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[WindRider]

Hello All,

I have been watching Zero Motorcycles and electric motorcycles for a few years now.   When the 2012s came out I had the pleasure of a test ride on a DS and really liked it but could not come to terms with the cost.    With year end pricing and the Cash for Carbon program I decided to jump and will have a new 2012 Zero DS at home next week.   The 2013 models look really exciting but I am cash limited so the year end deals were perfect for me.

I spent a few hours reading this forum and found a lot of good information here.   I feel like I got a nice crash course in EV ownership from reading posts here but there were a few questions that I did not find answers to.

-   Dirt and mud in the motor.   The DS is made for DualSport use but the motor looks kind of open to harm from dirt, mud, sand?   What are the experiences of people who have ridden a lot of dirt/mud/sand with a DS?    Is any special cleaning procedure required?

-   Belt drive in same conditions?  I have owned 2 Buell Ulysses motorcycles and put a lot of miles on dirt roads with those bikes and never been stranded.   Buells had belt guards but the Zero design is open and looks prone to rock eating.   Do other riders carry a spare belt and can it be field installed?   I like belt final drive for it's obvious advantages so I intend to keep belt drive in place if it can work in my dirty world.

It seems to be a hard winter here in Idaho so the new ride will not get a lot of action in the next month or so but once it warms up the Zero DS will be my only motorcycle and main transportation.   I commute to work by motorcycle and take care of any transportation needs that can be done without a 4 wheeler on a motorcycle for about 7.5 months out of the year.

I am looking forward to making the jump to all electric transportation and excited about the new Zero DS and the chance to support a great American company that is doing great things.   Thanks in advance for your replies.

[trikester]

Welcome aboard!

I have ridden a lot of dirt, sand, and some mud with my 2012 DS and so far have not had a problem with dirt contamination in the motor.

I have a 2010 DS and the 2012 DS both of which I changed to chain drive for reliability in rocky terrain. I'm about to get my 2013 FX and it will also be changed to chain drive. I don't want to ride a belt drive in the dirt!

I can understand why Zero put a belt drive on the DS's because they are dual sports and they assume they will be ridden mostly on pavement (except in my case). In my opinion it is dumb for the FX, a dirt bike, to come from the factory with a belt drive. That forces most serious dirt riders to have to modify the new bike to chain. How many dirt bikes does anyone see with a belt drive? There may be some out there but I haven't seen one and I see a lot of dirt bikes here in SoCal.

I'm sure you will get a lot of pleasure from your purchase - I sure have with mine!  I'm looking forward to my 2013 FX now.

Trikester

[WindRider]

Hey Trikester,

Thanks for the reply and information.

The FX looks like a great ride and would be my first choice for a new Zero without regard for price.    It is a Dual Sport bike, like the DS, and is made street legal and that tends to work out for most buyers that most of the miles end up being on the street and for that reason I can agree that belt drive would be better for most users.   If I were buying a new FX I would want belt final drive and if I were a Zero Motorcycle engineer I would have put the belt final drive on the FX model with the chain option for those who want/demand it, just as they did.

The MX model which is pure dirt bike comes with a chain final drive.

The nice thing about Zero bikes is that they make it very easy to put on a chain drive if you so desire it and the cost is nominal as well.   

As mentioned in my other post, I spent a considerable amount of time on Buells and the Ulysses model, also a dual sport, came with belt drive that was not easy at all to convert to chain drive and this was a source of considerable consternation to a small percentage of Buell riders.   

Every ride for me starts and ends with a few miles of dirt road and the Buell belt system survived it just fine as well as some rides on trails and fire roads.   Overall, for a dual sport bike that is 80% road miles, I still like the belt for it's clean, silent, low maintenance nature.   I think it fits the nature of an electric motorcycle perfectly.

I just wanted to know if there were some Zero DS riders here who have put some dirt / gravel / sand miles on a DS with belt drive and what their experience is with belt longevity or in field replacement if the worst thing happens.

[soup]

How's that new 2012ds with that belt doing for u now? I also have a ds and a Ulysses. I love my belt its quit and no oil all over my bikes. I don't ride in sand much and I ride around mud holes when I can.

[WindRider]

Hey Soup,

I just passed 500 miles on the DS and I am loving it. 

I am testing the dirt / mud / sand capabilities of the belt drive:



Time will tell how it holds up.   I find it to be hopeful that I did not get a bunch of broken belt stories when I posted the question.

I think that a Buell is a natural complement to a Zero DS and at the same time something that is completely different.   I wish that I was able to keep my Buell but I sold it last summer.  I had one of the last Ulysses models to be made, a 2010.   It was a great motorcycle but the Zero DS makes more sense for my life and riding needs right now.

[s44captain]

It is a great combo, I kept my Buell when I picked up the Zero. I prefer the Zero and have put a lot more miles on it than my Buell this last year. The Buell is handy for those long distance rides but it is shocking how much it costs to add gas! I plan to add a Brammo style tank with a extra charger and J17 plug built in so I can extend my traveling range with the Zero. (one reason I kept the Buell was the best offer I got for it was only $2,900.00)

[WindRider]

Interesting your preference for the Zero based on the miles.   I have to say I feel the same way and that surprised me a bit, but the Zero is really more fun to ride and the fun factor on the Buell was higher than almost any other motorcycle that I have ridden so that is saying something.

If only it had the ZF50 battery pack and the 2013 motor.....   

[dahlheim]

it has been no contest for me.  with six other bikes in the garage, the Zero has gotten all my attention since i got it last fall.  i did take one of the dirtbikes out into the utah desert last week though (just dont trust the zero out there, but then again thats not why i bought it).  i agree, i'm surprised how much different and more fun the zero is to ride than the ICE bikes.  i would like it to be built more solidly in terms of components (like suspension and controls) and body work.  i think if/when bmw does the electric thing, it'll really take off.

_pete
76GL1000, 00XR400R, 01XR650R, 02R1150GSAdventure, 03GL1800, 07CRF450X, 12ZeroDS9

[trikester]

I loved riding my 2012 DS in the Utah desert last year and I'm looking forward to riding my 2013 FX there this year. I have put my trust in these bikes in some very remote places.

Trikester

[dahlheim]

it's ok in the easier stuff.  i need to be able to lift the front wheel over steps and the like, though, and the throttle response is sometimes a little too lagged to be safe in tricky situations.  it's a great bike but it isn't for everything.

[skeezmour]

The 2013 Zero bikes I have ridden have great throttle response.