ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Richard230 on June 17, 2018, 04:00:17 AM
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Today I was invited to SFMoto, the San Francisco Zero dealer, to meet with a Zero consultant who asked me about my experience with Zero. I asked my daughter and her husband to show up, too. Two or three other Zero owners showed up later in the morning (at least one person was not a happy camper regarding his Zero experience). The fellow took a number of pictures of me and also my daughter and apparently plans to post them on Zero's web site, along with whatever else he did after I left around noon.
However, the reason for making this post is that he mentioned a couple of things that might be interesting to you: He said that Zero had another new CEO (I forgot his name) and this fellow is actually a motorcycle rider and it sounds like he is a "millennial". I was also told that Zero is working on new branding (which you already know) and has hired some stylists who are using clay sculpturing to design the next Zero model. So it sounds like they are finally going to come out with a new chassis design and new styling. But if they are just starting to work on this new design now, we probably won't see it in 2019. ???
He also mentioned that if you visit the Google Play Store (which I don't do because I won't agree to their terms of service), you can see all of the different Zero firmware revisions and what they were designed to do. (That was news to me.) Since I receive my firmware updates directly from the Zero mothership, I don't get that information.
What I didn't ask him (because he wouldn't know, anyway) was what Trump's new Chinese import tariffs are going to do to Zero's prices as apparently Trump is targeting both electronic parts, as well as motorcycles, according to news reports that I have heard recently. >:(
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I searched the Google store and didn't find any such information about the firmware updates.
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I searched the Google store and didn't find any such information about the firmware updates.
That doesn't surprise me. ::)
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How do I get to meet with one of these Zero consultants? I'd love to share my experiences.
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How do I get to meet with one of these Zero consultants? I'd love to share my experiences.
I received a call from my dealer and they set up an appointment to meet with this fellow. I got the impression that several of their Zero customers were called during the week as various Zero owners were arriving at the shop every 30 minutes.
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Hey Richard. Was cool meeting you guys. You did not miss anything by not sticking around. Mostly (I forgot his name) complaining to the guy who came about not being able to do all the customization he wanted to do, lack of control on settings such as battery as well as lack of information at the system level.
Not a judgement. He had things he wanted to say and was taking full advantage of being asked what he thought. I guess I am still in the Honeymoon period with my bike still being new. I got the bike with the assumption that electric bikes are still bleeding edge technology and there is not a big enough market to have flushed out the bugs. Since I took a leap of faith and almost expect a little of a bumpy ride, I am pleasantly surprised so far. But then again, I am not as far forward on that bleeding edge as a lot of you guys. I am benefiting from the pain you guys went through (to which I owe a lot of you thanks).
I still had a lot of input for him and had written it up luckily because he was quite tied up with our frustrated friend.
About the firmware updates via the app. I believe the guy was making the assumption that people could find updates because they (we, whoever) were behind on firmware updates. Does not appear to be the case for some of the folks checking the app. I know I did not find any, but I would not have really expected to since my bike is new.
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Regarding the mobile app, it is not true that the Play store shows past versions in any sense that I can see.
But it's true that you can see it on the iTunes app store and on APKPure, which mirrors Play store history after its founding.
I've added what I could find to the manual with links referencing the information:
https://zeromanual.com/index.php/Official_Mobile_Application#Versions
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I just re-parsed this about the firmware versions, and ... that is a largely false claim.
The mobile app connects to Zero motorcycles' web service and checks for firmware versions without a password, but it does authenticate using the owner's vehicle information, which means the vehicles are the authentication mechanism.
My 2016 DSR information did not pass the check, so I don't get to see firmware versions (and I'm not going to impersonate another owner).
Furthermore, the information one might obtain by doing this is, as far as I can tell, has severely limited usefulness. Zero's release notes are arguably advisedly guarded, so claiming that one can learn anything from them except by reverse engineering is glib.
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The Zero marketing consultant was nothing if not enthusiastic about his employer. So I am sure there was a little "puffing" in his comments regarding the brand. ;)
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That's a few CEOs they gone thru.... not good for the employees. Reminds of the joke when i was working at Raytheon.. "if my boss calls, write down his name".
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My Zero dealer just sent me a coupon as a birthday present for a free oil change & 45-point vehicle inspection ($48 value). ???
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What you should have asked when they plan to build in America, instead of using Chines parts.
