12:25 Spite, I feel I need to correct you here about the charging. The bike does not spin the motor in reverse to charge the battery (it does do something similar to this during regenerative braking, but not while plugged into the wall outlet). As you said, there is no clutch so if the motor is spinning (regardless of direction) the bike would move. That noise you hear is the cooling fan that keeps the charging electronics from overheating during charging doing a start-up test, similar to how a laptop fan ramps up to its highest speed when starting up a laptop. Once it has gotten up to full speed and the fan controller has received information from the various temperature sensors, the fan speed throttles back down to whatever speed is necessary for the amount of heat currently being generated by the charging circuitry. The fan is necessary because the process of turning the AC current coming from the wall into a DC current that can charge the battery produces a fair amount of heat in the electronics. This heat is proportional to how much current you are drawing, which is dependent on the rate at which you are charging the battery and how close to fully charged the battery is. That's why the cooling fan will spin faster if you are charging faster. Charging faster also heats up the battery and shortens the battery's lifespan, which is why Zero makes you pay a fee to unlock the faster charging because you are increasing the likelihood that they will have to replace your battery under warranty if you are charging it faster. I'm definitely not going to defend Zero for the other built-in features they make you pay for, but the fast charging at least has a physical and financial justification behind it. Aside from this misunderstanding of the charging process, this was a great video and I concur with your conclusion that an electric motorcycle like this is hard to justify for all but the most niche of use cases. Personally, I'm hoping Triumph is going to come to their senses and bless us with a Jack-of-all-trades lightweight dual-sport/supermoto/adventure bike with a 450cc triple that I've been dreaming about so all of the other manufacturers can give up and go home. Yammy's got connections over there right?😉 Let's make miracles happen!😎👍
Thanks for this relevant information. Its further evidence of the poor preparation and incomplete review of the subject matter. They can do better,,,,we know. 🙂The title of the video should have been "What's this thing all about? I have no clue". 🙄
Happily I happen to be in that niche where I have the ability to charge it at home and work. I also ride every day of the year so I can easily justify it from a cost standpoint where in about 3 years it is cheaper than my gas bike from the standpoint of only the difference in costs.
Batteries can be charged faster without having huge effect on life, you just need to control the heat. Electric cars tend to have an active thermal management system for batteries, to improve charging, but also sustained high load during driving. This is possibly why the person had issue with overheating after 2 laps if there is no cooling system.
A point on charging phones. A phone battery is about 15 Wh, and the bike battery is 14,400 Wh. It could charge your phone 960 times. I don't think you have to worry about it.
With the current state of tech, the use case for an electric motorcycle has to start with "I don't want to use gas". There are a number of ways where an electric motorcycle offers a superior ride, but those are offset by three big limiters: range, charge time, and price. My electric car takes about ten minutes to add 90 miles of range, and that's all it would take to make long motorcycle trips possible. The fact that a motorcycle can't without costing almost as much as my car makes no sense to me
Pardon my ignorance, but a hybrid motorcycle would seem To be ideal.a small engine driving a generator, then the electric motor, similar to a locomotive would give massive degree of flexibility.
@@scottsingleton2951 those do exist, homebrewed at least. Hub motor and regular motor. The thing is, now you're using battery to push around a hundred pounds or so of motor that you don't need most of the time, and you have all the maintenance tasks and costs of a gas burner, and that's half the advantage of electric
@@keithengle592 My PHEV goes 90 km on electric alone. It's about 80% of my transport requirements. I charge daily from my solar panel system so those Km are "free". Hauling around my gas engine doesn't cost much. A full tank will last me months. BUT I can easily and conveniently "go to grandma's remote country house" on the weekend with zero range anxiety! No inconvenience whatsoever and with 80% of km on electric combined with the energy coming from solar I strongly suspect I'm CLEANER than most full EVs that charge off the grid powered by coal or natural gas. PHEVs properly operated can make huge sense. Until the infrastructure and drawbacks with EV recharging is fully matured EVs may not be as "rosey" as one surmises. 😁
@@wildcat6669 "being able to" no. Doing so all the time yes. With my car, I charge overnight 90% of the time, and only fast charge when I'm on a road trip. Which is exactly what I'm saying to do with an electric motorcycle. And like my car, I would expect it to charge quickly to 50%, then taper charging speed off until I hit 80%, which minimizes the dendrite formation that is the cause of battery degradation.
The carbon footprint required to make and/or destroy this bike, is not green! I wish the suppliers and OEM’s would STOP 🛑 with the lies! What’s wrong with a 500cc that gets 80 MPG???
I agree that manufacturers need to cool it with the green talk. Technically though, because there are no emissions when the vehicle operates - does make it cleaner than an ICE vehicle. One can argue about where and how the electricity was powered, some are solar and other are coal. It takes petrol to move petrol to petrol stations, and petrol vehicles emit carbon when operating.
Yes a commuter doesn't have to be fun, but after a day of work sometimes its nice to get that little smile on your face hearing a nice motorcycle engine. To have an appliance to get you home in a sanitary way isn't my idea of commuting. Especially when its a $24,000 bike. You could get a used whatever under $4k that would accomplish that task. Thats a lot of money left over after 5 years of gasoline and maintenance.
Not to mention if carbon footprint is really your concern you’re already starting off better by buying the 4K used bike and I don’t think motorcycling is the space to look at reducing that impact in anyways
@@trenchcoatkendo I mean a 125 burns fuck all, so in the grand scheme of things, those are absolutely a way to address CO2 emissions, ESPECIALLY for city commuting, where speeds tend to be lower. Their drawbacks make them impractical for most other scenarios, but in the city their economy is unbeatable.
An electric bicycle equipped with pedal assist and hand throttle makes more sense than a full-on Emotorcycle for short commutes. It's easier to store and easier to charge since they don't require a dedicated charging station. Big plus: if you hit your range limit you just start pedaling.
And most of those ebikes have removable battery so you can take it inside to charge. Not really an option when the battery weighs as much as this thing.
You can charge a bike like this on any public J1772 L2 charger, and get 6 kW often completely for free. It is much easier to charge and use a bike like this than use an e-bike, but he had no idea how to charge it or even how charging works. He didn't even bother to read the manual.
Depends on what the definition of "short commute is". And to be honest, riding a bicycle in North America is kind of a stupid experience. Infrastructure is made for cars, it's not fun, and you can even get looked at badly. That's just bad.
Only way I see electric motorcycles catch on (besides government mandate) is that all manufacturers have a universal battery that can be quick changed, so you pull into a station, swap batteries and be on your way. No idea about how much all of that is going to cost, but with the way things are going, I don't think anyone is really going to have a choice.
@@jamesadams2334 That's just wrong, the only point where a electric vehicle produces more co2 is at production. Afterwards you're better off. I ride ICE btw, slight bias there hahaha. And a big deal of energy is green, I have solar panels and could easily charge this bike green.
There's something primal about the roar and the fire of a motorcycle engine right underneath you, along with the feeling of raw power as you twist your wrist and make the fire burn hotter. I like surfing and sailing, and I might enjoy a more zen experience of riding a quiet bike through the woods, but it'll never take the place of riding a bike with an internal combustion engine. I suppose that 200 years from now there'll still be clubs for guys who ride old-world motorcycles.
You owe it to yourself to try it. I used to think those same things. I own an SR/S now. go to any zero dealer or attend a ride day - they tour the country every year.
9500 miles on my Zero SR/F. Gotta say it’s funny hearing all the complaints about price when 3/4 of the motorcycles I see here in the good ol USA are $20K Harley’s!
But it makes sense to pay a high price if you get good range, quick fill ups, lots of storage space, lots of comfort and good two up riding. Electrics have none of that so why the high price? If I don't want any of that stuff then The bike should cost 8,000 dollars or so.
The battery fire thing... It happens but less than a gas car for kinda obvious reasons. The batteries are heavily armored. That being said, as soon as we leave Lithium Ion batteries behind the risk of fire even further decreases (right as the energy density increases! woo!).
Another factor to consider, Lithium Ion batteries loose maximum charge, each recharge (especially if allowed to over charge). This will slowly (to quickly depending on charging behavior) decrease the range over time, and you will probably have to replace the batteries in 5 years or less.
@@henrietn same can be said for pretty much any vehicle. Battery health can easily be monitored on electrics. As long as the bike isn’t constantly ridden like a lady of the night, the battery will withstand traditional use.
@@henrietn If you rode an electric bicycle it seems to be much worth it if you could make your own battery out of LiFePo4 battery, it does have less power/range and slightly heavier than traditional lithium, but it's durability and safety is miles better. 5,000 charge cycle and zero risk of explosion. Even if you choose normal lithium it's always better to make your own cuz you know your battery throughoutly.
You cannot over charge this battery (it is not possible), and, the battery doesn't even charge to it's maximum cell voltage. They intentionally charge it to less than max cell voltage to increase life span. The battery is rated to 200k miles retaining 80% of it's lifespan for city/mixed riding. It's warrantied for 5 years. I think that's plenty good.
@@GregHassler you know what warranties are? Through testing, they’ve determined their battery will last just slightly past the warranty on average so they don’t have to cover it.
You neglected to try the public fast chargers? Charging from a 110V wall outlet is indeed slow. But I assume it can accept level 2 charge input? It would be interesting to know the charge times at those higher voltages? That would extend the range and not rely on charging with an extension cord to a low power house outlet. If public chargers are possible you can then potentially "go where you want". Albeit if the charge times are considerably faster with level 2???
You're correct. A level 2 charging station would drastically increase charging time. There are several Zero SR/S owners that have crossed the US in record times. I recently completed a 2500 mile tour on my Livewire (level 3 charging). I rarely charged the 1 hour requirement for 0-100%. Most of my stops were 15-20 minutes at a level 3 station.
21:45 - “someone who wants to pretend they’re doin something for the environment” And right there my love for this channel grew just a little bit more …..didn’t think it was possible
Not everyone that buys electrics purchase for this 'reason'. I just ride electrics because it's a blast for me, and I enjoy the silence. I have hearing loss in both ears, and PTSD - the silence and lack of vibration grounds me in the moment, perfect preventative treatment for my symptoms.
@@AdventuresonZero I loved the quiet and simplicity when I rode a zero SRF demo bike. Interesting to hear how it’s good for your mental health . You’ve gained a new subscriber . I’m excited for when the price of these vehicles comes down. The cost makes them a niche choice at the moment .
Nope! I absolutely love hearing my 600cc screaming and I don’t care how fast an electric motorcycle is, it will never give you the sound and that reason I will never buy one. I will buy a Tesla though because I care less about my car.
Motorcycles get good mpg anyway. With motorcycles especially they can't be significantly more expensive than gas motorcycles because the ROI is just not there.
I'm also a bit of a car fan. Until recently I had a supercharged 5 litre Jaguar. I tried a Tesla which was quicker but somehow less exciting and a bit soulless. When I got back in the Jag, I realised that it wasn't just the speed of it that made it exciting, it was the howling V8 and screaming supercharger and the way the power surges as it gets to 4000rpm and rushes towards the redline. It's the theatre and drama of it that makes it exciting, not just the pure acceleration
yep! I've noticed that we all ride for different reasons. Like you, some love the vibration of the engine and the thump of the sound - a great reason to get in the saddle. I on the other hand, love the 'silence' of riding and not disturbing anything around me. To each their own - stay safe!
So in reality, and electric motorcycle is really only perfect for fairly short commutes. But who fits in that niche of needing a bike to save money but can also afford a $20K+ ebike? i mean it makes no sense. and how many true motorcyclist's just want to ride their bike to and from work only, or go on shorter leisure rides? The answer is not many. Most of the time, if people are taking their bike out, they are gonna ride 50-100 miles easily. Maybe your big city riders wont, but any rural rider is putting down miles that would exceed the range easily in a single trip. So how does that play out? no way to ride and charge mid way which means you have to stay within your range to make it back home. I just dont understand who would buy these right now.
