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[rotoiti]

Zero S looks like a fun bike to ride. I am considering a purchase but have a few questions.

I am not an experienced rider (unless riding a bicycle counts :] ), in fact this would be a first motorcycle I'd ride in about 10 years. I used to have a CBR-600 but I got rid of it as it was a money/maintenance black hole. I read on these forums the Zeroes are very forgiving (due to having no clutch). True?

My daily commute consists of about 20 miles of CA Hwy 101 plus about 3 miles on local roads (one way). I should be able to squeeze a round trip from a ZF9 but in case I am not I am considering adding the J1772 socket. The parking lot at work has some juice outlets for electric vehicles so I could probably use those. The question is: is it possible to add J1772 socket to 2012 S ZF9? The online store only has it for 2011 models.

At 6'4" and 250 lbs I am not exactly the smallest guy around. Isn't Zero S too small for me? How comfortable is your ride if you're tall?

Perhaps this last question is better directed at a dealership but here it goes anyway: are there any discounts off MSRP available (except CA $900 tax credit)?

Thanks for reading and replies!

[protomech]

Zero S looks like a fun bike to ride. I am considering a purchase but have a few questions.

I am not an experienced rider (unless riding a bicycle counts :] ), in fact this would be a first motorcycle I'd ride in about 10 years. I used to have a CBR-600 but I got rid of it as it was a money/maintenance black hole. I read on these forums the Zeroes are very forgiving (due to having no clutch). True?

Yep, they're extremely easy to ride. Light-ish weight and single speed makes it about as easy to ride as a fixed-gear bicycle (but without pedaling). They can hit 80+ mph, though, so you have to respect them like you would any other motorcycle. You might consider the MSF basic rider's course, it's a gentle introduction (or re-introduction) to safe riding. You can download the handbook from msf-usa.org, worth a read through even if you feel your skills are up to par.

My daily commute consists of about 20 miles of CA Hwy 101 plus about 3 miles on local roads (one way). I should be able to squeeze a round trip from a ZF9 but in case I am not I am considering adding the J1772 socket. The parking lot at work has some juice outlets for electric vehicles so I could probably use those. The question is: is it possible to add J1772 socket to 2012 S ZF9? The online store only has it for 2011 models.

The 2012 bikes will be able to add a J1772 inlet for about $500, the accessory catalogs have not been updated yet. Bear in mind the J1772 inlet does NOT allow you to charge more quickly than a standard 110v socket, you're limited by the 1 kW onboard charger which in practice charges 800-850 W into the battery pack.

Freeway travel is by far the biggest energy consumer for the bike. 40 miles 60 mph highway + 6 miles local roads should be fine. 40 miles @ 70+ mph would be pushing it IMO. If you can squeeze in a charge in the middle for a couple of hours you should have no problems.

At 6'4" and 250 lbs I am not exactly the smallest guy around. Isn't Zero S too small for me? How comfortable is your ride if you're tall?

250 lbs should be fine, ZF9 has a 340 lb passengers + cargo limit. I'm 5'9" w/ 30" inseam and can barely flat-foot the bike FWIW.

Perhaps this last question is better directed at a dealership but here it goes anyway: are there any discounts off MSRP available (except CA $900 tax credit)?

Hollywood Electrics was running a 0% financing 12 month promotion a bit ago. Talk to Harlan, he's a motivated e-moto seller : p Of course, other dealers might match..

[Richard230]

Another option for a person of your size would be the Zero DS model. It is taller and has slightly lower gearing and slightly lower top speed than the S model. You should check out both models to see which one would best fit your needs. Mechanically, they are both the same, except the DS has different tube-type spoked wheels and longer-travel suspension and a seat a couple of inches taller than the S. The S would be the better choice for freeway riding, but the DS would be the better bike for dealing with the state's potholed roads, with their broken-up pavement.   

[Harlan]

rotoiti,

The Zero is extremely easy to ride, even for an inexperienced rider.  However, I still strongly recommend the MSF course.  For customers that purchase a Zero through us, we offer to cover the cost of the MSF course.  We want to make sure they ride safely and with confidence on their new bike.

The Zero S should easily make your roundtrip commute, but it's always nice to charge up at work and not ever have to worry about range.  You should take a closer look at the charging stations, they may already have a standard AC outlet.  If not, we have a J1772 adapter as an optional accessory.

Generally speaking, I've found that our taller customers prefer the seat height of the Zero DS, but everyone has different tastes.  You should go down to your local dealer and throw a leg over one to see for yourself. 

A the moment, the only tax incentive in California is the $900 Rebate.  It is very simple to collect, we provide all our customers with the necessary paperwork and they usually receive a check in the mail within weeks of their purchase.

