I was getting very hopeful about the possibility of buying my first EV a few weeks ago. To cut a long story short, I was unceremoniously dumped on by my family and friends when I tried to get the green light...
A little bit of background first:
I have been aware of Honda's NC700 bikes for a while and only learnt a few days ago that there was a whole new NC750 range for 2014. They've been out for quite a while now, so I read up about them and booked myself a test ride. Why? Quite simply because I reckoned that it might be the closest I'd get to the experience of riding a Zero on an ICE bike.
DCT stands for Dual Clutch Transmission. They've become popular in sports cars and provide quick and seamless gear changes in either a fully automatic mode or using flappy paddles on the steering wheel. Rather than go into too many details about the Honda here, I'll direct you to a good page provided by the dealership that I used for the test ride:
http://www.nortonwayhondamotorbike.com/honda/new-honda/bikes/adventure/2014nc750xdct.htmThe 2012 Zero DS I was given to test ride was provided by Streetbike up in Birmingham (UK). They were most helpful and enthusiastic about the electric bike scene, despite the lack of any real traction in the UK market:
http://www.streetbike.co.uk/How do they compare?
Apart from the obvious differences in power train, the first thing that separates to two bikes is the feel of them as you first get on. The Zero feels smaller than a mid-size motorcycle. It's also approximately 90Kg lighter than the NC750X. The Honda just feels like what it is, a mid-size bike. At 229Kg wet it's worth noting that it's the same weight as my Fazer 1000 (230Kg kerb weight) but it has a lower centre of gravity which still makes it feel nimble.
The 2012 DS is a little slow to get moving off the line compared to riding any other bike. It's down to the electronics limiting the torque at low rpm and I feel Zero overdid it a little with this model. If found myself having to twist my wrist round much further than I'd expect to and I would have liked to have some more urgency off the line. The Honda was spot on and was just as smooth when accelerating as the Zero; the gear changes were so seamless with the Honda's DCT that it was comparable to the direct drive of the Zero. The only exception to that was the occasional very slight sensation of a gear change under certain riding conditions but I'm talking Princess and the Pea territory here. Downshifts were very smooth which is impressive. In fact you soon forget that there's a transmission at all. IMHO, especially considering the light weight of a motorbike compared with a car, the smoothness with which the DCT operates is a magnificent feat of engineering.
I'm no expert when it comes to handling and neither bikes are built for sports riding but both bikes felt nimble yet stable at speed. They went round corners well. The main difference was the braking. Unfortunately Zero's use of cheap components showed up here. The rear brake on the Zero was very wooden and the front brake was adequate but nothing great. The Honda's brakes were perfectly suited to the bike with good feel and a strong progressive action at the front if you want to stop in a hurry. ABS comes as standard on the Honda too and I hope to see this on Zero's 2015 range when it's announced. I tested the ABS on the Honda and it worked well.
The noise levels on both bikes are very low. The unobtrusive whine of the electric motor on the Zero is drowned out by wind noise at speeds above 40mph and all but disappears when coasting. The Honda's engine, with similar characteristics to a car engine, revs very low and makes hardly any noise unless you put it under heavy load. Even then it's quite pleasant and dare I say relaxing as the two cylinders make the progress sound effortless . I got the same feeling riding the Honda as I did with the Zero; the method of propulsion doesn't take centre stage. There's a sensation of gliding along, taking in more of the environment around me and just being able to enjoy the pure unadulterated pleasure of riding. Less is more here I feel. Riding through a village and watching people playing cricket on the common is a quintessentially English experience. I felt relaxed and just as much part of the scene as if I walking a dog by the green. It was nice not disturbing the locals. If anyone had noticed me riding by they might have thought that bikes aren't such a scourge of the countryside after all. The same can't be said of my Fazer, although I do try and ride at low revs off the throttle at times like those.
Riding both bikes was a very pleasurable experience. At the end of each test ride I handed them back with a big smile on my face with a real sense that I had just spent an hour or so having fun. I hadn't missed the performance of my Fazer. I felt rejuvenated rather than a bit wired. I think sound has a great influence over how we feel. Just being able to listen to the wind and the sounds of the countryside is so refreshing. I would compare it to how I imagine it's like flying a glider versus a Cessna; closer to nature with an enhanced sense of freedom, that essential ingredient we all love about motorcycling.
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Topic: 2012 Zero DS vs.2014 Honda NC750X DCT (Read 2252 times)