Not necessarily true. It really depends on the network availability. I recently completed a 2500 mile tour on my Livewire. I averaged 290-390 miles a day.
@@doswoods653 I live in the mountains as well, 55 miles is nothing for me. You'd be surprised at the availability of EV charging, doesn't really require that much charging at the moment. But, it seems electrics aren't for you anyways
Bar-end mirrors are actually legal for manufacturers to put on the bike from the factory. MV Agusta did it on the Dragster 800 RR, Dragster 800 Rosso, Superveloce, Superveloce S and Brutale 1000 RR
I haven’t driven anything other than my Zero this year and I’ve saved over 2k in gas according to the app’s calculator. 8 months deep and I’m still enjoying it as much as I did day one.
@@unluckyraven101 They come with a 5 year warranty and I’ve heard of them replacing a 10 year old battery for free. But we’ll see when that day comes I guess
As a commuter, it would absolutely work for me. I could put it in my air conditioned shop as it wouldn't smell or leak and I could charge it as I worked. Until it was stolen, this is what I did with my ebike most days of the week.
@@geraldscott4302 as a dutchy i can say that biking in the netherlands is probaly 70% for commuting and maybe 30% for fun. biking is way cheaper than driving car (gas prices are insanely high here) and for allot of people biking for 30 mins to get to work is a non issue here. especcially with e-bikes nowadays
@@geraldscott4302 I have a fun car with a manual transmission and a work vehicle with an automatic. To be honest, just getting on two wheels out in the air is what I need before and after work. As mentioned in the video, a bike like this is just mindless to operate, something to note after a long and difficult day at work. Bikes are for whatever you want them to be for, don't gatekeep. Let people do their thing, not what you want them to do.
@@LordPustyni especially parking wise. If I can keep my commuter inside my shop, I don't have to worry about some idiot hitting my car/bike in a parking lot.
Sure you can live with one if these conditions are met. A. ) you don’t mind covering miles of roads in a 360 degree radius of your home at 40 percent of the bikes range. B) you have zero interest in long distance touring that takes three times as long to cover big miles. C) you have another gas powered bike to ride. D) you don’t mind paying too much for a commuter bike that doesn’t come standard with a luggage rack. E) you want taxpayer subsidies so you can feel good about buying the motorcycle equivalent of a ball n chain.
What has been your experience on electric motorcycles? Not sure where you're getting your stats from, riders don't have to worry about only leaving from their home, most areas support a large charging infrastructure to go beyond the single charge range. I recently completed a 2500 mile tour on my electric motorcycle. I averaged 290-390 miles a day while still checking out cool sights along the way. Most people I talk to that like to ICE tour go about the same daily distance. I have two electric bikes, not once have I owned a combustion one. I carried about 100 lbs of gear, clothes and more on my tour - all without needing luggage racks. I pay for my electricity at stops.
@@AdventuresonZero I live in Thailand and Zero motorcycles is indeed active but selling poorly. Live Wire not yet. We do have numerous Chinese brands of electric scooters but those are for short urban transport. Brands such as Energica not here yet. I follow the EV car space as I nearly bought a Tesla (gray market) but the experiences are mixed. Admittedly what I learn of the progress back at "home" in the US is from second hand reports. I'm participating in the conversation as I find it interesting but I am in no way an authority on the subject! 🙂 But willing to learn! Thanks for letting me know certain realities I'm a bit removed from. 👍😁
@@sunrisejak2709 of course! Appreciate you having an open mind about it. The global market is a bit sketchy at the moment, different markets have different needs. Shame that the big 3 aren't in your area (Energica, LiveWire, Zero) yet. So I can see how it's hard to form your own opinion without sitting in the saddle. As someone who only recently go into motorcycles in the last 2 years, it really is something you have to experience first hand. I was doubtful at first, but after riding both the Zero DSR and now Livewire ( I own two now), there's nothing else I want to ride at the moment. Feel free to ask any clarifying questions, both good and bad! It's not perfect by any means. I'm not trying to convince anyone, just clarify the facts that I see others get wrong from time to time.
@@AdventuresonZero The Live Wire when it was first introduced looked to be a game changer. But it seems people were put off by the price. Also selling through a traditional Harley Davidson outlet may not be the best pathway? Plus the Live Wire has been out for a while. Have substantial enhancements been made as continued development or is it stalked? (battery tech, or motor type etc) I know most of the main stream brands are all working on electric solutions. Triumph, Ducati, BMW, and of course the Japanese brands etc. I suspect once the legacy payers get into the game we'll see a very steep ramp up. I think brand loyal customers might have greater confidence in moving electric to a brand that has been solid for them over the years.
Riding electric is more connected with your surroundings, you're not isolated in a bubble of noise and vibration disconnecting you from the road, wind, and surroundings. That's what's important to me when riding. "Soul" sounds like you have an ego problem and just want people to look at you.
@@GregHassler if you can’t feel connection to the road because of something even motogp riders don’t give a shit about then it’s on you buddy. Another thing, people don’t love engine noise because of attention, they love it because it sounds good. Ever heard of music? Would you say that people play instruments just for attention then? Don’t project your narcissism onto others.
@@WhoTFMadeThisChange I wonder if there will someday be an app so you can plug bluetooth headphones in and pipe in whatever ICE noise you wish that would emulate an actual noise making ICE. One day you could think you're riding a 2 stroke. Next ride V twin. Next ride, V4. Would that make you happy? Then you alone can hear your noise, and spare everyone else in the public that despise loud bikes.
I think for something electric it looks pretty cool, and might be good for someone commuting to work in a larger city, but at the price of those things and how long they take to charge I think most people would be better off with a small gas motorcycle.
The charging speeds he quoted were wrong and extremely misleading. This bike, as he had it, can do 6 kW charging out of the box, which means it can go from entirely dead to 95% full in just two hours. But for some reason, he only ever talked about the charging speed you get with the incredibly cheap, included with the bike, L1 charger that is meant to allow you to charge it overnight at home, which takes 8 hours by comparison. In reality, while you're out running errands or on a trip, charging for 30 minutes on a free public L2 charger will get you 25% of your capacity back, which in practice, is about 30 miles. I frequently don't even have to recharge my SR/S while I'm out. I simply charge it up overnight at home, ride it all day, and then charge it again when I need it again overnight.
You know, if you are only recommending this to people that want to commute to and from work and do nothing else, then you might as well recommend them an electric scooter like the NIU GTS or the Sunra RS which cost a fraction of what this bike does. They have roughly the same range as the Zero even if they are nowere near as fast, but why would a city commuter care about going over 70mph while being stuck in traffic in the downtown or suburbs.
Lived with an electric mc for 4ys, perfect for my city living and charging at home. I don't do it for the environment, I do it cuz it's cheap and ez as heck.
This is like saying "i don't like motorcycles" after testing just the harley. The Energica are a lot nicer and the new adventure type energica is the perfect commuter, with a high price but low running cost, especially if you are able to charge at work from your companies solar or wind energy. I can see myself owning one for the commute (and keeping my s1000xr)
yea this video was weird. he was just looking for things to hate lol. just knitpicked the whole time. honestly just sounds like he doesn't prefer ebikes.
Yes, perhaps you are one of the privileged ones, who can get away with corruption, over several 10 years. But it's usually only politicians who can go along without being caught. Then there are several years in prison, millions of dollars in fines, being fired from the job. So it sounds very nice, if you're the type who gives a shit about consequences (narcissist). Good that you also can live with stealing from other people in the society. What do you think happens to you, when the other people find out; they have been paying your commute to work, the last 10-20 years or more?
@@kalebshaw47 - That is because you only listen to the negative he said, and did not hear noting else. What you said he did to the bike, was actually what you did to the video. You just explained what you did in this comment. I think he was generous with all the positive things he said about the bike. I see those positive as essentials. If every thing that is locked on the bike, was given for free. Maybe considered it to commuting some where. But as a bike, it is trash and unusable. And with all the blackouts, when you need power the most… Then you have to be special at your work, if you are not going to be fired. And the boss at work see the electric bill blow up. And find out it is because you charging your bike, and just stealing power from the company. The EL-power now is so expensive that it cost about the same as gasoline. And that price is going to sky-rocket, when most people have changed to EV-Bikes/cars/trucks. And then it is not possible to go back. Remember that the government what you to have noting and work your ass-off every day. And if you work hard, you maybe get to have a bike to ride to work… But you take the longway home, you are pushing the bike the last 2-3 miles, with re-gen on…
@@Gismo3333 to say he isn't blatantly biased is weird because I'm sure he'd agree that he heavily leans towards gas powered bikes for things like "the sound of the engine." different strokes for different folks tho, you are both free to pursue anything you want to in your free time but in the future when you address a topic trying to pursuade some one or get your opinion across then long hypothetical examples are a bad idea of doing so.
"I'm never going to get more than 70 miles out of it". Cool story, so you haven't even ridden it 70 miles yet. It goes farther than that in almost any condition unless you're actively trying to run it out. My older Zero can do 130 miles pretty regularly.
Range anxiety is a real condition. Generally a gas station can be found within 15 minutes of anywhere. The same can't be said for charge stations. Until they are that prevalent or range improves or charge times shorten it will be hard to get mass adoption as people don't need that added stress that they didn't have before.
@@sunrisejak2709 Not necessarily true. Technically there are more charging stations available than gas stations, especially for motorcycles that have a smaller battery. If I'm really in a bind, I can stop anywhere there is a 110v outlet and get enough juice to make it to a quick charger. Although that is a slow charge, it's still refueling and I only need enough to make it to a fast charger. I have over 30k miles on electrics, and only one time have I truly been stranded and needed to be towed. I would say any anxiety is from waiting time rather than never having electricity. Even then that is a rare occasion I have to emergency charge.
@@sunrisejak2709 exactly. These bikes also need to average 200+ mi on a charge to even begin to be a blip on my radar. I can get 150-170 mi out of both my bikes and then I can spit in a general direction and hit a gas station. Spend 2 minutes at the pump and I’m back on the road for the same range.
I honestly think that for its intended purpose an electric scooter would be better suited for commuting, its gonna be cheaper and you can buy a ICE bike for your squidding needs
Sounds like a very expensive way to save a few bucks. Especially when it can't go very far or do normal bike things. As for ecological - are you kidding? Just try telling me that in this things ~8 year battery life its going to save enough emissions over a smallish ice bike to make up for that massive battery's build alone. This would need to do hundreds of thousands of miles to break even with ice. Remember the electricity comes from somewhere so even in use its not "zero emissions".
Electric should replace the local commute scooter’s tiny gas engines fairly quickly but it’s going to be a long time before it works in an actual motorcycle.
@@GregHassler The world is not America. Where I live riding across country with EV is simply not practical (at this time) unless you plan charger to charger trips on the interstate and only visit charging stations as your objective. Get off the "beaten path" tom visit grandma and you'll be calling a gas powered tow truck. 😂
Not even worth the commute. My commute is the highlight of my day sometimes. Nothing says 'screw you guys, I'm going home' like firing up a 1300cc in the parking lot. 8000rpm in second when you're merging on the highway ramp... I want to hear it. I want to feel it. Hell I even want to smell it.
To each their own. The more I ride, the more I notice that people ride for very different reasons. I prefer the 'silence' of my electric and the sounds around me. This is probably the biggest point in electrics vs combustion - we all ride for different reasons. I'm not interested in trying to convince an ICE rider that an EV is better, or vice versa. I think all riders should try each once and then come to their own conclusions.
