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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Mr. Fisherman on June 30, 2013, 04:24:40 PM

Title: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Mr. Fisherman on June 30, 2013, 04:24:40 PM
These bikes are very expensive and have limited use.
Anyone wish they hadn't bought or waited until they were cheaper?

I am intrigued but money is tight and it will take a long time to recoup the investment. It is too soon to tell what resale will be like and as a result my preferred lending institution  will  not loan on them.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: vchampain on June 30, 2013, 04:55:34 PM
Absolutely no regret. Yes the price is a bit high but I'm saving 1000€/year in oil & insurance (very cheap in France, because this kind of bike selects cautious drivers), and a premium urban scooter cost 12000 € - and has 30% less torque, vibrations & looks ugly.

I owned a XU for one year before, and my only regret was not buying it sooner. There were small fixes, but the reseller very kindly fixed everything without any question. Llife is short, bike is great and I prefer putting my money in a great, silent & green bike than other available options.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: craigq on June 30, 2013, 05:52:14 PM
I have a 2012, can I answer?

In 2012 I had no regret buying my 2012 XU. Bike worked great, pretty much reached the advertised range when taking into consideration the actual distances involved in each section of the UDDS testing etc. It was nice not having to do one or two oil changes, and no filling of gas etc.

Different story this year, I should've bought a gas-powered bike that I can troubleshoot/diagnose/fix myself through readily available parts distributors/supply chain. My XU has been non-functional for the 2013 riding season. First ride attempt resulted in a 2-4 error code that Zero diagnosed as a failed BMS board. They shipped out a replacement, but interface cables were on back order. This started on/around 8 April via test ride and an email to Zero, then a conversation over the phone on 12 April. Zero received the interface cables sometime last week, and shipped one out to the dealership. The dealer is supposed to call when they receive the cable, then I can bring in the power pack for the BMS replacement.

I've been searching kijiji/bike trader for a used gas bike, might buy one next week to at least get some riding in for this season...


EDIT: Furthermore, I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps my XU's BMS board should've been involved in the recall last year but I was never notified? My VIN is 00015, the recall affects 2012 XU's from 13-Feb to 5-Apr, and in the recall documentation XU 00034 was involved in the recall. I just don't know the exact date of manufacture for my bike. It doesn't really matter, as the BMS has to be replaced either way...
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: dkw12002 on June 30, 2013, 07:47:57 PM
Definitely not for the next almost two years while the bike is under warranty. I will re-eval it at that time to see how the major components are holding up and also to see what else Zero and others have to offer. After my 2011 S died (brushes exploded), I was glad to get out of it due to the motor problem which if it were off-warranty would be expensive and maybe leave me stranded, along with the lower-than-expected range, but then the 2013 came alone with major improvements...many improvements in the 2012 too, but the 2013 is better. I also got a dealer maintenance contract with free tires, brakes, belts and adjustments, and a brake fluid yearly flush, so at this point, the Zero S is my favorite bike I have ever owned. The mileage tells the tale. I had the 2011S for 8 months and put 2400 miles on it. I've had the 2013 S for 3 weeks and just turned 2000 miles.  If it wasn't raining outside right now, I would be riding instead of typing. No regrets, but if I did, I would be onto another bike within a couple of days anyway. So many bikes, so little time. I don't think of the Zero as an investment you can ever break even on. They are too expensive to begin with for that especially if you compare say the S model to other commuter bikes like say a Ninja 300. I am willing to pay a premium price for the fun, convenience, uniqueness, light-weight and performance though. I am also in a very good location to own a Zero. The owner of AF1 lives a block away and his dealership is about 3 miles from my home, so when I have had troubles before with any of the 10 new bikes I've bought from him, I can either ride right in or he picks up my bike, fixes it an returns it to my home. My only regret is that I am out of room in my garage or I would get another bike....maybe an FX.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Richard230 on June 30, 2013, 08:07:41 PM
I have no regrets about buying my 2012 9kWh S.  I have been riding it for almost 18 months and I am closing in on 6,000 miles with no problems, other than a couple of throttle start glitches (solved by a new throttle) and an occasional cold-start problem that requires rebooting to get going (which seems to be going away lately).  I ride my Zero in addition to my other IC motorcycles, but it has been getting the most mileage this year.  So far the bike has needed no maintenance whatsoever and my monthly electric bill has only risen about $10.  I am very happy with the performance, utility and reliability of my Zero.  In fact I plan to ride it to Alice's Restaurant, 35 miles away, in a few minutes for breakfast with my motorcycle riding friends.   :)
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: CliC on June 30, 2013, 10:36:18 PM
2012 DS owner here, since April 2012. My opinions here are based on my personal observations with my bike and may or may not coincide with anyone else's.

