Yammie, will you tackle the subject of aging motorbikes? I love my bike to bits, but there's this dread at the back of my mind thinking what'll happen to this machine 20 years from now. A few weeks ago, I met a rider at the MC parking behind Stockholm's Royal Palace, and his Honda Fireblade was in good condition - and it shocked me to learn that the model is second hand from 2009... but it looks so damn good! So how do we deal with this? long term motorcycle care? How old is the oldest bike you own?
I have the SR. I didn't buy it to be green or for the environment, those are just benefits. No hot engine to contend with on summer rides. No need to mess with a clutch or gears to mess with. No vibrations while at a stop light. No need to wait for it to warm up. Well worth the money for simplicity. Less time fixing or repairing and more time on the beach.
@@edwinkubena9944 Would you ever wat to ride an EV Motorcycle - They are now pushing EV Motorcycles hard - if an EV Motorcycle expoldes do the riders not realise their legs are wrapped around the battery so both of their legs will be blown off.
Rode a Zero motorcycle a few years ago. It was fun at first but I can see how they would become boring quick. Shifting gears and engine sound are 75% of riding to me...
Yeah, I think electric bikes are best suited for the E Bicycle category, there they are taking off like crazy, but I really enjoy the sound and vibration of my V Twin, and going through the 5 speed gearbox, it really is part of the fun.
I don’t think this bike was ever really meant to be a long trip/touring machine. I just think they used the immensely popular adventure style platform to make the perfect commuter. If I’d own an electric bike, the only thing I would use it for is practical things like commuting, going from A to B and maybe when I feel like going for a short and quiet ride in nature to clear my head. For those purposes it actually seems perfect, although very expensive. For sporty twistie riding I would still pick a middle weight naked gas bike any day.
As a Zero FX owner, I agree with Yammie's take. That's why I went with the FX, no point in the extra cost and weight of the more premium models given the similar range and charging limitations. You really have to have a use case for the bike that does not involve going far and having to recharge during the day. It makes for a great second bike to compliment the T7 which serves as my longer distance bike.
The charging station you used is only putting out 6.3 kW, but the bike with a Rapid Charger can do 12.6 kW total. It's also worth noting you don't need to fully charge it every time and, it charges fastest in the middle of the charging range. I hardly ever fully charge the bike.
When you charge batteries on ev cars and bikes or rc cars for that matter. The balancing happens on the latter part of the charging process. If this is true with pretty much any ev item, then your comment is false and incorrect.
Great point. The rapid charger would cut charging in half. Plus like you said, you don’t have your charge it fully every time. If you work for zero or not is really not important. This is great information to help people make an informed decision.
Unless you own an electric vehicle you never get that 90% of the time it's actually much more convenient than a gas vehicle. 10% of the time is less convenient. This never gets across in reviews because they have it for a short period of time.
Electric bikes offroad make a whole lot of sense. Someone else mentioned below but an electric supermoto with a curb weight of around 325 to mirror a 450... man that's an in-town stealth hooligan bike. No issue hopping curbs or riding in not strictly legal places cuz there's no braap loud exhaust to follow! I'd ride the hell out of one.
The Cypher Store unlocks being "baked in" and fully included applies to ALL Zero Gen 3 bikes (SR/S, SR/F, DSR/X and the 2022+ SR), that are 2022 or newer. For 2023 they are already included. For 2022, you need a code from your dealer to unlock them but they are still all free (sans the SR, which has to pay for some as its a cheaper bike overall). And for 2019-2021 Gen 3's (SR/S and SR/F) some of these features are Backwards Compatible, specifically, 10% faster charging and Parking Mode (adds reverse gear!) - though these two features are paid to unlock, plus a free on-dash navigation beta. The fact that I had to pay for these features for my 2021 is no big deal to me - as it's rare that a vehicle manufacturer will make new features, backwards compatible to older model years. Plus, I bought my bike used, and so I saved a ton of money on a new one. So in the end, all the "microtransaction" hoopla was overblown and never happened.
soulcrushing sadness !!!! ..wellput .. only .. I m 55 and i ve never been a real petrolhead ..but rode million miles easy on my bikes .. I m so happy with electric .. it just feels so powerfully primitive !!! love it .. test a zero fx you ll love it for fun ..
You're also going way too fast to feel that torque. The torque is noticeable from 0 mph, because full torque is at 0 rpm. You've lost a significant amount of that torque and it's benefit once you're at 30mph, let alone 60mph. If you want to judge it's torque, do it from very low speeds or a dead stop. The torque figure quoted is peak torque, which happening MUCH lower in the revs than a gas engine.
Great review and video. I am seeing KLR650's for sale, at the dealer, a year old but brand new for $5400. If you drive them easy, they have a range of 250 miles and if they break, the parts are available all over the place. Plus, in five minutes, you are refueled and back on the road to more fun. It's one of the best deals in motorcycling today. I can buy FOUR KLR650's for the price of this ebike. I do wish Zero well and I do hope they get more sales because there will always be a market for their products. This bike actually looks great, but it is a premium ride. One I cannot afford to buy.
I've had a zero fx for about 4 years. I love the bike but hate the company. Three relatively minor issues with the bike were met with "zero" help from the company. I waited for an OEM part for over two months during riding season and finally gave up and took the bike to another dealer. Zero was doing inventory, apparently for part of that time. Why during riding season, I don't know.
I jumped the Zero ship when I asked them on Instagram why they don't support Right To Repair. It was the absolute, most condescending response I'd ever seen. To paraphrase, they basically said "sO pEoPlE dOn'T sHoCk ThEmSeLvEs 🤪"
@@lateknights1 Not a valid point. There are independent shops across the countries making cells for batteries up to the size of Zeroes smaller battery packs, for electric unicycles and scooters, without hiccup. They've been doing this for years on end without issue. Building the battery packs from scratch with nothing but cells is not dangerous if you're educated any more than changing your own oil, and the proof is in the independent shops already doing it. Zero wants to act like Apple where everyone needs THEIR "geniuses", which is corrupt business IMO.
I had a FX for a short amount of time mostly because it was a really good deal. But I really liked it. The only issue was the range imo especially with living in Wisconsin the amount of time the temp is optimal for electric is narrow. I was only looking to get 40ish miles of 60mph on a charge and when my round trip commute is 44 miles I'd be pushing it to say the least.
I own a SR/F and it has been life-changing. I commuted for almost 2 years between LA and San Diego, and only ever had to stop to charge for 20 minutes en route; I love this bike and would never go back. It seems to me that those who are so trigger happy to rip on Zeros just can't extricate themselves from thinking the way manufacturers of combustion engine bikes want them too.
Bottom line? If you can't disconnect what you know about motorcycles and ride this thing with an open mind, youll never like it. I ride a high powered electric scooter and have ridden a 100v recon and truly enjoy the open air experience. I guess what makes those more fun then a Zero motorcycle is the fact that you don't have to register them, you can ride them on bike paths, you can put them in the trunk of your vehicle (depending on scooter/EUC), you can ride with traffic if it's fast enough or on sidewalks. I don't hVe a motorcycle engine but is the sound really needed? I don't think so and my fun factor is high as hell. I haven't ridden a zero motorcycle but my reception to electric vehicles in general tells me I'd enjoy it. Sorry you don't.
14:36 I was seriously considering the Zero but I hesitated, because you are right about the poodling around feeling. That's why I opted for the electric unicycle instead. It gives more of a 125cc vibe and a more connected feel to the road at least for city commuting it works.
