Zero Electric Motorcycles

4713 Views 24 Replies 15 Participants Last post by Jo6pak, Dec 9, 2018

LovelyNancy

Discussion Starter · Dec 3, 2018

I just saw a Zero Motorcycle today when I was out in the car.

I love to challenge myself on identifying every bike I see when out and about.
This one had me stumped for a while, but when I got close, I saw Zero on the "tank".
When I got home, I looked it up and watched some videos and now I WANT ONE!
Ugh, why do I do this to myself every week? (Last week I wanted a Honda CB300R.)

The Zero looks so fun.
It would probably feel like I was silently flying around like Peter Pan.
In a perfect world, I would choose the FXS SuperMoto as my stealth city Batcycle.
No oil, no gas, no chain to clean, no shifting, and silent. Oh so silent.
But JimminyCrickets, there things are expensive!

Anyone here have one?
If so, tell all the cons so I can get the thing off my mind.

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Offcenter

· #2 · Dec 3, 2018 (Edited)

I'm with you on the silent part.
But I like this one:
https://lightningmotorcycle.com/
I'd probably kill myself on it, but if I had the money, I'd have one in a heartbeat.
Luckily, I can't afford one because sooner or later I'd just HAVE to see if it will really do 218 mph.

Lurch77

· #3 · Dec 3, 2018

I have....zero.....interest in these bikes. At this point in their evolution they are far more expensive than an equivalent gas bike, and have much less useable range. The technology is moving along well, and they'll eventually overcome these issues. But until them I'll stick to gas bikes. You can buy one of the 300-ish CC bikes on the market and get great fuel mileage while commuting. And on the weekends you can go for long rides without worrying about running out of juice.

Reactions: 2

Offcenter

· #4 · Dec 3, 2018

I agree that they have a ways to go yet.
But the Lightning, using the largest battery pack, will do somewhere around 170 miles, if ridden gently.....LOL!!!
How do you ride a bike like that gently. You just HAVE to get on it to see what it will do!
But 170 miles is enough for a nice Sunday ride, depending on what your idea of a nice Sunday ride is.
However, $39,000 is just a LITTLE bit steep! LOL!!!
But if I won the lottery, I'd have one in a heartbeat.

Oz

· #5 · Dec 3, 2018 (Edited)

Let's look at the payback for going with a $39,000 electric superbike versus a bike like a Ninja ZX10R.

First, let's subtract the cost of the Ninja to get the cost of going electric. $39,000 - $15,000 = $24,000.

Now, let's divide that by the cost of a gallon of premium gas @ $3.00 a gallon. That's 8,000 gallons to break even. A Ninja ZX10R averages 35 mpg so 8,000 x 35 = 280,000 miles is the break even mileage just figuring gas.

Now let's look at the practical side.

I ride about 5,000 miles per year. 280,000 divided by 5,000 miles per year = 56 years.

I'm currently 72 years old, so I'd be 128 years old when I break even.

Reactions: 2

Jo6pak

· #6 · Dec 3, 2018

I had the chance to ride all the Zero models a couple years ago. Yes, they are a hoot to ride. I think the FX was my favorite.

I agree that there is more work to be done with E-bikes, but it is likely the future.

Silent riding, with instant torque and no shifting had me giggling like a school boy.

Had I an urban commute and a little more money, I would definitely look into a Zero!
One would also rock as a trail bike on the 300 acres that I hunt on.

Doktor

· #7 · Dec 4, 2018

Oz said:
Let's look at the payback for going with a $39,000 electric superbike versus a bike like a Ninja ZX10R.

First, let's subtract the cost of the Ninja to get the cost of going electric. $39,000 - $15,000 = $24,000.

Now, let's divide that by the cost of a gallon of premium gas @ $3.00 a gallon. That's 8,000 gallons to break even. A Ninja ZX10R averages 35 mpg so 8,000 x 35 = 280,000 miles is the break even mileage just figuring gas.

Now let's look at the practical side.

I ride about 5,000 miles per year. 280,000 divided by 5,000 miles per year = 56 years.

I'm currently 72 years old, so I'd be 128 years old when I break even.

Now that's funny!

LovelyNancy

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 4, 2018

Any downside except price?

What about handling and acceleration?

I understand the range limits, but I usually ride under 30miles at a time.
And if I run low on power, there are lots of free charging stations in supermarkets around here.

I ride in Los Angeles traffic and the thought of not having to feather the clutch in traffic sounds really appealing and freeing.

The seat looks rather uncomfortable though. And the seat height isn't as friendly as my Ninja.

Come on people, tell other things that will make me give up this expensive dream.

Skyway6

· #9 · Dec 4, 2018 (Edited)

good mpg. no shifting. twist and go. no feathering clutch. I have that already in the Honda NC750X DCT

As for electric bikes. I would like to see real world distance and not what marketing says. I have found that electric bikes range is half of what they
say it is. (always in fine print. no wind, downhill, 50lb rider, 40mph) When these electrics can do real world 1000km at 140kph average speed i would consider
one.

