I currently have both a 2015 Zero SR and a 2013 Honda NC700X with the DCT, both are great bikes. I ride the Zero at least 4 days a week, sometimes 5 days to commute to work 30 miles one way and charge it while I am working. The Zero is charged usually by lunchtime, which works out perfectly. I love the sensation of acceleration, there's nothing else like out there. The Honda is fun for a different set of reasons. Shifting gears by push button control is also cool...
+The Swiss Motard me too. Current motorcyles are a bit loud. Well, most are. People always say you're not a proper biker if you don't like the noise but that's a load of nonsense. It's always about the ride. Less time changing gears = more time enjoying the throttle. Plus, we live in the country so it's nice hearing the leaves and the birds.
I've noticed that the Gosford dealership isn't listed but theres one in Sydney now. They need to get into the Canberra market with a dealership and they would do well. Shame about the hooligan points being deducted from the SFX. Did you get to ride the 2016 off road FX? Maybe different ratios?
+Glen 0 Gearing is the same I believe, wheel sizes are different and the forks are longer on the FX. Plus there's a new motor that picks up a little softer off the throttle than the old one, but delivers the same power wide open. Not sure exactly why it doesn't wheelie as easily but yeah, here's hoping Zero uncorks a proper hoon mobile sometime soon!
Nice review. If the batteries come out fast, then surely they will be exchangeable for fully charged one at sensible intervals on these roads? That's what they do in Chinese cities for electric scooters.
+NowAndThen_EH89JW You're right, there could easily be a battery swap service implemented at service stations or other shops along the way. But I'm not aware of any such service at this point.
Hey Loz, Thanks for another fun video and for riding around in my area of the world. The next time I visit Alice's, I'll have to make sure to avoid the zero sandwich. ;) Have a good flight home.
+Tom OfNorthCal cheers mate, a friend of a friend let me take his Bandit 1200 out on some proper NorCal roads, and I've gotta say you guys are totally spoiled up there. Amazing. I'll have to shoot something else up there next time. :)
The first one sounds a bit like a Harley, just with better handling (lot o' torque, not much top end). Harley's are comfortable bikes to ride-- nice, wide torque curve, so you just turn your wrist to have fun and don't worry too much about the gear. Not as fun as a 600 at full chat, but just fine for an energetic cruise up to a nice lunch spot. Frankly, the battery life is just fine for "let's go North two hours and have dinner, then come back" type of drive, provided you can plug it in while you eat. Not bad, imo.
Someone needs to make an electric cruiser or something. Could fit A LOT more battery in one and STILL have it be lighter than the 700 pound beasts while blowing them away and probably getting decent handling to boot.
I wondered about that myself why no cruisers?that bike with the swappable battery pack would be a good start saddle bags with extra charged packs should give you over 200 mile range my ass or my old bladder couldn't take 200 miles without a reststop an hour or so down time to recharge and rest would make long cruising travel a reality
I really want one as a commuter, but the dealer/service situation is a problem. Some dealers seem to have gone in and out of the network. Despite the fact that I'm right outside Washington DC, the closest dealer is over 50 miles away, and the closest in my state is over 100 miles away.
+dmhiix fair enough - but consider this: what needs servicing? Your average mechanic can easily help out with tyres, brakes and suspension maintenance if it's required, but the battery and electric motor basically never even need to be looked at. They just go. There's no oil changes, valve adjustments, air filters to clean, fuel filters to get clogged... They are zero maintenance for the life of the vehicle unless something goes very wrong.
I laid down someone elses FX in a skate park on a rainy day. It's just like a 450, but it never stalls. You can do some slow speed things that you can normally only do with a bicycle. These are a blast. Yamaha claims they'll have a bike by 2020. As far as I'm concerned, it makes a good supermoto for being a sub 45 mph hooligan. Shortcuts through parks, campus, get onto the sidewalk to escape crappy drivers. In town, this is literally the best vehicle to have. I'm getting my own in may.
I'm sure your local dealer would be happy to answer any questions. The Zero dealer (Hap's Honda) where I got mine has always gone out of their way to help and/or answer questions. Try the phone.
