CSC Motorcycles shutting down: The end of the “bike in a box” era

Jul 27, 2026

“To Our Valued CSC Motorcycles Customers,

With mixed emotions, we want to let you know that we have made the difficult decision to retire and close CSC Motorcycles.”

That’s how owners Steve and Maureen Seidner announced the shuttering of the SoCal-based brand.

Founded by Steve Seidner in 2006, the California Scooter Company only began selling motorcycles after entering a partnership with Chinese OEM Zongshen in 2015. The result was CSC Motorcycles.

Distributing rebadged Zongshens in the United States wasn’t the only thing that made the firm different, though. CSC maintained but one showroom in Azusa, California, 24 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Without a dealer network, the company favored the "bike in a box" delivery method, which left final assembly to the customer.

That direct-to-consumer model extended to parts availability, too, with accessories and replacement components mailed directly to the owner. Supported by downloadable service manuals and YouTube tutorials, users were also empowered to work on their own bike. In an industry where the phrase “should only be performed by an authorized dealer” is the standard script, CSC offered a D.I.Y. plot twist. Now, it's curtains closed.

A screenshot of the heavily discounted parts offered on CSC Motorcycles website. — At the time of writing, CSC no longer sells new motorcycles. It does, however, continue to offload its remaining parts inventory. The heavily discounted pricing allows owners to stock up on spare parts before CSC shuts down for good. Image from CSC website.

The Seidners attributed CSC’s closure to “stringent and costly Environmental Protection Agency requirements” as well as “substantially higher tariffs imposed on products from overseas suppliers.” While CSC initially “absorbed” those added fees, the costs were no longer sustainable. Of course, other factors beyond market conditions can’t go ignored, either.

I found numerous flaws with the RX6 I tested in 2023. The same could be said for Jen and the RX1E, for Ari and the RX4, and for Spurg and the SG250. So on and so forth. To put it politely, the CSC-badged Zongshens were far from world-beaters.

With options from CFMOTO and Benelli now elevating buyers’ expectations of Chinese-made bikes, the competition isn’t letting up anytime soon. CSC Motorcycles may have shipped over 6,000 units in the past 11 years, but as the Seidners recognized, “the time has come to stop selling new CSC motorcycles.”