Most people think that until they actually try it. Spend some time on one and you'll start to wonder why those archaic gas bikes have to shift so much instead of just having power everywhere.
Yes sir. You hit the nail right on the head. In a nutshell I would not own A electric motorcycle for all the reasons that you have listed. Enough said.
It's interesting seeing the classic motorcycle culture clash so hard against the inevitable electric revolution. If you love riding your gas bike enjoy your ride! Hating this bike because it is new and challenges your known motorcycle culture isn't really a fair review. I get the feeling that this guy wanted to hate on the EV culture more than to fairly review what I think is the most FUN bike I own. I have a 2017 DS and LOVE LOVE LOVE this bike. This bike is checkers and gas bikes are chess... both can exist for the same reasons that they are good and support one another OR old school culture can try to exclude what will be a large wave of new riders coming. Is it what you ride or the ride itself? My 2017 Zero DS has cost very little and has almost ZERO maintenance cost. It's about $1.80 to charge full and I have done that maybe 300 times in 2 years. This new SR does have different controls than my DS and I think he has some valid points on that but overall the pros massively outweigh the cons when you add it up. I would never buy a new one(and I agree with the nonsensical unlock function shit. This is where Zero needs to step up and study classic motorcycle culture and get this right) when you can a 2018 or 2017 for like $7k or $8k... WELL worth it! All the bikes plug into any wall outlet and can be charged almost anywhere if you ask. The lack of heat matters a lot on 100-degree days! No vibrations make me noticeably less tired from riding. I have USB ports and under-glows and it makes it look even cooler. I get about 120 miles in eco(85 miles in Sport) with 9k miles on my bike. Don't let the HATERS talk you out of the bike that will make you feel 21 again! It will be interesting to see what electric bike gets a glowing review from this channel???
Honestly I think the reverse is true. EV zealots and disciples tend to denigrate those embracing their gas machines and resisting the transition to EVs They call them stupid and other unflattering terms. Look on the Tesla sites and they absolutely insult and ridicule the cautious methodical adopters who just want to migrate at their own pace and time.
I actually muscled through watching the review because I was little curious, but not much! Results were exactly as expected! Thanks for the honest review!
This was NOT an honest review. It was full of downright misinformation, lies, and BS. He didn't even read the manual for the bike. Everything he said about charging is false. I do a point by point breakdown of this video in my comments above if you want to get the truth.
winter storage...drain battery to 60 percent. leave unplugged check on every month. charge back up when snow melts lol. it will my first winter with one hopefully...when i get it back. Older s have a loaner fxe now
A few points to be highlighted. First, the cost of batteries is still high, which easily represents 1/3 of the retail price of the bike. Second, this is a fairly new company learning how to build motorcycles improving to stay competitive. They don't have all the money necessary for the best equipment to deliver a bike with the finishing compatible with other well-established brands, yet. Even Teslas and other well-established brands have some finishing issues, which does not cause the vehicles to be undesirable. Any decent-designed bikes have a radiator and cooling fan, they don't boil at the traffic light. You can fully charge your phone 3 times without ANY significant effect on the range, maybe a mile less range. Phones take only about 25-30Wh to fully charge. Many motorcycle owners don't ride more than 100 miles daily to commute, making this bike a great option for it, definitely the best-recommended option for a full riding day. I own different motorcycles, from sports, cruises, adventures, and dirt bikes. Each one has its own riding feelings and limitations, which is not a problem if you are not limited and used to one specific riding style. If you really want to know if this bike fits you, don't ask others' opinions. But instead, go to a dealer for a test ride and you will know if it's for you or not.
There is a storage mode that must be activated on these bikes to safely over winter them. But he didn't' even bother to read the manual before making this video, let alone fact check anything he said so this entire video is just squid nonsense.
I think a Duke 390 doing 30 MPG defeats any reason to ride this thing except if you have to ride 60 miles of highway every day. - you could buy somewhere between 3 or 4 dukes for the price of 1 zero? quick guesstimation. - electricity aint as cheap as it used to be (here in europe at least), but nor is gas anymore. at least its quick to fill up gas, and 30 mpg. - while the zero doesnt pollute as much while riding it, the age old discussion is still that it's polluting elsewhere during manufacturing these components involving precious metals and chemistry. how ecologically responsible is it really? how much miles do you have to ride to reach the flipping point where the zero becomes a less polluting option? - the duke is more fun to ride anywhere else than the busy city center and the highway - zero already has an awesome reputation (sarcasm) with their business model and the horrible software on their bikes where i've already heard multiple people having their bike non-functional, which resulted in them not having their bikes for a notable amount of time (4 months in one case). If the zero is indeed a neat kitchen appliance to get you to work and back like you say in the video, costing what it costs, looking at the demographic of people it would be aimed at, why not get some cheap electric car? sure its probably going to cost you more than the zero, but it will also get you to work in the winter time of year when there might be snow on the roads.
I get that gasoline engines are bad for our environment. The unfortunate truth is that electric vehicles are also bad for our environment. To create a battery cells corporation's need to strip mine for rare minerals. The current battery cells that we use have a limited life span, are hard to recycle and are extremely expensive to replace. That is a formula that will lead to a massive about of e-waste.
I feel the need to chime in, I own a Sportster 1200 and a Zero SRF, For my Daily commute 45Mile Round trip, I use the Zero its Great and Saves me at a tone of money (current Gas Prices Approx 3K and Year and only Maintenance is Tires and Brakes). So yes its expensive up front, but pays for itself in a few years. Especially if you use Solar to charge it (which I do). I do agree range anxiety is real, for me if I am going on a longer ride, I prefer my Harley, but for daily commute the Zero can't be beat IMO. I get why some feel it’s a waste of money. However, when you crunch the numbers for the life of the bike the electric is cheaper than the ICE bike. Oh, and batteries get recycled not placed in a land fill in most states. I don’t ride electric to save the environment, I ride Electric to save Money and my hearing.
A 1200 Sportster gets at least 40mpg. If you're spending $3k a year on gas for a motorcycle then you are riding 20,000 miles (the math is easy and undeniable: $3000 / $6 per gallon of gas gives 500 gallons consumption... 500 gallons x 40mpg gives 20,000 miles). But you said your commute is 45 miles. And it's within range of your Zero. At 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and 45 miles commute per day of work that's only 10,400 miles if you exclusively ride your Zero to work every day. The numbers don't lie, you are only saving $1500 a year by exclusively riding a Zero instead of your Sportster. Which means it will take more than 10 years to reach a break-even... and that's assuming you luck out and your Zero's batteries don't shit the bed in that 10 year time frame or the motor doesn 't burn out or Zero doesn't flash your ECU/OS with pay-to-play bullshit for harware already on your bike.
@@kcconnor2636 actually mine get 28 it’s a 1995 that’s need modified and I live in California and gas has been over 6 bucks a gallon for at least 6 months, but my figures are actually based off of driving my truck because my sportster cost me way to much for maintenance
@whiteAfrikkkanNun LOL I have had this Harley since 1995 it's my Baby, and yes there are tons of other bike that are better but none with more meaning to sentimental value to me.
Yes there are some legitimate reasons to ding Zero - range stats could be arguably misleading, their customer service stinks, right to repair is iffy and I'm sure there's more. But the absolute ignorance over charging, the lack of technical detail and I suspect a lack of miles ridden all contribute to this being a poor attempt at a review. I mean the owner's manual to this bike is available for free on the Zero website! Even if you aren't going to actually ride the bike you could at least vet the facts presented before publishing this video! If I was Eurocycle I would be livid over the blatant misrepresentation of this bike. Yes, I own a 2 Zero motorcycles and while I like the bikes I generally don't like the company. There are some good reasons to buy a Zero and of course there are plenty of reasons not to. If you think you just can't live without the noise of an engine, I would strongly urge you to test ride one!
Aptly named--i have ZERO interest in electric motorcycles. Poor range and lack of engagement/emotional response from operating the machine are my main issues.
It's $24K The calipers aren't from Brembo The shocks don't say Öhlins The frame looks uninspired The gaping space between the font fender and the side fairing reminds me of Chinese clones. I've seen $5000 bikes with better parts. Take one good look at a IC supersport and you'll realise Electric might be the future but Zero definitely ain't. They're just here to make as much money as quickly as possible untill someone makes something decent and renders them completely irrelevant.
It's $22.7k, and that's only for this model, the SR/S Premium. Literally every other bike / model / trim they make is less. The Calipers are made by J.Juan, who is owned by Brembo and a reputable manufacturer of motocross brakes. The shocks/forks are Showa big bore, they triple adjustable - compression, rebound, and preload. Again, quality. The frame is excellent, very stiff with fantastic welding and finishing. It is inspired by function. The space you're referring to is part of the passive cooling of the bike. No you haven't, lol. Just like this video, just more misconceptions and misinformation lol.
@@protonus There's one other trim that's cheaper at 20.7K Every other variant is 22K or more. J. Juan is reputable sure but I'd rather have Stylema at this price. Same with the forks, at 25K I like mine golden and Swedish. You know, quality. And you do not call 43mm big bore ffs. I couldn't be arsed about the frame it's steel trellis on a really heavy bike, it's bad. The space I'm referring to shouldn't exist on a production bike. I've seen the KTM RC390 Again, electric is the future but Zero isn't.
I rode my 2021 Zero SR into work today. It's great as long as you don't need to do long highway commutes... That's why you have a 2nd gas powered bike. I get like 200 miles going 35mph. That's plenty enough for normal daily riding. Plus highway riding is boring as hell. Can't beat that instant torque and near silence. I call it my magic carpet. Also, I get questions on the bike almost daily... Not like I'm trying to defend my purchase either, i just bought a 22 Rebel 1100 as well.
Perfect way to get the most out of this bike. Let the oil burner set at home so it can be the fun rider and let the spark eater get you to and from work. Best of both worlds.
@@sunrisejak2709 No, my rebel is standard shifting with a clutch. Some sick old man traded it back with 700 miles and put 3k into aftermarket honda parts so I got a brand new 15k bike for 10.5k. They are really hard to find right now.
I'll also add that my 2021 was only $15k brand new instead of the $18k 2022 and weighs like 60lbs less than the 2022 and gets probably better range than the fully upgraded 22 models. Also doesn't have the cypher store b.s. The fully upgraded 22 models are way too expensive... Even with not paying for gas.
Please don't tell people there is nothing to worry about over the winter. Unless it's a heated battery you shouldn't ever charge in freezing temperatures. Most electric cars have a system in mind for this. Discharging is fine. Food for thought though. Get a heater for your garage if you plan to ever be using this thing in the winter. Spite we get it you don't prefer them, most off us don't either but it's just a different breed of bike. Not sure if motorcycle really cuts it. It's an electric bike that goes highway speed. We get a connection with ICE motorcycles because of their complex nature. It's sooooo gratifying cracking that throttle and feeling hundreds of moving parts move in synchrony. We can't feel the 1s and 0s.
This was a poorly done video that is heavily biased. Probably the worst video I have seen on this channel. Very sad to see. It was uninformed and minimal effort just like this comment.
People have been brainwashed into buying electric powered cars or motorcycles in the name of having a clean environment. Their nothing but expensive pieces of glorified junk. Glorified go karts or E bikes. I prefer combustion vehicles all the way! There is no comparison between the rides. There is no more common sense these days but to each their own.
It is not worth the expense versus the utility. The Zero is far too expensive when so many new and used bikes are available and better. Zero the company will likely cease to be and owners of these bikes will be left holding the bag. Batteries. Okay. How many charge cycles do you get before you have to buy new $4,000 batteries? Face it. Maybe in some distant future but no everyday rider should be buying one of these oddities today.
