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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: xmjsilverx on March 30, 2015, 08:41:38 AM

Title: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on March 30, 2015, 08:41:38 AM
I just ordered my 2015 SR today after a demo ride.  First I have to say thanks to Brett Litle from the Zero factory and Cuyler Coleman of capital city motorsports.  They brought the bike to me to demo from 2 hours away.  I ordered one as soon as my demo was over.  The bike is amazing in almost every way.  I am looking to upgrade a few things.  I'll have to see how the mirrors on my bike are but the demo bike I couldn't see past me right arm.  Are there any other mirror options out there?  I was really disappointed in the tank storage area.  I would love a hard shelled storage box there with locking lid.  Is there anything out there or in the works for this?  I am also going to be looking for a fender eliminator.  I saw R&G has one out but they are sold out over here and I would have to order from europe.  I also saw some universal ones on amazon people had used but those mount the plate and signals pretty far forward.  Is there anything else available?  Thanks in advance and I'm excited to be part of the electric bike movement.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: evtricity on March 30, 2015, 08:55:42 AM
Try turning the mirrors upside down, strangely they work better that way and are not as wide. The R&D Tail Tidy looks very good and is a perfect fit. Given how strong the USD is at the moment you may well find it cheaper in the UK.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: bigd on March 30, 2015, 10:05:30 AM
You may send a message to krash7172, if I remember correct he did some awesome mods on his bike.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Straightedg4lif on March 30, 2015, 07:33:04 PM
Congratulations on your new ride! Make sure to keep us updated on how you like it once you have driven it for a bit. I will continue to read all the posts I can until I pull the trigger on my own!
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: KenMac on March 30, 2015, 08:46:37 PM
I ordered the givi top case at the same time i ordered my SR.  Perfect for me to carry more than everything I need when commuting to work or running out to run errands.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Justin Andrews on March 30, 2015, 09:34:25 PM
The tail tidy works really well (I have one on my bike) however be prepared for your jacket to get liberally coated with spray in the wet.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Richard230 on March 30, 2015, 09:53:49 PM
The tail tidy works really well (I have one on my bike) however be prepared for your jacket to get liberally coated with spray in the wet.

You mean that the spray is worse than with the stock rear "fender" (license plate support bracket)?   :o
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Justin Andrews on March 30, 2015, 10:22:05 PM
The tail tidy works really well (I have one on my bike) however be prepared for your jacket to get liberally coated with spray in the wet.

You mean that the spray is worse than with the stock rear "fender" (license plate support bracket)?   :o

Yep...
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: MichaelJohn on March 30, 2015, 10:37:02 PM
Welcome aboard. Be safe out there, it's a beast!
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on March 31, 2015, 06:44:16 AM
Thanks everyone.  I'm pretty excited.  I will probably wait til I pick up the bike to buy the fender eliminator.  By turning the mirrors upside down, do you mean placing them under the grips?  I know the harley sportster is like that but never seen anything else.  So I take it no one is working on a lockable hard lid tank storage compartment?  I may try to fab something up if that's the case.  Maybe now is the time to purchase that 3D printer  ;D!  I will look into krash7172, is anyone else doing any other types of mods.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: oobflyer on March 31, 2015, 07:21:34 AM
Welcome and congrats on the new toy!

I ordered the 'Power Tank' with mine - so no storage area available, other than the top case and/or side cases.
Someone here on the forum made a locking aluminum cover for the tank storage compartment.
On my 2012 Zero the mirrors were worthless - I had to buy some mirror extenders which pushed the mirrors out another inch or two. My 2015 isn't bad - but you can tell that the left-hand mirror extends out further than the right side. I might get another extender for the one mirror.
Where are you located?
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on March 31, 2015, 05:32:10 PM
I live outside of St Louis.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Richard230 on March 31, 2015, 08:41:30 PM
Thanks everyone.  I'm pretty excited.  I will probably wait til I pick up the bike to buy the fender eliminator.  By turning the mirrors upside down, do you mean placing them under the grips?  I know the harley sportster is like that but never seen anything else.  So I take it no one is working on a lockable hard lid tank storage compartment?  I may try to fab something up if that's the case.  Maybe now is the time to purchase that 3D printer  ;D!  I will look into krash7172, is anyone else doing any other types of mods.

