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[WindRider]

Hey Zero Riders,

I sold my 12DS to a forum member here a few weeks ago and just picked up a new 13 FX 5.7.   I wanted the 14 FX as the new improvements are interesting but Zero and the local dealer put some really good incentives on the last 13 they had in stock so I took it home.

I ride a lot of dirt so my first impressions are very positive about the trade.   The FX has those wonderful big wheels and longer travel suspension for dirt riding and the lighter weight makes it extremely easy to handle.   I have already taken it on some single track trail that I have only ridden mountain bikes on in the past (not the DS) and it is perfect on trails.   I would have to say it is the most fun trail bike that I have ever ridden.  Period.

And the POWER !!!  GREAT SCOTT!!!   The 12 DS had modest off the line performance and decent rollon acceleration but this FX is amazing.  It claws the earth looking for traction and the front wheel keeps pointing to the sky.   The motor has an angry sound as it spins up.   I feel like it is BatMan's dirt bike... just needs a few weapons.   Even in Eco mode the acceleration is thrilling.   I love the new motor.   Great work Zero!

Still adjusting to my new found range limits imposed by going from 9.7KW to 5.7KW of battery.... that is going to take a while to calibrate to.   Especially given that it is so much fun to release the voltage into the motor and shoot away.

The DS ZF9 was a better commuter just for the range factor but this FX has a larger fun factor and the new motor, bigger wheels and tires, and lighter weight just make it a joy on trails or in any rough road situation.

Now, if Zero would only come out with the ZF15 power pack that would slide into the same slot as the current battery packs I would have the perfect motorcycle.   Get busy Zero!   I need more range.   

I was happy to see that Zero used that same battery pack as the "Power Tank" in the new models.   That means that in the future Zero could come out with a more powerful battery pack and it could retro fit any Power Tank compatible model, as well as any FX, MX, or XU that is already on the road.   

Here are a few pics of the new ride.



Great OEM tires and I like how the motor and shock are protected from flying mud:





Narrow profile and high seat height... just what I like:



I am sure that the 2014 model is even better but this bike is amazing and incredibly fun to ride.   My cheeks are sore from grinning into the cheek pads of my helmet after a ride on this beast.

[Olav]

Awesome review/first impressions.

I'm getting the 2014 FX in a couple of months.


Where are you located?

[skeezmour]

I rode the '13 FX when it first came out at the headquarters and I fell in love. What a great bike that is just going to get better. If and when I have extra cash laying around I'll be grabbing one to play on.

[WindRider]

Awesome review/first impressions.

I'm getting the 2014 FX in a couple of months.


Where are you located?

I am near Boise, Idaho.

[JefRo]

Congratulations Wind Rider on your new ride! I too have lusted after the FX and after seeing the new 2014 version with the upgraded suspension I have an order in for one, expected for delivery after January 2014. Not that I have been disappointed with the '13 DS; the FX will provide the ultimate trail bike. I will have to do more trailering of the bike due to less range, however the option of carrying extra batteries in the tow vehicle will make for long ride loops in certain areas in which you could return to the campsite for "refueling". Fifty miles is a long distance at slower trail speeds and I have no doubt that the FX can achieve this range under those riding conditions.

[WindRider]

Congratulations Wind Rider on your new ride! I too have lusted after the FX and after seeing the new 2014 version with the upgraded suspension I have an order in for one, expected for delivery after January 2014. Not that I have been disappointed with the '13 DS; the FX will provide the ultimate trail bike. I will have to do more trailering of the bike due to less range, however the option of carrying extra batteries in the tow vehicle will make for long ride loops in certain areas in which you could return to the campsite for "refueling". Fifty miles is a long distance at slower trail speeds and I have no doubt that the FX can achieve this range under those riding conditions.

Hey JeffRo,

I made a 43 mile loop ride yesterday in the cold with some vertical and some, um, more open throttle riding, and I had 3 bars left at the end.   They disappear really fast at speed but tooling around on trails 50 miles or more are doable.   