Honestly i feel like it’s not a bad choice for someone just wanting a fun commuter that isn’t super into group rides or long distance rides. Charge at the office and have instant torque on the ride home🤷♂️
This is exactly it, if you have an up to 100 mile commute and don't tend to go on rides outside of that for more than 100 miles it's a good choice. If you need to go further than that in a reasonable time...take the car or have a separate sports tourer/ADV bike.
These have the same issues as drones do. Increase battery for more range you make something that ways more, thus you need more energy to move it, now you need a more powerful motor to accomplish the same thing as before, since the motor now needs more power, now you need more battery and the cycle repeats itself over and over and over again.
As a ZERO FX and now DSR owner i belive that you would like the FX more as a toy motorcycle. The reasons for that is the off roard capabilty and you can get the 2 battery option and take them out of the bike to charge anywhere.
People with a long commute would definitely not be well served by such a range, especially a few short years down the road when the battery inevitably degrades and loses range by appreciable percentages. Such a range also means that where I live, people would have to plan their fun rides around where they might find a public charging station. There's one loop I know off-hand which would require starting with a full charge, and the bike couldn't make it back without a stop to charge. I'm not saying the move to electric vehicles isn't cool, but it really will put some shackles on people's current habits and enjoyment with their bikes. On to the pay-to-play features, Zero is definitely not the first, and every single instance of it in other vehicles has been frowned upon. I'm sorry, but I want full access to the features of whatever vehicle I purchase. It's my vehicle, not the manufacturer's.
It will be in another 8 years or so. Another 20% energy density plus major improvements to infrastructure and charging times will put crusiers and touring bikes in reach.
Two things to note: When using an extension cord, you really want to be careful what gauge you use. Most manufacturers do not recommend charging with extension cables, but if you do, it needs to be gauge 10 or 12 because anything less gets really hot and can cause a fire. I drive a BMW i3 and BMW recommends to keep the car on the charger as long as possible. It will not damage the battery. Leaving it off the charger for too long actually damages the battery. It may also be the case with the Zero too. Manufacturers implement safety features to prevent a battery from actually charging to 100% which is what has traditionally killed LiPo batteries, which is what your phone and EVs have. Phone manufacturers have been doing the same as of late, Apple implementing a feature that tries to charge according to your schedule.
I have no idea why BMW would recommend keeping it plugged in. It is actually bad for lithium batteries to be at a high state of charge for storage. If you aren't going to be using, storing at 30-60% has a large impact on battery life. Lithium batteries have extremely low self discharge, perhaps around 1% per month, this is why you can open up your laptop after not using it for 3 months and it still be basically fully charged. Some laptops have option to limit to 60% charge for people who mostly leave it plugged in to extend battery life.
Phone batteries and EV batteries have different chemistries, Zero use Lithium-Manganese-Cobalt, not LiPo. The warranty is 5 year unlimited mileage, and in order to satisfy that, Zero's software prevents you from charging to 100% of the actual capacity - what shows as 100% charged is actually slightly below capacity. Their advice is to keep it between 20% and 80% as much as possible, to only charge to 100% when needed for longer trips. I have one that's 4 years old with about 26k on the odo and have noticed absolutely no degradation so far, even with the 6kw fast charger that goes from 0-100% in 2hrs.
@@gallaghergibson8024 LiPo has to do with the electrolyte, not necessarily the metals used. There are similar chemistries for LiPo as there are Li-ion. 20-80% charge is good goal, though 10-90% isn't too bad if you need the range. 2H charge time is decent, but 1H is is doable with proper thermal management, which the Zero doesn't seem to have. BEV cars also recommend only charging to 90% unless you need range, but and are fine going to 10%. Biggest issue I see is the abnormally low range preventing higher adoption, charging to unlock the full battery range and charging rate is a bit of a scam. The cost is also too high, the battery pack likely costs no more than 3K to make, a 15K markup is a bit absurd, before even considering crazy nickel and diming.
Don't mean to light you up in the comments, most of the video is fine and you're entitled to your opinion on riding dynamics and style, but regarding riding electrics for distances you're simply not educated about how to do so. That doesn't mean it's not possible, it just means YOU don't know how to. It's very possible.
Hi That's about all it's good for commuting I know it will do as it should but... Whe I was starting out I had a journey of 25miles to get to work on a 125 honda (late 70s) and as would happen on occasion I would leave work and stop off at a pub on the way home and get a beer and some food and the next thing your off on a ride to the coast. You can't do that with the electric bike if you plan to ho anywhere you have to plan carefully. Over here in the UK and Europe we have more charging stations per square mile than you have in the USA and Canada or Australia. So might be ok for a basic commute or as a pizza delivery bike but of no use anywhere else and as for paying to unlock functions absolutely no
there are free level 2 public chargers literally everywhere now. Every charging time he quoted in this video is false and flat out misinformation. You can get 25% of your battery back on this exact bike in about 25 minutes of charging. So go to the pub, and by the time you're done your battery will be easily half recharged it not more. This entire video is just utter nonsense.
No one can ever convince me quiet is better. I ride my mountain bike everywhere and the silence is f****** murder. I listen to music or ICE videos so my brain doesn't melt.
I really think y’all need to do these same evaluations but with the FX line of bikes (FX, FXS, FXE). They are probably more representative of the types of bikes most commuters would use, especially with their price-point
That doesn't even exist yet lol. this is much ado about nothing. And even if they implement this, it only applies to MY 2022. 13 years of prior Zero bikes are out there to buy used that it won't apply to.
Considering a typical mobile phone holds approx 2.5amp hrs of charge and the zero has a 15,000 amp hrs of battery (15kwhr) then I don’t think the phone is going to have any impact on range unless you require that last 10 yds of range lol
@@Gideon_Judges6 I stand corrected. Missed that bit. But point being a mobile phone battery is negligible to the size of a vehicle battery so wouldn’t make a dent at all
@@mrspeigle1 nah that's again the wrong order of magnitude by far. A cellphone battery is usually 3.8VDC and say about 4000mAH. That makes it approx 15Wh, or about 1/1000th of the bike. That's ignoring all normal charging losses, including trickle charging if you leave it on the bike since the phone is constanly draining, additional charging losses as the phone battery heats up or ages. It's not really negligible, moreso than with a starting battery for an ICE bike? Yes, of course, but not negligible imho.
I’ve ridden several of the Zero models. I enjoyed them, and think they’d make ideal commuter bikes, except that the price-to-range ratio is still prohibitively expensive, IMHO. In any other use the range simply doesn’t work for me. The price-to-power ratio is equally skewed in any comparison between these and an ICE of similar capability.
Yes, but you can buy bikes used ;-) I picked up my 2021 SR/S premium with 1k miles on it, for $15.5. Less than a year earlier, the original owner bought it for $22.7k. And that was only going back 1 year.
He could have charged it at home he didn't want to. Like literally, any outlet would work. Unscrew a lightbulb and screw in an outlet adapter. Toss a cord out the window. Plug into the side of the building.
Except this is not an honest review. It is literally full of misinformation, misconceptions, and flat out BS. The entire section on charging is quite literally nonsense and nothing he said is true. He didn't even bother to read the manual for the bike. He made no attempt to understand it or learn about it. Please literally watch any other video on the SR/S to get a clear picture of what it is and what it can do, because this entire video should be taken down, it's that bad.
12:25 Spite, I feel I need to correct you here about the charging. The bike does not spin the motor in reverse to charge the battery (it does do something similar to this during regenerative braking, but not while plugged into the wall outlet). As you said, there is no clutch so if the motor is spinning (regardless of direction) the bike would move.
That noise you hear is the cooling fan that keeps the charging electronics from overheating during charging doing a start-up test, similar to how a laptop fan ramps up to its highest speed when starting up a laptop. Once it has gotten up to full speed and the fan controller has received information from the various temperature sensors, the fan speed throttles back down to whatever speed is necessary for the amount of heat currently being generated by the charging circuitry.
The fan is necessary because the process of turning the AC current coming from the wall into a DC current that can charge the battery produces a fair amount of heat in the electronics. This heat is proportional to how much current you are drawing, which is dependent on the rate at which you are charging the battery and how close to fully charged the battery is. That's why the cooling fan will spin faster if you are charging faster. Charging faster also heats up the battery and shortens the battery's lifespan, which is why Zero makes you pay a fee to unlock the faster charging because you are increasing the likelihood that they will have to replace your battery under warranty if you are charging it faster.
I'm definitely not going to defend Zero for the other built-in features they make you pay for, but the fast charging at least has a physical and financial justification behind it. Aside from this misunderstanding of the charging process, this was a great video and I concur with your conclusion that an electric motorcycle like this is hard to justify for all but the most niche of use cases. Personally, I'm hoping Triumph is going to come to their senses and bless us with a Jack-of-all-trades lightweight dual-sport/supermoto/adventure bike with a 450cc triple that I've been dreaming about so all of the other manufacturers can give up and go home. Yammy's got connections over there right?😉 Let's make miracles happen!😎👍
Thanks for this relevant information. Its further evidence of the poor preparation and incomplete review of the subject matter. They can do better,,,,we know. 🙂The title of the video should have been "What's this thing all about? I have no clue". 🙄
That makes sense.
@@sunrisejak2709 ^^^
Happily I happen to be in that niche where I have the ability to charge it at home and work. I also ride every day of the year so I can easily justify it from a cost standpoint where in about 3 years it is cheaper than my gas bike from the standpoint of only the difference in costs.
Batteries can be charged faster without having huge effect on life, you just need to control the heat. Electric cars tend to have an active thermal management system for batteries, to improve charging, but also sustained high load during driving. This is possibly why the person had issue with overheating after 2 laps if there is no cooling system.
A point on charging phones. A phone battery is about 15 Wh, and the bike battery is 14,400 Wh. It could charge your phone 960 times. I don't think you have to worry about it.
He just needed an excuse to whine about electric bikes.
With the current state of tech, the use case for an electric motorcycle has to start with "I don't want to use gas". There are a number of ways where an electric motorcycle offers a superior ride, but those are offset by three big limiters: range, charge time, and price. My electric car takes about ten minutes to add 90 miles of range, and that's all it would take to make long motorcycle trips possible. The fact that a motorcycle can't without costing almost as much as my car makes no sense to me
Pardon my ignorance, but a hybrid motorcycle would seem To be ideal.a small engine driving a generator, then the electric motor, similar to a locomotive would give massive degree of flexibility.
@@scottsingleton2951 those do exist, homebrewed at least. Hub motor and regular motor. The thing is, now you're using battery to push around a hundred pounds or so of motor that you don't need most of the time, and you have all the maintenance tasks and costs of a gas burner, and that's half the advantage of electric
@@keithengle592 My PHEV goes 90 km on electric alone. It's about 80% of my transport requirements. I charge daily from my solar panel system so those Km are "free". Hauling around my gas engine doesn't cost much. A full tank will last me months. BUT I can easily and conveniently "go to grandma's remote country house" on the weekend with zero range anxiety! No inconvenience whatsoever and with 80% of km on electric combined with the energy coming from solar I strongly suspect I'm CLEANER than most full EVs that charge off the grid powered by coal or natural gas. PHEVs properly operated can make huge sense. Until the infrastructure and drawbacks with EV recharging is fully matured EVs may not be as "rosey" as one surmises. 😁
Being able to charge quickly results in decreased battery life and longevity
@@wildcat6669 "being able to" no. Doing so all the time yes. With my car, I charge overnight 90% of the time, and only fast charge when I'm on a road trip. Which is exactly what I'm saying to do with an electric motorcycle. And like my car, I would expect it to charge quickly to 50%, then taper charging speed off until I hit 80%, which minimizes the dendrite formation that is the cause of battery degradation.