What he means about the mirrors is to try flipping the mirrors over 180 degrees so that the outside is facing the inside of the bike. That seemed to improve things on the 2012 models.   ???
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on April 01, 2015, 05:10:08 AM

Thanks everyone.  I'm pretty excited.  I will probably wait til I pick up the bike to buy the fender eliminator.  By turning the mirrors upside down, do you mean placing them under the grips?  I know the harley sportster is like that but never seen anything else.  So I take it no one is working on a lockable hard lid tank storage compartment?  I may try to fab something up if that's the case.  Maybe now is the time to purchase that 3D printer  ;D!  I will look into krash7172, is anyone else doing any other types of mods.

What he means about the mirrors is to try flipping the mirrors over 180 degrees so that the outside is facing the inside of the bike. That seemed to improve things on the 2012 models.   ???

That won't work on the 2015 models. The mirrors are not on a swivel like that. They're better mirrors but could be bigger or offer a broader view around e shoulders of a large rider.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 01, 2015, 05:29:48 PM
I didn't get to ride it at night but I was wondering how the headlight was.  If I remember right it was just a halogen bulb.  I don't know what bulb type it is but I was wondering if anyone has used any of these retrofit LEDs and if they are brighter than the OEM or not. https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/filter/Cross_Reference_Number,H11_,21,7710: (https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/filter/Cross_Reference_Number,H11_,21,7710:)
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Doug S on April 01, 2015, 08:50:08 PM
I didn't get to ride it at night but I was wondering how the headlight was.  If I remember right it was just a halogen bulb.  I don't know what bulb type it is but I was wondering if anyone has used any of these retrofit LEDs and if they are brighter than the OEM or not. https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/filter/Cross_Reference_Number,H11_,21,7710: (https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/filter/Cross_Reference_Number,H11_,21,7710:)

Yep, it's just a plain ole halogen, and not very impressive. I haven't upgraded my bike yet but I did put LEDs on my car, and they're amazing. One of these days when there's a few dollars free in the budget I'll probably do it on the bike too. I think I'd opt for a "no-fan" unit; it's not a problem in the car but the units I have in the car have fans in them and they do make a fair amount of noise, which I think would be annoying on the bike. It's also a moving part and will probably fail before anything else does.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 03, 2015, 07:08:22 AM
Where did you get yours from?  Also do you know what bulb the Zero uses?
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 03, 2015, 08:42:31 AM
Another add-on I really want to do is a ram mount.  I don't really like the one zero offers because it is mounted on the left handlebar and I'd rather it be centered.  Would a stem mount like this work on the Zero?
(http://www.rammount.com/images/RAM-B-3422.jpg)
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Doug S on April 03, 2015, 08:03:07 PM
I dunno about that style of mount, but I have the standard RAM mount for my Note 3, on the left side of the bar, and the phone is very nearly centered. There's a lot of adjustability in their standard mount since there's a couple of inches between the balls. I'm sure you can get it centered if that's important to you.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: CScalpeL on April 05, 2015, 12:55:12 AM
I just installed this:
2014 High Power 30W Xenon White H4 9003 HB2 XM-L2 CREE LED Hi/Lo Motorcycle Headlight Bulb
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PQDUOSO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PQDUOSO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

The color is exactly what I expected and with better intensity and coverage than I expected and only $35. It was a little tricky getting it in there with the boot but it fits nicely if you force it a little bit.  ;)

Regarding the tidy tail, I had a hard time justifying $100 for a piece of aluminum so I just took a hacksaw and a dremmel and shortened the rear fender. I'm pretty happy with the result, you can't really tell it's not an original part unless you really take a good look.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 05, 2015, 07:06:06 PM
Looks good, and a pretty good price too.  How much brighter would you say the LED is from the halogen?
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Straightedg4lif on April 05, 2015, 07:48:03 PM
Regarding the tidy tail, I had a hard time justifying $100 for a piece of aluminum so I just took a hacksaw and a dremmel and shortened the rear fender. I'm pretty happy with the result, you can't really tell it's not an original part unless you really take a good look.

