Zero Motorcycles

[circa1968]

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/model/zero-srs

This company is about 25 miles from me.  They started up in the mid-2000's and were originally making smallish dirt bike style electric bikes.  I've occasionally checked their website over their years to see how they were advancing and if they had anything more appealing to me.  They've steadily moved from a marginally marketable proof-of-concept to their newest bike, in the link above, which genuinely gets me excited.  The Harley Livewire does also.  I saw one recently at the grocery store and the way it silently sped away was so Jetson's like, it was awesome.

I don't know how truly 'green' these things are, as we've previously discussed.  If they are great, that's a bonus, but not my main focus.  If not, they are still very cool technology advances packed into motorcycles that at least look appealing to me.  They again are very pricey, win-the-lottery purchase bikes, but cool as heck, nonetheless.

Keep an eye on Zero, they may well be one of the first to come out with an all electric touring bike, based on the trajectory they've been on since they started.

[circa1968]

A pretty good review of the bike:  https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-reviews/2020-zero-sr-s-first-ride-review/

[cowpuc]

Here ya go @circa1968!! Check this out! 

Met up with Terry just outside of Moab Utah on one of our 2 month bike trips out west. What a fantastic conversation we had with him. My wife and I enjoy coasting down mountains on our Yamaha Venture - our record of a non stop coast so far is 29 miles at 36 minutes going down into King's Canyon in California. After explaining this to Terry we found a common interest in the silentness he experiences on his Electric Bike (a Zero) and totally understood my interest in what he and his friend, Craig Vetter, are all about!! This was AMAZING!!! More about Terry can be found at: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1...

 

[Freebird]

I read the article on the Zero but didn't see it mention range.  In the comments, one guy that actually loves it, says that his commute to work is 22 miles.  He said he used 53% of the charge to work and has a charging station at work to charge it back for the ride home.  Sorry, I'm not interested in a bike that costs over $20,000 and has to recharged that soon.  Even 150 miles would be insufficient.  If all you do is a short commute to work and have a charging station there, then if it's what you like, go for it.

[circa1968]

Agree 100% @Freebird   These are not ready for touring yet and the prices are very high, too high.  For me, I'm just excited to see the advances in technology and the market expanding.  If they can keep making incremental advances in the tech, range and bring costs down - which I believe they will, these will be very viable bikes.  150 mile range at 80MPH with a 30 minute recharge would be the minimum requirement for me to consider as a touring bike.  But for a 2nd bike for around town, weekend warrior rides, I could live with ~100 mile range.

Not for everyone, for sure. 

Here's another one, similar range limitations, but clearly looking at breaking into the touring market:  https://www.energicamotor.com/en/models/energica-experia/

[circa1968]

Thanks for the links @cowpuc  Silence is golden!  haha  I know that's definitely not a shared feeling in the motorcycle crowd.  I don't subscribe to the 'make everyone hear my motorcycle withing a 1-mile range' so I'm safer theory.  Just ride safer is my theory.

For anyone else interested in keeping up with electric motorcycle news, here's a good website I found, focused on just that.  https://thepack.news/

[bpate4home]

22 hours ago, Freebird said:

I read the article on the Zero but didn't see it mention range.  In the comments, one guy that actually loves it, says that his commute to work is 22 miles.  He said he used 53% of the charge to work and has a charging station at work to charge it back for the ride home.  Sorry, I'm not interested in a bike that costs over $20,000 and has to recharged that soon.  Even 150 miles would be insufficient.  If all you do is a short commute to work and have a charging station there, then if it's what you like, go for it.

Range is ~75 miles at highway speeds and 113 miles with the extended battery +$2700.  With the extended battery yo cannot have the quick charge station.  75 miles would not get me 1 round trip to work. 

 

[RDawson]

$22k with 75 mile range. RSV’s available every day 4-6k 150 mile range 3 minute “recharge” go again. Use the $17k I saved for fuel and go…go….go!  

[AGrengs]

23 hours ago, circa1968 said:

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/model/zero-srs

This company is about 25 miles from me.  They started up in the mid-2000's and were originally making smallish dirt bike style electric bikes.  I've occasionally checked their website over their years to see how they were advancing and if they had anything more appealing to me.  They've steadily moved from a marginally marketable proof-of-concept to their newest bike, in the link above, which genuinely gets me excited.  The Harley Livewire does also.  I saw one recently at the grocery store and the way it silently sped away was so Jetson's like, it was awesome.

