ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Snafuperman on October 24, 2018, 11:12:46 PM
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I've been looking for a used Zero for months (Craigslist and CycleTrader) and only saw one for sale in the Phoenix/Tucson area. This could imply the following:
- Not many sold
- People keep them for a long time after purchasing
- People trade them in when going to a newer bike
- All of the above ??
- Other reasons?
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Your conclusions are probably right, given that Zeros lifetime sales are in the range of 10,000 bikes.
However, there are least 29 used Zeros on cycle trader right now, throughout the US. Shipping can be had for $200-1000 from about anywhere, which is what I did.
Good luck.
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Because from 2013 the bikes are good enough for most owners and the price is really high to just say: I'm gonna get the new model.
Or is it just me not being able to confince myself it's really needed to upgrade because the new model...... 8)
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I've been looking for a used Zero for months (Craigslist and CycleTrader) and only saw one for sale in the Phoenix/Tucson area. This could imply the following:
- Not many sold
- People keep them for a long time after purchasing
- People trade them in when going to a newer bike
- All of the above ??
- Other reasons?
Some combination of the above. Chances are slim of finding a used one in your local area - you have to either be lucky or cast a wider net. I guess it falls under the category of "People keep them for a long time after purchasing" that the resale value is not believed to be very good nor are there a lot of buyers, so some people may not even try listing them for private sale.
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Also what limits the used sales market: If there's no dealership in your area then there is no way to maintain the IPM motor bikes (2016 and newer) which have a regular 8000mi interval for programming as a safety consideration.
There's a lot of happy MY2015 and earlier owners out there who won't understand this side of the argument, or MY2016+ riders that don't perceive there to be any problem. What happens when your bike malfunctions because of a missed service? The motor can fail in uncontrollable acceleration or deceleration, or nothing adverse will happen. This can contribute to a fatal riding situation and besides that I've experienced this myself, I also see symptoms of it reported by others who were told that the bikes require no maintenance (or a problem with access to a local dealer) so they never did the maintenance interval.
I expect we won't hear much about this because of how few Zero Motorcycles bikes MY2016+ have been on the road long enough to get past a few of these intervals.
I did reach out to Zero Motorcycles to try and obtain the tools needed to get this service done on my own bike. The answer was very much circular insisting that there is no such issue maintaining the bikes, that owners can buy all the tools necessary to maintain the bike as directed in the owners manual, but that the tool required for doing the service listed in the owners manual was not for sale.
This email exchange ended with "Thank you for your email. I am sorry to say that we’ll have to disagree on a number of points below, and I don’t want to enter into an email argument with you. In the meantime, I know the sales team is looking for a new dealer in your area and I am told they might be added in as short as a couple months."
I should also mention that I've been advised to start a lawsuit, to do this or that, and honestly I just want Zero Motorcycles to produce a vehicle that can be maintained without access to a dealership.
Why would anyone buy this bike when they cannot maintain its secret software? Software is not like physical parts, one cannot simply swap out pieces of it.
I suppose for that reason we will see the MY2016+ used market struggle in the 10 and 20 year outlook. If for instance Zero Motorcycles were to encounter some kind of unforseen action which invalidates its dealership contracts, we're all (MY2016+) totally screwed for support. You can't just take an IPM motor off a wrecked bike and slap it into another of the same model year bike, it requires programming from a dealership and even if they have the tool they also need an active service account with Zero Motorcycles.
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I should also mention that I've been advised to start a lawsuit, to do this or that, and honestly I just want Zero Motorcycles to produce a vehicle that can be maintained without access to a dealership.
I assume you're familiar with the recent John Deere software controversy ?
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Why couldn't the "conditioning" program be accomplished via a MMB firmware update, assuming that no physical settings have to be adjusted? Why couldn't a firmware program "condition" the motor as you rode along? My recollection is that when the 2012 motors were suffering the "glitch" due to loosing magnetic synchronization, Zero was able to make them self-adjusting via a recall program and a dealer-installed software update. ???
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I assume you're familiar with the recent John Deere software controversy ?
