ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Straightedg4lif on February 13, 2015, 10:01:36 PM
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Hello all, new to this forum and was hoping to get some opinions on the new Zero S. I have wanted one for a couple of years but wanted to wait until they had ABS. Now it seems like I am ready to pull the trigger come spring! I currently ride a non electric bike (Aprilia Mana) and like it a lot but since I am only 5'3 the bike is a little heavy for me. My questions are has anyone lowered their Zero bikes, and if so how low can it go? Plus has anyone taken a Zero S on the highway? I wanted to know how it faired with the flow of traffic and if anyone would recommend going on the highway with it or sticking to back roads? I look forward to any and all replies thank you for your time!
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I just got mine one week ago (SR) - I cannot recommend it enough. The thing is just amazing.
As far as lowering the bike - I dont' have experience with that, but the 2015 seat is an inch or so lower than the 2012. Have you sat on one of the new bikes? I'm 5' 7" and I can easily put both feet flat on the ground. I have a buddy that is about your height - he wears some nice riding boots and he can also reach the ground - no problem.
Freeway? Are you kidding? This electric monster was made for the freeway! With more torque than most sport bikes you will have more than enough acceleration and speed for the freeway. If you are making a longer ride you can switch from 'Sport' mode to 'Eco' mode on the fly and cruise in the slow lane, knowing that you can switch back to 'Sport' mode any time you need it.
Have you decided on the 'S' vs. the 'SR' for sure? It took me awhile to decide, but in the end I went with the 'SR' and I'm glad I did. Even at age 54 it turns out that I'm still 'young at heart' ;-)
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Be sure to sit on the bike first. The seat is going to be tall for you.
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Definitely take that bike on the highway. The smooth roll on of torque means that you have a lot of maneuverability in traffic situations and no stress about what gear you're in.
As for weight, it'll depend on how much battery capacity you opt for. Looking at the specs page (http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/specs.php), it seems like 375-450 lbs is the range. I think the power tank brings up the center of gravity a bit, but generally I've found Zeros to be pretty low-centered.
If you're wondering how well it goes high speed, well, it does it with less complaint than any gas bike will. It's actually too easy to speed when you get the urge. :p
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One unique thing about highway traffic with this bike is merging or "slotting in" with traffic.
You can come off or on a ramp and just pick where you want to slot in and throttle on. It isn't hard at all. I commute about 53 miles every day on the highway at 75mph and it is a great ride. I have to be careful not to speed though as it is so easy to do.
The bike feels like a ninja 250 in weight since most of the weight is low to the ground and well centered. Your main issue will be lowering the bike. You will likely have to replace the rear shock with a shorter one and or raise the forks in the triple tree. My bike was previously used for racing and has the DS shock and front forks. The forks however are slid up / down in the triple tree to adjust height. I am not sure how much you could do this on a stock bike as my S forks are off the bike in a box ;)
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I just got mine one week ago (SR) - I cannot recommend it enough. The thing is just amazing.
As far as lowering the bike - I dont' have experience with that, but the 2015 seat is an inch or so lower than the 2012. Have you sat on one of the new bikes? I'm 5' 7" and I can easily put both feet flat on the ground. I have a buddy that is about your height - he wears some nice riding boots and he can also reach the ground - no problem.
Freeway? Are you kidding? This electric monster was made for the freeway! With more torque than most sport bikes you will have more than enough acceleration and speed for the freeway. If you are making a longer ride you can switch from 'Sport' mode to 'Eco' mode on the fly and cruise in the slow lane, knowing that you can switch back to 'Sport' mode any time you need it.
Have you decided on the 'S' vs. the 'SR' for sure? It took me awhile to decide, but in the end I went with the 'SR' and I'm glad I did. Even at age 54 it turns out that I'm still 'young at heart' ;-)
I haven't yet sat on one of the bikes. I plan to do so in the near future just wanted to get some advice since the bikes are a bit costly!
I decided on the S for the fact that I do not like the color red! I wish it came in all black but since I am only riding for pleasure not for commuting I think the S will be just fine for me. I am coming from an 850cc bike and that was why I was asking about the highway. I want to make sure it will keep up with all the speed demons out there.
Thanks for responding to my questions.
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One unique thing about highway traffic with this bike is merging or "slotting in" with traffic.
You can come off or on a ramp and just pick where you want to slot in and throttle on. It isn't hard at all. I commute about 53 miles every day on the highway at 75mph and it is a great ride. I have to be careful not to speed though as it is so easy to do.
The bike feels like a ninja 250 in weight since most of the weight is low to the ground and well centered. Your main issue will be lowering the bike. You will likely have to replace the rear shock with a shorter one and or raise the forks in the triple tree. My bike was previously used for racing and has the DS shock and front forks. The forks however are slid up / down in the triple tree to adjust height. I am not sure how much you could do this on a stock bike as my S forks are off the bike in a box ;)
The reason I was asking about the highway was because I was emailing a rep from Zero and he said that he has ridden the S quite a bit but not on the highway. He felt that it would not be able to keep up with the traffic and I have heard conflicting things on that and wanted to hear what actual riders have to say about it. I appreciate your input!
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One unique thing about highway traffic with this bike is merging or "slotting in" with traffic.
You can come off or on a ramp and just pick where you want to slot in and throttle on. It isn't hard at all. I commute about 53 miles every day on the highway at 75mph and it is a great ride. I have to be careful not to speed though as it is so easy to do.
The Zero is maybe the best bike in the world at "slotting in". I do this every day. You can just dial in exactly how you want to come in and the bike executes it perfectly.
The reason I was asking about the highway was because I was emailing a rep from Zero and he said that he has ridden the S quite a bit but not on the highway. He felt that it would not be able to keep up with the traffic and I have heard conflicting things on that and wanted to hear what actual riders have to say about it. I appreciate your input!
A Zero rep probably lives near SF's South Bay area where highway speeds are really high (80+mph sometimes) and that speed can make the bike's range pretty short. Also, high speeds in hot temperatures after a while can start to overheat the motor which will cause the bike to self-limit; I think the 2015 lower cowling will reduce that somewhat since it improves airflow, though.
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One unique thing about highway traffic with this bike is merging or "slotting in" with traffic.
You can come off or on a ramp and just pick where you want to slot in and throttle on. It isn't hard at all. I commute about 53 miles every day on the highway at 75mph and it is a great ride. I have to be careful not to speed though as it is so easy to do.
The Zero is maybe the best bike in the world at "slotting in". I do this every day. You can just dial in exactly how you want to come in and the bike executes it perfectly.
The reason I was asking about the highway was because I was emailing a rep from Zero and he said that he has ridden the S quite a bit but not on the highway. He felt that it would not be able to keep up with the traffic and I have heard conflicting things on that and wanted to hear what actual riders have to say about it. I appreciate your input!
A Zero rep probably lives near SF's South Bay area where highway speeds are really high (80+mph sometimes) and that speed can make the bike's range pretty short. Also, high speeds in hot temperatures after a while can start to overheat the motor which will cause the bike to self-limit; I think the 2015 lower cowling will reduce that somewhat since it improves airflow, though.
Thanks for your reply. I live in the Philadelphia area so should be fine on the highway, and really don't travel that much on it but wanted to make sure it was a possibility.
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I'm about as tall as you, and can sit on the bike comfortably. I can flat one foot with the other on the peg. Can't quite get both feet flat at the same time though. I didn't bother lowering it.
Now screw anyone that says this isn't a highway bike, or that it's just for getting around the city. The Zero S is simply perfect for highway commuting! I'm nearing 14,000 mostly highway miles with this thing, and it has been more capable than my previously owned BMW F800R. You have max torque and instant response at ANY speed up to 95 mph, without the hassle of down-shifting and building revs to get it. This bike can coast at around 60, 70, 80, maybe 90 mph. Although, overheating may occur on warmer days the harder you push the bike.
If you could find a better highway commuter, I would love to hear about it!
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I'm about as tall as you, and can sit on the bike comfortably. I can flat one foot with the other on the peg. Can't quite get both feet flat at the same time though. I didn't bother lowering it.
Now screw anyone that says this isn't a highway bike, or that it's just for getting around the city. The Zero S is simply perfect for highway commuting! I'm nearing 14,000 mostly highway miles with this thing, and it has been more capable than my previously owned BMW F800R. You have max torque and instant response at ANY speed up to 95 mph, without the hassle of down-shifting and building revs to get it. This bike can coast at around 60, 70, 80, maybe 90 mph. Although, overheating may occur on warmer days the harder you push the bike.
If you could find a better highway commuter, I would love to hear about it!
Thanks that is exactly what I wanted to hear! Do you know how quick the bike is likely to overheat? If you are going normal mph like 45-55? Will it overheat then or only if you are pushing it 80-90 mph?
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Other than making sure you're not in ECO mode, it has no problem on the highway. ECO will likely just speed limit you to 70mph so you may still be happy but I like having the extra there if needed so used sport mode on the highway. I've only test ridden the S a couple of times at this point but made it a point to get it on the highway for a bit and feel how it rode. It did great. Now I have a SR on order. Like you, I wish the SR had an all black option but just had to go for the extra power the SR provided.
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Zero claims that the "sustained" top speed is 80 MPH - I haven't tried riding mine at that speed for very long, so I haven't seen the speed limiter come on.
I did, however, push it to 100 MPH the other day - just for a second though - don't want to go back to jail ;-)
The 2012 bikes had a "sustained" top speed of 75 MPH. If I rode my 2012 at 80 MPH for more than five minutes or so the temperature warning light would light up and the speed limiter would come on - slowing you down to 75 MPH. But if you slow down to the speed limit for just a few seconds the temp would decrease and the warning light would turn back off.
I'm hoping to do some riding this weekend to see how the 2015 SR behaves in various situations.
