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[GrantMeStrength]

Yes, indeed it does look like the same set of mirrors but placed better. No need for me to swap them out.
Yes, lower as it "lower to the ground" not "lower mass". Definitely something you can feel.

[GaryArt1]

So here we are the beginning of May and no preorders delivered.  Well I guess I was told end of April/beginning of May initially so we are still in the window but I am not hopeful.  What has me concerned is I see a lot of dealers do not have their demos yet.  That means Zero is still working fulfilling those orders which probably means none of the preorders have been built yet.  I guess what Zero meant with the email saying SR/Fs are rolling off the line, meant the demos and not any of ours.  My dealer is still not getting a concrete date from Zero on my bike.  It seems it has went from late April/early May to “hopefully” sometime in May.  I am guessing Zero is falling behind. 

This is somewhat understandable being the bike is brand new and they have to work out the assembly issues.  Also I am hearing that the amount of preorders had surprised them.  They didn’t expect that many people to order bikes sight unseen.  They knew once demos are out and test rides begin, the orders will flow in, just not so early.  The only objection I have to this is then you have the CEO of Zero telling Forbes they can produce up to 10,000 SR/fs a year if they needed to.  At that rate there should be no backup unless he is talking out of his ass.

So does anyone out there have anytihing better than sometime in May for a delivery date form there dealer?  If so, have they spoken with them lately and confirmed this?  I preordered about March 12th and that is all I am getting.

[Richard230]

When was the last time you heard a CEO of just about any company talk out of their ass when speaking with the press?   

What BMW does with a completely new model is to stockpile the bikes (made for a specific market) in a big warehouse until they have enough to supply every one of their dealers in that market with at least one or two demonstrators.  Then they ship those out first, followed by the bikes that have been pre-ordered with deposits by their customers. But the dealers always get them first, followed by the pre-orders.

The other thing that BMW does is to load the first group of bikes with every expensive factory-installed accessory they can pack on the new model, which typically raises their price by about $4K over the advertised "base" MSRP.  So not only do their "early adopters" become their first-year beta test riders, but they also pay through the nose for the privilege.

Fortunately for SR/F buyers, Zero doesn't seem to offer much in the way of factory options that will jack the price up beyond what you already expect.  However, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Zero is holding off shipping customer bikes until all of their dealers can have at least one to display in their showroom.

[Bill822]

...  They didn’t expect that many people to order bikes sight unseen ...

Quite likely true.

Coming recently from a manufacturing background I would always order modest batches of parts at the start of new model production. That makes for fewer products scrapped or reworked if I find an error and fewer expensive components sitting in the warehouse if the product sells poorly. For the domestically manufactured sheet metal weldments and wire harnesses we designed typical lead times for me were 6-10 weeks. Custom made imported parts often took 3 months or more to arrive.

I have no doubt Zero can build as many as they say. It will definitely take some time to ramp up to that level of production. they will need to hire, equip, and train new staff in one of the toughest markets in the country for employers. That takes time and money. Zero's recent funding drive was no doubt done to support this expansion.

If orders have significantly exceeded expectations delays past May and well into the summer might be expected for the most recent pre-orders. Their first priority right now will be working out the kinks in the assembly process and ensuring the first customer and press bikes that go out are flawless. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

[gstrub]

My dealer today said “hopefully in a couple of weeks.” We will see. I pre-ordered on 3/8.

[Richard230]

My concern would be that they have enough parts to assemble the number of bikes for which they have orders, both pre- and projected.  Keep in mind that almost all of the parts on Zero motorcycles are sourced from other counties. Ordering additional parts needed to assemble hundreds of additional SR/F models from every supplier would likely take a considerable amount of time. 

[GaryArt1]

My dealer today said “hopefully in a couple of weeks.” We will see. I pre-ordered on 3/8.

So here are my thoughts about the "hopefully" adjective everyone is getting to a vague time frame for delivery. Zero is:
1. not communicating real information with it's dealers and it is the dealer that is "hopeful" the bikes come soon so they don't lose the preorder sales. 
2. not really knowing what they are doing in the assembly of the SR/F and has no way to estimate how many bikes they can produce in a given timeframe.  Some of this is a given being the SR/F is so new and different than their other bikes but in between the years experience they have making EVs and putting together all the demos, they should have a good idea by now.
3. just plain out lying and knows there is no way they can make the near original time frame but won't say it because they don't want to lose sales.  They could have run into an issue with the bike, with the supply chain or just got overwhelmed by the amount of preorders.

So I've have been part of numerous Kickstarter campaigns and I relate my experience with them with this experience being this bike is "new" to Zero.  Here is what I learned:

1. Most new items are delayed on initial release.  Just part of being an early adopter.
2. It is essential to communicate with the customer.  Customers would put up with a lot if they feel you are doing your best to release the best product they can in as short of a timeframe as possible.  If they don't hear from you, they assume the worst.
3. If they rush it, there will be problems.  I would rather wait a while for a better product than rush to get a buggy item.  Then again don't have me waiting and then deliver a piece of S**t.
4. Don't lie to the customers.  Once you do that your credibility is gone.  If you hit problems and delays, say you did.  Don't let your marketing people send out a email saying SR/Fs are shipping when you know the customers will be waiting a long time.
5. A modest delay is understandable, a never ending delay is unacceptable.