FlipFlop

· #10 · Dec 4, 2018

150 mile range is what stops me. Not price and def not acceleration. They might be better now but from reviews I remember reading that would just not do it for me.

Oz

· #11 · Dec 4, 2018

LovelyNancy said:
Any downside except price?

What about handling and acceleration?

I understand the range limits, but I usually ride under 30miles at a time.
And if I run low on power, there are lots of free charging stations in supermarkets around here.

I ride in Los Angeles traffic and the thought of not having to feather the clutch in traffic sounds really appealing and freeing.

The seat looks rather uncomfortable though. And the seat height isn't as friendly as my Ninja.

Come on people, tell other things that will make me give up this expensive dream.

Get your wallet out! The only downside is that it sounds like a forklift.

Critter

· #12 · Dec 4, 2018

Ah the M20 London to Dover, as he said they are converting it to a smart road. From 3 lanes to 4 lanes without any shoulders, all pavement is roadway. There be pulloff's every so often, you just have to teach your car to breakdown at one. During the time we were there this summer there was at least one major accident in the construction area daily. 40 mile commute sounds like he lives near my friends we stay with in England.

vito

· #13 · Dec 4, 2018

If the main appeal of an e-bike to you is the lack of a need to use a clutch and shift lever, you can get that and save a bundle with a scooter or one of the various real motorcycles that have a form of "automatic" transmission. Years ago, when I had both knees replaced and could not (for a year or so) easily swing a leg over the seat of a motorcycle, I had a Honda Silverwing. I thought I would miss the control and feel of shifting gears but I quickly got used to the ease of not doing anything beyond turning the throttle. The Silverwing was also pretty quiet as compared to many motorcycles. For me, the big negative of electric bikes is the limited range, and I can just imagine going off into the back country somewhere and unexpectedly draining the battery to nothing. I doubt that any of the companies offering roadside assistance even have the capability of charging a dead battery on an ebike. You might want to look at the NM4 by Honda if you want to get rid of the clutch and have something really different, or look at Honda's CTX700 DCT.

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Unkle Krusty

· #14 · Dec 4, 2018 (Edited)

Oz. The cost of the electricity to charge the batteries needs to be factored in.

The loonie left wants to have the E vehicles make some noise, so the hard of thinking do not get run over.

Burning coal to make electricity to charge your E bike may be a problem. There is enough electricity available to charge the E vehicles, if they plug in at night. We have lots of 2 and 3 wheelers on my Island with E assist. Narrow bicycle tyres and light weight help. George of worlds fastest bicycle fame builds some of them.

There is video of John McGinnis going around the IOM on one. It makes a lot of noise when hard pressed. Polaris bought the Oregon company that was doing well at the IOM.

We were on an E train in France, running 300 kph, quiet and smooth. France is mostly nuclear.

UK

Jo6pak

· #15 · Dec 5, 2018

Krusty, a good friend of mine is deaf, she has legitimate issues with electric vehicles when crossing the street or walking across parking lots. It's not a "loonie left" idea.

WintrSol

· #16 · Dec 6, 2018

Jo6pak said:
Krusty, a good friend of mine is deaf, she has legitimate issues with electric vehicles when crossing the street or walking across parking lots. It's not a "loonie left" idea.

Do you mean blind? If completely deaf, she wouldn't hear a tractor-trailer approaching; partially deaf, maybe a noise-maker would help, if loud enough.

Reactions: 2

hogcowboy

· #17 · Dec 6, 2018

Jo6pak said:
Krusty, a good friend of mine is deaf, she has legitimate issues with electric vehicles when crossing the street or walking across parking lots. It's not a "loonie left" idea.

Doesn't that mean she has problems with all vehicles? Why single out one with no sound, or not much of one, when she can't hear any of them anyway. That truly makes no sense but certainly does show bias.

FlipFlop

· #18 · Dec 6, 2018

WintrSol said:
Do you mean blind? If completely deaf, she wouldn't hear a tractor-trailer approaching; partially deaf, maybe a noise-maker would help, if loud enough.

+1

:smiley_drinkcoffee:

Reactions: 1

Lurch77

· #19 · Dec 6, 2018

Heck, I have all my senses, but I was almost backed over by my wife's uncle and his Prius. We were at a wedding, BSing in the parking lot, and as I started walking to the building, still looking at my friends as we said goodbye, he was backing out of a spot. Thing was completely silent and I walked into it.

This is why loud pipes save lives.

Reactions: 1

mike721

· #20 · Dec 6, 2018

I'd love to own one, I keep thinking about an electric but it's hard to pull the trigger on them at the price point they are at.
Very soon...

Reactions: 1

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