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[vasuvius]

I could post this in the general forum but I figured since Zero seems to be the most common electric motorcycle around, this will be my choice if I go ahead.

I commute on an F700GS year round in Northern NJ. My round trip commute is 45 miles and in the evening it’s mostly lane splitting which keeps speeds under 25mph. In the morning, I probably get up to 75mph for about 12-13 miles and the rest is much slower.
On nice dry days, I commute on a road bike (bicycle) instead.

The attraction for an electric motorcycle at this moment is the simplicity of no maintenance and the petroleum/chemical waste products of such maintenance. At 55mpg on the F700GS, my carbon footprint is somewhat mitigated.

I’ve spent the past couple days reading about electric motorcycles, Zero and charging standards, outlets, etc.
I do have a few more questions and thought I would ask here:

1. I ride down to about 20ºF and on occasion down to 10ºF. How badly will the battery range be affected at such low temps ? My garage at work does not have any charging ports. I need to be sure that the bike will start in the evening if I leave home with a full charge in the morning.
2. In the winter, I get a lot of salt on the bike and struggle to clean it off. Is an electric bike likely to handle salt worse or better than an IC motorcycle ? I’ve seen some Harley guys spray anti-corrosion stuff on their bikes but a naked bike like the F700GS makes that not so easy. It is easy to spray the bottom of the Zero with an anti-corrosive?
3. There seems to be complains of dealer / customer service and I notice that there are very few dealers even in the metro NYC area. Has customer service gotten any better in the past couple years ?
4. Accessories - I like heated grips and aux lights to make me more visible on the commute. Anyone run juice guzzling accessories ? And how bad is the impact on range - at the least I’ll add heated grips, LED aux lights - 20 watts ? , extra tail lights.
5. Charger ports - I would install a charger port at home and would like to future proof it for the next car purchase which will be electric in a couple years. NEMA 14-50 seems to be a pretty standard choice for most vehicles. Anything else I need to consider here?
6. The roads are pretty bad around the Jersey City area with moon craters - does the DSR handle bad roads well ?

Thanks in advance for responses. I need to find time to schedule a test ride and then make my decision.

-V
5.

[flattetyre]

10 /20 F will significantly hurt your range and you will need to charge the bike indoors at those temperatures. The bike probably still meets your needs.

Keep in mind that when people talk about no maintenance they're forgetting that a Zero has suspension and a ton of bushings and bearings all of which need to be serviced semi-regularly for good performance like any bike. You're mostly saving an oil change here and there.

The electronics are also not bulletproof yet. People have had chargers and dc/dc converters die, and various users have reported issues with poorly weatherproofed connectors around the bike. So whether your bike is a maintenance free experience is roll of the dice.

Customer service: it sucks and will get worse. Enjoy.

Accessories: they will not perceptibly affect your range.

Charger ports: you can charge the bike overnight, regular 120v outlet is fine. You will very likely not need fast charging ever, if you do it won't be fast enough and you're better off having a second gas bike.

Also the belt, which is the biggest no maintenance feature kind of sucks. They break if you ride hard or are unlucky enough to catch debris in the right place. I changed mine to a chain, which is still very low maintenance.

What would I do in your situation? Probably get an electric bike, as you have an ideal situation for it aside from the temperature.

[Moto7575]

1 - I did not notice anything. There might be a small reduction.
2 - Zero advises to dry clean your bike, so salt cleaning might take more time
3 - If you have a good dealer, then you can avoid lots of problems. Zero's policy on issues & customer support are still not adapted to what anybody should expect.
4 - You can improve the range by adding a windshield too.
6 - I have an FXS and the experience on potholes is great. Might be a good way for you to start if the mileage is high enough (80 km if you ride agressively).
 

1. I ride down to about 20ºF and on occasion down to 10ºF. How badly will the battery range be affected at such low temps ? My garage at work does not have any charging ports. I need to be sure that the bike will start in the evening if I leave home with a full charge in the morning.
2. In the winter, I get a lot of salt on the bike and struggle to clean it off. Is an electric bike likely to handle salt worse or better than an IC motorcycle ? I’ve seen some Harley guys spray anti-corrosion stuff on their bikes but a naked bike like the F700GS makes that not so easy. It is easy to spray the bottom of the Zero with an anti-corrosive?
3. There seems to be complains of dealer / customer service and I notice that there are very few dealers even in the metro NYC area. Has customer service gotten any better in the past couple years ?
4. Accessories - I like heated grips and aux lights to make me more visible on the commute. Anyone run juice guzzling accessories ? And how bad is the impact on range - at the least I’ll add heated grips, LED aux lights - 20 watts ? , extra tail lights.
5. Charger ports - I would install a charger port at home and would like to future proof it for the next car purchase which will be electric in a couple years. NEMA 14-50 seems to be a pretty standard choice for most vehicles. Anything else I need to consider here?
6. The roads are pretty bad around the Jersey City area with moon craters - does the DSR handle bad roads well ?

