Has the perfect city bike/commuter arrived??

MacDoc

MacDoc

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http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-fx/

DO ANYTHING. RIDE ANYWHERE.
You’ve never experienced power and freedom like this. All those things you wished you could get away with... they just became possible. It is said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Just in case you find this to be true, hit the eco-switch... or don’t.
Delivering a nearly instantaneous 70 ft-lbs of torque, 44 hp and with a low weight of only 289 lbs, the Zero FX takes any type of riding to bold new levels. Stealthily ride at any hour of the day or night, on a motorcycle that distills riding into its most basic and adrenaline-pumping elements.
Tempting you to ride on any terrain that crosses your path, the Zero FX chassis hails from Zero Motorcycles’ championship-winning off-road heritage and features the most advanced Z-Force® technology yet.
Equipped with a maintenance-free powertrain, belt drive and fully modular power pack system, no riding time is wasted and each mile ridden only costs around a penny in electricity
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NEW FOR 2015
SHOWA SUSPENSION. ABS BRAKES.
All-new features and a host of refinements make one of the most dynamic motorcycles on the planet even more entertaining. Showa suspension keeps the bike perfectly balanced whether you’re pointed at the apex, powering over choppy terrain, or sailing along your favorite ribbon of singletrack. The upgraded suspension perfectly complements improved wheels clad with Pirelli Scorpion MT-90 tires for better traction on everything from smooth pavement to dirt roads.
The advanced Bosch anti-lock braking system (ABS) improves safety in a wide array of conditions, ensuring the best performance out of newly tuned hydraulic ratios. Of course, ABS can be disabled when the adventure leads off road. Riders will notice stylish mirrors that provide excellent rearward visibility and reduce motorcycle width. Comfortable new grips are made of a softer rubber compound, and a more robust throttle seamlessly controls the Z-Force® motor’s 70 ft-lbs of torque.
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Hmm - $3 a day to finance/own - basically zilch to run.
100 km commute.
Most commuter bikes get 20 km per litre.
Price in Canada or Australia $1.20 per litre.
$6.00 to run the ICE every day.
Be generous $3.50 to ride the Zero INCLUDES the purchase.

$9,845.00
As low as: $151/month
Electricity cost: $0.01 per mile
Power pack warranty: 5 y/50,000 mi
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This is almost a no brainer for some riders....and the power packs on some of the models are hot swappable in 1 minute.

I think this is my next bike in Canada - kid wants to split it - ideal commuter for him and nice break from the heavier street bikes.

This is almost a no brainer for some riders....and the power packs on some of the models are hot swappable in 1 minute.

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cool gallery pics
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/au/gallery
 
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Found this little gem in our Regulations:

Highway Traffic Act
Code de la route
R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 630
VEHICLES ON CONTROLLED-ACCESS HIGHWAYS
Consolidation Period: From July 25, 2013 to the e-Laws currency date.
Last amendment: O. Reg. 229/13.
This Regulation is made in English only.
1. (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall operate,
(a) a bicycle;
(b) a motorcycle having a cylinder swept volume of 50 cubic centimetres or less;
(c) a motorcycle driven by electricity stored in the vehicle;

(c.1) a limited-speed motorcycle, as defined in Ontario Regulation 340/94 (Drivers' Licences) made under the Act;
(c.2) a power-assisted bicycle;
(d) a motor assisted bicycle; or
(e) a wheelchair,
on those controlled-access highways and parts of controlled-access highways described in the Schedule. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 630, s. 1 (1); O. Reg. 598/05, s. 1; O. Reg. 368/09, s. 1.


Not sure why that hasn't been updated yet... food for thought!
 
Certainly needs to be.
And I wonder what the insurance companies will do charging by the CC.

We're going to do demos at Oakville Yamaha and get finance numbers.

With low interest rates and just about zero operating costs. This sounds like fun....and I REALLLLLY like the idea of a quiet bike.

Is there an equivalent rego for an electric vehicle??
 
I am seriously considering one of these if it can do real dirt bike duty 250lbs and 30 hp with one battery is not bad, just not sure of the suspension. Front seems about 3" short on travel rear seems ok.
 
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NEW FOR 2015
SHOWA SUSPENSION. ABS BRAKES.
All-new features and a host of refinements make one of the most dynamic motorcycles on the planet even more entertaining. Showa suspension keeps the bike perfectly balanced whether you’re pointed at the apex, powering over choppy terrain, or sailing along your favorite ribbon of singletrack. The upgraded suspension perfectly complements improved wheels clad with Pirelli Scorpion MT-90 tires for better traction on everything from smooth pavement to dirt roads.
The advanced Bosch anti-lock braking system (ABS) improves safety in a wide array of conditions, ensuring the best performance out of newly tuned hydraulic ratios. Of course, ABS can be disabled when the adventure leads off road. Riders will notice stylish mirrors that provide excellent rearward visibility and reduce motorcycle width. Comfortable new grips are made of a softer rubber compound, and a more robust throttle seamlessly controls the Z-Force® motor’s 70 ft-lbs of torque.
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Bit of a cross with a trials bike and light single track. Not a motocrosser.