Short answer: no regrets, but not sure if I'd do it again, and not sure what I'll do with the current bike once the warranty is up.

Long back story: I was intrigued when I first heard about Zero, and was convinced they were for real after my first test ride. Yet I couldn't justify the price without additional argument, which I arrived at (rationalized? lol) in gas savings over driving my truck, and reduced maintenance compared to an IC bike.

Several unforeseen things happened along the way, however. I changed jobs and can no longer commute on the Zero because it's too far (60 highway miles each way). And the bike has been in the shop 4 times for defective forks.

The first 3 times, I was carting it 200 miles each way to my dealer. Zero replaced the forks the third time. Because of all those trips, I've not achieved any net fuel savings yet.

When the new forks leaked, too, I looked around and found a new dealer much closer to me. This time, to their credit, Zero sent a new fork straight away. However, the wrong fork part was shipped, and it was damaged in shipment. So a second fork had to be sent (regular freight, not hot-shot). The bike ended up sitting in the shop about 3 weeks. I wasn't riding it but on weekends anyway, so the wait was no big deal for me. And it seems fine now. Time will tell.

While it's still under warranty, I'm not overly concerned about all this, especially now that I have a local dealer. Once it's out of warranty, though, I will have some decisions to make. Few of the dealers outside of Hollywood Electrics seem to be all that familiar with the electrics/electronics, though this may also be the case with some increasingly-complex IC bikes. And Zero seems unlikely to release documentation allowing owners to do their own work. While I've had no issues with the high-tech parts of the bike, I'm a little worried about this, and with longer-term support for a platform Zero has already made somewhat obsolete with the almost-all-new 2013 platform. Hopefully I'll have 9 more months or so to avoid worrying about this and just enjoy riding.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: trikester on June 30, 2013, 11:46:44 PM
No regrets. I have a 2010 DS ZF6 a 2012 DS ZF6 and now a 2013 FX. Yes it's money out the door that I won't recover in my remaining lifetime but I have enjoyed each upgrade so much that I don't look back. It's water under the bridge.

I am a new adopter, as we are called, and I'm fortunate enough to be able to put out the money. If things were tighter I probably would have waited longer for the inevitable improvements before buying my first electric motorcycle. But, I'm also 78, so how long could I wait? I am retired, but if I was still commuting I would be doing it on a Zero, especially if I could plug it in at work.

Trikester
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: vchampain on June 30, 2013, 11:58:13 PM
Thumbs up for trikester !
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: lolachampcar on July 01, 2013, 12:11:19 AM
MY12 DS followed by a MY13 DS.  I loved the first bike and put over 5K miles before selling it for the MY13.  I do not regret buying either nor do I regret the hit I took for getting the MY13.  Zero just flat made a perfectly useable wonderful bike with the MY13 DS.

For reference, my BMW S1000RR still sits in the garage and NEVER gets ridden.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: vchampain on July 01, 2013, 12:21:47 AM
Yes ! Same for my Honda 500 CBF. I sold it quickly after getting my first Zero !
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: jazclrint on July 01, 2013, 12:39:21 AM
These bikes are very expensive and have limited use.
Anyone wish they hadn't bought or waited until they were cheaper?

I am intrigued but money is tight and it will take a long time to recoup the investment. It is too soon to tell what resale will be like and as a result my preferred lending institution  will  not loan on them.

Thoughts?

Limited use?  Range is limited, yes, but how is use limited?  Just curious.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: kingcharles on July 01, 2013, 02:28:36 AM
The most common reasons to get remorse are when the bike does not deliver as promised or when you encounter technical issues which are not solved properly.
The first reason can be translated to range the second to customer service.
I own a Vectrix and never reached the range promised, also there have been many technical issues with the bike. One of the issues is in the software which damages the battery cells. So after almost 4 years and my bike currently at the dealer for almost 4 weeks to get a simple fuse replaced! I am thinking if my next bike should be an EV again. My bike has almost 40.000 kilometres and its batteries are way below 80% capacity already.
I took the EV gamble in 2009 and was unlucky, I will never buy a Vectrix product again because of their terrible customer service and poor engineering quality.

