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[Doug S]

Long story short, thoughts on the sufficiency of a 34hp Zero S ZF6.5?

I'm a little concerned that your dealer's demo is an SR. When you throw a leg over that bike, especially if your friends have been using terms like "weak" and "wimpy", it's going to be an eye-opening experience, and one that the S just won't give you, especially the 6.5. Due to the smaller battery, it can't put out as much current, so it doesn't have as much horsepower or, the thing you'll get addicted to on your first taste, torque.

Seriously consider the SR. Sure, it's pricier. But I'd be willing to bet there isn't an SR owner out there who wishes he'd bought an S, and there are a fair number of S buyers who wish they'd stepped up. Remember the only upgrade path is to buy another one.

[Shadow]

...I'd be willing to bet there isn't an SR owner out there who wishes he'd bought an S, and there are a fair number of S buyers who wish they'd stepped up. Remember the only upgrade path is to buy another one.

I agree the 2016 DSR feels quicker than the 2016 S, and enough so that I think a 2016 S is not interesting to spend money on. However if you offered to trade me a 2017 (or newer) DS for my 2016 DSR, I would probably agree because it has some refinements that I want with the firmware upgrade and also the insurance rates are much lower.

[atldinan3]

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[Richard230]

I have been happy with the power of my 2014 S.  It has plenty of power and torque for my usage and I don't think I have ever needed to use full throttle on my bike.

[atldinan3]

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[cep55]

Also, if you ride the SR, Eco mode might be somewhat helpful in getting an idea of how lower torque feels in the S/SR form.

I don't know how Eco mode on the SR translates to the response of the S 6.5, but my dealer said it would give me some sense of it, and that the S 6.5 was more spirited than the SR's Eco.

[mrwilsn]

Seriously consider the SR. Sure, it's pricier.

MSRP of a S ZF13 is $14k and an SR ZF13 is $16k....so....yeah....pricier.  But an S ZF6.5 is only $11k....that's a big jump from $11k to $16k.  Although, I agree that if you can afford it then the SR is the way to go.

So I'm stuck with the S ZF6.5.

What about a used bike?  You can find a good deal on 2014-2016 bikes.  I'm going to be listing a Black 2014 Zero S ZF11.4 in the next week for less than a 2017 Zero S ZF6.5 as soon as I can finish detailing it and take some fresh pics.  Battery warranty is good through August 2019 and if the battery does ever get replaced under warranty Zero seems to replace with whatever the latest battery is they have laying around....in other words....if they replaced the battery under warranty today it would get a ZF13.

Is this an apples-to-apples comparison?  Comparing the riding experience of your 14.2 kWh S to a 6.5 kWh S?  (a genuine question, not a smarty-pants remark)

This also leads me to the question of: What is the effective difference between an S ZF6.5 and a ZF13.0? In terms of throttle response. (not interested in charge times, distance, etc for the purposes of this question)

Not apples-to-apples but illustrates that you don't need SR performance to get a bike that is a lot of fun to ride.

Between a ZF6.5 and ZF13....ZF6.5 is ~100lbs lighter so even though it has less power it's still going to be a sporty bike.  I haven't ridden a ZF6.5 and Zero doesn't list 0-60 times anymore so it's hard to say how much different they will be but I think the ZF6.5 will be a fun bike to ride.  The biggest issue you will run into is that your quick new electric bike won't feel as quick after about a week....but that will be true even if you get an SR....still just as fast but you lose that new feeling and the acceleration becomes 'normal' feeling even though you will still leave every ICE standing still at a light.....literally before ICE drivers can even react to the light change and move their foot from the brake to the gas and start rolling you will already be a block away and accelerating with a big grin on your face.

One other thing to keep in mind is resale value....an S ZF6.5 will be harder to sell than an S ZF13 or SR ZF13 since most people want the bigger battery and most that don't will go for an FX or FXS.  Although, Zero probably won't sell many of them so maybe when one does go for sale used there will be people waiting for one??