The key to this is you need to be commuting and be willing to put reasonably serious KM on it to catch the fuel savings.

It's certainly a contender in high petrol price countries.

and does it go

[video=youtube;JD-W3kok4h4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-W3kok4h4&spfreload=10[/video]
 
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What's it cost to replace batt.? Fit's my commute distance and can plug it in overnight.

If it gets plated, give the ticket to the ministry....lol
 
It's a commuter you can take just about anywhere...not dedicated off road.

The battery gets 310,000 km before it drops to 80% capacity ...it's not a factor.

What I want is the quiet and the quick.

[video=youtube;ImeXO_cfoKk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=20&v=ImeXO_cfoKk[/video]

These videos are earlier bikes - nowhere near what the current crop wiil do.
 
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Pray tell us, how are these City Commuters going to charge this bike? Most don't have garages, if they do it's in a condo.
 
Nearly 10k in the States? What's the pricing here, especially with financing charges? At least the price/specs ratio looks decent. I think the streetbike was 15k or something like that, which really drew unfavourable comparisons.
 
$14k with the additional charginging pack.

It's for commuters not condo dwellers.

Y'know they live in burbs and work in another area. If you don't ride 100 km a day +/-20 andare a fair weather rider - won't pay.

If you want a silent quick fun bike to commute and take to the cottage ...this works the charm.
 
CruisnGrrl said:
Storage space seems lacking
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Which given that it's an electric bike may not be a bad thing.

Storage bags or cases add weight. Having them increases potential for more weight from crap carried in them. Ever seen the trunk contents in some people's cars? Same happens on a bike with bags or hard cases.

In any case more weight whether from storage compartments or crap carried in them means more battery drain, particularly in city driving with frequent stop-and-go traffic.
 
CruisnGrrl said:
I need storage for a commuter.
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These things still have have abysmal range as it is. Weight it down and that range decreases to the point where it becomes a very short range commuter.

The specs for the ZERO FX ZF2 shows a range of as little as 24 km. I assume that is under average conditions on smooth pavement. Colder weather will reduce that. Rough roads will reduce it. Increasing battery age will reduce it too.

Electric bikes are a great idea and one I would like to try, but not with the current range capabilities.
 
Some quick math. I know apples & oranges but ...

Zero = $15,000.00

Used Ninja 650 = $5,000.00
10,000kms per year = 500lites @ $1.20 = $600.00/year
Unlimited range!

Again, tell me how this works out? Even if purchasing a new gas-powered example.

Please don't bother with the environmental this and that, electrics are only off-loading the effect elsewhere. It all sounds great, and one day will make total sense, but the reality just isn't here quite yet.
 
griff2 said:
These things still have have abysmal range as it is. Weight it down and that range decreases to the point where it becomes a very short range commuter.

The specs for the ZERO FX ZF2 shows a range of as little as 24 km. I assume that is under average conditions on smooth pavement. Colder weather will reduce that. Rough roads will reduce it. Increasing battery age will reduce it too.

Electric bikes are a great idea and one I would like to try, but not with the current range capabilities.
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The specs on the the bike original post indicate a 70 mile range. I'm assuming that's with minimal traffic. The range makes it a commuter not a tourer
 
My neighbours went through this same math and ended up with a Nissan Leaf.

There's an incentive program where its something like $8500 down and $150 a month.

Theres also government subsidies of $8500 and theyll cover the cost of the fast charger in your garage.

The subsidy covers the upfront payment and they say that they save at least $150 in gas a month.

Free car they say. The husband uses it for his 30k each way commute and has been doing so for a year without issue. Charge it over night, but he says he uses about half the charge during the commute.
 
MacDoc you say you want a quiet bike. But what about the loud pipes save lives gang surely this would be a death trap for them??? lol
 
hedo2002 said:
MacDoc you say you want a quiet bike. But what about the loud pipes save lives gang surely this would be a death trap for them??? lol
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Don't get people started! It's my new "get rich" scheme. I'm going to sell solar powered speakers that wire into the speed gauge of the ebike, then emit matching loud exhaust sounds through said speakers! $$$$ cha-ching! Shark Tank that $#!t
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