Yep. I have insisted on opensource software for my day-to-day needs about 20+ years now. That I even took a chance on buying a Zero Motorcycle vehicle (I wanted EV on a budget... never had a bike before and needed better range / Level 2 charging rate per mile than the next cheapest EV a used Nissan Leaf available in 2016) is based on not fully understanding that "commissioning" required as an interval service in the owner manual is dealer-only and that Zero Motorcycles fails to support their customers in that regard. Otherwise I've had pretty good support from individual people at Zero Motorcycles, but I am aware of a cultural problem at Zero and the market relationship to Dealerships. This was all new ground for me to work through in 2 years of ownership. I have arrived at a conclusion that Zero Motorcycles vehicles in the absence of authorized Dealerships are disposable toys. That it is proprietary and blackbox software running the computers is not as much of a problem for me as the dumpster fire of support issues that cannot and never will be addressed either by omission ("My bike has been great to ride for a few miles once a year, I don't notice any problems, I will never upgrade the firmware"), negligence ("The moto dealership told me there is no service needed so I am not going to"), or willful failure to support the customer ("No that service tool is not for sale. Go Away. Goodbye. Stop talking to us about this.").
Why couldn't the "conditioning" program be accomplished via a MMB firmware update, assuming that no physical settings have to be adjusted? Why couldn't a firmware program "condition" the motor as you rode along? My recollection is that when the 2012 motors were suffering the "glitch" due to loosing magnetic synchronization, Zero was able to make them self-adjusting via a recall program and a dealer-installed software update. ???
That would be awesome for the IPM platform. I would still "feel" a bit weird about having proprietary software but it would be acceptable as a product, to have a built-in calibration routine.
Previously the routine was to put the bike on a hoist to get the drive wheel spinning freely, start the laptop program connected to the bike with dealer cables, and twist the throttle while watching the laptop software graph plot while dots appear based on the parameters. When enough of the dots are appearing within a bounding box on the graph, the calibration is complete.
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Thanks for the replies.
I've been sitting on the fence, as far as buying a Zero. Now you guys are making me want to jump down on the "no sale" side of the fence. ;)
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It's really unsurprising if you look at the used motorcycle market in general, and at EV adoption in general.
Aside from the most popular bikes, it's hard to find many of any particular model. Bikes don't sell well in the US so it's much harder to find anything than it would to find a similar car.
And this bike is electric. Electric cars are what, less than 1% of the car market? Electric motos are even less popular.
The type of person to buy one is not usually the type of person to sell it quickly, especially since with no real competition and no significant changes in 7 years there's little reason to upgrade.
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Thanks for the replies.
I've been sitting on the fence, as far as buying a Zero. Now you guys are making me want to jump down on the "no sale" side of the fence. ;)
Just buy.
The amount of people on forums that are happy are always less.
Most look for a forum to find answers for something going wrong.
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dennis-NL has it right: Ride more, worry less.
All vehicles these days are loaded with millions of lines of code of proprietary software that cannot be self-serviced, and is unlikely ever to be for reasons of trade secrets, liability and lack of interest.
People are throwing money at new Teslas left and right, despite their shaky financial position. What will Tesla owners do if all dealers disappear overnight? To them (and most of us), the vehicle is worth the gamble.
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If Zero provides substantial upgrades, folks like me will trade in or sell and upgrade immediately. Other than the top heavy charge tank, and the incremental upgrade to the 14.4 battery pack, changes have been basically nil for a few years. New colors, mainly. This owner hopes that soon ( but not 2019, alas) Zero offers options that pretty much every major moto manufacturer in the western world offers, even scooter company Vespa for crying out loud!: traction control, for sure. Cruise control, TPM, ambient thermometer, fairing, real windscreen, heated grips, options to place the bars into a truly upright touring position ( they shortened the cables in 2018 making that impossible on my S, WTF?!?). Check out semi active suspension on a BMW or Duc. It will blow your mind. Yo Zero, are you listening? People aren't buying Zeroes to save money, at least in the US. Make a better moto and we WILL buy it.
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If Zero provides substantial upgrades, folks like me will trade in or sell and upgrade immediately. Other than the top heavy charge tank, and the incremental upgrade to the 14.4 battery pack, changes have been basically nil for a few years. New colors, mainly. This owner hopes that soon ( but not 2019, alas) Zero offers options that pretty much every major moto manufacturer in the western world offers, even scooter company Vespa for crying out loud!: traction control, for sure. Cruise control, TPM, ambient thermometer, fairing, real windscreen, heated grips, options to place the bars into a truly upright touring position ( they shortened the cables in 2018 making that impossible on my S, WTF?!?). Check out semi active suspension on a BMW or Duc. It will blow your mind. Yo Zero, are you listening? People aren't buying Zeroes to save money, at least in the US. Make a better moto and we WILL buy it.