The carbon footprint required to make and/or destroy this bike, is not green! I wish the suppliers and OEM’s would STOP 🛑 with the lies! What’s wrong with a 500cc that gets 80 MPG???
I agree that manufacturers need to cool it with the green talk. Technically though, because there are no emissions when the vehicle operates - does make it cleaner than an ICE vehicle. One can argue about where and how the electricity was powered, some are solar and other are coal. It takes petrol to move petrol to petrol stations, and petrol vehicles emit carbon when operating.
Yes a commuter doesn't have to be fun, but after a day of work sometimes its nice to get that little smile on your face hearing a nice motorcycle engine. To have an appliance to get you home in a sanitary way isn't my idea of commuting. Especially when its a $24,000 bike. You could get a used whatever under $4k that would accomplish that task. Thats a lot of money left over after 5 years of gasoline and maintenance.
Sondors metacycle 5 grand.
Zero is over priced.
Not to mention if carbon footprint is really your concern you’re already starting off better by buying the 4K used bike and I don’t think motorcycling is the space to look at reducing that impact in anyways
@@trenchcoatkendo I’m not, I love diesels, cars, trucks, bikes. Plants crave carbon.
Can confirm, is great to go for a ride on the 650R after work. Lunchtime squid hour is also pretty awesome!
@@trenchcoatkendo I mean a 125 burns fuck all, so in the grand scheme of things, those are absolutely a way to address CO2 emissions, ESPECIALLY for city commuting, where speeds tend to be lower. Their drawbacks make them impractical for most other scenarios, but in the city their economy is unbeatable.
An electric bicycle equipped with pedal assist and hand throttle makes more sense than a full-on Emotorcycle for short commutes. It's easier to store and easier to charge since they don't require a dedicated charging station. Big plus: if you hit your range limit you just start pedaling.
And most of those ebikes have removable battery so you can take it inside to charge. Not really an option when the battery weighs as much as this thing.
Yeah this is what I do (and will do until i get my M Class license)
I did this until I got my license
Good entry point but u get whizzed by cars so much it feels dangerous
You can charge a bike like this on any public J1772 L2 charger, and get 6 kW often completely for free. It is much easier to charge and use a bike like this than use an e-bike, but he had no idea how to charge it or even how charging works. He didn't even bother to read the manual.
Depends on what the definition of "short commute is". And to be honest, riding a bicycle in North America is kind of a stupid experience. Infrastructure is made for cars, it's not fun, and you can even get looked at badly. That's just bad.
I just don't see this being viable for 90% of riders without some kind of notable advance in either battery or charging tech.
Only way I see electric motorcycles catch on (besides government mandate) is that all manufacturers have a universal battery that can be quick changed, so you pull into a station, swap batteries and be on your way. No idea about how much all of that is going to cost, but with the way things are going, I don't think anyone is really going to have a choice.
@@csolivais1979 You always have a choice and electric isn't as "green" as fossil fuels.
@@csolivais1979 but that also produce an insane amount of waste that might not even degrade after hundreds of years
@@WhoTFMadeThisChange How? If the "gas" station goes on to charge those batteries for the nexg bike to pick up there isn't more waste I think?
@@jamesadams2334 That's just wrong, the only point where a electric vehicle produces more co2 is at production. Afterwards you're better off. I ride ICE btw, slight bias there hahaha.
And a big deal of energy is green, I have solar panels and could easily charge this bike green.
There's something primal about the roar and the fire of a motorcycle engine right underneath you, along with the feeling of raw power as you twist your wrist and make the fire burn hotter. I like surfing and sailing, and I might enjoy a more zen experience of riding a quiet bike through the woods, but it'll never take the place of riding a bike with an internal combustion engine. I suppose that 200 years from now there'll still be clubs for guys who ride old-world motorcycles.
You owe it to yourself to try it. I used to think those same things. I own an SR/S now. go to any zero dealer or attend a ride day - they tour the country every year.
@@protonus I'm not against them, and I may own one someday. I'm just saying that there's something great about the ICE that, to me, can't be replaced.
9500 miles on my Zero SR/F. Gotta say it’s funny hearing all the complaints about price when 3/4 of the motorcycles I see here in the good ol USA are $20K Harley’s!
I think people just find a reason to not like electrics.
But it makes sense to pay a high price if you get good range, quick fill ups, lots of storage space, lots of comfort and good two up riding. Electrics have none of that so why the high price? If I don't want any of that stuff then The bike should cost 8,000 dollars or so.
The battery fire thing... It happens but less than a gas car for kinda obvious reasons. The batteries are heavily armored.
That being said, as soon as we leave Lithium Ion batteries behind the risk of fire even further decreases (right as the energy density increases! woo!).
Another factor to consider, Lithium Ion batteries loose maximum charge, each recharge (especially if allowed to over charge). This will slowly (to quickly depending on charging behavior) decrease the range over time, and you will probably have to replace the batteries in 5 years or less.
Batteries are warranted for 5 years, so, no.
@@henrietn same can be said for pretty much any vehicle. Battery health can easily be monitored on electrics. As long as the bike isn’t constantly ridden like a lady of the night, the battery will withstand traditional use.
@@henrietn If you rode an electric bicycle it seems to be much worth it if you could make your own battery out of LiFePo4 battery, it does have less power/range and slightly heavier than traditional lithium, but it's durability and safety is miles better. 5,000 charge cycle and zero risk of explosion. Even if you choose normal lithium it's always better to make your own cuz you know your battery throughoutly.
You cannot over charge this battery (it is not possible), and, the battery doesn't even charge to it's maximum cell voltage. They intentionally charge it to less than max cell voltage to increase life span. The battery is rated to 200k miles retaining 80% of it's lifespan for city/mixed riding. It's warrantied for 5 years. I think that's plenty good.
@@GregHassler you know what warranties are? Through testing, they’ve determined their battery will last just slightly past the warranty on average so they don’t have to cover it.
You neglected to try the public fast chargers? Charging from a 110V wall outlet is indeed slow. But I assume it can accept level 2 charge input? It would be interesting to know the charge times at those higher voltages? That would extend the range and not rely on charging with an extension cord to a low power house outlet. If public chargers are possible you can then potentially "go where you want". Albeit if the charge times are considerably faster with level 2???
You're correct. A level 2 charging station would drastically increase charging time. There are several Zero SR/S owners that have crossed the US in record times. I recently completed a 2500 mile tour on my Livewire (level 3 charging). I rarely charged the 1 hour requirement for 0-100%. Most of my stops were 15-20 minutes at a level 3 station.
Yea, but that doesn't fit the narrative he's pushing with his biased opinions
21:45 - “someone who wants to pretend they’re doin something for the environment”
And right there my love for this channel grew just a little bit more …..didn’t think it was possible
Not everyone that buys electrics purchase for this 'reason'. I just ride electrics because it's a blast for me, and I enjoy the silence. I have hearing loss in both ears, and PTSD - the silence and lack of vibration grounds me in the moment, perfect preventative treatment for my symptoms.
@@AdventuresonZero I loved the quiet and simplicity when I rode a zero SRF demo bike. Interesting to hear how it’s good for your mental health . You’ve gained a new subscriber .
I’m excited for when the price of these vehicles comes down. The cost makes them a niche choice at the moment .
@@nickclarkuk yep, the price sucks. I’ve only purchased 1 brand new. My others were purchased used for much much less
@@AdventuresonZero That's a great perspective. Thanks for sharing.
This is also nonsense. This bike is absolutely, 100% better for the environment, and to think otherwise, shows a hoard of misconceptions and bias.
Please please please ride an Energica next! We all know Zeros are limited, but they don't represent all electrics.
I'm pretty sure he simply doesn't get it
Nope! I absolutely love hearing my 600cc screaming and I don’t care how fast an electric motorcycle is, it will never give you the sound and that reason I will never buy one. I will buy a Tesla though because I care less about my car.
I've had plenty of loud bikes, still love my zero.
@@westondifranco9313
I own a FZ6 and love it. I would like a little more power but I’m pretty content with what I have for now.
Motorcycles get good mpg anyway. With motorcycles especially they can't be significantly more expensive than gas motorcycles because the ROI is just not there.
After years of binging yammie noob this is the first time I'm watching a YN video at the same day it was uploaded.
Sequentially!?
That's a shame, cause this is probably the worst video they ever made, full of misinformation and lies.
@@majordelays4909 lol no! I just click whatever's on the recommendations and looks interesting.
I'm also a bit of a car fan. Until recently I had a supercharged 5 litre Jaguar. I tried a Tesla which was quicker but somehow less exciting and a bit soulless. When I got back in the Jag, I realised that it wasn't just the speed of it that made it exciting, it was the howling V8 and screaming supercharger and the way the power surges as it gets to 4000rpm and rushes towards the redline. It's the theatre and drama of it that makes it exciting, not just the pure acceleration
yep! I've noticed that we all ride for different reasons. Like you, some love the vibration of the engine and the thump of the sound - a great reason to get in the saddle. I on the other hand, love the 'silence' of riding and not disturbing anything around me. To each their own - stay safe!
So in reality, and electric motorcycle is really only perfect for fairly short commutes. But who fits in that niche of needing a bike to save money but can also afford a $20K+ ebike? i mean it makes no sense. and how many true motorcyclist's just want to ride their bike to and from work only, or go on shorter leisure rides? The answer is not many. Most of the time, if people are taking their bike out, they are gonna ride 50-100 miles easily. Maybe your big city riders wont, but any rural rider is putting down miles that would exceed the range easily in a single trip. So how does that play out? no way to ride and charge mid way which means you have to stay within your range to make it back home. I just dont understand who would buy these right now.
Not necessarily true. It really depends on the network availability. I recently completed a 2500 mile tour on my Livewire. I averaged 290-390 miles a day.
This is where fast charging comes in. Energica is a more usable electric option.
@@doswoods653 I live in the mountains as well, 55 miles is nothing for me. You'd be surprised at the availability of EV charging, doesn't really require that much charging at the moment. But, it seems electrics aren't for you anyways
@@AdventuresonZero yea but thats ~ 300 mile range. In the case of the zero, its like 70-100. big difference.
@@mike_honcho_92 I had a zero DSR before my LiveWire. Longest I went was 525 miles in a day. Long distance is certainly possible
i would quit riding if i had a electric bike i like the feel the bangs and pops on decel, watching the tach climb going through the gears
But I love switching gears and feel the bike shaking and making noise
People literally ask me about the bike entry time I'm on mine. Granted I have a satin red dsr. I also have a trident 660. It's a blast on both bikes.
Bar-end mirrors are actually legal for manufacturers to put on the bike from the factory. MV Agusta did it on the Dragster 800 RR, Dragster 800 Rosso, Superveloce, Superveloce S and Brutale 1000 RR
I haven’t driven anything other than my Zero this year and I’ve saved over 2k in gas according to the app’s calculator. 8 months deep and I’m still enjoying it as much as I did day one.
Wait until you get hit with that battery replacement cost.
@@unluckyraven101 They come with a 5 year warranty and I’ve heard of them replacing a 10 year old battery for free. But we’ll see when that day comes I guess
As a commuter, it would absolutely work for me. I could put it in my air conditioned shop as it wouldn't smell or leak and I could charge it as I worked. Until it was stolen, this is what I did with my ebike most days of the week.
