Introducing: The CSC Cyclone RX3

The CSC Cyclone RX3 is a Chinese manufactured 250cc, 6 speed, fuel injected, watercooled, single cylinder dual-sport motorcycle, available in the USA from CSC (the California Scooter Company). It's a new bike for 2015 in the USA, but it's been available for several years in other countries under different names. In the US, the current price (2022) is around $5000 once the documentation fees and shipping are included. This doesn't include any state and local texts. Some assembly is required as it's shipped without the front wheel, handlebars, battery etc. being installed to saver space. CSC will do the assembly for you for a small fee. I'm not sure if that's only an option if you pick up the bike from them in California, though I'd assume it is.

The bike is actually manufactured by Zongshen in China. There it's known as the Zongshen ZS250GY-3(RX3). It's imported into the UK and sold as the Honley RX3. It's also available in Russia and they call it the M1nsk TRX 300i. Despite the "300i" name, its the same 250cc (actually 249.6cc) engine as all the others. I've also seen it as the Motorstar XPLORER 250R in the Phillipine and it's also sold in Thailand. Though the bikes are nominally identical, there may be variations in options. The US CSC Cyclone RX3 now comes with a 17" rear wheel as standard (note the original 15" wheel is shown on the pictures above). The Honley and M1nsk seem to be equipped with the 15" wheel. The 17" wheel is a lot easier to find tires for, so that's a plus for the US version. The exact specification of the bike is probably determined by the importer (CSC, Honley, M1nsk rtc.), who can specify various options be included as standard.

Chinese motorcycles and scooters don't exactly have the best reputation for quality control, design and reliability, but the Cycle RX3 looks like it may be an exception. The fuel injection system and ECU are made by Delphi, a US company. The digital dash assembly is based on a Siemens (Germany) chip and the Zongshen factory makes parts for Piaggio and Harley Davidson. Zongshen claim to make over 3 million motorcycles a year. Using advanced manufacturing techniques and improved quality control, Zongshen have a goal of competing with Japanese manufacturers in Western markets and in past years they have entered bikes in MotoGP races. Many western motorcycle manufacturers are now using Chinese factories for parts and assembly. For example the BMW G650GS engine is assembled in China. Your iPhone is made in China too!

Unlike most "adventure" bikes, the RX3 comes with a full set of crash bars (front and rear), a metal skid plate and a set of luggage (top box and two panniers). The luggage is plastic rather than metal, but the bars and skid plate are steel. On many bikes accessory crash bars, skid plates and luggage could easily add up to an extra $1000.

Cyclone RX3 Specifications