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[zoeloe14]

I wanna buy a zero sr in januari but recently saw this crash and i'm i little bit scared about not having traction control because off the high torque.

Does anyone has had this happened to ? or is this just something that happens rarely ?

Don't want to let this happen to me lol.

[Doug S]

People crash bikes all the time, for all different reasons. You're no more or less likely to crash on a Zero than on any other bike. Yes, the bikes have instant torque available at all times, but it's not going to cause you to crash unless you use it wrong. Personally, I think that once you get used to it, the total predictability of the Zero's performance probably makes it easier to AVOID crashing, if you ride it reasonably and get used to it before cracking the throttle wide open.

Take a test ride. Like you should with any bike, get used to it before jerking the throttle wide open, slamming on the brakes, or doing any other wild maneuvers. Respect the machine and it'll respect you.

[NEW2elec]

Bad things happen to bad riders and even good riders sometimes.
No one can say it will never happen to you or anyone else but it's pretty rare outside of bad road conditions (wet or gravel or oil) or people trying to ride them like they are a super sport bikes which they are not.
In that video you see he is slowing down and raising up since the lead bike is slowing.  He is putting his left foot out and I can't tell if it makes road contact or not.  That is a move for a sharp turn / slide in dirt bikes so the back end coming around is just what a dirt bike would do.

I hope the guy is ok and though the torque may have helped spin it around I think it was mostly rider error.

[Shadow]

Set the bike in ECO mode if you expect to be cornering and the road surface isn't what you'd like it to be, no extra worries. The performance in ECO mode is very predictable and you can recover traction most times with add or remove throttle because regenerative braking in ECO mode is applied when removing throttle.

In 38,000mi+ of riding a 2016 Zero DSR in snow, rain, mud, pavement, there's been maybe a dozen moments where I broke front and rear traction, rear traction, front traction, and all the times I went down (until a collision with a  wrong-way pickup truck at an intersection totaling the bike) were 5mph or less just hanging out or trying to do something and then tipping over.  Breaking front and rear traction is obviously game-over but I was still close enough inline (on a straight section of pavement) at the end of the loss of traction when I regained traction that I recovered with only some violent gyroscopic and steering oscillations - puckered for sure that was scary.

The guy in that video is obviously okay, just from the looks of it maybe some broken or dislocations but didn't impact anything and was wearing a full faced helmet and track suit.

I can only add to that to wear protective gear. I always suited up (Aerostich Roadcrafter + Schuberth C3 Pro) and in the crash recently that totaled my 2016 DSR that safety gear is why I'm still alive to write a reply.

[gyrocyclist]

People crash bikes all the time, for all different reasons. You're no more or less likely to crash on a Zero than on any other bike.

I think it mostly depends on your riding style. If you like to go really fast in the twisties, sooner or later you're likely to come around a blind curve and go "oh S--t" (for any number of reasons) and find yourself on the ground. I ride conservatively for several reasons. I'm 61 and don't heal as fast as I used to. I've hit the pavement on a bicycle a few  times, and don't want to do the same at moto speeds. I don't wear as much protective gear as I should; always a ful-face helmet and jacket with armor -- but below the belt just off-the-rack Levis.

[domingo3]

I wouldn't let that video or lack of traction control stop you from getting a Zero.  The throttle response is very smooth and predictable on Zero bikes.  The only time that I crashed was 100% my fault.  The bike was new to me, and I just twisted the throttle all the way open as I turned the corner after a stop sign.  The instant torque spun the wheel up way faster than I could react and I was practically on the ground by the time I knew what happened.  Obvious lesson learned is to respect the bike and even though I continue to ride it pretty hard, I haven't come close to losing traction in the two years since.

[JaimeC]

As I CONSTANTLY remind riders who complain about motorcycles NOT having traction control (not just Zeros):  The throttle has an INFINITE number of settings between full off and full on.  Traction issues happen when the rider does not know how to properly modulate the system.  The throttle is NOT the same thing as the brake.  One never grabs a fistful of throttle as a "panic response" like they do with the brakes.

Riders have to learn to recognize low traction situations and adjust their riding accordingly.  Cold weather will cause you to have less traction than hot weather (I found this out myself painfully years ago) so you don't go riding at full-honk in the winter.  Wet roads don't have the same traction as dry roads, and it is especially bad when the rain first starts falling.