@@geraldscott4302 beacouse it like cuts time you need for commuting in half? Especially in big towns in Europe
@@geraldscott4302 as a dutchy i can say that biking in the netherlands is probaly 70% for commuting and maybe 30% for fun. biking is way cheaper than driving car (gas prices are insanely high here) and for allot of people biking for 30 mins to get to work is a non issue here. especcially with e-bikes nowadays
@@geraldscott4302 I have a fun car with a manual transmission and a work vehicle with an automatic. To be honest, just getting on two wheels out in the air is what I need before and after work. As mentioned in the video, a bike like this is just mindless to operate, something to note after a long and difficult day at work.
Bikes are for whatever you want them to be for, don't gatekeep. Let people do their thing, not what you want them to do.
@@LordPustyni especially parking wise. If I can keep my commuter inside my shop, I don't have to worry about some idiot hitting my car/bike in a parking lot.
I wouldn’t park anything with batteries that big even remotely near my house.
Sure you can live with one if these conditions are met. A. ) you don’t mind covering miles of roads in a 360 degree radius of your home at 40 percent of the bikes range.
B) you have zero interest in long distance touring that takes three times as long to cover big miles.
C) you have another gas powered bike to ride.
D) you don’t mind paying too much for a commuter bike that doesn’t come standard with a luggage rack.
E) you want taxpayer subsidies so you can feel good about buying the motorcycle equivalent of a ball n chain.
Nice reply! 😀👍
What has been your experience on electric motorcycles? Not sure where you're getting your stats from, riders don't have to worry about only leaving from their home, most areas support a large charging infrastructure to go beyond the single charge range. I recently completed a 2500 mile tour on my electric motorcycle. I averaged 290-390 miles a day while still checking out cool sights along the way. Most people I talk to that like to ICE tour go about the same daily distance. I have two electric bikes, not once have I owned a combustion one. I carried about 100 lbs of gear, clothes and more on my tour - all without needing luggage racks. I pay for my electricity at stops.
@@AdventuresonZero I live in Thailand and Zero motorcycles is indeed active but selling poorly. Live Wire not yet. We do have numerous Chinese brands of electric scooters but those are for short urban transport. Brands such as Energica not here yet. I follow the EV car space as I nearly bought a Tesla (gray market) but the experiences are mixed. Admittedly what I learn of the progress back at "home" in the US is from second hand reports. I'm participating in the conversation as I find it interesting but I am in no way an authority on the subject! 🙂 But willing to learn! Thanks for letting me know certain realities I'm a bit removed from. 👍😁
@@sunrisejak2709 of course! Appreciate you having an open mind about it. The global market is a bit sketchy at the moment, different markets have different needs. Shame that the big 3 aren't in your area (Energica, LiveWire, Zero) yet. So I can see how it's hard to form your own opinion without sitting in the saddle. As someone who only recently go into motorcycles in the last 2 years, it really is something you have to experience first hand. I was doubtful at first, but after riding both the Zero DSR and now Livewire ( I own two now), there's nothing else I want to ride at the moment. Feel free to ask any clarifying questions, both good and bad! It's not perfect by any means. I'm not trying to convince anyone, just clarify the facts that I see others get wrong from time to time.
@@AdventuresonZero The Live Wire when it was first introduced looked to be a game changer. But it seems people were put off by the price. Also selling through a traditional Harley Davidson outlet may not be the best pathway? Plus the Live Wire has been out for a while. Have substantial enhancements been made as continued development or is it stalked? (battery tech, or motor type etc) I know most of the main stream brands are all working on electric solutions. Triumph, Ducati, BMW, and of course the Japanese brands etc. I suspect once the legacy payers get into the game we'll see a very steep ramp up. I think brand loyal customers might have greater confidence in moving electric to a brand that has been solid for them over the years.
I don’t know about others but I want my hobby and everyday life to be a bit soulful, not soulless. That’s my take 🤷♂️
Riding electric is more connected with your surroundings, you're not isolated in a bubble of noise and vibration disconnecting you from the road, wind, and surroundings. That's what's important to me when riding. "Soul" sounds like you have an ego problem and just want people to look at you.
@@GregHassler if you can’t feel connection to the road because of something even motogp riders don’t give a shit about then it’s on you buddy.
Another thing, people don’t love engine noise because of attention, they love it because it sounds good. Ever heard of music? Would you say that people play instruments just for attention then? Don’t project your narcissism onto others.
@@WhoTFMadeThisChange I wonder if there will someday be an app so you can plug bluetooth headphones in and pipe in whatever ICE noise you wish that would emulate an actual noise making ICE. One day you could think you're riding a 2 stroke. Next ride V twin. Next ride, V4. Would that make you happy? Then you alone can hear your noise, and spare everyone else in the public that despise loud bikes.
@@easternyellowjacket276 you mean something like the pitiful artificial audio of teslas? Fuck no.
I think for something electric it looks pretty cool, and might be good for someone commuting to work in a larger city, but at the price of those things and how long they take to charge I think most people would be better off with a small gas motorcycle.
The charging speeds he quoted were wrong and extremely misleading. This bike, as he had it, can do 6 kW charging out of the box, which means it can go from entirely dead to 95% full in just two hours. But for some reason, he only ever talked about the charging speed you get with the incredibly cheap, included with the bike, L1 charger that is meant to allow you to charge it overnight at home, which takes 8 hours by comparison. In reality, while you're out running errands or on a trip, charging for 30 minutes on a free public L2 charger will get you 25% of your capacity back, which in practice, is about 30 miles. I frequently don't even have to recharge my SR/S while I'm out. I simply charge it up overnight at home, ride it all day, and then charge it again when I need it again overnight.
I prefere riding for my entire life a 125cc than this shit
First electric motorcycle video I am watching. Was hoping all you had was negative things to say. Can't bring myself to even think about riding one.
2022 XSR900 has stock bar ends so clearly legal in the U.S.
totally agree with your assessment.
The livewire would be my choice if it was not so expensive better quality build imho.
You know, if you are only recommending this to people that want to commute to and from work and do nothing else, then you might as well recommend them an electric scooter like the NIU GTS or the Sunra RS which cost a fraction of what this bike does. They have roughly the same range as the Zero even if they are nowere near as fast, but why would a city commuter care about going over 70mph while being stuck in traffic in the downtown or suburbs.
Lived with an electric mc for 4ys, perfect for my city living and charging at home.
I don't do it for the environment, I do it cuz it's cheap and ez as heck.
same!
Yeah one of the most common myth of people who bought electric motorcycle/bike is that we do it for the "environment", when clearly not.
quite the opposite if you have one everyone asks you about it
Spite: "Let me know what you think in the comments..."
Also Spite: "We avoid the comments sections like the plague..." 😕
agreed!
For a 20k bike and the blinkers are not LED.
Which less money you will get a normal motorcycle with all the light LED
12:23 you think the drive motor spins while charging? In reverse? LOL 😂
No my man, that's not what's happening.
This is like saying "i don't like motorcycles" after testing just the harley.
The Energica are a lot nicer and the new adventure type energica is the perfect commuter, with a high price but low running cost, especially if you are able to charge at work from your companies solar or wind energy.
I can see myself owning one for the commute (and keeping my s1000xr)
Guess that’s if you class a Harley as a real motorcycle.
yea this video was weird. he was just looking for things to hate lol. just knitpicked the whole time. honestly just sounds like he doesn't prefer ebikes.
Yes, perhaps you are one of the privileged ones, who can get away with corruption, over several 10 years. But it's usually only politicians who can go along without being caught. Then there are several years in prison, millions of dollars in fines, being fired from the job. So it sounds very nice, if you're the type who gives a shit about consequences (narcissist). Good that you also can live with stealing from other people in the society. What do you think happens to you, when the other people find out; they have been paying your commute to work, the last 10-20 years or more?
@@kalebshaw47 - That is because you only listen to the negative he said, and did not hear noting else. What you said he did to the bike, was actually what you did to the video. You just explained what you did in this comment.
I think he was generous with all the positive things he said about the bike. I see those positive as essentials. If every thing that is locked on the bike, was given for free. Maybe considered it to commuting some where. But as a bike, it is trash and unusable.
And with all the blackouts, when you need power the most… Then you have to be special at your work, if you are not going to be fired. And the boss at work see the electric bill blow up. And find out it is because you charging your bike, and just stealing power from the company.
The EL-power now is so expensive that it cost about the same as gasoline.
And that price is going to sky-rocket, when most people have changed to EV-Bikes/cars/trucks.
And then it is not possible to go back. Remember that the government what you to have noting and work your ass-off every day. And if you work hard, you maybe get to have a bike to ride to work… But you take the longway home, you are pushing the bike the last 2-3 miles, with re-gen on…
@@Gismo3333 to say he isn't blatantly biased is weird because I'm sure he'd agree that he heavily leans towards gas powered bikes for things like "the sound of the engine." different strokes for different folks tho, you are both free to pursue anything you want to in your free time but in the future when you address a topic trying to pursuade some one or get your opinion across then long hypothetical examples are a bad idea of doing so.
I wonder if you have to pay to unlock the storage compartment? Ridiculous company, gross business practice.
"I'm never going to get more than 70 miles out of it". Cool story, so you haven't even ridden it 70 miles yet. It goes farther than that in almost any condition unless you're actively trying to run it out. My older Zero can do 130 miles pretty regularly.
Thanks for the log decoding tool for Zeros!
Riding behavior significantly affects range - of ANY vehicle. Nothing like a good 70 mile review of a motorcycle
Range anxiety is a real condition. Generally a gas station can be found within 15 minutes of anywhere. The same can't be said for charge stations. Until they are that prevalent or range improves or charge times shorten it will be hard to get mass adoption as people don't need that added stress that they didn't have before.
@@sunrisejak2709 Not necessarily true. Technically there are more charging stations available than gas stations, especially for motorcycles that have a smaller battery. If I'm really in a bind, I can stop anywhere there is a 110v outlet and get enough juice to make it to a quick charger. Although that is a slow charge, it's still refueling and I only need enough to make it to a fast charger. I have over 30k miles on electrics, and only one time have I truly been stranded and needed to be towed. I would say any anxiety is from waiting time rather than never having electricity. Even then that is a rare occasion I have to emergency charge.
@@sunrisejak2709 exactly. These bikes also need to average 200+ mi on a charge to even begin to be a blip on my radar. I can get 150-170 mi out of both my bikes and then I can spit in a general direction and hit a gas station. Spend 2 minutes at the pump and I’m back on the road for the same range.
I honestly think that for its intended purpose an electric scooter would be better suited for commuting, its gonna be cheaper and you can buy a ICE bike for your squidding needs
Fair point.
I think it’s big that it doesn’t put off a lot of heat. I hate sitting at a stoplight in the 90s and baking on a motorcycle.
Sounds like a very expensive way to save a few bucks.
Especially when it can't go very far or do normal bike things.
As for ecological - are you kidding? Just try telling me that in this things ~8 year battery life its going to save enough emissions over a smallish ice bike to make up for that massive battery's build alone. This would need to do hundreds of thousands of miles to break even with ice. Remember the electricity comes from somewhere so even in use its not "zero emissions".
Electric should replace the local commute scooter’s tiny gas engines fairly quickly but it’s going to be a long time before it works in an actual motorcycle.
Weird, I rode one across country, two up, years ago. I'm sure it will support your trips to Starbucks just fine.
@@GregHassler The world is not America. Where I live riding across country with EV is simply not practical (at this time) unless you plan charger to charger trips on the interstate and only visit charging stations as your objective. Get off the "beaten path" tom visit grandma and you'll be calling a gas powered tow truck. 😂
I will just quit riding when electric is the only option
Not even worth the commute. My commute is the highlight of my day sometimes. Nothing says 'screw you guys, I'm going home' like firing up a 1300cc in the parking lot. 8000rpm in second when you're merging on the highway ramp... I want to hear it. I want to feel it. Hell I even want to smell it.
