Owning a Zero S (the base street model) it makes me want to ride more. It's just a joy. I have been riding for nearly forty years. I own a K1600, a nice metric cruiser and have owned a ton of different bikes. This makes me want to ride more than those or anything I've had in years.
Great series of vids. I like it how you aren't an expert on electric bikes, spraffing jargon and quoting brochure slogans, just a normal bloke trying to figure out how this new technology works. Thank you, top notch...!
Cheers, great video. Not all good, not all bad. First video I’ve seen with solid advice and opinions. Think I might bite the bullet on this one, it’s such a nice bike
Very nice vids, I'm sure they will develop eventually. Currently not practical for most people. No noise is dangerous (as with electric cars and the lack of imagination of some of their drivers) charging is the main problem with a lack of charging points and length of time to charge. Also as with all batteries, when defunct recycling hasn't been convincingly addressed. Despite all that, anything with two wheels and motor between is bound to be fun!
I think that once the pubs, cafes and super markets have chargers on their parking bays that would become very feasible for most use now. BTW there is no evidence that "loud pipes save lives", There is a lot of evidence that they screw up, particularly children's hearing though, after all you can often not hear cars come up behind you now.
Great little series on the electric bike and glimpse into the future, you are right they are nearly there with them, thank you. Now get that Superduke GT out 😂
Another good series of videos Rich. I'm coming round to the new ways, but still wouldn't go 'silent'. I think the whole noise of a certain type of engine, is what does it for me. And with the ways the rural roads/accident rate is ower here, that plays a big factor. Cheers for taking me with though. Awrabesht to you & yours mate. 😉💙🏴👍
It's mad that I'm in too minds about these, if I could I'd pull the exhaust off on my bike to make it louder, but something about these bikes just makes me want one so bad haha. Hopefully going for a ride on this model soon
Gotta be honest, I watch this series as much for the countryside as I do for the bike (and the narration). I love it there, don't even live in the country but always wanted to immigrate to have this every day. Probably a bad idea now though after Brexit
Cheers Richy, I am rather sad that this is the end of series as enjoyed the Zero,, but if I remember right, up next again on KTM 😎😎😎 that will bring a smile lol. Great vids, thanks for all your hard work mate, the hours you dedicate to your channel is damn impressive
Great video. Looking at the charger set up 'locking in the lead' i guess it would deter a few bike thieves but its probably more to stop some scrote from unplugging your bike and charging theirs up at your cost, though maybe the system is smarter than that.
What I had to wrap my mind around - regen is unlike when you let off the throttle on an ICE machine. And ICE engine is still consuming fuel even though the user is not applying throttle. Fuel is still entering the engine's cylinders, meaning it's consuming. But with regen on an electric motor you are putting energy back into the battery pack. The amount varies by manufacturer and model. AND the affect of gearing is different than ICE bikes for energy consumption. On an ICE engine adding a larger sprocket in the back or a smaller countershaft sprocket gives you more punch in the low end but also consumes more fuel since the engine is 'revving' higher, thereby consuming more fuel. I increased my range on a Cake Kalk& I formerly owned by switching from the OEM 72t sprocket to an 80t one. Dropped the top end by 8% BUT increased my range by 10%! It's all new learning for me and those who have not experienced EVs.
The low noise and associated lack of awareness of pedestrians is interesting ... to be honest I think with the proliferation of earbuds etc these days you can no longer assume someone has their ears ‘switched on’ and will hear you. I only really trust eye contact from drivers and pedestrians these days.
Great video, Richy! Unfortunately the problem of high consumption at motorway speeds is down to physics. Travelling a mile at 70mph will use way more energy than travelling the same mile at 40mph because of the greater air resistance (ie drag). What makes it worse is that drag goes up as the square of speed :( It's no different on petrol powered bikes. Ride safe.
Higher speeds and cold weather really hammers the batteries. Usually, to release a charging cable in a car, you use the stop charge option on the charging station, you usually have to swipe your card again to do that, or push the button on the top of the plug when you have the car's key nearby. I guess turning the ignition on substitutes for a missing 'active' key - most EV's use keyless entry/start.
Devastated to see the blender going back, and we haven't even seen all the attachments yet. Still, it will be a safer place when pedestrians can hear the traffic again. The attrition rate for squirrels, voles, field mice, hedgehogs (even badgers) etc will be devastating in the future when transport is silent. We tried it in the 60's with milk floats. We decided that Engines were better. However - always being / trying to be positive - I LOVE that blue colour. I'm an Engineer (Boooooo - hisssss) and mechanical at that. Emphasis on the "Engine" part, and less on the "ear" - although I do "Q" Tip regularly (Thanks Mum). Just some observations. The range (from the data on this ride) = 85.29411765 miles on a full charge. Charge time of 35 mins, means with a crew of 8 mates (with one charge point) 4.66 hours charge time. On a 200 mile ride, that means a re-charging time of 10.927 Hours to get all 8 there at the same time. Crackin' day out. Can't wait. As soon as the 2.97 Billion population of India, China and Brazil get on board - maybe the efforts of our tiny island will be relevant again Till then "Fur Kit" - . I'll stop in and watch Big Brother - or boil my head - whichever is less painful (A toughie for sure). Night Alex x
I've been looking at the Zero bikes for a year or so, thanks for those reviews. The SR/S at £19,600 or so is just too expensive for me. So I will wait to see what happens with battery tech and second hand market.
Problem with regen on all e-vehicles is that it is only percentage of what is used to get to that speed. The lighter the vehicle the less regen percentage wise. So energy wise it is better to coast if you can with no regen until you need to slow down.