Zero is doing something very hard. Motorcycles are a niche thing in the US. Most people dont need a moyorcycle so they buy it because its cool and they like the riding dynamics. Full sized electric motorcycles take away several things that riders expect and offer a couple of new things that are valued. They take away performance per dollar, range, sound and weight (for the power they make). They provide ease of use (controls) low maintenance cost. unique power delivery and lack of sound (some people like that). Does it make it a great purchase for 99% of riders?
The torque figure on electrics is basically from 0 mph/rpm and drops a lot with speed because there are no gears. So when you’re cruising along at 50ish and you get on it, yes, it will deliver a lot less torque. But from 0 mph it’s got way, way more torque than even the GS can touch.
I figured as reviewing these quite a bit that that was known . Torque on electric rides is always most from a dead stop or from riding starting off very slow . Not on the high end of speed .
@heyitsRyanS I have a nanrobot rs7. Or goes 55ish mph and has a range up to like 50 or 60 miles. I stick to 45 mph and below roads and bike paths and trails. In Denver I can go 20mph on the cycle paths and then if I need to hop on the road I go 45/50 and I've gotten across the city way faster dodging traffic and still not riding like an A hole. It's heavy though. Not motorcycle heavy but 100 pounds is a lot to try to haul up stairs or something. But scooters you either compromise weight, speed, or range. If you don't care to go as fast but want range then I recommend a voromotors scooter. I forget the name but they have one that's half weight and goes 30mph but has a true 60 mile range
i recently test rode it. i loved it. 100% agree with revzilla s review on it, they have better words than i do so here " direct electric powertrain provides a higher level of control and connectedness. There is no waiting for cylinder filling or combustion, no lash from a clutch or gearbox, no elasticity in a chain or cush drive to numb the connection between the throttle and the rear contact patch. It’s an amazingly intuitive machine to ride, and with perfectly linear power and no gears to shift, there’s never an interruption in torque to upset chassis balance, so the DSR/X always feels stable and composed"
You have to understand that torque curves of electric motors a very different than standard motors, the maximum torque is at the lowest speed, then the torque curve starts decreasing as the speed increases.
You could slap on one of those new lightweight(lol) generators, and recharge it two times before running out of juice. Just strap it in the luggage - what's 40 more pounds.
"Smaller slimmer battery with more range." Little thing called the impenetrable physics barrier. All the intentionality, money, and hype won't put a scratch in it.
I took one out for nearly a full day while my DSR Black Forest was in for a service. Lovec it. I want one. I would add the extra 6kw charger to get 12kw total. Also don't understand the alloy wheel with spoked wheels as an option? And non LED turn signals. Enjoyed the video an review.
Spoked wheels are better for off road. They can bend a bit, where as cast wheels simply crack/break. If you bend or break a spoke, the spoke can be replaced. If you bend the rim, the rim can be replaced. But if you bend a spoke on a cast wheel, the wheel is trash.
the thing with battery charging is that it is usually limited by temprature and the chemistry of the battery. There are experimental batteries out there can charge 6x as fast as a li-ion and store much more but they haven reached market yet. Also I think a good charging performance metric you could test would be 20% to 80% as that will get you the fastest rates of charging for a battery. The high and low extremes of a battery dont charge very well especially the high extreme.
The other issue with charging batteries is infrastructure. Charging batteries requires electrical power. Power generates massive amounts of heat within the battery as well as within the supporting infrastructure such as the transformers and the very lines transmitting that power themselves. Installing even a modern level 2 charging system requires expensive overhaul on an older home to handle that kind of power. 6x more power/hr is going to put a lot of thermal strain/load on that electrical infrastructure. You have to be very careful to not hit thermal runaway on the electrical equipment. As power increases, heat increases, which increases resistance which then in-turn, increases heat etc. It's one of the most common forms of failure for electronics, especially at the higher power levels like in industrial applications like manufacturing. Even modern homes are not designed around that level of power usage. You'd be putting a lot of strain on the electrical grid when you start spreading that out across a population adopting electric vehicles. California is dealing with a massive number of issues with its growing adoption of EVs and its aging and very expensive electrical grid.
I like the integrity of the video. As an off roader I tend to agree with what I hear here. I have a sense of what is experienced with this heavy bike (with smoothish tires) in the off-road, as when I owned a 650 Honda street bike, I couldn't resist taking it over the odd twisty, hilly dirt trail. Not likely recommended for a novice, but it sure is nice having all that torque (that is not there with a two stroke moto cross bike). Thanks for the video.
I'm shopping for my first motorcycle. I just got my endorsement on my DL, because I took the basic class a couple weeks ago. I have my eye on a new Yamaha R3 or MT03, that they have in stock at a dealership about five minutes from where I live, but I found some decent used options on Craigslist too. I found a 2005 R1 for six grand, which I know would be insane for me to buy as my first motorcycle, but it looks soooo cool, or a 2006 FZ6 for $3,500, which would be a much more practical choice for me, though that might still be a little too powerful for me. The problem is that I have always wanted a sport bike, but a naked bike or a sport touring one like the FZ6 would be more comfortable. A friend of a friend also said he would sell me his old Yamaha Virago 250 for a grand, which is awesome, but I really want a sport bike. I guess the obvious solution is for me to just buy the 250 now, and practice on that for a while and go from there. Maybe I'll get a bonus soon at work or something, and then be able to afford the used R1 or FZ6, and just have two motorcycles.
So just a random thing to put out there. When an electric motor spins faster and faster you lose quite a bit of power. There is a power band which usually in an electric vehicle is from a standstill to a certain motor speed. I have not personally ridden a Zero but I do ride surrons, talarias, kubergs, and a few other. That low end power is where to torque rating usually come from and once you’re out of that power range the bike feels a little gutless.
I rode an SRS and I actually loved it. It was an experience that is unlike any ICE bike. It's sad that the government is forcing us to hate these bikes. As we all know, they're trying to ban ICE vehicles in general, so we need these to fail. I want to own an electric bike one day, but I'll always own an ICE bike. Neither is better, they're just different. It's like comparing a touring bike to a hyper bike. It's just not a great comparison.
@edwinkubena9944 So, what I hope happens is some crazy breakthrough with battery technology. Something that charges quickly, holds a usable amount of power, and isn't as affected by the cold. Something that could realistically make ICE vehicles "obsolete". That I'm almost certain will happen. What I'm really hopeful of is that they'll eventually relax the laws surrounding ICE vehicles as they realize that really only enthusiasts are going to keep them. That would be cool. It's a lot to hope for, it's not impossible.
@@seandeterman2499 really agree. I would like a good electric motorcycle. I bought dozens of ICE always wrenching the electrics are simple maybe more reliable. Even with the limitations on range 60 miles gets me to work and back can live with that . Can’t no way afford a new one will look for a good used deal. The battery technology is good right now it has come a long way and will get better. This absolutely is the future if we have one in our nation
@@edwinkubena9944 That's easy. Natural gas and hydrogen. Natural gas as an intermediate that can be generated from renewable natural resources and eventually hydrogen combustion engines where the hydrogen can be pulled from the air/water or even more efficiently generated from natural gas. We already have hydrogen fueled gas turbines. We could probably develop an engine to run on hydrogen versus gasoline eventually if we wanted to. There's just no real impetus to develop the tech for internal combustion outside of the natural gas turbine field. It still creates pollutants so there's no drive from the green folks and there's still plenty of oil so there's no drive form the traditionally ICE folks.
@@Talishar Great info! As the population explodes fossil fuel will eventually get more scarce. Natural gas and hydrogen will become a more common fuel.
