Zero

[Hymes Inc.]

Pulled up next to an older guy on a ZERO today. Looked down to grab my phone for a pic and then he was gone. Sneaky devil.

[canuguzzi]

They are very quick. Seeing them more and more now and some bigger dealers are carrying the brand. Elk Grove Power Sports, a good volume dealer for Moto Guzzi now carries them. Sign of the times.

[cruzziguzzi]

I'd love to pull up on one to tell him:

"Loud pipes save lives"


Todd.

[oldbike54]

I'd love to pull up on one to tell him:

"Loud pipes save lives"


Todd.

 In a Texas drawl , " Say man , that thing got a hemi " ,

 I am soooooo sorry , simply could not help myself 


  Dusty

[Gliderjohn]

I'd love to pull up on one to tell him:

"I used to have a bike like that too that died at every intersection."
GliderJohn

[cruzziguzzi]

"I used to have a bike like that too that died at every intersection."
GliderJohn

"... need a push?"


Todd.

[tris]

There's one of them there Zeros signed up for the National Road Rally over here in a month or so.

The full length ride is 580 miles and I'll be mightily impressed if he can do that on one charge!!

[steven c]

 I test rode a Zero DR a couple weeks back, I was very impressed by it,even though they had the power level set low, they are worryed about someone loping it, since you get all the 120lb or so of torque as soon as you twist the throttle , not impressed with the 18K price tag.

[canuguzzi]

There's one of them there Zeros signed up for the National Road Rally over here in a month or so.

The full length ride is 580 miles and I'll be mightily impressed if he can do that on one charge!!

I'd be impressed if any motorcycle could do that on a single anything, gas or electric.

[Doppelgaenger]

Once the price comes down and battery tech allows for 200 mile range I will probably end up buying an electric bike. There's a purity about riding something that has no gears and no noise that I find appealing.

I won't be getting rid of my guzzi anytime soon though.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Appropriately named - I have zero interest in owning one.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Appropriately named - I have zero interest in owning one.

 :1:
It'll happen soon enough, though. I'd buy a workable electric car, though. I don't care about them.

[kidneb]

I know that MZ has a model named Fun. Just wonder if Zero has one too ?

[Triple Jim]

I think a Zero or similar motorcycle would be a lot of fun, but the most I've ever spent on a motorcycle, or any land vehicle for that matter, is $2500, so I'll have to either up my ante or wait quite a while.   

[canuguzzi]

When you start adding up maintenance costs, the cost of accessories some of us put on bikes ($1000 suspensions, $600 exhausts, $250 lights) price seems to mean less and less.

Distance? Nope but around town and close by day trips?

Like Tesla isn't targeting used car buyers, Zero isn't targeting used bike buyers.

The let you test ride. Go try one, it might be an appliance (seems that name goes on anything reliable and smooth) but whip it around corners and you'll realize it ain't a toaster.

[Adan]

Zero has really been making strides, lowering the price while upping both range and build quality.  Their website says a basic S model is under $10,000 after government incentives, and that has a "combined" range of 91 miles, far enough to cover most people's commute.   If you do the math, commuting on this bike for 5 years could actually save you money as compared to an SV650 or similar.  An ebike does commuting better than a gas one, so it's not only about the bottom line.

In 2013 I bought a Brammo (now Victory) Empulse, which has been great.  But if I was shopping today I'd get a Zero instead.

[redrider90]

Battery technology is all that is keeping electric MCs from becoming more than commuter bikes. Just think what a 250 mile electric bike might be like.
God the torque would blow you through the roof esp. if it is AWD. Consider a "linked" AWD electric bike that cannot do a wheelie but come out of the traps like a turbo charged bike.
I remember driving trolley buses in Chicago in the early 70's. A fully loaded bus with passengers filling the aisles was almost as fast as an empty bus and could out accelerate many a car from a stop light.

[Mark West]

I haven't ridden an e-bike but have driven a Tesla S P85+ and it is a total blast. Just imagine having max torque at any speed. It's just a total rush. Add in the braking effect of the regenerative system and it feels kinda like a driving a slot car. Foot on the gas it goes, foot off, it slows. A total blast to take on a long twisty road.

[Adan]

Personally, I don't find electric bikes fun to ride.  But they are great transportation, that's why I've owned one for 4 years.

[canuguzzi]

According to ZERO, they have the battery figured out, it's the chargers that can't keep up. I asked their dev team about longer range and it came down to managing acceptable charge times vs endurance. They said they could easily produce a bike with a 250-300 mile range using existing batteries but that the chargers wouldn't fit. Right now they have an onboard charger and have in R&D the same to charge 250-300 mile range batteries. Getting quantity that is reliable for small spaces available is the trick.

No doubt they will figure it out and then you'll be able to ride 250 miles, charge in an hour or so and go again. About the time for a leisurely meal, some talk and that 400-500 mile day becomes possible.

Not now but not that far off either.

Low end torque? Nothing else even comes close.

[Huzo]

Battery technology is all that is keeping electric MCs from becoming more than commuter bikes. Just think what a 250 mile electric bike might be like.
God the torque would blow you through the roof esp. if it is AWD. Consider a "linked" AWD electric bike that cannot do a wheelie but come out of the traps like a turbo charged bike.

Um.... Why can't wheelie if the torque figure is as high as stated ?

[atavar]

Um.... Why can't wheelie if the torque figure is as high as stated ?

AWD is not going to wheelie, it's geometry, but it will try to rip your fingers off the grips with acceleration..

[Huzo]

AWD is not going to wheelie, it's geometry, but it will try to rip your fingers off the grips with acceleration..

Yeah that's been stated, can you explain why?

[Triple Jim]

Um.... Why can't wheelie if the torque figure is as high as stated ?

They often have computerized wheelie control so you don't hurt yourself.  The computer could tell, for example, when the front wheel starts to lose traction from an impending wheelie, and adjust torque to the rear wheel to keep the front wheel in contact with the road.

[Huzo]

I guess when all the available torque is being supplied to only the rear wheel the bike may have the ability to wheelie if that torque is sufficient. But I guess when that available torque is supplied to two wheels then is it then the case that each wheel receives half the available Newton- Metres each, is this a factor in the reluctance to wheelie ? If you were able though to double the torque from the motor magically, wouldn't the rear wheel then be "feeling" the same torque as in the first example ? And then wheelie regardless of that being supplied to the front ? After all, as the weight transfer moves rearward the front wheel has less ability to provide acceleration due to reduced grip. What is the geometric effect that prevents the wheelie ?

[Huzo]

They often have computerized wheelie control so you don't hurt yourself.  The computer could tell, for example, when the front wheel starts to lose traction from an impending wheelie, and adjust torque to the rear wheel to keep the front wheel in contact with the road.

Ah... So it's not geometry at play you  say, it's a reduction in the torque supplied. Am I understanding you correctly?

[Triple Jim]

In the case of an electric motorcycle that won't wheelie, either it has limited torque ability, or a controller is limiting rear wheel torque to prevent wheelies.  With a vehicle that might have a non limited slip differential between front and rear wheels, the torque to the front and rear is always equal, so if the front wheels lose traction, the rear wheels get the same puny torque applied.  That would be a system that mechanically prevents wheelies.  Of course any vehicle with only front wheel drive is unable to wheelie.

[Huzo]

Yeah thanks, that's a good bit of info.

[canuguzzi]

Unless they go in reverse. 

[Triple Jim]

Unless they go in reverse. 

A reversie?