Zero SR/F- Anyone got one?
Discussion
Hi All,
I like the idea of these, but I'm confused with charging them, I'm totally new to electric BTW.
Are they only 'at home' charging? All the stuff I've read to them refer to plugging into a UK outlet, nothing about petrol station connection type charging?
What is the charge tank? Is that a different charging cable?
Are they any good? Do you like yours? They are expensive addition for just ~100 miles range, do you think that's accurate?
Matt
I like the idea of these, but I'm confused with charging them, I'm totally new to electric BTW.
Are they only 'at home' charging? All the stuff I've read to them refer to plugging into a UK outlet, nothing about petrol station connection type charging?
What is the charge tank? Is that a different charging cable?
Are they any good? Do you like yours? They are expensive addition for just ~100 miles range, do you think that's accurate?
Matt
StreetDragster said:
Hi All,
I like the idea of these, but I'm confused with charging them, I'm totally new to electric BTW.
Are they only 'at home' charging? All the stuff I've read to them refer to plugging into a UK outlet, nothing about petrol station connection type charging?
What is the charge tank? Is that a different charging cable?
Are they any good? Do you like yours? They are expensive addition for just ~100 miles range, do you think that's accurate?
Matt
I don't have a Zero sadly, but I do run an EV car.I like the idea of these, but I'm confused with charging them, I'm totally new to electric BTW.
Are they only 'at home' charging? All the stuff I've read to them refer to plugging into a UK outlet, nothing about petrol station connection type charging?
What is the charge tank? Is that a different charging cable?
Are they any good? Do you like yours? They are expensive addition for just ~100 miles range, do you think that's accurate?
Matt
Home charging - you can either use a traditional UK 3-pin plug, or the CCS charging cable (if you have a charging box installed - Gov grant available etc)
You'll get the CCS cable to charge at public charging points as part of the bike. You can upgrade the charging "tank" to speed its internal charging up IIRC - only worthwhile if you expect to be rapid charging while out and about - if its mostly overnight charging you'll be fine with standard level.
3-pin plug = 2kw max charging rate
Home charger =7kw typically (you can get 3.5kw but why?!)
Home charger - expect to pay ~£500 for a decent box (inc fitting).
Give not your average bikes a call.
https://notyouraveragebikes.com/
Been meaning to pop up and do a test ride myself but when i went up all his demo fleet was out.
https://notyouraveragebikes.com/
Been meaning to pop up and do a test ride myself but when i went up all his demo fleet was out.
EvoBarry said:
I don't have a Zero sadly, but I do run an EV car.
Home charging - you can either use a traditional UK 3-pin plug, or the CCS charging cable (if you have a charging box installed - Gov grant available etc)
You'll get the CCS cable to charge at public charging points as part of the bike. You can upgrade the charging "tank" to speed its internal charging up IIRC - only worthwhile if you expect to be rapid charging while out and about - if its mostly overnight charging you'll be fine with standard level.
3-pin plug = 2kw max charging rate
Home charger =7kw typically (you can get 3.5kw but why?!)
Home charger - expect to pay ~£500 for a decent box (inc fitting).
Thanks for that.Home charging - you can either use a traditional UK 3-pin plug, or the CCS charging cable (if you have a charging box installed - Gov grant available etc)
You'll get the CCS cable to charge at public charging points as part of the bike. You can upgrade the charging "tank" to speed its internal charging up IIRC - only worthwhile if you expect to be rapid charging while out and about - if its mostly overnight charging you'll be fine with standard level.
3-pin plug = 2kw max charging rate
Home charger =7kw typically (you can get 3.5kw but why?!)
Home charger - expect to pay ~£500 for a decent box (inc fitting).
Its a 3 hour round trip to the nearest dealer, only going to make that trip if i'm serious so i'm still in the research stage.
Not sure if i want to pay the premium to be an early adopter yet.
Thanks
Matt
I don't but I know someone who does, he even did lands end to John o groates on it.
He's got a pretty good YouTube channel with loads of info https://www.youtube.com/c/jtchivers
He's got a pretty good YouTube channel with loads of info https://www.youtube.com/c/jtchivers
I’m not wholly against an EV bike but range and weight of current offerings too limiting. I read somewhere that manufacturers are working on standardised batteries that you can swap out - the idea being that at a “petrol” station you don’t recharge but simply swap your exhausted battery for a fully recharged one. That would make “filling up” as easy as with petrol (probably easier than with my Tuono which is a pig to fill without splashing fuel). Not sure how far away such technology is though.