I'm going to go in there to talk to them about them soon. I figured out what the charge tank is I think. It adds another charger and a j1772 plug so you can charge twice as fast. Still not fast enough, they need like 6-8kw charger built in, not 2.2kw lol.
And on a technical note, did anyone from Zero say anything about factory windscreens/fairings? considering the potential efficiency boost, I'd think they'd be aggressively pursuing the idea.
+dmhiix nothing so exciting. I've got a big suitcase. It was a bit of a shit, carrying riding gear, camera gear, GoPros and whatnot plus enough regular clothes for 3 weeks, but I'd already done all that plus a drone on the Mongolia shoot: ruclips.net/video/r50TyhceTbQ/видео.html
+gizmag I imagine the Mongolia shoot was a whole different degree of difficulty. It wouldn't be a problem to buy or borrow anything you forgot in California. I expect Mongolia has a lot fewer places to pick up a GoPro or a helmet if you needed one.
Actually only the flight stages were a problem - on the road, we had support vans that could carry everything and keep it in easy reach. Dream project!
As great as they are, these e-bikes do take away the "romance" out of motorcycling. The tinkering, the roar from the engine, the comodarie on the road, and yes, even the oil puddles... Plus when one researches where these batteries come from, they are not-so Earth-friendly. Great bikes, don't get me wrong, but I would still lust over an Indian or Moto Guzzi, over one of these Zeroes.
I have a "romantic" R1 and a Zero SR. The R1 sits and collects dust while the Zero is about to get its third rear tire. Why? Romance is dead buddy, dead. As far as comraderie goes, nobody ever even looks at me on the R1 except small children and "inner city youth" types. With the Zero, people want to start conversations at stop lights and parking lots. I even had a guy follow me into a grocery store once.
im with you, all that tinkering with dirty parts and constant adjustments just get in the way. plus battery life is being greatly increased where a single electric motorcycle will last your entire life. i doubt ill hit the 260k limit on my battery, but even if i do, its a hell of a lot cheaper to replace a battery than a whole bike. and theyre fantastic fun
To be honnest , concidering the price of regestration & Insurance ,I couldn't concider having 2 bikes simply because my electtic bike won't do everything i want. sorry zero....no sale!
I had a problem with the on board charger. It was repaired under warranty and I was even given a loaner Zero. Since then, it has had ZERO issues. I don't know what he's talking about either.
I currently have both a 2015 Zero SR and a 2013 Honda NC700X with the DCT, both are great bikes. I ride the Zero at least 4 days a week, sometimes 5 days to commute to work 30 miles one way and charge it while I am working. The Zero is charged usually by lunchtime, which works out perfectly. I love the sensation of acceleration, there's nothing else like out there. The Honda is fun for a different set of reasons. Shifting gears by push button control is also cool...
I'm looking forward to mainstream electric bikes... and more great reviews from gizmag!
+The Swiss Motard me too. Current motorcyles are a bit loud. Well, most are. People always say you're not a proper biker if you don't like the noise but that's a load of nonsense. It's always about the ride. Less time changing gears = more time enjoying the throttle. Plus, we live in the country so it's nice hearing the leaves and the birds.
Will Davis The only issue currently is the range and recharge times. Nail those 2 and I'd buy one tomorrow.
Thanks for the new update. Please keep the news coming on Zero bikes and any other electric motorcyles. I hope to have a Zero by end of 2016.
Thanks for the review of the 2015, loving mine!! This year looks great, but I can't wait til they can get proper traction control.
Amen to that. Traction control is really the only thing missing. Zero's love to spin the rear.
really wish i had the money to get one. this would be SOOO much fun. still trying to figure out how to afford any bike at this point.
Barbie
a job..
"I just wish it was easier to take dangerous and illegal risks on!" Golden words bruv
I like when you review electric vehicles and make some fun in the videos Great job.
2016 DSR Owner here! Nice review... btw, yes the bike is awesome.
+Aaron Jackson Nice! Are you gonna keep the Scorpion tyres and ride it off road?
gizmag yup, I travel gravel roads almost daily.
I've noticed that the Gosford dealership isn't listed but theres one in Sydney now. They need to get into the Canberra market with a dealership and they would do well. Shame about the hooligan points being deducted from the SFX. Did you get to ride the 2016 off road FX? Maybe different ratios?