You can't compare torque figures between different engine technologies. For an electric, the quoted torque is measured at the drive sprocket, while ICE torque is measured at the crank (before the gearbox). Also, electric motors have their max torque at 0rpm, and it only goes down as thy spin faster.
Transmissions multiply torque. Electric motors don't usually have transmission. Also, electric motors have perfectly flat and horizontal torque lines, so it feels like you don't gain any power after initial acceleration. Flat torque curves are ideal for linear power delivery and steady acceleration, but it's boring beyond very low speeds.
I have put 5000 miles on my 2021 SR/F in the past 8 and a half months of ownership. There are good and bad points to everything. This is what I have figured out about Zeros in my personal experience. The preset ride modes are trash to anyone who actually knows how to ride. Where these might be fine for beginners (I would never recommend these bikes for beginners, intermediate is where these fall) the modes don't allow the user to quickly change how the bike behaves like a clutch and standard transmission do on and ICE bike. But what I have come to realize is you just need to create one simple new mode withe all parameters maxed out. Nine of the preset rider modes for Zeros go beyond 65% of the torque capabilities, thats why it feels underwhelming. The horsepower is only at 90% on sport and canyon mode, so that is also underwhelming. Now you do run the risk of yeeting yourself into oblivion by releasing the electric nannies which is why I say this is an intermediate rider experience. On my SR/F I average 110 miles per charge and I weight in at 325lbs. I ride combined miles city and highway on the outskirts of east Atlanta, Gwinnett county. You will never get that visceral feeling an ICE bike will give you, but when programmed correctly, people can have a great and enjoyable riding experience, and I know I will continue to use mine as a daily commuter (50 miles per day, charge at home every 2 days), and be so much happier than being in the rolling cage for 2 hours of my day. And as a side note I traded in a $400.00 gas allowance for an increase of 8 dollars in my electric bill per month, meaning the difference covers my $356.00/month note, still leaving me with more money in my pocket and more smiles on my face.
@@Acemechanicalservices yes thats very easy to do commuting to work, running kids around and doing things on the weekend. My wife put 20k miles a year on her audi s5 for work alone and that gas cost us 500 per month once you added in the non work miles, and if you add in oil changes and other maintenance that electric vehicles don't need, they work well and actually make financial sense as long as you can charge at home...if you are doing long hauls its probably not going to work for you yet. Maybe you don't see it working for you, but your situation is unique to you, mine is unique to me. I'm just letting people know my real world situation and results.
@@Acemechanicalservices No, I replaced my commute in my 1500 Chevy silverado with the electric bike, after we realized how much we saved replacing my wife's Audi s5 with a Mustang MachE.
Plus miles you aren't putting on your other vehicles. That's why I'm getting a dsrx as my daily commuter. I'll be saving tons on gas driving 4-5daus per week that driving my truck
75 miles on the highway with a 17,3 kwh battery ? That is surprisingly low. I get about 100 miles with my zero DS with a 14,4 kwh battery on the highway. And about 140 miles on regular routes.
That range is what kills it for me. My $5k royal enfield can go almost 300 miles on a single tank. That full tank costs me less than $10 at nearly $5 a gallon
Just a random bbq out in the middle of nowhere, nothing to see here. While being a "neat" bike, I'd take my 890 Adventure over it, gas money isn't a concern especially when you're talking about 15k dollar difference so what is the benefit of having an electric ADV?
When it comes to electric mobility, you charge to what you need not always to (full)100%. It’s a different frame of mind. So if you charge with a gasoline mindset you will be disappointed. It’s not for everyone but it’s still a great option for some.
I hate the charging time display. It's not linear. The last 10% from 90%-100% takes 30+ minutes. You would have been up to 90% in 30 minutes or less. Never charge to 100% when you're making a charging stop, and always try getting the battery down to the last 10%. The fastest charging happens between 10% and 60% and the slowest charging from 90% to 100%.
The torque gets multiplied with the gearbox in an IC engine motorcycle and in an electric motorcycle the gearbox (if there is any) doesn’t have more gear ratios to play with
i owned a Zero S for about 2 years and then i got my licence and went to a Kawasaki Z1000SX ... loved the zero experience myself although it was only 11Kw (to be able to ride it with my car licence in Belgium) but i wanted to do roadtrips with friends and not worry about charging. i now own a Kia EV6 full electric car and love it to bits. i can see myself getting an electric bike one day again for sure ! i'm not a "loud pipes" guy anyway ... and shifting is fun but the "meh" is strong :) commuting electrically is tons of fun.
This caliber bike really should come with 11 kw three phase charger as standard with optional 22 kw three phase charger for faster charging. Charging in USA can be bit hard on trails because your electricity grid isnt that great but in Europe there are much more charging points and most farms have high power three phase connections so you could probably ask charge there if needed.
@@JanNovak-pg8oe Well at least 11 kw three phase unit shouldn't even be bigger than current single phase 6.6 kw because you require less filtering etc with three phases compared to single phase.
$25k bike with 85 mile range and 2 hours to recharge for another 85 mile range. This will not be successful till the energy density of the batteries at least doubles. 35-40 KWH battery with 250 kW fast charge rate and the same weight, probably 5 years away.
The $15k difference in price will buy a lot of gas. When the price of the bike is reasonable, it might be worth it. Especially since recharging it takes so long. The EV tech will get better, but I'll let some other people suffer through the early adoption right now
One i looked at was $46800 for something that won't like open roads in Australia. Different if you live in a city but for me I'm spending the $$$ on a few different 40th anniversary ninjas in 24 (harder than gold to get 40th 500 in Australia literally gold I'll get in hours unlike sold out bike😂) I can't see the value in almost $47000 and not having the range for where I live. Don't get me wrong that massive 190nm torque would be exhilarating. Maybe next decade e bikes would have improved enough to spend $47k (i literally just spent over $70 and about to buy more so money isn't the issue in my situation but ride time is. Stark Varg exact same problem for me (both electric bikes are only good for track)
The lack of range during highway use and the current state of charging infrastructure in the states makes buying this as a true ADV bike a non-starter until battery tech advances.
Anyone ever thought to put gears on an electric motorcycle? Not an engineer or nothin but I wonder what that concept would look like or how/if you can gain range or performance if that kind of technology was implemented.
If I'm out for a ride, I'm out for a ride I don't want to sit at a charging station most of the day. If you ride the highway and want to travel every hour and a half you have to stop for two hours to charge? No thanks.
The EV Motorcycle is a success. Its called an EV Bicycle... Yes, the contemporary motorcycle composition has passed its apex in the digital age. Yet, an EV motorcycle is NOT the solution in my view. It is not the next evolutionary step in this particular market culture. It does not jump the curve here. So what might be? An independent 2 wheel drive EV/ICE hybrid that retains a clutch and gears. Its just got to have a clutch. The ICE might be crank-less, free-piston. Other things might include a rear swing-arm that is length adjustable and perhaps hub-less wheels that lower unsprung mass. Might that be more in line with what the larger market wants? I just don't see the EV motorcycle really impacting the motorcycle market other than as a niche in its current form. That is unless regulation/legislation demands EV. But that would artificially influence the industry and cheat the market.
You should be able to tune the regenerative braking so that it stops better. A plus side is that it also recovers more energy relative to mass and inertia.
You can actually adjust Neutral Regen (regen that happens when you let go of the throttle aka engine braking) and Brake Regen (regen that happens when you touch either brake lever) separately on a Zero, and they're adjustable from 0% to 100% in your custom riding modes.
