tomcat 403 Posted February 24 (edited) A few idle hours and internet access should be avoided at all cost. I run an electric BMW i3S as my own car. Experience with that has pointed me towards an electric motorcycle for some time. I decided that touring, particularly touring Europe, when it finally becomes possible again, wasn't practical on any current electric motorcycle. I've therefore pressed the button and ordered an additional bike. I have laid up the BMW F850GS for the initial future and will use a Zero as my runaround. When summer comes around, I'll probably sell the BMW if I can source a 2019/2020 NC750X dct. The market is currently, and not restricted to electric bikes, awash with dealer pre-reg and demonstrators, they have been unable to demonstrate over the last year. So, my finger slipped and ordered a Zero FX. A 2020 demonstrator with under 300 miles use. I now await its delivery to Lancashire from Torquay, along with the rear rack I also ordered. Supplied in the "exciting" colour...... beige! They don't have massive range, but they certainly entertain. 78 ft/lbs of torque at all revs and only tips the scales at 131kg. Edited February 24 by tomcat 22 Share this post Link to post
embattle 121 Posted February 24 24 minutes ago, crazyhorse said: That is gonna be fun! For a short while 1 Share this post Link to post
Rocker66 24,147 Posted February 24 It will be interesting to read your comments on it both positive and negative ( see what I did there😀) .I must admit to me it looks similar to a trials bike . I wonder what that seat will be like. 4 Share this post Link to post
riders in the storm 334 Posted February 24 The seat looks too far forward for me..? Share this post Link to post
Grumpy old man 3,419 Posted February 24 Looks brilliant to me. What's it advertised range and charging time. Share this post Link to post
Wedgepilot 690 Posted February 24 Nice - that should be a hoot! 78lbft and 131kg, yes please... 1 Share this post Link to post
Defender 3,246 Posted February 24 11 minutes ago, riders in the storm said: The seat looks too far forward for me..? It's a bit like a dirt bike, forward and over the bars? I wouldn't like to be the passenger! Share this post Link to post
tomcat 403 Posted February 24 (edited) Well whilst they claim a range of up to about 95 miles, you won't get more than 60 if you ride it like a loon. Whilst you can add extra chargers to speed up the charging requirements, I'm perfectly happy with overnight charging. Current owners report the seat is fine for the sub 100 mile range of the bike. I haven't even asked about pillion comfort. First because I don't carry a pillion. Second because I'll never occupy that position. I'm not yet sure when it will arrive. I'll feedback some + and - once I have a few miles on it. Currently pi$$ing down in Lancashire, so not desperate for delivery immediately. Edited February 24 by tomcat 1 Share this post Link to post
t5er 56 Posted February 24 I have been and still am very interested in the electric option as my daily commute of 44 miles is very achievable now the battery technology has improved.however the cost of these machines make me smart,the problem being when you own a nc with fuel and running costs so low i cannot myself justify the expense.if i was changing my bike regularly,always getting the latest pocket rocket and ready to sign up for any finance option the price would be within reach, but thats not me i m afraid so i will just be happy with my nc but i will be looking descretely with envious eyes. i am sure you will be very happy with your purchase. ride safe and try not to grin to much when stopped as i might be the rider who pulls up beside you 1 Share this post Link to post
Trev 8,739 Posted February 24 Very interested to hear how you get on with the Zero, I doubt very much that an electric bike will be on my shopping list anytime soon (I seem to be going backward in years regarding bikes!) but always like to hear about EV's. How do you find the i3s btw, does it have adequate range for most of your needs? I nearly went for one but the 'standard' i3 is quite a hard ride anyway, or at least on the potholed roads near me, and didn't want anything stiffer ......... oo'er missus Share this post Link to post
tomcat 403 Posted February 24 I'm just 7 months into i3S ownership. I love the car. Not so enamoured with BMW dealerships though. My return journey to and from work is just 13 miles. Therefore range is not an issue for the majority of my journeys. I use an EV electric tariff from Octopus energy. A quick calculation reveals I can conduct my commute 24 times for the cost of a single commute in my previous petrol car. The i3S is the fastest accelerating car I have ever owned. So something of a win win on performance. Range in winter is about 130-140 miles and about 10% better in spring and summer. I do agree with an earlier comment. I do feel the cost of electric vehicles is being kept artificially high by manufacturers. Battery energy is now at an all time low cost, but this is not reflected in vehicle pricing. I've been kept busy throughout this pandemic. I'm old school and save up and purchase any vehicle I want,, rather than rely on any form of credit. Those leasing a car at £500 or greater each month must be devastated if they see it parked, unused for month after month. 3 1 Share this post Link to post