The "semi-active" ESA suspension on my BMW R1200RS doesn't work as well as the Showa suspension on my 2018 Zero. It is very harsh over small bumps and only has two damping selections, "road" and "dynamic". And you can hardly tell the difference between the two settings. Plus, the ESA button-adjustable preload setting only functions occasionally. >:( As far as I am concerned it was a waste of money. I should have bought the standard manual suspension, instead of the ESA system. But even that option is not nearly as adjustable as the one installed on my Zero. However, I will admit that the BMW brakes are very much better than what comes on a Zero.
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If you have any interest in a 2016 Zero SR send me a PM. Want to get rid of it and just haven't gotten around to posting it.
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Richard, regarding your BMW, I think what you are experiencing is due to BMW's trick paralever and telelever suspension, and is completely unrelated to BMW's semiactive suspension, which they call dynamic ESA.
I've logged tens of thousands of miles on BMWs with and without dynamic ESA. All transmit small bumps that conventional suspension absorbs. It's really striking at first - you feel every seam in the pavement, and many riders just hate it. So what's the benefit? The upside is no brake dive and some other advantages.
How does the BMW semi-active compare with their standard suspension? Definitely better with. Neither is plush, but the semi-active is simply amazing in keeping the bike even and under control on very rough roads, especially at speed.
Try a Duc.
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Richard, regarding your BMW, I think what you are experiencing is due to BMW's trick paralever and telelever suspension, and is completely unrelated to BMW's semiactive suspension, which they call dynamic ESA.
I've logged tens of thousands of miles on BMWs with and without dynamic ESA. All transmit small bumps that conventional suspension absorbs. It's really striking at first - you feel every seam in the pavement, and many riders just hate it. So what's the benefit? The upside is no brake dive and some other advantages.
How does the BMW semi-active compare with their standard suspension? Definitely better with. Neither is plush, but the semi-active is simply amazing in keeping the bike even and under control on very rough roads, especially at speed.
Try a Duc.
My bike has a conventional "upside-down" fork (made by Sachs), not a Telelever system. The Telelever that I had on my ESA-equipped 2007 R1200R worked better than the system on the 2016 RS. Plus, it had three damping positions, instead of two. However the conventional fork system of the RS does handle more precisely than the Telelever, in my opinion. It just doesn't give as comfortable a ride. ??? This is a common complaint of RS owners on the forum.
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K. Sorry I was wrong about your experience.
Still this rider found BMW's semiactive suspension to be by far well worth the price and would pay for it on a Zero, if offered.
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I am thinking about getting a Zero. The MPGe is what appeals to me. I want to stop dumping as much carbon as I do now. I would use it for commuting and some highway trips to see my gf about 30-40 miles away. The idea of a used one appeals to me, but some of the complaints give me pause. Why do you want to be rid of your 2016 SR, ultrar?
If you have any interest in a 2016 Zero SR send me a PM. Want to get rid of it and just haven't gotten around to posting it.
nr?
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Great surprise, maybe not read the related threads. Is it right that 2016+ models have this IPM motor thad needs periodic maintenance, otherwise it may run crazy? Isn't this a kind of programmed obsolescence? Since older models can run forever without any motor trimming...
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Great surprise, maybe not read the related threads. Is it right that 2016+ models have this IPM motor thad needs periodic maintenance, otherwise it may run crazy? Isn't this a kind of programmed obsolescence? Since older models can run forever without any motor trimming...
This is preventative maintenance like valve clearance checks.
Normally there’s nothing to correct, but ensuring controller field alignment is critical to power delivery and avoiding a mechanical wear on the motor.
It’s a very fast piece of maintenance but unfortunately still requires a dealer visit for now.
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Please read zeromanual.com’s buyers guide in addition to forums. Forums tend to amplify complaints and troubles rather than amplifying understanding and knowledge.
https://zeromanual.com/wiki/Potential_Buyers_Guide
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This is a good time for demos because dealers are unloading them for new models.
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Agree with what a couple have said, forums will have a much higher concentration of problems because that's why people go to forums. I'll be a voice of satisfaction and no issues with my 2018 S. New, I know, but I do think there are many many more people happy with their Zeros than those having issues. Most Zero owners are not even on this, or any, forum, so meaningful statistics are hard to get. If you want a Zero get one, they are awesome.