I don't know how truly 'green' these things are, as we've previously discussed.  If they are great, that's a bonus, but not my main focus.  If not, they are still very cool technology advances packed into motorcycles that at least look appealing to me.  They again are very pricey, win-the-lottery purchase bikes, but cool as heck, nonetheless.

Keep an eye on Zero, they may well be one of the first to come out with an all electric touring bike, based on the trajectory they've been on since they started.

I want someone to make an electric motorcycle I can sit upright on with my feet in front of me, I can't bend myself onto sport bikes.  Get a simple one under $10K and I'll commute on it every dry day.  I really like that technology is advancing, there's a way to go and I might be too old before it gets affordable.

[circa1968]

Sorry guys, didn't intend to suggest these electric bike are currently a viable alternative to our Ventures or any of our other favorite gas-powered rides.  Range and cost are limiting factors, for sure - today.  I guess the point I was trying to make is the rate of progress does show a path to viability.  If you do an internet search on electric motorcycles, you'll see the obvious - every mfg'er is working on one now.  Competition is a good thing, it will drive better technology and lower costs.

For me personally, whether it be electric cars or motorcycles, in addition to range/price, I want to see easily swapable, low-cost and modular battery packs that let me select how much battery to install based on my driving/riding plans.  I suspect profit margins and gov't mandates will prevent the swapable battery packs though.

There are also new battery technologies being demonstrated that can recharge very quickly & hold higher energy capacity.  https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21245207/electronic-design-siliconanode-lithium-ev-battery-fully-charges-in-under-10-minutes

I'm going to be watching craigslist and marketplace for a used Zero, hopefully I can snag a decent used one at a good price and I will happily share my experiences if/when that happens.

In the meantime, here's a fella in New Zealand doing a range test on his 4-year old Zero: 

 

[bpate4home]

19 hours ago, circa1968 said:

Sorry guys, didn't intend to suggest these electric bike are currently a viable alternative to our Ventures or any of our other favorite gas-powered rides.  Range and cost are limiting factors, for sure - today.  I guess the point I was trying to make is the rate of progress does show a path to viability.  If you do an internet search on electric motorcycles, you'll see the obvious - every mfg'er is working on one now.  Competition is a good thing, it will drive better technology and lower costs.

For me personally, whether it be electric cars or motorcycles, in addition to range/price, I want to see easily swapable, low-cost and modular battery packs that let me select how much battery to install based on my driving/riding plans.  I suspect profit margins and gov't mandates will prevent the swapable battery packs though.

 

 

It's a good conversation to have. I, for one, don't watch the electric bike market at all.  I'm 35 - 45 miles from work (downtown Houston) and if I could convince the wife I would be 100+ miles out. Just don't like cities but that's where my work is. 

[RDawson]

Maybe this is the direction touring bikes are heading. 

[Motorcycle Mike]

Hard pass.

I have zero interest in sport bikes and zero interest in any electric vehicle.

[etcswjoe]

I tried one out and think it would be a great commuter bike, was amazed by the torque. 

[circa1968]

4 hours ago, Motorcycle Mike said:

Hard pass.

I have zero interest in sport bikes and zero interest in any electric vehicle.

Sport bikes, I understand, but why not any electric vehicle?  Just curious.  Is it cost, range, aesthetics or something else?  I'm no greenie, nor am I convinced EV's are as green as purported to be, so that's not my motivation here, I like that there is new technology challenging old technology.  At the end of the day, that may even be a positive for the old tech if it is forced to advance to keep up with the new kid on the block.  Competition is always a good thing.  Hopefully, (not likely) the gov't doesn't muck it all up.

I used to think electric bicycles were, at best, a fad that would quickly fade away, but I was wrong.  There was market demand for the product and mfg'ers innovated and came out with a wide variety of great new products.  I see them everywhere now.  For example, a few months back, I met two guys, well into their 60's at the end of an 1800' mountain bike climb.  They were both on electric mtn bikes.  Two things were clear to me, 1) they were either brothers or lifelong friends doing something they enjoyed together and were having the time of their lives and 2) they would not have been there with me at the top if not for the electric bikes.  I'm not yet at the point where I need electric pedal assist to climb a hill, but when that time comes, darn straight I will buy an electric bike and enjoy it.

