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[MichaelJohn]

Hello all,

A bit of background: When I was in college (many years ago) I studied for a year in France and while I was there I bought a Peugeot moped and had an absolute blast with it. That lit the fire. When I got back to the States I bought a Honda motorcycle but after finishing school I sold the bike and put thoughts of owning another motorbike on the back burner while I got on with my career, got married and raised a couple of kids. However the itch to get back on 2 wheels has never left and I decided it was time to get back into it. I wanted to start slowly so I bought a scooter (a Piaggio BV 350, a wonderfull scooter with surprising power) thinking that I could concentrate on reacquiring my riding skills before getting a motorcycle. Well, it turns out that I really like not having to shift gears anymore so that got me started looking for automatic bikes. I quickly found out that there really isn't too much out there...larger scooters which I didn't want and the Honda CTX 700 DCT which apparently is a great bike but it's, well, slow. You all know where this is going. I discovered electric bikes and once I realized how good they have gotten in just the last few years I got really interested. It turns out there is a Zero dealer in my area so I called them and they had a 2014 SR that they invited me to test ride. I hopped on my scooter and headed over for a spin. Well, spin is the right word because my head was spinning after the first time I opened it up in Sport Mode. The acceleration was breathtaking...it actually scared me and I am used to fast vehicles being an acceleration junkie (I have a 560 horsepower car). The fear quickly turned into "I gotta have this" and I couldn't write the deposit check fast enough. I love the fact that it's not too big or heavy (it weighs the same as my scooter!) and it handles very well. So now I feel like a kid just before Christmas. I even had a chance yesterday to stop by Zero headquarters after visiting my daughter who lives in Santa Cruz. I was given a mini-tour by Bryan, a sales manager there who was incredibly accommodating even though I dropped in unannounced. I even got to meet Terry Hershner who happened to be there. The new deeper red color for the SR is gorgeous which, along with all of the other improvements for 2015, makes me want it even more. This is a fantastic motorcycle - a new paradigm - and I can't wait to get my hands on it and spread the gospel.

[Doug S]

You whippersnappers with your better red colors, your superior suspension/brake components and your 12.5kWh batteries...bah!

As the purchaser of possibly the first 2014 SR sold to the public (I put my deposit down the day they were announced in Oct 2013), I predict you'll love your new toy and ride the wheels off it, just like I'm in the process of doing to mine.

I hope you enjoy your ride half as much as I have mine!

[CrashCash]

Congrats! I have a 2015 SR hopefully on the truck heading my way too!

I've always ridden conventional bikes (https://sites.google.com/site/genecash/my-bikes) but I did ride a Suzuki 650 Burgman at Bike Week that was an absolute blast, and of course I loved my Brammo & Zero rides.

Here's hoping they get here quick!

[dv8sean]

Welcome! I can say that after riding the Zero SR for 9 months, the giggle-grin of the pull from 25-75 mph hasn't worn off in the slightest.

Rubber side down, shiny side up!!!

[MichaelJohn]

You whippersnappers with your better red colors, your superior suspension/brake components and your 12.5kWh batteries...bah!

As the purchaser of possibly the first 2014 SR sold to the public (I put my deposit down the day they were announced in Oct 2013), I predict you'll love your new toy and ride the wheels off it, just like I'm in the process of doing to mine.

I hope you enjoy your ride half as much as I have mine!

That's always the dilemma with this incredibly fast-moving technology isn't it? You have to just pick a point in time and do it. Frankly, I was perfectly content with the 2014 SR that I test-drove, I could find no fault with it. In fact, I loved it. However for the small bump in price it was a no-brainer to get the 2015 with all the improvements. The main one for me was ABS which I think should be mandatory on all motorbikes. We should follow the EU's lead on that. I'll bet that the next improved version of the Zero is not far off and then I'll be in your position -  but, like you, I'm sure I'll still be quite content with what I have.

[CrashCash]

The main one for me was ABS which I think should be mandatory on all motorbikes.

Well it's mandatory on all the bikes I buy, since they're my primary transportation, rain or shine. I have it on the FJR and the SV, and like you, it was the trigger to buy the 2015.

Most of the 2015 updates were components with just a small battery bump. I hope that means the design has matured.

[oobflyer]

Welcome and Congratulations on the new toy! You know how to post photos and video,
right?  ;-)
I'm still happy with my 2012 S ZF9, but I test-rode the 2014 S recently (awesome bike) and next week I'm planning to test-ride the 2015.
Maybe time to upgrade ;-)

[Electric Terry]

... I even had a chance yesterday to stop by Zero headquarters after visiting my daughter who lives in Santa Cruz. I was given a mini-tour by Bryan, a sales manager there who was incredibly accommodating even though I dropped in unannounced. I even got to meet Terry Hershner who happened to be there. The new deeper red color for the SR is gorgeous which, along with all of the other improvements for 2015, makes me want it even more. This is a fantastic motorcycle - a new paradigm - and I can't wait to get my hands on it and spread the gospel.