Torque figures are a good way of describing the character of a gas engine but is useless to even mention in ev's. You don't feel torque - you feel power. In a gas bike what you may describe as the feeling of torque is a lot of power in the lower rev range. I'm kindoff pissed of by manufacturers even posting torque figures.
Electric torque is highest near zero RPM. What you feel from a single geared roll-on test, @~50mph won''t meet the spec. And please, with the "soul crushing". Focus on speed, throttle modulation, performance. Don't take prisoners, or get flakey.
Zero buyer beware! After less than 5000 miles, the Zero is worth its namesake in trade in value. Because the service at the dealer didn’t recognize a sound with the motor, since I bought it, or during any of the service checks, Zero won’t stand behind their product, with a known issue, because it’s out of warranty. It’s a $20k+ bike that is worth $0, and can’t be traded in.
Also the same dealer lied to me in the past taking deposits for bikes he couldn't deliver so I don't trust that dealer to start with let alone with a warranty issue. My local Kawasaki Honda Husqvarna dealership has never bumb steered me so I will stick with them. ❤ from Australia
This would be perfect for commuting in rural areas, think Montana county roads or Central America where the secondary roads are often like your “test trail” to get to the store or work. Consider your USA city life bias where so much is paved over and dependably maintained when you formalize your conclusions Yammie. This bike has a place - like 90 % of the world that you didn’t mention - as long as the distance is not triple digits and there is a source of electrons available. If I was a white collar worker in Guatemala/Costa Rica/Mexico etc this would be great! Silent, comfortable, and saving emissions. A large % of those populations use noisy, polluting, ill-maintained 2 wheelers and these e-bikes could help save those ecosystems. There is a much bigger picture to consider young Yammie than - “ it doesn’t feel like 160 ft pounds of torque”. Grow your review considerations to match your high quality video/audio production as your next challenge and you could really advance your value. Thanks for sharing what you bring but I sense there’s much more in Ya.
Hey Yammie, I have been watching your videos for last 4 years and could finally buy a motorcycle. I am currently in a dilemna about my first bike. I am 24 years old and have 3 years of experience of riding scooters like Honda Activa in the city traffic of India. I was also able to max out speed on that little beast many times. Currently, I am in US and ready to buy a motorcycle in next few months. I am confused between CBR 650R and Aprilia RS660 . I am planning to finish 3 riding courses (BRC1,BRC2, ARC2) before I get on the road with my first bike. My heart is stuck on Aprilia but CBR 650R is a more sensible choice. What would you recommend me if I end up going with Aprilia?
Which is a better fit for you, and can you test ride either or both? Fit and feel for you are more important than brand or model, or even engine size/power.
To me that bike would be perfect for the guy or girl that has a charge station at home and uses it just for back and forth to work or errands in their city or town, with occasional short trips away from home. To have to waste time charging it away from home makes zero sense.
I think that electric vehicles in general are not a very good idea based on range, reliability, and money spent. But at least with a car it makes some semblance of sense. At least with the car you’re getting more than 80 miles worth of range if you do it right. But I could definitely see how they would be boring to drive.
An ADV tourer that can’t tour. Hmm. Well, it might make for a nice commuter. Especially in Texas, where the heat coming off an ICE power plant can literally fry your huevos. But not at that price. Man, that’s awfully spendy for what you get.
Zero of today isnt so far off from Harley Davidson of 1950, Government contracts made their brand. Unlike Harley those contracts didn't give them a massive growth in brand recognition and thousands of GIs who rode them during the war who learned to ride for task and purpose.
Great review and I agree given more range and better charging rate/infrastructure this could be an amazing bike. Thoughts on adding a 2x2 or limited slip All Wheel Drive riding mode? Also do you think electric bikes should have a left hand kill switch to prevent Whisky Throttle accidents?
Yammie, I find your segment on charging to be a little disingenuous, or at least lacking the EV perspective. The idea is that you pick your lunch/break locations at charging stations. That way 45-min would be a totally appropriate duration to eat/pee, and get back to ~85% charge and ready for the next leg of the trip.
Range and charge time make electric motorcycles useless for me. It could be a decent commuter, however I'm not paying big money just to have a second bike just for commuting.
Yeah need to pay more attention to imperpections in roads. Def feels a little wierd sometimes. I know i need tires on mine they are old. Wondering of suspension tune maybe not. My lock to lock because of fairing very small too
Good video, and the improvements seem like a positive step. But ... still hard to fathom how something with such short range and long recharge time can dub itself an ADV, regardless of how it looks or how well it handles curvy roads. Until those fundamental issues are solved, E-bikes are best suited for (very expensive) local commuting.
There’s charging stations everywhere and still growing long trips wouldn’t be too much of problem, for a fairly new technology coming out I’d say it holds up well to a gas motorcycle, for example when gas motorcycles came out it wasn’t as good and to spec to modern gas motorcycle, so it’s like comparing tech that’s been around for so long and tech that just came out
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Yammie, will you tackle the subject of aging motorbikes? I love my bike to bits, but there's this dread at the back of my mind thinking what'll happen to this machine 20 years from now. A few weeks ago, I met a rider at the MC parking behind Stockholm's Royal Palace, and his Honda Fireblade was in good condition - and it shocked me to learn that the model is second hand from 2009... but it looks so damn good!
So how do we deal with this? long term motorcycle care? How old is the oldest bike you own?
I have the SR. I didn't buy it to be green or for the environment, those are just benefits. No hot engine to contend with on summer rides. No need to mess with a clutch or gears to mess with. No vibrations while at a stop light. No need to wait for it to warm up. Well worth the money for simplicity. Less time fixing or repairing and more time on the beach.
same for me bro, SR y22 is great
Exactly the same thing! a 2022 DS and I'm really eyeing this DSRX for the porch
do you need a licence plate for your motorcycle ?
@@alexbrit5166 do you need a licence plate for your motorcycle ?
You do you, but for me "messing with the clutch" is an important part of riding
I've put 51k miles on my 2014 Zero DS. Still love it. Very unique and cool bikes. If you haven't ridden one, you definitely need to get a test ride.
How long will your battery last
@@edwinkubena9944 Zero claims 200,000 miles with about 80% capacity left. I'm not sure if that's all their bikes or not.
Nice bro, what has the maintained been like?
Inresting what is your range on highway I'm considering to buy one for work
@@edwinkubena9944 Would you ever wat to ride an EV Motorcycle - They are now pushing EV Motorcycles hard - if an EV Motorcycle expoldes do the riders not realise their legs are wrapped around the battery so both of their legs will be blown off.
Rode a Zero motorcycle a few years ago. It was fun at first but I can see how they would become boring quick. Shifting gears and engine sound are 75% of riding to me...
Ya Sounds Good✔️✔️.
I ride an ONYX RCR and it's definitely an order of magnitude funner when I switch to my KTM 350 XCFW.
Yeah, I think electric bikes are best suited for the E Bicycle category, there they are taking off like crazy, but I really enjoy the sound and vibration of my V Twin, and going through the 5 speed gearbox, it really is part of the fun.
@@vintageludwig wow that’s honestly surprising those things just look so fun
@@christianrios6295 oh they are
I don’t think this bike was ever really meant to be a long trip/touring machine. I just think they used the immensely popular adventure style platform to make the perfect commuter. If I’d own an electric bike, the only thing I would use it for is practical things like commuting, going from A to B and maybe when I feel like going for a short and quiet ride in nature to clear my head. For those purposes it actually seems perfect, although very expensive. For sporty twistie riding I would still pick a middle weight naked gas bike any day.