 

[bpate4home]

Just saw this article posted on a FB group. Honda's electric vision: Firm commits to ten plug-in models by 2025 | MCN (motorcyclenews.com)

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

12 hours ago, circa1968 said:

  Is it cost, range, aesthetics or something else? 

A little of all but mostly something else.

 

 

12 hours ago, circa1968 said:

 

 

 

[BadCatClassics]

Hard to be a rebel making ZERO noise as you ride the down the road (will anyone notice) 😝 ..... I'm glad I own zero ZERO's. To each his own though if that is what you like don't hurt me none.

[Joe in WV]

A Hybrid bike would be the way to go.

The 10 Best Hybrid Motorcycles Money Can Buy (moneyinc.com)

  I have a 2017 Toyota Camry hybrid and just love it.  It doesn't use fuel under 26mph, is fast off the line and gets 36-40 mpg. with a 545mile range.  The TVS Zeppelin is pretty cool...

[bpate4home]

1 hour ago, Joe in WV said:

A Hybrid bike would be the way to go.

The 10 Best Hybrid Motorcycles Money Can Buy (moneyinc.com)

  I have a 2017 Toyota Camry hybrid and just love it.  It doesn't use fuel under 26mph, is fast off the line and gets 36-40 mpg. with a 545mile range.  The TVS Zeppelin is pretty cool...

A Hybrid is a different story compared to all Electric. The hybrid is what @cowpuc is advocating and could be a good option for big cruisers and tourers. All electric, at this time, is just not an option unless you live in a urbanized area and your travel radius is 20 miles. 

As a side note, anyone who is against coal should be against lithium batteries. also, they should be against Solar power that stores excess energy in batteries. Lithium Mining in the U.S.: Why is it Controversial? | EnergySage

[circa1968]

20 hours ago, BadCatClassics said:

Hard to be a rebel making ZERO noise as you ride the down the road (will anyone notice) 😝 ..... I'm glad I own zero ZERO's. To each his own though if that is what you like don't hurt me none.

100% agree on to each his own...pursuit of life, liberty and happiness (choice of motorcycle) and all that.  Unless we are talking about the "rebel" who lives near me with extremely loud (illegal) pipes who infringes on (pisses off) the entire neighborhood's pursuit of happiness (sleep) at 5am.  Then no.

I will fight for you to ride whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want, until you wake me up at 5am, then its a different ball game.  

If noise is your thing, fine, keep it within the legal limits, respect everyone's else rights and we'll all get along just fine.  Like I said, I'm not interested in electric bikes for the "green" aspect.

Its just cool new tech that intrigues me personally for a variety of reasons.  Not for everyone, I understand.  BTW, Harley now has an electric bike in their lineup.  You can probably put a bluetooth speaker on and ride around playing Billy Idol's 'Rebel Yell" at full volume at 5am and still piss off all the neighbors... ;-)

[circa1968]

3 hours ago, bpate4home said:

A Hybrid is a different story compared to all Electric. The hybrid is what @cowpuc is advocating and could be a good option for big cruisers and tourers. All electric, at this time, is just not an option unless you live in a urbanized area and your travel radius is 20 miles. 

As a side note, anyone who is against coal should be against lithium batteries. also, they should be against Solar power that stores excess energy in batteries. Lithium Mining in the U.S.: Why is it Controversial? | EnergySage

There is no such thing as 'clean' energy, be it wind, solar, lithium batteries, etc.    Ok, maybe nuclear energy.

I wasn't aware there were hybrid motorcycles out there.  Personally, those are not as interesting to me as pure electric.  If I still have to maintain an ICE, I'd rather just stick to what we currently know and love.  

[circa1968]

Mother Nature has cast her vote.  LOL!

[bpate4home]

16 hours ago, circa1968 said:

Mother Nature has cast her vote.  LOL!

Location, Location, Location

[bpate4home]

17 hours ago, circa1968 said:

There is no such thing as 'clean' energy, be it wind, solar, lithium batteries, etc.    Ok, maybe nuclear energy.

I wasn't aware there were hybrid motorcycles out there.  Personally, those are not as interesting to me as pure electric.  If I still have to maintain an ICE, I'd rather just stick to what we currently know and love.  

I don't know that there is a hybrid MC at the time.  I just saw people advocating for it.