Although I would miss the noise of an ICE if it made bikes more socially acceptable (and less likely to be targeted with more restrictions on use) I think overall it would be a good thing.
Although I would miss the noise of an ICE if it made bikes more socially acceptable (and less likely to be targeted with more restrictions on use) I think overall it would be a good thing.
With electric cars they are already fixing the "noise" issue inside so you can make it sound like whatever engine you wish, Im sure they can do the same with bikes. Just connect your bluetooth headset to the bike and select your fave engine sound track ...in your helmet it sounds like you are on the race track without upsetting the wider population 
Esceptico said:
I’m not wholly against an EV bike but range and weight of current offerings too limiting. I read somewhere that manufacturers are working on standardised batteries that you can swap out - the idea being that at a “petrol” station you don’t recharge but simply swap your exhausted battery for a fully recharged one. That would make “filling up” as easy as with petrol (probably easier than with my Tuono which is a pig to fill without splashing fuel). Not sure how far away such technology is though.
Although I would miss the noise of an ICE if it made bikes more socially acceptable (and less likely to be targeted with more restrictions on use) I think overall it would be a good thing.
FWIW - Better Place tried this a while ago - it didn't work out so well for them. Perhaps just too far ahead of it's time when it was launchedAlthough I would miss the noise of an ICE if it made bikes more socially acceptable (and less likely to be targeted with more restrictions on use) I think overall it would be a good thing.
jason61c said:
The real question is why would you?
There has to be an easier and cheaper way to ‘come out’ ! 
Jokes aside, I just don’t see the point of them at the movement, too heavy, too slow, too short range, cycle parts seem cheap and dead quiet. None of which appeals in the slightest for motorcycling.
The relative weight of the batteries to get range cannot be hidden so easily as in a car.
poo at Paul's said:
There has to be an easier and cheaper way to ‘come out’ !
Jokes aside, I just don’t see the point of them at the movement, too heavy, too slow, too short range, cycle parts seem cheap and dead quiet. None of which appeals in the slightest for motorcycling.
The relative weight of the batteries to get range cannot be hidden so easily as in a car.
For commuting they could be a good option. Jokes aside, I just don’t see the point of them at the movement, too heavy, too slow, too short range, cycle parts seem cheap and dead quiet. None of which appeals in the slightest for motorcycling.
The relative weight of the batteries to get range cannot be hidden so easily as in a car.
They still feel like they're a generation or two away from wanting to actually own one.
Might work quite well if you've got a commute that fits with the range.
Spoke to one of the guys from NYA Bikes at the last bike show. Had a good, I never did take him up on his offer of a test ride but as far as dealers go they made a good impression on me.
Might work quite well if you've got a commute that fits with the range.
Spoke to one of the guys from NYA Bikes at the last bike show. Had a good, I never did take him up on his offer of a test ride but as far as dealers go they made a good impression on me.
Commuting is where its at for EV bikes. Just don't understand why the manufacturers are focussing on more traditional motorcycles and not scooters.
For commuting you want comfort, convenience and ecconomical. You don't care about range that much as long as it gets you to work and back so for the majority 100miles would be plenty. The only decent one I can find on the market is the BMW. It's certainly not cheap and as far as I can tell hasn't been updated for a couple of years which in this market is forever.
Electric T max type thing at around £8k is what I'm waiting for.
For leisure/ fun range anxiety would kill it for me so we're years away. The noise thing is irrelevant. When we moved from horses to ICE we didn't have someone with coconut shells for the traditional sound. They'll make electric sports vehicles sound good soon it'll just be a different sound to what we're used to.
For commuting you want comfort, convenience and ecconomical. You don't care about range that much as long as it gets you to work and back so for the majority 100miles would be plenty. The only decent one I can find on the market is the BMW. It's certainly not cheap and as far as I can tell hasn't been updated for a couple of years which in this market is forever.
Electric T max type thing at around £8k is what I'm waiting for.
For leisure/ fun range anxiety would kill it for me so we're years away. The noise thing is irrelevant. When we moved from horses to ICE we didn't have someone with coconut shells for the traditional sound. They'll make electric sports vehicles sound good soon it'll just be a different sound to what we're used to.
I rode one with these guys
https://www.englishelectricmotorco.com/zero-motorc...