I have thought about the same kind of riding:  setup a base camp with a 1KW solar array or with a campsite with power and have a couple of extra battery packs to swap into the FX then do some loop rides that sweep back to base camp for battery swapping.   Extra battery packs are not inexpensive though.

On the trail the FX is pure joy.   I have already ridding some single track trails that I have only taken mtn bikes on before and the FX was perfect.  Light, well balanced, and with smooth, linear power on tap, it is very easy to ride through difficult terrain.

[JefRo]

Congratulations Wind Rider on your new ride! I too have lusted after the FX and after seeing the new 2014 version with the upgraded suspension I have an order in for one, expected for delivery after January 2014. Not that I have been disappointed with the '13 DS; the FX will provide the ultimate trail bike. I will have to do more trailering of the bike due to less range, however the option of carrying extra batteries in the tow vehicle will make for long ride loops in certain areas in which you could return to the campsite for "refueling". Fifty miles is a long distance at slower trail speeds and I have no doubt that the FX can achieve this range under those riding conditions.

Hey JeffRo,

I made a 43 mile loop ride yesterday in the cold with some vertical and some, um, more open throttle riding, and I had 3 bars left at the end.   They disappear really fast at speed but tooling around on trails 50 miles or more are doable.   

I have thought about the same kind of riding:  setup a base camp with a 1KW solar array or with a campsite with power and have a couple of extra battery packs to swap into the FX then do some loop rides that sweep back to base camp for battery swapping.   Extra battery packs are not inexpensive though.

On the trail the FX is pure joy.   I have already ridding some single track trails that I have only taken mtn bikes on before and the FX was perfect.  Light, well balanced, and with smooth, linear power on tap, it is very easy to ride through difficult terrain.

I look forward to more of your trail ride reports. I would imagine that trail riding over difficult terrain is fun and easy due to the fact that the front wheel loft can be easily modulated by the immediate response of that 70 pound-feet motor torque.

[trikester]

WindRider search out my forum ride reports for both my 2012 DS ZF6 and my 2013 FX ZF5.7. I got what would be 70 to 80 miles on the FX on my Utah dirt rides (JefRo saw that bike). Yes, speed makes a lot of difference (on dirt or pavement). Those rides had a moving average of around 17 mph (measured by GPS) but also climb / descent. My SoCal desert rides don't get as good mileage because of soft sand which is an energy robber.

The reason I mention the 2012 DS ZF6 is because I got more mileage on my 2013 FX even though the battery is a little smaller (5.7) capacity. I attribute this to greater efficiency due to a higher operating voltage and Ryan's transverse field motor design (and tight magnetic field spacing tolerances).

I love the 2013 FX in the dirt and don't want to ride anything else anymore! 

BTW - I put more aggressive tires on my FX front and rear. I used the Kenda model K270 tires which are still street legal.

I have also camped out (Utah) with my early 2010 DS (40 mile dirt range) and a 1600 W gas generator. Riding in the morning / early afternoon and recharging after each ride while relaxing in the shade with a cold beer. I would park the bike and generator (a quiet type) about 100 feet from camp. The generator (inverter type) would be set to ECO mode so that when I hear it slow down I know the battery is charged without having to go look. I would love to do this with a solar charger, however, the logistics, because of size, would be more difficult.

Trikester

[WindRider]

Hi Trikester,

Yes, I read your ride reports comparing your 12DS to your FX with great interest and that data was part of my decision to try the FX and sell my DS.   Thanks for posting those ride reports along with the detailed ride data.   I really enjoy those, along with the pics!   The hardest part for me to get range from my FX is to contain my right wrist as twisting it results in earth spewing acceleration and maniacal laugher from within my helmet.... and decreased range.

I have seen a few sections of dirt riding now where i have gone 8-10 miles / bar on the energy meter where I can keep the speed at a steady 20-30 MPH, don't climb a lot, and keep my right wrist restrained.   

