Mr Flyer, you have to be one of the hardest working motovloggers on RU-vid. You know your targeted audience absolutely and I am looking forward to your next installment. Thank you.
That figure for range is normally quoted for summer condition. So when the temperature drops, i.e. in the autumn, winter, spring, the range will drop even more, as battery performance is linked to temperature. The colder it is the less well the battery performs. In winter with lights and heated grips on, there will be more current draw on the battery so expect about 60-70 miles range.
@@TheMissendenFlyer Not yet, but the wife has just bought an EV and it is very impressive. Costs almost nothing to run and super quiet. We're currently getting a 186 mile range for about a £5 charge. That range will reduce as it gets colder.
Thanks for the initial review. I did ride the smaller dual sport version this week. What a hoot. You’re right. Don’t criticize electric motorbikes until you ride one. If I didn’t just buy a GSA HP, I certainly would consider one for short trips.
When the BIG Japanese 4 go electric which they will, suddenly bikes like the Zero will be an expensive / redundant choice which your average Joe can't really afford!........& I loved 2 stroke bikes, look what happened there! Top review as usual TMF
Good comment, i've often thought the same about Tesla and when you consider that electric vehicles have less moving parts they really should be much cheaper than any comparable combustion powered vehicle. Seems to me that EV's are an exclusive choice right now but i hope that in the near future EV's will become the obvious choice through availability and affordability.
@@ClassicTrialsChannel Zero is partnered with the creator of the most energy dense battery pack, so the big 4 will actually have a hard time competing with Zero. If it were easy they'd be doing it already
Austin A they don’t think the market is there yet. It isn’t. Honda is an unbeatable behemoth globally. Zero couldn’t ever compete because Honda could take losses on them for a decade just to claim the market.
I’d be surprised if that would be all that feasible on a bike, there’s just not a lot of space to work with. Maybe replacing half of the battery pack with. 50cc engine and having a small petrol tank might be possible, but that’s a lot more complexity, probably no weight saving, and wouldn’t make it any cheaper. You’d also now have an exhaust somewhere, the bike would require more maintenance generally, and servicing would be more expensive. I think for now, if it’s your only vehicle (more than just a commuter), or you use a bike for touring, a standard petrol engined bike still makes a lot more sense.
The Zeros motor is good for 1/2 million miles, the battery about 300000. Tires, brakes, thats it for maintenance. For those of you who own a Panigale I dont even have to mention how expensive maintenance is, let alone fuel. Let alone engine work when you get above 50k miles.
I never really understand your fascination with the back brakes. Really only useful for slow riding and bike balance in corners but not for actual stopping.
Someone I follow on Instagram told me I should look into this bike, but not for the usual reasons. I told him that because of my job requirements I have to work overseas every other year for nine months at a time. This means my Guzzi spends lots of time in storage and I have to take steps to stabilize the fuel and go over everything thoroughly before riding it again. With a Zero it's a brushless electric motor and belt drive, perfect for my situation. So I'm glad you're spending a couple of weeks with one, I'm curious to hear your in depth review of it.
Having owned and lived with my SRF i can comment OMG wot a bike stunning looks and unreal acceleration ,super smooth .not cheap but deffo cheaper than a lot of top end bikes ... no more ice for me ...its just pure fun from word go to gone
I investigated the possibility of getting an SR/F, but the killer for me was neither the range nor the cost, but the insurance estimate of £485 - my Street Triple costs ~ £110. This was with a separate insurance company, as my current insurer would not add it to my multi-bike policy. Not only is the infrastructure not there, but the insurance industry is dragging its heels too.
The range doesn’t have to be much more, and the price doesn’t have to drop that much for these to make a lot of sense. When they get to fast charge to 80% in half an hour that’s when you’re there! Won’t be too far off. Good review as ever TMF! 👍
I couldn't live with one. But the more early adopters there are the more money they have for R&D, which will hopefully lead to 150+ mile range and much faster charging.
