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[domingo3]

The plural of anecdote is not data. You didn't specify who has asked you about your bike in the past. I've had plenty of random people who asked me about my bike in person that I'm sure were curious but never bought one. I don't conclude from that to tell anyone that registered on this message board that they shouldn't buy one if they have questions.

[vasuvius]

Thank you all for the responses to my questions.
No, I'm not expecting random people on the interweb to convince me to either buy or not buy an electric bike. I'm looking for information to some specific questions I had in addition to all the reviews I've read. My questions have been answered adequately.
I do understand that purely from a cost perspective there is no real case as my current F700GS costs me very little in maintenance and the electric bike will require maintenance for suspension, bearings, bushings etc. There's also the curiosity factor and I'm certain only a test ride will help me decide which way to go.

My mileage is pretty low at 4k-5k per year. Also, with the bad traffic I commute in, my clutch hand is dead. I do need to switch to an automatic to save the hand which leads to either a scooter or electric bike.

Next step for me is to schedule a test ride.

Thanks, V

[Jarrett]

Honda DCT bikes are another hand relief option without having to go electric.

[vasuvius]

Honda DCT bikes are another hand relief option without having to go electric.

Yes. Also a scooter could be a better option with lots of storage room and better weather protection.

I don't think keeping the old bike is an option as I don't want to deal with 'more' stuff. I do have several other commute options - bicycles, car, truck and train. The traffic definitely has me riding a 2-wheeler or taking the train. My office building is right above the Holland tunnel entrance in Jersey city and I'm fighting with the worst of NYC traffic both ways.

[chrisho]

my issue with considering an EV motorcycle is that while I think the SR/F looks good in person, rear end is different enough luggage options may be awhile; is that I really loathe air cooled batteries and motors. I know there will be a weight penalty but for longevity and even to permit better aerodynamics they will eventually all have to go liquid cooled . 
 
Still I am considering one but I also have to remember naked bikes have a more limited riding season than bikes with wind protection and that range is 161 city is still damn tight for some of the smaller rides I enjoy. I doubt I would consider the extra battery for range as the weight is just in the wrong place

[Fran K]

If one considers riding season think about the radiator on a gasoline bike.  It will warm thigs up.  I hardly ride on the road lately but at least at back road speeds the warmth is significant.


For off road below 6 miles an hour is where the difference battery (probably electric in general) vs piston is the largest.

[Doug S]

...is that I really loathe air cooled batteries and motors. I know there will be a weight penalty but for longevity and even to permit better aerodynamics they will eventually all have to go that direction.

I'm a big fan of air cooling. Keep in mind that the water in a water-cooling system doesn't actually remove any heat from the engine, it just moves it from one place (typically the cylinder heads) to another place (the radiator). A "water-cooled" engine still ends up dumping its heat to the atmosphere just like an air-cooled engine does. Water does have much higher heat capacity than air, so it is better at removing heat from very hot engine parts like cylinder heads. But the real advantage of water cooling is the ability to add a thermostat so the engine warms to temperature faster and stays at a much more stable temperature over a variety of conditions.

Also, since the radiator operates at no more than 250F or so, it actually needs more cooling air than an air-cooled engine does. The same amount of heat needs to be dumped, but a 450F cylinder head can dump heat to the air much faster than that 250F radiator can. Aerodynamics can actually be cleaner on an air-cooled vehicle than a water-cooled one.

Air cooling works very well in some applications, and a properly engineered air-cooled system won't suffer any more overheating problems than a water-cooled system does.

[JaimeC]

"I do understand that purely from a cost perspective there is no real case as my current F700GS costs me very little in maintenance and the electric bike will require maintenance for suspension, bearings, bushings etc. There's also the curiosity factor and I'm certain only a test ride will help me decide which way to go."

The F700GS also has a suspension, bearings, bushings etc.  It also has valves, filters, oil, coolant, spark plugs, gaskets and seals, none of which the Zero has...

[flattetyre]

It also has valves, filters, oil, coolant, spark plugs, gaskets and seals, none of which the Zero has...

Most of that will be oil changes which take less time than washing the bike. Valves rarely need inspection and may not need adjustment at all during reasonable ownership of the bike. Cooling system does not need frequent attention, and spark plugs last tens of thousands of miles. Gaskets and seals generally do as well. Not to mention, you can do a heck of a lot of bike maintenance while your Zero is in the shop waiting for Zero's poorly designed warranty process to do its thing.

Most of the maintenance on that GS is exactly the same stuff you would be checking on a Zero, moving parts in the frame, suspension oils and seals, and chain which you want on a Zero anyway for reliability if you do anything interesting with it.

[pacificcricket]

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Plural anecdote is not data, but your singular anecdote is totally data Stay optimistic, my friend.

[JaimeC]

<rant on>

As a FORMER fan of BMW, if you ever need that company after your warranty has expired?  Forget it.  They don't stand behind their product AT ALL anymore.  After 32,000 miles (and five years), the timing chain on my 2013 C650GT slipped causing the valves to self destruct against the piston heads.  There was a recall on the timing chain tensioner, and that service WAS DONE on my bike.  Didn't matter.  The dealer tried to get BMWNA to do something for me, but (in the most polite way possible) they told me I should just go pound sand.  A new engine would've been $4,000 ALONE, not counting the labor to install it.  NADA gave the retail value of the scooter at the time as being $5,000.00.  I signed the title over to the dealer and told him to part it out and get what he could; I was DONE with that POS scooter, and I'm DONE with that POS company.  They will NEVER sell me another vehicle again as long as I live.

I am begrudgingly still a BMW customer because my K1200LT, built back when BMW still gave a shit about reliability and durability, is still going strong after 20 years and 215,000 miles.  My mistake was in thinking the "New BMW" was built along the same philosophy.  I should've known better because the scooter had a cheap-shit Chinese (KYMCO) made engine.  The new BMW doesn't care how long you keep your vehicle, they want to sell you a new one every three or four years.  Modern BMWs are built to last as long as the warranty coverage and not much more than that.  Screw 'em all.  I'm no longer surprised that Consumer Reports lists BMW near the BOTTOM  of their motorcycle reliability rankings.  Good luck with that F700GS, you're going to need it.

</rant off>

[DonTom]

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.

Did you do the chain conversion yourself or did you have your dealer do it?

I have been thinking about doing the chain conversion on my little DS 6.5, mainly because of the places I often ride it. And I often take it on my RV trips where it breaking during a trip would be a major inconvenience. I have about 7,000 miles on this bike now, and I notice a hairline crack across the top part of the rubber and wonder if it's about ready to break at that spot.

My biggest fear with reliability on that bike is a broken belt and a new belt won't change that fear as much as will a chain.

-Don- Auburn, CA

[Crilly]

If there is a crack, it well not take long for the Kevlar to break.  Go with a chain.

[vasuvius]

Cost of insurance is yet another consideration.

The 2013 F700GS costs me < $300 for full coverage with high liability limits. The Zero DSR would be $1100.

[domingo3]

Cost of insurance is yet another consideration.

The 2013 F700GS costs me < $300 for full coverage with high liability limits. The Zero DSR would be $1100.

I would suggest shopping around for insurance.  I only have the FXS, but the cost is under $100 for full coverage.  I don't think insurers have figured out where to place electrics in the risk spectrum, so there's a lot of variability.