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[MVHSTC]

Hi all, I tried to research a little in the forum on this topic but I couldnt really find anything on it.

I just started my research in purchasing a bike and saw the Zero S and SR. I currently hold my endorsement on my license to drive and operate a motorcycle and I also completed the ABATE safety course. I'm wondering if you guys would say a Zero is a good first bike, I know the start up cost of purchasing one is high, but I believe over time it would pay for its self, just insurance alone will save me between 250-1000 a year in insurance depending on which company I go with.

So my main question is would you say the Zero is a good beginner bike and if so which version S or SR. I really would like a bike that I can keep for a very long time, so I would like to grow in to it and I know both are pretty sporty.

Also are any of you from around IN? It'd be nice if I do get one to meet up and ride sometime.

Thanks for you help.

[kensiko]

Well that's a touchy question.

If you buy an electric bike right from the start you would not benefit the "Wow that is much more fun to drive than my previous bike". However, those bikes are really really easy to drive, to learn, they are predictable. I never drove any bike that is as easy as this one. In fact I'm less scared and tend to go over the speed limit a few times, which is not a good thing, especially if you are a beginner 

As for the long term reliability, we could see many people in this forum having no issue since they purchased the bike. I would say if you have no issue for the first 5000 miles you are good for 50000 ! There are however a few people having issue from the start. When you are an early adopter this is the risk.

[MVHSTC]

Well that's a touchy question.

If you buy an electric bike right from the start you would not benefit the "Wow that is much more fun to drive than my previous bike". However, those bikes are really really easy to drive, to learn, they are predictable. I never drove any bike that is as easy as this one. In fact I'm less scared and tend to go over the speed limit a few times, which is not a good thing, especially if you are a beginner 

As for the long term reliability, we could see many people in this forum having no issue since they purchased the bike. I would say if you have no issue for the first 5000 miles you are good for 50000 ! There are however a few people having issue from the start. When you are an early adopter this is the risk.

Thank you for your response. I have ridden before, just havent fully owned my own to ride around. I would be normally only be doing city driving as most of our hilly fun areas are way outside of this bikes normal driving range.

With the reliability portion though, if there are issues are dealer good about getting the issue corrected? I know it depends on the dealers now, but I mean if there is an issue are they required to correct it under warranty. Also are the newer 14s better than previous models on reliability?

Thanks again and I really appreciate your advise.

[kensiko]

Yes any issue is covered with 2 years warranty, dealer is paid by Zero. The battery is covered with 5 years warranty.

Where are you from? I heard recently that Hollywood electric can ship worldwide, but of course if you are far from it, it's a little bit more complicated to have a repair done.

[MVHSTC]

Yes any issue is covered with 2 years warranty, dealer is paid by Zero. The battery is covered with 5 years warranty.

Where are you from? I heard recently that Hollywood electric can ship worldwide, but of course if you are far from it, it's a little bit more complicated to have a repair done.

Yeah I'm in Indianapolis, IN, so roughly a little over 2k miles away haha The closest dealer to me in in Ohio which is I believe 200 miles away and next is north of Chicago, IL which is about the same.

Which model do you have of Zero?

Thanks again for your reply.

[kensiko]

2013 S 11.4
ODO 1600 km

[AustinSZF8.5]

As long as you respect it, I think a Zero S would be a great first bike. It does have enough torque to get you into trouble in corners if you tweak the throttle too hard while leaned over, but that's really the only tricky bit about riding them I think. Low speed throttle response is very linear and predictable, bike is nice and light, center of gravity is placed well for very easy handling. The bike has plenty of power even for seasoned riders (I've got well over 100k miles under me and I LOVE this thing!), and it handles beautifully and really inspires confidence. The only bad part is that if you drop it - as most new riders do - you're dropping a $13-17,000 bike as opposed to a cheap learner beater that won't sting as much if you damage it... If it were my money, I'd go get a $1000 Craigslist crapcan rustbucket special, put a couple thousand miles on it to get your wheels under you, then look at something shiny and expensive. But that's my money, your change pocket may be able to withstand more of a beating than mine...

SR as a first bike... ehhhh... that seems like trouble, but again, if you respect it, I don't see why not. 106 lb-ft is a lot for an inexperienced rider, and it's that much more $$$. Only you know your limits, capacity for restraint, and budget.

