Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[oobflyer]

I went - got there at noon - just missed you Richard!
I made an appt to test-ride an Energica - rode the SS9 - sat on all three models, was very impressed, but like the looks and feel of the Eva Ribelle the best. The Ego is an awesome sport bike, but has a very aggressive forward-leaning stance (hard on my old shoulders).
Had a chance to talk to Stefano Benatti from Energica - very nice guy - patiently answered all of my questions.

[oobflyer]

By the way - there is a ChargePoint charger just across the street from the dealership.

[DonTom]

I went - got there at noon - just missed you Richard!
I made an appt to test-ride an Energica - rode the SS9 - sat on all three models, was very impressed, but like the looks and feel of the Eva Ribelle the best. The Ego is an awesome sport bike, but has a very aggressive forward-leaning stance (hard on my old shoulders).
Had a chance to talk to Stefano Benatti from Energica - very nice guy - patiently answered all of my questions.

Did you see that Moto Guzzi Stelvio parking as you rode out on your test ride? I saw a SS9 go out for a test ride as I was arriving. Was another electric bike with you, leaving at the same time?

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[ultratoad]

Very nice event....  Really, really like the Eva Ribelle in person....  Energica just got this model right....  AND I fit on it just pefectly lol !!!!  Sure were a lot of very serious BMW riders there....  Excellent choice in hot dogs !!!!  Believe they were Caspers !!!!

[oobflyer]

Yes, Tony was on the Ego - we took off at the same time. Just after noon.
The test-ride was mapped out for us - about 10 miles long - my only complaint is that the roads were terrible! Very bumpy, potholes everywhere - couldn’t really enjoy the ride - had to continuously look out for the bumps - was standing on the foot pegs half the time
Ha!

[oobflyer]

Hey Richard - did you do any test-rides?

[DonTom]

Very nice event....  Really, really like the Eva Ribelle in person....  Energica just got this model right....  AND I fit on it just pefectly lol !!!!  Sure were a lot of very serious BMW riders there....  Excellent choice in hot dogs !!!!  Believe they were Caspers !!!!

The looks of the Ribelle did not turn me on any. I think their best looking Energica  is the red Ego. But their most comfy bike is the SS9. I did sit on the Ribelle, I could notice the difference between it and the SS9. To me, the Ribelle felt much like the Ego when I checked it out. Between the Ribelle and the Ego, I would go for the Ego.

BTW, "city" to Energica is around 40 MPH.  To my surprise, I was told "highway" was around 75 MPH. Range could be better than I expected at 75 MPH on the 21.5 KWH Battery.  But OTOH, Energica says my SS9 range is  80 miles at 75 MPH and I don't buy that, unless all downhill on a warm day. One thing I forgot to ask is the expected range when just getting to a 0 SOC. I do know it's more than a couple of miles.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

Hey Richard - did you do any test-rides?

No I didn't.  I think the Energica bikes are really wonderful, but they are about 200 pounds heavier than I feel comfortable handling. Plus, their prices are a bit more than I want to pay, along with I only use 120V charging at home as I am too cheap to pay for a commercial charging rate. So most of the Energica's best features would be lost on me.  I am happy with using my Zero for local riding, visiting friends and for utility usages, instead of using my car. While I enjoy riding, I rarely do it for just fun. And the Energica bikes look more like fun than as a beast of burden.

[MVetter]

I'm translating that as, "Energica isn't the bike for you because it looks like it's too much fun."

I hope the rest of you can heed this warning, and if I catch anyone having fun on their rides there will be consequences!

[DonTom]

I think the Energica bikes are really wonderful, but they are about 200 pounds heavier than I feel comfortable handling. Plus, their prices are a bit more than I want to pay, along with I only use 120V charging at home as I am too cheap to pay for a commercial charging rate. So most of the Energica's best features would be lost on me.  I am happy with using my Zero for local riding, visiting friends and for utility usages, instead of using my car. While I enjoy riding, I rarely do it for just fun. And the Energica bikes look more like fun than as a beast of burden.