Not sure what part of California you are in, but we are the Los Angeles based dealer, and the Number One Zero Motorcycle Dealer Worldwide.  We'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the bikes, we ride them everyday and know them intimately.  We are extremely focused on customer satisfaction, the last thing we want is for our customers to have unrealistic expectations about the bike's capabilities, and end up with something that will not meet their needs.

You can call us at 323.654.8271 or reach me by email at harlan (at) hollywoodelectrics.com

[dkw12002]

Almost certainly a 46-mile round trip would require no re-charge, but if it did due to very fast riding on 101, then almost any time on a regular 110 outlet with the built-in charger (even half an hour), would be plenty to get you back home. A 30-40 mile commute is perfect for this bike. Yes, no clutch is very nice if you've ever found you shifted into too low a gear by mistake on your other motorcycle and nearly went over the handle bars.  No chance of that here. The other advantage is the acceleration is not so fast off the line, so the bike won't get away from you. Although very expensive up front, the concensus seems to be that if you ride a lot, you will get that investment back easily in a few years...maybe 4 years provided the motor, batteries and controller hold up as they should.

[rotoiti]

I live in Mountain View, CA but work in San Bruno, CA. Dealer locator shows a few dealers around here (actually one of the closest is Zero Motorcycles themselves in Scott Valley).

Good idea about the DS, does it mean I can also ride it offroad without voiding my warranty?

I need to check if there is also a regular 110V outlet near there, another good idea.

Thanks for all the replies!

[Richard230]

Your closest dealer would be where I bought my bike, Mission Motorcycles in Daly City. If you bought the bike there, you could ride it home, as a fully charged ZF9 S or DS will make it to Mountain View no problem, especially if you stick to the speed limit on the 101. And you can always jump off the freeway and hit El Camino Real if you really want to extend your range.  My guess is riding down El Camino, you could get to San Jose from Daly City without needing a recharge.

Mission Motorcycles will also give you a test ride on their demonstrator and both Nancy and Theresa are very easy to work with and seem to be knowledgeable about the Zeros.

I worked in the SSF city engineering department, located in the Permit Center before I retired. When I was commuting with my GPR-S, I recharged it at work using a 25-foot long extension cord plugged into the outlet under my desk. I parked the bike on the adjacent dead-end sidewalk and hooked it up to the extension cord that I fed outside via the window over my desk.     See attached photo. 

[rotoiti]

I checked the parking lot at work, there is a 110 V outlet there right next to the J1772 hookups. Good for me I guess. Knowing that should I save $2.5k buying ZF6 version or should I go with ZF9 anyway?

I also test rode DS today (Mission Motorcycles) -- and I loved it. Zero S is definitely too small for me so good catch, Richard230, thank you. Now, how to get the family CFO approval ;-)

[protomech]

Determine your own range tolerance. Log your routes for a couple of weeks and determine what your actual needs are. Consider if you were riding the ZF6 if there are times where the combination of range and insufficient charge time would cause you to look for alternate transportation, and if so what level of inconvenience that would represent.

Absolute worst case, you would need approximately 5 hours of charge on a fully discharged battery before you leave for home - so going out for nearby lunch or errands in the afternoon is fine, provided that you're not both deeply discharging the battery AND planning to leave shortly afterwards.

I probably overbought when I bought my ZF9. Looking back over the past three weeks of riding, only on a couple of occasions have I discharged the bike beyond what the ZF6 would support - and in all of those cases, I could have done an intermediate charge (visiting a friend) or taken another vehicle. However, my battery is brand new; and the temperatures have been pretty nice to this point. I fully expect range to drop slightly with time and to a more significant (if temporary) degree as temperatures drop next fall. The ZF9 battery provides a certain level of peace of mind and allows me to do typical trips without hunting outlets.

ZF6 should be a bit faster than ZF9, since it's 44 lbs lighter. This also gives you more weight budget to carry cargo or possibly a second small passenger; ZF9 permits 340 lbs total passenger + cargo, ZF6 permits 384 lbs total.

If range became critical later, you could always install the optional J1772 adapter and carry a second charger in the saddlebags. Then you could charge from both J1772 and the 110v outlet at the same time, significantly decreasing your charge times. With two chargers you would need at most 2.5 hours before leaving from home, starting with a full discharged battery.

[rotoiti]

Good points, protomech. I will probably be fine with ZF6 although may go with ZF9 anyway to reduce "range anxiety". I don't plan on carrying passengers, and only cargo I will carry would be my laptop (in a backpack or a bag).

Another question: does anyone have the new $270-something windshield? It looked cool in the catalog but I am not sure it's worth additional $170 over the transparent one.