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[Manzanita]

Just wanted to get some input as to what others think of the handling of the 2014 Zero S.

My take after a few hundred miles (with lots of twisty roads) is that the short wheelbase make the bike somewhat twitchy and it feels like there is a 'shoulder' when I lean it over--it is very reactive to too much or too little handlebar input and it just feels like it is a delicate balance. I jumped on my old cx500 and it really confirms the impression--the cx500 is really linear when you lean it in, and requires very little handlebar input to hold a line.

I am still playing with the suspension adjustments, but it feels like a fundamental geometry characteristic. My thought is that the Zero S has evolved from essentially a low-powered electric bike where handling over 50 mph was not really important, and now that quick low speed handling (which is fun) is not quite up the task of the new power these bikes have.

Has anyone felt handling improvements with a different front tire? I actually just bought a (110mm wide) diablo rosso II based on what the ninja 250/300 forums recommend, but not sure if it will make a difference. I once had a 120 mm front tire on my cx500 (which takes a 100mm stock) and boy did that slow down the turn-in, I took that tire off and sold it after just a few rides, the bike felt so sluggish. But maybe a wider tire or different tire profile on the Zero S will stabilize it?

[Richard230]

I too am not overly impressed with the 2014 Zero S's stability when cornering at high speeds around a bumpy highway (like every road in CA). I find the stability lacking compared with all of my motorcycles (other than my Royal Enfield, of course  ).  The bike wiggles and bounces around more than I like, so I tend to keep the speeds down a bit.  I think it is the result of the short chassis and Zero's supermoto design upbringing. Also the rear tire tends to flatten out after a while and that also contributes to the "tippy" feeling when cornering. I only weigh 150 pounds and I have found that reducing the rear shock preload and all of the suspension damping settings to minimum has improved bump absorption and makes for a more stabilized ride compared with Zero's recommended settings - at least on my bike. I don't think there is anything wrong with the front tire, but I believe that the rear tire is an area that could be improved.  Also don't forget to play with tire pressures.  Slightly lower air pressures than recommended on the headstock seems to give a better ride for a solo rider.

[Manzanita]

Yes, I bought a demo model with 2,200 miles and the rear was quite flat, so maybe that is the 'shoulder' I'm feeling. It still has the OEM IRC tires. I actually upped the rear psi to 38 just as an experiment (thinking it will make the tire 'rounder') and it did seem like a improvement, although maybe the tire broke loose a little in one corner. So I went ahead and ordered a rear tire, and went with a 150/70-17 continental road attack 2. I am also going to bring my bike in for a suspension tuning appointment at Catalyst Reaction (near my work, thankfully). Hope to do a track day soon if I can get it dialed in to where I feel confident on it.

Now the question is, how many 20 minutes track sessions will the bike last for? Maybe 2, then charge until the afternoon, and 1-2 more? Well, I will bring a second bike for sure...

[Richard230]

I had Catalyst Reaction adjust the suspension of my 2012 S with good results ($40 and 30 minutes) two years ago.  But it will be interesting to see what they can do with the 2014 suspension. If you don't mind, let us know what suspension settings they came up with after your visit.  I wonder how they will vary from the Zero recommended settings and if they go in the direction of softer (like I did) or harder to get a more stable ride on smooth pavement? 

[hippiesparx]

Here I was thinking the less than perfect handling was due to my being off bikes for thirty years.
After 9 months on the Zero S I was starting to look sideways at the bike.
Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful toy but as Richard says, the moto breeding and the short wheel base does tell.
The OEM rubber also leaves a bit to be desired, particularly in the wet, it gets very slippery front and rear.
Mine has done 6500kms and the rear tyre has 'squared off'
It's time to look at new shoes
Has anybody else tried different rubber on the Zero S and what were the results?

[Justin Andrews]

I've currently got some "okay" Continentals on mine. Handling is pretty sharp, a couple of months back I managed to weave through a situation at decent speed (40mph) which could well have been a rear end collision on a less nimble big ICE bike.

[Burton]

I have always felt at home on my zero as it reminds me of my ninja 250 but feels lighter 0_0

Granted I do have DS suspension which has been rebuilt for racing by Lindeman engineering (don't ask the details as I have no clue how EC set them up) But they feel really good.

I use BT45's on my bike, just like my ninja 250 except the aspect is only 70 on the zero.

