ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: protomech on June 20, 2014, 06:16:29 PM
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www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/automobiles/electricity-reporting-for-duty.html
Likes: speed, handling, riding. Range said to be 85 to 95 miles in a mix of "calm city cruising and impatient cornering".
Dislikes: thermal cutback after only a couple of minutes of "enthusiastic riding". Long charge time. Parking lot turn radius is large.
I wonder if Zero screwed up the Power Tank install on the demo bikes. That's less indicated range than I would expect.
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Have not been encourage to buy PT seems to have lots of teething problems and lot of weight up high.
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Parking lot turn radius is large.
Really? Does the power tank limit available steering lock or is there some change in geometry between the S and SR? My S has the best turning radius of any bike I've ever owned!
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I don't think the Power Tank has any limitation. Do you have a 2013 or 2014? The 2014s use larger-diameter forks that may restrict turning radius somewhat.
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The power tank installation has no effect on the turning radius of the standard S model. Also, the added weight of the power tank makes it feel more like a typical ICE bike with a full tank. If you are used to riding an ICE, the S with the power tank will make you feel right at home. ;)
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I don't think the Power Tank has any limitation. Do you have a 2013 or 2014? The 2014s use larger-diameter forks that may restrict turning radius somewhat.
I have a '14 S 8.5.
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Going with the flow of this topic ...
On my Zero SR the turning radius is pretty poor. In fact the bars won't turn far enough to even engage the steering lock. I was going to get the dealer to look at it when I take it for a service.
Has anyone else had this problem of not being able to turn the bars far enough to the left to be able to use the steering lock?
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I find it a little difficult to get the steering lock engaged, but I am pretty sure that is because I have a tank bag strap wrapped around the steering stem and I believe that interferes with turning the steering completely to the left or right to the steering stop. The last few degrees just take a little more effort and I have never had a problem locking my bike.
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Yes, my 2013 S turns very well at slow speeds too. What I notice is that the heavier the bike, the harder it is to maneuver at slow speeds. You can't balance the bike as much with your body position. As the heavier bike starts to fall inward, you have to both accelerate and straighten the handle bars to keep it upright and balanced, and that means the turn is not as sharp. You can compensate for this by counter steering just before you enter the turn, but it takes more experience and adjusting while in the turn is much harder. I have the ultimate sharp-turning motorcycle...a Honda Grom. Short wheel base, small tires, 225 lbs. wet. Turns on a dime.
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I have an SR and the steering is the best at of all motorcycles I have owned. Last bike was a 2008 Ducati monster S4rs. The smooth power delivery and lack of clutch for slow speed manovering makes turning this bike the easist i have expirenced. I Have the power tank and no issues getting to steering lock.
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I have a 2014 SR, and its turning radius seems pretty average to me. It's not much better or worse than my ZX-11 was, if any.
I do have to make sure my bars are ALL THE WAY to the left to get the lock to engage. Sometimes even just the springiness of the tire pulls it off the slop slightly and I have to push it hard into the left to get the lock to engage. They should have allowed a bit more slop here -- as well as allowing the bars to lock to the right. If there's a little bit of slope where I'm parking, sometimes I like to lock the bars right.
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I do have to make sure my bars are ALL THE WAY to the left to get the lock to engage. Sometimes even just the springiness of the tire pulls it off the slop slightly and I have to push it hard into the left to get the lock to engage. They should have allowed a bit more slop here
I could not get the ignition lock to engage on my 2014 S if Zero quality control happens to be reading. I took a mm or 2 out with a grinder/file when the headlight was off and it is much better now. I also noticed left hand turning radius was hampered if the electrical harness isn't pulled tightly up under the frame away from the fork.
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I could not get the ignition lock to engage on my 2014 S if Zero quality control happens to be reading.
Interesting. My 2014 S is fine, but I noticed the same thing with the 2014 S demo bike that I test rode. Neither had the power tank.
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I could not get the ignition lock to engage on my 2014 S if Zero quality control happens to be reading. I took a mm or 2 out with a grinder/file when the headlight was off and it is much better now. I also noticed left hand turning radius was hampered if the electrical harness isn't pulled tightly up under the frame away from the fork.
You may not have looked while you had the headlight off, but did you see if it would be possible to drill another hole in the flange, or otherwise make the fork lock work on the right side as well? I remember the fork lock on my previous bikes were just a pin that went through a hole in a flange to lock the fork in place.
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You may not have looked while you had the headlight off, but did you see if it would be possible to drill another hole in the flange, or otherwise make the fork lock work on the right side as well? I remember the fork lock on my previous bikes were just a pin that went through a hole in a flange to lock the fork in place.
I don't remember a pin and I might be completely wrong but I don't think it could be modified to lock on the right side without some serious metal work. Here's a picture showing where the lock was refusing to extend past the ridge when cranked to the left.
(http://canyonquest.com/var/albums/other/Other/Sketch115165120.png)
Thread officially hijacked.
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Bummer. Thanks for the info and sorry for the hijack.
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You may not have looked while you had the headlight off, but did you see if it would be possible to drill another hole in the flange, or otherwise make the fork lock work on the right side as well? I remember the fork lock on my previous bikes were just a pin that went through a hole in a flange to lock the fork in place.
I don't remember a pin and I might be completely wrong but I don't think it could be modified to lock on the right side without some serious metal work. Here's a picture showing where the lock was refusing to extend past the ridge when cranked to the left.
(http://canyonquest.com/var/albums/other/Other/Sketch115165120.png)
Thread officially hijacked.
Since it's already hijacked - the picture isn't working. My fork lock stopped engaging the other day and I haven't had a chance to look at it - the dealer is far enough away that I'd like to fix this myself if possible. It feels jammed. Is removing the headlight simple enough?
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Is removing the headlight simple enough?
Yes. I can't remember if I had the forks off when I fixed it, but if you're comfortable with a grinder or a dremel, it should be easy. You might have to replace a couple of zip ties.
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Yes, thanks for the NYT reference.
My wife and I have the 2014 DS, mine with a powertank and her's without. I had over 1,000 miles on my bike when I rode her bike ~40 miles from Daly City to our home. I easily noted the difference in bike handling, specifically ease of turning, between them. The extra 40# up high raises the bike's vertical CG, possibly around 3-4" . The powertank bike seems to "fall" more into the turn and requires more effort to pull out of it. I was surprised the service tech also noted the difference, checking my bike to ensure freedom of movement for the front end. He rarely rides the powertank version, hence his comments.
I have a sport windshield and that, too, would exaggerate the heavier weight and CG shift on the powertank bike.
I also installed 2" ROC risers to achieve my preferred riding position. The right grip unit electrical cable restricts the addition of any rise beyond 2" additional height, at least on my bike.