Today I was invited to SFMoto, the San Francisco Zero dealer, to meet with a Zero consultant who asked me about my experience with Zero. I asked my daughter and her husband to show up, too. Two or three other Zero owners showed up later in the morning (at least one person was not a happy camper regarding his Zero experience). The fellow took a number of pictures of me and also my daughter and apparently plans to post them on Zero's web site, along with whatever else he did after I left around noon.
However, the reason for making this post is that he mentioned a couple of things that might be interesting to you: He said that Zero had another new CEO (I forgot his name) and this fellow is actually a motorcycle rider and it sounds like he is a "millennial". I was also told that Zero is working on new branding (which you already know) and has hired some stylists who are using clay sculpturing to design the next Zero model. So it sounds like they are finally going to come out with a new chassis design and new styling. But if they are just starting to work on this new design now, we probably won't see it in 2019. ???
He also mentioned that if you visit the Google Play Store (which I don't do because I won't agree to their terms of service), you can see all of the different Zero firmware revisions and what they were designed to do. (That was news to me.) Since I receive my firmware updates directly from the Zero mothership, I don't get that information.
What I didn't ask him (because he wouldn't know, anyway) was what Trump's new Chinese import tariffs are going to do to Zero's prices as apparently Trump is targeting both electronic parts, as well as motorcycles, according to news reports that I have heard recently. >:(
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I'm from Europe, so not really liking the "America first" thingy, for me just make a good affortable electric bike.
Zero (for me) is doing that for now, but afraid they gonna trow in their own windows in America if this economic war continues -> everything gonna be higher priced and other (global) manufactures will step in and Zero bleed dead... :-[
On topic: great Zero really have plans to make the next step, hope there will be enough funding. They could sell in Europe easy 10 times more if they just make some advertisement, currently people still are amazed electric motorcycle riding is possible and doable, like everytime i stop somewere.....
Hope they will read the topic about what we want for 2019 8).
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What you should have asked when they plan to build in America, instead of using Chines parts.
I don't think it would be possible to build any motorcycle from parts sourced solely in the U.S. I know that H-D, with all of their resources, can't do it. America just doesn't have the manufacturing base to make things like motorcycle-specific parts in large numbers that can be bought for a price that most people can afford. All the U.S. can do is assemble parts sourced from all over the world, not build them here. It is never going to happen with the number of sales that motorcycles sold in the U.S. could generate. If you want to be able to purchase and afford an electric motorcycle you will have to live with its parts being sourced from all over the world. If you want a motorcycle mostly made in the U.S. you can contact Confederate (or whatever their new name is) and order one of their new electric motorcycles. Just be sure to bring lots of money when you place that order - a lot more than I have. ;)
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My Zero dealer just sent me a coupon as a birthday present for a free oil change & 45-point vehicle inspection ($48 value). ???
Oil change??? :o
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Of course it's possible. We can manufacture anything if we want. The bottom line is, it's the company's bottom line that drives everything, buy cheap chinese parts, make more money, that's what it's all about, and not just with motorcycle manufacturing. Not to mention throw quality right out the window.
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I don't think it would be possible to build any motorcycle from parts sourced solely in the U.S. I know that H-D, with all of their resources, can't do it. America just doesn't have the manufacturing base to make things like motorcycle-specific parts in large numbers that can be bought for a price that most people can afford. All the U.S. can do is assemble parts sourced from all over the world, not build them here. It is never going to happen with the number of sales that motorcycles sold in the U.S. could generate. If you want to be able to purchase and afford an electric motorcycle you will have to live with its parts being sourced from all over the world. If you want a motorcycle mostly made in the U.S. you can contact Confederate (or whatever their new name is) and order one of their new electric motorcycles. Just be sure to bring lots of money when you place that order - a lot more than I have. ;)
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My Zero dealer just sent me a coupon as a birthday present for a free oil change & 45-point vehicle inspection ($48 value). ???
Oil change??? :o
They must have thought that I owned a Brammo Empulse. ;)
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Of course it's possible. We can manufacture anything if we want. The bottom line is, it's the company's bottom line that drives everything, buy cheap chinese parts, make more money, that's what it's all about, and not just with motorcycle manufacturing. Not to mention throw quality right out the window.
Does anyone but you and me care about quality anymore? ::) Price sells nowadays, not quality. :(