+Glen 0 Gearing is the same I believe, wheel sizes are different and the forks are longer on the FX. Plus there's a new motor that picks up a little softer off the throttle than the old one, but delivers the same power wide open. Not sure exactly why it doesn't wheelie as easily but yeah, here's hoping Zero uncorks a proper hoon mobile sometime soon!
Nice review. If the batteries come out fast, then surely they will be exchangeable for fully charged one at sensible intervals on these roads? That's what they do in Chinese cities for electric scooters.
+NowAndThen_EH89JW You're right, there could easily be a battery swap service implemented at service stations or other shops along the way. But I'm not aware of any such service at this point.
If you're on the 44bhp model then it's actually 133KG according to the site, still a light bike!
+Crana your spot on. My bad!
*you're. My worse.
Hey Loz, Thanks for another fun video and for riding around in my area of the world. The next time I visit Alice's, I'll have to make sure to avoid the zero sandwich. ;)
Have a good flight home.
+Tom OfNorthCal cheers mate, a friend of a friend let me take his Bandit 1200 out on some proper NorCal roads, and I've gotta say you guys are totally spoiled up there. Amazing. I'll have to shoot something else up there next time. :)
The first one sounds a bit like a Harley, just with better handling (lot o' torque, not much top end). Harley's are comfortable bikes to ride-- nice, wide torque curve, so you just turn your wrist to have fun and don't worry too much about the gear.
Not as fun as a 600 at full chat, but just fine for an energetic cruise up to a nice lunch spot. Frankly, the battery life is just fine for "let's go North two hours and have dinner, then come back" type of drive, provided you can plug it in while you eat. Not bad, imo.
Someone needs to make an electric cruiser or something. Could fit A LOT more battery in one and STILL have it be lighter than the 700 pound beasts while blowing them away and probably getting decent handling to boot.
I wondered about that myself why no cruisers?that bike with the swappable battery pack would be a good start saddle bags with extra charged packs should give you over 200 mile range my ass or my old bladder couldn't take 200 miles without a reststop an hour or so down time to recharge and rest would make long cruising travel a reality
The future is looking good. Don't suppose you can do much tinkering, in the garage, on them?
+Mothership Videos there are people that do. And those people are a lot smarter than me.
I really want one as a commuter, but the dealer/service situation is a problem. Some dealers seem to have gone in and out of the network. Despite the fact that I'm right outside Washington DC, the closest dealer is over 50 miles away, and the closest in my state is over 100 miles away.
+dmhiix fair enough - but consider this: what needs servicing? Your average mechanic can easily help out with tyres, brakes and suspension maintenance if it's required, but the battery and electric motor basically never even need to be looked at. They just go. There's no oil changes, valve adjustments, air filters to clean, fuel filters to get clogged... They are zero maintenance for the life of the vehicle unless something goes very wrong.
If the roads have any moisture on them, I only ride in ECO mode. I've spun out too many times for that in the almost 9000 miles I've put on my SR.
I laid down someone elses FX in a skate park on a rainy day. It's just like a 450, but it never stalls. You can do some slow speed things that you can normally only do with a bicycle. These are a blast. Yamaha claims they'll have a bike by 2020. As far as I'm concerned, it makes a good supermoto for being a sub 45 mph hooligan. Shortcuts through parks, campus, get onto the sidewalk to escape crappy drivers. In town, this is literally the best vehicle to have. I'm getting my own in may.
I wanna know more about that J1772 charge tank thingy. It's hard to find info about it.
I'm sure your local dealer would be happy to answer any questions. The Zero dealer (Hap's Honda) where I got mine has always gone out of their way to help and/or answer questions. Try the phone.
I'm going to go in there to talk to them about them soon. I figured out what the charge tank is I think. It adds another charger and a j1772 plug so you can charge twice as fast. Still not fast enough, they need like 6-8kw charger built in, not 2.2kw lol.
And on a technical note, did anyone from Zero say anything about factory windscreens/fairings? considering the potential efficiency boost, I'd think they'd be aggressively pursuing the idea.
+dmhiix everyone is constantly asking them about that. The best they'll give right now are cryptic responses.