[Shadow]

The SR is just too far out of the price range to consider.  I'm already 300% over-budget for what was supposed to be a small side project/toy.  Even the ZF13.0 will be too far.  So I'm stuck with the S ZF6.5. Which I'm still hopeful will be totally suitable.

Also consider a used bike with larger battery to compare with. I really think an EV motorbike should be minimum 16kWh for the best rider experience but that's just not where the technology is today yet.

I checked the dealer site and see that they have a DS ZF6.5. I'm not interested in dual-sports, and the seat height is waay to high for my meager inseam-challenged 5'10" self. However, perhaps it will give me a realistic glimpse into how the lower-power bike feels.  Seem realistic?

Yes. The DS is identical riding position to the S, just rides a little taller because of suspension, and so there is more aerodynamic drag on the DS over the S. You can ride an S down and up concrete stairs, and the DS you can ride right over a concrete wall, they're both very capable. "Hands off" the S is very stable and I would trust it in corners more than the DS, but on straights at speed I have no worry about the DS. The DS can unload its suspension pretty quickly if you're trying to save it from a low-speed tip over, where the S you can kind of just grab it and that point of no return is not as sudden.

[Richard230]

I have been happy with the power of my 2014 S.  It has plenty of power and torque for my usage and I don't think I have ever needed to use full throttle on my bike.

Is this an apples-to-apples comparison?  Comparing the riding experience of your 14.2 kWh S to a 6.5 kWh S?  (a genuine question, not a smarty-pants remark)

This also leads me to the question of: What is the effective difference between an S ZF6.5 and a ZF13.0? In terms of throttle response. (not interested in charge times, distance, etc for the purposes of this question)

Thx!

I can't answer your question as I have never even seen a ZF6.5, much less ridden one. I should point out that I use my Zero as a replacement for local trips to locations where I might normally drive my car.  I use the Zero strictly for transportation, not for entertainment, although I do enjoy riding the bike and I also appreciate that it costs only about 2 cents a mile to ride.  I don't ride my motorcycles unless I have somewhere to go.

[NEW2elec]

Hi Atldinan3.  From your screen name and looking at Bluemoon I take it your here in Atlanta.
I'm on the south side with a 2013 DS that I bought from a private seller over two years and 10,000 miles ago.
If your looking to go on any Atlanta interstate you want an R bike, if not others will get the "job" done but if motorcycle riding really appeals to you than you will be addicted to these bikes quickly.
I'm not a fan of the 6.5 bikes because in my opinion you will out grow the power and range limits and have a hard time finding a buyer with the same "limited" needs of a 6.5 battery to resale it.
There are 2015 SRs that have sold for around $11,000 not too long ago and I'll give you fair warning there is about a $3000 value drop when you ride a new bike off the lot (based on the R price).
That being said I'm your height and by lowering my forks so that 1 inch is above the clamp my DS fits me just fine, and the DS forks and rear spring are more forgiving on bad roads.
Since price is an issue I'd really look at the used market and just add the price of shipping (about $500) you will make out better in the long run.
Good luck.

[grandpa]

There are a fair number of S buyers who wish they'd stepped up.

I'm one of them

[Doug S]

I just had to chime in again. Obviously there are a lot of us who have been very taken with the performance-oriented Zeros, and will give them up when you pry them from our cold, dead fingers. But, of course, there are always budget concerns.

My best advice is to throw a leg over them before making up your mind, either about what performance level is sufficient for you, or about your budget. Costs are relative and value is relative, as well. In motorcycling just like life in general, you can't make an educated decision without understanding the subject matter. Give them a ride, then you can make an informed decision.

[MrDude_1]

If I was buying a cheaper zero than the SR.. I would probably go with the supermoto. Tons of fun, cheaper and light.
at least test ride one.. they will have the battery/controller sized closer than demoing a SR.