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[ZeroSinMA]

Alternative title: "A key selling feature for Zero that Zero can never mention in its advertising."

The owner of a certain Zero electric motorcycle may or may not have been seen ridding the bike between lanes of cars stuck in traffic for a mile on a bridge over a wide river in rush hour traffic, past a police car also stuck in traffic, in a state where lane splitting is not legal.

The same owner may or may not have been seen riding up onto the sidewalk and then several city blocks to avoid heavy traffic, past not one or two but three police officers en route.

Said rider may or may not have been seen crossing a double yellow line while passing a police car on an undivided two lane road, which passing either went unnoticed by the police car's driver or left the driver too dumbfounded to respond.

Universally the reaction in all cases appears to be: "What the h eck was that? It looked like a motorcycle but I didn't hear it come or go. What to do?"

When in doubt they take the easiest course: they do nothing.

Any fun "got away with it on your Zero" experiences to share?

[Richard230]

Is that the same Zero motorcycle that had a paper license plate that read:  "License Applied For"?   

[trikester]

Not exactly getting away with anything but yesterday I was sitting at a stop light on my FX and a guy on the sidewalk; "that sure is a quiet motorcycle". I replied; "it's electric". To which he gave a big laugh. He thought I was joking.

Trikester

[protomech]

I've ridden the bike in some off-road areas that I'd never take a gas bike on. Sidewalks, cutting through parking lot water runways, etc.

[dkw12002]

I take off and ride fast with a cold engine, bring home a soft drink refill using the tank storage, drive right on by every gas station, look forward to stop and go traffic knowing I am saving fuel instead of over-heating my engine. 

[Crawling Finn]

I wouldn't make my employer to pay for my fuel for my ICE bikes, but will happily charge my Zero at work (when I get it)

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Yeah, I might be doing all that (lane-splitting, sidewalk riding) in the city - I also might be regularly filtering to the front of a traffic stop at long lights and then out-accelerating most drivers. I deliberately avoid provoking traffic police, but they're pretty rare these days with the anemic government budgets that are now fashionable. Mainly I try not to piss off drivers, because they could ruin my bike very easily with a little loss of temper or attention span.

I have not ridden over any curbs yet on this bike, even though it's a DS, being a little wary to bash the underside, assuming I misjudge the suspension.

The main thing is that using the bike for quick trips is far easier when you realize that the marginal cost isn't even a tiny bit of gas, it's just the time to work with helmet and gloves. I must also say that I now have hard cases on my bike which just means I carry stuff around when I feel like it, which is very useful.

[ZeroSinMA]

Yeah, I might be doing all that (lane-splitting, sidewalk riding) in the city - I also might be regularly filtering to the front of a traffic stop at long lights and then out-accelerating most drivers. I deliberately avoid provoking traffic police, but they're pretty rare these days with the anemic government budgets that are now fashionable. Mainly I try not to piss off drivers, because they could ruin my bike very easily with a little loss of temper or attention span.

I stopped doing that after a run-in with a crazy. It was hot as hell summer Sunday afternoon and I was baking in the sun while drivers sat in their air conditioned cars and took forever to get moving on each light cycle. Too busy talking on the phone or whatever. So after a few light cycles with < 10 cars dribbling through when normally allow 20 - 30 make it I decided to slowly between them to the front to position to launch ahead. I checked out the folks to my left and right and everyone looked ok with it. I shot ahead then got into the right hand lane of the 4 lane road and did just over the speed limit like everyone does on that road. Then this guy in an old pickup catches up with me, riding inches behind me in the right hand lane with the left hand lane wide open. It's a 35MPH speed limit road. I quickly crank it up to 50 to get away, no problem. His truck being an old piece of crap it took him a while to catch up but then hear him and I look in my mirror and there he is no more than 2 or 3 feet behind me at 50MPH. So I speed up then pull over but stay on my bike, crack open my helmet and calmly ask what's his problem, he had the whole road to pass me if he's in a hurry and I don't appreciate him threatening my life. He started to say something then quickly took off. Maybe he realized his reaction was out of proportion to the offense... a middle finger or fu might was maybe called for... but not tailgating me at 50MPH. Or maybe he noticed...

I have not ridden over any curbs yet on this bike, even though it's a DS, being a little wary to bash the underside, assuming I misjudge the suspension.

Never had a problem going up a curb but the suspension on my S is not up to much in the way of going off curbs. Bottoms out every time.

The main thing is that using the bike for quick trips is far easier when you realize that the marginal cost isn't even a tiny bit of gas, it's just the time to work with helmet and gloves. I must also say that I now have hard cases on my bike which just means I carry stuff around when I feel like it, which is very useful.

The choice is either jump in the car and deal with the parking hassle or it's boots, jacket, helmut, gloves but no parking hassle. Weather permitting and limited payload I always choose #2.

Always park on the sidewalk. No one cares.

[hein]

Prmomotech>> I've ridden the bike in some off-road areas that I'd never take a gas bike on. Sidewalks, cutting through parking lot water runways, etc.

It's been tempting. I'd like an extra switch. On the left econ/sport on the right  reverse/normal/walk.
Reverse and walk would be limited to @ 1/10 of max torque and a max of 8 mile/hr.

dkw12002>> I take off and ride fast with a cold engine...
Yes. All out from 'zero'. Yes, cold errands in the tank space, Yes, please with slower (but not stop and go) traffic to go easy on the range for a while.
Speaking of errands... Can we get a couple of anchor points/tie-downs? Notably one locked for a helmet, but perhaps pivoting rings under the seat bolts for a bungee, and mid frame to bungee something down on my 'tank' space?

CrawlingFin>> will happily charge my Zero at work
Yes, doing that. They installed an outlet for a snowplow block-heater. No conflict of interest there. ( I asked)

BrianTRice>> quick trips ... not  even a tiny bit of gas, it's just the time to work with helmet and gloves.
Yes, and here in NH can legally skip the helmet for some runs, if the family is not looking.
I used to use a little Kawa 125 @ 80Mpg for those city+suburbs - only runs, but this is better.

Hein.
(Zero-S NH plate CHRGD, Nighthawk 750, Kawa 125. ex: LTD440 too slow. GPz 550 not bad. CB125 good learning)

[Richard230]

I'll add my vote for some bungee cord tie-downs on the Zero's frame. 

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I'll add my vote for some bungee cord tie-downs on the Zero's frame. 

The top rack includes bars that are perfect for that. If/once they have larger scale distribution, I can see them selling a package version with extras. Probably not soon, though.

[s44captain]

I was jamming down the twisties on 41, coming out of the last turn onto the flat was a speed trap. The officer didn't hear me coming and we saw each other about the same time. As he was lifting his radar gun up I was on the brakes. Had I been on my Buell he would have heard me coming and been ready. No ticket, no traffic school. That's probably  $400.00 savings?

[kingcharles]

Got stopped by a motorcycle policeman in Amsterdam today for using a bikelane. He did not even notice my bike was an EV. In a city there is so much noise that one bike without noise doesn't stand out. But the good news, I only received a warning in stead of the €150,- fine.