Those white markings in the road?  Those are generally painted with a TEFLON-based paint so dirt won't stick to them.  Neither will your tires and they are especially treacherous in the rain no matter how long the rain has been falling.

Metal grates and manhole covers as well as the metal tracks on railroad crossing also have poor traction no matter the weather conditions.  These are all situations riders have had to deal with for DECADES.  All the "traction control" you really need is entirely at your command in your right wrist.  Practice, practice, practice! 

[BamBam]

I agree with Domingo3.  I've had my Zero slid out from me twice (once on my FXS and once on my DSR) at very low speed due to loss of traction and both times it was my fault.  Both times the weather was on the chilly side and the road was damp/wet.  I gave the bike too much throttle for the road conditions and down I went.  Fortunately no injuries except a bruised shoulder the second time.  I was wearing full riding gear both times.

The moral of the story is be very carefull when the tires and road are cold and wet.  I was running on the stock tires.

[DonTom]

I wanna buy a zero sr in januari but recently saw this crash and i'm i little bit scared about not having traction control because off the high torque.

Not much of an issue, depending on how you ride.  Besides, you can always use the custom mode and reduce the percentage of max torque to anything you feel safe with.

-Don-  Cold Springs Valley, NV

[zoeloe14]

thx all for the answers, really nice to have so much help here

I guess youre all right that it is mostly youre riding style that causes such crashes.

Feeling a lot more convinced now to order a zero. cant wait till it's januari to have my own.

[ESokoloff]

I wanna buy a zero sr in januari but recently saw this crash and i'm i little bit scared about not having traction control because off the high torque.

Does anyone has had this happened to ? or is this just something that happens rarely ?

Don't want to let this happen to me lol.

Yes & yes in my experience (1.5 years, 21k miles).

I've had the rear step out on several occasions the first being on my ride home from picking up the bike
I attribute these half dozen or so incidents to inexperience (previous bike had a much lower power to weight ratio), tire profile, & tire temperature.
My lightly used DSR came with slightly squared profile tires that were not optimal for aggressive street usage.
I was able to keep the bike under control each time.
However, I have had the front wash out once while rounding an intersection & hitting wet'ish paint markings. Likely I applied front brake & the slide was too fast for ABS to help out so attribute to rider error.
This resulted in a test of the right Factory Drop Bar.
It did its job (tho lost a bit of wall thickness as well as bending the top mounting bolt & also slightly distorting the skid plate (all but tube wall thickness repaired)).



If you study the video carefully you'll see evidence of Wet surface (headlight reflecting off wet asphalt. In the last/crash corner, the camera bike slows way down but not the Zero.
While still in the corner, the Zero rider applies too much go grip which yields the Low, then High Side.

It would be nice to have traction control & likely one day it will be offered (if not standard) but for now it's up to you the rider to manage your risks.
As others have pointed out, there are different modes in which to operate the machine.
Eco is by default very limiting & Custom is user configurable.

[DanielCoffey]

Zoeloe14 - you can also use the Zero App to modify the Custom profile to reduce the setting for Torque to lower than even the Eco mode. I believe Eco defaults to 40%, Sport has it set to 100% and you have one Custom profile to play with.

While most folks use the Custom profile to alter the coast and braking settings for regeneration, I decided to use my Custom as a 30% Torque mode while I got used to the bike. I am a new rider and like many older bikers, don't bounce as well as I used to so I wanted a safer experience with the bike while I was still green.

[BamBam]

I would like to offer a few comments regarding the use of Eco mode.   On my 2017 DSR anyway, I find that the throttle response in Eco mode is so reduced that it makes the bike unsafe to ride.  To me Eco mode is essentially useless except in a very specific situation and then only for a very short duration.

[heroto]

Instant torque induced crashes on mildly slick surfaces are a real issue with Zeros.
Plenty of reports in this forum. Mostly low speed stuff, never knew what happened. These are experienced riders, too. The instantaneous torque of an electric simply does not compare with the slower rising torque of an ICE that an experienced rider can manage.
Not a deal killer for Zero, but it is an issue.

BMW has traction control on their electric scooter.

The HD Live Wire will have TC AND cornering ABS. A full on modern motorcycle.

[heroto]

I would like to offer a few comments regarding the use of Eco mode.   On my 2017 DSR anyway, I find that the throttle response in Eco mode is so reduced that it makes the bike unsafe to ride.  To me Eco mode is essentially useless except in a very specific situation and then only for a very short duration.

Yep. Not ideal in any kind of traffic.