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« on: November 13, 2016, 10:29:45 AM »
So I am new to the electric motorcycle community, but not to electric vehicles as I have leased a Nissan Leaf in the past. This last year was a bit of a whirlwind career wise for me between switching jobs and losing jobs and searching for new employment. To keep myself busy and mentally active I got my first ICE motorcycle a 1975 Yamaha RD200, got it running again, and got my motorcycle license. Also during that time my lease ran up on my Nissan Leaf and I decided to not extend it for financial reasons. Long story short I deeply miss having an electric vehicle and I now have a deep love for anything two wheels. Having been fascinated by Zero Motorcycles for the last few years and now having my job situation settled out I think it may be time to take the dive. So I have a few questions for current owners.
My main conundrum is should I seek out a new 2017 model with all the new features or try to save a bit of cash by tracking down a 2016 model? Specs wise there is only a slight bit of differences between the new and older models, and being that I would be coming up from a little 200cc engine anything performance wise is going to be a improvement for me. But what is really hanging me up is the announcement that the 2017 models will have the capability to update their motorcycle firmware though the APP. To me that sounds great because it would prevent me from having to rely on a dealer/mechanic for repairs or updates. However, my question is how frequently and common has it been in the past for Zero Motorcycles to completely update the firmware? Or typically has this just been done when the new models come out? Also how frequently has the firmware been the answer to your motorcycle malfunctions? Or are those typically mechanical problems? What I am trying to get at is the ability to update your own firmware a real game changer or more in line with a “gimmick� Keep in mind this is coming from a guy that has been doing all of his own motorcycle mechanical work and would like to keep it that way as much as possible. But I understand there is a difference when it comes to Electrical vs. ICE work.
I am scheduled to test drive one next week and I am beyond excited.
