S and SR make you lean forward, NOT a Japanese standard, more a sport tourer. I replaced my S stock bars with DS bars and still lean forward, just less. Still not quite standard.
The reason for the forward lean is that those bikes aren't equipped with windshields. If you sat bolt upright, you'd be a SAIL. If you look at the spec differences between the S and DS models, you'll note that the DS models have less range with all things being equal. That's because the bolt upright seating position creates a LOT more wind drag. It has nothing to do with being a "sport bike."
To me (at least), the most important thing an electric bike should have is RANGE. ANYTHING to increase range is acceptable, even that little, teeny-tiny bit of forward lean designed into the ergonomics. Sit on a Ducati Panigale or a Suzuki GSXR1000 and see what a REAL sportbike lean feels like.
If you tried to ride the S models like a real sportbike you'd quickly learn that there's a LOT more to a sport bike than a slight forward lean, too. For one thing, the pegs will drag ridiculously early compared to any honest-to-God sportbike on the planet. Sit on any REAL sportbike and you'll see your feet will be somewhere near your buttocks and your knees will be bent at considerably more than 90 degrees.
They are STANDARDS. Yes, you might feel a little bit of weight on your wrists sitting on the bike in the showroom, but motorcycles are not meant to be static. At anything above a jogging pace there is enough windblast to take that weight off your wrists. Any faster and you'll want to angle your body even lower to get out of the wind as your arms will be hanging on trying to keep from being blown off the back of the bike (that's TIRING by the way... even the little commuter shield Zero sells goes a long way to alleviating that).
That's also why I never judge a bike just by sitting on it in the showroom. That doesn't really tell me anything about the bike (other than how hard the seat is). I need to be able to RIDE it before I make a decision. In 2015 I got to ride an SR, and even though I didn't really need all that extra power, the ergonomics and overall feel and handling of the bike is what sold me. As soon as I was able, I bought my S model. Same range, ergonomics and handling, but I saved $3,000 in purchase price, and $400 a year in insurance costs.