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They last a long time and the thrill never gets old
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I'm another satisfied custom. I think Zero makes the best commuter bikes you can buy.
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Thank you all for posting.
All I can say at this moment is that I'm leaning towards the purchase of a Zero, only because it's the one type of bike I've never owned. Of the 52 bikes I've owned (I currently have eight) I've had scooters, sport bikes, standards, street fighters, cruisers, dual sports, sport tourers. Well, I've also never owned a large bagger or a pure dirt bike -- never had the desire for either of those types.
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I'm another satisfied custom. I think Zero makes the best commuter bikes you can buy.
Either that or my BMW C Evolution Scooter, which really does have no routine maintenance that can't be performed by the owner. Pretty trouble-free as well from a repair standpoint.
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Either that or my BMW C Evolution Scooter, which really does have no routine maintenance that can't be performed by the owner. Pretty trouble-free as well from a repair standpoint.
The large scooters (>650 cc) are very heavy. In the 600+ lbs range. I know they don't "feel" that heavy due to the low CG, but still . . . 600 lbs?
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I think your best bet is buying a used demo from a shop outside of California. That is what I did and a large discount. Zero demos a lot of bikes since they are relatively new and electric, so dealers are always turning over year old bikes.
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Either that or my BMW C Evolution Scooter, which really does have no routine maintenance that can't be performed by the owner. Pretty trouble-free as well from a repair standpoint.
The large scooters (>650 cc) are very heavy. In the 600+ lbs range. I know they don't "feel" that heavy due to the low CG, but still . . . 600 lbs?
My EV scooter @ 606# is slightly heavier than it's 650cc ICE counterpart (549#). Could have been a design target or something like that. The shared running gear and bodywork is all pretty substantial. Triple disks, ABS, full size suspension components, etc. Doesn't really impact the use - especially since it has reverse!
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There are a couple of used bikes on the market (some working, some sold for parts), but i think buyers are not willing to buy bikes past the commercial warranty period (5 years). After that period, any issue on the battery or the engine will cost you the value of the bike, and it seems to be much more frequent than with the typical ICE bike.
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There are a couple of used bikes on the market (some working, some sold for parts), but i think buyers are not willing to buy bikes past the commercial warranty period (5 years). After that period, any issue on the battery or the engine will cost you the value of the bike, and it seems to be much more frequent than with the typical ICE bike.
If that was true, there should be plenty on the market, since sellers would have no buyers, and they'd just be listed month after month. Lack of listings means owners are holding onto them, or the listings are being deleted quickly since the bikes have been sold.
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There are a couple of used bikes on the market (some working, some sold for parts), but i think buyers are not willing to buy bikes past the commercial warranty period (5 years). After that period, any issue on the battery or the engine will cost you the value of the bike, and it seems to be much more frequent than with the typical ICE bike.
If that was true, there should be plenty on the market, since sellers would have no buyers, and they'd just be listed month after month. Lack of listings means owners are holding onto them, or the listings are being deleted quickly since the bikes have been sold.
I think some people quit trying to sell, or don't bother listing in the first place based on what little data there is on resale value. Personally, this makes me lean more toward hanging on the the bike rather than selling it for peanuts.
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Counterquestion
What would you spend as a Zero owner for a 2014-2015 Zero with 10-20,000 miles and how far would you drive for her to pick her up? 8)
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To tack on to Centra12's comment don't be scared to look regionally or even nation wide for bikes if the price is right.
I've used UShip for both of my Zeros and worked out fine. You need to be flexible on your time frame but the cost was less than half what most big shippers quoted me.
If you can save $2k on the bikes price and only pay $500 for shipping it's a no brainer.
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I think some people quit trying to sell, or don't bother listing in the first place based on what little data there is on resale value. Personally, this makes me lean more toward hanging on the the bike rather than selling it for peanuts.
That's true for me. I've got one of the very first 2014 SR's, and currently have ~43,000 miles on it. She's got some battle scars, but overall she's still performing like a champ, still extremely cheap to run, still a blast to ride.
Every once in a while I consider selling her and upgrading to a newer one for myself, but I haven't done it yet. A big part of the reason is my uncertainty about the used market. I don't want to give her away for essentially parts value when it feels to me like there's a lot of value left in her. On the other hand, she is considerably behind the times in terms of technology -- a big reason I want to upgrade is to get the new brakes, new suspension, IPM motor, etc., and it kind of feels like I'd be dumping it on somebody.
