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The Electric Motorcycle Thread

erensi said:
Alright I made it. 2016 Zero SR ZF 13.0, 72 miles in 1:32, average 47.5 mi/hr. I started at 99% battery and arrived at 10%. Mostly highway miles. Eco mode. I'm surprised how slow the average speed was. It didn't feel that slow.

... By the time I got to downtown Oakland I was at 20% so I kicked it into sport mode but as someome mentioned, it cuts the power when the battery is low. But still the torque felt great. The next few miles through the city brought me down to 10% and it was done.
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Ha!!! I called it almost exactly (you made it to Downtown Oakland with 20% remaining). Suck it, negative Nancys!

erensi said:
So only one thread for electrics huh. Well I just bought one. A 2016 Zero SR ZF 13.0.

I am gonna pick it up from the guy in Santa Cruz this week. Do you think it can make it from Santa Cruz to Oakland? The specs say brand new it will do 90+ miles highway. What do you think? How about if I take 35 or HWY1? Is that more efficient?
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mrzuzzo said:
Doubt it. You'll lose a lot of range going over the hills.
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HadesOmega said:
Anyway I don't think it'd make it. I would thing a SR would go around 70 miles.
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Gabe said:
You're saying that based on personal experience? Zero rated the ZF13 pack at 108 miles range at 55. Actual distance is 81 miles. If he does 2-lane roads for half the trip he'll make it with 20% to spare.
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erensi said:
Alright I made it. 2016 Zero SR ZF 13.0, 72 miles in 1:32, average 47.5 mi/hr. I started at 99% battery and arrived at 10%. Mostly highway miles. Eco mode. I'm surprised how slow the average speed was. It didn't feel that slow.

Going over the mountain on HWY17 was a little nerve wracking because I could see the battery capacity dropping going up the hill. By the time I got to the top I was at 69%. Regen on the way down brought me up to 70%. I came across a logging truck full of logs and tucked in behind it until around San Jose. The battery stayed at 70% for a long time. I was lucky to find that truck because the wind felt pretty strong. I have never noticed wind so much before, except when riding a bicycle back in the day. I'm not sure if there was a headwind or if I was just noticing it more because wind noise was the only noise. But it felt like there was a lot of wind. Maybe also because the bike is lighter. So it was nice to have that truck even getting pelted with bits of Redwood bark. The truck turned off at I think 238 interchange and I went in the wind myself for a while. By the time I got to Fremont I was at 50%. I timries getting behind an SUV but it didn't provide much wind shelter so I abandoned that, and soon after I was able to catch a ride behind a FedEx truck all the way to Hayward , at which point I was at 40%. I was out in the wind from there on. By the time I got to downtown Oakland I was at 20% so I kicked it into sport mode but as someome mentioned, it cuts the power when the battery is low. But still the torque felt great. The next few miles through the city brought me down to 10% and it was done.
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Pretty, congrats on the adventure lol.

Drafting helps out immensely. On my Aprilia SR50 scooter once I was able to catch the perfect but scary draft: I got way too close, and it actually felt like the draft was pulling me into the back of the semi at a high rate and I had to hit the brakes. Typically drafting would only let me hit my 68mph top speed while they were doing about 65 mph otherwise it was a 63mph top speed tuck on my lonesome.
 
It seems like a slap in the face to Brammo to me. They bought the Brammo assets and the shelved it. So now they are going to ditch Brammo for Zero? I do know they are already using the Brammo tech to help power their Polaris off road vehicles because they are using the Brammo VCUs in their side by sides. It seems like Brammo would have been better off staying Brammo. If they had competed with Zero instead of partnering with them the Brammo tech would have gone somewhere.

So what is going to happen to their Indian electric bike they are supposedly going to release in the future?
 
bigpoppa said:
Is this Indian's new electric?

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/446404/indian-motorcycle-eftr-jr-kids-bike/
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That's not the one I'm talking about but that's pretty nice, had no idea they were making a little flat tracker.