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The reason I was asking about the highway was because I was emailing a rep from Zero and he said that he has ridden the S quite a bit but not on the highway. He felt that it would not be able to keep up with the traffic and I have heard conflicting things on that and wanted to hear what actual riders have to say about it. I appreciate your input!
As you can see from my signature my 2013 is slightly modified. It is basically a SR and it has no problem going fast ;) I have about 6k miles on it in mostly fall / winter riding and haven't had a chance to ride it in summer yet. By then I hope my vetter fairing is in place helping me push my range farther.
Now having said that and owning a geared down ninja 250 I can tell you it is perfectly fine to run slower than traffic around you. I have 50k+ commuting miles under my belt in the DC metropolitan area and never had an issue with going slower than the traffic around me. In fact it tends to create a huge open area in front of me and behind me.
I could see where you could tack on some custom air vents to direct more flow toward the motor if you are worried about it overheating. You can also gear it for speed using the 25/98 gearing I think and it will lower the rpm at 80 increasing your top sustained speed if I recall. My bike goes about 75mph at 4krpm with the higher gearing.
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Other than making sure you're not in ECO mode, it has no problem on the highway. ECO will likely just speed limit you to 70mph so you may still be happy but I like having the extra there if needed so used sport mode on the highway. I've only test ridden the S a couple of times at this point but made it a point to get it on the highway for a bit and feel how it rode. It did great. Now I have a SR on order. Like you, I wish the SR had an all black option but just had to go for the extra power the SR provided.
Have you ridden the SR at all yet? I know it has more power, but just can't get over the red color...ugh! I feel for what I intend to do that the S will probably be good enough for me. Now this might seem like a dumb question but what is the S like in comparison to CC's? And the same question for the SR? I know it probably doesn't convert but I was wondering if there is a way to compare in any way.
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The S has plenty of power for highway!
I had a Suzuki DRZ400S before (400CC four stroke). OFC it's not the same style of bike at all but we can compare the acceleration. The DRZ was slower, but not by that much. A good driver can get 6 sec 0-60 mph. The S is doing 5.2, no matter how the driver's ability are.
I used my S a few times on the highway, reaching 145 km/h for quick passing. Much easier than my previous DRZ.
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Have you ridden the SR at all yet? I know it has more power, but just can't get over the red color...ugh! I feel for what I intend to do that the S will probably be good enough for me. Now this might seem like a dumb question but what is the S like in comparison to CC's? And the same question for the SR? I know it probably doesn't convert but I was wondering if there is a way to compare in any way.
No, haven't ridden the SR yet. Just figured I wouldn't be upset with a little more power. I'm sure the S would have done me just fine for my intended purpose of around town errands and commuting to work. Red isn't my favorite either but I'll live with it.
As far as comparing I think you should pay more attention to the torque specs since torque gives you your acceleration. The SR has more torque than a 600cc sport bike as does the S it looks like.
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As far as comparing I think you should pay more attention to the torque specs since torque gives you your acceleration. The SR has more torque than a 600cc sport bike as does the S it looks like.
Don't forget that that discussion is complicated by the fact that ICE bikes have gearboxes, which gives them a low gear with a lot lower (higher numerically) ratio than the single fixed gear on the Zeros. So although the ENGINE may not be putting out as much torque as the motor on our bikes, because of torque multiplication in low gears, it's possible for them to put more to the ground. That's why a Hayabusa can pretty easily spin its rear tire, where an SR can't, even though the 'Busa is heavier, uses a lot wider tire and doesn't put out as much raw torque as the SR does. The Hayabusa's torque is multiplied by a (numerically) higher gear ratio before it gets to the rear wheel.
That said, the SR leaps LIVELY from standstill, can easily out-roll-on just about any vehicle on the freeway, and will just generally put a grin on your face wherever you take it. Anybody who thinks an S, let alone an SR, isn't capable of freeway performance...well, they just haven't ridden one. Your dealer needs to throw a leg over the product he sells if he wants to have any clue what he's talking about.
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That said, the SR leaps LIVELY from standstill, can easily out-roll-on just about any vehicle on the freeway, and will just generally put a grin on your face wherever you take it. Anybody who thinks an S, let alone an SR, isn't capable of freeway performance...well, they just haven't ridden one. Your dealer needs to throw a leg over the product he sells if he wants to have any clue what he's talking about.
I know I had a big grin on my face both times I went out for some extended test rides. Really looking forward to delivery of mine. Just got confirmation from my dealer that ZERO has the order. Only other things I've been told is not shipping before the end of this month though so I still have a bit of waiting ahead.
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Thanks that is exactly what I wanted to hear! Do you know how quick the bike is likely to overheat? If you are going normal mph like 45-55? Will it overheat then or only if you are pushing it 80-90 mph?
I've only ever gotten the "overheat" indicator to blink at me twice. Once was when I was cruising 70-80 mph in 100° F weather for maybe 15 miles. Another when it was 80°+ F outside. Forgot how fast I was going, but had to decelerate to about 70 mph to get the blinking to go away. I never got the warning when cruising anywhere under 70 mph.
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Thanks that is exactly what I wanted to hear! Do you know how quick the bike is likely to overheat? If you are going normal mph like 45-55? Will it overheat then or only if you are pushing it 80-90 mph?
I've only ever gotten the "overheat" indicator to blink at me twice. Once was when I was cruising 70-80 mph in 100° F weather for maybe 15 miles. Another when it was 80°+ F outside. Forgot how fast I was going, but had to decelerate to about 70 mph to get the blinking to go away. I never got the warning when cruising anywhere under 70 mph.
Thanks was just wondering about it. I appreciate you telling me about your experience!
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What made everyone make the switch to electric? For me it is the practically no maintenance needed since I am not mechanically inclined in the least. I still have not ridden one but look forward to the day real soon!
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What made everyone make the switch to electric? For me it is the practically no maintenance needed since I am not mechanically inclined in the least. I still have not ridden one but look forward to the day real soon!
I like that it is quiet, requires almost no maintenance (especially compared with my BMWs), I don't have to visit a gas station and smell HC and get fuel on my hands, I don't have to watch gas prices go up and down, I like the lack of vibration and the feeling of the broad torque from an electric motor. What is not to like, other than the initial cost, limited range and the time it takes to recharge?
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What made everyone make the switch to electric?
Lower maintenance was the big draw for me, and the fact that my touring bike is just bulky for commuting and not happy going up and down the hills here in Seattle. I also don't keep a car, so for me, motorcycles have to be very utilitarian.
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What made everyone make the switch to electric? For me it is the practically no maintenance needed since I am not mechanically inclined in the least. I still have not ridden one but look forward to the day real soon!
I like that it is quiet, requires almost no maintenance (especially compared with my BMWs), I don't have to visit a gas station and smell HC and get fuel on my hands, I don't have to watch gas prices go up and down, I like the lack of vibration and the feeling of the broad torque from an electric motor. What is not to like, other than the initial cost, limited range and the time it takes to recharge?
Exactly what he said!
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What made everyone make the switch to electric? For me it is the practically no maintenance needed since I am not mechanically inclined in the least. I still have not ridden one but look forward to the day real soon!
I like that it is quiet, requires almost no maintenance (especially compared with my BMWs), I don't have to visit a gas station and smell HC and get fuel on my hands, I don't have to watch gas prices go up and down, I like the lack of vibration and the feeling of the broad torque from an electric motor. What is not to like, other than the initial cost, limited range and the time it takes to recharge?
Exactly what he said!
I know you said you have the SR on order, just wondering what kind of deal you got if you don't mind me asking?
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Straightedg4lif,
If you had an Aprilia Mana GT 850 you will find the SR to be more powerful. I had a 2010 Mana GT and there is no question the SR will be faster. As others have said here the SR will cruise comfortably at 80 MPH. Battery life isn't real great at those speeds but there is no question it will do it. In fact if you try to pass someone quickly who is doing 50 MPH in a 55 MPH zone it is pretty easy to get the SR up to 90 MPH or better before you get back in your own lane again. The 2014 SR did have a motor temperature sensor that wasn't calibrated correctly and it gave a lot of false warnings about what the motor temp really was. Maybe they have fixed this on the 2015s though. To check simply check the motor temp first thing in the morning after it has been parked all night. If the motor temp is close to the ambient temp then problem has been fixed. Mine reads about 18 degrees above the temp in my garage.
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Straightedg4lif,
If you had an Aprilia Mana GT 850 you will find the SR to be more powerful. I had a 2010 Mana GT and there is no question the SR will be faster. As others have said here the SR will cruise comfortably at 80 MPH. Battery life isn't real great at those speeds but there is no question it will do it. In fact if you try to pass someone quickly who is doing 50 MPH in a 55 MPH zone it is pretty easy to get the SR up to 90 MPH or better before you get back in your own lane again. The 2014 SR did have a motor temperature sensor that wasn't calibrated correctly and it gave a lot of false warnings about what the motor temp really was. Maybe they have fixed this on the 2015s though. To check simply check the motor temp first thing in the morning after it has been parked all night. If the motor temp is close to the ambient temp then problem has been fixed. Mine reads about 18 degrees above the temp in my garage.
Thanks ultrarnr, I do like the SR but as I said earlier in my post I hate the red! Also I don't think I can justify paying that much more for the SR, when I only cruise around town on the weekends with weather permitting. I am on my third bike with the Kawasaki Ninja 250 being my first and then an automatic Chinese motorcycle, since I did not like shifting at all! With my current bike being the Mana 850, I like it quite a bit, but want something a little lighter and a lot less maintenance in the long run. I appreciate the temperature sensor issue you remarked on and will make sure to check that out when I go to purchase my Zero.
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Why people hate red? Red is faster ;)
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Hi,
I've been lurking for a while, but I'm sure you can change the plastics to change the colour - as I did to my KTM 690 SMC (shortly to become a Zero).