To each their own. The more I ride, the more I notice that people ride for very different reasons. I prefer the 'silence' of my electric and the sounds around me. This is probably the biggest point in electrics vs combustion - we all ride for different reasons. I'm not interested in trying to convince an ICE rider that an EV is better, or vice versa. I think all riders should try each once and then come to their own conclusions.
@@AdventuresonZero That is very well put. I, and I assume all others, can respect that.
@@frederikclaeyssens9201 we can hope they do! although sometimes not the case
Not for me. Might be cool to have an electric commuter but not as a replacement for a gas engine and shifting gears manually.
@@geraldscott4302 intense
@@geraldscott4302 I’m in the same boat. I’m not very gay about electric anything. I encourage everyone to buy electric However, I’ll buy the fuel.
Most people think that until they actually try it. Spend some time on one and you'll start to wonder why those archaic gas bikes have to shift so much instead of just having power everywhere.
@@geraldscott4302 Are you in some new religion?
Yes sir. You hit the nail right on the head. In a nutshell I would not own A electric motorcycle for all the reasons that you have listed. Enough said.
It's interesting seeing the classic motorcycle culture clash so hard against the inevitable electric revolution. If you love riding your gas bike enjoy your ride! Hating this bike because it is new and challenges your known motorcycle culture isn't really a fair review. I get the feeling that this guy wanted to hate on the EV culture more than to fairly review what I think is the most FUN bike I own. I have a 2017 DS and LOVE LOVE LOVE this bike. This bike is checkers and gas bikes are chess... both can exist for the same reasons that they are good and support one another OR old school culture can try to exclude what will be a large wave of new riders coming. Is it what you ride or the ride itself? My 2017 Zero DS has cost very little and has almost ZERO maintenance cost. It's about $1.80 to charge full and I have done that maybe 300 times in 2 years. This new SR does have different controls than my DS and I think he has some valid points on that but overall the pros massively outweigh the cons when you add it up. I would never buy a new one(and I agree with the nonsensical unlock function shit. This is where Zero needs to step up and study classic motorcycle culture and get this right) when you can a 2018 or 2017 for like $7k or $8k... WELL worth it! All the bikes plug into any wall outlet and can be charged almost anywhere if you ask. The lack of heat matters a lot on 100-degree days! No vibrations make me noticeably less tired from riding. I have USB ports and under-glows and it makes it look even cooler. I get about 120 miles in eco(85 miles in Sport) with 9k miles on my bike. Don't let the HATERS talk you out of the bike that will make you feel 21 again! It will be interesting to see what electric bike gets a glowing review from this channel???
I love my Dual Sport! Take it out each year and it's our primary vehicle when out camping.
My FSX is my favorite bike! Makes me a better rider.
Honestly I think the reverse is true. EV zealots and disciples tend to denigrate those embracing their gas machines and resisting the transition to EVs They call them stupid and other unflattering terms. Look on the Tesla sites and they absolutely insult and ridicule the cautious methodical adopters who just want to migrate at their own pace and time.
I actually muscled through watching the review because I was little curious, but not much! Results were exactly as expected! Thanks for the honest review!
This was NOT an honest review. It was full of downright misinformation, lies, and BS. He didn't even read the manual for the bike. Everything he said about charging is false. I do a point by point breakdown of this video in my comments above if you want to get the truth.
@@protonus Better to link to some other source because trying to find your earlier comment here is impossible
I've been fully convinced that electric is terrible. Long live gasoline!
winter storage...drain battery to 60 percent. leave unplugged check on every month. charge back up when snow melts lol. it will my first winter with one hopefully...when i get it back. Older s have a loaner fxe now
F that give me the speed triple man .
it too quiet that pedestrians won't hear you coming. it needs an electric sound track with on/off switch
A few points to be highlighted.
First, the cost of batteries is still high, which easily represents 1/3 of the retail price of the bike.
Second, this is a fairly new company learning how to build motorcycles improving to stay competitive. They don't have all the money necessary for the best equipment to deliver a bike with the finishing compatible with other well-established brands, yet. Even Teslas and other well-established brands have some finishing issues, which does not cause the vehicles to be undesirable.
Any decent-designed bikes have a radiator and cooling fan, they don't boil at the traffic light.
You can fully charge your phone 3 times without ANY significant effect on the range, maybe a mile less range. Phones take only about 25-30Wh to fully charge.
Many motorcycle owners don't ride more than 100 miles daily to commute, making this bike a great option for it, definitely the best-recommended option for a full riding day.
I own different motorcycles, from sports, cruises, adventures, and dirt bikes. Each one has its own riding feelings and limitations, which is not a problem if you are not limited and used to one specific riding style.
If you really want to know if this bike fits you, don't ask others' opinions. But instead, go to a dealer for a test ride and you will know if it's for you or not.
As for winterizing, do NOT charge lithium batteries in freezing temperatures. You will destroy the battery.
There is a storage mode that must be activated on these bikes to safely over winter them. But he didn't' even bother to read the manual before making this video, let alone fact check anything he said so this entire video is just squid nonsense.
Shifting gears is what makes a motorbike
just like mountain bikes
Electric bikes are great for commuters, not so much for people who treat motorcycles as weekend toys. And for most riders in the US, bikes are toys.
I think a Duke 390 doing 30 MPG defeats any reason to ride this thing except if you have to ride 60 miles of highway every day.
- you could buy somewhere between 3 or 4 dukes for the price of 1 zero? quick guesstimation.
- electricity aint as cheap as it used to be (here in europe at least), but nor is gas anymore. at least its quick to fill up gas, and 30 mpg.
- while the zero doesnt pollute as much while riding it, the age old discussion is still that it's polluting elsewhere during manufacturing these components involving precious metals and chemistry. how ecologically responsible is it really? how much miles do you have to ride to reach the flipping point where the zero becomes a less polluting option?
- the duke is more fun to ride anywhere else than the busy city center and the highway
- zero already has an awesome reputation (sarcasm) with their business model and the horrible software on their bikes where i've already heard multiple people having their bike non-functional, which resulted in them not having their bikes for a notable amount of time (4 months in one case).
If the zero is indeed a neat kitchen appliance to get you to work and back like you say in the video, costing what it costs, looking at the demographic of people it would be aimed at, why not get some cheap electric car? sure its probably going to cost you more than the zero, but it will also get you to work in the winter time of year when there might be snow on the roads.
I get that gasoline engines are bad for our environment. The unfortunate truth is that electric vehicles are also bad for our environment. To create a battery cells corporation's need to strip mine for rare minerals. The current battery cells that we use have a limited life span, are hard to recycle and are extremely expensive to replace. That is a formula that will lead to a massive about of e-waste.
Plus there are a lot of places where the power generation is still done with coal. Like where I live, for example. So it's not even any greener.
I feel the need to chime in, I own a Sportster 1200 and a Zero SRF, For my Daily commute 45Mile Round trip, I use the Zero its Great and Saves me at a tone of money (current Gas Prices Approx 3K and Year and only Maintenance is Tires and Brakes). So yes its expensive up front, but pays for itself in a few years. Especially if you use Solar to charge it (which I do). I do agree range anxiety is real, for me if I am going on a longer ride, I prefer my Harley, but for daily commute the Zero can't be beat IMO. I get why some feel it’s a waste of money. However, when you crunch the numbers for the life of the bike the electric is cheaper than the ICE bike. Oh, and batteries get recycled not placed in a land fill in most states. I don’t ride electric to save the environment, I ride Electric to save Money and my hearing.
A 1200 Sportster gets at least 40mpg. If you're spending $3k a year on gas for a motorcycle then you are riding 20,000 miles (the math is easy and undeniable: $3000 / $6 per gallon of gas gives 500 gallons consumption... 500 gallons x 40mpg gives 20,000 miles). But you said your commute is 45 miles. And it's within range of your Zero. At 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and 45 miles commute per day of work that's only 10,400 miles if you exclusively ride your Zero to work every day.
The numbers don't lie, you are only saving $1500 a year by exclusively riding a Zero instead of your Sportster. Which means it will take more than 10 years to reach a break-even... and that's assuming you luck out and your Zero's batteries don't shit the bed in that 10 year time frame or the motor doesn 't burn out or Zero doesn't flash your ECU/OS with pay-to-play bullshit for harware already on your bike.
@@kcconnor2636 actually mine get 28 it’s a 1995 that’s need modified and I live in California and gas has been over 6 bucks a gallon for at least 6 months, but my figures are actually based off of driving my truck because my sportster cost me way to much for maintenance
Er been modified not needs
You can get a little 125 for 4k which makes 90mpg . Hard to beat by cost per mile. Let's be honest. It's a nice toy. Enjoy.
@whiteAfrikkkanNun LOL I have had this Harley since 1995 it's my Baby, and yes there are tons of other bike that are better but none with more meaning to sentimental value to me.
Yes there are some legitimate reasons to ding Zero - range stats could be arguably misleading, their customer service stinks, right to repair is iffy and I'm sure there's more.
But the absolute ignorance over charging, the lack of technical detail and I suspect a lack of miles ridden all contribute to this being a poor attempt at a review. I mean the owner's manual to this bike is available for free on the Zero website! Even if you aren't going to actually ride the bike you could at least vet the facts presented before publishing this video!
If I was Eurocycle I would be livid over the blatant misrepresentation of this bike.
Yes, I own a 2 Zero motorcycles and while I like the bikes I generally don't like the company. There are some good reasons to buy a Zero and of course there are plenty of reasons not to. If you think you just can't live without the noise of an engine, I would strongly urge you to test ride one!
Aptly named--i have ZERO interest in electric motorcycles. Poor range and lack of engagement/emotional response from operating the machine are my main issues.
You won't feel the same way after you ride one trust me. And the range numbers quoted here were about half of actual.
@@protonus I don't think so. I've driven electric vehicles and know what they are about. They are boring. Raw acceleration isn't everything.
It's $24K
The calipers aren't from Brembo
The shocks don't say Öhlins
The frame looks uninspired
The gaping space between the font fender and the side fairing reminds me of Chinese clones.
I've seen $5000 bikes with better parts.
Take one good look at a IC supersport and you'll realise Electric might be the future but Zero definitely ain't.
They're just here to make as much money as quickly as possible untill someone makes something decent and renders them completely irrelevant.
It's $22.7k, and that's only for this model, the SR/S Premium. Literally every other bike / model / trim they make is less.
The Calipers are made by J.Juan, who is owned by Brembo and a reputable manufacturer of motocross brakes.
The shocks/forks are Showa big bore, they triple adjustable - compression, rebound, and preload. Again, quality.
The frame is excellent, very stiff with fantastic welding and finishing. It is inspired by function.
The space you're referring to is part of the passive cooling of the bike.
No you haven't, lol.
Just like this video, just more misconceptions and misinformation lol.
@@protonus
There's one other trim that's cheaper at 20.7K
Every other variant is 22K or more.
J. Juan is reputable sure but I'd rather have Stylema at this price.
Same with the forks, at 25K I like mine golden and Swedish. You know, quality.
And you do not call 43mm big bore ffs.
I couldn't be arsed about the frame it's steel trellis on a really heavy bike, it's bad.
The space I'm referring to shouldn't exist on a production bike.
I've seen the KTM RC390
Again, electric is the future but Zero isn't.
I rode my 2021 Zero SR into work today. It's great as long as you don't need to do long highway commutes... That's why you have a 2nd gas powered bike. I get like 200 miles going 35mph. That's plenty enough for normal daily riding. Plus highway riding is boring as hell. Can't beat that instant torque and near silence. I call it my magic carpet. Also, I get questions on the bike almost daily... Not like I'm trying to defend my purchase either, i just bought a 22 Rebel 1100 as well.