If I want to keep riding an EV the only alternative for me in Europe right now is the Zero S/DS (the Brammo Enertia is too small for me)  and with all the glitches being reported on this forum I am beginning to doubt if I must take the gamble again.
I am riding a rental ICE bike until my Vectrix is fixed and second hand ICE bikes are quite cheap these days.

But: EV bikes ride so much better in the city and also my original reason to buy the Vectrix was to ride emission free in the city...
Title: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: spelunker on July 01, 2013, 06:14:29 AM
I have no regrets. I got my 2013 S to commute 31 miles one way, mostly at highway speeds. Love, love, love it!  I've had three issues so far that the dealer fixed as quickly as they got their hands on the parts. I got the 11.4, so I got the most expensive bike Zero makes. At current local gas prices, I save about $150 per month. That's just for gas. The savings are more since I don't have to change oil (about $60 a pop a couple of times a year for my Goldwing).  The monthly gas savings makes my outflow for the monthly payment much less. I had more trouble getting insurance than I did getting a loan. The insurance company I had with my GW won't underwrite an electric bike. I guess they think its a toy.

I realize I am an early adopter of a new technology (motor design and somewhat the battery), so I sort of expected some minor trouble. None of them were deal-breakers.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: mehve on July 01, 2013, 12:16:36 PM
No regrets.

I had purchased a 2012 S ZF9 for my daily commute last year in May, rode it daily until ice and snow made the roads unsafe. I didn't have any problems with it and went ahead and had the recall service done (brake-light, controller, BMS).  Unfortunately, I went to the IMS Seattle and sat on the 2013 S ZF11.4 (and the Brammo Empulse R) and my old Zero's days became numbered. I traded in my old for the new just this last March, and the longer range, the storage, the Bluetooth connectivity with the Zero App, plus the accessories (the first of which I bought was the Givi top box) has got me spending more time in the saddle than I ever have in the past.  Truth to tell, the battery lasts longer than I do.

I'm sure everyone have different reasons for purchasing. I see a "limited use" label tacked on to EV's... but what does that mean? If an EV is not going to meet your needs, just don't buy one.  I don't use my car for everything, yet I have one. We have a minivan too, for carting the kids around, and when I make a trip to the garden center or buying furniture. My Zero  can't (nor can any other 2-wheeler) do the job of the minivan, or the car. But what it does wonderfully is take me to and from work, let me do most of my errands, and even go out on a short recreational ride, all for about a penny a mile.

I've been lucky though. And the dealer in the area had been very helpful (Lynnwood Cycle Barn) -- which is awesome, since I'm an artist and not an electrical engineer or a tech-savvy person.

I hope this is helping allay any worries -- or help you decide one way or another. I'm finding that riding is pretty darned fun, and you should buy what you are comfortable with.

Best,
+m
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Mr. Fisherman on July 01, 2013, 02:46:45 PM
These bikes are very expensive and have limited use.
Anyone wish they hadn't bought or waited until they were cheaper?

I am intrigued but money is tight and it will take a long time to recoup the investment. It is too soon to tell what resale will be like and as a result my preferred lending institution  will  not loan on them.

Thoughts?

Limited use?  Range is limited, yes, but how is use limited?  Just curious.

Range mostly followed by weather I suppose. I live in Oregon and it rains a lot. I have been told it shouldn't be a problem but water and electricity do not mix, as the recall on the battery packs in the Older FX and SU testify to. It sounds like Zero is taking care of issues though.

It seems pretty expensive to add the fast charging options. There is a place on the coast that offers the fast charge and that could make trips to the coast and back feasable... and more may follow. That would open things up a bit.  Right now factoring in weather and anticipated use I am about $80 per month short for the first 5 years. Will the major components (controller and throttle assemply) last that long? 

For those who have traded up, how did the early modles hold their value towards resale or trade in?