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/679735/Bike/Zero/IMG_0538%20copy%202.jpg)
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If anyone doesn't mind sharing what was the OTD price for your Zero, where are your from and what model did you get? I am from Philadelphia and am looking into the Zero S as per the subject... but wanted to see what some deals are to be had out there. Also are Zero sellers willing to negotiate at all or are you pretty much going to have to pay sticker? Thanks for all who respond!
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I paid $19,240 OTD, which included set-up and delivery fees, DMV fees, electronic filing fees, 9% state sales tax, and who knows what else on top of the manufacturer's list price for my 2014 Zero S and "power tank". I had pre-ordered my bike and I knew from previous experience with my dealer that I was not going to get a discount on their price for the bike. But then, I don't know of any motorcycle dealer in the SF Bay Area that will give a discount on a new model, only on a previous year's left-over bike that they can't sell otherwise. With our beautiful weather and high salaries, the local motorcycle dealers don't have to lower their prices to sell bikes. In fact many of them add "extra dealer profit" to the MSRP and get it on the newest popular models. :(
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My 2014 S with Power tank cost me $20,842.28 on 3rd May 2014 in Stuart, Florida. It included the wind screen and Givi luggage box. Just like Richard, I had pre-ordered and got the bike after 4 weeks. I have enjoyed just over 8K miles of gas free commuting. Except for a few weeks down time due to a bad throttle assembly needing replacement, and the nagging squeaking at low speeds , no other issues. Now that they have been out for a while and the 2015 models are available, perhaps you may get a lower price. Good luck.
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I am only 5'3 the bike is a little heavy for me. My questions are has anyone lowered their Zero bikes, and if so how low can it go?
You might want to sit on the bike and take it for an extended ride in stop-and-go traffic so you get a feel for the height of the bike.
At 5'5/ 5'6, I can touch the ground with both feet - not quite completely flat, but solid enough to be well balanced. That being said, I have always wanted a lower seat, just to feel a little more safe/in-control.
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I am only 5'3 the bike is a little heavy for me. My questions are has anyone lowered their Zero bikes, and if so how low can it go?
You might want to sit on the bike and take it for an extended ride in stop-and-go traffic so you get a feel for the height of the bike.
At 5'5/ 5'6, I can touch the ground with both feet - not quite completely flat, but solid enough to be well balanced. That being said, I have always wanted a lower seat, just to feel a little more safe/in-control.
I will definitely take the bike for a ride, and will look into getting it lowered. The Zero rep said it can be lowered about an inch with the shock and I can always shave the seat down to get it even lower. Even though I am only 5'3 I have an inseam of 30 inches so hopefully with doing those two things I can get it where I need it to be. Also with the bike weighing less than my current bike I will feel a lot more safe as well.
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I am only 5'3 the bike is a little heavy for me. My questions are has anyone lowered their Zero bikes, and if so how low can it go?
You might want to sit on the bike and take it for an extended ride in stop-and-go traffic so you get a feel for the height of the bike.
At 5'5/ 5'6, I can touch the ground with both feet - not quite completely flat, but solid enough to be well balanced. That being said, I have always wanted a lower seat, just to feel a little more safe/in-control.
I will definitely take the bike for a ride, and will look into getting it lowered. The Zero rep said it can be lowered about an inch with the shock and I can always shave the seat down to get it even lower. Even though I am only 5'3 I have an inseam of 30 inches so hopefully with doing those two things I can get it where I need it to be. Also with the bike weighing less than my current bike I will feel a lot more safe as well.
My inseam is also 30" and I have no problem placing both feet on the ground at a stop on my 2014 S.
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I am only 5'3 the bike is a little heavy for me. My questions are has anyone lowered their Zero bikes, and if so how low can it go?
You might want to sit on the bike and take it for an extended ride in stop-and-go traffic so you get a feel for the height of the bike.
At 5'5/ 5'6, I can touch the ground with both feet - not quite completely flat, but solid enough to be well balanced. That being said, I have always wanted a lower seat, just to feel a little more safe/in-control.
I will definitely take the bike for a ride, and will look into getting it lowered. The Zero rep said it can be lowered about an inch with the shock and I can always shave the seat down to get it even lower. Even though I am only 5'3 I have an inseam of 30 inches so hopefully with doing those two things I can get it where I need it to be. Also with the bike weighing less than my current bike I will feel a lot more safe as well.
My inseam is also 30" and I have no problem placing both feet on the ground at a stop on my 2014 S.
That is great to hear! I always hated how all the bikes out there are not made for the vertically challenged. I have never sat on a bike and felt completely comfortable unless it was lowered somewhat.
Also a quick question for you, can you tell me how long the Zero S is? I have found the weight but not the length, just want to compare to my current bike. Thanks!
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Based upon my measurements in the garage, from the front edge of the front tire to the rear edge of the rear tire, I measure 2 meters.
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Based upon my measurements in the garage, from the front edge of the front tire to the rear edge of the rear tire, I measure 2 meters.
Thanks, had to convert that since I am from the states, but appreciate it very much!
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I haven't decide on the S ZF9.4 or the ZF 12.5 yet, and wanted some opinions. I really only ride on weekends since I work long hours during the week and using it for commuting is not an option since I need my car for work. I don't really ride many miles at all, but wanted to know if it is worth the extra $2,000 for the 12.5? Plus that way if I ever wanted to get more miles I could always upgrade to the Power Tank. I don't want to get the 9.4 and wish I went with the 12.5 after the fact, but also don't want to spend the extra money if I really won't be needing the extra miles. Like to hear how many miles you guys are getting on your Zero, since I am sure it is slightly different than the mileage Zero states. Any opinions would be welcome.
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Straightedg4lif,
The hills around Philly will take their toll on your range. I think the range numbers you see on Zero's web site are for completely flat, calm winds and warm temperature conditions. I live in NC and have rolling hills and you can see the difference on the range between areas that are relatively flat and those with rolling hills. Your right wrist also makes a big difference in your range and getting that under control is not always easy. Temperature makes a big difference and you will not get the range right now that you will get in the summer. Have learned that head winds/tail winds can make a difference to. Getting the 12.5 kwh battery may mean that you can takes trips year around that you can only make in the summer time if you had the 9.4 kwh battery.
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Straightedg4lif,
The hills around Philly will take their toll on your range. I think the range numbers you see on Zero's web site are for completely flat, calm winds and warm temperature conditions. I live in NC and have rolling hills and you can see the difference on the range between areas that are relatively flat and those with rolling hills. Your right wrist also makes a big difference in your range and getting that under control is not always easy. Temperature makes a big difference and you will not get the range right now that you will get in the summer. Have learned that head winds/tail winds can make a difference to. Getting the 12.5 kwh battery may mean that you can takes trips year around that you can only make in the summer time if you had the 9.4 kwh battery.
Thanks for your input....I had a feeling that the range numbers were going to be different from what Zero states. I just want to make sure that I buy the bike that is right for me, and it seems like the 12.5 is the way to go. Plus like I said, then if I need even more range I can upgrade to the Power Tank.
Especially since I live in the 'burbs of Philly and the average speed limit where I live is 40mph and of course we always go over that!
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I haven't decide on the S ZF9.4 or the ZF 12.5 yet, and wanted some opinions. I really only ride on weekends since I work long hours during the week and using it for commuting is not an option since I need my car for work. I don't really ride many miles at all, but wanted to know if it is worth the extra $2,000 for the 12.5? Plus that way if I ever wanted to get more miles I could always upgrade to the Power Tank. I don't want to get the 9.4 and wish I went with the 12.5 after the fact, but also don't want to spend the extra money if I really won't be needing the extra miles. Like to hear how many miles you guys are getting on your Zero, since I am sure it is slightly different than the mileage Zero states. Any opinions would be welcome.
Don't know how long you plan to keep your bike. I tend to keep mine for quite a while. Trading in a 12 year old mike on my Zero. One reason I wanted the 12.5 was for the fact that even if the battery reduces to 80% in 5+ years, there will still be plenty of range to get me through the expected commuting that I plan to do with the bike. For me it will be a daily commuter to/from work as well as for a fun afternoon ride.
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Why Electric?
One reason I went electric was the high gas prices in 2008. In the states the prices reached $5/gal in some areas. While everyone else was complaining about how much the high gas prices impacted their budgets - I was riding around on inexpensive electricity... grinning from ear to ear :)
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Why Electric?
One reason I went electric was the high gas prices in 2008. In the states the prices reached $5/gal in some areas. While everyone else was complaining about how much the high gas prices impacted their budgets - I was riding around on inexpensive electricity... grinning from ear to ear :)
Also the luxury of completely ignoring volatile fuel costs and mid-day fillups as a commuter vehicle.
The oil markets are heavily impacted by US foreign policies and geopolitical maneuverings. When the geopolitical winds shift slightly, fuel prices will double again. North America has hugely increased domestic oil production (largely through fracking and shale oil), but a disruption in middle east supply will still drive prices sky high.
Even if electricity tripled or quadrupled in price, EVs would still be quite cheap to run.
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KenMac,
I do intend to keep the Zero for a while. I haven't kept my bikes long in the past since I can't seem to find exactly what I want. I started with the Ninja 250 and knew shifting wasn't for me and sold it 2 months later. Than I got a Chinese automatic motorcycle that I learned how to ride on and took my MSF course test with, but it was only 150ccs and topped out at 70mph on flat land. Would drop to 50mph on a steep hill, so really didn't keep up with traffic. Sold it 5 months later. Now on to my Mana, will have that a year in May, but looking to sell so I can get my Zero. I like it a lot but it is a little heavy for me 507lbs or so, and I had it lowered but still can't flat foot it which makes me feel a lot better when I can. Overall haven't kept my bikes long at all, but looking for my forever bike and think that the Zero might be it.
