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[BSDThw]

Brammo says they will begin deliveries in October...

You forgot to mention what year; ups  

[NoiseBoy]

I dont understand why you would put 6 gears on an electric bike.  An electric motor is always in the 'sweet spot' and half the appeal is you don't need to change gears or more importantly change gear box oil and clutch plates etc. etc.

Maybe a 2 speed gearbox without a clutch that you could select when at a standstill to give you either an 'acceleration' gearing or a long distance cruising gearing.

[Richard230]

One reasonable explanation that I heard for using a 6-speed transmission was to limit the rpm change between shifts in order to reduce the stress on the motor and drive-train.

[JohnSki]

I think the real winner in this year’s line up is the FX ZF5.7.  It looks like Zero insiders from elmoto.net are really excited about it and are buying it themselves.  The other thing I see is it could grab sales from the XU and DS brands. The FX 5.7 is $1500 more than the XU 5.7.  This seems like a worthwhile upgrade.  The FX 5.7 is 88 lbs lighter than the DS 8.5 which is 66 lbs heavier than the 2012 DS ZFF6. I read about trikester not wanting the extra weight in the dirt. The DS tires look more street oriented than dirt/street oriented.

The Zero website just changed again to show the 2013 models much better.  It is very professionally done.  I really like how you can quickly change screens between models and click on bike colors to see the bike change.

I like that they are not exposing the battery charger on the XU to wheel debris anymore.

I was looking at the high res pictures and it appears to me that Zero may have fixed the problem with the mirrors also.

[protomech]

They certainly seem like they extend farther out.

[machone]

Hello!

New here but recognise some of the names from the Brammo and Elmoto forums!

Just placed an order for a 2013 Zero S ready February! 

I think the 2013 lineup for Zero looks great and I'm impressed by the fact that they appeared without extreme hype. I test rode a 2012 S but was a bit disappointed by the acceleration curve(I now know it can be modified) and range. The 2013 specifications have changed enough that I had to place an order. I was holding out for an Empulse but the S looks better IMHO and will be perfect for my commute.

[ZeroSinMA]

Hello!

New here but recognise some of the names from the Brammo and Elmoto forums!

Just placed an order for a 2013 Zero S ready February! 

I think the 2013 lineup for Zero looks great and I'm impressed by the fact that they appeared without extreme hype. I test rode a 2012 S but was a bit disappointed by the acceleration curve(I now know it can be modified) and range. The 2013 specifications have changed enough that I had to place an order. I was holding out for an Empulse but the S looks better IMHO and will be perfect for my commute.

Bought a 2011 because I could not wait for the 2012s. Then bought a 2012 because I could not wait for the 2013s. Aaaaargh. Hey, Zero. Stop improving the bike so much so fast 

[RickSteeb]

Hello!

New here but recognise some of the names from the Brammo and Elmoto forums!

Just placed an order for a 2013 Zero S ready February! 

I think the 2013 lineup for Zero looks great and I'm impressed by the fact that they appeared without extreme hype. I test rode a 2012 S but was a bit disappointed by the acceleration curve(I now know it can be modified) and range. The 2013 specifications have changed enough that I had to place an order. I was holding out for an Empulse but the S looks better IMHO and will be perfect for my commute.

Congratulations!  I know just how you feel-- I bought a 2011 DS last Halloween, just 8 days before EICMA, and asked my dealer to hold off executing the deal until I got a look at the 2012 version.  I am SO glad I did, even though the wait until 23 January was painful!

[trikester]

Bought a 2010 DS, then a 2012 DS. Wow! I can hardly wait for the 2014's.

BTW - JohnSki, if you look at the photos I posted about my Utah ride you will see that after modifying the rear wheel to 17", I put very aggressive dual-sport rated Kenda K270 tires on front and rear. You're right about the bikes coming from the factory with very mellow tires. Not much traction in dirt, especially sand where I ride mostly. In fact I found the factory tires to be rather scary on some terrain.

Trikester

[machone]

Just had a look at the 2013 lineup 'in the flesh'. They look great. It really is a big change in styling. The S is perfect for my short legs (which is a relief as already ordered). They look and feel like more powerful ICE machines than their predecessors. Part of this presence is obviously extra weight which hopefully won't affect performance too much. Not sure about the storage 'pouch', it could do with a hard lid IMHO. Looking forward to riding mine in February.

[amahoser]

Where did you see out in person?

Jose Soriano

[machone]

Where did you see out in person?

Jose Soriano

Deepest darkest Europe, and it was in. It's quite squat feeling like many naked bikes but it reminded me of the Kawasaki Z750 to sit on. If it was a match performance wise that'd be something else but I'm expecting slightly better acceleration than 2012 models.

[kingcharles]

Where did you see out in person?

Jose Soriano

My guess is in Alkmaar at their EU headquarters. This is where they probably store the bikes between Intermot and EICMA.
This is why I could see the 2012 bikes there last year around the same time

[machone]

Alkmaar it was - I called in to firm up the order and I know they do good coffee!

I'm the first order for Holland!

I was only interested in the S but the DS and FX were there too. I really like the look of the S and the 54bhp (ish) power should bring the acceleration to around 350/400 ICE bikes which is fine. I'm sure I'll want the 2014/15 lot when they come out but it was difficult enough holding off on the 2012 models. Having seen the new models they do LOOK like quite a big jump, even if the performance reality is not that much. Having said that, apparently the 0-60 times have been reduced by around 3-4 seconds which is pretty respectable. I think the Empulse was in mind when the pricing was devised as there'll be quite a jump in price from the 2012 S, especially if the charger, pillion cover, lockable tank are extras.

I'm pretty excited about the order but I still think the price of these vehicles needs to come down. For the same money you can buy some very impressive ICE machinery. I realise that personally I'll probably get the money back in low fuel and maintenance within a few years, but that's still open for discussion. I also realise that it is new technology and the cost of early adoption is necessarily(for profit) high but it really is the ONLY aspect of the bike I have difficulty defending to my non EV sold friends and colleagues.  I think volume sales for these vehicles is all about opportunity cost.

[wainair]

Congrats on the order!  

I've had the same thing when talking about the bike with my friends. They all look at me like I am nuts when I mention the price. But then I go through and start talking about other bikes in that price range and I explain the technology, I can slowly talk them back in to thinking I'm only slightly nuts. LOL There is a premium for being a first adopter and it is one of the times I think it is reasonable to pay that cost. I'm convinced that once people see how nice electric drive is they won't want to ride/drive anything else. I know I don't!