Dimitry
As to using snow tires, I can only go by your emails to me that you were buying Michelin snow tires. I cannot know what you did, only what you told me you were going to do.
As to range of a ZEV vs a Zero , you do not understand what you are writing about. If you are going to quote ranges and specs, make it an apples and apples test vs test. We do not publish the City test you quote on the Zero for the ZEV because the tests are so misleading to would be customers to the point of being a joke.
Go to the Zero page
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/specs.php The ZEV 140 mile / 225 range is at a steady 55 mph, flat land as per the same tests ZERO uses for their 55 mile range. Using the exact same test, the ZERO advertises 115 miles / 185 km. So by the ZERO web site, they advertise that under the same test, they get 40 less km range than a ZEV. You understand that? Less range claimed by Zero in the same government tests.
So you can see that in the 55 mph test, ZEV beats the ZERO, even with its power tank, by 25 miles / 40 km. A 15.3 kw Power Pack gets beaten by a 10 kw ZEV.
Now you say that you believe that the 298 km range of the Zero in City test should be real world, and not a 55 mph flat land test. You could not be more wrong as follows.
You quoted the 298 km range of the ZERO in the “city†driving test. Click on the ? behind the word city and you will get “A “City†range test is specified to determine riding range during “stop-and-go†operation typically found in urban areas. This estimate is provided following the SAE J2982 Riding Range Test Procedure for On-Highway Electric Motorcycles to provide a reasonable and consistent basis for manufacturers to inform prospective owners of the riding range that can be expected under specified operating conditions. Actual range will vary based upon riding conditions and habits.â€
So now you need to look up the SAE J2982 test. Go to
http://www.mic.org/downloads/MIC-recommended-practice-riding-range-test-procedure-for-on-hwy-electric-motorcycles-042412.pdf But then you see that you have to go to
http://www.epa.gov/oms/standards/light-duty/udds.htm What you learn is that
• This test is not driven on a road at all by an actual rider.
• This is not a road test.
• It is run on a dyno with no rider weight, no aerodynamic factors, etc. The throttle is not even used by a person, it is slaved to a computer.
• The speed used is
19.59 mph / 31.5 kmh
• The test sequence is for 7.45 miles / 12 km (and repeated until the bike shuts off)
• No braking is ever done
This is why there is the giant jump in the ZERO specs from the 55 mph test results to the City test results of a factor 1.6
But you are really focused on the City number that we do not advertise because of its misleading nature. You want apples and apples. So the ZEV results for the City test is 245 miles, 395 km. So in City test vs City test, we beat the Zero by 97 km. 97 km Dimitry. The higher torque at lower rpm of the ZEV gives us an advantage in this type of test.
Since all of these tests are done at EPA facilities and or under controlled circumstances, there is no funny business by either company.
As to a complaint that the storage lids coming open as being your fit and finish issue, I would assume that part of that is cold weather shrinking the plastic. But regardless, in your rear rack package that was not picked up are a set of parts to lock the lids to fix your issue.
Since you are willing to spend another $6,000 to get less range, perhaps you would like to use some of that fix your wish list. If you want more range than you already have, perhaps you should consider a Range Pack for the ZEV that can fit in the under seat compartment.
Your rear rack was returned from Latvia and is laying here waiting for you to tell us where you want it sent as per previous email to you. I am waiting for your instructions.