Zero Motorcycles

[Cookie Monster]

Ride an electric bike and you may change your mind.

After a half million miles of motorcycle clutch and shifting "fun," I'm ready to chill out with a single-gear motorcycle.

I guess I wouldn't mind giving one a try, but given that I can't stand automatic cars I don't know if I'd like a shiftless bike.

 

[brichter]

My co-worker told me he is leasing a Chevy Spark for $79 a month.

While I have to find out his down payment (hypothetically, you could lease a Mercedes for that little if you made a large down payment), but he told me that next model year the distance on one charge increased from 150 to 250 miles, making his vehicle obsolete.

I would be interested to find out how your friend manages to pay just $79 per month on a lease

Our group lease of the Fiat 500 was $3500 down ($2500 rebate as a check came a month after applying for it, so net $1000 down) and $83/month. That's without any huge improvements coming in 2016, and just the price drop for moving them in volume.

And yeah, my commute is ~30 miles/day, so it works out well, especially since I don't have to pay for "The Juice".

 

[Killroy1999]

What can we expect for 2016?

Some people have speculated that aero mods could help range.

Some people report 10% range improvements from just a little windscreen.

The funny thing about the body work is that it is shaped like a scoop to resemble a gas bike with a big radiator.

 

[m0t0_ryder]

I personally wouldn't buy any pre-2013 Zero.

In 2014 battery and BMS improvements helped in reliability.
In 2015 Suspension and tire changes (and ABS) helped a lot. Especially the suspension.

I've ridden them all. Short rides, dirt rides and over the weekend rides. They are actually quite fun to ride.
Especially the SR and, for me, the FX. ( I started, and continue, riding in the dirt)

note: I worked for Zero for about a year and a half (left this year). I was the Support Tech for North America. I assisted dealers and customers with their Zero issues. Also troubleshot bikes in house. Was an interesting job.

 

[Killroy1999]

I personally wouldn't buy any pre-2013 Zero.

In 2014 battery and BMS improvements helped in reliability.
In 2015 Suspension and tire changes (and ABS) helped a lot. Especially the suspension.

I've ridden them all. Short rides, dirt rides and over the weekend rides. They are actually quite fun to ride.
Especially the SR and, for me, the FX. ( I started, and continue, riding in the dirt)

note: I worked for Zero for about a year and a half (left this year). I was the Support Tech for North America. I assisted dealers and customers with their Zero issues. Also troubleshot bikes in house. Was an interesting job.

The assembly is not all done in Scotts Valley right?

 

[m0t0_ryder]

The assembly is not all done in Scotts Valley right?

Yes it is.

They were doing monthly test rides when I left. First Friday of each month IIRC.
Zero Dealerships also offer test rides.

 

[Killroy1999]

Yes it is.

They were doing monthly test rides when I left. First Friday of each month IIRC.
Zero Dealerships also offer test rides.

That is amazing if all the assembly is done there. Its not going to be hard to outgrow Scotts Valley. How many bikes a year do they sell?

 

[Gabe]

That is amazing if all the assembly is done there. Its not going to be hard to outgrow Scotts Valley. How many bikes a year do they sell?

They're privately held, so they don't say. I think it's around 2000.

 

[ohio]

That is amazing if all the assembly is done there. Its not going to be hard to outgrow Scotts Valley. How many bikes a year do they sell?

They have a fair amount of space there. We do all of the assembly in house (Brisbane, CA) as well and have the capacity in less space for more than any e-moto company is shipping right now.

It doesn't take that much room to assemble motorcycles. It takes a fair amount of room to warehouse parts, but if you're not doing many models, it's not bad. Husky's old factory in Varese (before the sale to KTM from BMW) was about the same size as any of these plants and was spitting out >10,000 bikes a year.

 

[Killroy1999]

They're privately held, so they don't say. I think it's around 2000.

That is low. Would that include military and police sales?

I wonder what the sustainable number of sales is per year is.

 

[m0t0_ryder]

That is amazing if all the assembly is done there. Its not going to be hard to outgrow Scotts Valley. How many bikes a year do they sell?

Here's a 2 minute picture/video of the factory... VIDEO

First minute is the battery assembly line (4 stations and the rain tank).
The rest is the bike assembly line (6 stations and the dyno)
They did skip a few steps in the bike assembly line.

I have some interesting photo's from Zero around here somewhere.

 

[Losmeister]

I personally wouldn't buy any pre-2013 Zero.

In 2014 battery and BMS improvements helped in reliability.
In 2015 Suspension and tire changes (and ABS) helped a lot. Especially the suspension.

I've ridden them all. Short rides, dirt rides and over the weekend rides. They are actually quite fun to ride.
Especially the SR and, for me, the FX. ( I started, and continue, riding in the dirt)

note: I worked for Zero for about a year and a half (left this year). I was the Support Tech for North America. I assisted dealers and customers with their Zero issues. Also troubleshot bikes in house. Was an interesting job.

super cool.