I also agree with you on the battery, I am going for the 12.5 as well and hopefully I sell my Mana soon and have my Zero by May!
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Why Electric?
One more reason... You always have a full tank when you leave the house in the morning. No morning where you're running late, hop on the bike, then realize you still need to fill up on the way to work.
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I don't have an electric bike (yet) but the weight is always the same, that is also a little thing to consider. I imagine it is nice because you get always the same behavior of the bike.
Sometimes, i find my bike to be funny after a fuel refill because it is much heavier.
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Why Electric?
One reason I went electric was the high gas prices in 2008. In the states the prices reached $5/gal in some areas. While everyone else was complaining about how much the high gas prices impacted their budgets - I was riding around on inexpensive electricity... grinning from ear to ear :)
Er, yeah, but the bike is about double the cost of an equivalent ICE, so I don't see much savings there.
For me, I started working from home, and the ICE bikes *hated* the frequent <1km trips with a passion. There was times I skipped lunch because I didn't feel like warming up the bike and dealing with it all. With the Zero, I just hop on and go. Plus the "change the tires, change the brake fluid, check the belt, you're done" factor.
That's what got me to consider it. The test ride with the POWER and the precision handling sealed the deal. I was like "I don't care what it costs, I want to ride *that* every day!"
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Why Electric?
One reason I went electric was the high gas prices in 2008. In the states the prices reached $5/gal in some areas. While everyone else was complaining about how much the high gas prices impacted their budgets - I was riding around on inexpensive electricity... grinning from ear to ear :)
Er, yeah, but the bike is about double the cost of an equivalent ICE, so I don't see much savings there.
It does if you're a high-mileage regular rider. 20+ miles per day (say) year round starts to add up in terms of gas saved, oil changes, and other maintenance. Granted, the break-even point is somewhere in the territory of 30,000 miles, and there's the 60,000 mile point where the bike essentially pays for itself, but those miles add up quickly for some lifestyles.
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I don't have an electric bike (yet) but the weight is always the same, that is also a little thing to consider. I imagine it is nice because you get always the same behavior of the bike.
Sometimes, i find my bike to be funny after a fuel refill because it is much heavier.
What kind of bike do you currently ride? I can't wait to get my Zero, just waiting to sell my other bike, but of course this time of year is not the best for selling motorcycles. Hopefully it will sell soon and I can get my bike by the spring!
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Brian do you have a spreadsheet showing the payoff miles? I thought it was closer to 5 years of 13k miles per year.
I put on 6k so far and ride year round so I will rack on miles fast. 250+ miles a week minimum
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What kind of bike do you currently ride? I can't wait to get my Zero, just waiting to sell my other bike, but of course this time of year is not the best for selling motorcycles. Hopefully it will sell soon and I can get my bike by the spring!
I have a BMW F800 ST. It is a good bike but i have looked at my two last years of riding and i only ride in the city, mostly on short rides. I discovered electric bikes and i think it is better for my use, so i will try to have one!
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What kind of bike do you currently ride? I can't wait to get my Zero, just waiting to sell my other bike, but of course this time of year is not the best for selling motorcycles. Hopefully it will sell soon and I can get my bike by the spring!
I have a BMW F800 ST. It is a good bike but i have looked at my two last years of riding and i only ride in the city, mostly on short rides. I discovered electric bikes and i think it is better for my use, so i will try to have one!
I first saw the electric bike last year, but heard by 2016 that they would have ABS so I decided to wait for that. I think the Zero is better for my use as well.
Did everyone who owns one demo test it? I wanted to know what your first impression was of it?
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I hope I won't wait that long!
The 2015 already have the ABS.
I used to be a fan of the ABS, but I am starting to realize that I never use it. I don't know if this is because of my driving (which can be fast, but with a lot of anticipation) or with the experience of the years of riding, but i really rarely get into dangerous situations, and when it happens, i know how to handle my brakes.
So i think i can get a S without the ABS without getting scared or else. And i know it is THE day you need it that you are happy to have it, but the 2015 will be to expensive for me, no matter what, so i will deal with it (or without it in this case lol).
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ABS is a completely unnecessary feature right up to the first time it fires.
I some times ride faster than normal highway speed (a big ICE).
My plan was to never use the ABS on that bike.
There was an incident where the large space in front of me on the highway rapidly reduced, as all the cars were skidding sideways and in both berms.
From WOT to a dead stop. ABS kept me out of trouble that day.
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That's what i am saying. But unfortunately, i will have to downgrade on this feature. :'(
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Did everyone who owns one demo test it? I wanted to know what your first impression was of it?
Here: http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=3035.msg15875#msg15875 (http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=3035.msg15875#msg15875)
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Did everyone who owns one demo test it? I wanted to know what your first impression was of it?
Here: http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=3035.msg15875#msg15875 (http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=3035.msg15875#msg15875)
Thanks a lot very helpful!
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the break-even point is somewhere in the territory of 30,000 miles
This depends not only on how much you ride, but on the whim of the OPEC folks who set crude oil prices. I'm sure everyone here knows that gas prices will rise again. The question is - will you be wearing the EV grin when it happens? ;-)
Did everyone who owns one demo test it? I wanted to know what your first impression was of it?
I test-rode the SR in January and rode one home a month later. I knew that the technology had improved since I bought my 2012 ZF9, but when I saw it in person, sat on it, and rode it - WOW - I HAD to have it. My two most favorite ICE bikes of my 45+ years of riding were sport bikes (CBR600, CBR1000). Now I can still ride on electricity and have the performance of a sport bike (except for top end speed). The new Zero is the best of both worlds.
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oobflyer,
Thanks for taking the time to let me know about your experience. I think that the Zero is the best of both worlds as well, from all the comments and praises for it. I have yet to try it myself but can't see how I wouldn't love it!
Another question for anyone owning a Zero, did you finance your bike or pay for it in cash? I hear that it is a mistake to finance a motorcycle, but in all reality not many people can afford to pay cash for such an expensive item. Love to hear some opinions on that, and what others have done to get their dream bike.
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I pay cash for everything outside my home ... and if I could have done it with my home I would have. I have plans on buying some land and I am saving cash for it for example.
I bought my bike used so it wasn't as costly as a new bike but it was still a good chunk of change. I refuse to hold debt on anything outside of land / home.
That said if you finance the bike it just means it will likely be a half year more before the bike pays for itself over a new ICE bike with similar power / function. Either way you are likely still saving long term if you ride a lot.
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I pay cash for everything outside my home ... and if I could have done it with my home I would have. I have plans on buying some land and I am saving cash for it for example.
I bought my bike used so it wasn't as costly as a new bike but it was still a good chunk of change. I refuse to hold debt on anything outside of land / home.
That said if you finance the bike it just means it will likely be a half year more before the bike pays for itself over a new ICE bike with similar power / function. Either way you are likely still saving long term if you ride a lot.
I would love to pay cash but then it would be longer for me to get my Zero. I know I should probably just wait and save up the money but was thinking of putting half down,( I have that amount now) so I can get it sooner. I'm still debating on it and was wondering what others have done.
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If you pay cash for it, then you only need liability insurance which is very inexpensive. The downside to that is if it is damaged or stolen, then you have to buy another bike or fix it on your own. Still, statistics favor paying cash. Warren Buffett became a billionaire through insurance Co. investments. I don't insure anything and haven't for many years...cars, homes, motorcycles. With the money I've saved over the years, I could buy another home. I wouldn't speak for anyone else though.
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dkw12002 where do you live in where you are not required to have insurance?
My insurance for my two bikes, which is the highest level of coverage you can get and even includes personal medical coverage if I cause my own accident, is only $350 a year. There is a tread on insurance cost and it seems most people have a similar or less cost and I don't think all of them purchased their bikes outright.
If you have an existing bike and don't go on many long trips sell it. You can get your zero and get a quick charger for the long trips (or make one). Or ... take all the extra money you would save on your old motorcycle and put it on the principle for the zero every year. If you want me to figure that cost out I have a spreadsheet I can run some numbers for you but I would need information on cost of certain items. ;)
If you don't have a lot of liquid cash sitting around, say enough you could live off of if you lost your job for 3 months, then finance it and build up to the 3 months amount and don't touch it. You will thank me if you ever get laid off or have some emergency where cash is the only option.
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I'm in Texas. Far as I know, if you don't owe any money on a bike then you only need liability insurance in any state. It's the bank or lien holder that insists you carry comprehensive and collision insurance. No lien, no insurance needed. In some states you can even waive liability insurance. I have 4 bikes and total liability ins. cost is $176 a year.
I wouldn't trust myself to take a trip on the Zero. I have always just charged at home. I take an ICE bike if I plan a day trip of more than 60 miles or so. I ride 20,000+ miles a year and do use all my bikes. I'm only at 9500 miles on my 2013 Zero S though. My go-to bike now is my CB300F. It's my work horse...cheap, fast enough for the interstate left lane, great mileage, light and very maneuverable.
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Far as I know, if you don't owe any money on a bike then you only need liability insurance in any state. It's the bank or lien holder that insists you carry comprehensive and collision insurance. No lien, no insurance needed. In some states you can even waive liability insurance.
I know the same is true in California, you're only legally required to have liability insurance. And as dkw says, you can post your own bond (for $100,000, IIRC) and effectively self-insure for liability as well.
That being said, though I bought my bike outright, I have full coverage anyhow, as many people choose to do. I'll happily lose my money through never having a total loss claim on my bike.
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If I wait to save up all the money then I will have to wait for the 2016's. Well if I do that then maybe I can get a really good deal on a leftover 2015? Also I was kind of hoping that by 2016 they will have more color options for the SR...I hate red! All black is where it's at for me.
