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[Burton]

Should you "value" your time or not is a very old motorcycle question.

There is a prorated hour field for all "types" of riders.

The basic question to ask outside of taking off work is would you rather be doing something else. And how much would someone have to pay you to not do that thing you want to do. That is how much your time is worth.

Personally I have a ton of projects and use to not care about doing my own maintenance claiming "I was saving money" by doing it, and I admit I like doing it. But now having not worked on my bike for about half a year I can say my time is better spent and I won't go back to the time it takes to keep an ICE bike on the road.

[Doug S]

I agree with Burton. Not only is it a valid question of what my time is worth, often it's even more a matter of whether it gets done like it should -- or at all. Too many projects, too little time, too much laziness even when there is time.

Since I hit 40 or so I don't work on my own stuff any more. It's not that I can't do it, or even that I don't enjoy it, I just like the peace of mind knowing that it gets done when it should, and done the right way. Drop it off, pick it up, write a check, done. Worth every penny for me these days.

[MostlyBonkers]

I have invested so much mental energy in the field of electric motorcycles over the last couple of years or so that I've surprised even myself! I can't argue with your logic Burton (and lots of others) when it comes to all the arguments for electric. Even without looking at your spreadsheet analysis (which I hope to do), I know that in the medium to long term purchasing a Zero would pay off and is worth taking the risk on reliability - at least with more recent models.

For me, it really does boil down to the monthly payments being less overall for the next three years and not being able to afford an extra ICE bike on top for the longer trips. Sometimes I'll add a ride after work onto my daily commute and a Zero wouldn't allow me to do this.

As is often the case, there isn't always a right answer, it's about what works for the individual and their circumstances. I'm sure that for some on this forum the great feeling of not wasting fossil fuels (as much depending on source), is enough to justify as purchase.  I do feel a little disappointed that I haven't managed to join you in ownership just yet. I'm sure many of you will have read some of my other posts where I've agonized over buying a Zero, even to the point of causing friction with my wife and one of my closest friends!

I thank Honda for creating something that goes a long way towards scratching the itch. I know I won't be able to resist reading your posts and sharing your experiences. What a great forum and what a great community that I feel privileged to be a small part of.

My best to you all. [emoji4]

[oobflyer]

I'm on my third electric bike and I have no regrets. I've never been stranded and I've saved lots of money in fuel/maintenance costs.

My first electric bike (2007 Vectrix VX-1) has 17K miles on it and still runs perfectly.
My second electric bike (2012 Zero ZF9) ran perfectly for three years and 11K miles, but I traded it in on
My third electric bike (2015 Zero SR).

When I did have problems it was software/firmware related - none of my bikes have ever broken down while riding. However, my new SR has a front wheel vibration problem that has stumped the dealership. I'm bringing the bike back to the dealership tomorrow for a front wheel/front brake disc replacement to see if that fixes it. (Again - didn't break down or prevent me from riding).

Go for it!

[Farfle]

I think I fall under the category of "serious commuter" as I  commute from Aptos to Hayward three or four times a week, (134.4 mile rd trip).

I was doing that in our ford explorer (24.9mpg) and it was running me like 15 bucks a day to go to work, which was not sustainable obviously. In Feb I picked up a 2015 Zero DS 9.4 that  has  racked up 3800mi since then. It saves more on gas than its monthly payment and insurance cost, and when the tires go in another few thousand miles, I will still be well in the positive. It did have one problem, and that was the onboard charger, It worked, but only intermittently, but it was an easy fix.

Also, you can flog the crap out of an electric motorcycle, and nobody even turns and looks, they are the ultimate hoon machine, and the DS is IMHO the best of them. (Slightly taller suspension makes for more lean without bottoming on corners, and they LOVE stairs)

BTW, Pilot road 4s rock, and they come in the DS's stock wheel size.