Agreed. I'v said on other EV videos that when the technology gets to the stage where we have a 200+ mile range and charging reduces to something around 5 minutes or less for a full charge that will be the tipping point. The overall experience won't be much different to using petrol power. That would also mean less need for home charging allowing people who live in apartments/flats to see EVs as practical too. We're not that far away, maybe another 5 years or so.
So when they do make one with a 150+ mile range and "much faster charging" (I don't know if you'd want it charged in 2 minutes by 400 kV???), what would be its problem then? People like you always find something to bitch about.
@@begic13 No one's bitching about anything, they're just voicing their opinion on why Zero is not a good bike for them. 90 mile range and 4.5 hrs charging time is simply not good enough for most people. I'm pretty sure rich folks can buy this thing with their pocket change so they could use it for fun on weekends around their massive estates and all the power to them, I wish them well. The rest of us can't afford so little utility for so much money, it really is as simple as that. It's about getting your hard earned money's worth. And since we have FAR superior petrol alternatives, it's a no brainer. Bitching is criticizing a bike for manufacturer's choice of paint schemes or cosmetic appearance, which OP didn't do.
The new Energicas (the motoE bikes) have DC rapid chargers, they can go from 20% to 80% in 12 minutes! Thats a hell of a leap in charging tech in 2 years!
I live in the Dallas area. We just had one bad tornado and I'm watching the radar as a second bigger storm looms down on us when suddenly a notification pops up among all the weather service warnings. What? TMF finally has the SR/F review out? Drop everything and fire up RU-vid! Good introduction but you absolutely must go find one of your fun roads and switch to sport mode. Just do it. I rode my Speed Triple R with gusto today for the first time since I got the SR/F in July. I love that Triumph but all day I couldn't beat the feeling that it is heavy, clumsy, and slow. Honestly I was shocked. I could not have made the same high speed ride on the Zero but I kept wishing that was the bike I was on. I think I have been spoiled. I added some notes below for readers who may be interested in real world daily usage matters. A word about range. Two things draw power from the battery, wind and acceleration. Going slower and accelerating less fully is what gives you better range in town, not regen. Yes, regen does help reduce the power wasted when you must stop but it only recuperates about 30% of the kinetic energy and turn it into electrons stored in the battery. That is, of course, 100% more than mechanical brakes which simply turn kinetic energy into heat. Best range is at a steady 30-35mph, never stopping. That is unrealistic but helps to know. Keeping that in mind encourages the rider to look ahead, anticipating and avoiding things that might require braking. Sure, that sounds like granny driving, but every electron you save getting to the fun road is one more electron you can spend gleefully powering out of turns on roads where you really can whack it open. On boring high speed roads if you absolutely must be on one it is important to go as slow as you safely can. Accelerate onto the motorway gently. Wearing aerodynamic helmet and gear while tucking in like a boy racer will help but looks silly as hell. I've gone well over 100 miles with charge left over by riding conservatively and never going over 45mph. It was agony and I only did it once, but it can be done. Charging: You will never ever charge from 0-90% while away from home. Use an app to map out chargers along your route. Charge by the time you are down to 20% and charging slows down once you are near 80%. That should get you to the next charging point but you're not really going that far are you. On the rare occasions I charge away from home it is usually charged just enough to get me back home. At home it fully charges overnight when rates are less and is always full in the morning.
I'll start by saying that I've never ridden or even seen a full electric bike in my life. However...I am a massive fan of the idea and have seriously considered buying one in the future. I think that these are truly the way to go and I do hope to at least ride one soon. My opinion might change....but as of today I love the idea.
20 grand for 90 miles lol no way! could buy a top spec bmw gs adventure with every bell and whistle for that. If it was around 8- 10 grand as a second bike maybe it would be a option, but as is it's far to expensive. nice review tmf
I wish we could test motorcycles here in the U.S. as easy as you can in the U.K. The only issue that I have with battery powered cars and motorcycles, is the price. They cost way more than their combustion counterparts. And when the battery finally dies and cannot hold a charge, you have to replace it and the cost of the battery is basically the cost of the vehicle. So they seem to be an overpriced throw away vehicle. They don’t tell you about that. The Yamaha FJR 1300es, that it told you that I am buying costs 17999 U.S. and has all of the niceties that you know. I just wish that I would be around when they have hover bikes like the one a police officer in the new Star Trek movie. 😎. Great video review as always mate. Take care and have a blessed day.