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Now is e time for good deals on 2013 or less ... You likely would have to wait two years to get a deal on the 2015 ... Also plastidip is easy to use and easy to remove, "paint" it whatever you want ;)
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Now is e time for good deals on 2013 or less ... You likely would have to wait two years to get a deal on the 2015 ... Also plastidip is easy to use and easy to remove, "paint" it whatever you want ;)
I definitely want at least the 2015 because I want ABS. I will keep debating on what I want to do, at least until the spring. It is way toooo cold to even think about riding a bike right now anyway so have a another month or so to decide.
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How many other people will be thinking the same thing ?
Zero has ramped up production this year just like it does every year but you might face a waiting line if you wait till spring since it is a new bike. IDK what demand will be like though given its price range.
Friday morning it is going to be below 0 degrees F ... I plan on riding into work on my zero with my heated gear and rain gear on. It likely wont be comfortable but I won't freeze to death either ;) Too cold is relative. If there isn't ice on the ground you can't dodge then you can ride less the battery temperature (not ambient but battery temp) is -22F/-30C.
thinking of that I really need to get my vetter cowl on my bike >__< Need to weld up some brackets similar to the DS crash guard mounts I think and use them to attach the cowl.
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How many other people will be thinking the same thing ?
Zero has ramped up production this year just like it does every year but you might face a waiting line if you wait till spring since it is a new bike. IDK what demand will be like though given its price range.
Friday morning it is going to be below 0 degrees F ... I plan on riding into work on my zero with my heated gear and rain gear on. It likely wont be comfortable but I won't freeze to death either ;) Too cold is relative. If there isn't ice on the ground you can't dodge then you can ride less the battery temperature (not ambient but battery temp) is -22F/-30C.
thinking of that I really need to get my vetter cowl on my bike >__< Need to weld up some brackets similar to the DS crash guard mounts I think and use them to attach the cowl.
I'm hoping that there will still be some available when I decide to purchase one. My dealership has some 2014's still in stock but as I said I really want the ABS. But as the saying goes "you snooze you lose", and I am well aware that can happen to me, just have to take the gamble.
Wow, I am impressed I do not like to ride in the cold, and to me that is less than 40 degrees F. I hope to be able to bring my current bike out within a month or so to get back on the road. That is another thing I like about the Zero just unplug and go whenever you want. Currently I winterize my bike so can't just pop it out for a ride here and there. I have to decide when I want to bring it out and ride until I put it away usually in November.
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I definitely want at least the 2015 because I want ABS. I will keep debating on what I want to do, at least until the spring. It is way toooo cold to even think about riding a bike right now anyway so have a another month or so to decide.
And maybe your shop will even have one in stock. I placed an order for my SR about 2 weeks ago. Still waiting on an ETA for delivery. Just something to think about if you wait too long.
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And maybe your shop will even have one in stock. I placed an order for my SR about 2 weeks ago. Still waiting on an ETA for delivery. Just something to think about if you wait too long.
Good point KenMac. The 2015 SR is so good, it's highly likely that demand will exceed supply this spring, especially if there is already a waiting list now. The first warm week and everyone wants a motorcycle at the same time. If you know you want a Zero this year, there isn't any reason not to order it now and hopefully that means you will have it by March or at least by April.
The sooner you can put an EV grin on your face everyday, the better. ;)
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I definitely want at least the 2015 because I want ABS. I will keep debating on what I want to do, at least until the spring. It is way toooo cold to even think about riding a bike right now anyway so have a another month or so to decide.
And maybe your shop will even have one in stock. I placed an order for my SR about 2 weeks ago. Still waiting on an ETA for delivery. Just something to think about if you wait too long.
I am not sure about the SR, but I know that they have the S in stock. I plan to go check them out at the beginning of April. If they happen to not have any left by that time, then it was meant to be that I purchase it next year cash instead of this year financed. I keep debating back and forth on that anyway, so that will be my decider.
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I prefer to pay cash, of course, but didn't have quite enough for my new bike - so I had to borrow a little. I should have it paid off in a few months.
I still keep comprehensive insurance on all of my vehicles however - because my car was stolen (about 10 yrs ago) just after I reduced my coverage to liability only - it was a total loss.
Bikes are even easier to steal :o
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>>>"I think the power tank brings up the center of gravity a bit, but generally I've found Zeros to be pretty low-centered."
My wife and I have the 2014 DS, hers in the 11.4kw version, and mine with the powertank option. I do notice the higher vertical CG on my powertank bike. It is quite substantial, leading to minor oversteer as the forks fall off to either side. I'm happy with the 11.4kw bike and the oversteer was somewhat similar to my 2010 HD XR1200 sport bike, although it had a different neck rake. Even the tech offered comments on the bike leaning predilection. I have the sport windscreen and that may also contribute towards CG.
We bought them for occasional romps in the coastal mountains around Santa Cruz. I am considering another DS with the the powertrain SR modifications and the powertank ala Hollywood Electric. I crave the torque, mostly skewed towards 35-60 mph.
I'm curious as to why you may reject a particular preferred model because of the fender and tank color. It's really easy to have it painted a flat color for around $500, probably less. The painter can fairly easily remove the tank and rear fender.
We really enjoy our bikes and am sure you will, too!
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I'm curious as to why you may reject a particular preferred model because of the fender and tank color. It's really easy to have it painted a flat color for around $500, probably less. The painter can fairly easily remove the tank and rear fender.
We really enjoy our bikes and am sure you will, too!
The thing is I don't really know if I need the SR for the way that I ride, and the color just makes me point more in the direction of the S. I only ride on weekends and put a few miles on my bike each day, but the power is why I would be interested in the SR. But like I said I do not ride that much so not sure if I should put the money out for something that I would have to change to make it the way I like it.
Example I only rode a total of 735 miles last year from April-November, and think that the SR might be overkill for me.
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If I were to buy a 2015 SR, it would likely be a demo. Those will have a few miles on them, but since they are used bikes, you should get a good break on the price. My two Zero Esses have both been demos. The demos might even be for sale before the end of the model year. These aren't like ICE bikes that you might worry about how they were broken in, so miles don't matter much. In fact, I contend buying a demo is safer than ordering a new one because if there were issues with the bike, the dealer knows about them and fixed them. Plus you get to ride the actual bike you are planning to buy.
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If I were to buy a 2015 SR, it would likely be a demo. Those will have a few miles on them, but since they are used bikes, you should get a good break on the price. My two Zero Esses have both been demos. The demos might even be for sale before the end of the model year. These aren't like ICE bikes that you might worry about how they were broken in, so miles don't matter much. In fact, I contend buying a demo is safer than ordering a new one because if there were issues with the bike, the dealer knows about them and fixed them. Plus you get to ride the actual bike you are planning to buy.
What kind of deal did you get on the demo bikes? That does sound like a good way to go if you could get a good enough deal. Plus the issue thing is another great point.
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You get deals like that : for the S i am looking at : 11500€ for a 2014 S 11.4 with 1800km, with top case, windshield and comfort saddle. It costs 15200€ brand new, with no accessories.
Well, that one is a good deal, because the others demo S I see are 11890€ with no accessories. Still it is 3340€ chepaer than a new one. It is 28% cheaper.
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And maybe your shop will even have one in stock. I placed an order for my SR about 2 weeks ago. Still waiting on an ETA for delivery. Just something to think about if you wait too long.
Good point KenMac. The 2015 SR is so good, it's highly likely that demand will exceed supply this spring, especially if there is already a waiting list now. The first warm week and everyone wants a motorcycle at the same time. If you know you want a Zero this year, there isn't any reason not to order it now and hopefully that means you will have it by March or at least by April.
The sooner you can put an EV grin on your face everyday, the better. ;)
Just an FYI on this post... I never received an ETA but I was notified today that the dealership now has my SR on the floor. Two weeks from order to arrival.
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You get deals like that : for the S i am looking at : 11500€ for a 2014 S 11.4 with 1800km, with top case, windshield and comfort saddle. It costs 15200€ brand new, with no accessories.
Well, that one is a good deal, because the others demo S I see are 11890€ with no accessories. Still it is 3340€ chepaer than a new one. It is 28% cheaper.
Do you also get a warranty when you purchase a demo bike? If so, is it as good as if you purchased new or is it different?
Also do you have to set up a time to demo a bike, or can you just show up and say that you would like to try one out? I see on their website it says set up a demo ride that is why I am asking.
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Yes, you get the same new bike warranty. It may be a little more than 2 years or a little less than 2 years depending on when you buy the bike. Since it's a demo, Zero issues more than 2 years of warranty when it is delivered to the dealer. I picked up my 2013 Zero S May 31, 2013. It had 255 miles on it. The two year warranty ends May 13, 2015, so I got about 2 weeks less of warranty. Had I bought the bike before the 13th of May, I would have gotten more than 2 years. Not sure it would have been for sale much earlier though.
I would just call the dealer and ask when you can test ride the bike. Usually that is any time, but in the case of my dealer which has 2 dealerships, it might not do to just show up because the demo might be at the other dealership. You don't have to go through Zero to do the demos. Dealers handle demo rides differently. Most go out with you on another bike and lead you around. Mine doesn't do that with me. In fact, they sometimes say to keep it a day and see how I like it. That's probably not the norm, but I have bought a bunch of bikes from this dealer (AF1 racing).
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dkw12002,
Thanks, I well definitely set up a time to demo it so I don't go all the way there and get disappointed if they aren't available to let me test ride it.
Good to know that you get the same warranty, I am not sure if I will be buying a demo, or even if one is available to buy but I wanted to have the facts up front about it. If they do have one and I can save a chunk of change I would definitely be interested in one!
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Just requested a quote for both of the Zero S bikes... waiting to hear back from my dealership. Still trying to sell my bike but wanted to know what I would be looking at purchase price wise. I know from a lot of people on here that I should not expect to get that much of a deal since they don't really budge on price. I will let all know what they come back with once I hear from them!