100.00% agree !
i thought so also but gas bikes are like toys compared to an electric bike when it comes to sporty twistie riding
As a Zero FX owner, I agree with Yammie's take. That's why I went with the FX, no point in the extra cost and weight of the more premium models given the similar range and charging limitations. You really have to have a use case for the bike that does not involve going far and having to recharge during the day. It makes for a great second bike to compliment the T7 which serves as my longer distance bike.
Exactly. Have your ICE bike for longer rides, and a Zero for others. And if $ is an issue, just get the used ones you can afford. Simple.
The charging station you used is only putting out 6.3 kW, but the bike with a Rapid Charger can do 12.6 kW total. It's also worth noting you don't need to fully charge it every time and, it charges fastest in the middle of the charging range. I hardly ever fully charge the bike.
I have seen your comments on more than one platform defending Zero. Do you work for them?
Most likely
When you charge batteries on ev cars and bikes or rc cars for that matter. The balancing happens on the latter part of the charging process. If this is true with pretty much any ev item, then your comment is false and incorrect.
@@mallkrawlerz620 I thought the more sophisticated batteries could do balancing without full charge but iono
Great point. The rapid charger would cut charging in half. Plus like you said, you don’t have your charge it fully every time. If you work for zero or not is really not important. This is great information to help people make an informed decision.
Unless you own an electric vehicle you never get that 90% of the time it's actually much more convenient than a gas vehicle. 10% of the time is less convenient. This never gets across in reviews because they have it for a short period of time.
Electric bikes offroad make a whole lot of sense. Someone else mentioned below but an electric supermoto with a curb weight of around 325 to mirror a 450... man that's an in-town stealth hooligan bike. No issue hopping curbs or riding in not strictly legal places cuz there's no braap loud exhaust to follow! I'd ride the hell out of one.
The Cypher Store unlocks being "baked in" and fully included applies to ALL Zero Gen 3 bikes (SR/S, SR/F, DSR/X and the 2022+ SR), that are 2022 or newer. For 2023 they are already included. For 2022, you need a code from your dealer to unlock them but they are still all free (sans the SR, which has to pay for some as its a cheaper bike overall). And for 2019-2021 Gen 3's (SR/S and SR/F) some of these features are Backwards Compatible, specifically, 10% faster charging and Parking Mode (adds reverse gear!) - though these two features are paid to unlock, plus a free on-dash navigation beta. The fact that I had to pay for these features for my 2021 is no big deal to me - as it's rare that a vehicle manufacturer will make new features, backwards compatible to older model years. Plus, I bought my bike used, and so I saved a ton of money on a new one. So in the end, all the "microtransaction" hoopla was overblown and never happened.
soulcrushing sadness !!!! ..wellput .. only .. I m 55 and i ve never been a real petrolhead ..but rode million miles easy on my bikes .. I m so happy with electric .. it just feels so powerfully primitive !!! love it .. test a zero fx you ll love it for fun ..
You're also going way too fast to feel that torque. The torque is noticeable from 0 mph, because full torque is at 0 rpm. You've lost a significant amount of that torque and it's benefit once you're at 30mph, let alone 60mph. If you want to judge it's torque, do it from very low speeds or a dead stop. The torque figure quoted is peak torque, which happening MUCH lower in the revs than a gas engine.
Great review and video. I am seeing KLR650's for sale, at the dealer, a year old but brand new for $5400. If you drive them easy, they have a range of 250 miles and if they break, the parts are available all over the place. Plus, in five minutes, you are refueled and back on the road to more fun. It's one of the best deals in motorcycling today. I can buy FOUR KLR650's for the price of this ebike. I do wish Zero well and I do hope they get more sales because there will always be a market for their products. This bike actually looks great, but it is a premium ride. One I cannot afford to buy.
I've had a zero fx for about 4 years. I love the bike but hate the company. Three relatively minor issues with the bike were met with "zero" help from the company. I waited for an OEM part for over two months during riding season and finally gave up and took the bike to another dealer. Zero was doing inventory, apparently for part of that time. Why during riding season, I don't know.
I jumped the Zero ship when I asked them on Instagram why they don't support Right To Repair.
It was the absolute, most condescending response I'd ever seen.
To paraphrase, they basically said "sO pEoPlE dOn'T sHoCk ThEmSeLvEs 🤪"
Oh snowflake
They got a point though. Those batteries are extremely dangerous. If you get electrocuted during a repair you‘re probably dead
@@lateknights1 Not a valid point. There are independent shops across the countries making cells for batteries up to the size of Zeroes smaller battery packs, for electric unicycles and scooters, without hiccup. They've been doing this for years on end without issue. Building the battery packs from scratch with nothing but cells is not dangerous if you're educated any more than changing your own oil, and the proof is in the independent shops already doing it. Zero wants to act like Apple where everyone needs THEIR "geniuses", which is corrupt business IMO.
Lol, Sounds Kinda b.s And that💲💲Paywall.
@@lateknights1 that's why you disengage the battery. This is what one does with regular motorcycles.
This is why I will ALWAYS watch your vids, your honesty and being honest you ride like i do. Looking like 450rl and ninjas for the full road
I had a FX for a short amount of time mostly because it was a really good deal. But I really liked it. The only issue was the range imo especially with living in Wisconsin the amount of time the temp is optimal for electric is narrow. I was only looking to get 40ish miles of 60mph on a charge and when my round trip commute is 44 miles I'd be pushing it to say the least.
I own a SR/F and it has been life-changing. I commuted for almost 2 years between LA and San Diego, and only ever had to stop to charge for 20 minutes en route; I love this bike and would never go back. It seems to me that those who are so trigger happy to rip on Zeros just can't extricate themselves from thinking the way manufacturers of combustion engine bikes want them too.
Bottom line? If you can't disconnect what you know about motorcycles and ride this thing with an open mind, youll never like it.
I ride a high powered electric scooter and have ridden a 100v recon and truly enjoy the open air experience. I guess what makes those more fun then a Zero motorcycle is the fact that you don't have to register them, you can ride them on bike paths, you can put them in the trunk of your vehicle (depending on scooter/EUC), you can ride with traffic if it's fast enough or on sidewalks. I don't hVe a motorcycle engine but is the sound really needed? I don't think so and my fun factor is high as hell.
I haven't ridden a zero motorcycle but my reception to electric vehicles in general tells me I'd enjoy it. Sorry you don't.
14:36 I was seriously considering the Zero but I hesitated, because you are right about the poodling around feeling. That's why I opted for the electric unicycle instead. It gives more of a 125cc vibe and a more connected feel to the road at least for city commuting it works.
Zero is doing something very hard. Motorcycles are a niche thing in the US. Most people dont need a moyorcycle so they buy it because its cool and they like the riding dynamics. Full sized electric motorcycles take away several things that riders expect and offer a couple of new things that are valued. They take away performance per dollar, range, sound and weight (for the power they make). They provide ease of use (controls) low maintenance cost. unique power delivery and lack of sound (some people like that). Does it make it a great purchase for 99% of riders?
The torque figure on electrics is basically from 0 mph/rpm and drops a lot with speed because there are no gears. So when you’re cruising along at 50ish and you get on it, yes, it will deliver a lot less torque. But from 0 mph it’s got way, way more torque than even the GS can touch.
I figured as reviewing these quite a bit that that was known . Torque on electric rides is always most from a dead stop or from riding starting off very slow . Not on the high end of speed .
i would love to see a video about the fx/fxs/fxe. i ride a fxs on a carttrak every week. An electric supermoto is super interesting.