Aside from the Nissan Leaf, which has a bad battery design, electric cars and bikes haven't had battery issues outside of warranty. Replacing an engine or transmission with a factory new one in today's cars and bikes is not a trivial cost.
These bikes have come a long way. Still need 150 miles to a highway charge, and the price needs to come down a bit before the take-up rates increase. But, the overall cost of ownership will be far better, and there will be less time in the shop, and more time for riding! Also, all the talk about the noise it (doesn't) make really shows how much in denial we all are :). I love the sounds from ICE rigs (my Speed Triple is one of the better ones, if I can say so), but an EV is, indeed, a different kind of experience that has some significant value to it. Having driven and ridden in dozens of Teslas, you not only get used to it, you begin to really appreciate how that opens up your other senses. I can imagine that would be rather nice on two wheels. Specially when you aren't giving up *any* performance for it. Be safe out there, TMF.
Ide love one for my daily commute as i only do 9 miles a day but the costs are just far to much to swallow, that & the range kill it off for me, plus some decent weather protection wouldn't go amiss.
Good review as always. It should have a button you press, which shows you where all the charging stations are. And how long do the batteries last and how much to replace them? So many questions.
Yep its going to change from I didn't see him to I couldn't hear him as well. Not good. I saw a video of one of these last year in London. The plonker took off like a bat out of hell and nearly collected half a dozen people who clearly didn't hear him coming. If he had been able to blip the throttle on a normal bike...as we should all do... they would have registered him...as long as they weren't the stupid ipod plonkers we have to put up with nowadays
@@amotorcyclerider3230 Driven a Zero through the city for years with no issues, the trick is to just ride defensively and if you do, then to be fair drivers notice you no less than they do on a loud bike. As an added aside, you can hear other traffic so much more acutely, so your own awareness does benefit somewhat.
Really fascinating to ponder - and for all appearances, that model does LOOK the part. The range would induce massive anxiety in me; but they do make a sound for sure - it's the 'electric whine' that sounds indeed like a jet turbine.
It's good to see the manufacturers have listened to customers concerns re the impression of weight balance and traction control, if they could get to a 180 to 200 mile range I'd strongly consider an SR/F as my next bike.
Please don't try and plug your zero into a Tesla Supercharger it won't work and you risk a fine and general abuse from Tesla owners. You can plug into type 2 chargers. Zap map is the app of choice.
As much as like the sound of owning an electric bike ( no pun intended ) and even if I didn't mind paying out that much money for, what is essentially, a one trick pony, but with fuel savings once you're on the road. My problem, and everyone else's, probably, is my fear of the huge drop in the resale value. I know we don't know if that would be the case but, with the high cost of replacing the battery after a few years I think it would, probably, kill the price when you decided to replace it.
Except in extremely hot climates where batteries have had no/poor cooling EVs are lasting/have lasted longer than originally feared, so it would probably be a fair while before the bike became unusable, and for years before then, the bike would still make a decent commuter for a lot of people. Long before that time however, batteries will have dropped in price to the point where they would not be a big financial hit to replace. Basically, in 8 years time your 100 mile bike might be down to a 70 mile bike. Over the next 5-10 years it may drop to a 50-70 mile bike. However, well before then you will be able to replace the original 100 mile battery pack with something that will do 150-200 miles and cost a fraction of the original battery pack when new. Electric vehicle tech (as a whole) is advancing at a good clip. For me, as much fun as they are (and they are a lot of fun) for now, the price is the main issue. It’s a lot of money for something that I’d only be using to go out for a 1 hour blast now and again. Not that there’s anything wrong with just going out for a one hour blast.