21:23 I imagine that must feel proper weird rolling up to the petrol boys with this machine, like the japanese exchange student on his first day of public school. :P
Do you know what the battery life expectancy is? Or what the charge capacity goes down over time?? Cant see them selling in vast amounts just yet with the associated problems of range and chargeing points. But hopefully that will all catch up in time. Great vid again 👍👍
I had a go of the Learner Legal one, and it was MUCH quicker than the 250 I pulled up on. I was mega impressed. EXCEPT, the cost - they're just too damned expensive. For example, I was riding a CRF250 Rally, cost £5,000, mpg around 90, so even with free electricity and free 'road tax', the zero would never pay for itself, even taking into account oil and spark plugs, because you'll still need tyres and 'chain + sprockets' (ok, belt and gears) and things like that. The other thing is the recharge time, I don't mind stopping every 100 or so miles for fuel, but that stop generally takes 15 mins or so with chatting etc, I think 50 mins at a time would get very old, very fast. I would also have to have the FX or the DS/R, as I'd want to trail them when not commuting lol.
Seeing you with the long beard. I was expecting you to take it home to a log cabin garage in the mountains. Are you trying to catch up Bruce(teapotone). Seriously Richy that was a great series of vids delivered in a great style that I am sure others will agree made enjoyable viewing. Thanks and keep safe, Pete
Electric bikes will need some kind of alert option for pedestrians who can’t hear you approaching. Honking the horn strikes me as being a bit too aggressive, so some kind of non invasive, perhaps thrumming noise would be useful.
@@RichyVida Correct. Zero should have fitted traction control the same year they first fitted ABS, back in 2015, but the S, DS, & DSR still don't have it. It was first fitted to the SR/F when that came out in 2018. A lot of Zero owners have been spat off their machines...
00:32 i hear a sowing machine. Who's sowing in the background of every one of your video clips?🤣 Just teasing😁. Seriously though. It sounds like a sowing machine. 💖💖💖
This is the first video in a while i've seen of yours and glad to see you're still as entertaining and informative a ever. My concerns as you stated is the lack of sound for others awareness, if the motor braking is so effective does it activate the brake light and the charging time if you don't have a spare 40 minutes. I wonder how the government will get it's money once it's not coming from fuel tax, i think there's going to be a small window of low cost before electric is fully adopted and other taxation is applied.
Would small and often charges effect the life of the batteries tho? As it does to most other types of batteries?????? Plus battery life in general and charging capacity drop over the years would be my concern at 18 k for the bike. Why would you pay that money for sonething that might last 8 years??
Darren Wardle there are tens, if not hundreds of individual batteries (cells) in each pack. Control systems manage each individual cells charging and discharging. So, yes the cells will wear out in time, but what we’re seeing from cars, the batteries are lasting much longer than expected as the management software keeps improving. By the time your battery pack doesn’t hold enough charge, batteries will be much cheaper, hold much more power and charge more quickly. They’ve about doubled in power density in the last 5 years or so.
So what was the cost per mile please Richy? You paid £2.37 for the charge. I just filled up my NC750X DCT at 202 miles on the tank. Close to reserve, but ridden carefully I could get another 60-70 miles range. The mpg was 90.2. The fuel cost £11.70 which gives under 6p per mile. The bike cost £7.5K two years ago. I have to pay annual service charges but the Zero needs to be very cheap per mile to catch up £12.5K extra that it costs. There is no doubt that the Zero a beautiful bike and that if you don't mind short journeys you are getting a fabulous near silent performance. When I go out for a ride I often do >100 miles without stopping though. I can ride for around 170 miles at highway speeds before reserve and the worst mpg in 17K miles is 67, average 83. I don't get the acceleration of the Zero though.
RichyVida Thanks. So my worst fuel consumption is 9p per mile. I’ll give the Zero 0p per mile cost, call it only 10k more expensive than the NC so allow 2.5k servicing the NC. That works out at 111,111 miles before I make back the cost of the zero. About 11 years. 😀. If I had a load of spare money though I would buy the Zero as a second bike, no question! Once people accept electric bikes they could vastly increase fairings etc for aerodynamics to increase range without more weight.
There has been a fair bit of media interest regarding the lack of noise from electric machines. Think the only way to remedy is some sort of artifical soundtrack. There is as always an onus on riders/ drivers to ensure other road users are aware of their presence, either by visual indication or by a change in behaviour. Keep up good work Rich.
At street speeds, you can't hear a Bentley, Rolls, Cadillac or a Lexus - all with V8 power plants or bigger. It's a none-issue in my opinion and a ridiculous notion for them to have to make silly noises. In fact, I proved my Jag (V8) was no louder at 20mph than a colleague's Tesla model 3. The fact is the majority of the West has gotten so used to hearing clattery shitty diesel tractor engines in most city cars and they now think that's how noisy cars are.
Hi some questions when I park my bike on side stand I always leave it In gear what stops zero rolling off stand.and can you wheelie it? Ps like the colour and style of the bike definitely getting more desirable.
I think with correct weight distribution, she'd come up on acceleration. Not sure how invasive the traction would be for that, though. The front wheel never left the ground with me. I also leave my bike in gear on the side stand, as a rule. Pretty sure, from what I remember, the electrics don't have any form of "gear" to rest against when switched off.
@@RichyVida You have to fit something to hold one of the brakes on when parking on the sidestand on a slope. Zero actually offer one IIRC. Or you can just use a strong rubber band! There's a whole variety of cheap alternatives available. BMW came up with a much better idea for their Cevolution: putting the sidestand down operates the rear brake - they use the same system on their petrol maxiscoots too.