I'm an escooter enthusiast but we have away to go. Right now electric motorcycles only make sense in cities but at that point get an electric bicycle
What brand escooters are good? I don’t know too much about them
@heyitsRyanS I have a nanrobot rs7. Or goes 55ish mph and has a range up to like 50 or 60 miles. I stick to 45 mph and below roads and bike paths and trails.
In Denver I can go 20mph on the cycle paths and then if I need to hop on the road I go 45/50 and I've gotten across the city way faster dodging traffic and still not riding like an A hole.
It's heavy though. Not motorcycle heavy but 100 pounds is a lot to try to haul up stairs or something.
But scooters you either compromise weight, speed, or range.
If you don't care to go as fast but want range then I recommend a voromotors scooter. I forget the name but they have one that's half weight and goes 30mph but has a true 60 mile range
@heyitsRyanS if you want speed and have money then there's also 90mph escooters but that gets sketchy lol
i recently test rode it. i loved it. 100% agree with revzilla s review on it, they have better words than i do so here " direct electric powertrain provides a higher level of control and connectedness. There is no waiting for cylinder filling or combustion, no lash from a clutch or gearbox, no elasticity in a chain or cush drive to numb the connection between the throttle and the rear contact patch. It’s an amazingly intuitive machine to ride, and with perfectly linear power and no gears to shift, there’s never an interruption in torque to upset chassis balance, so the DSR/X always feels stable and composed"
You have to understand that torque curves of electric motors a very different than standard motors, the maximum torque is at the lowest speed, then the torque curve starts decreasing as the speed increases.
You could slap on one of those new lightweight(lol) generators, and recharge it two times before running out of juice. Just strap it in the luggage - what's 40 more pounds.
"Smaller slimmer battery with more range."
Little thing called the impenetrable physics barrier. All the intentionality, money, and hype won't put a scratch in it.
I took one out for nearly a full day while my DSR Black Forest was in for a service.
Lovec it. I want one.
I would add the extra 6kw charger to get 12kw total.
Also don't understand the alloy wheel with spoked wheels as an option?
And non LED turn signals.
Enjoyed the video an review.
Spoked wheels are better for off road. They can bend a bit, where as cast wheels simply crack/break. If you bend or break a spoke, the spoke can be replaced. If you bend the rim, the rim can be replaced. But if you bend a spoke on a cast wheel, the wheel is trash.
the thing with battery charging is that it is usually limited by temprature and the chemistry of the battery. There are experimental batteries out there can charge 6x as fast as a li-ion and store much more but they haven reached market yet. Also I think a good charging performance metric you could test would be 20% to 80% as that will get you the fastest rates of charging for a battery. The high and low extremes of a battery dont charge very well especially the high extreme.
The other issue with charging batteries is infrastructure. Charging batteries requires electrical power. Power generates massive amounts of heat within the battery as well as within the supporting infrastructure such as the transformers and the very lines transmitting that power themselves. Installing even a modern level 2 charging system requires expensive overhaul on an older home to handle that kind of power. 6x more power/hr is going to put a lot of thermal strain/load on that electrical infrastructure. You have to be very careful to not hit thermal runaway on the electrical equipment. As power increases, heat increases, which increases resistance which then in-turn, increases heat etc. It's one of the most common forms of failure for electronics, especially at the higher power levels like in industrial applications like manufacturing. Even modern homes are not designed around that level of power usage. You'd be putting a lot of strain on the electrical grid when you start spreading that out across a population adopting electric vehicles. California is dealing with a massive number of issues with its growing adoption of EVs and its aging and very expensive electrical grid.
I like the integrity of the video. As an off roader I tend to agree with what I hear here. I have a sense of what is experienced with this heavy bike (with smoothish tires) in the off-road, as when I owned a 650 Honda street bike, I couldn't resist taking it over the odd twisty, hilly dirt trail. Not likely recommended for a novice, but it sure is nice having all that torque (that is not there with a two stroke moto cross bike). Thanks for the video.
I'm shopping for my first motorcycle. I just got my endorsement on my DL, because I took the basic class a couple weeks ago. I have my eye on a new Yamaha R3 or MT03, that they have in stock at a dealership about five minutes from where I live, but I found some decent used options on Craigslist too. I found a 2005 R1 for six grand, which I know would be insane for me to buy as my first motorcycle, but it looks soooo cool, or a 2006 FZ6 for $3,500, which would be a much more practical choice for me, though that might still be a little too powerful for me. The problem is that I have always wanted a sport bike, but a naked bike or a sport touring one like the FZ6 would be more comfortable. A friend of a friend also said he would sell me his old Yamaha Virago 250 for a grand, which is awesome, but I really want a sport bike.
I guess the obvious solution is for me to just buy the 250 now, and practice on that for a while and go from there. Maybe I'll get a bonus soon at work or something, and then be able to afford the used R1 or FZ6, and just have two motorcycles.
Dr Yams needs to play around with an Energica.
So just a random thing to put out there. When an electric motor spins faster and faster you lose quite a bit of power. There is a power band which usually in an electric vehicle is from a standstill to a certain motor speed. I have not personally ridden a Zero but I do ride surrons, talarias, kubergs, and a few other. That low end power is where to torque rating usually come from and once you’re out of that power range the bike feels a little gutless.
I rode an SRS and I actually loved it. It was an experience that is unlike any ICE bike. It's sad that the government is forcing us to hate these bikes. As we all know, they're trying to ban ICE vehicles in general, so we need these to fail. I want to own an electric bike one day, but I'll always own an ICE bike. Neither is better, they're just different. It's like comparing a touring bike to a hyper bike. It's just not a great comparison.
You will until we run out of gas
@edwinkubena9944 So, what I hope happens is some crazy breakthrough with battery technology. Something that charges quickly, holds a usable amount of power, and isn't as affected by the cold. Something that could realistically make ICE vehicles "obsolete". That I'm almost certain will happen. What I'm really hopeful of is that they'll eventually relax the laws surrounding ICE vehicles as they realize that really only enthusiasts are going to keep them. That would be cool. It's a lot to hope for, it's not impossible.
@@seandeterman2499 really agree. I would like a good electric motorcycle. I bought dozens of ICE always wrenching the electrics are simple maybe more reliable. Even with the limitations on range 60 miles gets me to work and back can live with that . Can’t no way afford a new one will look for a good used deal. The battery technology is good right now it has come a long way and will get better. This absolutely is the future if we have one in our nation
@@edwinkubena9944 That's easy. Natural gas and hydrogen. Natural gas as an intermediate that can be generated from renewable natural resources and eventually hydrogen combustion engines where the hydrogen can be pulled from the air/water or even more efficiently generated from natural gas. We already have hydrogen fueled gas turbines. We could probably develop an engine to run on hydrogen versus gasoline eventually if we wanted to. There's just no real impetus to develop the tech for internal combustion outside of the natural gas turbine field. It still creates pollutants so there's no drive from the green folks and there's still plenty of oil so there's no drive form the traditionally ICE folks.
@@Talishar Great info! As the population explodes fossil fuel will eventually get more scarce. Natural gas and hydrogen will become a more common fuel.
You can change the modes while riding, but the conf will change after you release the throthel
@yammienoob is it spam?
Put traction control into sport mode (of off) unlocks more of the torque. Much more exciting to ride and lets you lift the front end.
Zero electric vehicles, cars and motorcycles until the battery's get ALOT better and safer than they are now!! Love your vids still though Yammie!!
Please stop saying 'honestly' so many times during monologue...