My bike is still breaking in and it is cold here in Idaho so I don't expect to get max range yet but I can see that the bike could deliver some 60-80 mile rides under ideal conditions.   

I am pretty happy with the OEM tires on the FX so far.   I will look at alternatives when they are melted.  It is nice that Zero has standard sizes on the FX rims so I can pick from a huge catalog of tire options.

I agree with your statement about riding the FX on trails.   It is great fun in the dirt for sure.   I don't want to ride anything else now, I only wish it would go farther on a charge.   

I am going to investigate a solar camp recharging setup.   I have a generator for emergencies here when the power goes out but camping in silence and recharging the Zero from the sun seems like a better idea... just have to acquire the right panels and come up with a good way to make them portable along with an inverter or direct DC connection to the bike.    I will post pics here if I get that figured out next year.   Camp Solar Zero.   

[trikester]

I am going to investigate a solar camp recharging setup.   I have a generator for emergencies here when the power goes out but camping in silence and recharging the Zero from the sun seems like a better idea... just have to acquire the right panels and come up with a good way to make them portable along with an inverter or direct DC connection to the bike.

Yes WindRider it is counter-productive to have a quiet e-bike and then listen to a gas generator recharging it (even parked 100' away). I would very much like to have a portable solar charger that would charge the FX. Please keep us posted on your efforts in that regard.

One thing that i think we might have to do is have extra wattage capacity. The charger must want to pull a surge when it is turning on (not when plugging in but turning itself on). My built in charger on My FX draws about 640 watts when charging. I bought a second gas inverter type generator for this bike to reduce size and weight. The one I used for the DS (1kW charger in that bike) was a 1600 W inverter type generator. The new generator was rated for 850 W continuous and 900 W surge, pure sine wave inverter type.. The FX charger would would not start when connected to that generator. It would just keep pulsing trying to start. I even tried it with a 100 W preload on the generator but that didn't make any difference.

My guess is that the solar panel would need a battery for a buffer to supply a surge and an inverter rated for more than we might think we would need just to supply the start-up of 640 W of the FX charger. The chargers are PF corrected so that was not the problem.

Biff might be able to shine some light on this. I never asked Zero eng why a 850/900 W sine wave generator wouldn't start my 640 W FX charger.

Trikester

[LiveandLetDrive]

Agreed with all of your observations on this fine bike but found the stock tires very lacking on the dirt, however I was in very loose dusty stuff on the only dirt ride I've done so far.  It's only rained once in 8 months here...  I just had no turn-in confidence whatsoever and poor straight line grip, especially disconcerting when braking which actually led to my first crash on my 4 day old motorcycle!  Going to full dirt (Bridgestone 403/404) on the spoke wheels and bought the S wheel kit from Harlan which will mount 110 and 140 sticky street tires on 3" and 3.5" wide 17" wheels.  Bonus of a larger front disc as well.  I have found the "80/20" dual sport stock tires to feel quite good on the street, but more is better!

Some of the engineering on this bike makes me go:    but I love the ride and I know they're a small team getting better every year.  (But set screws into bolt threads on the swingarm pivots?!  I felt a great disturbance in the engineering-force.)

No plans for a generator or solar array yet (redwoods may be a problem for sunlight), just planning on finding an RV plug for my first weekend trips.

[WindRider]

The OEM stock tires are IRC GP-110s and I seem to be in the minority here as I actually like them.   I used to run them on my KLR650 years ago and found them to be a good compromise DS tire with decent corner traction in the twisties and big knobs that hook up in the dirt that I ride here.   Most of the dirt roads that I ride are DCG or DeComposed Granite.

The other thing that I always liked about them is an audible lean indicator:  as you pitch over further into the corners on asphalt they growl.   The more lean angle, the angrier the growl.   I found that to be kind of fun on a KLR650.   Have not tested it out much yet with the FX but it should be even more noticeable with the relative silence of electric drive.

