expense will be depreciation. I'd bet these will have a lot more depreciation as there is no established secondary market. So my thought is, if your guna own say 3-5 years just how much cheaper is this than the Versus 300? Will CSC even be around in 5 years? Just seems like a gamble to me that's not worth it when there's so many great options available from established manufactures with established secondary markets, nation wide dealer network, established aftermarket parts support, more than one shop importing them and more than one source of parts. Companies that will be here in 5 years.

I guess I just see very little upside other than price. And if price is an issue I'd just buy a quality product from an established manufacture used.

 

[Maddevill]

The last thing I'm guna do is pick a bike made in China of questionable quality with no dealer network to do extended adventure travel on. WTF do you do if it breaks, wait for parts to come in the mail while stuck in some foreign country.

I just don't think their business plan works for long distance adventure travel. If I'm stuck 1000's of miles from home I want a name brand that is commonly worked on, parts stocked, and proven reliable.

Uh the vast majority of BMW "Adventure" bikes never go off road.

Mad

 

[spdt509]

my tree cents on this. I rode a RX3 awhile ago,and thought,cool, this would make a great 2nd. bike for around town etc. then I realize, for a mere 860 bucks, i can buy the 790cc kit from procycle for my DR650 instead. this way i can carry more weight and not have insure/reg. another bike.win/win....

ps as for a 2nd. bike, a yamaha TW200 would be a better option....

 

[antidote]

I get a Harbor Freight vibe.

BUT.

I am almost interested.

For the record, complaining about parts, I have literally LITERALLY never had a Kawasaki dealer have a fucking part or item for a KLR in stock anyway.

As long as CSC has parts in a warehouse it can be shipped just as fast as the dealers '2-3 day' quote (hmm..website even says: CSC . CSC stocks EVERY part for every model. Parts can be shipped overnight, when necessary).

The thing is, the 650 singles are super outdated. A modern 400-450 (non race bike, though, k thnx fuck you Honda) would be just as good. And I have ZERO interest in a giant, multi-cylinder 800+ 'adv' bike.

So, you can see I have pretty much zero options under $10k. Great.