Can you please take a picture of the tail from the back? I also do not like the ugly fenders they have and want to do something about mine once I buy one. I would love to see what it looks like straight on if you don't mind.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: CScalpeL on April 06, 2015, 02:20:51 PM
I attached a couple of pics from the rear, exposed rubber gives for a more aggressive look IMHO...
It is also better in the rain (the license plate keeps some of the mud off my back now but we are mandated to have some big plates as you can see in the pic)

I'd say ~15-20% brighter with the LED... but now I have to replace the running light with something that matches ;-)





Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Straightedg4lif on April 06, 2015, 03:46:30 PM
I attached a couple of pics from the rear, exposed rubber gives for a more aggressive look IMHO...
It is also better in the rain (the license plate keeps some of the mud off my back now but we are mandated to have some big plates as you can see in the pic)

I'd say ~15-20% brighter with the LED... but now I have to replace the running light with something that matches ;-)

Thanks for the pics. It does look a lot better than the original fender. But wow you do need to have some big plates on there. I overall like the look and will probably do something similar when I get mine.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 07, 2015, 08:49:51 AM
I picked the bike up tonight.  I am very excited.  I didn't remember all these grunt and groan noises on the demo while moving it around a parking spot.  My dealer said the noise is the motor and it's normal.  I guess so.  Also I downloaded the Zero app and I have a few questions about it.  The home screen shows I have a 2013 zero s when I really have a 2015 sr.  I don't know if that is normal or not.  Also when I go to adjust the regen and such it shows I am adjusting the eco mode instead of the custom like I thought I would be adjusting.  I watched a youtube video and the app on there showed custom instead of eco.  Is there something I am missing?
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Doug S on April 07, 2015, 08:56:32 AM
I didn't remember all these grunt and groan noises on the demo while moving it around a parking spot.  My dealer said the noise is the motor and it's normal.

First time I heard that, the dealer told me it was trying to regenerate from being pushed around, even at those super-slow speeds. It sounded implausible to me, but I didn't argue. But then someone here (perhaps aaronzero or someone else that actually works at Zero?) posted that when being pushed around at very low speeds, the controller will contribute a tiny amount of torque to eliminate the extra force required to turn the motor, since it uses permanent magnets and will tend to "stick" when the rotor is aligned right under the magnets. That sounds much more plausible to me.

At any rate, yeah, my bike does it, always has. I'm pretty sure it's very normal. I consider it just another way the bike is ultra responsive to its rider.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: CScalpeL on April 07, 2015, 03:47:34 PM
The home screen shows I have a 2013 zero s when I really have a 2015 sr. Also when I go to adjust the regen and such it shows I am adjusting the eco mode instead of the custom like I thought I would be adjusting.

Same thing with me, think it's ubiquitous on the 2015 SRs... My dealer reported the discrepancies to zero, don't know if and when they intend to do anything about it though :-\
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Straightedg4lif on April 07, 2015, 04:38:04 PM
I picked the bike up tonight.  I am very excited.  I didn't remember all these grunt and groan noises on the demo while moving it around a parking spot. 

Congratulations on your new bike! Can't comment on your issues since I don't have one yet but wanted to wish you luck. I must say though that when I demoed one a few days ago I did not remember any noises as you are describing either and the demo only had 16 miles on it. Not sure what that means just wanted to let you know.

Also did you test ride it at the dealer when you picked it up? Is that when you noticed the noises or after you got it home? Just curious not that it really matters.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Justin Andrews on April 07, 2015, 07:43:09 PM
I picked the bike up tonight.  I am very excited.  I didn't remember all these grunt and groan noises on the demo while moving it around a parking spot.  My dealer said the noise is the motor and it's normal.  I guess so. 

The motor growling when being pushed around is totally normal, all the Sevcon based Zero's do it.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: benswing on April 07, 2015, 08:07:44 PM
I picked the bike up tonight.  I am very excited.  I didn't remember all these grunt and groan noises on the demo while moving it around a parking spot.  My dealer said the noise is the motor and it's normal.  I guess so. 

The motor growling when being pushed around is totally normal, all the Sevcon based Zero's do it.

Ditto.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Richard230 on April 07, 2015, 08:32:17 PM
You ought to hear the noise my Zero makes if I try to push it around with the charger power cord connected.   :o  Definitely not a happy camper when I try to do that.   ;)
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 08, 2015, 08:21:12 AM
Glad to see that everyone else has the same noise.  Moving it around with the key off seems to require the same force and no noises that way.  Not sure why they would engineer some odd type of assistance from the controller if it's not needed.  I got to put some miles on it today and I am really enjoying it now.  I do feel like the suspension could use a little tuning, maybe because I am light (135lbs).  I did a few hard runs on a straight away and got a flashing overheat light for a few seconds.  I think I remember the manual saying that it is just a warning an won't cut power until I get it even hotter but I was surprised it was that easy to get too hot.  The bike pulls super hard from 30 to 70 but I noticed it's really dialed back from 0-30.  I assume this is so it won't wheelie or spin the tire but it almost seems too restrictive.  I assume there is no way to fiddle with that type of programming correct?  I do hope they get the app fixed so I can adjust the custom mode instead of eco. 
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Straightedg4lif on April 09, 2015, 07:24:00 AM
I got to put some miles on it today and I am really enjoying it now. 