Great to meet you yesterday!  I know you will love the SR.  As you said in your comment above and I can attest to, once you become aware of electric motorcycles, especially the Zero's, it doesn't pay to wait at all if it meets your commuting needs (basically all of us now who commute less than 150 miles per day).  You can never save the money in gas you spend tomorrow to fill your tank.  Although my riding mileage might be a little more than most, many of you who follow, www.facebook.com/ElectricTerry saw recently that I hit 70,000 miles and my Zero has paid for itself completely and the $4500 in mostly charging upgrades I did to it in about 2 years.

And you really don't need to justify paying for the bike completely in gas and maintenance savings, but only the DIFFERENCE between the Zero and a slightly less expensive gas motorcycle you might have otherwise purchased.  Once you make up this difference, it becomes a positive financial decision that starts paying you back from this point forward.  For me it was a couple months.  For most people it will probably be less than a year, maybe two.

Bottom line, if you're reading this now and thinking about saving money long term by getting a Zero, it doesn't pay to wait if you ride almost everyday.   Many of us who ride a lot could buy a new Zero every year, and sell last years model for less in depreciation than you would have spent on gas and gas engine maintenance.

For me, I'm a little more frugal, I believe in upgrading every 2-3 years.  Like oobflyer said, you will probably see me on a 2015 SR early next year also.  We both have a 2012 right now and have loved it, but the 2015 is almost a completely different bike than our 2012.

Anyway, I hope everyone reading this either already has a Zero or plans on getting one this year.  Just like spending more money up front to buy a house vs. paying rent for the rest of your life, buying an electric motorcycle is very similar with the financial benefit, even though its funny I hear people say, "I'd love to have a Zero if I could afford it."  I'm thinking to myself, "you'd have a lot more money soon, if you started riding one tomorrow"  If you can save more money in gas and maintenance than your Zero's monthly payment, it's basically a free motorcycle, as long as your credit is good enough you can qualify for the loan.  Convincing your wife however you're getting a motorcycle to save money is up to you to figure out how to handle.  Good luck with that.

I only mentioned above that it's a smart financial decision to get a Zero, but there are many more reasons that are priceless.  The enjoyment factor of instant, predictable torque of the Zero at any RPM and not worrying about what gear you are in vs. any of my past gas bikes is just night and day.  The fact also I'm not contributing to our dependence on foreign oil and reducing air pollution and many other things are just a bonus.  But it feels good to know you are doing your part, and there isn't a dollar value you can put on things that increase your happiness and make you feel good. 

I'll end the rant here, lol, but if you only are reading this last sentence, find your local Zero dealer, take an SR for a test ride as soon as you can, and see if you qualify for a loan on one.  If you do, congrats!  I promise you, it will change your life!

[oobflyer]

Convincing your wife however you're getting a motorcycle to save money is up to you to figure out how to handle.  Good luck with that.

LOL - that's the hard part!

[Doug S]

That's always the dilemma with this incredibly fast-moving technology isn't it? You have to just pick a point in time and do it.

Actually, being in the tech industry (I'm an EE) and understanding that principle intimately, I feel incredibly vindicated by buying when I did. Every year up until 2013 Zero made huge, quantum-leap advancements, but in 2014 the only real paradigm-breaker was the SR, which I bought, and the 2015s have just been incremental improvements on the 2014s. Sure, it'd be nice to have the upgrades, but there's nothing I can't live without, the performance is nearly unchanged, and my bike fills my needs every bit as well as the 2015 would.

I really think I found the knee in the curve about as well as I could have.

[Richard230]

My guess is that the major holdup on performance improvements is the Zero motor.  I believe that they received a $900K grant to develop the motor just for their application.  That makes them heavily invested in a design that fits into their chassis and one that is only cooled by surface cooling.  No doubt they are also contracted to purchase a minimum number of motors from the factory where it is being built for a minimum number of years.  Unless they drop that motor for something off-the-shelf with more performance, I don't see how Zero is going to make a big advancement in performance, beyond what they have done with the SR.

In any case, I think the Zero business plan is to stay with a general-purpose vehicle that will appeal to the widest consumer base and I see that as being commuters and government agencies.  This way they will be able to sell the greatest number of units, instead of appealing only to the performance enthusiast - who tends to be kind of fickle.

The only other area of major improvement would be to purchase new battery technology and I don't see that coming along for at least another 5 years.  When substantially better batteries do come on the market, I bet Zero is not going to be at the top of the list of preferred buyers.  I figure the military will get them first, followed by the electronics industry, aircraft and auto manufacturers, with Zero getting in on whatever is left over after the big guys buy the new stuff first.  The Tesla (American-made) "gigafactory" looks like the logical source for the next package of Zero batteries, but will Tesla have enough product to sell on the open market to companies that are not invested in the factory?

[MichaelJohn]

That's always the dilemma with this incredibly fast-moving technology isn't it? You have to just pick a point in time and do it.