Thanks in advance for responses. I need to find time to schedule a test ride and then make my decision.

-V
5.

[Curt]

Isn't lane splitting illegal in NJ? I can't blame you if you're engaging in civil disobedience. Your commute case is ideal even for low temp.

Don't buy the electric bike for "green" reasons. They're not "green" in any way. Fuel savings is negligible. Buy electric for the riding experience. You need this. Everyone needs this! Jump on without any warmup, and speed around in stealth mode seeking out potholes.

If possible, a Zero should not be your only vehicle. I haven't had downtime in 2.5 years, but I'm aware that if I do, it could take some time to fix. Also, be aware that your alternate vehicle(s) will gather a lot of dust. No matter how much you love them now, you'll dislike using them. I swear.

100W of accessories (heated grips and vest) won't have noticeable range impact. Don't worry about installing EVSE (unless you go for the SR/F).

[pacificcricket]

To go electric motorcycle or not

Not to go. If you have to ask this question expecting random individuals on the interwebz to convince you, you're likely not ready.

[Jondherron]

On the dealer question I recently had a very good experience with a dealer in central Jersey. Mt. Holly motorsports in Vincentown NJ is very attentive and knowledgeable about Zeros both on the sales and service ends.

[domingo3]

1. I ride down to about 20ºF and on occasion down to 10ºF. How badly will the battery range be affected at such low temps ? My garage at work does not have any charging ports. I need to be sure that the bike will start in the evening if I leave home with a full charge in the morning.
Expect about 30-40% reduction in range at those temps.  I would't be worried at all about range for your commute in cold weather if you get the 14.4 kWh or higher.  I can make a 44 mile commute, almost all on the highway as long as I don't go over 70 for too long on my 7.2.

Depending on how the garage is set up, it's likely warmer than the outside temperature even if it's not heated.  There are specs that I don't know off the top of my head for a cutoff temperature that the bike will not operate.  From my personal experience, I rode to work at 8 degrees F.  I left from a heated garage and parked in an unheated garage.  No issues with starting or running.


2. In the winter, I get a lot of salt on the bike and struggle to clean it off. Is an electric bike likely to handle salt worse or better than an IC motorcycle ? I’ve seen some Harley guys spray anti-corrosion stuff on their bikes but a naked bike like the F700GS makes that not so easy. It is easy to spray the bottom of the Zero with an anti-corrosive?
I've only run one winter with salt roads.  Washed the bike a couple of times in the winter.  See thread https://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=8811.msg75352#msg75352


3. There seems to be complains of dealer / customer service and I notice that there are very few dealers even in the metro NYC area. Has customer service gotten any better in the past couple years ?
I don't perceive that the service has gotten any better in the past couple of years.  There are some great dealer/Zero experiences and some terrible ones.  At lot is dealer dependent.  In my opinion, I would feel more confident someone would try to get my issue resolved in a timely manner if they offered a loaner bike for any warranty service.  The next time I buy, I'm going to ask that question.  I think the dealer would have been a lot more motivated to get my bike back to me if I had a loaner bike of theirs for over a month and was about to move out of state.

4. Accessories - I like heated grips and aux lights to make me more visible on the commute. Anyone run juice guzzling accessories ? And how bad is the impact on range - at the least I’ll add heated grips, LED aux lights - 20 watts ? , extra tail lights.
I don't, but they should have a tiny effect on range.  Motor power is measured in kW.  You're talking a few watts of accessories.

5. Charger ports - I would install a charger port at home and would like to future proof it for the next car purchase which will be electric in a couple years. NEMA 14-50 seems to be a pretty standard choice for most vehicles. Anything else I need to consider here?
Not my forte.  I just charge from a regular wall outlet overnight.

6. The roads are pretty bad around the Jersey City area with moon craters - does the DSR handle bad roads well ?
My FXS does fine.  I think the DSR should be good, too.