I am glad that you are enjoying your new bike! How many miles have you racked up so far? I know you just got it but some ride a lot of miles in a short amount of time (I am not one of those). Would you recommend the bike to someone who doesn't have one yet?
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 09, 2015, 05:31:20 PM
I only have a little over 30 miles on it.  I haven't commuted on it yet because we are getting so much rain right now.  I think the bike isn't perfect but it is pretty darn cool and taking a step in the right direction for the future of vehicles.  I would recommend it.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: Straightedg4lif on April 09, 2015, 07:45:01 PM
I only have a little over 30 miles on it.  I haven't commuted on it yet because we are getting so much rain right now.  I think the bike isn't perfect but it is pretty darn cool and taking a step in the right direction for the future of vehicles.  I would recommend it.

Where are you from? I am in PA and it has been raining here a lot as well. I don't ride in the rain either, not worth the risk to me.
Glad you like it enough to recommend it, although I want one either way. I just fell in love with it after I demoed it last week.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 12, 2015, 06:03:41 AM
I did my first work commute on the bike.  I took it to lunch and let 2 guys take it for some test rides.  I made it home with 11%.  I should definitely make it home with at least 20% for a normal commute.  I guess that works for me but I was hoping it would do a little better than that.  I rarely went over 70mph on it.  I probably averaged about 67mph.  I got to take it for a little joy ride to a biker bar in defiance MO.  I thought the harley guys would kick my bike over but to my surprise I got a lot of interest in it and basically spent the whole time answering questions about it.  Zero is going to have to start paying me for this. ;)  I'm really liking the bike, if there were 2 things I would change it would be the range and the limited torque at low rpms.  I find it to be a little too restrictive.  I just ordered a ram mount, led headlight and running light, and r&g tidy tail.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: domingo3 on April 12, 2015, 07:47:23 PM
I did my first work commute on the bike.  I took it to lunch and let 2 guys take it for some test rides.  I made it home with 11%.  I should definitely make it home with at least 20% for a normal commute.  I guess that works for me but I was hoping it would do a little better than that.

Congrats on the bike!  What is the distance of your commute?
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 12, 2015, 10:57:08 PM
The commute is about 50 miles all highway.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: xmjsilverx on April 13, 2015, 12:33:47 AM
I took my wife for a ride today, it was the first time I had a second person on it.  A few times the rear brake made a strange noise.  Sounded a little bit like bubbles under water but I'm just wondering if it was the rotor breaking in.
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on April 13, 2015, 02:29:40 AM
The commute is about 50 miles all highway.

You should probably install the commuter windscreen or similar; I find that getting behind a screen yields a little range boost. You can tell usually feel drag differences at the throttle (drafting makes the biggest difference, but a windshield helps, too).
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: stevenh on May 08, 2016, 09:26:50 PM
I took my wife for a ride today, it was the first time I had a second person on it.  A few times the rear brake made a strange noise.  Sounded a little bit like bubbles under water but I'm just wondering if it was the rotor breaking in.

Hey, I heard this a couple of times on my last couple of rides.  Don't recall hearing it before.  Seems to occur on hard rear breaking at very low speed.  Something going on with the belt I think.  I'll check tension today.  I have about 800 miles on the bike (DSR).

Steve
Title: Re: Proud new Zero SR owner
Post by: mrwilsn on May 09, 2016, 02:15:22 AM
I got to take it for a little joy ride to a biker bar in defiance MO.

Do you live out that direction?  I live in STL right by Forest Park and you are the only other person I know of in the area that has a Zero.

I was just reading through this thread and saw that you bought from Capital City Motorsports in Springfield, IL.  When I bought my bike Capital City wasn't a dealer yet and I had to go to a dealer in the suburbs of Chicago.  I drove to Capital City Motorsports after they became a dealer and did a test ride of the 2015 SR.  The owner seemed pretty cool.  When I was up there last year the owner told me he had just sold a bike that he was going to be throwing in the back of his truck to deliver to a customer in STL....I wonder if he was talking about your bike?

I'm not sure if you know but there is a dealer right in STL now (Flying Tiger Motorcycles on Manchester right by Schlafly) so there should be a lot more riders in the area soon.

Anyway, if you want to meet up for a ride sometime PM me.