Actually, being in the tech industry (I'm an EE) and understanding that principle intimately, I feel incredibly vindicated by buying when I did. Every year up until 2013 Zero made huge, quantum-leap advancements, but in 2014 the only real paradigm-breaker was the SR, which I bought, and the 2015s have just been incremental improvements on the 2014s. Sure, it'd be nice to have the upgrades, but there's nothing I can't live without, the performance is nearly unchanged, and my bike fills my needs every bit as well as the 2015 would.

I really think I found the knee in the curve about as well as I could have.

I agree that the 2015 SR is only marginally different from the 2014 except for one important thing for me - ABS. Being a returning rider I just don't have the confidence that in a panic situation I can modulate the brakes perfectly. Besides, it was the selling point that I used to convince my wife that I needed another bike!

[MichaelJohn]

... I even had a chance yesterday to stop by Zero headquarters after visiting my daughter who lives in Santa Cruz. I was given a mini-tour by Bryan, a sales manager there who was incredibly accommodating even though I dropped in unannounced. I even got to meet Terry Hershner who happened to be there. The new deeper red color for the SR is gorgeous which, along with all of the other improvements for 2015, makes me want it even more. This is a fantastic motorcycle - a new paradigm - and I can't wait to get my hands on it and spread the gospel.

Great to meet you yesterday!  I know you will love the SR.  As you said in your comment above and I can attest to, once you become aware of electric motorcycles, especially the Zero's, it doesn't pay to wait at all...

I only mentioned above that it's a smart financial decision to get a Zero, but there are many more reasons that are priceless.  The enjoyment factor of instant, predictable torque of the Zero at any RPM and not worrying about what gear you are in vs. any of my past gas bikes is just night and day.  The fact also I'm not contributing to our dependence on foreign oil and reducing air pollution and many other things are just a bonus.  But it feels good to know you are doing your part, and there isn't a dollar value you can put on things that increase your happiness and make you feel good. 

I'll end the rant here, lol, but if you only are reading this last sentence, find your local Zero dealer, take an SR for a test ride as soon as you can, and see if you qualify for a loan on one.  If you do, congrats!  I promise you, it will change your life!

I enjoyed meeting you too Terry. I think your paragraph above hit the nail on the head. It's wonderful that these bikes are so eco-friendly and efficient and I will get a lot of satisfaction out of owning such a cutting-edge vehicle and operating it for pennies. However, truth be told, it was the exhilirating performance and the pure fun of riding it that won me over. I think that this is very telling because if an old gearhead like me buys a Zero because it's a great motorcycle and not just a great electric motorcycle we may be reaching a tipping point. These bikes are only going to get better and cheaper and as more and more riders discover the visceral joy of instant everpresent torque, no gas stations and almost no maintenance they are bound to win people over. My neighbor is a very accomplished rider/racer who has a beautiful rare older Ducati liter sport bike with something like 130+ hp and 80 ft lbs of torque. When he starts it up in the morning on the weekends it can be heard throughout the neighborhood. He is very interested in the Zero so one of the first things I am going to do is to let him ride it to see what his reaction is when he taps into 106 ft lbs of instant thrust. I am sure he will love it. Electric bikes are not novelties anymore, they are serious competitors to gas bikes on almost every level, in fact, in many ways I think they are better and that is exactly why I am getting one (and it can't get here soon enough!) Life-changing may be a bit of hyperbole but then again, you may be right.

[CrashCash]

However, truth be told, it was the exhilirating performance and the pure fun of riding it that won me over.

I have to echo this, as it was the same for me.

It also appeals to the complete computer/tech geek in me. "Wait, it's got bluetooth? And I pair my bike to my phone? Really?"

I popped for the super-secret $600 Suzuki Diagnostic System, and used to ride around with my laptop connected via USB to my SV-650, so yeah, I love mixing computers and bikes.

I also plan on making 3D printed parts for it, like a tank cover, and maybe a rear hugger, if I can figure out how to segment it to fit in the machine's print size.

[bammerburn]

I agree about the life-changing aspect. I was knee-deep into gas bikes, having owned 12 motorcycles, with 3 gas bikes in my stable when I introduced my FX 5.7. The FX made short work out of the other bikes within a couple months - rendering them redundant. I didn't feel like riding the gas bikes anymore as the Zero utterly changed what I expected out of motorcycling. I felt that the Zero absolutely obliterates these bikes in terms of convenience, fun, quality of acceleration, etc. I no longer felt that the need to constantly burn oil right under my arse, creating noise, smog, etc. should be part of my biking experience. I'm now focusing upon paying off the FX quickly so I can get my hands on the next awesome Zero. I sold off two bikes (VTR-1000, ZX-636R) and now only have a SV650 as my backup.

Would LOVE to ride the SR. My FX 5.7, with 44 hp and 70 ft/lb torque, feels *faster* than my SV650 with flipped numbers, 70 hp / 45 ft/lb torque. The future of motorcycling looks to be freaking awesome.