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[protomech]

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/fleet/military/specs.php

vs

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/fleet/military/2015/specs.php

Weight unchanged, motor apparently did not change (still SPM). No change in sustained top speed.

Riding range improved from 62 to 71 miles of city riding; recon and tactical riding similarly improved by 15-20%.

Charge times have increased with the larger battery. The MMX used a standard DeltaQ QuiQ offboard 1 kW charger; with a single charger the bike will charge to 95% in 5.4 hours, up from 4.4 hours previously.

I'm really curious how Zero's military sales are going. You can thank the MMX in part for the continued existence of the FX; the MMX apparently is the response to a contract requirement to bring a bike from fully depleted to ready to ride with full energy in less than 60 seconds.

[Richard230]

I read somewhere that their MMX sales are not going very well.  In fact, I seem to recall reading that the military is no longer interested in all-electric motorcycles but is more interested in hybrid bikes that can run on diesel fuel and then switch to electricity if they need to go into a stealth mode. Unfortunately, I can't recall the source of my information but I am pretty sure that it was in an article regarding either Zero or electric motorcycles in general and published a couple of months ago.

[rayivers]

You can thank the MMX in part for the continued existence of the FX

I think it's also possible the MMX is responsible for the demise of the MX, as I believe only one of them could maintain the existing homologation status and MMX sales were better than MX's in early 2013 (just supposition).

I read somewhere that their MMX sales are not going very well.

Hmmm... I still hope Zero will return to their roots and sell a dirt-only bike to the public again someday; I wonder if that day may be coming after all (doubtful).

Ray

[Ranga]

You can thank the MMX in part for the continued existence of the FX; the MMX apparently is the response to a contract requirement to bring a bike from fully depleted to ready to ride with full energy in less than 60 seconds.

That's a nice line for Zero to use for marketing, but its not true.  Every model of the X line had fast swapable batteries, even since before the company was called Zero.  It could be that their waterproofing techniques improved because of the MMX.

[Ranga]

Hmmm... I still hope Zero will return to their roots and sell a dirt-only bike to the public again someday; I wonder if that day may be coming after all (doubtful).

My understanding is that you can still buy an MX, but you have to contact the company directly to order it.  Its sales were very poor compared to the street legal options, so they no longer offer it to dealerships.

[protomech]

You can thank the MMX in part for the continued existence of the FX; the MMX apparently is the response to a contract requirement to bring a bike from fully depleted to ready to ride with full energy in less than 60 seconds.

That's a nice line for Zero to use for marketing, but its not true.  Every model of the X line had fast swapable batteries, even since before the company was called Zero.  It could be that their waterproofing techniques improved because of the MMX.

Well, hence "in part".

You're right that Zero has used removable batteries for their dirt bikes since they started selling the Electricross Drift in 2006-2007. I definitely didn't mean that the removable batteries were invented for the military contract; but rather that a need for a fast swap platform is part of what justifies the existence of the X line.

Consider:
- the XU ran from 2011-2013, presumably axed due to low sales
- the X has struggled with identity between dirt-only, dirt and street models, street, before being reborn as the FX in 2013.
- the MX similarly struggled with identity and mission. It's all but dead now save for fleet sales.
- the FX has seen intermittent updates over the years. It got the unified dash, headlights and pillion seating in 2014; ABS, tires and suspension in 2015 (but missed the battery bump); updated cells in 2016 (but missed the Charge Tank and IPM motor).
- the FXS is a first party supermoto, but the significant change is the IPM motor. Wheels,  brakes, tires are from existing bikes.

The X platform isn't dead, but it has struggled to find a niche since the platform's inception, in a way that the S and DS bikes have not. It's good to see Zero continuing to offer some updates for the bike .. but without the MMX or other fleet sales (who do you think buys the accessory QuiQ chargers?), I think Zero would consider offering a smaller monolith fixed battery (at reduced weight and cost).

[Cortezdtv]

I thought they have sold more fx's than any other bike and all others combined....

[rayivers]

My understanding is that you can still buy an MX, but you have to contact the company directly to order it.

Well, that sure didn't work for me, but at least I got my $1K deposit back promptly.

Ray

[protomech]

I thought they have sold more fx's than any other bike and all others combined....

Zero doesn't publish sales numbers.. but you occasionally see snippets, like this one from Gizmag about a year ago.

http://www.gizmag.com/zero-electric-motorcycles-factory-2015/35865/

While it was fascinating to take a trip through Zero's impressive factory floor and speak at length with its business and technical leadership, the star of the show was certainly the 2015 Zero test fleet.

The range is split into 4 bikes – the S streetfigher and its high-powered SR brother, the DS dual-sport machine and the very naughty, dirt-focused FX. Zero CEO Richard Walker told us that sales are evenly split among the four models: "each model represents between 20-30 percent of sales. We feel like we've got the product mix right at this point."

I think the FXS will steal some sales from the FX and from the S; but the ZF9.8 bikes are now equivalent price to the FX ZF6.5, which may also swing some sales. The DSR also offers the acceleration of the FX in a heavier, higher range platform, which may also pull some sales away.