So it would be nice if Zero gave the dealers the best information they have at the time and then the dealers reach out to the customers (too many times it is the customers that need to reach out to the dealers) and let them know what is going on.    I mean they have our money and our commitment to support one of their products site unseen. They should at least act like they care about the customer.

[Richard230]

When you special order a motorcycle from BMW the dealer has access to a system that lets them know when your bike left the factory, when it reached the shipping port, when it arrived in North America, when it entered BMWNA's warehouse, when it was shipped to your dealer and when it is expected to arrive.  Dealers can send you an email providing this information at each stage of your bike's journey.  That is what my dealer did when I ordered my 2009 F650GS in January 2008. In my case, my bike was manufactured in June 2008, arrived at the BMW warehouse in July and was stockpiled there until they finally shipped it out in September 2008. 

It seems to me that when a customer puts down a $1000 deposit with their dealer, Zero should be able to do the same sort of thing, especially as they have a much shorter route between the factory and their U.S. dealers. 

[heroto]

FWIW earlier this week Zero told me if I ordered an SR/F that day, I could expect delivery in late June or early July.
I was ready to order, but I'm having ongoing warranty covered issues with my 2018 that are just not getting fixed despite multiple visits to the dealer, so no more Zeroes for me just now.

[GaryArt1]

When you special order a motorcycle from BMW the dealer has access to a system that lets them know when your bike left the factory, when it reached the shipping port, when it arrived in North America, when it entered BMWNA's warehouse, when it was shipped to your dealer and when it is expected to arrive.  Dealers can send you an email providing this information at each stage of your bike's journey.  That is what my dealer did when I ordered my 2009 F650GS in January 2008. In my case, my bike was manufactured in June 2008, arrived at the BMW warehouse in July and was stockpiled there until they finally shipped it out in September 2008. 

It seems to me that when a customer puts down a $1000 deposit with their dealer, Zero should be able to do the same sort of thing, especially as they have a much shorter route between the factory and their U.S. dealers. 

Wow Richard, you have some patience there.  I would have been going crazy with my new bike sitting in a warehouse from July through September,  That is the core of the riding season in the Northeast here.  I guess that is the drawback to special orders or preorders.  You make me feel guilty about complaining about the 2 months or so I will be waiting on the SR/F. 

[GaryArt1]

FWIW earlier this week Zero told me if I ordered an SR/F that day, I could expect delivery in late June or early July.
I was ready to order, but I'm having ongoing warranty covered issues with my 2018 that are just not getting fixed despite multiple visits to the dealer, so no more Zeroes for me just now.

I will tell you one thing.  At least in the US, they will lose sales if they are telling people after a test ride that the bike will not be delivered for 3 months.  People will walk out and walk into another dealer to buy an ICE bike off the floor.  Hopefully they invest the new insurance of capital they just got into building their manufacturing capability.  You can have the best product.  If you can't produce they to meet demand, you will lose money.

[NoMoreIdeas]

SR/F showed up at my dealer yesterday, got to stop by and check it out today.

[SRFbiker]

The lack of communication for the price is wearing my patience thin too. Still holding out instead of getting a cheaper ICE bike. But some of the best riding days here have already gone now. Now it’s moving into frequent rain and brutal heat/humidity

[Yamanatc]

The dealer in Phoenix said the demo will be delivered tomorrow (Thursday 5/2), and to plan on a test ride this weekend. I'm going to wait until next Tuesday morning so hopefully they don't notice how long I'm gone =)

I think Zero is smart to get a few customer butts on pre-delivery bikes to get feedback before final rollout - they are 2020s after all. The sales guy showed me the 'out-the-door' bill on a pre-order with all the bells and whistles; $24,700 (rounded) including tax and tag. 
   

[Richard230]

When you special order a motorcycle from BMW the dealer has access to a system that lets them know when your bike left the factory, when it reached the shipping port, when it arrived in North America, when it entered BMWNA's warehouse, when it was shipped to your dealer and when it is expected to arrive.  Dealers can send you an email providing this information at each stage of your bike's journey.  That is what my dealer did when I ordered my 2009 F650GS in January 2008. In my case, my bike was manufactured in June 2008, arrived at the BMW warehouse in July and was stockpiled there until they finally shipped it out in September 2008. 

It seems to me that when a customer puts down a $1000 deposit with their dealer, Zero should be able to do the same sort of thing, especially as they have a much shorter route between the factory and their U.S. dealers. 

Wow Richard, you have some patience there.  I would have been going crazy with my new bike sitting in a warehouse from July through September,  That is the core of the riding season in the Northeast here.  I guess that is the drawback to special orders or preorders.  You make me feel guilty about complaining about the 2 months or so I will be waiting on the SR/F.

It helped that I had 5 other motorcycles to ride at the time.     But I still was not happy about BMW having my bike in their New Jersey warehouse and was refusing to ship it to my dealer because they didn't have enough "units" to ship to all of their NA dealers at the same time.