U wer at alices did u hit up la honda. That is my favorite stretch if road in the bay area
+sandroportillo I... Actually have no idea. I was just following the leader!
Slightly off topic: How did you get your gear to the US? Checked bag? shipped separately? Begged/borrowed/stolen?
+dmhiix nothing so exciting. I've got a big suitcase. It was a bit of a shit, carrying riding gear, camera gear, GoPros and whatnot plus enough regular clothes for 3 weeks, but I'd already done all that plus a drone on the Mongolia shoot: ruclips.net/video/r50TyhceTbQ/видео.html
+gizmag I imagine the Mongolia shoot was a whole different degree of difficulty. It wouldn't be a problem to buy or borrow anything you forgot in California. I expect Mongolia has a lot fewer places to pick up a GoPro or a helmet if you needed one.
Actually only the flight stages were a problem - on the road, we had support vans that could carry everything and keep it in easy reach. Dream project!
The nature thanks!
I like this
buy link motor????
i never see the zero in the sand or hill climbing... why is that?? I want to see how they do on sand dunes.
I dunno about dunes, but it does pretty well in this sand race: ruclips.net/video/pTbno5dV2lo/видео.html
thanks for he answer..
Zero out of 10. :P
HI Gizamg. is it to high for someone with 174 cm height ?
+walter bishop there were a couple of shorter guys on the test, who seemed fine with both bikes. I think you'd have to go sit on one though.
Thanks man. there is one shop in uk which is far from me.it will disappear probably beaches of brexit.
You might be lucky, there's a chance whoever takes over from Cameron won't pull the trigger on Brexit. Fingers crossed!
"All your weekday miles on the zero", that's a tall order. You reckon you could do that?
+MyRandomLife247 absolutely brother. The SR is an uber commuter.
+gizmag Yes it is. Also, it doesn't get hot, so you aren't getting roasted at stop lights on the way there.
What that little reservoir near the right hand on the fxs? What's it for?
Front brake fluid.
Fivespeed 302
Ah ok, thanks.
As great as they are, these e-bikes do take away the "romance" out of motorcycling. The tinkering, the roar from the engine, the comodarie on the road, and yes, even the oil puddles... Plus when one researches where these batteries come from, they are not-so Earth-friendly. Great bikes, don't get me wrong, but I would still lust over an Indian or Moto Guzzi, over one of these Zeroes.
even though it is not quite eco friendly to make batteries, it is still better for the environment than burning gas, at least for cars.
the energy needed to keep an entire country going electric might cancel out the benefits of a few riding e-motos and e-cars...
do more research
I have a "romantic" R1 and a Zero SR. The R1 sits and collects dust while the Zero is about to get its third rear tire. Why? Romance is dead buddy, dead. As far as comraderie goes, nobody ever even looks at me on the R1 except small children and "inner city youth" types. With the Zero, people want to start conversations at stop lights and parking lots. I even had a guy follow me into a grocery store once.
im with you, all that tinkering with dirty parts and constant adjustments just get in the way. plus battery life is being greatly increased where a single electric motorcycle will last your entire life. i doubt ill hit the 260k limit on my battery, but even if i do, its a hell of a lot cheaper to replace a battery than a whole bike. and theyre fantastic fun
Is the DSR cheaper than the SR?
+DaBrute they're priced the same.
hmm get a Zero DSR or a Ducati Diavel Carbon for the same price, wow such a hard choice lol. Seriously the prices for the Zero are just stupid.
so my pizza delivery has no excuse to not get to my house in time 😉 . perfect bike for charging at the pizza shop quick charge👍
I'd buy this, but I'd be dead the moment I got it
To be honnest , concidering the price of regestration & Insurance ,I couldn't concider having 2 bikes simply because my electtic bike won't do everything i want. sorry zero....no sale!
Tron-like.
Bo
world need electric trucks and cars not bikes.
petrol bikes are fun to ride
Sorry. the Zero DSR / FXS is a POS.
I'll check back again in another 5 years.
So many problems with ev's.
Good luck early adopters.
I had a problem with the on board charger. It was repaired under warranty and I was even given a loaner Zero. Since then, it has had ZERO issues. I don't know what he's talking about either.
***** I only see hate for electric bikes online. In person, I get nothing but fascination.