You can charge the Energica with 120 VAC. The cable required comes with the bike for 120 VAC home charging. The only difference is that the cable is external to the bike, so it is not as convenient to charge from 120 VAC while on the road, such as behind the Harley shops as I did with my Zero DS in Tucson. You can still do the same with the Energica, but you need to carry the much larger and thicker cable and it takes up some room. But at home, it is just as easy to charge the Energica as  it is your Zero, exactly as you have been doing.

And why do you think you would be charged a higher rate for 240 VAC? A KWH is a KWH so if you charge fast or slow, it should cost the same, with one exception. It can be cheaper to charge faster because some places have different rates for different times. You want to avoid the high rate times. Slow charging could get into the high rate charge time where the faster rate will be done by then.

On 120 VAC, the Energica charges at 1.5 KW, just a little more than your Zero (around 1.4 KW). But on 240 VAC, it will charge in half the time as it will then charge at 3.0 KWs unlike your Zero that will still charge at 1.5 KW.

But if you did 240 VAC the only additional cost is for the installation and the equipment to charge at 240 VAC. But this doesn't matter, as you can still charge the Energica the same way as your Zeros with your 120 VAC at home as you have been doing.

So now you have one less excuse to not buy the Energica. And one less excuse to not install 240 VAC, but that is a choice with the Energica. It has no real benefit to charge the Zero on 240 VAC, other than your cords will not get as warm because of the reduced current on 240 VAC and slightly less loss, but not a noticeable difference in charge times on a Zero, while the charge time will be cut in half on the Energica on 240 VAC.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

I think the Energica bikes are really wonderful, but they are about 200 pounds heavier than I feel comfortable handling.

There is a very good way to make the Energica seem very light. All you need  to do is ride my 1,000 lb Harley and then ride the Energica right after and you will then realize what a nice light bike the Energica is!

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Someone with a commercial vested interest in growing Energica market share and someone with more bikes than 99% of us on this forum can afford are pumping up Energica benefits and throwing shade on a comment from a Zero owner.

Be better than this, please.

[DonTom]

Someone with a commercial vested interest in growing Energica market share and someone with more bikes than 99% of us on this forum can afford are pumping up Energica benefits and throwing shade on a comment from a Zero owner.

I am not sure what you're  talking about as I was just giving the facts about charging with 120 VAC and such.  And those  facts were not biased, just facts.

IMO, it is YOU who is biased, Biased against Energica, for whatever reason.

And BTW, the problem with Energica is not that there is not enough buyers. It is quite the opposite, they do not make enough bikes.

That is why some dealers put in for being an Energica dealer but can't do such any time soon. Energica has to satisfy their old dealers first before they can handle new dealers. Not enough bikes made for any new dealers as every shipment every bike is unloaded to their older dealers. When they can keep up with those orders, and have bikes left over, only then will there be new dealers.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[oobflyer]

The more EV bikes the better - imagine the competition; the increased battery sizes and the improved charging capabilities.

I’ve had two Zeros, so I guess you could say I’m biased (I loved the new SR/F when I test-rode it), but I wanted to keep an open mind. I went to my local Harley dealership three times since they announced their Livewire bikes were ‘available’ and each time I went they ‘didn’t have one yet, try again next month’. So, no experience there.
I was also open to check out Energica since the price is about the same as the new Zero (if you get the extra battery pack to make it 18 kWh the Zero SR/F is over $20K).

With 21.5 kWh and fast-DC (CCS) charging I think Energica has just upped the ante. With their bikes you can charge with 240V at home (oh - and it’s easy to install - I installed our J1772 charger and I’m no electrician).
And then for the longer rides the option to charge quickly is very nice.

[Crissa]

Don, Energicas are big, heavy, and not designed for anything but sport-bike posture and weighting.

And like Richard said, the better charging system is not a feature all of us can use yet.

The Energica is definitely the best you can buy - but that doesn't mean it's best for everything.

-Crissa