So I'm a little bit conflicted emotionally. (Hey, nobody ever said feelings made any sense!) I want to move on to the newer technology, but I'm not quite ready to make the jump, especially since I'd probably wind up taking at least a bit of a bath.
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Same here on my 13 DS and I did pick up a 17 DSR but there are things that I prefer on the older bike.
Those new forks give it a firmer more stable highway ride but the 13 feels lighter and quicker to turn with the smaller forks and spoke wheels.
Right now it's nice having a backup/weekend bike.
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I bought mine used for a bit over 8K after watching the used market closely for a few years now.
I found, at least in SF bay area, that Zero's worth buying come up very rarely and tend to be listed anywhere between 6-10k depending on which extras they have. I have seen a couple show up on listings, disappear (assuming sold) only to see the listing reappear months later, which suggests to me that there isn't a ton of serious interest in the used market.
Exceptions include some of the older bikes (pre-2013) that invariably have some sort of problem, either a completely dead battery or something about it rebuilt or replaced, or even a project needing a complete rebuild. Those tend to be listed for around 1-2k and disappear quickly.
I was willing to pay a bit more for mine because it did have a lot of add-ons I wanted anyways (corbin seat, top case, windshield, etc) The previous owner also delivered the bike to my door which saved me time and headache.
But it still feels like a lot for a used bike with no warranty, even if the same bike new would cost me 20k~ I feel like buying a used EV has a bit more risk than other vehicles. So hard to tell if something may be wrong with it, and if there is you'll surely have to pay a lot to repair it and can't do it yourself. You can repair an ICE bike yourself but if someone goes wrong on a used zero you're probably paying $2k~ on a new motor or controller or worse, new battery.
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An average price decline of 2000 € a year is normal in Europe if you want to sell them.
The rare 2013 models were sold at 5600 € but are very rare
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I had been looking for a used Zero for about 9 months. They would rarely pop up here in the northeast. And when they did, they'd be $10+ easy.
When I'd contact them, they'd all say "Blue Book says it's worth $11" or "I paid $18 for this, I can't let it go for less than..."
I'd tell them all, "I'm not saying you're bike isn't worth that, but it's not to me. Please let me know if you decide to drop the price."
In Sep, 2 bikes popped in the Philly area. An SR for $9900 and DSR for $9500. I contacted both, the DSR guy, although polite, is convinced he'll get $11+ for it in the spring and won't budge at all.
The SR was funny... responded with a counter, but still too high. I watched as the Craigslist ad kept dropping. Went to $8500, then $8000 and then last week dropped to $6999 and I was on the phone, called off work and rented a truck before 10 AM. Under $7k for less than 3k miles for a 2015 SR 12.5. No complaints here.
No idea what the guy with the DSR is going to get come spring, me thinks he's in for a rude awakening. I would have bought it had he dropped the price, but at the NY Motorcycle show, I sat on one, way too high for my comfort, glad I found an S-series. Must say, I have no need for the "r" but the price was right, it's just gonna be in Eco mode most of the time though.
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Good deal Pitt. At that price even if you had to replace the battery you paid less than new or at least close.
At some point the DIY crowd is going to figure out the parts and battery are worth more than what some of these bikes sell for, just like wrecked Teslas.
My local dealer drops the price by about $3500 every year and they get snatched up quick.
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FYI, there are 19 used 2015 + S/SR on Cycle Trader. I would not hesitate to by a low miles bike and have it shipped. I've done that for 3 of my last vehicles.
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Wow, that's a bad UI. I found it difficult, in Advanced Search, to even pick Zero Motorcycles, especially in Firefox. And there are a bunch of "used" 2019, listed, so I think there are some errors. I get 15 available S/SR/DS/DSR, nationwide USA, with this search, for 2015-2018:
https://www.cycletrader.com/2015-ZERO-DS-Zero-Motorcycles-Used-Motorcycles/motorcycles-for-sale?type=Motorcycle%7C356953&make=Zero%20Motorcycles%7C705321056&model=ZERO-DS%7C764969809%2CZERO-DSR%7C764969811%2CZERO-S%7C764864084%2CZERO-SR%7C764959264&condition=U&year=2015%3A2018&sort=price%3Aasc
Looks like there's a 2016 DSR for $7990 in Escondido CA. That seams like a good deal. There's an S for 8460 in Texas, and a SR for $9970 in Georgia. If I was buying another one at this point, I'd try Killroy's advice.
