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[Jarrett]

I'm still kicking around which bike to get.

Tubes are keeping me from buying the FX.  I was thinking FXS, but not sure I'd really enjoy 17" street tires in my rural area.

I notice the DS 7.2 stock has tubeless 80/20 tires, better front brake and is only 28 lbs. heaver than the FX.

The city range is 9 miles less, but the combined range is about the same on paper.

I don't think my local dealers have a DS 7.2.  I rode a DS 14.4 and liked it, but its almost 100 lbs. heavier than the FX 7.2 and I don't want anything that heavy for my purposes.

Has anyone ridden both of these bikes?  How do they compare? 

[05RAVEN]

I test rode the DS and own the 7.2 FX. I like the dirt bike feel of the FX, how narrow and light it is. the DS did feel heavy though not by much on paper but it felt heavier to me. I use it to commute to work, short distance... 12 miles and to ride local trails near my house. If you'd like advise, I would say get the FX, just my two cents. I'm convinced you'd be happy with either or, I love my FX though! Hope this helps.

[NEW2elec]

Why do you hate tubes so much?  There is extra cost but my 13 DS with spoke wheels and tubed tires holds it's tire pressure for weeks and weeks.  My 17 DSR with tubeless tires drops about 7lbs of pressure in the front about every week.  I haven't seen it below 25lbs but it still drops.

[DonTom]

Why do you hate tubes so much?  There is extra cost but my 13 DS with spoke wheels and tubed tires holds it's tire pressure for weeks and weeks.  My 17 DSR with tubeless tires drops about 7lbs of pressure in the front about every week.  I haven't seen it below 25lbs but it still drops.

Many people I know won't buy any bike with innertubes. The main problem is that you cannot plug them.

-Don-

[Fran K]

While it is off road rated there is the tubliss system.  http://tubliss.com/tubliss/     "No tubes means you can fix flats in seconds using tire plugs. In the event of a large gash or other severe tire damage, the full circumference rim lock aspect allows for a low speed run back to civilization."


There are ways of having tubless tires and spokel wheels, the BMW way and the rear wheel trials way are ways I know of.

The FX and I suppose the other one can for an extra $500 be obtained with two removable batteries so the front vs rear weights and overall weight can be adjusted.

I only test rode the FX with the single battery and it is either set up for sporty riding of for the weight of a passenger and the sales person and I could not communicate about setting up a bike for sag and the like or what springs are in the cataloag.

[Jarrett]

Why do you hate tubes so much? 

I've had three rear flats in the last four months.  Two of my own and one for another guy.

On my tubed bike, I have changed the tires before a couple of times in the garage so I'm familiar with the process.  I had a flat in November and it took me over two hours on the side of the road to get the tube changed.  The tools and tubes I carry to fix that flat weight about 25-30 lbs and take up an entire soft tail bad that I have to carry constantly on the rear of that bike that makes it a bit more top heavy.

Before that in September, I was riding the K-Trail in Oklahoma and another rider had a tube flat.  Unknown until after installing it, his spare tube had a hole in it.   It took us about 3 hours in 95 degree temps wearing riding gear to get it all fixed and to get back to paved roads.  We ran out of water during the process as we were sweating profusely while working on it.  So once we got back to a town, we all stopped and downed liters of water to recover.

The flat on my tubeless bike took 22 minutes to fix, start to finish.  And that's with me having never done it before.  The tools I carry to fix that fit under the seat and weight  maybe 4lbs.

After those experiences, I prefer tubeless wheels in all my bikes.

[NEW2elec]

Fair enough. 
Most of my flats were on bicycles and are of course much easier to fix.  The one thing with tubeless is if the tire pressure is dropped low for mud and such, a side impact can break the rim seal and instant flat.  But there is no perfect unbeatable tire so go with what you prefer.
Do you use CO2 cartridges or a pump, I use a tow guy but I'm not off road. 

[Jarrett]

Do you use CO2 cartridges or a pump, I use a tow guy but I'm not off road. 

Both.

Maybe I should embrace towing

[Moto7575]

FXS has better brakes than FX. Except if you want to do hardcore off road (but for this DS in not a good choice) the FXS is perfect and probably easier to sell (more versatile). Why is the size a the wheels a problem for you ?

[Jarrett]

FXS has better brakes than FX. Except if you want to do hardcore off road (but for this DS in not a good choice) the FXS is perfect and probably easier to sell (more versatile). Why is the size a the wheels a problem for you ?

Have you done much off road riding with a 17" versus a 21" inch front wheel?  There is a bit of a difference in that situation.

[Moto7575]

I did not. What is the difference ?

[Jarrett]

I did not. What is the difference ?

The taller, more narrow 21" inch wheel plows/cuts through tough off road situations better.

The 17"in wheel starts to struggle when things get rougher.  Makes it for a much tougher ride for the rider.

The opposite is true on pavement.  17" performs better there.  21" more vague in corners.

A 19" wheel is kind of a compromise between the two.

[Jarrett]

Has anyone actually ridden a DS 7.2?

[Moto7575]

To the contrary you will lose 11% acceleration.

Has anyone actually ridden a DS 7.2?

[Ireek]

It sounds like you're heavy into off road, I think your first choice should be the FX with the Tubliss kit, your second IMO, would be the FX-S with TKC80 tires, yes it has a 17" front, I know, BUT, if you can ride, you should be able to go anywhere you need to be going on any Zero bike with this set up, I have a friend that rides a 2017 KTM Duke 690 with TKC-80's and I've at times, had a hard time keeping up with him on my 690 Enduro R, he is an excellent rider though.  The DS isn't going to give you enough suspension to do enough, unless you ride slow.  I've been riding almost 40 yrs and have had only a handful of flats, maybe I'm lucky...