Hey, Rich! Your favorite "Arizona always-has-a-million-questions-guy" here yet again. I have a bunch of questions, but I do want to preface by saying that I always read the comments available, so as not to ask you to repeat yourself. I also am aware that your time is valuable, and whacking away at the keyboard to answer some "bloke's" questions from the 'States may be a bit time-consuming, so if you're able to answer here, cool. If you want to spit it all out quickly in your next video, cool. It'd prob be easier, and I completely understand. So with that being said, here goes, from the mind of Colby lol!...
Tell you what Rich, even though I am not in the market for one (a bit too far outside my affordability) you don't half make it a good sell. And I know thats not your intention but if I could afford one, from watching your series I would certainly be going to test ride one.
Damn, I want that bike....but alas can't I afford one on disability retirement....One thing did come to my notice, riding thru the countryside, being so quiet, no more spooking the critter's.
Great video as always. The zero bike well looks yes range i guess where u need to go and plan your stops. But i do like the roar of the V4 lol wonder if could add a sound to it lol that be cool i know it defeats the thing of haveing electric. But one day these be common.
Very interesting .. I'm fascinated about the EV bikes and cars .. It feels like the similar time to when the Automobile was growing as a replacement for the horse .. In fact I think Engine vehicles will eventually become like Horses are today .. Anyway thanks for these vids I've enjoyed them .. If you get hold of 3x Zeros and go for a mini break, it would be interesting if the three of you each ride in a different mode over the same "tank" to see if there is much difference in range between modes ..
Your thoughts on: (rather, if you have the answers to:) --Bar/peg vibration (you mentioned the riding position was very good) --Wind protection from the little windscreen --Will it wheelie? (I know you're not that kind of rider, nor am I, but I was curious, considering the low weight-bias) --Can you drag the front or rear brake a bit at speed to help regen? --Any issues seeing the display in bright sunlight? --Is it stable at...um...let's say "XX mph above normal freeway speeds"? (again, I know not your thing, nor mine, but curious) --Is there a portable battery pack available that you could put in your tankbag for an extra "oh shit" 5 or 10 miles? --Any word on how 2-up riding affects range? --If you had an extra $18 grand laying around, would you honestly buy one to add to your own garage? I am very pro-electric (eh, to a degree, tbh), but as you mentioned, I think we're on the edge of the beginning of what will surely come. I certainly don't mean to try to pick apart this machine, but, rather, am genuinely curious as to the state of the technology now available. Thanks again for your honest "real-world" reviews/opinions, and the time and effort you put in to bring them to us in a quality format with very high production value. It's appreciated by many, I'm sure. Anyways, that's all I've got lol!! Thanks again, and sorry to be such a bother. Cheers from sunny (stupidly hot) Phoenix, as always!! :)
- Bar/peg vibration is none. - Wind protection is ok. Because it is so low, most wind goes under your helmet. You still need earplugs though. - Yes, it can wheelie. - Braking doesn't help regen. Regen is from the electric motor turning the other way when releasing the trottle. - As far as I noticed, display is perfectly readable in bright sunlight. - As stable as any other sportstourer - Yes, there is. Not portable, but you can have the charge tank installed as an option. - I'm curious about range with a pillion too - I would, it drives more easily, cheaper to run and no dangerous stuff from the exhaust. I don't have €21000 euro's, but plan to buy it on a montly payment plan.
Have you noticed how long it takes to charge to 80%? And how much longer from 80 to 100%? The last 20% takes very long. On public / fast chargers, its best to charge to max 80%.
Exactly! That's what a lot of people miss about touring with this type of bike. Charging to 100% is actually not the fastest option. And running as close to 0% as you're comfortable with is ideal since you gain that first 20% much faster than the last.
I think AndyManCam did reference some roads in his neck of the woods that have restrictions on noise pollution regs with fines attached? I could be wrong on this but electric could be the answer to getting on those good roads? Ps.. nice to see you back RichyV. Stay safe and keep those vids coming. 👍✌️
Leave standard silencers on doubt there would be a problem in there areas Andy mentions. Noisy cans, no baffles are the symptom, thier riders the issue.
Love the videos. But all electric vehicles you're better off only charging until about 80%. The higher you come to full, the slower and slower it takes to charge to protect the batteries and to be safer. So you'd be better off making multiple 15 minute stops than one 40+ min stop... you'd actually charge more in less time. The specifics vary, but the overall concept is true for all electric vehicles of any type.
Now you have "heated grip anxiety" or any other ancillary that bleeds off battery juice. If it were me, I would be loath to use any feature that is electric hungry in case I didn't get to my destination! The future looks like too much hassle for me yet.
Another cracking Video Richy, thank you. Quick question for you to take to English Electric / Zero perhaps: What is the difference between every other electric vehicle in the world and the Tesla car in terms of batteries? As the Teslas do hundreds of miles per charge and everything else seems way behind. Would be nice to have a Tesla type battery on the Zero and see it do 400 miles of range :)
Tesla has a liquid cooled battery pack with 75 kWh capacity or more. Most other cars have 64 kWh or less and some even have aircooled packs. This bike has 14.4 kWh. You don't need 400 miles on a motorbike. After 150 miles the rider needs a break anyway. No motorbike does 400 miles, not even big tourers with 25 liters of fueltank.