I am at about $160 per month in savings and I may be able to charge at work which would also help offest. I want to but the months I am not riding it would be about a $150 hit the other way. Decisions, decisions.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: dkw12002 on July 02, 2013, 12:00:19 AM
Kelly Blue Book has the trade-in for the DS. For my zip code, the 2012 ZF9 has a trade-in value of $6400 and a retail value of $9145. The 2011 DS trade in value is $3795 and the retail value is $5510, so they seem to lose about half their value (worth 52.5% of orig. value) in 2 years. Not really all that good, actually compared to say a Ninja 250r which sold in 2011 for $4000 new and has a trade-in value of $2245 and a retail value of $3300 (worth 82.5% of original value).
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on July 02, 2013, 02:23:54 AM
I have a 2013 Zero DS and no regrets. I consider it a good investment as a second motorcycle (I own no cars). My insurance is a bit higher than I would like, but my gas consumption is effectively zero unless I take a vacation or weekend trip on the gas bike, and the low/zero maintenance on my daily commuter means that even my gas bike's maintenance cycles are much longer now, which effectively makes it cheaper.

Sure, I'll have to own it for years for the investment to pay off properly, but in any given day I rarely travel beyond its range (or need more than the storage capacity of the OEM panniers), so it's super convenient and honestly makes my two motorcycles easier to maintain than even one gas motorcycle.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: dkw12002 on July 02, 2013, 03:16:18 AM
What has been happening with the rapid advances in performance  with e-motorcycles is that even though you might take a hit by selling or trading-in your 1,2, or 3 year-old electric bike, the new specs are so spectacularly better that you bite the bullet anyway. Would you really want a 2010 Zero now?? Realistically you can't look at an electric motorcycle as an investment compared to ICE bikes like say a Ninja 300 or a BV350 or other higher mileage, relatively low-priced ICE where you can buy 2-3 of them including maintenance and gas and still be ahead. A 3-year service contract on my Gixxer 1000 was $1549, that includes all the oil changes, valve adjustments, spark plugs, etc, so the difference is fuel cause a new 2013 Gixxer costs about the same as the 2013 8.5 model S. I think resale value of the Gixxer will be better, but at least those two bikes might match up to be similar in costs. Performance is something else again. Clearly the Gixxer outperforms the Zero. However, for many people the Zero is an almost perfect bike because of the convenience of not having to fuel up, cheaper fuel, light weight, plenty fast enough, and more than enough range for them. You just have to look at what's important to you and really it is hard to put a price tag on that. There are better investments than an electric motorcycle for commuting and worse, but that seldom turns out to be very important. Not many people only have a car, and for those who do have a car, adding a motorcycle doesn't save you money, so right off the bat you are not making a good investment when buying a bike, any bike, so these arguments are mostly trying to somehow justify your (over) spending. I don't even try, having spent just under $100,000 on motorcyles the past 3 years.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Richard230 on July 02, 2013, 03:33:06 AM
Good analysis, dkw12002.  I agree with your comments.   :)
Title: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: spelunker on July 02, 2013, 04:58:10 AM
These bikes are very expensive and have limited use.
Anyone wish they hadn't bought or waited until they were cheaper?

I am intrigued but money is tight and it will take a long time to recoup the investment. It is too soon to tell what resale will be like and as a result my preferred lending institution  will  not loan on them.

Thoughts?

Limited use?  Range is limited, yes, but how is use limited?  Just curious.

Range mostly followed by weather I suppose. I live in Oregon and it rains a lot. I have been told it shouldn't be a problem but water and electricity do not mix, as the recall on the battery packs in the Older FX and SU testify to. It sounds like Zero is taking care of issues though.

I don't know if I would worry about the weather (except or maybe ice and lightning). I was riding home from work a couple of months ago and got caught in a thunderstorm that went severe after I rode out of the worst of it. The bike never flinched!
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: ZeroSinMA on July 02, 2013, 05:53:06 AM
No regrets whatsoever. Both my 2011 S and 2012 S have run flawlessly. I feel really bad for the guys here who have issues. Zero makes the occasional lemon I suppose. Maybe improve on unit testing before final assembly?

I'm not particularly kind to my Zeros. Ride in the pouring rain, the cold, the heat. Yesterday was so hot I had to ride with my helmet open at 90+ degrees, up steep hills for 15 minutes but no over-heating. Accelerate full throttle to 50MPH out of every stop without a sound. Me first! Bwah ha ha! Never had an issue. My only regret is I have yet to get a 2013 FX so I can have as much fun as Trikester off road as on.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on July 02, 2013, 07:49:49 AM
No regrets. I didn't buy my '12 DS ZF9 as an investment. It was delivered with low tire pressures and weird suspension settings - that's just bad basic prep and has nothing to do with it being electric.

The stock tires are crap - Avons transformed the ride and handling.

Planning on a ride to the top of Mt. Washington next week when there's a break in the weather.



Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: WindRider on July 02, 2013, 09:38:14 AM
No regrets at all.   I bought at a good price and got the Cash for Carbon deal as well so Zero gave a really sweet deal.   

The cost of ownership can not be beat and NEVER buying gas or spending all weekend adjusting a complex valve train or rebuilding a clutch has a lot of advantages.

I bought mine knowing that the 2013s would be way better but my 2012 is as good as it ever was and I am still happy with it's capabilities.   The 2014 models will no doubt be even better, but if I can keep this one for 3-5 years it will be pretty much free by then in terms of total cost of ownership so whatever I get for it when I sell it will just be a bonus.... when I trade it for the 2017 FX 22KW version!
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Le Z Turbo on July 02, 2013, 01:09:52 PM
....... I've had three issues so far that the dealer fixed as quickly as they got their hands on the parts......
Hi,
as a future new 2013DS owner (in one week in fact !) could you tell me what were your 3 issues ? Would be great so I can check mine and know already what to look for ?
Title: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: spelunker on July 02, 2013, 09:43:37 PM
First, was a defective fuse holder that prevented the charger from connecting, next was the clicking sound, and third was a blown rear shock. All taken care of promptly.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Le Z Turbo on July 03, 2013, 05:11:36 AM
Thanks a lot !!!
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: EastSider on July 03, 2013, 09:51:24 AM
No regrets here either. My 2013 11.4 DS is the first bike I've owned, and I bought it solely because it is electric. No problems whatsoever. I had never considered buying an ICE bike because of maintenance hassles, noise, exhaust fumes, C emissions, etc. For where I live and ride, my DS is the perfect bike, charged from solar rooftop PV. I had to buy it so our rooftop solar would pay for itself sooner ;)

EastSider
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: protomech on July 03, 2013, 11:49:48 AM
I don't regret buying my 2012 .. it's been a fantastic bike to ride, when it is working properly. I do regret the various glitches that have kept me off it for multiple months.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: ZeroSinMA on July 05, 2013, 05:05:22 AM

The stock tires are crap - Avons transformed the ride and handling.


Which Avon tires did you get? I'm looking at Avon AM24 Gripster and AM43 Distanza for my 2012 S. 
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on July 05, 2013, 08:39:15 AM
AM26 from BikeBandit. <$200 shipped
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: trikester on July 05, 2013, 11:53:00 AM
Here's one of my non-electric bikes. I'll bet no one on this board has ever seen one of these BSA model Y13, from 1936 (this one's serial # 28). It's a neat old bike but I prefer riding my Zero's.

Trikester
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: lolachampcar on July 05, 2013, 05:36:54 PM
Zeros are like IPhones on trade in.  I got 1/2 after 9 months of ownership and 5,000 miles.  I still VERY happy I traded up to the MY13 DS.  It is in a completely different class.
Title: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: spelunker on July 05, 2013, 05:41:57 PM
AM26 from BikeBandit. <$200 shipped
Front and rear?
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on July 05, 2013, 08:30:12 PM
AM26 from BikeBandit. <$200 shipped
Front and rear?

Yeah, that was for both.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on July 05, 2013, 08:35:36 PM
Here's one of my non-electric bikes. I'll bet no one on this board has ever seen one of these BSA model Y13, from 1936 (this one's serial # 28). It's a neat old bike but I prefer riding my Zero's.

Trikester

I'll take that bet :)

Ever go to the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham? Barber?

The oldest bike in my barn right now is a '61 Cub Trials but I've had as far back as the '20s (Indian Scout, Harley Model B). Vincents, Velos, BSAs, Nortons (oldest was a '36), Greeves have all come and gone.

I'll pose one for you - ever seen an Armstrong Trials outfit?
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: Richard230 on July 05, 2013, 08:56:23 PM
I don't have a BSA Y13, but I do believe that I have a period road test of the bike by a 1930's British publication in my library.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: trikester on July 05, 2013, 11:47:59 PM
My oldest bike is a 1923 Harley flat twin (model WF). 2nd oldest is a 1927 Sumbeam 350cc side valve. Most of my other antiques are British except a 1967 Ducati 350 Sebring and a 1941 Military Indian Scout.

They are fun to ride, but I'll take the Zero electrics for pure pleasure in riding.

Trikester
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: ZeroSinMA on July 06, 2013, 01:39:42 AM
AM26 from BikeBandit. <$200 shipped
Thank you!
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: ZeroSinMA on July 17, 2013, 04:08:43 AM

The stock tires are crap - Avons transformed the ride and handling.


