R1200RS + R1250RS Forum
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The first half of this article discusses a ride around Paris by a group of electric motorcycle owners. (I note that some of the morning street people in Paris were drunk and stoned while others were yelling and throwing things at the riders as they rode by. Sounds just like San Francisco to me.) The last half of the article describes the thrill of riding an electric-powered bug. Talk about the exact opposite of any other motorcycle. Personally I wouldn't be caught dead sitting on that thing, much less riding one. But I give Johammer points for thinking out of the box
Current motorcycle collection: 2002 Yamaha FZ1; 2005 Triumph Bonneville T-100; 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500; 2009 BMW F650GS; 2016 BMW R1200RS; 2011 Zero S 16.6 kWh
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Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:08 am (Last edited: Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:15 am)
Zitat von Holger im Beitrag #2 I am riding my fifth electric motorcycle and my third Zero. The first two GPR-S motorcycles were assembled in Oakland, CA by Electric Motorsport in 2009/10, using an Asian Tiger chassis. The first one lasted for only 300 miles before the BMS melted down and the second one lasted for 1300 miles before its batteries died. However, I have been very happy with all of my Zeros. The 2012 ran flawlessly, but the entire 2012 production was ultimately recalled by Zero last month as they had a tendency to catch fire when charging. My 2014 Zero was very reliable and my daughter still rides it several times a week. I once managed to ride it 140 miles on a single charge when it was new. However, its fully adjustable suspension was made by Fast Ace in Taiwan and left something to be desired. My current Zero is a 2018 "S" model with a Power Tank (an additional battery located where a gas tank is located on gas-powered motorcycles) and has a claimed (nominal) electrical capacity of 16.6 kWh. Zero claims a range of about 200 miles, but that is at a speed of about 35 mph. At posted freeway speeds, the range is more like 100 miles. The bike weighs 452 pounds and has a top speed of 98 mph, which will drop to 70 mph if the motor starts overheating as it will eventually when ridden at full throttle. The suspension is still fully adjustable, but is now made by Show and works quite well, better than the ESA system on my RS. The bike costs about two cents per mile to operate and requires no visits to the dealer to maintain. Zero provides free BMS and MMB firmware updates for their bikes via cell phone/internet link, which takes about 30 minutes to download while the bike sits in my garage. Acceleration between 30 and 80 mph feels about the same as the RS in third gear. I have the "S" model, but they also make an "SR" that has about 50% more torque (something like 115 pound-feet), which really takes off when the throttle is opened. Unfortunately, electric motorcycles are not cheap. I paid about the same for my Zero as I did for my RS and Zero's "SR" model will run you about the same as an RT. Current motorcycle collection: 2002 Yamaha FZ1; 2005 Triumph Bonneville T-100; 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500; 2009 BMW F650GS; 2016 BMW R1200RS; 2011 Zero S 16.6 kWh |
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Thank you for your detailed report.
Regards,
Holger Moderator and Admin |
Zitat von Holger im Beitrag #4 I agree electric motorcycles are still too expensive if you use them just for fun and riding on trips. For those purposes an IC (internal combustion) motorcycle makes more economic sense. However, an electric motorcycle can be justified if you have a daily commute into a city where you might get a break on parking and recharging, plus you know that you can always make it there and back home on a single charge. Of course it is also true that I live in California, where it rarely rains and never snows, so I can ride my motorcycles almost ever day. My Zero has almost completely replaced my car for shopping, visiting relatives (free charging, LOL), and many other chores that I used to drive my car to. Right now I am only driving my car 300 miles a year and at that rate my car will outlast me. So my car replacement budget now goes to buying a new Zero every few years. 
Current motorcycle collection: 2002 Yamaha FZ1; 2005 Triumph Bonneville T-100; 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500; 2009 BMW F650GS; 2016 BMW R1200RS; 2011 Zero S 16.6 kWh
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I’m not quite ready to give up my internal combustion engines on motorcycles, but I use the heck out of the 48v golf cart we have on the farm. We had a small cargo bed attached to the back and use it to bring tools to a work area or to haul refuse. It will even pull a small trailer. We use it daily and usually only charge it twice a week...
“I would rather be ashes than dust!" ~ Jack London
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Zitat von Richard230 im Beitrag #3 I thought the Zero sounded really good, until the last line.
I would like to apologize to anyone I have NOT offended. Please be patient. I will get to you shortly.
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Zitat von Aussie Import im Beitrag #7Zitat von Richard230 im Beitrag #3 I should have said that their most powerful and battery-heavy models are not cheap. However, they do have versions that cost around that of Japanese 600 cc IC class bikes. You just can't go as far on those models, which makes them fine for commuting and local trips. I might add that I received a $1,800 check (10% of the purchase price) from the IRS for purchasing my Zero last year and also received a $900 check from the state of California (for the purchase of any freeway-legal electric motorcycle) as a reward for purchasing my bike, so that cut my overall cost.
Current motorcycle collection: 2002 Yamaha FZ1; 2005 Triumph Bonneville T-100; 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500; 2009 BMW F650GS; 2016 BMW R1200RS; 2011 Zero S 16.6 kWh
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