 

[kuksul08]

I honestly can't wait for electric motorcycles to beat gas in every category. It will happen. Really sick of dealing with emissions, fuel tuning, maintenance.

 

[Losmeister]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mcy/5256007655.html

screaming deal

 

[Killroy1999]

Here is the 2016 line up leaked before the launch tomorrow.

Battery capacity is up 0.5 kWhr to 13.6 kWhr - modest

Everything else looks like 2015 besides the motard.

 

[Killroy1999]

hello

 

[NTron3000]

When rode them I loved them. It is hard to explain how awesome the no sound is. You are so much more aware of your surroundings. No clutch/throttle blip downshifting/breaking was weird and made me sad that it will be a lost art (because it will sound super old geezer when I have to explain how much more controls skill you had to have in my day to my grandkids). I for one welcome our new robot overlords (where's the robot emogi?).
Noticed the extra punch of the SR but found that I fit on the DS better so I would probably get the DS with the extra battery pack.
Range is a reality but its pretty damn good these days especially for around the area riding. Recharge rates... fuck have another beer at your lunch break. Its not like you have to pay attention to shifting or engine braking or anything while riding (where's the sarcasm emogi?)
If I was shooting spit wads at the chalkboard I'd start with WTF DONT THEY HAVE A FUCKING FAIRINGS!!!??? Seriously. If the game is to maximize range on a charge then why not put some aerodynamic work into it?
Then I would spit how it just feels that little bit toyish (cheap plastic, small as fuck, flimsy handlebars) and dare I say slightly like a glorified scooter masquerading as a 'real' motorcycle. For me really this is the area where there is still the biggest need for improvement. Its one thing to be 1.5-2x expensive but its even harder to feel good about spending that on something that does not look and feel special.
Also with ICEs the ergonomics already favor the midgets out there but at least it is possible to find options that fit bigger brahs. But for e-motos you really only get the small people models.

If I had the scratch I would not hesitate to get an electric. But I'd need one that fits better. But really in my 'baby needs a new pair of shoes' reality no chance I can justify... yet. Next promotion bishes.

Edit: visited their site and noticed the DSR... Looks like they did the same thing as with the S/SR. I like. Still needs a screen.

 

[Killroy1999]

Still needs a screen.

+1 for areo and range.

Motorcycles have a really poor coefficient of drag.

I heard that they are going to offer a better windscreen accessory for at least the S/SR. There is a mediocre windscreen accessory now and some owners are reporting >10% range improvement just with the screen. Duh. Get on it.

 

[Falsus Nomen]

Simply put, my Zero S is the best commuter for the Bay Area traffic. It's light and nimble like my Ninja 250, but packs more torque than my previous commuter (BMW F800R), which I command at the twist of the wrist without having to downshift into my powerband. With almost 20,000 miles on the odometer, it is also the least hassle-per-mile vehicle I've ever owned. It did have a problem covered under warranty, but other than that, I've only had to replace the rear tire this entire time. I have the 2013 model and it seems they've made big improvements since then. With almost 100 miles of highway range, I could make it from Fremont to Alice's and back with plenty of charge to run errands. It also has taken me all the way out to Modesto, with an overnight charge of course. The fact that it's quiet doesn't make other cars around me react any differently compared to the Ninja or BMW. In fact, it makes me now aware of my own surroundings. Also, the lack of vibrations and noise really allows you enjoy the ride and scenery. Not sure any one can recommend a better bike for my situation, but I would love to hear them try.

Rode the Zero S, and Zero SR. Stuck around for a while and rode the FX as well. All do very well streets and very short range.

If you like light bikes, these are awesome. All of the weight is way down low, so they ride lighter than they are, and they are already light. However, If you ride easy, these are awesome. If you ride them hard, the battery goes to shit. I ran out of battery on a pre-charged 8 mile test ride......


If you ride more than 40 miles commute range, and have nowhere to charge up, these are useless for a normal rider. It says 105 mile range, but thats crap. Going there and back, expect 80 tops....

I have ridden the 2014 S, RS, and FX.



Also, took some serious adjusting. I was grabbing clutch and pawing with the left foot to downshift at every light, trying to downshift to slow down. When you cut throttle, it straight drops like a low tooth gxsr. It is also touchy to figure out where exactly to keep the throttle, because the TQ curve is backwards of a regular bike.

 

[G.R.]

Exactly ! $ 400-$ 600 for a full tune-up with valve ... shim under bucket valve adjust, fuel delivery adjustments, and oil change on a sport bike is going to kill the sales of ICE sport bikes in the future . and at my age that is not coming soon enough !

I honestly can't wait for electric motorcycles to beat gas in every category. It will happen. Really sick of dealing with emissions, fuel tuning, maintenance.