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Almost guaranteed if you actually go to the dealer ready to make a deal, they will give you a better deal than they would by email.
The last bike I bought was a CB300F from a large dealer. I knew what was a fair price which was less than they wanted of course. After the salesman went back and forth a couple of times to the sales manager, he came over to tell me to try and close the deal. He gave me his final best deal, but it was still over my price $150. I thanked him and headed for the door. Reaching for the door, some guy I hadn't even seen before called my name and stopped me. He said they would take my offer, which they did. This guy appeared out of nowhere. When I saw him I asked where he came from and some of the other sales people snickered, because apparently this is how they do business. The smaller dealers don't work this way, but the big ones do. They are experts at maximizing profits since they have a lot of fingers in the pie. But in the end, they want to sell bikes for a profit...any profit and if you are there with money, they will probably sell it to you. You must be prepared to walk away though without buying a bike and you should know what a fair price is. I sure wouldn't begin with their asking price, then add taxes, title, shipping, etc. on top of it to get the fair price. Also, if you are planning on buying other things like gear, I would include that in the negotiations. Otherwise, the first thing they will do AFTER you agree on a price is try to sell you more stuff. Again, this is the way large dealerships work. It's the same process as buying a new car and if you aren't careful, you can pay $1000+ too much. It always helps to go to a second dealer when trying to buy a car or bike too. You can go back and forth between 2 dealers a long time until one say, "we can't beat that price." Then you know you are getting close to a fair price.
If you follow other motorcycle forums, you will see what I mean. I bought a Honda Grom a year or so ago. Pre-ordered it with a negotiated price of $3600 which was a fair price. Thing is, the bike was very popular and in short supply. I got mine for $3600 and it turned out to be the only bike that dealer got in, but people were pay $4600 for the same bike from other dealers. A couple of people got their bikes cheaper than $3600 too.
While we don't want to screw our dealers, you don't really have to worry about that. They won't make a deal with you if they aren't making money.
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Almost guaranteed if you actually go to the dealer ready to make a deal, they will give you a better deal than they would by email.
The last bike I bought was a CB300F from a large dealer. I knew what was a fair price which was less than they wanted of course. After the salesman went back and forth a couple of times to the sales manager, he came over to tell me to try and close the deal. He gave me his final best deal, but it was still over my price $150. I thanked him and headed for the door. Reaching for the door, some guy I hadn't even seen before called my name and stopped me. He said they would take my offer, which they did. This guy appeared out of nowhere. When I saw him I asked where he came from and some of the other sales people snickered, because apparently this is how they do business. The smaller dealers don't work this way, but the big ones do. They are experts at maximizing profits since they have a lot of fingers in the pie. But in the end, they want to sell bikes for a profit...any profit and if you are there with money, they will probably sell it to you. You must be prepared to walk away though without buying a bike and you should know what a fair price is. I sure wouldn't begin with their asking price, then add taxes, title, shipping, etc. on top of it to get the fair price. Also, if you are planning on buying other things like gear, I would include that in the negotiations. Otherwise, the first thing they will do AFTER you agree on a price is try to sell you more stuff. Again, this is the way large dealerships work. It's the same process as buying a new car and if you aren't careful, you can pay $1000+ too much. It always helps to go to a second dealer when trying to buy a car or bike too. You can go back and forth between 2 dealers a long time until one say, "we can't beat that price." Then you know you are getting close to a fair price.
If you follow other motorcycle forums, you will see what I mean. I bought a Honda Grom a year or so ago. Pre-ordered it with a negotiated price of $3600 which was a fair price. Thing is, the bike was very popular and in short supply. I got mine for $3600 and it turned out to be the only bike that dealer got in, but people were pay $4600 for the same bike from other dealers. A couple of people got their bikes cheaper than $3600 too.
While we don't want to screw our dealers, you don't really have to worry about that. They won't make a deal with you if they aren't making money.
Thanks for your reply. I am going to a small dealership since it is the only one that services my area. It is in Cherry Hill, NJ and services Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. I figure I would get a better deal in person, but wanted to see what they come back with. If there is any type of savings or if they quote me MSRP price. I really would love to purchase one of these bikes by Spring, so trying to work out all the details.
Would anyone that has one of these bikes consider it your forever bike? That is what I am looking for, as already stated in an earlier post of mine, I am currently on my 3rd bike in 2 years because I can't seem to find what I want. When I found a bike that I liked it was not fast enough but the height and weight were perfect. Now my current bike is plenty fast but a little tall for me and 507lbs which is quite a lot for me since I am only a 5'3 female. I think that the Zero will be perfect for me, even though I may have to lower it a smidge. The weight seems like it would be perfect for me, not too heavy yet not too light where you get blown all over the road. What do you guys think?
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The technology changes so quickly that I doubt the bike would still be your favorite after a few years. If you owned a 2011 Zero S for example, while you could still ride it and be happy with it, each year since then the Zero S has improved greatly...more top speed, more range, much better motor. And now there's an SR. For all we know, next year's Zero SR could be the bike of the year with crazy fast acceleration, just the right seat ht. for you, etc. and you would just have to own one. That's what happened to almost all of us who bought earlier Zero bikes. That's a good thing though, even if it is expensive.
BTW, the extra weight and seat ht. are the two things I do not like about the SR and why I don't now own one. I do own a CB300F with a seat ht. of 30.7 inches and 348 lbs. wet, and the Yamaha R3 which comes out next month and it will have the same seat ht. and a wet weight of 368 lbs. There is a factory seat option for the CB300F which is lower that might mean you wouldn't have to lower the bike at all. These aren't electric bikes, but they get great mileage, make great commuters, look cool and are much cheaper than an SR, and you have dealer support lots of places for Honda and Yamaha. Something else to think about. You won't get anything close to the acceleration of the SR with these two bikes, but the R3 will have a higher top end. I suspect it is acceleration rather than top speed you want though, and there is not practical replacement for all that torque of the SR, unless you went with a supersport and had it lowered a lot.
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The technology changes so quickly that I doubt the bike would still be your favorite after a few years. If you owned a 2011 Zero S for example, while you could still ride it and be happy with it, each year since then the Zero S has improved greatly...more top speed, more range, much better motor. And now there's an SR. For all we know, next year's Zero SR could be the bike of the year with crazy fast acceleration, just the right seat ht. for you, etc. and you would just have to own one. That's what happened to almost all of us who bought earlier Zero bikes. That's a good thing though, even if it is expensive.
BTW, the extra weight and seat ht. are the two things I do not like about the SR and why I don't now own one. I do own a CB300F with a seat ht. of 30.7 inches and 348 lbs. wet, and the Yamaha R3 which comes out next month and it will have the same seat ht. and a wet weight of 368 lbs. There is a factory seat option for the CB300F which is lower that might mean you wouldn't have to lower the bike at all. These aren't electric bikes, but they get great mileage, make great commuters, look cool and are much cheaper than an SR, and you have dealer support lots of places for Honda and Yamaha. Something else to think about. You won't get anything close to the acceleration of the SR with these two bikes, but the R3 will have a higher top end. I suspect it is acceleration rather than top speed you want though, and there is not practical replacement for all that torque of the SR, unless you went with a supersport and had it lowered a lot.
When I say forever bike I guess I really did not mean it literally. I am hoping to find a bike that I would love for at least 10 years or so. I know that they will continue to improve these bikes, but I don't think that I can keep waiting to get one. I wanted to wait for ABS and now they have that so I think I am ready to pull the trigger. The range is not that big of a deal to me since I only go around town and just go for the enjoyment of riding not to commute anywhere. My dealership only has the SR currently and not the S which is what I was thinking of getting. I might be persuaded to get the SR if they gave me somewhat of a deal.... since as I said many times before not a big fan of the red. I know it can be changed but that costs more money and the SR is pricey. The SR is currently 100lbs lighter than my current bike so I don't think the weight will be a big deal to me. What seat height do you currently have on your bike? I would definitely get mine lowered as much as possible to make me feel safe.
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dkw12002,
About the other bikes you mentioned...I like the weight of them but I do not like to shift, so I would not like them for that reason. I like the automatics and that is one of my main reasons for liking the Zero.
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$17,153.70 was my quote for the 2015 Zero S 12.5 and was quoted $19,273.70 for the 2015 Zero SR. Now I have a decision to make on which one I want more. My dealer only stocks the SR because they sell more of them than the S. What would you do? Go for the faster bike?!
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Provided they could lower both bikes satisfactorily, personally, I would probably go with the one I could get the best deal on. To me both are fast bikes, but neither is as fast as a super sport bike. Since there is no shifting, the acceleration is effortless and very user friendly though. The thing that limits my take offs on my Zero S is that the rear tire will skip and slide if I just open the throttle (stock tires), so that's pretty good acceleration off the line. You will be able to get out way ahead of all traffic on either bike. I can't really answer the question from your point of view, because I like to shift and go fast and owned a Gixxer 1000 which is much faster than either of the Zeros, so to me, both are fast, but neither would be fast enough if I was looking for acceleration and top speed. Most women are not into that kind of speed though, so I suspect either Zero would be plenty fast enough for you.
I think you will have to test ride at least one of the bikes to make a decision if you can safely ride one at 5'3".
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Provided they could lower both bikes satisfactorily, personally, I would probably go with the one I could get the best deal on. To me both are fast bikes, but neither is as fast as a super sport bike.
I can't really answer the question from your point of view, because I like to shift and go fast and owned a Gixxer 1000 which is much faster than either of the Zeros, so to me, both are fast, but neither would be fast enough if I was looking for acceleration and top speed.
