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[MrDude_1]

A more futuristic design. We ride a futuristic bike looking bland and uninspiring IMHO. I'd like a "wow!" inducing design, that people will know how cool is the bike even before realizing it's even cooler.

Depends on what WOW is to you.

If you make it look like Tron. I sure as hell wouldnt buy it.
If you made it glow blue or have a flashy paint job.. I wouldnt buy it.
If you made it look like every other ICE motorcycle, I would judge it on its merits.. not its looks.
If you made it refined enough to look like an ICE at first glance, but very different when you look closer... its how it looks now.

I love the balance they have. I wish it didnt have the "dirtbike radiator scoops" that keeps me from using clipons, but otherwise its pretty good.

[JaimeC]

Loud colors save lives.  Since our bikes are so quiet, I think brighter, more eye-catching colors would be nice.  My S is a nice shade of yellow, and the SR is red... but the other bikes are all BLACK, what's up with that??

We need to be able to stand out in traffic and be much easier to see.  I don't care that the most popular color for ICE bikes is flat black.  I want to be SEEN.

[MrDude_1]

Loud colors save lives.  Since our bikes are so quiet, I think brighter, more eye-catching colors would be nice.  My S is a nice shade of yellow, and the SR is red... but the other bikes are all BLACK, what's up with that??

We need to be able to stand out in traffic and be much easier to see.  I don't care that the most popular color for ICE bikes is flat black.  I want to be SEEN.

In that case, paint your helmet an obnoxious color. It is far more visible than the bike is.

[Doug S]

Loud colors save lives.

That's no more true than "loud pipes save lives", which is to say, only the tiniest bit true.

Since our bikes are so quiet, I think brighter, more eye-catching colors would be nice.  My S is a nice shade of yellow, and the SR is red... but the other bikes are all BLACK, what's up with that?? We need to be able to stand out in traffic and be much easier to see.  I don't care that the most popular color for ICE bikes is flat black.  I want to be SEEN.

That's a perfectly valid opinion. It isn't one I share. As far as color and styling go, I'm with MrDude, I think Zero hit the nail right on the head. Make it look quite normal, just enough different to catch someone's eye if they look right at it. Otherwise we'd wind up with a two-wheeled Leaf, which looks like a damn toy, or a wannabe crotch rocket, or a wannabe hawg. It's a great motorcycle which happens to be electric, so make it look like a motorcycle, not some electric toy.

[JaimeC]

My helmet is already a bright yellow.  But more obvious than the bike?  Exactly how BIG do you think my head is, anyway???

[Killroy]

A more futuristic design. We ride a futuristic bike looking bland and uninspiring IMHO. I'd like a "wow!" inducing design, that people will know how cool is the bike even before realizing it's even cooler.

Not my taste.  I don't like the transformer/ 1 million facets  / bolbus look of many modern motorcycles. 

I would like to see the air scoop/ wana-be dirt bike fairing design on the Zero, but Zero is not that bad.

[Erasmo]

My helmet is already a bright yellow.  But more obvious than the bike?  Exactly how BIG do you think my head is, anyway???

It's higher than the rest so it stands out in that way. I have a black helmet but and with my current knowledge I would have probably gotten a bright one.

[MrDude_1]

My helmet is already a bright yellow.  But more obvious than the bike?  Exactly how BIG do you think my head is, anyway???

Your bike is low, and mostly obscured by the cars around it.
Your helmet is often higher than cars, atleast as high as the sightline of SUV drivers, and is visible from 360*


From the front of the bike, you see mostly headlight... but a bright helmet is visible.
From the rear of the bike, you see mostly tire and taillight... but a bright helmet is visible.
From a side angle of the bike, the bike is often 100% obscured by traffic in other lanes around you... but a bright helmet is visible over and through cars.

In any kind of urban environment, you're better off with a brighter helmet to increase visibility.

[acacia1731]

Loud colors save lives.

That's no more true than "loud pipes save lives", which is to say, only the tiniest bit true.

Actually, a study showed that bright colored clothing can reduce risk of injury by 37%.  This fact is much less controversial then whether it's better to be loud or quiet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC387473/

The same study found that the color of the motorcycle did not have an impact.

[Manzanita]

How about this for a new concept: an electric bike that will compete with the Honda Grom (125cc) market. Maybe 20 HP, 40 mile range, 60+ mph top speed, low weight and low seat height for new/short riders. MSRP about $4000 USD. It will of course also compete with the scooter market since it'll be easy to ride and light.

This idea comes from recent events in my life: my Zero S (with PT) dropped on my girlfriend's leg and pinned her to the curb yesterday while she was practicing on it (alone). It took someone else to lift it off her before I ran to the scene. She's just bruised thankfully, the handlebar must have broken the fall of the bike on her leg or I imagine her leg would have been broken. But on a slight slope I wasn't able to lift the bike up alone and had to get a second hand, and embarassingly I am 5'9" 180 pounds and I like to think I am not totally out of shape. I know I have been able to push up other bikes that are 450+ pounds, so maybe the high center of gravity makes the zero hard to get upright? Anyways, she is 5'0" and petite, so little chance she could upright it...

So the trade-offs between bike weight, range, power and MSRP have the Zero S competing with 'real' motorcycles, but what about the market for something lighter, smaller, cheaper and less intimidating, that eco-friendly non-motorcyclists would flock to?

Are there other electric motorcycles that meet the above description? I know electric scooters are getting popular, but the ones I've seen are a just too underpowered in terms of top speed and range.

[JaimeC]

On a side note, the best way to lift ANY motorcycle is with your back to the bike and straight, and let your legs do the work.  I was similar to your build when I dropped my 850 lbs BMW K1200LT up in Nova Scotia, still packed up with my wife and my belongings for a two week trip, and I was able to lift it using that technique without any help.  I also saw a woman about half my size lift a dropped GL1500 Gold Wing using that technique; she had it up and on the sidestand before all the "big strong men" had a chance to put down their sidestands and come to her rescue.

[Burton]

How about this for a new concept: an electric bike that will compete with the Honda Grom (125cc) market. Maybe 20 HP, 40 mile range, 60+ mph top speed, low weight and low seat height for new/short riders. MSRP about $4000 USD. It will of course also compete with the scooter market since it'll be easy to ride and light.

This range ( at city speeds) and specs are the FX3.3 to the T ... it cost twice what you are suggesting for MSRP new. I don't think it is possible to do what is being requested with only $4k

If you wanted that range at 55mph then your looking at the FX6.5 which is $2k more (cost of extra battery pack)

I wonder if it is possible to significantly lower the FX for a shorter rider given the seat height is 24.7" stock.

[mrwilsn]

How about this for a new concept: an electric bike that will compete with the Honda Grom (125cc) market. Maybe 20 HP, 40 mile range, 60+ mph top speed, low weight and low seat height for new/short riders. MSRP about $4000 USD. It will of course also compete with the scooter market since it'll be easy to ride and light.

Are there other electric motorcycles that meet the above description? I know electric scooters are getting popular, but the ones I've seen are a just too underpowered in terms of top speed and range.

Maybe something like this?

Suzuki’s Electric “Grom Killer” Coming to Market?

[Manzanita]

I wonder if it is possible to significantly lower the FX for a shorter rider given the seat height is 24.7" stock.

According to the Zero site, the seat height is 32.9 inches. http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-fxs/specs.php

Where do you get 24.7" ?

[Manzanita]

But it does seem like they could fit that battery pack into a much smaller frame with a lower seat height. The only reason the seat is so high is because they want the suspension travel of a dirt bike.