The battery is warrantied for like 8 years or something ridiculous so I wouldn't worry. And batteries don't need replacing when the warranty ends. It just means that they're so confident they can guarantee it. Some Zero SR owners have done over 100k miles and still their battery is over 95% health.
TMF, next forecast of half decent weather, get yourself a test ride on their Supermoto FXS, you will absolutely love it. Quick, light, flickable, low seat height, amazing in town and an absolute scream on B roads. It’s the one I’d go for, especially if I also had a/several petrol bikes in my garage. A couple of general EV related points. If you charge the bike overnight, as people with EVs often do, you can take advantage of off-peak tariffs, which are about half daytime rates. Some off peak tariffs start around 9 or 10 pm these days. Fully charging the bike for another 100 (ish) miles would cost about a quid. Two gallons of petrol to do the same, costs about £12. So whilst they are eye-wateringly expensive new, used ones would be a savvy buy for someone commuting 50-90 miles a day, considering that’s a saving of up to £2,000 per year in petrol. Finally, to clarify your Tesla charger comments, for those unfamiliar with charging electric vehicles. Whilst you can spec the Zero for faster charging, so they can utilise the Rapid chargers often found at many motorway services, only Tesla’s can correctly handshake, and therefore charge at Tesla Superchargers.
This bike isn't for everyone, but then name a bike that is! I've been riding for 15+ years and I've gone more than 100 miles in one go on maybe 25-30 occasions over that time. A couple of journeys a year maybe, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Vast majority of UK journeys will be far less than 50% of range, and as you pointed out, if there's a place to charge at the other end, then you can top it up for the journey back. It reminds me of the Top Gear episode when JC reviewed the Honda CRV. Pointed out that it's basically a tall Honda Civic, but more expensive. People buy it to tow caravans or go skiing. Why make a car buying decision based on your 2 week holiday when there's a better option for the rest of the year? I think an electric bike (which arguably over the longer term if your looking at high performance) will ultimately pay for itself is a good choice for a lot of people who shouldn't be put off because there won't be range for the 2 times a year they *might* want to go further! Thanks TMF for the review!
Good to see you back on that horse ! Great vlogging bike we can hear you loud and clear. Looks like it's got a car radiator shoved in the side :-) Still too heavy with bugger all range, getting better but I am sure you feel that weight when doing a crash stop...
Five years ago I tested a similar bike, a Victory. It was a lot of fun on my short 20 minute ride. The torque was a blast. I don't think Harley will sell many of theirs at $30. If you haven't ridden one and you get the chance, do it.
I see a market for a sound effects app and a bit of hardware whereby you can ride your electric bike with it sounding like a V4 Panigale or a V12 Rolls Royce Merlin 😎 I would have a steam engine 😄
I'm surprised someone hasn't done a phone app for this kind of thing already - just use the GPS for speed and base it on that if you don't have an RPM input. ;)
I have a Konica / Minolta digital camera that has settings to sound like different vintage Konica/Minolta cameras. That would be a nice option for these electric bikes.
I’ve gotta say these bikes do look very tempting and fun. I wonder how long for a full on touring bike to make an appearance and does weight affect battery life
£17,000 for a bike that can in reality only do about 100 miles is still a no from me. They seem more suited as an expensive track bike given the performance.
Mr Welshy google “Essex engineer electric battery” guy has just invented a battery that lasts 1500 miles . Could be coming. I agree though to much money for 100 miles
@@ownyourworld thats nothing new, it's a fuel cell not a battery, same type of this the ENV bike had, never got put into production though, fuel cells rarely do.
You're jumping into a conclusion, an error of the precipitous foolish rushed opinion-maker. Add the charging costs for a period of 4 years, add tires and other maintenance. Now compare with 'similar' ICE motorbikes, with their fuel, maintenance and insurance included, and which is cheaper??