Holy crap! You're right on. Had the Avons installed and my Zero S is a different bike. No more teeth jarring over rough road. Handling is far more refined.

What is Zero thinking to ship a $16K bike with crap tires? For another $50 (in volume) they can put tires on the bike that are as good as the rest of the bike. Silly.

Thanks much for the tip, nicktulloh.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on July 17, 2013, 07:10:39 AM

The stock tires are crap - Avons transformed the ride and handling.


Holy crap! You're right on. Had the Avons installed and my Zero S is a different bike. No more teeth jarring over rough road. Handling is far more refined.

What is Zero thinking to ship a $16K bike with crap tires? For another $50 (in volume) they can put tires on the bike that are as good as the rest of the bike. Silly.

Thanks much for the tip, nicktulloh.

You're welcome.

Are you in Ma(ss)? I'm in NH
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: hein on July 17, 2013, 09:11:40 AM
>> Are you in Ma(ss)? I'm in NH

I'm in the middle... sort of: Nashua, NH. Yellow 2013-s 8.5. "CHRGD"
Can regularly be seen on Rt 3 and side roads to Burlington, going south after 9am, back north 6pm.
1500 miles in the first 6 weeks. Good enough.
I'll try to remember these Avon's, but not until I wear down the stock tires some.
Hein.

Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on July 20, 2013, 08:21:32 AM
>> Are you in Ma(ss)? I'm in NH

I'm in the middle... sort of: Nashua, NH. Yellow 2013-s 8.5. "CHRGD"
Can regularly be seen on Rt 3 and side roads to Burlington, going south after 9am, back north 6pm.
1500 miles in the first 6 weeks. Good enough.
I'll try to remember these Avon's, but not until I wear down the stock tires some.
Hein.

I'm in Durham. Did you get yours at Great Bay? I just ticked over 500, but I don't have a monogamous relationship with my DS.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: vchampain on July 20, 2013, 10:52:15 AM
If i'm correct, tires wih more grip should reduce autonomy. Did you notice anything like this ?
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: ZeroSinMA on July 22, 2013, 02:18:15 AM
If i'm correct, tires wih more grip should reduce autonomy. Did you notice anything like this ?

I had that concern but since switching to the Avons I have not used more bars per 60 - 80 miles, my standard ride between charges.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: AGTster on July 22, 2013, 05:09:13 AM
No regrets so far (2 months into it). I did a ton of research, so went into it understanding the limitations. I work 7mi away from home, through a winding 2 lane 30-45mph road. So the use of the Zero S is near ideal. Loving the feeling of floating over the road & hearing the birds chirp in the morning.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: TargeT on July 22, 2013, 06:22:35 PM
No regrets so far (2 months into it). I did a ton of research, so went into it understanding the limitations. I work 7mi away from home, through a winding 2 lane 30-45mph road. So the use of the Zero S is near ideal. Loving the feeling of floating over the road & hearing the birds chirp in the morning.

sounds like a perfect FX set up ;)
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: kensiko on August 23, 2013, 06:59:34 AM
I'll probably try the S at our local dealer this week-end. This bike is clearly the best mix of use/fun, but the price of the FX is appealing but I would sure have some range issue, a trip in town is 1 hour with a few minutes of highway. I'll have to consider if it's OK to buy the S 2013, knowing that the evolution of the technology is going at speed of light. I may wait for 2014.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: kensiko on August 24, 2013, 10:31:24 PM
OK guys I just tried it yesterday :) This is soooo smooth, and so much small in comparison to my DRZ400, it seems small because it's low and lightweight. While on it, I felt like I was on a toy, what a strange feeling. At my surprise, acceleration is increasing with the speed! I felt like if I was in a roller coaster :)

With this smooth behavior I did not feel my adrenaline that much. But you have to know that I did loose a lot of adrenaline driving my DRZ from year to year (since 2005). I would certainly get more adrenaline with the FX, but a guy from Zero came Thursday and brought back the batteries of their FX demo, so I could not try it unfortunately. They are going to replace it, don't know why.

The lack of adrenaline is not that much an issue because I would really prefer to drive it slowly, hearing the birds and taking my time at stops :) The S is definitely a better choice than the FX, especially their 11.4 demo with a 2600$ rebate for the end of the season. This would probably allow me to go to my parents 130 km from here. I would also be able to go to work, about once or twice a month (I usually work from home) which is also 130 km.