Perfect way to get the most out of this bike.
Let the oil burner set at home so it can be the fun rider and let the spark eater get you to and from work.
Best of both worlds.
Nice choices and a practical way to approach this environment and individual requirements. I assume your Rebel 1100 is DCT? 🙂
This sounds like the best way to use an ebike at the moment. They’re definitely cool and have a niche, but work best with a gas powered counterpart
@@sunrisejak2709 No, my rebel is standard shifting with a clutch. Some sick old man traded it back with 700 miles and put 3k into aftermarket honda parts so I got a brand new 15k bike for 10.5k. They are really hard to find right now.
I'll also add that my 2021 was only $15k brand new instead of the $18k 2022 and weighs like 60lbs less than the 2022 and gets probably better range than the fully upgraded 22 models. Also doesn't have the cypher store b.s. The fully upgraded 22 models are way too expensive... Even with not paying for gas.
Please don't tell people there is nothing to worry about over the winter. Unless it's a heated battery you shouldn't ever charge in freezing temperatures. Most electric cars have a system in mind for this. Discharging is fine. Food for thought though. Get a heater for your garage if you plan to ever be using this thing in the winter. Spite we get it you don't prefer them, most off us don't either but it's just a different breed of bike. Not sure if motorcycle really cuts it. It's an electric bike that goes highway speed. We get a connection with ICE motorcycles because of their complex nature. It's sooooo gratifying cracking that throttle and feeling hundreds of moving parts move in synchrony. We can't feel the 1s and 0s.
This was a poorly done video that is heavily biased. Probably the worst video I have seen on this channel. Very sad to see. It was uninformed and minimal effort just like this comment.
People have been brainwashed into buying electric powered cars or motorcycles in the name of having a clean environment. Their nothing but expensive pieces of glorified junk. Glorified go karts or E bikes. I prefer combustion vehicles all the way! There is no comparison between the rides. There is no more common sense these days but to each their own.
It is not worth the expense versus the utility. The Zero is far too expensive when so many new and used bikes are available and better. Zero the company will likely cease to be and owners of these bikes will be left holding the bag. Batteries. Okay. How many charge cycles do you get before you have to buy new $4,000 batteries? Face it. Maybe in some distant future but no everyday rider should be buying one of these oddities today.
Im not buying any motorcycle from a company that would charge to unlock things that physically exists on the bike😂
Honestly i feel like it’s not a bad choice for someone just wanting a fun commuter that isn’t super into group rides or long distance rides. Charge at the office and have instant torque on the ride home🤷♂️
This is exactly it, if you have an up to 100 mile commute and don't tend to go on rides outside of that for more than 100 miles it's a good choice. If you need to go further than that in a reasonable time...take the car or have a separate sports tourer/ADV bike.
if they sort out the weight and get quick swap batteries at stations like propane tanks i think these could be super cool.
It's viable for some people in very specific circumstances.... Normal bikes work for everyone that's the difference.
These have the same issues as drones do. Increase battery for more range you make something that ways more, thus you need more energy to move it, now you need a more powerful motor to accomplish the same thing as before, since the motor now needs more power, now you need more battery and the cycle repeats itself over and over and over again.
As a ZERO FX and now DSR owner i belive that you would like the FX more as a toy motorcycle.
The reasons for that is the off roard capabilty and you can get the 2 battery option and take them out of the bike to charge anywhere.
People with a long commute would definitely not be well served by such a range, especially a few short years down the road when the battery inevitably degrades and loses range by appreciable percentages. Such a range also means that where I live, people would have to plan their fun rides around where they might find a public charging station. There's one loop I know off-hand which would require starting with a full charge, and the bike couldn't make it back without a stop to charge.
I'm not saying the move to electric vehicles isn't cool, but it really will put some shackles on people's current habits and enjoyment with their bikes.
On to the pay-to-play features, Zero is definitely not the first, and every single instance of it in other vehicles has been frowned upon. I'm sorry, but I want full access to the features of whatever vehicle I purchase. It's my vehicle, not the manufacturer's.
For me? Hard no.
All fun and games until you have no battery as for electric it's great for local use but I don't know if highway is possible
It will be in another 8 years or so. Another 20% energy density plus major improvements to infrastructure and charging times will put crusiers and touring bikes in reach.
@@mrspeigle1 I drive a scooter it's not great for highway but commuting on it is great
Two things to note:
When using an extension cord, you really want to be careful what gauge you use. Most manufacturers do not recommend charging with extension cables, but if you do, it needs to be gauge 10 or 12 because anything less gets really hot and can cause a fire.
I drive a BMW i3 and BMW recommends to keep the car on the charger as long as possible. It will not damage the battery. Leaving it off the charger for too long actually damages the battery. It may also be the case with the Zero too. Manufacturers implement safety features to prevent a battery from actually charging to 100% which is what has traditionally killed LiPo batteries, which is what your phone and EVs have. Phone manufacturers have been doing the same as of late, Apple implementing a feature that tries to charge according to your schedule.
I have no idea why BMW would recommend keeping it plugged in. It is actually bad for lithium batteries to be at a high state of charge for storage. If you aren't going to be using, storing at 30-60% has a large impact on battery life. Lithium batteries have extremely low self discharge, perhaps around 1% per month, this is why you can open up your laptop after not using it for 3 months and it still be basically fully charged. Some laptops have option to limit to 60% charge for people who mostly leave it plugged in to extend battery life.
Phone batteries and EV batteries have different chemistries, Zero use Lithium-Manganese-Cobalt, not LiPo. The warranty is 5 year unlimited mileage, and in order to satisfy that, Zero's software prevents you from charging to 100% of the actual capacity - what shows as 100% charged is actually slightly below capacity. Their advice is to keep it between 20% and 80% as much as possible, to only charge to 100% when needed for longer trips. I have one that's 4 years old with about 26k on the odo and have noticed absolutely no degradation so far, even with the 6kw fast charger that goes from 0-100% in 2hrs.
@@gallaghergibson8024 LiPo has to do with the electrolyte, not necessarily the metals used. There are similar chemistries for LiPo as there are Li-ion. 20-80% charge is good goal, though 10-90% isn't too bad if you need the range. 2H charge time is decent, but 1H is is doable with proper thermal management, which the Zero doesn't seem to have. BEV cars also recommend only charging to 90% unless you need range, but and are fine going to 10%.
Biggest issue I see is the abnormally low range preventing higher adoption, charging to unlock the full battery range and charging rate is a bit of a scam. The cost is also too high, the battery pack likely costs no more than 3K to make, a 15K markup is a bit absurd, before even considering crazy nickel and diming.
Too rich for me and more of a moped than a motorcycle
It takes too long to charge and cycles are for long travels!
Don't mean to light you up in the comments, most of the video is fine and you're entitled to your opinion on riding dynamics and style, but regarding riding electrics for distances you're simply not educated about how to do so. That doesn't mean it's not possible, it just means YOU don't know how to. It's very possible.
Hi
That's about all it's good for commuting I know it will do as it should but...
Whe I was starting out I had a journey of 25miles to get to work on a 125 honda (late 70s) and as would happen on occasion I would leave work and stop off at a pub on the way home and get a beer and some food and the next thing your off on a ride to the coast. You can't do that with the electric bike if you plan to ho anywhere you have to plan carefully. Over here in the UK and Europe we have more charging stations per square mile than you have in the USA and Canada or Australia. So might be ok for a basic commute or as a pizza delivery bike but of no use anywhere else and as for paying to unlock functions absolutely no
there are free level 2 public chargers literally everywhere now. Every charging time he quoted in this video is false and flat out misinformation. You can get 25% of your battery back on this exact bike in about 25 minutes of charging. So go to the pub, and by the time you're done your battery will be easily half recharged it not more. This entire video is just utter nonsense.
Your coal powered motorcycle
Nope…i have a, 39 mile, 45 minute commute each way, mostly highway
No one can ever convince me quiet is better. I ride my mountain bike everywhere and the silence is f****** murder. I listen to music or ICE videos so my brain doesn't melt.
Yep. To each their own, and electrics aren't for everyone.
NEVER NEVER Buy any electric either motorcycle or a car NEVERRRR!!!!
I really think y’all need to do these same evaluations but with the FX line of bikes (FX, FXS, FXE). They are probably more representative of the types of bikes most commuters would use, especially with their price-point
I got one and love it. 65-80 mph range is 46 miles 25-35 mph range is 90 miles.
@@just_one_opinion I've only had my FXE for like a week, but I don't think mine will ever do even 70 miles on one charge
Honestly, while the idea of this bike isn't bad, the nickel and diming to unlock features that are already on the bike is a non starter for me.
That doesn't even exist yet lol. this is much ado about nothing. And even if they implement this, it only applies to MY 2022. 13 years of prior Zero bikes are out there to buy used that it won't apply to.
I wouldn’t give them 500 dollars for that ugly heap
I will never get into these things, the Millennials might enjoy them, but I'll stick with my V Twin (Not HD).............
Considering a typical mobile phone holds approx 2.5amp hrs of charge and the zero has a 15,000 amp hrs of battery (15kwhr) then I don’t think the phone is going to have any impact on range unless you require that last 10 yds of range lol
Your calculation is messed up. kW != A/1000, you have the wrong units!
Point remains charging the phone is a pebble next to the mountain.
@@Gideon_Judges6 I stand corrected. Missed that bit. But point being a mobile phone battery is negligible to the size of a vehicle battery so wouldn’t make a dent at all
@@mrspeigle1 nah that's again the wrong order of magnitude by far. A cellphone battery is usually 3.8VDC and say about 4000mAH. That makes it approx 15Wh, or about 1/1000th of the bike. That's ignoring all normal charging losses, including trickle charging if you leave it on the bike since the phone is constanly draining, additional charging losses as the phone battery heats up or ages. It's not really negligible, moreso than with a starting battery for an ICE bike? Yes, of course, but not negligible imho.
oh one more thing, that 15kWh was theoretical, if you go look up the specs it was really somrthing like 12 or 13. I don't have it in front of me rn.
Motorcycles are dangerous enough without them being quiet. No thanks
I’ve ridden several of the Zero models.
I enjoyed them, and think they’d make ideal commuter bikes, except that the price-to-range ratio is still prohibitively expensive, IMHO. In any other use the range simply doesn’t work for me.
The price-to-power ratio is equally skewed in any comparison between these and an ICE of similar capability.
The dsr is probably their best balance of range and power. I'm heavier than spite but same height. Probably a better bike for him to test out
Yes, but you can buy bikes used ;-) I picked up my 2021 SR/S premium with 1k miles on it, for $15.5. Less than a year earlier, the original owner bought it for $22.7k. And that was only going back 1 year.
If you can’t take it home……then you can’t “live” with this motorcycle.
Just saying?
He could have charged it at home he didn't want to. Like literally, any outlet would work. Unscrew a lightbulb and screw in an outlet adapter. Toss a cord out the window. Plug into the side of the building.
Nothing wrong with a negative review. Being honest from someone that rides every day is a good thing. Thank you.
Except this is not an honest review. It is literally full of misinformation, misconceptions, and flat out BS. The entire section on charging is quite literally nonsense and nothing he said is true. He didn't even bother to read the manual for the bike. He made no attempt to understand it or learn about it. Please literally watch any other video on the SR/S to get a clear picture of what it is and what it can do, because this entire video should be taken down, it's that bad.
@@protonus “i DIdN’T LiKe iT So iT’S MISiNfOrMaTiOn aNd LiEs!”
Unlockable features?
Yeahhhh let’s pass on this bike
3 minutes in and I already hate it. I like to hear the sound of the engine