Rumor is that Indian was working on an electric motorcycle in the very near future. I'm thinking it will be based on the FTR. If you look at a lot of the FTR parts they are very similar to the parts that were on the Empulse. An electric FTR would be dope in my opinion, I've ridden the FTR1200 and it's a nice bike.

I suppose it is interesting that Polaris is Partnering up up with Zero. I bet Brian Wismann will be working with them because he worked with Victory, Brammo, and Zero now. What will we get out of this Polaris makes side by sides, quads, the slingshot. So we'll see all these vehicles become electrified, apparently they couldn't use the Brammo tech to do it unfortunately. Then what does Zero get out of it? Maybe they'll have better offroad stuff now because Zero is not known for awesome off road machines. I can't really see Zero using any of the Brammo stuff, compared to what they have right now it's a bit stale. Maybe the battery?
 
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[YOUTUBE]KCmCV1u9dy8[/YOUTUBE]
 
Hi, new to the thread here. I haven't read all posts in this thread but the title caught my eye. My R1200RT was sitting unused for a few years. Then my Jeep needed repairs, so a friend of mine lent me his Zero bike, and back in January I was commuting on that for a few weeks. Not a long commute, Sunnyvale to San Carlos, about 20 miles on 101.

That Zero bike got me back on my own motorcycle. After a few weeks on the Zero I towed my bike to the shop and got it running again. It needed a minor tune up, fluids changed, and a new batter. I returned the Zero and have been commuting on the RT this year, since February.

I hadn't ridden in a handful of years and I was grateful to be back riding again.

So... about the Zero, I like the concept and I like that it is quiet. Just plug it in and ride. Little to no maintenance. In a parking building for a doc visit I pulled up to park and an elderly lady was standing nearby. When I got off, she said that all bikes should sound like that.

I like the stealthy quietness of the Zero. If I had to ride on a sidewalk for a few feet, its noise and exhaust wouldn't (shouldn't!) bother anyone.

I'm tempted to trade in the RT and get one, but those RTs don't hold their value and it's not worth much now. And it is running really well.

So if it ain't broke, don't fix it...?

Decisions, decisions...
 
If you ask me the Zero's silent running is a turn off to me. I want to hear something coming from the bike. I think the Empulse is probably the best sounding electric, its not too loud not too quiet. Whereas the Energica is the opposite it's a bit loud, but I dig that supercharger whining sound hah.

[youtube]j8JDlum1Aw4[/youtube]
 
echo7tango said:
Hi, new to the thread here. I haven't read all posts in this thread but the title caught my eye. My R1200RT was sitting unused for a few years. Then my Jeep needed repairs, so a friend of mine lent me his Zero bike, and back in January I was commuting on that for a few weeks. Not a long commute, Sunnyvale to San Carlos, about 20 miles on 101.

That Zero bike got me back on my own motorcycle. After a few weeks on the Zero I towed my bike to the shop and got it running again. It needed a minor tune up, fluids changed, and a new batter. I returned the Zero and have been commuting on the RT this year, since February.

I hadn't ridden in a handful of years and I was grateful to be back riding again.

So... about the Zero, I like the concept and I like that it is quiet. Just plug it in and ride. Little to no maintenance. In a parking building for a doc visit I pulled up to park and an elderly lady was standing nearby. When I got off, she said that all bikes should sound like that.

I like the stealthy quietness of the Zero. If I had to ride on a sidewalk for a few feet, its noise and exhaust wouldn't (shouldn't!) bother anyone.

I'm tempted to trade in the RT and get one, but those RTs don't hold their value and it's not worth much now. And it is running really well.

So if it ain't broke, don't fix it...?

Decisions, decisions...
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Having a quiet bike is really like having a street sleeper and it is probably why I have not had any tickets in 5 years.

You can ride like hell and no one bats an eye.
 