Would you say that your literbike was faster than the SR in midrange acceleration, say 30-70? I can understand from a standing start where a geared ICE bike can get more torque to the pavement with a good launch but once the SR hits 20 or 30 it is mighty quick. I have let a few friends ride my Zero, one who has a 180 hp R1, and he thought that the SR's acceleration was comparable to the Yamaha's. Obviously top speed goes to any high-end ICE bike.
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If you're trying to get a bike that will last you a few years, I would definitely say get the SR over the S.
As you grow in your riding experience it is natural to feel more comfortable with a faster and faster bike, not that you need it all the time, but when you need to avoid a car, its nice to have the power if you need it. If its too fast for you to start with, you can always keep it in ECO mode for a few months, or even set a custom torque amount in CUSTOM mode, turning up the power a little more and more over time.
You can get your plastics custom painted from red to whatever color you like if it turns out you really don't like the red and say would like "electric blue" for instance instead. I would wait until next winter to paint them so you don't have any down time from riding when the weather is nice.
Call Cherry Hill, tell them you are a serious potential buyer, and have them slide the forks up in the triple clamps for you, and reduce the preload using the red 17 mm nut on top of the forks to let it sag as much as possible, and have them remove the preload on the rear shock as well before you get there. Then test ride it and I'll bet you'll come back with a huge smile on your face and get the SR right there on the spot!
Good Luck! I hope to see pics of you test riding the bike or taking it home soon! ;)
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The Gixxer is faster than the SR in low, mid, and top range. The Gixxer would require reving the bike, popping the clutch, keeping the front wheel down, and shifting properly if you drag race it. If you did all that, it would be much faster than the SR. Of course top speed of the SR is just over 100, and the Gixxer top speed is 186 mph, so it is just waking up when the SR tops out. Almost nobody rides the Gixxer that way though. If you were stopped on an SR or S next to a Gixxer, he would have no idea you were about to take off like a bat out of hell when the light changed. You would also know if he planned to race by whether he reved the engine or not. If he didn't rev the engine, you would get out ahead of him and by the time he realized what was happening (that you were racing), you would both either be going way over the speed limit or have had to slow down for the next traffic light. You can only trick him once though. The SR is much easier to accelerate fast than the Gixxer. You wouldn't shift out of 1st until about 90 mph in a drag race and 2nd gear would take you to 122 mph or so, so you would really only shift once if you were racing an SR on a Gixxer 1000. In a quarter mile, you would probably shift into 3rd. The Gixxer 1000 quarter mile is about 142 mph in 10 seconds. The SR would be at a huge disadvantage because of the low top end. Gears make all the difference.
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Almost nobody rides the Gixxer that way though.
Personally, I have "zero" (sorry) interest in racing, including taking anybody by surprise so I can beat him. I've been known to engage in some playful street tag, and I do enjoy showing people that this rig is FAR from a two-wheeled golf cart, but if I actually wanted to RACE, I'd do it on the track. And the Zero wouldn't be a great choice; it's got very little top end, and can be out-dragged in slower sections easily by bikes with better (lower) launching gears.
But I don't do that, I ride in the real world, and I think the SR's brand of performance can be more useful on the street. Suppose you're cruising on the freeway, and you realize your off-ramp is coming up, and there's a truck in your way. On the SR, twist the throttle hard and you're around the truck in the blink of an eye. On an ICE bike....well, first, if you want to accelerate hard, you need to kick down at least a couple of gears. Then there's some throttle lag, and many bikes have a lean stutter or two to deal with, and when all's said and done, the SR makes the off-ramp more often than just about any other bike.
The more I ride my SR, the more I realize it's not the brute torque I appreciate most, it's the extreme smoothness of the power delivery, and the instantaneous responsiveness the bike exhibits overall.
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If you're trying to get a bike that will last you a few years, I would definitely say get the SR over the S.
As you grow in your riding experience it is natural to feel more comfortable with a faster and faster bike, not that you need it all the time, but when you need to avoid a car, its nice to have the power if you need it. If its too fast for you to start with, you can always keep it in ECO mode for a few months, or even set a custom torque amount in CUSTOM mode, turning up the power a little more and more over time.
You can get your plastics custom painted from red to whatever color you like if it turns out you really don't like the red and say would like "electric blue" for instance instead. I would wait until next winter to paint them so you don't have any down time from riding when the weather is nice.
Call Cherry Hill, tell them you are a serious potential buyer, and have them slide the forks up in the triple clamps for you, and reduce the preload using the red 17 mm nut on top of the forks to let it sag as much as possible, and have them remove the preload on the rear shock as well before you get there. Then test ride it and I'll bet you'll come back with a huge smile on your face and get the SR right there on the spot!
Good Luck! I hope to see pics of you test riding the bike or taking it home soon! ;)
Thanks for your reply and it is so funny that you mentioned the electric blue because that is the color that I love on bikes.
I think that I might just go with the SR because the price difference isn't that much more, and I know I would love having more torque over the long haul. I hope to have some pics soon as well!
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Plus, my guess is that the SR will command a higher price on the used-bike market, perhaps as much as $2K more than the S.
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The 2015 SR accelerates way faster than the 2014. I read an article in the Sep 2014 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News today that said the SR for 2014 has a zero to 60 time of 4.5 seconds (vs. 3.3 for 2015). The 2014 SR turned a quarter mile in 11.4 seconds with a speed of 98.94 mph. Anyone know the quarter mile figures for the 2015 SR? Something tells me the next iteration will be below 3 seconds zero to 60. At that point, I will have to buy one myself. I think the forte of the SR and S are fairly similar. They are outstanding easy-to-ride commuters and street bikes.
I don't race either, and never took my Gixxer to the track, nor did I ever go faster than 145 mph or so, which is crazy fast...too fast for me, and after 11,000 miles, I decided I really didn't need a super sport race bike, so I traded it in on a Ninja 300.
One other thing to think about is riding position. I think the riding position is more upright on the S compared to the SR. If a person is short, they will have to do more stretching to get to the handlebars too which puts you more into a racing position. Some people like that, some don't, which is another reason to test ride an SR and an S if possible. If not possible, at least have the salesman hold the front of the bike steady so you can get on it and assume the riding position to see what you think. More than once, I have bought bikes I hadn't ridden only to find out within the first 30 seconds there was something I did not like about it.
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The 2015 SR accelerates way faster than the 2014. I read an article in the Sep 2014 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News today that said the SR for 2014 has a zero to 60 time of 4.5 seconds (vs. 3.3 for 2015). The 2014 SR turned a quarter mile in 11.4 seconds with a speed of 98.94 mph. Anyone know the quarter mile figures for the 2015 SR? Something tells me the next iteration will be below 3 seconds zero to 60. At that point, I will have to buy one myself. I think the forte of the SR and S are fairly similar. They are outstanding easy-to-ride commuters and street bikes.
I test rode a 2014 SR before I bought my 2015 and frankly I thought they accelerated the same. I don't believe that there is any power difference between them and the 2014 is even a few pounds lighter. Where did you find that quarter-mile time for the 2014 SR? With the SR's low top speed I don't think that 11.4 is anywhere near possible.
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One other thing to think about is riding position. I think the riding position is more upright on the S compared to the SR. If a person is short, they will have to do more stretching to get to the handlebars too which puts you more into a racing position. Some people like that, some don't, which is another reason to test ride an SR and an S if possible. If not possible, at least have the salesman hold the front of the bike steady so you can get on it and assume the riding position to see what you think. More than once, I have bought bikes I hadn't ridden only to find out within the first 30 seconds there was something I did not like about it.
Good point about riding position, I really didn't think of that since they look so much a like. Can anyone else clarify this? Is the riding position more in a racing position on the SR compared to the S? I am a short person and would have to stretch more if that were the case.
Also I am in the same boat as you with finding stuff you didn't like about your previous bikes. That is why I am looking for something that I love! Hopefully that is the 2015 Zero!
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The 2015 SR accelerates way faster than the 2014. I read an article in the Sep 2014 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News today that said the SR for 2014 has a zero to 60 time of 4.5 seconds (vs. 3.3 for 2015).
I find that hard to believe, given that all the relevant numbers are the same. Weight is the same, it's the same motor, current put out by the motor controller is the same, torque and horsepower are the same, etc. That 4.5-second number you quote has been repeated way too often; it was done by a heavy, non-professional rider on a power tank-equipped bike, so it was considerably heavier than it should have been for a comparison run. The factory number, 3.3 seconds, is the same for either year.
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One other thing to think about is riding position. I think the riding position is more upright on the S compared to the SR. If a person is short, they will have to do more stretching to get to the handlebars too which puts you more into a racing position. Some people like that, some don't, which is another reason to test ride an SR and an S if possible. If not possible, at least have the salesman hold the front of the bike steady so you can get on it and assume the riding position to see what you think. More than once, I have bought bikes I hadn't ridden only to find out within the first 30 seconds there was something I did not like about it.
Good point about riding position, I really didn't think of that since they look so much a like. Can anyone else clarify this? Is the riding position more in a racing position on the SR compared to the S? I am a short person and would have to stretch more if that were the case.
Only real difference is the engine. Riding position is the same between S & SR.
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The 2015 SR accelerates way faster than the 2014. I read an article in the Sep 2014 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News today that said the SR for 2014 has a zero to 60 time of 4.5 seconds (vs. 3.3 for 2015).
I find that hard to believe, given that all the relevant numbers are the same. Weight is the same, it's the same motor, current put out by the motor controller is the same, torque and horsepower are the same, etc. That 4.5-second number you quote has been repeated way too often; it was done by a heavy, non-professional rider on a power tank-equipped bike, so it was considerably heavier than it should have been for a comparison run. The factory number, 3.3 seconds, is the same for either year.
I don't know that I'd call the rider non-professional: he gets paid to review motorcycles. He may not be a professional racer, but I imagine it doesn't take that much raw talent and training to turn out repeatable 0-60 times on an electric direct-drive bike.