I didn’t like it when I test drove one. I’ve got an fxs and it is just a much more nimble and ridable bike. The SR/F felt more ‘sports bike’ and heavier. The technology is superior and the charging is more ubiquitous but the Fxs is a better bike
I’m looking at the new FXE because of similar reasoning. My work is 30 miles away with a plug, so the limited range which makes it so light works. The freeway bit may suck, but the twisty bit won’t!
Regarding range/charging times and life of lithium ion batteries, there is already in production a new type of battery called "Lithium Titanate Oxide" or LTO for short (pun), these apparently can be recharged in 5/10 minutes at 300amps, so not much longer than filling with "liquid juice" But can you imagine what would happen to the electricity grid with a few thousand people simultaneously sucking 300amps each?
I can actually. The electricity grid in its current state would not cope. But also it would be unrealistic to imagine that thousands of people buy electric vehicles overnight across the country. The uptake is gradual, which gives utilities more time to upgrade the power infrastructure. Or turn on more power plants -- a lot of them just sit idle, you know!
I wanted an Zero SR/F but ended up with a BMW C Evolution scooter. Street performance, while down in power specs, is only marginally less in realistic riding 98% of the time yet battery range is essentially the same (I get 100 miles + or - 10 miles). The BMW scooter also has 3kW Level 2 charging (240v) built in. The Zero SR and DSR call for a $2k option for that. The C Evo has some level of weather protection which you can upgrade with a taller windscreen. Aesthetically, the SR/F is not far from a Monster or MV Agusta Brutale while the C Evo is a handsome scooter (awesome as far as scooters go) and the DS and S models look and feel more utilitarian. Both SR/F and C Evo have some form of traction control. C Evo has reverse assist while SR/f has cruise control. The factor that tipped the scale heavily in the C Evolution's favor was the price. With some dealing, I got my C Evo for about $9k less than what an SR/F would cost. My mighty BMW K1600GTL beast, which I love dearly, has not been out of the garage since the C Evolution came in 4 months ago. So far 5100 miles of low profile rocketship fun. I'll keep the K16 for the long trips but I really don't see it getting much use anymore.
Great video as usual! I like your content and enjoy your bike reviews and the MCN segments. I’d really like to see some comments on some of your long term bikes about pillion comfort and handling. I’m looking for a bike for myself and my significant other. Thinking 650-800cc adventure styles bike or modern classic. Cheers!
I like the idea ,but these are still way too expensive with poor range ,when they can do 150 plus miles and are £10k I think they will become alot more popular MP
You can still charge it for 20 minutes, enough for toilette and grab a cup of coffee, and have enough KWh to get you going to the next charging port or home. So you'd rather go to gas pumping station day in day out, get your hands dirty, inhale the cancer-inducing fumes, and keep importing crude oil from hell holes? The majority of motorcycles do not have a 280 miles' range. Do the research and this will become clear to you. Just a useful tip, hope you will research further:-)
£17,990 + £2,640 + £445 = £21,075. Assuming you save £10 per day in fuel (100miles) and compare it to say a street triple at £10,000. It takes 1,107 days (3yrs) to recoup the outlay, not taking into account the cost to charge, financing and insurance. Now here's the crunch. A mobile phones battery starts to go at 3yrs. How much is a new battery?
Great first ride review. Almost felt the acceleration away from those traffic lights! So much to like, but oh dear, the cost is prohibitive, especially for a commuter. Andrew, your Grandfather writing . . . . . you really must take care filtering - no outrigger LEDS as on your GS, deadly silent, audibly and visually almost invisible to those queueing in tin cans. And never ever before a pedestrian crossing. Lecture over. Absolutely loved that torque. Would want a top box if commuting, and that does not look to be a possibility. And a reasonable screen. Otherwise, Zero are getting so close. Centre Stand? Belt drive? Charging socket? Tubeless tyres? Helmet space within the faux fuel tank? Must you carry around with you the charging cable if not able to get home? Much look forward to a your in-depth review. Take Care Andy!
Running costs, running costs, running costs.... how long would a rear tyre last with all that torque? How much is a new battery and how long do they last for? Apart from that I'm gradually being turned onto them, mostly thanks to your fine reviews TMF.