@@annekecornee Thank you for the reply. I was suggesting that the technology might be a consideration for future models, not so much the actual 400 miles. If Richy used 30% of the bikes battery in 10 mins of motorway riding, the Tesla tech might be a consideration for future models to assist longer journeys than approx 35 miles of motorway riding 🙂 Also for other electric cars too. 🙂
Keep eyes peeled for e bikes. I got used 1.5 KW bike for £300. Can do over 50kph and prob 30 mile range,no peddling! Tough few months,shame year has been ruined,no bike meets, cancelled shows,very sad🙁
Interesting series of reviews, still not spending all that money though. I have had a look at the local public charger in my village, seems that the local rich kids plug in and use it as their overnight parking space! Do they get charged a £1 a minute over and above 100% charge, to make them move on? I think that might be a useful 'tax' to introduce dan sarf were I am in the me me me counties.
But £18,090 for what they say 60 to 120 mile range so say 75 miles it’s not going to sell until it’s at £6,000 then an ok city commute bike at best! When you can buy a Ducati Streetfighter V4 for £17,741 mmmmmm
It strikes me that electric bikes, like this, would make superb commuter bikes. Just think, no inconvenient fuel stop on the way home, which I hate! Yet this is the first one I’ve seen that has any luggage capacity at all.
I just bought this bike for precisely that. Like some others have said, I do have another motorcycle and several cars so its not to be relied upon for everything. Just to get back and forth to work. Plug it in at the end of the day and thats it.
Battery tech is improving, soon we will have a a battery that will take an almost instantaneous charge. When that happens everyone will be driving an EV.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mini-series and you were very positive about the bike, but it’s range is still only comparable to a bike with a 2 gallon tank - as I think others have said when the numbers of EV’s increases other taxes will have to rise - and finally I bet you were the 1st customer for that “pump” since you last charged there! But I still enjoyed the ride.
Does sound a bit like a milk float, to be fair. I think that they have a long way to go to satisfy most people's performance expectations while retaining good charge life. I mean, most of us don't just bimble around B roads at under 50 mph, do we? For a low speed commute, fine, but not "normal" use. Having said that, a colleague of mine went to Barcelona (via the Plymouth - Santander ferry of course) but only because he had the charge tank fitted. That's an expensive addition to the already high base price. And the cost of the charging lead, and a top box/rack to carry the charge lead. I know you can partly adjust this by deducting the fuel cost and servicing costs of a normal internal combustion engined bike, (around £800-950 per year for 5,000 miles at 45/gallon, plus one annual service) but it would take around ten years break even, wouldn't it?
Just playing devils advocate, genuine point... if you, Egone and gaz were all on this loop, you get to that charge point .. 39 min each .. that's two hours 😬.. they're not tour friendly, as a city commuter or weekend warrior type rider probably decent 👍🏼 if it floats your boat.
Very impressive machine tbh. I still think its for people who have a limitless budget and at least one other bike. Great video. Stay safe
Owning a Zero S (the base street model) it makes me want to ride more. It's just a joy. I have been riding for nearly forty years. I own a K1600, a nice metric cruiser and have owned a ton of different bikes. This makes me want to ride more than those or anything I've had in years.
Wow, that’s very interesting. Thanks for sharing those thoughts! 👍👍
Never thought I would ever say this but I think I could own/enjoy one of these bikes after watching your vlogs.
Hey fellow local rider! We used that exact same charging point yesterday! I had the sr/f but want the S for the fairing. Glad you liked it.
Great series of vids. I like it how you aren't an expert on electric bikes, spraffing jargon and quoting brochure slogans, just a normal bloke trying to figure out how this new technology works. Thank you, top notch...!
That’s exactly what it is. I can’t stand listening to all that ‘brochure slogan’ BS.
Cheers, great video. Not all good, not all bad. First video I’ve seen with solid advice and opinions. Think I might bite the bullet on this one, it’s such a nice bike
Very enjoyable series of videos.
Its so beautiful there. Looks like a paradise.
Very nice vids, I'm sure they will develop eventually. Currently not practical for most people. No noise is dangerous (as with electric cars and the lack of imagination of some of their drivers) charging is the main problem with a lack of charging points and length of time to charge. Also as with all batteries, when defunct recycling hasn't been convincingly addressed.
Despite all that, anything with two wheels and motor between is bound to be fun!
I think that once the pubs, cafes and super markets have chargers on their parking bays that would become very feasible for most use now. BTW there is no evidence that "loud pipes save lives", There is a lot of evidence that they screw up, particularly children's hearing though, after all you can often not hear cars come up behind you now.
They already have in many cases.
Good and informative video, Good roads.
, Pete English the legend. 😁
Really enjoyed these Zero reviews.
Glad you like them!
Great little series on the electric bike and glimpse into the future, you are right they are nearly there with them, thank you. Now get that Superduke GT out 😂
Next vid ;-)
Another good series of videos Rich. I'm coming round to the new ways, but still wouldn't go 'silent'. I think the whole noise of a certain type of engine, is what does it for me. And with the ways the rural roads/accident rate is ower here, that plays a big factor. Cheers for taking me with though. Awrabesht to you & yours mate. 😉💙🏴👍
Good series of videos Richy
It's mad that I'm in too minds about these, if I could I'd pull the exhaust off on my bike to make it louder, but something about these bikes just makes me want one so bad haha. Hopefully going for a ride on this model soon
Gotta be honest, I watch this series as much for the countryside as I do for the bike (and the narration). I love it there, don't even live in the country but always wanted to immigrate to have this every day. Probably a bad idea now though after Brexit
Thanks Richy , just ordered my Packtalk Bold with your code , great discount .