The MCN review (http://www.motorcycleconsumernews-digitalmagazine.com/mcnews/september_2014d?pg=20#pg20) mentions that the rider was 240 pounds.
On top of the ~460 pound Zero SR + Power Tank, that brings the total vehicle weight to 700 pounds. Maybe a bit more, if the rider's weight does not include gear.
Tested performance is 4.58 seconds 0-60, 12.82s quarter mile @ 98.94 mph.
Generally speaking 0-60 time will be proportional to weight, so the 3.3s 0-60 claim for the ZF12.5 bike would require about a 500 pound SR + rider combination, or a ~100 pound rider. That's a few standard deviations below typical American male weight, a ~200 pound rider will be closer to 3.9s for the ZF12.5.
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Only real difference is the engine. Riding position is the same between S & SR.
That is good to know, thanks for chiming in on this. I thought they looked similar but did not see them in person yet so wasn't sure. Glad that the riding position is the same, so I can make a choice just about the motor and not little things like riding position.
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Yes, the S, SR (and DS) all use the same frame, seat, handlebars, etc. The DS is taller due to suspension.
One quick note on terminology, there is no engine on an electric motorcycle. Just a motor. :)
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both are fast bikes, but neither is as fast as a super sport bike
True - above 100MPH, but the Zero SR has more torque than all of the available sport bikes and riding over 100MPH can result in arrest/jail time - trust me I know ;-)
What would you do? Go for the faster bike?!
I struggled with this decision too - I was thinking about the S since it has plenty of power (twice that of my 2012 ZF9), and plenty of range with the PowerTank, but after reading the experiences of others and after test-riding the SR I went with the faster bike. I'm glad I did - it's a blast.
Yesterday I took the bike out of town where there was no traffic and opened it up. I did not get arrested ;-)
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I don't know that I'd call the rider non-professional: he gets paid to review motorcycles.
Yes...so he's a professional journalist, not a professional rider. I'm not saying that means he's a lousy rider, but his job doesn't depend on his ability to wring the maximum possible performance out of a motorcycle on a daily basis. And, of course, 45 extra pounds of batteries and 90 extra pounds of rider don't help, either. (I say 90 extra pounds of rider because according to a drag-racing calculator I found online, a 150-lb rider on a 407-lb vehicle with 106 ft-lbs of torque should be able to do 0-60 in...wait for it...3.3 seconds.)
But anyhow, my point is much more about the differences, or the lack thereof, between the 2014 and 2015 SRs. With essentially the same weight, and the exact same motor, controller, and drivetrain, how is it possible one of them can do 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and the other can only manage 4.5? The correct answer is, only if something is very wrong with the testing or somebody's telling tales. One way or another, we're not comparing apples to apples here.
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106 lb. pounds is the maximum torque and it is available right away on the SR. While the max torque in 6th gear of the Gixxer 1000 is about 80 ft. lbs, that is measured in 6th gear which has a gear ratio of about 1.2 to 1. The gears multiply the torque so the Gixxer will produce more torque in lower gears which is why you can wheelie the Gixxer, but not the SR. It will take someone smarter than me to figure out the torque, but 1st gear has about a 2.6 to 1 gear ratio. I'm not sure, but I think you would multiple the 80 ft. lbs by about 2.1 and get 168 ft. lbs. of torque max. for first gear.
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I don't know that I'd call the rider non-professional: he gets paid to review motorcycles.
Yes...so he's a professional journalist, not a professional rider. I'm not saying that means he's a lousy rider, but his job doesn't depend on his ability to wring the maximum possible performance out of a motorcycle on a daily basis. And, of course, 45 extra pounds of batteries and 90 extra pounds of rider don't help, either. (I say 90 extra pounds of rider because according to a drag-racing calculator I found online, a 150-lb rider on a 407-lb vehicle with 106 ft-lbs of torque should be able to do 0-60 in...wait for it...3.3 seconds.)
But anyhow, my point is much more about the differences, or the lack thereof, between the 2014 and 2015 SRs. With essentially the same weight, and the exact same motor, controller, and drivetrain, how is it possible one of them can do 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and the other can only manage 4.5? The correct answer is, only if something is very wrong with the testing or somebody's telling tales. One way or another, we're not comparing apples to apples here.
It has to be the weight. Remember the 3.3 time is without Power Tank. Even the Zero website has a .6 second difference in acceleration between the SR with PT and without - that is a huge 0-60 gap and the weight difference is only 44 pounds. If Zero used a 150 pound rider to get 3.9 on a PT SR and the mag tester was 240 pounds with PT that could easily account for the additional time. 4.5 seconds might very well be accurate with a loaded bike like that. 90 extra pounds is a big proportional difference when we're talking motorcycle weights.
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What would you do? Go for the faster bike?!
I struggled with this decision too - I was thinking about the S since it has plenty of power (twice that of my 2012 ZF9), and plenty of range with the PowerTank, but after reading the experiences of others and after test-riding the SR I went with the faster bike. I'm glad I did - it's a blast.
Yesterday I took the bike out of town where there was no traffic and opened it up. I did not get arrested ;-)
Thanks for your response. I am sure that I will go with the faster bike as well. I wasn't sure if I needed to for the type of riding that I do, but I don't think anyone would be disappointed if they had a faster bike than they needed. I think that is better than getting the S and a few weeks down the line saying "Damn wish I went with the SR."
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Have they talked about lowering the bike. At 5'3", ideally they would lower it about 4 inches if that is possible.
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106 lb. pounds is the maximum torque and it is available right away on the SR. While the max torque in 6th gear of the Gixxer 1000 is about 80 ft. lbs, that is measured in 6th gear which has a gear ratio of about 1.2 to 1. The gears multiply the torque so the Gixxer will produce more torque in lower gears which is why you can wheelie the Gixxer, but not the SR. It will take someone smarter than me to figure out the torque, but 1st gear has about a 2.6 to 1 gear ratio. I'm not sure, but I think you would multiple the 80 ft. lbs by about 2.1 and get 168 ft. lbs. of torque max. for first gear.
dkw, a pretty thorough analysis of exactly that question is found in another thread: http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4358.0 (http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4358.0)
There's a lot of great information there that reveals many answers to questions I've had. The ULTIMATE answer to how fast a bike accelerates is thrust-to-weight ratio (a 700-lb rider/bike combination with 350 lbs of thrust will accelerate at exactly 1/2 g), and thrust is a simple function of motor torque and overall gear ratio.
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Have they talked about lowering the bike. At 5'3", ideally they would lower it about 4 inches if that is possible.
I was told that the bike can only be lowered an inch with the current suspension. I was also told that there are other ways to lower the bike but the Zero representative didn't mention what those ways were. Exact quote: "The bike can’t be lowered a lot of with the factory suspension, taking a guess about an inch, maybe a little more. I have heard of a couple dealerships doing other things to drop the bikes down further."
I know about shaving the seat as well, but wanted to try anything else before that. When I mentioned lowering the bike to my dealership, he said they have not done one before but if Zero says it can be done then they will do it.
Does anyone else no other ways to lower the bike? Any help would be appreciated!
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So I have a demo date set up for April 2nd! I am really excited about it and can't wait to try the bike out. I made it for April for the nicer weather and hoping my bike sells by then. I have it on Craigslist and Cycle Trader just hoping the weather would cooperate more so people would be thinking about buying a bike. With the cold and snow every other day it seems like, I don't think that many people are thinking about riding. Anyone have any tips on selling a bike faster?
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I've never sold bikes. I just trade them in, but I think you can probably do better selling it yourself even though it's more of a hassle and there are a few horror stories out there. Actually, dealers like trade-ins because they can play with the total money in the transaction plus they can make money selling your old bike. Since sales taxes are paid on the difference between the selling price of the new bike minus the trade-in value, the dealer can lower the tax he has to forward for sales taxes by offering you more for your trade-in, and/or charging less for the new bike, but increasing the add-ons like shipping and set-ups which are costs to the dealer and thus tax deductible, while you still pay the same OTD (out the door) price. Not entirely legal, but dealers all do it. So long as you always talk about OTD price to the dealer, nobody gets confused about how much you are paying in the transaction.
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I've never sold bikes. I just trade them in, but I think you can probably do better selling it yourself even though it's more of a hassle and there are a few horror stories out there.
Yes I definitely want to sell it myself because I know I can get a lot more for it then they would offer on trade-in. I usually get robbed when I try to trade stuff in. I have sold 2 bikes previously and they took an average of a month and a half to sell. Which I know is not that long but this is my first bike that I am trying to sell in the winter. It has only been up for sale for 2 weeks and mostly just spammers have shown any interest. Need the money from my current bike to buy the new one so really need to get this sold.
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I may be in the market for an SR in spite of my criticism of the seat ht. and weight. I think I'll wait to see the specs on the 2016 SR and then either get one of those or try and buy a demo 2015 SR if there's not much difference. I haven't test ridden one yet, but I'll wait until I'm ready to buy in Oct. or so when the '16 specs are out.
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I may be in the market for an SR in spite of my criticism of the seat ht. and weight. I think I'll wait to see the specs on the 2016 SR and then either get one of those or try and buy a demo 2015 SR if there's not much difference. I haven't test ridden one yet, but I'll wait until I'm ready to buy in Oct. or so when the '16 specs are out.
Good point, I was debating on doing this as well. I think it will all depend on my finances come the time I am ready to buy. I still am going for my demo day and will make sure that this is really the bike for me! I don't see how it won't be but can never be too sure. I also am interested in the demos since then you know that the bike is in full operating order. My dealer says that per Zero Policy they have to keep the demo until September than I guess they can sell it. I bet it is hard to buy a demo since they probably get snatched up pretty quickly.