Yep, got one earlier this year. Enormous fun, and ridden more miles since then, than I have the previous 5 years combined. Gone on rides, and explored areas I wouldn’t have attempted before, and am undoubtedly fitter for it.
Thank you for posting. Looking forward to your long term review. Curious about your fuel range anxiety as you test ride it. If possible, a view of the storage area and can attachments be used with the bike. For example, gps units, and your cell/mobile phone.
Even with a range of 200 Miles, faster charging and a reduced price to a normal level, there is still the lag of sound. I would miss that very much. I got 3 VTwins in my garage, for example a BT1100 Bulldog which sounds amazing. This is definitly a big part of the joy riding motorcycles!
I got a chance to ride the 2020 DSR a few weeks ago, although it's far too tall for me. I've never been more terrified of dropping a bike in my life when coming to a stop. Was really fun when riding though, can definitely rate electric bikes being the future, especially once the battery technology matures further.
There is a holy trinity of negatives which need addressing before electric bikes can have mainstream appeal.....price, range and charging time (including otr charging infrastructure) as these elements converge with ICE bikes these machines will be serious contenders....particularly as manufacturers develop generic options such as "Tourer"....another insightful review though which rightly identifies this bike's strengths as a commuter....for those people who have 20k kicking around to spend on such a thing 😉
I'm already teaching my young kids to be extra vigilant when crossing the roads due to electric vehicles. They are coming, and I'm super excited, I know we all like the sound of a nice engine, but they don't all sound nice, and alot of people ride and drive stupidly, the noise and air pollution is ridiculous. I'm looking forward to your longer term review, the range will be more than 100 miles mixed, and in reality, not many people in comparison do more than 100 miles a day. Already, for the range that these do, with that acceleration and speed, I think is Amazing, when we get a 150 mile mixed range with plenty more fast charging points, with 80% in 20 minutes, and a decent price point, we are well on the way to a better, quieter and massively cleaner future. Our country could be leading alot more on this if our government pulled there thumbs out of there plum sockets.
Demand is soaring for the metal cobalt - an essential ingredient in batteries and abundant in rocks on the seabed, electric vehicles are killing the planet possibly more than diesels fitted with DPFs ever will do. Just google digging up the sea bed for cobolt, you will never want to own an electric vehicle.
Makes me nervous watching you filter with no noise! Eeeek but good job! Not my cup of tea, but I’m looking forward to seeing Harley’s electric bike! (Normally don’t mike Harley’s)
Top review mate. It's still a few generations away till we'll be seeing sizeable numbers of electric motorbikes on the road (like we're seeing with electric bicycles now). Why have you stopped doing the walk-around using your phone to film?
Chiming in again... 5+ years electric powertrain driver here, albeit cars, not bikes. Here are a few other points: * It is no wonder that the range in town is higher than the range on the road: for bikes even moreso than for cars, the aerodynamic resistance is the major contributing factor to the energy that you need to keep yourself at speed, therefore the energy drawn from the battery. The force exerted on your vehicle which wants to prevent you from moving (and that you have to counter) is proportional to the speed _squared_. Note that for heavy haulers, it is the rolling resistance which becomes the dominant force; basically, at 60 mph, it contributes to basically a half of the energy you need to expend, and of course more at lower speeds. * An electric motor produces power using the basic formula P = U*I (power = voltage times current), and the internal resistance, therefore energy lost by heat, is defined by Ohm's law: E = R * I^2. Yes, squared. When asked for a certain power, an electric motor has a limited latitude when it comes to voltage, but a lot when it comes to current... Therefore the current is basically proportional to the power you ask for. And given that regenerative braking is ALSO subject to Ohm's law (regeneration is not 100% efficient), you'll consume a lot less energy if you feather the throttle AND regeneration (basically using the right handle on a bike or the right pedal on a car). Of course, the latter point is boo boo for bikers I guess, because it kills most of the sensations... But hey, when you want/need to overtake, you can always do it, right? :p I am also convinced that the SR/F, when driven leisurely, can easily drive you 120 miles from 90% to 10% before you need to recharge. At a 60 mph average speed, that's already 2 hours! Stop 45 minutes, go again...