Cheers Richy, I am rather sad that this is the end of series as enjoyed the Zero,, but if I remember right, up next again on KTM 😎😎😎 that will bring a smile lol. Great vids, thanks for all your hard work mate, the hours you dedicate to your channel is damn impressive
Thank you, Ian. Yep, I’m the first in, last out, every single time. But, I love it! 👍
Great video. Looking at the charger set up 'locking in the lead' i guess it would deter a few bike thieves but its probably more to stop some scrote from unplugging your bike and charging theirs up at your cost, though maybe the system is smarter than that.
What I had to wrap my mind around - regen is unlike when you let off the throttle on an ICE machine. And ICE engine is still consuming fuel even though the user is not applying throttle. Fuel is still entering the engine's cylinders, meaning it's consuming. But with regen on an electric motor you are putting energy back into the battery pack. The amount varies by manufacturer and model. AND the affect of gearing is different than ICE bikes for energy consumption. On an ICE engine adding a larger sprocket in the back or a smaller countershaft sprocket gives you more punch in the low end but also consumes more fuel since the engine is 'revving' higher, thereby consuming more fuel. I increased my range on a Cake Kalk& I formerly owned by switching from the OEM 72t sprocket to an 80t one. Dropped the top end by 8% BUT increased my range by 10%! It's all new learning for me and those who have not experienced EVs.
Nice ride out🙂
The low noise and associated lack of awareness of pedestrians is interesting ... to be honest I think with the proliferation of earbuds etc these days you can no longer assume someone has their ears ‘switched on’ and will hear you. I only really trust eye contact from drivers and pedestrians these days.
Yes, same. Never assume you’ve been seen, regardless of what you’re riding 👍
Great video, Richy! Unfortunately the problem of high consumption at motorway speeds is down to physics. Travelling a mile at 70mph will use way more energy than travelling the same mile at 40mph because of the greater air resistance (ie drag). What makes it worse is that drag goes up as the square of speed :( It's no different on petrol powered bikes.
Ride safe.
Higher speeds and cold weather really hammers the batteries. Usually, to release a charging cable in a car, you use the stop charge option on the charging station, you usually have to swipe your card again to do that, or push the button on the top of the plug when you have the car's key nearby. I guess turning the ignition on substitutes for a missing 'active' key - most EV's use keyless entry/start.
Devastated to see the blender going back, and we haven't even seen all the attachments yet. Still, it will be a safer place when pedestrians can hear the traffic again. The attrition rate for squirrels, voles, field mice, hedgehogs (even badgers) etc will be devastating in the future when transport is silent. We tried it in the 60's with milk floats. We decided that Engines were better. However - always being / trying to be positive - I LOVE that blue colour. I'm an Engineer (Boooooo - hisssss) and mechanical at that. Emphasis on the "Engine" part, and less on the "ear" - although I do "Q" Tip regularly (Thanks Mum). Just some observations. The range (from the data on this ride) = 85.29411765 miles on a full charge. Charge time of 35 mins, means with a crew of 8 mates (with one charge point) 4.66 hours charge time. On a 200 mile ride, that means a re-charging time of 10.927 Hours to get all 8 there at the same time. Crackin' day out. Can't wait. As soon as the 2.97 Billion population of India, China and Brazil get on board - maybe the efforts of our tiny island will be relevant again Till then "Fur Kit" - . I'll stop in and watch Big Brother - or boil my head - whichever is less painful (A toughie for sure). Night Alex x
Enjoyed review surprised by bike much better than i thought it would be Have a good one
I've been looking at the Zero bikes for a year or so, thanks for those reviews. The SR/S at £19,600 or so is just too expensive for me. So I will wait to see what happens with battery tech and second hand market.
solar panels on the top of the box or on the fins would be nice addition as a passive charger.
Impressive how their nearly there with the mileage and the charging isn’t that bad 👍
damon. google it. already there...
Problem with regen on all e-vehicles is that it is only percentage of what is used to get to that speed. The lighter the vehicle the less regen percentage wise. So energy wise it is better to coast if you can with no regen until you need to slow down.
21:23 I imagine that must feel proper weird rolling up to the petrol boys with this machine, like the japanese exchange student on his first day of public school. :P
Do you know what the battery life expectancy is? Or what the charge capacity goes down over time?? Cant see them selling in vast amounts just yet with the associated problems of range and chargeing points. But hopefully that will all catch up in time. Great vid again 👍👍
I had a go of the Learner Legal one, and it was MUCH quicker than the 250 I pulled up on.
I was mega impressed.
EXCEPT, the cost - they're just too damned expensive.
For example, I was riding a CRF250 Rally, cost £5,000, mpg around 90, so even with free electricity and free 'road tax', the zero would never pay for itself, even taking into account oil and spark plugs, because you'll still need tyres and 'chain + sprockets' (ok, belt and gears) and things like that.
The other thing is the recharge time, I don't mind stopping every 100 or so miles for fuel, but that stop generally takes 15 mins or so with chatting etc, I think 50 mins at a time would get very old, very fast.
I would also have to have the FX or the DS/R, as I'd want to trail them when not commuting lol.
Thanks very much for your Videos....👍👍👍🏍🏍🏍🏍🔋🔋🔋🔋🔌🔌⚡⚡⚡⚡📷📸📸📷🎬🎬👍😀🖐🖐🖐 " I💖ZERO SR/S "....
Seeing you with the long beard. I was expecting you to take it home to a log cabin garage in the mountains. Are you trying to catch up Bruce(teapotone). Seriously Richy that was a great series of vids delivered in a great style that I am sure others will agree made enjoyable viewing. Thanks and keep safe, Pete
Thanks Pete 👍
I would really like to be a part of the ev revolution but find the initial price out of my reach have test ridden an sr and loved it 👍
I'd love a go on one.