KingJames 835 Posted February 24 So jealous. I'd be tempted for the FXS personally but suspect the FX will be just fine on the road. On the test ride I did years ago it was push bike width and silence with dodgem nimbleness, like a hot knife through butter traffic wise. If you can really do 50 miles spirited in cold weather with traffic light grand prix pretty much the whole way please let me know. It really is on my list of desirable bikes for commuting and isn't a super soco. Share this post Link to post
beep 497 Posted February 25 (edited) 16 hours ago, Wedgepilot said: Nice - that should be a hoot! 78lbft and 131kg, yes please... Never too sure about the torque quoted for electric motors. My ebicycle has 70Nm about 50lbft and can't have anything near the pulling power of the Zero. 😙 Weight about 20kg, range about 80 miles. Edited February 25 by beep Share this post Link to post
Grumpy old man 3,419 Posted February 27 On 25/02/2021 at 09:37, beep said: Weight about 20kg, range about 80 miles Is that a genuine range. What sort of bike and how long for a full charge? Share this post Link to post
beep 497 Posted February 28 (edited) 22 hours ago, Grumpy old man said: Is that a genuine range. What sort of bike and how long for a full charge? Yes that's the range for a full charge, although I've had 125 miles once when I really tried! It's a Trek Powerful 5 2017, with Bosch CX motor and 500wh battery, Full charge from flat is about 3-4 hours. Using non MTB tyres helps with the range. Almost 15000 trouble free miles so far.☺️ Edited February 28 by beep 1 Share this post Link to post
tomcat 403 Posted March 20 (edited) Oki Doki. The update. Only managed a few runs out on the bike since delivery. Observations so far. The seat is fine, particularly given the limited range of the bike. I did notice the chill in my old bones, riding a bike with no screen or fairing. Additions to the bike since delivery have been hand guards, a rear luggage rack and an MRA speed screen fitted. The few miles covered, probably about 130, indicate a real world riding range of about 60-70 miles on a mixture of roads. Most roads around here are 60 NSL. The bike handles like a dream. It changes direction with the tiniest of input and holds a line well. It is proving ideal for the roads around my home location. I'm right on the doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales. Consumption per charge equates to approx' 1/2p per mile. A petrol equivalent of 240 mpg. The only real negative is pairing my Android phone to the bike has proved impossible. Research shows this to be universal. Zero and Android don't like each other. Edited March 20 by tomcat 8 1 Share this post Link to post
tomcat 403 Posted March 20 Check before you type! Earlier this week I gained a new phone operating on Android 10. I've just been out to the garage, and bingo! It paired with the bike first attempt. I forgot to mention earlier, the need to be very aware of other road users. Particularly pedal cyclists and pedestrians. They are unaware of your approach audibly. Cyclists proved particularly troublesome on the back roads today, they had to be awoken to my approach from behind with a quick, polite tap of the horn. 1 Share this post Link to post
listener 4,936 Posted March 20 45 minutes ago, tomcat said: I forgot to mention earlier, the need to be very aware of other road users. Particularly pedal cyclists and pedestrians. They are unaware of your approach audibly. Cyclists proved particularly troublesome on the back roads today, they had to be awoken to my approach from behind with a quick, polite tap of the horn. Strap a boombox to the rack. A tape of Thrash/Death Metal, with volume set to '11', ought to do the trick! 1 2 1 Share this post Link to post
slowboy 11,514 Posted March 20 1 hour ago, listener said: Strap a boombox to the rack. A tape of Thrash/Death Metal, with volume set to '11', ought to do the trick! Surely a pastoral symphony for such a gentlemanly steed. 😆🎼 3 Share this post Link to post
splke 65 Posted March 20 (edited) 4 hours ago, tomcat said: Check before you type! Earlier this week I gained a new phone operating on Android 10. I've just been out to the garage, and bingo! It paired with the bike first attempt. I forgot to mention earlier, the need to be very aware of other road users. Particularly pedal cyclists and pedestrians. They are unaware of your approach audibly. Cyclists proved particularly troublesome on the back roads today, they had to be awoken to my approach from behind with a quick, polite tap of the horn. Regarding noise or lack of it with electric vehicles I really feel they need to have a noise generation system to aid road safety especially for pedestrians. They are bad enough when they can hear you Edited March 20 by splke 2 Share this post Link to post
KingJames 835 Posted March 20 You are not alone thinking that. A few products exist I believe. http://www.ectunes.com/p/products/motorcycles-scooters/ 1 Share this post Link to post
listener 4,936 Posted March 21 11 hours ago, KingJames said: You are not alone thinking that. A few products exist I believe. The cheap option is to tiewrap a lolly stick to the frame so that it rattles off the spokes ... 1 7 Share this post Link to post
Andy m 15,047 Posted March 21 Helicopter gunships are getting close to the solution I'd propose 😈 I don't actually believe this is an EV problem, yellow lycra seems to clog their ears to 500cc's of Thai twin powered soundbomb. Andy 1 5 Share this post Link to post