[kensiko]

Hehe well said

[scZero]

I think a Zero would make a great first bike.  The Zero motorcycles, from 2013 and on, come equipped with bluetooth.  That means you can run the Zero ipod or Android application to set the torque as well as monitor its vitals.  With the app you can limit the amount of torque / throttle that's given to the electric motor.  As you become more confident you can increase this setting until you are comfortable with the maximum power it provides.  No other motorcycle, at least gas powered ones, give you this unique ability.  Its also a great bike to teach your girlfriend / wife if they've never ridden one before for that reason.

[bigd]

AustinSZF8.5 "bike is nice and light, center of gravity is placed well for very easy handling." I have read where the power tank makes the SR a bit more top heavy, Have you rode one and if yes do you think it does ? thanks

[scZero]

The powertank on the SR is optional.  Note that the SR has an 11.4kw pack (without the powertank), so that alone will make the bike heavier than the 8.5kw equipped bike.  Lastly strapping any weight above the center of gravity line on the motorcycle will make it unstable and less nimble.  Same goes for a rider that's 160 pounds vs. a 220 pound rider.

[MVHSTC]

As long as you respect it, I think a Zero S would be a great first bike. It does have enough torque to get you into trouble in corners if you tweak the throttle too hard while leaned over, but that's really the only tricky bit about riding them I think. Low speed throttle response is very linear and predictable, bike is nice and light, center of gravity is placed well for very easy handling. The bike has plenty of power even for seasoned riders (I've got well over 100k miles under me and I LOVE this thing!), and it handles beautifully and really inspires confidence. The only bad part is that if you drop it - as most new riders do - you're dropping a $13-17,000 bike as opposed to a cheap learner beater that won't sting as much if you damage it... If it were my money, I'd go get a $1000 Craigslist crapcan rustbucket special, put a couple thousand miles on it to get your wheels under you, then look at something shiny and expensive. But that's my money, your change pocket may be able to withstand more of a beating than mine...

SR as a first bike... ehhhh... that seems like trouble, but again, if you respect it, I don't see why not. 106 lb-ft is a lot for an inexperienced rider, and it's that much more $$$. Only you know your limits, capacity for restraint, and budget.

Thanks for the response, it gave me a lot of great information! I thought the S would be great, but its hard to compare it to any other bike because there is a lack of CC, so I cant say its like a CBR250R, CBR 600R, etc so this has helped. I think if I do go with one it will probably be the S, because its a bit cheaper to get into and if by some reason I want to upgrade, I  might be able to just trade it in to help with some of the down payment.

[MVHSTC]

I think a Zero would make a great first bike.  The Zero motorcycles, from 2013 and on, come equipped with bluetooth.  That means you can run the Zero ipod or Android application to set the torque as well as monitor its vitals.  With the app you can limit the amount of torque / throttle that's given to the electric motor.  As you become more confident you can increase this setting until you are comfortable with the maximum power it provides.  No other motorcycle, at least gas powered ones, give you this unique ability.  Its also a great bike to teach your girlfriend / wife if they've never ridden one before for that reason.

I actually didn’t think of being able to restrict the power by changing the settings, this would be a really good option I think. Thanks for this info!

[MVHSTC]

The powertank on the SR is optional.  Note that the SR has an 11.4kw pack (without the powertank), so that alone will make the bike heavier than the 8.5kw equipped bike.  Lastly strapping any weight above the center of gravity line on the motorcycle will make it unstable and less nimble.  Same goes for a rider that's 160 pounds vs. a 220 pound rider.

Yeah I'm closer to the 220 mark than the 160 haha that was another question of mine. Since I’m a larger rider, will this hurt the bikes performance a lot if I get a S?

Also with that said, is it also worth upgrading to the larger batteries since they really only add range and not speed?

[scZero]

A larger pack buys you longer range and more longevity, here are specs on the '13 with an 8.5 vs the 11.4 pack:
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-ds/2013/specs.php

I'm not concerned about top speed, as long as it can do 85mph to get out of danger I'm happy.  But there's really no point in going fast.  Its really all about quick acceleration and good handling.

As for being heavier and drop in performance of the bike.  That's with anything, a car, plane, boat with a gas or electric drive.  So its all equal.  The lighter the "thing" is, the further and quicker it can go using the same per unit if energy.  Braking is the same, you need to stop every pound of weight since it has forward motion and it takes longer to stop every extra pound.