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[Richard230]

I just received a call from my Zero retail dealer who told me that the 2014 Zero S that I ordered has arrived in the shop.  So it looks like the 2014 production line is up and running - kind of early for Zero.  Unfortunately, the power tank production has not yet commenced, so my bike is not ready to be picked up yet.  Apparently, my dealer will have to install it once they have received the additional battery pack from Zero.  In the meantime I decided not to purchase the bike until the power tank is installed.  Being an early adopter of new and improved electric motorcycles over the past 4 years has made me a little cautious regarding bikes that are not 100% complete and my 2012 bike is running perfectly.  I will post additional news once I get more information, but I expect that it won't be long before the bike is ready to go.   

[protomech]

I hope you hear back soon!

88 miles of range @ 70 mph, 106 miles @ 55 mph .. that's almost double the range of your '12 ZF9.

Where are you going to go with the bike first?

[benswing]

Looking forward to hearing about your adventures when your bike comes in! 

[Richard230]

Well - I got another call from my dealer.  I misunderstood my original conversation (typical of me) and the bike is at the Zero factory and ready to be shipped to the dealer, but they have not taken delivery of it yet.  So that took some pressure off of me to make a quick decision.  I also was told that the power tank is only a dealer installed option and will not be installed at the factory.  Also, it may be a month or two before the power tanks will be manufactured and shipped out.  So I decided to wait and will purchase the bike when the tank is available and can be installed by my dealer before the bike is sold.  I also ordered the accessory rack and top case, as well as a commuter windshield.  Everything will be installed by my dealer when available and I will ride off into the sunset on a fully farkled bike.  Right now I am willing to wait and therfore will not have to be an early adopter of the 2014 model.  I'll let someone else find any bugs (if any), which hopefully will get resolved in the second run of S models.

Having purchased over 40 motorcycles during my riding career, I have more patience than I used to have.  The weather is really nice right now, but my 2012 bike is running great and will meet my needs for the next few months.

So who is going to be the first owner of a 2014 Zero S?  I guess it won't be me.   

[dc5dd]

Richard,

Good for you I'm trying to get the SR I figure just get all the trimmings  .  On you being an early diopter of the 2014, my thought was that the 2013 and 2014 were pretty much the same except the power tank, new display and new custom mode configuration.  Whatever bugs there were should be worked out in the 2013 model???

Danny

[Richard230]

Richard,

Good for you I'm trying to get the SR I figure just get all the trimmings  .  On you being an early diopter of the 2014, my thought was that the 2013 and 2014 were pretty much the same except the power tank, new display and new custom mode configuration.  Whatever bugs there were should be worked out in the 2013 model???

Danny

I agree and that is why I was going for the 2014 model.  But with any revised motorcycle model (even from the major manufacturers) there is always a production learning curve for the assembly line workers and sometimes it takes them a while to get everything assembled just right.  Having bought a lot of first off-the-production-line bikes before, the later models are almost always assembled better than the early bikes.

[Mike Werner]

Those are pretty good ranges. Been thinking to eventually get the additional power for my DS, but so far not planning to ride very far. Let us know how the power tank works out when you get it.

[oobflyer]

You are more patient than me - I would pick up the bike and break it in while looking forward to the battery upgrade/additional range 

I'm hoping to be in a position to buy a 2015 Zero - I wonder what they'll come up with next year....

[Richard230]

You are more patient than me - I would pick up the bike and break it in while looking forward to the battery upgrade/additional range 

I'm hoping to be in a position to buy a 2015 Zero - I wonder what they'll come up with next year....

I figure that next year Zero will be dealing with an ABS system as that will be required to sell their bikes in the EU.  That will keep their engineers busy this year.  Beyond that, I can't even guess what they might be working on for the 2015 and later models.   Maybe a sport bike with a fairing? 

[Le Z Turbo]

I think the mandatory ABS is for 2016 in the EU. But as 2015 models will be sold from spring 2015 to spring 2016 bike manufacturers may have to already fit ABS in 2015 ?
Laurent

[Justin Andrews]

Dunno.
2015 is when I have penciled for in replacing my ZF9 though.

[NoiseBoy]

Dunno.
2015 is when I have penciled for in replacing my ZF9 though.

Its a tough one. I was originally seeing if I could finance a 2014 bike alongside my ZF9 but I think now I will pay off the ZF9 first and then see whether It makes sense to wait for 2015 or see if I can get a deal on an SR.

[Justin Andrews]

I should have paid off my ZF9 by mid 2015, which means I'll be on the hunt for a new one (something lika an SR or an S with power tank)
Not sure what I'll do with the ZF9, part-ex is an option, but selling a high quality 9Kw battery pack seems a shame when something of that size is so useful...

[Richard230]

I figure that my ZF9 still has many years of use left in its hide.  I plan to give it to my daughter for her birthday in March so that she can be even "greener" than she is now.  She is going to sell her 2004 Kawasaki 250 Ninja after it left her stranded on the freeway during the last rain (dirty bike + water = HT electrical shorts).

I spent the last 9 years maintaining that thing.  A real pain in the butt and I will be happy to see it go and be replaced by my Zero.  No more hours of removing and reinstalling the fuel tank and fairing panels to access the top of the engine.  And no more spending hours fishing for the thickness gauge that fell down into the depths of the engine when it slipped out of my fingers as I tried to measure the valve lash.   

I am going to love her new Zero.   

[Justin Andrews]

All three of the Suzuki bandits I owned were real sods for losing one or two of their cylinders in heavy rain.
I've always rode everywhere with a can of WD40 since owning those bikes...