We tend to question your honesty after the 5th time...even tho' we love you, Yam...
You can't compare torque figures between different engine technologies. For an electric, the quoted torque is measured at the drive sprocket, while ICE torque is measured at the crank (before the gearbox). Also, electric motors have their max torque at 0rpm, and it only goes down as thy spin faster.
Transmissions multiply torque. Electric motors don't usually have transmission. Also, electric motors have perfectly flat and horizontal torque lines, so it feels like you don't gain any power after initial acceleration. Flat torque curves are ideal for linear power delivery and steady acceleration, but it's boring beyond very low speeds.
Torque is a measure of force over time. Since electric is immediate the torque is higher however you don’t feel it.
I have put 5000 miles on my 2021 SR/F in the past 8 and a half months of ownership. There are good and bad points to everything. This is what I have figured out about Zeros in my personal experience. The preset ride modes are trash to anyone who actually knows how to ride. Where these might be fine for beginners (I would never recommend these bikes for beginners, intermediate is where these fall) the modes don't allow the user to quickly change how the bike behaves like a clutch and standard transmission do on and ICE bike. But what I have come to realize is you just need to create one simple new mode withe all parameters maxed out. Nine of the preset rider modes for Zeros go beyond 65% of the torque capabilities, thats why it feels underwhelming. The horsepower is only at 90% on sport and canyon mode, so that is also underwhelming. Now you do run the risk of yeeting yourself into oblivion by releasing the electric nannies which is why I say this is an intermediate rider experience. On my SR/F I average 110 miles per charge and I weight in at 325lbs. I ride combined miles city and highway on the outskirts of east Atlanta, Gwinnett county. You will never get that visceral feeling an ICE bike will give you, but when programmed correctly, people can have a great and enjoyable riding experience, and I know I will continue to use mine as a daily commuter (50 miles per day, charge at home every 2 days), and be so much happier than being in the rolling cage for 2 hours of my day. And as a side note I traded in a $400.00 gas allowance for an increase of 8 dollars in my electric bill per month, meaning the difference covers my $356.00/month note, still leaving me with more money in my pocket and more smiles on my face.
$100 a week for gas? C’mon now.
@@Acemechanicalservices yes thats very easy to do commuting to work, running kids around and doing things on the weekend. My wife put 20k miles a year on her audi s5 for work alone and that gas cost us 500 per month once you added in the non work miles, and if you add in oil changes and other maintenance that electric vehicles don't need, they work well and actually make financial sense as long as you can charge at home...if you are doing long hauls its probably not going to work for you yet. Maybe you don't see it working for you, but your situation is unique to you, mine is unique to me. I'm just letting people know my real world situation and results.
@@jasonrich9618
I thought you meant you were putting $100 a week into a motorcycle.
@@Acemechanicalservices No, I replaced my commute in my 1500 Chevy silverado with the electric bike, after we realized how much we saved replacing my wife's Audi s5 with a Mustang MachE.
Plus miles you aren't putting on your other vehicles. That's why I'm getting a dsrx as my daily commuter. I'll be saving tons on gas driving 4-5daus per week that driving my truck
75 miles on the highway with a 17,3 kwh battery ? That is surprisingly low.
I get about 100 miles with my zero DS with a 14,4 kwh battery on the highway. And about 140 miles on regular routes.
ADV / Touring does not = EV.... It just doesn't. $24k is easily 1250GS money. I am all for EVs, but they don't make sense for touring.
Any bike meant to be a TOURING bike needs to go at least 200 miles or dont bother making it. Until then, its just a commuter.
That range is what kills it for me. My $5k royal enfield can go almost 300 miles on a single tank. That full tank costs me less than $10 at nearly $5 a gallon
If Scooters went through the evolution process
Just a random bbq out in the middle of nowhere, nothing to see here. While being a "neat" bike, I'd take my 890 Adventure over it, gas money isn't a concern especially when you're talking about 15k dollar difference so what is the benefit of having an electric ADV?
$25k is... Yikes. I can see now that I'd never buy a new electric motorcycle. I mean, I'd have to net north of 300k a year to even consider it
When it comes to electric mobility, you charge to what you need not always to (full)100%. It’s a different frame of mind. So if you charge with a gasoline mindset you will be disappointed. It’s not for everyone but it’s still a great option for some.
I hate the charging time display. It's not linear. The last 10% from 90%-100% takes 30+ minutes. You would have been up to 90% in 30 minutes or less. Never charge to 100% when you're making a charging stop, and always try getting the battery down to the last 10%. The fastest charging happens between 10% and 60% and the slowest charging from 90% to 100%.
Meanwhile Cardo just took a play out of ZERO's book and added microtransactions to their new headset..
I think people focus on getting 100% charge too much. Im betting you can reach 80% charge pretty darn quick then be on your way.
I find it so frustrating that manufacturers don't use dynamometers to test their vehicle power and torque numbers.
The torque gets multiplied with the gearbox in an IC engine motorcycle and in an electric motorcycle the gearbox (if there is any) doesn’t have more gear ratios to play with
LOL, I'm 68 and have owned a DSR Black Forest for 4 years. '...middleweight...'. I still think of middleweight as in the 350-550 range :D
Torque is managed so you dont wheelspin on take off
i owned a Zero S for about 2 years and then i got my licence and went to a Kawasaki Z1000SX ...
loved the zero experience myself although it was only 11Kw (to be able to ride it with my car licence in Belgium)
but i wanted to do roadtrips with friends and not worry about charging.
i now own a Kia EV6 full electric car and love it to bits.
i can see myself getting an electric bike one day again for sure !
i'm not a "loud pipes" guy anyway ... and shifting is fun but the "meh" is strong :)
commuting electrically is tons of fun.
This caliber bike really should come with 11 kw three phase charger as standard with optional 22 kw three phase charger for faster charging. Charging in USA can be bit hard on trails because your electricity grid isnt that great but in Europe there are much more charging points and most farms have high power three phase connections so you could probably ask charge there if needed.
Do you realize how big and how heavy 22 kW on board charging unit is?
@@JanNovak-pg8oe Well at least 11 kw three phase unit shouldn't even be bigger than current single phase 6.6 kw because you require less filtering etc with three phases compared to single phase.
$25k bike with 85 mile range and 2 hours to recharge for another 85 mile range. This will not be successful till the energy density of the batteries at least doubles. 35-40 KWH battery with 250 kW fast charge rate and the same weight, probably 5 years away.
Have you heard any news on the Kawasaki electric or hybrid and when they might be available for purchase?
The $15k difference in price will buy a lot of gas. When the price of the bike is reasonable, it might be worth it. Especially since recharging it takes so long. The EV tech will get better, but I'll let some other people suffer through the early adoption right now
They make the best electric motorcycles
One i looked at was $46800 for something that won't like open roads in Australia. Different if you live in a city but for me I'm spending the $$$ on a few different 40th anniversary ninjas in 24 (harder than gold to get 40th 500 in Australia literally gold I'll get in hours unlike sold out bike😂) I can't see the value in almost $47000 and not having the range for where I live. Don't get me wrong that massive 190nm torque would be exhilarating. Maybe next decade e bikes would have improved enough to spend $47k (i literally just spent over $70 and about to buy more so money isn't the issue in my situation but ride time is. Stark Varg exact same problem for me (both electric bikes are only good for track)
Could it be that ev manufacturers are advertising the rated moter tourqe spec rather than the effective tourqe as-built?
The lack of range during highway use and the current state of charging infrastructure in the states makes buying this as a true ADV bike a non-starter until battery tech advances.
arent u going to explain the chatGPT videos?