[Richard230]

In my experience "dual sport" (90/10) street tires provide the best life with very good traction in the wet and dry.  Sometimes you can get twice the mileage out of most dual sport tires, compared with "sport touring" tires. The only drawback is that they will be a little heavier than other street tires due to their stiffer sidewalls and carcass. Every tire brand has at least one range of dual sport tires in their catalog and many even are starting to make these tires in the 180/160 and 120 sizes to fit the latest large GS-type models. If you have a bike with 19" front and a 17" rear wheel, you will not have any trouble finding a tire to fit your bike.  If you have a 17" front wheel, you will likely have to choose a street tire for the front, but a dual sport can still be used in the rear and will likely last as long as the front tire, instead of only half as long as the stock rear IRC tire does.

[Manzanita]

Okay, here are the suspension settings done to my 2014 Zero S by Catalyst Reaction today (I weigh 180 lbs  (~82 kg)). All the way clockwise is 'in' and then counting clicks out:

Front forks:
                                                              Zero Manual      my C.R. setup
 Rebound Dampening (top screw):            10 clicks out             8 out
 Compression Damp. (bottom):                10 clicks out             6 out
 
Rear shock:
                                                                Zero Manual    my C.R. setup
 Rebound Dampening (bottom of spring):     2 clicks out          1 out
 Compression Damp. (top of canister):       16 clicks out          8 out

Additionally, they added about 1" of preload to the rear. Well I will take the long way home and that will give me a better idea, but my initial impression was that it feels more plush and feels like the front and back are working together better. The straight-line handling seems even quicker, likely because of the preload, but he thinks that it will be more stable in corners.

He said that the lack of rear compression dampening could be the cause of mid-corner instability, as the rear may jack up too fast after being compressed in the turn. To confound this experiment, they also installed the front Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tire I just bought, which has a pointy profile thus may help with mid-corner stability as well...

[Manzanita]

Took the long way home... well stability is definitely improved in the corners I think because the rear is really tightened up, but this is more of a trackday setup versus a 'I'm fifty years old and live down a bumpy road' setup--definitely feeling the bumps more. With a new tire and wet roads due to foggy conditions, I wasn't pushing the bike.  I may dial back the preload or go out a couple clicks on the rear compression dampening...

[Richard230]

All of the suspension specialists come from a racing background and tend to set up suspensions for track usage (high speeds and smooth corners).  Their recommendations will work fine under those conditions, but can be pretty rough when running over potholes in the city and bumpy pavement out in the woods.  One of these days we will have fully active electronic suspensions that will accommodate every terrain and just keep the bike composed under all riding conditions.      Ducati, KTM and BMW are on the way there, but still have a way to go.

[NanoMech]

My wife and I have two 2014 DS, and have similar experiences of rear wheel tracking over moderate pavement, and leaning into turns over a "step" or edge. I had Metzler Tourance 85/15 tires installed on both bikes, once a BMW GS OEM tire , at the time of purchase of the bikes. I noted the significant sense of vertical CG on my bike with the powertank, compared with my wife's 2014 DS. The handling is overly sensitive and the rear wheel is really sensitive to tire pressure. It feels as if it wants to walk on turns when the pressure is below 30 psi, and the rear shock seems to return to different locations on turns, possibly exaggerating any walking affect with heavy tires. It seems more sensitive than many of the bikes I have owned, but I am driving the DS on a much lower speed, and torque-aggressive profile than the other bikes, including the HD XR1200 I had prior to the Zero.

My wife and I are used to the handling and it is my wife's first motorcycle, but rarely exceed 55 mph. I'm impressed with the development of the Zero over the past several years, and am considering buying the DSR, if it is available next year. I'm ok with being an early adopter.

[Richard230]

I think the Fast Ace suspension, as used on the pre-2015 bikes, have a lot of static seal friction that results in poor rebound after hitting a bump. Lubing the seals with silicon lubricant and putting more miles on the suspension seem to help somewhat.

[Manzanita]

Well, now I'm on a mission to find tires to that will give the bike a more linear lean-in. The 'sluggish' tires on my cx500 were Michelin pilot road 3's and I was reading a thread on ADVrider where the consensus was that they were slow-turning. So I'm going to return the continental rear tire I ordered and go for a PR3 rear, and replace the front with a PR3 or PR4 ( I can use the Diablo Rosso on my other bike). I sort of feel like spending a few hundred finding a good tire will be worth it considering what I paid for the bike...

[Manzanita]

I would highly recommend the Michelin Pilot Road 3 or 4. I had no problem fitting the 120/70-17 front and 150/70-17 rear. Really stabilizes the bike in the turns, neutral steering mid-corner, a significant difference. They are pricey but should last a long time and are said to have great wet traction.