Electric bikes will need some kind of alert option for pedestrians who can’t hear you approaching. Honking the horn strikes me as being a bit too aggressive, so some kind of non invasive, perhaps thrumming noise would be useful.
for those of a certain age sucker stick on the spokes should do !!
You could use your voice. Just say "Excuse me" You won't have to shout over the engine noise...
Didn’t the Missemder flyer drop it in the wet because of the high torque
I think it was the DS that he dropped. That didn’t have traction control. 👍
@@RichyVida Correct. Zero should have fitted traction control the same year they first fitted ABS, back in 2015, but the S, DS, & DSR still don't have it. It was first fitted to the SR/F when that came out in 2018. A lot of Zero owners have been spat off their machines...
Interesting to know the life expectancy of the battery and the cost of replacement 👍
00:32 i hear a sowing machine. Who's sowing in the background of every one of your video clips?🤣 Just teasing😁. Seriously though. It sounds like a sowing machine. 💖💖💖
😂😂😂
This is the first video in a while i've seen of yours and glad to see you're still as entertaining and informative a ever. My concerns as you stated is the lack of sound for others awareness, if the motor braking is so effective does it activate the brake light and the charging time if you don't have a spare 40 minutes. I wonder how the government will get it's money once it's not coming from fuel tax, i think there's going to be a small window of low cost before electric is fully adopted and other taxation is applied.
If you don't have 40 minutes, just charge as long as you can. Most of the time, it gets you to your destination.
Would small and often charges effect the life of the batteries tho? As it does to most other types of batteries?????? Plus battery life in general and charging capacity drop over the years would be my concern at 18 k for the bike. Why would you pay that money for sonething that might last 8 years??
Darren Wardle there are tens, if not hundreds of individual batteries (cells) in each pack. Control systems manage each individual cells charging and discharging. So, yes the cells will wear out in time, but what we’re seeing from cars, the batteries are lasting much longer than expected as the management software keeps improving. By the time your battery pack doesn’t hold enough charge, batteries will be much cheaper, hold much more power and charge more quickly. They’ve about doubled in power density in the last 5 years or so.
So what was the cost per mile please Richy? You paid £2.37 for the charge. I just filled up my NC750X DCT at 202 miles on the tank. Close to reserve, but ridden carefully I could get another 60-70 miles range. The mpg was 90.2. The fuel cost £11.70 which gives under 6p per mile. The bike cost £7.5K two years ago. I have to pay annual service charges but the Zero needs to be very cheap per mile to catch up £12.5K extra that it costs. There is no doubt that the Zero a beautiful bike and that if you don't mind short journeys you are getting a fabulous near silent performance. When I go out for a ride I often do >100 miles without stopping though. I can ride for around 170 miles at highway speeds before reserve and the worst mpg in 17K miles is 67, average 83. I don't get the acceleration of the Zero though.
about 0.015p per mile over 250 (approx) miles.
RichyVida Thanks. So my worst fuel consumption is 9p per mile. I’ll give the Zero 0p per mile cost, call it only 10k more expensive than the NC so allow 2.5k servicing the NC. That works out at 111,111 miles before I make back the cost of the zero. About 11 years. 😀. If I had a load of spare money though I would buy the Zero as a second bike, no question! Once people accept electric bikes they could vastly increase fairings etc for aerodynamics to increase range without more weight.
It's the same as an electric car, it has an auxiliary 12v battery and a traction battery for the drivetrain.
There has been a fair bit of media interest regarding the lack of noise from electric machines. Think the only way to remedy is some sort of artifical soundtrack. There is as always an onus on riders/ drivers to ensure other road users are aware of their presence, either by visual indication or by a change in behaviour. Keep up good work Rich.
At street speeds, you can't hear a Bentley, Rolls, Cadillac or a Lexus - all with V8 power plants or bigger. It's a none-issue in my opinion and a ridiculous notion for them to have to make silly noises. In fact, I proved my Jag (V8) was no louder at 20mph than a colleague's Tesla model 3. The fact is the majority of the West has gotten so used to hearing clattery shitty diesel tractor engines in most city cars and they now think that's how noisy cars are.
Hi some questions when I park my bike on side stand I always leave it In gear what stops zero rolling off stand.and can you wheelie it? Ps like the colour and style of the bike definitely getting more desirable.
I think with correct weight distribution, she'd come up on acceleration. Not sure how invasive the traction would be for that, though. The front wheel never left the ground with me. I also leave my bike in gear on the side stand, as a rule. Pretty sure, from what I remember, the electrics don't have any form of "gear" to rest against when switched off.
@@RichyVida You have to fit something to hold one of the brakes on when parking on the sidestand on a slope. Zero actually offer one IIRC. Or you can just use a strong rubber band! There's a whole variety of cheap alternatives available. BMW came up with a much better idea for their Cevolution: putting the sidestand down operates the rear brake - they use the same system on their petrol maxiscoots too.
👍 RICHY really interesting videos dude. 👌 From R1 Greg 😉
Hey, Rich! Your favorite "Arizona always-has-a-million-questions-guy" here yet again. I have a bunch of questions, but I do want to preface by saying that I always read the comments available, so as not to ask you to repeat yourself. I also am aware that your time is valuable, and whacking away at the keyboard to answer some "bloke's" questions from the 'States may be a bit time-consuming, so if you're able to answer here, cool. If you want to spit it all out quickly in your next video, cool. It'd prob be easier, and I completely understand. So with that being said, here goes, from the mind of Colby lol!...