I'll have to think about it for the next weeks/months.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: dkw12002 on August 25, 2013, 12:13:17 AM
What really got my attention initially was all the 2012 Zero owners who were comparing  the improved specs of the 2013 when it first came out wishing they had bought the 2013 rather than the 2012. Second was the test ride, and 3rd was the outstanding deal I made when I bought mine. Best bike I've ever owned for the way I usually ride. About the only thing likely to change that is when the 2014s come out. With a big leap in battery technology to less weight, longer range, along with better acceleration, or higher sustained speed, then I would be remorseful until I bought one of those.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: protomech on August 26, 2013, 09:13:49 PM
I don't think we'll see huge updates for 2014. There will be a couple of minor niceties .. still have my fingers crossed that Zero will build a multi-kW charging system. We'll see.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: benswing on August 27, 2013, 11:01:36 PM
I'm a little late to this discussion but here are some thoughts.

Just rode my 2012 Zero S across the country (USA).  No buyer's remorse (or even close), my Zero has brought me huge amounts of joy!  I've been riding mine since Feb 2012 and love it! 

The FX is an amazing adrenaline pumping bike, but I really appreciate the range on my S.  I don't need it, but it's nice to use it daily and not even have to think about range.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: protomech on August 28, 2013, 01:17:57 AM
ben:

Saw a line of perhaps a dozen electric scooters with small vertically-mounted triangle flags riding on 12th ave in Nashville today. They look very much like the Xenon bikes (Xenon is based in Nashville, I need to go pay them a visit).

Any idea if these were related to the Ride the Future tour?

Edit: after some googling, it appears this was the Nashville Scooter Tour (http://www.nashvillescootertours.com/).
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on August 28, 2013, 05:47:58 AM
I'm a little late to this discussion but here are some thoughts.

Just rode my 2012 Zero S across the country (USA).  No buyer's remorse (or even close), my Zero has brought me huge amounts of joy!  I've been riding mine since Feb 2012 and love it! 

The FX is an amazing adrenaline pumping bike, but I really appreciate the range on my S.  I don't need it, but it's nice to use it daily and not even have to think about range.

This.

What are you running for tires? I've found the Avons to be stellar (on the S, not the FX, obviously).
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: SK on August 28, 2013, 07:28:37 AM
I'm a little late to this discussion but here are some thoughts.

Just rode my 2012 Zero S across the country (USA).  No buyer's remorse (or even close), my Zero has brought me huge amounts of joy!  I've been riding mine since Feb 2012 and love it! 

The FX is an amazing adrenaline pumping bike, but I really appreciate the range on my S.  I don't need it, but it's nice to use it daily and not even have to think about range.

This.

What are you running for tires? I've found the Avons to be stellar (on the S, not the FX, obviously).


My S ride is somewhat bumpy also  :o  -Which model of AVON tires did you upgrade with and has it affected range?

SK
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: nicktulloh on August 29, 2013, 06:30:57 AM
I'm a little late to this discussion but here are some thoughts.

Just rode my 2012 Zero S across the country (USA).  No buyer's remorse (or even close), my Zero has brought me huge amounts of joy!  I've been riding mine since Feb 2012 and love it! 

The FX is an amazing adrenaline pumping bike, but I really appreciate the range on my S.  I don't need it, but it's nice to use it daily and not even have to think about range.

This.

What are you running for tires? I've found the Avons to be stellar (on the S, not the FX, obviously).


My S ride is somewhat bumpy also  :o  -Which model of AVON tires did you upgrade with and has it affected range?

SK

Avon AM26, less than $200 the set from Motorcycle Superstore. Absolutely transformed the bike. Range? Anecdotally I think it's improved.
Title: Re: Any regrets or buyers remorse?
Post by: benswing on August 31, 2013, 04:28:53 AM
The tires that came with the bike lasted me 10,000+ miles and I had them changed even though they had a few hundred more on them.  If I hadn't done a couple of extended burnouts they would still be on the bike!

Protomech, the woman who owns the Nashville Scooter Tours company came up with the Ride the Future Tour, her name is Susan Jones.  You probably saw Dominique, who rode one of those scooters across the country, leading the Nashville Scooter tour.  If you see her leading the Nashville tour again, tell her you know me and she'll get a kick out of it. 

Would have been cool to meet you along the way.  Next time...  ;-)