I got out yesterday for a longer ride and the bike worked great with no problems. I ran it thru a shallow water crossin with no ill effects, climbed a steep hill with little run at it, and ran thru a small bmx track repeatly to test suspension action. The battery did last around 1.5 hr of continuous riding.
I've ridden dirt bikes for years and think I have a pretty good idea how a bike should ride etc. Let's say the Electric
motor performance is very good with excellent throttle control over ruff terrain, I was impressed.
People lookin for a full gas replacement might be disappointed. I was looking for this machine to provide me with an early morning ride on a small mountain above my home before the family woke up. Here I felt it succeeded.
It did handle the rocky and hilly trails with ease, I was constantly aware of the lower chain guard though, careful not to slam it into any boulders as I rode. Honestly, I never rode in the higher torque mode which was unnecessary in the technical terrain present in my location.
The suspension was adjusted on the stiffer side to fit my style. I liked the full adjustability of the White Brothers Fork too.
The stock bars proved too low for me for any stand up riding which I like to do. The Zero Extreme has a higher bar that would fix this issue.
Overall I like the bike and will spend more time on my setup and dial it in to my needs.
I do feel this is a more delicate machine than a full on gas powered dirt bike and consider it a souped up mountain bike. Not to say this bad, but don't expect to destroy the dirt like a gas powered unit. The pleasure of the Zero
lies in the sweet power delivery of the electric motor and ability to enjoy nature in a way that can't be had thru the internal combustion engine. Here it reigns King.
Jon ......The new Zero owner
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Topic: 2009 Zero X impression (Read 900 times)