[Doug S]

4. Accessories - I like heated grips and aux lights to make me more visible on the commute. Anyone run juice guzzling accessories ? And how bad is the impact on range - at the least I’ll add heated grips, LED aux lights - 20 watts ? , extra tail lights.

All pretty negligible compared to the energy cost of powering a vehicle. With a 14.4kWh battery, a 55W halogen headlight bulb will take 2.6 hours to drain 1% of the battery. Accessorize away.

[Doug S]

Also, I'm almost in agreement with pacificcricket. Comparing head-to-head with ICE motorcycles, it's not a tremendously easy case to make in favor of the electrics. Range and purchase cost issues are real, and will be for a while. And with the high purchase cost, even cost of ownership will probably take years to work out in favor of the electric. I hate to say that, as a big fan of electric motorcycles, but it doesn't do anybody any favors to set up false expectations.

But, you mention part of your motivation is reducing your carbon footprint. That's definitely one of the better reasons for buying electric.

The BEST reasons, though, you'll only find out if you throw a leg over one. Find your local dealer and do a test ride. The monster torque, the instantaneous response at any time under any circumstances, the quiet, the roll-on response, all make for a very satisfying ride.

But until you do that, until you become a convert, yeah...electric motorcycles may not be for you. It's definitely still in the "early adopter" stage. Try it and see if you get addicted to it like many of us have.

[domingo3]

To go electric motorcycle or not

Not to go. If you have to ask this question expecting random individuals on the interwebz to convince you, you're likely not ready.

I disagree wholeheartedly.  I asked questions before I committed to buying and now I'm a happy owner.  https://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4516.msg29604#msg29604

Also, I'm almost in agreement with pacificcricket. Comparing head-to-head with ICE motorcycles, it's not a tremendously easy case to make in favor of the electrics. Range and purchase cost issues are real, and will be for a while. And with the high purchase cost, even cost of ownership will probably take years to work out in favor of the electric. I hate to say that, as a big fan of electric motorcycles, but it doesn't do anybody any favors to set up false expectations.

But, you mention part of your motivation is reducing your carbon footprint. That's definitely one of the better reasons for buying electric.

The BEST reasons, though, you'll only find out if you throw a leg over one. Find your local dealer and do a test ride. The monster torque, the instantaneous response at any time under any circumstances, the quiet, the roll-on response, all make for a very satisfying ride.

But until you do that, until you become a convert, yeah...electric motorcycles may not be for you. It's definitely still in the "early adopter" stage. Try it and see if you get addicted to it like many of us have.

For me, the Zero riding experience is the strongest benefit (smooth, quiet, torquey, no gas stations, etc.).  The tree-hugging or financial arguments sound nice, but I think are a lot harder to sell.

[alko]

I agree with Domingo3 on range. I never see those low of temps since I'm near Las Vegas, but the difference in range between temps in the 50-60's to the 80-90's is about 20-25% difference.

[JaimeC]

I live on Long Island, NY so my temperatures are roughly equivalent to those experienced by the OP.  My round trip commute is 34 miles, all but six of those on the Long Island Expressway at 70 mph.  I also head out to lunch at lunch time which sometimes adds another ten or twenty miles to my day's total mileage.

I rode all winter, powering my electric vest from the 12v accessory socket and always got home with plenty of charge left.  This WAS, however, a relatively mild winter compared to others we've had in the past though.  Our climate is often milder than inland because of the moderating effect of being surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, and the Long Island Sound to the north.

I have a 2018 Zero S with the 13kWh battery, no Power Tank.

[dittoalex]

My 2017 has corroded to stupid ugly in the ~2500 miles of 'wet' Norcal weather.  It would be very ratty in your climate.  You also can't use water to wash it.

[pacificcricket]

My 2017 has corroded to stupid ugly in the ~2500 miles of 'wet' Norcal weather.  It would be very ratty in your climate.  You also can't use water to wash it.

Not sure I understand what you're describing that happened to your bike. Worth pointing out though I have 28,000 miles on mine in 5 years of year round riding in the wet part of the Pacific Northwest. No water related issues of any kind.

[pacificcricket]

I disagree wholeheartedly.  I asked questions before I committed to buying and now I'm a happy owner.  https://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4516.msg29604#msg29604

That's what we call an 'anecdote' Many people have asked me about Zero over the years, many have ridden my DS as well. Not a single one bought one.