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[clay.leihy]

Has anyone ridden an FXS 3.3 enough to find out what the "real world" approximate range is? I'd love to get one for commuting but don't think I could swing the extra cost for the dual-battery model.  I figure my next choice would be a small ICE bike like the CRF250L. My commute is about 13 miles one way, highway, surface streets, or both.

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[KrazyEd]

   I have a 2013 FX 5.7, also USED to have a 2012 XU ( 3KW ). My commute to work is 20~22 miles each way, city streets, or highway.
If I was gentle on the XU, I could make it to and from work on a charge using city streets. Freeway would require charge at work.
The FX can go to and from work on freeway on a charge, or, to and from twice being VERY gentle on city streets. Rode FX today
light cruise, not major RANGE MODE. Left for work with 95% and 80 miles projected. Arrived at work 22 miles later ( took longer route )
showing 54 miles projected and 69% battery. Charged at work. Reverse route home ( 35 mph and 45 mph limits ) driving a little slower.
Arrived home showing 60 miles projected and 72% left. I would have to believe that you could make the round trip easily on a charge
using city streets, maybe freeway. Ask your dealer if you can try it. If not THAT route, pick the bike up at the shop fully charged and
try a similar distance/ terain route around the dealership. A series of circle or square routes that decrease in size as miles are compiled
will give you the distance answer, and, since you will never be more than a few miles from the dealership, as your range gets closer to
zero, you can cut it short and head back to dealer if needed. If I recall, when you first get the last two bars flashing, you still have
about 25% left. If you hit 20 miles before you start flashing, you should be good to go.
   I have been riding / driving electric vehicles for most of the last decade. The first thing that I do is a series of "laps" near my home
to find out what my MAXIMUM range can be. After that, I go on KNOWN routes to find similar information. Nothing worse than heading
out on a joy ride that happens to start out uphill and suffer range anxiety a few miles in, only to turn around and arrive back home with
plenty of charge left.
Hope this helps.

[protomech]

Zero lists the FXS 3.3 range as 27 miles at constant 55 mph. Surface streets are probably fine (45 mph or less). Highway is probably out unless the maximum speed is 55 or under. How much of the highway route is non-highway, and how fast?

[Electric Terry]

I would definitely get the Zero FXS for your commute.  There is a promotion this month that will get you an extra $650 back I think.

Combined highway/city range is 26 miles, which it sounds like is there and back for you and will make it.

Although for the first ride, just ride much slower than the rest of traffic and see how much is left, and then ride progressively faster each trip.

The easiest way is to scope out the parking situation at work and look for an outlet on the outside of the building you can plug into.  I'm 100% sure the building you work in has electricity, and there's always a way to find it if you try.  I've been doing this a long time, and there's never a building I haven't been able to charge from if I want, whether that be with an extension cord out a window, or driving the bike inside the front door (its got the same components as an electric wheelchair, no reason you can't bring it inside). 

Point is look around at work and get creative if you need, with just a little thinking and problem solving i'll bet you find a way to plug in at work.

And if you ever want even more, remember a month or year from now or whenever, you can always get another module if you want.

So many solutions, and even more I didn't list such as minor aero improvements etc.  Right now just order the bike before the promotion ends.  You're going to love riding electric more than you can possibly imagine!  It's addictive and I still can't understand why anyone would want to ride a gas motorcycle.   Although going over highway 17 I see more and more Zero's and less and less gas bikes than I did 3 years ago.  Word is getting out I guess that its a better ride experience.

[clay.leihy]

So I thought I might go with an S for the better range and speed and storage, but with taxes and fees, I just wasn't comfortable with the numbers. I was going back to FXS3.3 and looking at the dealer website to see what they have for a test ride tomorrow, when I came across a 2015 FX6.5 (no mistake, new batteries), about 5500 miles, with handguards and tail rack, for 8995. I think I've found my "new" bike.

Clay
DoD #2160,6
currently riding '02 FSC600.
http://www.gofundme.com/xetw4y35