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I'm no longer looking to buy a Zero. This may change, of course, at some later date. Thank you for your replies -- they are much appreciated.
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Hmmm... in other words, you have not test-driven one?
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Hmmm... in simple words, I'm not looking to buy a Zero right now. Just like I said above. ;D
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It's fine. He's been an anxiety lurker for three years. I'm sure he'll lurk and create more anxiety-driven posts in the next three years.
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Is it really fine?
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Well this is not so unusual - i tried to sell my Zero a couple of times, and had similar with questions, wanting a test drive but in the end not ready to jump into the water. Not everybody is ready to go for a radically different product...
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I think your best bet is buying a used demo from a shop outside of California.
That sounds like a great tip. Why outside California? Smaller resale demand so the demos are extra discounted? I am IN California and the idea of riding it home does not appeal, though I suppose it can be shipped for $500ish.
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I think your best bet is buying a used demo from a shop outside of California.
That sounds like a great tip. Why outside California? Smaller resale demand so the demos are extra discounted? I am IN California and the idea of riding it home does not appeal, though I suppose it can be shipped for $500ish.
If you buy from outside CA, you will probably get stung with a high registration fee, which collects sales tax that the DMV figures that you didn't pay by buying outside the state. Also, any motorcycle that is purchased outside CA must have at least 7,500 miles on the clock to be registered here. Before you buy outside CA, check with the DMV to find out what issues and expenses you might have when registering the bike in CA.
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> ... any motorcycle that is purchased outside CA must have at least 7,500 miles on the clock to be registered here. Before you buy outside CA, check with the DMV to find out what issues and expenses you might have when registering the bike in CA.
I guess if you find one below 7500, you'll just have to have a epic road trip, take the long way home, to run up the odometer before it gets registered.
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> ... any motorcycle that is purchased outside CA must have at least 7,500 miles on the clock to be registered here. Before you buy outside CA, check with the DMV to find out what issues and expenses you might have when registering the bike in CA.
I guess if you find one below 7500, you'll just have to have a epic road trip, take the long way home, to run up the odometer before it gets registered.
I have a friend who bought a Buell Blast from Florida (don't ask me why). The bike was used as a trainer at an H-D shop and only had about 3,500 miles on the clock. Somehow he managed to rig up an electronic device that was able to add another 4K miles to the odometer and then was able to get it registered in CA.
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I don't condone that, but from a technical point of view, it would just be a matter of locating the sensor that triggers each time the wheel goes around, and triggering it repeatedly.
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Zero have also been buying back older models. I think up to 2014, gets a buyback from Zero. So long as you are buying another one. The buy back on 2013 and older is generous.
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Not in Europe...
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It's 2012 and earlier, partly because of the EIG cells in 2012 but earlier models are all very tiny production batches that differ too much per year so are just uneconomical to support.
2013 models are still supported and are part of the current platform, aside from issues like the dash and onboard charging setups.
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Zero have also been buying back older models.
That is a pretty brilliant strategy if true. Make sure only the latest bikes represent your brand.
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From what I've seen Zero HAD a buyback program for early adopters (pre-2013 bikes) upgrading in 2014 but that program is no longer active.
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From what I've seen Zero HAD a buyback program for early adopters (pre-2013 bikes) upgrading in 2014 but that program is no longer active.
They were offering new-old-stock 2014 models at the end of 2015.
I would not assume that the end of the formally announced program
means that they are no longer doing it. It's probably a lower-profile
case-by-case thing these days.
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I think your best bet is buying a used demo from a shop outside of California.
That sounds like a great tip. Why outside California? Smaller resale demand so the demos are extra discounted? I am IN California and the idea of riding it home does not appeal, though I suppose it can be shipped for $500ish.
If you buy from outside CA, you will probably get stung with a high registration fee, which collects sales tax that the DMV figures that you didn't pay by buying outside the state. Also, any motorcycle that is purchased outside CA must have at least 7,500 miles on the clock to be registered here. Before you buy outside CA, check with the DMV to find out what issues and expenses you might have when registering the bike in CA.
I guess I ignored that rule. My Zero registered in CA was bought from Louisiana with 800 miles on it. You pay sales tax either way.
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FYI, I just looked at Cycle Trader and there are some good deals on 2018s.
Also, when the new model comes out, the used market should drop in value.