[Marshm]

From your photo above, the 2013 FX seat looks more like a standard offroad seat than the 2014.  I am going to have to sit on a 2014 when/if they arrive at a dealer up here.  Maybe not so easy to slide back on the seat for offroad riding, but I don't exactly mark my seat to know how much I actually move around.  I do know the little trip meter computer I put on the handle bars hits me in the chest more often than I would think possible.  The new seat looks functional, and lower, so I hope they came up with the next great thing here. 

I have also questioned some of their decisions and felt the disturbance in the force as well.  This has actually deterred me from being an owner at this price point.  But I have seen changes going in the right direction, but 12k plus 10% sales tax up here in WA is quite a bit for a bike.  Although they are selling a KTM350 dual sport for $9900 so that's pretty ridiculous as well.  The 350 has a 38.19 seat height, OMG that is so bad.   

Anyway, electric sounds so great for offroad I want one.  I understand the problem of controlling the right wrist.  The more you ride, maybe you will find a good compromise. 

If I may add a question on offroad cornering: I come into a corner at a speed so my engine is in a good place for it's power, so I can pitch the bike into the turn and throttle out.  A perfect corner is actually a rare thing for me but I so like it when it happens. With electric the power is always the same at these trail speeds so you don't really have to plan so much to ensure the motor rpm is at a good place to provide some thrust?  Have you hit any corners with a good burm yet?  Do you notice cornering is better than a typical gas bike? 

[WindRider]

From your photo above, the 2013 FX seat looks more like a standard offroad seat than the 2014.  I am going to have to sit on a 2014 when/if they arrive at a dealer up here.  Maybe not so easy to slide back on the seat for offroad riding,   

I have not sat on a 2014 yet so I can't compare but the 2013 FX seat is the same as was only 2012 DS.   Standard narrow flat off road seat.   Easy to stand over or slide around on.   The 2014 looks more sculpted, wider, and lower.   

Anyway, electric sounds so great for offroad I want one.  I understand the problem of controlling the right wrist.  The more you ride, maybe you will find a good compromise.   

Yes, if I know that I am on a range challenging route then I run ECO mode and keep my throttle wrist in check.   If range is not a problem then I let the electrons fly and enjoy the thrust of the FX motor.

If I may add a question on offroad cornering: I come into a corner at a speed so my engine is in a good place for it's power, so I can pitch the bike into the turn and throttle out.  A perfect corner is actually a rare thing for me but I so like it when it happens. With electric the power is always the same at these trail speeds so you don't really have to plan so much to ensure the motor rpm is at a good place to provide some thrust?  Have you hit any corners with a good burm yet?  Do you notice cornering is better than a typical gas bike?

Riding electric really has to be experienced to appreciate.   When the challenges of controlling engine speed, gear selection, and clutch action are removed from the riding experience a funny thing happens as you are left with just linear power delivery choice (right wrist), brakes, and body english between rider and motorcycle.   Suddenly there is a clarity in riding that is new and really fun.   I find that anything that is difficult to accomplish on an ICE bike suddenly becomes easier and more repeatable.   I was worried that I would get bored with riding after moving to electric but I have found the opposite to be true:  I enjoy riding more than ever.   

To answer your specific question I find cornering to be more enjoyable on my Zeros as my technique is smoother and any motorcycling skill that involves planning for motor RPM or power delivery is easier, smoother, and more predictable and repeatable on a Zero as compared to an ICE motorcycle.

The other worry that I had with going to electric was that my brain would forget how to ride an ICE.   During this last summer I had a chance to ride a new Husquavarna Terra and I found that I had no trouble with that at all as my motorcycle memory muscle kicked right in and I found clutch and gears to be natural again.   I did wonder why the radiator fan kicked on and blew hot air on my leg at a stoplight??   That seemed downright crude after riding electric for a season. 

[trikester]

(But set screws into bolt threads on the swingarm pivots?!  I felt a great disturbance in the engineering-force.)

Those set screws do have a plastic piece on the end to grip the threads without damaging them. However, if the screws are removed and reused those ends are already mashed down and they sometimes come off completely.

Trikester