Great Video 👍🔋🏍. Looking forward to seeing your next review after riding the Zero a little more. Any chance to see the storage capacity? Love your work 👍. Cheers.
It's mainly the wind resistance that affects the range at higher speeds. Wind resistance is the square of the speed. i.e. there is 4 times more wind resistance at 60MPH as there is at 30MPH . So you need 4 times more power, but you are going twice as fast. So if I have my relative approximate sums correct it is using up double the power per mile at 60MPH as it is at 30MPH. This isn't taking into account that there will be a lot of braking on in town riding, but there is regen to get a fair bit of this energy back. Also on in town riding a lot of it isn't at a constant 30MPH . Some of it is at 15MPH . I wonder what the range would be if it was ridden at a constant 15 MPH :) These are approximate sums, obviously there is drive train drag too. At higher speeds it really is the wind resistance that is the challenge. Zero need to make a nice sleek sports bike fairing and try to reduce drag at speed mainly for more range.
The average UK commute is now around 9 miles! When touring, you're going to be riding 1-2 hrs before you stop. Planning your stops and lunch break around charge points means you can tour quite easily on this I'd imagine. But the price....!!
Andy think back to riding the RE Himalayan, front brake so so but the rear brake is awesome, need to swop them round on my Himalayan, love this electric machine and with some super battery technology just round the corner this will be a winner. Cheers
I don't hate electric bikes. The lack of sound would concern me (needs a fake exhaust bass tube !) Bikers need all the warning they can get with inattentive 4 wheeled drivers. The cost , range, and time to charge up all currently put me off. So currently this is "interesting" , and not a "must buy" . I would love a ride of one.
Interesting review. Wouldn't mind trying one. Although zero (pun intended) chance of buying one as they are ludicrously expensive! By the way, whats with the Dutch reg plate?
Great vid as always TMF. Definately one of the best looking electric bikes and I would seriously like one in the garage because for a sunday morning blast...well! The problem? Price!
My local dealer tells me a new battery is £4,000. Range is no problem - just do what Ewan and Charlie will be doing and have a pal follow on with a generator in the back of a van😊
My V-strom 650 does 300 miles between fill-ups - about £26 a pop. The Zero's electrical charge for the same difference covered would be about £9, so each 300 miles covered, fuel would be £17 cheaper than the V-Strom. However, the Zero costs roughly £10,000 more than the V-Strom to buy. Using my, ableit weak arithmetical skills, I reckon you would have to ride the Zero more than 170,000 miles before it starts to get cheaper to run than the V-Strom. This doesn't take into account tax differences (because I am too thick to work that out). Please bear in mind, I got a CSE grade 4 in maths.
Would absolutely love an electric bike for commuting and would install free charge stations at the office for employees as a perk (office converted to solar recently), but right now no normal person can afford one just to commute on.
I’d have one tomorrow for the commute into London from Welwyn Garden City, about 30 miles each way it’s just the sums don’t stack up. I need the bike to pay for itself in 4 or so years when compared to commuting costs (around £20 per day). With all the old work from home malarkey now going on in the city then the sums are actually going the wrong way. In the future the real costs of ICE engined is only going up so electric bikes are the future, I just don’t want to pay to be the early adopter.
I would love to see you do a comparison between the Zero SRF and the Energica Ego. I saw an Ego at the beginning of the year, the rider was doing a 17 day tour of New Zealands south island. I would love to jump on these bikes for myself but there are a shortage of dealers at this time.
Every manufacturer seems to be getting into the electric bike scenario. What strikes me as a long time rider is how expensive they are and the many questions that riders have concerning electric motorcycles. For example, who can repair them, how reliable are these bikes, and how expensive is the insurance coverage. I ride a lot and I have only spotted a couple of electric bikes (both looked ungainly). I know many say they are the future but I am not yet convinced.