Charging to 80% is faster, the last 20% takes longer, don't know why but that is what some Tesla owners have told me.
How can any bike be called an adventure touring if you can only go 35 miles in either direction?
… because Zero’s main goal is to impress you. Sound a little arrogant?
Perhaps a larger rear sprocket would give better results with the limiters removed
Anyone ever thought to put gears on an electric motorcycle? Not an engineer or nothin but I wonder what that concept would look like or how/if you can gain range or performance if that kind of technology was implemented.
Brammo did it. Not sure what, if any, the benefits were.
Price n range... full pass for me.
So Yammie is liking an Electronic bike... and has been throwing a lot of shade on the R6. What is going on here??
If I'm out for a ride, I'm out for a ride I don't want to sit at a charging station most of the day. If you ride the highway and want to travel every hour and a half you have to stop for two hours to charge? No thanks.
The EV Motorcycle is a success. Its called an EV Bicycle...
Yes, the contemporary motorcycle composition has passed its apex in the digital age. Yet, an EV motorcycle is NOT the solution in my view. It is not the next evolutionary step in this particular market culture. It does not jump the curve here. So what might be?
An independent 2 wheel drive EV/ICE hybrid that retains a clutch and gears. Its just got to have a clutch.
The ICE might be crank-less, free-piston. Other things might include a rear swing-arm that is length adjustable and perhaps hub-less wheels that lower unsprung mass. Might that be more in line with what the larger market wants?
I just don't see the EV motorcycle really impacting the motorcycle market other than as a niche in its current form. That is unless regulation/legislation demands EV. But that would artificially influence the industry and cheat the market.
You should be able to tune the regenerative braking so that it stops better. A plus side is that it also recovers more energy relative to mass and inertia.
You can actually adjust Neutral Regen (regen that happens when you let go of the throttle aka engine braking) and Brake Regen (regen that happens when you touch either brake lever) separately on a Zero, and they're adjustable from 0% to 100% in your custom riding modes.
These electric bikes seem to be completely deficient in anything that makes motorcycling fun. I get it for inner city commuting, but nothing else.
Torque figures are a good way of describing the character of a gas engine but is useless to even mention in ev's. You don't feel torque - you feel power. In a gas bike what you may describe as the feeling of torque is a lot of power in the lower rev range. I'm kindoff pissed of by manufacturers even posting torque figures.
Electric torque is highest near zero RPM. What you feel from a single geared roll-on test, @~50mph won''t meet the spec.
And please, with the "soul crushing". Focus on speed, throttle modulation, performance. Don't take prisoners, or get flakey.
Zero buyer beware! After less than 5000 miles, the Zero is worth its namesake in trade in value. Because the service at the dealer didn’t recognize a sound with the motor, since I bought it, or during any of the service checks, Zero won’t stand behind their product, with a known issue, because it’s out of warranty. It’s a $20k+ bike that is worth $0, and can’t be traded in.
Thankyou so much. I was looking at $47000 in Australia and you have made my day.)
Also the same dealer lied to me in the past taking deposits for bikes he couldn't deliver so I don't trust that dealer to start with let alone with a warranty issue. My local Kawasaki Honda Husqvarna dealership has never bumb steered me so I will stick with them. ❤ from Australia
You know what else doesn't end well on the yammie noob channel a 600cc super sport
This would be perfect for commuting in rural areas, think Montana county roads or Central America where the secondary roads are often like your “test trail” to get to the store or work. Consider your USA city life bias where so much is paved over and dependably maintained when you formalize your conclusions Yammie. This bike has a place - like 90 % of the world that you didn’t mention - as long as the distance is not triple digits and there is a source of electrons available. If I was a white collar worker in Guatemala/Costa Rica/Mexico etc this would be great! Silent, comfortable, and saving emissions. A large % of those populations use noisy, polluting, ill-maintained 2 wheelers and these e-bikes could help save those ecosystems. There is a much bigger picture to consider young Yammie than - “ it doesn’t feel like 160 ft pounds of torque”. Grow your review considerations to match your high quality video/audio production as your next challenge and you could really advance your value. Thanks for sharing what you bring but I sense there’s much more in Ya.
Hey Yammie, I have been watching your videos for last 4 years and could finally buy a motorcycle. I am currently in a dilemna about my first bike. I am 24 years old and have 3 years of experience of riding scooters like Honda Activa in the city traffic of India. I was also able to max out speed on that little beast many times. Currently, I am in US and ready to buy a motorcycle in next few months. I am confused between CBR 650R and Aprilia RS660 . I am planning to finish 3 riding courses (BRC1,BRC2, ARC2) before I get on the road with my first bike. My heart is stuck on Aprilia but CBR 650R is a more sensible choice. What would you recommend me if I end up going with Aprilia?
Which is a better fit for you, and can you test ride either or both? Fit and feel for you are more important than brand or model, or even engine size/power.
To me that bike would be perfect for the guy or girl that has a charge station at home and uses it just for back and forth to work or errands in their city or town, with occasional short trips away from home. To have to waste time charging it away from home makes zero sense.
I think that electric vehicles in general are not a very good idea based on range, reliability, and money spent. But at least with a car it makes some semblance of sense. At least with the car you’re getting more than 80 miles worth of range if you do it right. But I could definitely see how they would be boring to drive.
An ADV tourer that can’t tour. Hmm. Well, it might make for a nice commuter. Especially in Texas, where the heat coming off an ICE power plant can literally fry your huevos. But not at that price. Man, that’s awfully spendy for what you get.
That bike looks like a builder grade plastic tub
If I could ride it at 60-65 mph for 2 hours and charge it in 15-20 minutes I would consider buying a used one for $10,000.
Zero of today isnt so far off from Harley Davidson of 1950, Government contracts made their brand. Unlike Harley those contracts didn't give them a massive growth in brand recognition and thousands of GIs who rode them during the war who learned to ride for task and purpose.
Great review and I agree given more range and better charging rate/infrastructure this could be an amazing bike. Thoughts on adding a 2x2 or limited slip All Wheel Drive riding mode? Also do you think electric bikes should have a left hand kill switch to prevent Whisky Throttle accidents?
Yammie, I find your segment on charging to be a little disingenuous, or at least lacking the EV perspective. The idea is that you pick your lunch/break locations at charging stations. That way 45-min would be a totally appropriate duration to eat/pee, and get back to ~85% charge and ready for the next leg of the trip.
Range and charge time make electric motorcycles useless for me. It could be a decent commuter, however I'm not paying big money just to have a second bike just for commuting.
Off road without clutch is like an egg without salt
Yeah need to pay more attention to imperpections in roads. Def feels a little wierd sometimes. I know i need tires on mine they are old. Wondering of suspension tune maybe not. My lock to lock because of fairing very small too
pretty sad that a "selling point" is no features locked behind a paywall.
Good video, and the improvements seem like a positive step. But ... still hard to fathom how something with such short range and long recharge time can dub itself an ADV, regardless of how it looks or how well it handles curvy roads. Until those fundamental issues are solved, E-bikes are best suited for (very expensive) local commuting.
Not an adv at all if you ask me :/
Goddamn the pov camera quality is fantastic, did yammie get a GoPro upgrade?
There’s charging stations everywhere and still growing long trips wouldn’t be too much of problem, for a fairly new technology coming out I’d say it holds up well to a gas motorcycle, for example when gas motorcycles came out it wasn’t as good and to spec to modern gas motorcycle, so it’s like comparing tech that’s been around for so long and tech that just came out