I can help answering your questions. I know a lot about EV's in general, and the Zero in particular.
Good job Rich, great review , right 25 percent of me bottle left, time for a Top Up Haaaaaaa
You and me both! haha ;-)
Yahhhhhhhhhhhh. Freeeeeeeedom in Wales from Monday
Is there a sensor under the seat to stop the bike leaping forward if the 'throttle ' is turned when there isnt anyone on it ????. Nice video again.
Nope. But why would that happen? You still have to have the Killswitch engaged for it to be in ‘drive’ mode.
@@RichyVida Gotcha !. Thanks for that.
If the side stand is down it won't go
just needs a few milk bottles hanging around it it would sound just like the milk float that used to wake me up every morning.
Goog vid Rich, just don’t think we’re there yet on range and charging stations for me yet.
Tell you what Rich, even though I am not in the market for one (a bit too far outside my affordability) you don't half make it a good sell. And I know thats not your intention but if I could afford one, from watching your series I would certainly be going to test ride one.
Thank you. Not my intention at all. Just saying how I feel 👍
Damn, I want that bike....but alas can't I afford one on disability retirement....One thing did come to my notice, riding thru the countryside, being so quiet, no more spooking the critter's.
in a wee while the Cafe's and breakfast stops will have charge points.
and the big question, would you buy one?
Not yet. But I do see a future. Great bikes.
Richy I didn't think gortex gloves and heated grips mixed very well, good vid though👍
So they say, but in all my wet miles and hot grips, I've never had an issue. Not sure it's Gospel, tbh.
Great video as always. The zero bike well looks yes range i guess where u need to go and plan your stops. But i do like the roar of the V4 lol wonder if could add a sound to it lol that be cool i know it defeats the thing of haveing electric. But one day these be common.
Very interesting .. I'm fascinated about the EV bikes and cars .. It feels like the similar time to when the Automobile was growing as a replacement for the horse .. In fact I think Engine vehicles will eventually become like Horses are today .. Anyway thanks for these vids I've enjoyed them .. If you get hold of 3x Zeros and go for a mini break, it would be interesting if the three of you each ride in a different mode over the same "tank" to see if there is much difference in range between modes ..
Your thoughts on: (rather, if you have the answers to:)
--Bar/peg vibration (you mentioned the riding position was very good)
--Wind protection from the little windscreen
--Will it wheelie? (I know you're not that kind of rider, nor am I, but I was curious, considering the low weight-bias)
--Can you drag the front or rear brake a bit at speed to help regen?
--Any issues seeing the display in bright sunlight?
--Is it stable at...um...let's say "XX mph above normal freeway speeds"? (again, I know not your thing, nor mine, but curious)
--Is there a portable battery pack available that you could put in your tankbag for an extra "oh shit" 5 or 10 miles?
--Any word on how 2-up riding affects range?
--If you had an extra $18 grand laying around, would you honestly buy one to add to your own garage?
I am very pro-electric (eh, to a degree, tbh), but as you mentioned, I think we're on the edge of the beginning of what will surely come. I certainly don't mean to try to pick apart this machine, but, rather, am genuinely curious as to the state of the technology now available. Thanks again for your honest "real-world" reviews/opinions, and the time and effort you put in to bring them to us in a quality format with very high production value. It's appreciated by many, I'm sure. Anyways, that's all I've got lol!! Thanks again, and sorry to be such a bother. Cheers from sunny (stupidly hot) Phoenix, as always!! :)
- Bar/peg vibration is none.
- Wind protection is ok. Because it is so low, most wind goes under your helmet. You still need earplugs though.
- Yes, it can wheelie.
- Braking doesn't help regen. Regen is from the electric motor turning the other way when releasing the trottle.
- As far as I noticed, display is perfectly readable in bright sunlight.
- As stable as any other sportstourer
- Yes, there is. Not portable, but you can have the charge tank installed as an option.
- I'm curious about range with a pillion too
- I would, it drives more easily, cheaper to run and no dangerous stuff from the exhaust. I don't have €21000 euro's, but plan to buy it on a montly payment plan.
Have you noticed how long it takes to charge to 80%? And how much longer from 80 to 100%? The last 20% takes very long. On public / fast chargers, its best to charge to max 80%.
Exactly! That's what a lot of people miss about touring with this type of bike. Charging to 100% is actually not the fastest option. And running as close to 0% as you're comfortable with is ideal since you gain that first 20% much faster than the last.
I think AndyManCam did reference some roads in his neck of the woods that have restrictions on noise pollution regs with fines attached? I could be wrong on this but electric could be the answer to getting on those good roads? Ps.. nice to see you back RichyV. Stay safe and keep those vids coming. 👍✌️
Leave standard silencers on doubt there would be a problem in there areas Andy mentions. Noisy cans, no baffles are the symptom, thier riders the issue.
Speaking of fuel gauges... My vfr800 lasts about 20-25miles before I lose the first bar.
Good one,keep them coming ,any music on the way?👍Manxman
Can it be charged up at home.
I’ve done just that in this series of vids.
Love the videos. But all electric vehicles you're better off only charging until about 80%. The higher you come to full, the slower and slower it takes to charge to protect the batteries and to be safer. So you'd be better off making multiple 15 minute stops than one 40+ min stop... you'd actually charge more in less time.
The specifics vary, but the overall concept is true for all electric vehicles of any type.
Now you have "heated grip anxiety" or any other ancillary that bleeds off battery juice.
