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Those interested in Zero's up and coming features and fairings may be interested in this article http://paultan.org/2016/04/11/iims-2016-zero-motorcycles-e-bikes-on-display/

I wanted to share a important safety notice as i've been looking through the manufacturer documentation and can't seem to find anything stating it. I should have known better myself but that fact that i overlooked it means many others may as well, especially those with little to no electrical knowledge.

ONLY USE 14 AWG UN-WOUND CABLING ON ISOLATED CIRCUITS TO CHARGE YOUR BIKES!

I unplugged my bike from a wound overhead extension reel in my garage last night as it is the only available outlet and found as i un-wound the reel that it had gotten hot to the point of not even being able to touch it, obviously creating risk of a electrical and fire hazard. The combination of wound cabling on the use of a 16 gauge wire can end up in tragedy and can be easily overlooked even with experience. 

I've also seen several video test ride reviews on youtube where the SR went into safe mode during their ride. Neither of them seemed to be pushing the bike very hard and they were riding on flat terrain. My Concern in Utah would be the hot dry summers and riding up the canyons. It would be super frustrating not to mention un-nerving to have the power cut out on you like that frequently.

Quote from: BrianTRice on October 10, 2015, 06:57:18 AM

Quote from: zr2ee on October 09, 2015, 11:21:43 PM

Hi everyone, new to the forums but have been doing some research on the zero's for a bit and looking at purchasing one.

Welcome!

Quote from: zr2ee on October 09, 2015, 11:21:43 PM

I think adding a fairing and improving the Aero would be the best bang for the buck for these bikes, both from Zero's standpoint and the customers to address both price and mileage. Hopefully we'll see something with this on the 16' model year and hopefully it retains it's sporty design.

It just occurred to me that improving the aerodynamics, while it might reduce the airflow to the motor if not designed right, would reduce the need for cooling because the motor would be working less hard at a given speed.

Just a thought, not digging on your suggestion/preferences.

Exactly my thoughts. My bike has went into safe mode nearly every time that I've rode it since purchasing it right at 800 miles ago. I don't want anything hindering airflow anymore than necessary. 


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Good points, The motor seems tucked away pretty tight behind the battery at the moment. hopefully some paneling could be designed in such a fashion  to pull heat away from critical components as it was directed through/past.

I miss one: fast charge option

good point, i added it!

Hi everyone, new to the forums but have been doing some research on the zero's for a bit and looking at purchasing one.

I'm extremely excited to see what they bring to the table for the 2016 model year.

For me i agree that the largest concerns would be (mileage, price, and hot weather performance) anything else would be icing on the cake but i don't feel like it's necessary at this time and could be added on aftermarket for those who would want it.

I think adding a fairing and improving the Aero would be the best bang for the buck for these bikes, both from Zero's standpoint and the customers to address both price and mileage. Hopefully we'll see something with this on the 16' model year and hopefully it retains it's sporty design.

i'll leave the mathematical debate up to the thermodynamics engineers but i think there is definitely some cost effective room for improvement for cooling the motor. whether it be simply re-directing the airflow to more efficiently pull heat away during higher speeds when demand is greatest, Liquid cooling, expanded heatsink through the frame, or some kind of crazy evaporation method.

I'm probably going to start another thread for this but i'm surprised to see there hasn't been more of a aftermarket startup innovation to address some of these concerns instead of just waiting for zero's response.