Internal combustion engines for my vehicles. Tube amps for my guitar. Things that will always be in my inventory. But running my guitar through GarageBand for some late night practice is better than not playing and an electric motorbike for my 26 mile commute sounds good to me. Maybe with a smaller/cheaper Zero. Any thoughts on revisiting the DSR? Great work as always sir! Peace
I would be concerned about people not hearing you as you come up. The cost is way too much, but in a few years if the reflexes are still ok I would get one
I looked into a battery powered bike, but the cost of replacement batteries is horrendous. I would hate to think what it costs to replace the battery unit on the Zero SRF. What I would like is a hydrogen powered bike! You can fill it up like a petrol vehicle, there's no range anxiety, and the hydrogen can be produced from renewable energy, and it can be stored locally. The perfect replacement for petrol and diesel.
Any business that can release a product, take the criticisms and incorporate the fixes in the next model should do well. Most companies take a long time to turnaround changes so all credit to them
Great review as always, Very interested to see how you get on with it, particularly what the average range REALLY is. I'm a cynical 55 year old electronics engineer and am nowhere near as confident as most that there will be a sudden leap in battery technology that'll make it all work, Lithium Ion has been around since 1991 and is pretty much as developed as it's going to be, whilst billions have been invested in new chemistry there wont be anything in production for at least another decade. Batteries are expensive and heavy, their performance starts rolling off gradually after the first few charges and after 5 years your 20 grand bike is a boat anchor. If we ALL charge our vehicles every night where is all the power going to come from ?, that's a couple of decades of infrastructure in itself. Not saying that electric isn't the future, just that it's not around the corner..... not even close... Oh and what about all the burning wrecks that can't be extinguished, that won't be good for your carbon footprint, neither will charging your electric vehicle from the oil fired power station.
Your wrong 5 yrs then its a boat anchor haha ... miniminum 160k theres a few with over 200k and still strong ,and theres not 1 thats caught fire that i know of and ive been into zero,s for a few years now
Still far too expensive given the poor range and charging times. It'll be another couple of years before the range and charging is worth buying in to then another few years until the price becomes sensible I reckon.
Great Bike and Video TMF, I personally think they are still 5 years from a bike that is more than capable distances and charging times wise. But I agree would be great as a go to work and the shops bike. My only massive concern is that it is so quiet so car and even more importantly blind people won't hear you coming down the road. I would like to see manufacturers fit some sort of noise Device to the bikes
I’m still not an electric bike fan; the range is too short for (serious) touring and that is what I do most. Charging takes way too long. But for commuting or driving in and around the city it looks perfect, we’ll see.
Maybe time to think about hybrid bikes, if a Grom can manage 120+ mpg pair that with an electric powerplant and you might have a really good bit of kit.
I have the SRS and I can say for sure, the big downside of these is range. My commute is only 30 miles away, but 18 miles of it is a very high speed road where the average speed most people are going is well over 80mph, and of course I am going faster than that. The battery percent clicks down like an odometer going in reverse. If I try real hard to be conservative and ducked behind the screen and all that I will still use over 50%, so it must be charged to be ridden home. If it werent for the charge stations there I couldnt use it. Since it will charge while I at work I go as fast as I want all the way and use 65-70% to cover only 30 miles. Its a great ride, awesome acceleration, but its a bit wobbly when leaned over or pushed hard. I think the hinge in the middle feeling comes from where the motor attaches to the rest of the bike forward of it. IDK but you can get a good oscillation set up if you arent precise. Carries a lot of weight easily so passengers are no problem. Overall Im happy but if you can only have one bike, this is not the one. Too limited. As my commuter it works.
"A bike you could ride for several hours" - now the battery life just needs to catch up with the ergonomics. Perhaps the electric proponents should look at "swap and go" as a option of extending the battery range?
@@Texarmageddon I think he means more of a battery swap station scheme, and it's been done and tried for cars and it didn't work out for various reasons.