I was very impressed with it. It looked like you could plug it into a "normal" supermarket/car park/petrol station type charger, but if you ask them I'm sure they can tell you.
No affiliation by the way.
https://www.englishelectricmotorco.com/zero-motorc...
I was very impressed with it. It looked like you could plug it into a "normal" supermarket/car park/petrol station type charger, but if you ask them I'm sure they can tell you.
No affiliation by the way.
thatdude said:
For commuting they could be a good option.
In what way? How are they any better than the thousands of commuter options out there already? Heavier, less range, do they attract any less congestion charge or tax? Can they carry more stuff? One could argue quiet bikes in the city are a liability with regards to dozy pedestrians.
If you don’t like changing gears, there’s auto and dct bikes now.
I just don’t see what electric brings to the motorbike party. They seem to be trying to cure a problem that doesn’t exist.
In cars, the weight can be hidden and you can get spectacular straight line performance. But on bikes, you make a 300kg bike with a 70 mile range and that handles badly.
They’ve had electric mix bikes for quite a while now, and they’ve not taken either. The trials bikes for kids, maybe a bit better, but eventually they grow up and need to learn the gears! Even the TT gave up with them. Moto E this year was soon binned. Just too compromised on 2 wheels.
Just looked up that BMW scooter thing. 3s to 30mph, 26 or 48 hp, 100 mile range, 3 hours to charge at fast charger, 275 kg......yes that’s like a fully fuelled up sports bike with a passenger on already! Oh, and it’s 15k!
I think it’s the simple physics of energy density of the batteries vs the overall weight a a motorbike.
Even if they started making them of unobtanium and carbon fibre, they’ll never get the, to be anything other than f
king heavy. Edited by poo at Paul's on Tuesday 24th November 17:01
Current EV bikes do seem a bit too early. One of the posters in the EV section linked are article about a new battery technology announcement and no one batted and eyelid (and quickly argued about hydrogen, as usual...) but the stand out bit from me was the energy density per kilo was about 50% better. If that's the state of the near future then I think I'll stick to petrol for a while longer on four wheels and a lot longer on two.
Zero bikes look great, but that's a lot of money that could buy some funkier toys and a lot of petrol.
Zero bikes look great, but that's a lot of money that could buy some funkier toys and a lot of petrol.
To be honest I'd have a Zero tomorrow for my commute if the cost new was comparable to a normal "commuter" bike such as a NC750, maybe I'd pay a little extra even. They are probably ideal for what I do, a 60 odd round commute with very little weekend work.
However being 20k and up (not just Zero but Livewire etc) puts it's well outside my calculations. For myself I like a bike to pay for itself within 3-4 years against the train costs, otherwise I may as well sit on the train and watch Netflix. My current commuter is a 125, making commuting even cheaper as fuel costs are minor at about £8 per week, bike was £3k new so even the complete costs with insurance, wear and tear etc doesn't approach the £19 return on the train.
However what of course may scupper all this is taxation outside our control, I'm constantly surprised that Mayor Khan in London hasn't as yet decided to congestion charge / ULEZ motorcycles at least to some degree perhaps the number of them is still too minor (although through lockdown there seems to be more wobblers out on liability plates). As soon as he thinks he can get away with charging say £5 a day (or road charging) for petrol bikes then electric bikes look more attractive.
However being 20k and up (not just Zero but Livewire etc) puts it's well outside my calculations. For myself I like a bike to pay for itself within 3-4 years against the train costs, otherwise I may as well sit on the train and watch Netflix. My current commuter is a 125, making commuting even cheaper as fuel costs are minor at about £8 per week, bike was £3k new so even the complete costs with insurance, wear and tear etc doesn't approach the £19 return on the train.
However what of course may scupper all this is taxation outside our control, I'm constantly surprised that Mayor Khan in London hasn't as yet decided to congestion charge / ULEZ motorcycles at least to some degree perhaps the number of them is still too minor (although through lockdown there seems to be more wobblers out on liability plates). As soon as he thinks he can get away with charging say £5 a day (or road charging) for petrol bikes then electric bikes look more attractive.
At the moment they're in a slightly weird spot of being expensive third bikes for people with plenty of spare income. I did 1,500 miles this year on a LiveWire and really enjoyed it - it handles really bloody well. It'll do 110 miles to a charge, or 70ish if you're sitting on a motorway. Someone said they're slow. That made me laugh – the LiveWire's bloody quick.
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