If it were me, I would be loath to use any feature that is electric hungry in case I didn't get to my destination! The future looks like too much hassle for me yet.
heated grips is not electric hungry. It takes only a few Watts. The battery of the bike has 14.4 kWh. That's enough to power a big house for a day.
already a bike out that has 200 mile range and is faster than this bike...
Another cracking Video Richy, thank you. Quick question for you to take to English Electric / Zero perhaps: What is the difference between every other electric vehicle in the world and the Tesla car in terms of batteries? As the Teslas do hundreds of miles per charge and everything else seems way behind. Would be nice to have a Tesla type battery on the Zero and see it do 400 miles of range :)
Tesla has a liquid cooled battery pack with 75 kWh capacity or more. Most other cars have 64 kWh or less and some even have aircooled packs. This bike has 14.4 kWh. You don't need 400 miles on a motorbike. After 150 miles the rider needs a break anyway. No motorbike does 400 miles, not even big tourers with 25 liters of fueltank.
@@annekecornee But 80-100 miles is not enough. :-)
@@annekecornee Thank you for the reply. I was suggesting that the technology might be a consideration for future models, not so much the actual 400 miles.
If Richy used 30% of the bikes battery in 10 mins of motorway riding, the Tesla tech might be a consideration for future models to assist longer journeys than approx 35 miles of motorway riding 🙂
Also for other electric cars too. 🙂
I can imagine it wouldn’t like really hot weather
I’d imagine it’s the opposite, cold weather will affect battery life
Keep eyes peeled for e bikes.
I got used 1.5 KW bike for £300.
Can do over 50kph and prob 30 mile range,no peddling!
Tough few months,shame year has been ruined,no bike meets, cancelled shows,very sad🙁
Interesting series of reviews, still not spending all that money though. I have had a look at the local public charger in my village, seems that the local rich kids plug in and use it as their overnight parking space! Do they get charged a £1 a minute over and above 100% charge, to make them move on? I think that might be a useful 'tax' to introduce dan sarf were I am in the me me me counties.
"...the fastest milkman in the west..." :)
Sounds like a milkfloat 😅
You cant use eco on the motorway. The only way is to draught another vehicle or just go slow
Fifth! You’re getting sneaky now. 😂
If you were on tour you might get 100 miles but then you'll be 40/50 minutes "filling up". Not going to happen. They've a bit of work to do yet !
Fairly impressive it begs the question if you actually need a bike licence - Category A.
You do. This has as much torque a 1000 cc superbike.
26:13 A good job it wasn't the bike battery that run out!
But £18,090 for what they say 60 to 120 mile range so say 75 miles it’s not going to sell until it’s at £6,000 then an ok city commute bike at best! When you can buy a Ducati Streetfighter V4 for £17,741 mmmmmm
I guess he problem might be when the chargers are fooked, or in use...
It strikes me that electric bikes, like this, would make superb commuter bikes. Just think, no inconvenient fuel stop on the way home, which I hate! Yet this is the first one I’ve seen that has any luggage capacity at all.
I just bought this bike for precisely that. Like some others have said, I do have another motorcycle and several cars so its not to be relied upon for everything. Just to get back and forth to work. Plug it in at the end of the day and thats it.
Battery tech is improving, soon we will have a a battery that will take an almost instantaneous charge. When that happens everyone will be driving an EV.
Graphene batteries are within touching distance now. 500+ miles per charge at 5 minutes from 0% to 100%. We're not too far away from it.
Sounds like you'll miss that bike Rich.
A bike without noise = a bicycle 🤣
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Been interesting series, think I’ll wait a while. Be great for second bike though 🤓 😎🏍💨💨💨💨💨🇨🇦 cheers
Richy, you just set off my ipad, and val my wifes phone, lmfao😀😀
hahaha I love it! ;-) Like a kid with a new toy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this mini-series and you were very positive about the bike, but it’s range is still only comparable to a bike with a 2 gallon tank - as I think others have said when the numbers of EV’s increases other taxes will have to rise - and finally I bet you were the 1st customer for that “pump” since you last charged there! But I still enjoyed the ride.
👍👍👍👏👏👏👏
80 miles that’s beast mode what about standard or eco
It would definitely improve, but not sure by how much.
Does sound a bit like a milk float, to be fair. I think that they have a long way to go to satisfy most people's performance expectations while retaining good charge life. I mean, most of us don't just bimble around B roads at under 50 mph, do we? For a low speed commute, fine, but not "normal" use. Having said that, a colleague of mine went to Barcelona (via the Plymouth - Santander ferry of course) but only because he had the charge tank fitted. That's an expensive addition to the already high base price. And the cost of the charging lead, and a top box/rack to carry the charge lead.
I know you can partly adjust this by deducting the fuel cost and servicing costs of a normal internal combustion engined bike, (around £800-950 per year for 5,000 miles at 45/gallon, plus one annual service) but it would take around ten years break even, wouldn't it?
you should make noise anyway hhhh
stay save i love this bike but in city not good for long trip
Quite impressed but when you pull away you sound like the milk man 😅 especially being out that early in morning.
Lovely. 45 min charge. Waiting in a downpour..
🤟👍🤟👍
If someone e.g fell of the Zero when doing a u-turn, is there some kind of protection so you don’t ”smash the bike to atoms” ?
I assume it's free road tax?
Just playing devils advocate, genuine point... if you, Egone and gaz were all on this loop, you get to that charge point .. 39 min each .. that's two hours 😬.. they're not tour friendly, as a city commuter or weekend warrior type rider probably decent 👍🏼 if it floats your boat.
I won’t miss it . It does nothing for me like the KTM does .