HadesOmega said:
Rumor is that Indian was working on an electric motorcycle in the very near future. I'm thinking it will be based on the FTR. If you look at a lot of the FTR parts they are very similar to the parts that were on the Empulse. An electric FTR would be dope in my opinion, I've ridden the FTR1200 and it's a nice bike.
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If they come out with an electric FTR I would be very interested. I currently have a FTR and it's a very fun bike. Just hit the 500mile mark.
 
I remember when Polaris Rebranded the Brammo a Victory with some Industrial Design, but no updates to the dated electric powertrain. Sad. The Brammo looked better IMHO.

polaris-to-wind-down-victory-motorcycles-but-electric-empulse-could-be-reborn.jpg


https://insideevs.com/news/331997/p...rcycles-but-electric-empulse-could-be-reborn/
 
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This is about the Zero SR ZF 13.0 that I bought last week and drove back to Oakland from Santa Cruz. I only rode it three times.

Well, I crashed it yesterday on the way to the DMV to transfer the registration. yup, after 5 days of owning it. A guy in a white pickup truck stopped at an intersection bafflingly went ahead and took a left turn right in front of me. What is it with white pickup trucks? I put on the brakes hard but still hit him at about 20mph or so. I'm not sure exactly what happened at that point. I remember being on the ground and getting up a little disoriented. The police report puts him at fault, so that's the first good thing. As for the bike, the front-end took a hit. The headlight and front fairing/"tank" is busted and the left side of the handlebar broke clean off. The instrument console got knocked off its mount and the display was not working when I tried ti turn it on. I don't have any photos because my phone got smashed.

Fortunately I seem to have only broken my right pinky finger. I cannot straighten it, even with the splint. They might need to do surgery. But considering basically a head-on collision that was not bad. I was able to walk a few miles home from the hospital.

Right after the accident I was able to pick up the bike and put it on the kickstand but it wouldn't roll as there was a big piece of something lodged in the front wheel spokes. It was a piece of the truck's bumper or sideboard. A police officer let me use a phone to call AAA and get a tow while I was lying in the ambulance. I tried to get them to tow it to Moto Guild but it was closed and apparently they can't tow to a place with nobody there. I didn't find that out till I was discharged from the hospital. By that time AAA did not have any motorcycle towing equipment available, so I got a ride down to the bike and put a cable lock on it with a note to please not move it.

And guess what happens next...I came back the next morning and it was gone. A local driving by said the police came to tow it, but when I inquired with the police they have no record of a tow. So I think it was stolen.

The irony is that I was on my way to the DMV to get the registration transferred into my name. Luckily I had added the bike to my insurance policy the night before.

Here's a photo of it from a few days ago.
ACtC-3dEwZF06DX9ZCqG-LOdy9f8jcxJ2-fstDIO0s9d3rfoYVteleCJ2y2-hVWbtPSi7bJQKbwzVGxbb1-PzAB269O0W0yRyIxpCe9jKA-j-C3OamLoy-bh6bRdtm_3Tq66MxZArUuCsYabqOYwcqTQViY=w956-h538-no


I'd imagine post-accident motorcycle theft is pretty common. How does that work in terms of insurance and stuff?
 
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erensi said:
This is about the Zero SR ZF 13.0 that I bought last week and drove back to Oakland from Santa Cruz. I only rode it three times.


I'd imagine post-accident motorcycle theft is pretty common. How does that work in terms of insurance and stuff?
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Photo didn't post BTW

But we're glad you're (mostly) okay!!!

Please call Mike Padway (https://www.michaelpadway.com/) and tell him I asked you to call. Seriously! You were injured and now you're out a motorcycle and possibly permanent damage to your finger. He will find your bike and get you every penny you have coming to you. Please call him.
 
erensi said:
I'd imagine post-accident motorcycle theft is pretty common.
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Oof, way to kick you when you're down. :wow

I SMIDSY-weave while flashing my lights and beeping my horn for every left turner. It sucks.
 
Get a lawyer, talk to no one but your lawyer.
Seriously
 
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