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[EDoggN]

I've had the opportunity to have the Zero SR/F and Livewire on extended test drives (4 days each). I like the looks and handling of the Livewire a little better than the Zero, but the lack of L2 charging is a deal breaker.  The Zero is great bike, love the price and the tank storage. The lack of being able to pair your phone to the bike for music and navigation stinks.  I also feel better supporting a company that is fully invested in the development of Electric bikes, rather than Harley which I question if they are REALLY committed to the Livewire (could discontinue at any time).  Be interesting to see what both companies bring to the table for 2021 models. 

[MVetter]

I've had the opportunity to have the Zero SR/F and Livewire on extended test drives (4 days each). I like the looks and handling of the Livewire a little better than the Zero, but the lack of L2 charging is a deal breaker.  The Zero is great bike, love the price and the tank storage. The lack of being able to pair your phone to the bike for music and navigation stinks.  I also feel better supporting a company that is fully invested in the development of Electric bikes, rather than Harley which I question if they are REALLY committed to the Livewire (could discontinue at any time).  Be interesting to see what both companies bring to the table for 2021 models.

Have you test ridden an Energica as well?

[DonTom]

I've had the opportunity to have the Zero SR/F and Livewire on extended test drives (4 days each). I like the looks and handling of the Livewire a little better than the Zero, but the lack of L2 charging is a deal breaker.  The Zero is great bike, love the price and the tank storage. The lack of being able to pair your phone to the bike for music and navigation stinks.  I also feel better supporting a company that is fully invested in the development of Electric bikes, rather than Harley which I question if they are REALLY committed to the Livewire (could discontinue at any time).  Be interesting to see what both companies bring to the table for 2021 models.

The LW looks very well built. Looks great in reality, the photos don't do it justice. But is there any luggage available for the LW? There are several reasons why I don't care for the LW, but its looks is not one of them. But I prefer to ride bikes than to look at them.

The music and navigation coming  on the new bike are non-issues to me. I have a Garmin 395LM on both  my Zeros (I have a GPS system on every motorcycle I own). The 395LM cost less than $250.00 and I highly recommend it. It is designed for motorcycles. It has a built in Blue-Tooth Media Player and countless other features. My Nolan helmet has FM radio and more (and works surprisingly well!) so I have it all covered. I use this, which has a stop light which will activate with my Regen when the brakes are not touched. Has the Bluetooth for the GPS as well, for the music of your choice. Nolan helmet required. I have the Norlan N100-5.

You can also buy the TPMS sensors for  the GPS. I have that installed on both my Zeros (all my vehicles have a TPMS of one type or another). But the sensors are kinda expensive at $65.00 each and you need two. But they have replaceable batteries and work very well. It's one of the very best external TPMS systems, IMO. But it will NOT fit an Energica. The brake caliber will hit the valve unless the valves are changed. But this TPMS will fit the Energica. It has the smallest wheel sensors of all.  It just has to be separate from the GPS.

Also, you can make your own GPS  directories. I have one  named "J Charge Stns" for my Zeros. My Energica GPS has two directories for charging, the one for J charge stns and the other for "CCS Fast Charge".

I add to it with Plugshare info. every time I go to a new location.

I keep the GPS set for U-turns okay, shortest distance, freeway okay. I find that normally works best for electric bikes. But it can all be changed in a minute. I have "unpaved okay" only on my DS.

If you, or anybody here, does go the 395LM GPS route and need info. on how to set it up with your own directories and such for charging, I can help you with that here on line. It's quite simple after doing it one time and is very handy on electric bikes.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[DonTom]

Have you test ridden an Energica as well?

I would suggest only do that if you're ready to buy one!

Even though Richard was able to resist  the temptation somehow. But he gave an accurate review here when he said "too much everything except for range".   But I find by the time I am almost out of range I need a break anyway. And that is usually well within the range of a CCS charge station on most of my rides.  I am quite happy with the range of my SS9- as there are CCS chargers just about everywhere I wish to ride to anyway and a lot more are coming.

Almost every time I look at Plugshare I notice a new one. The last new one I noticed was just a few miles from my Auburn house. I go by there often, but they snuck  these  in without me noticing them until I checked Plugshare.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[EDoggN]

I have not had a chance to ride an Energica (no dealers in my area). Based on your input I’ll look more into it for sure.

I will say it was pretty convenient on the Livewire to select a destination on my phone, put the phone in my pocket, and use the LW screen for directions.  I’m sure there are better ways to do it, but this was pretty nice.

[Richard230]

There is a CCS in Pacifica? That was news to me.  Where is it?  Unfortunately much of Highway 1 is closed right now between Pescadero and Santa Cruz due to the ongoing fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which had extended west as far as the highway at some locations.

1227 Linda Mar Shopping Center, Pacifica, CA, 94044, Behind the Ross, by the Bank of America.

See here.


-Don-  Reno, NV

I saw those two stations being built and then watched them sit around and not turned on for a couple of years. When they were finally activated a few years ago it never occurred to me that they were CCS. They sure looked like L2 stations to me.  I shop at Safeway and go to the bank next to the facility at least once a week and have never seen anyone anywhere near the chargers, other than the semi-trucks unloading supplies at the back of the grocery store.  Talk about hiding the facility from the public. That location is pretty much devoid of traffic.

[Demoni]

I saw those two stations being built and then watched them sit around and not turned on for a couple of years. When they were finally activated a few years ago it never occurred to me that they were CCS. They sure looked like L2 stations to me.  I shop at Safeway and go to the bank next to the facility at least once a week and have never seen anyone anywhere near the chargers, other than the semi-trucks unloading supplies at the back of the grocery store.  Talk about hiding the facility from the public. That location is pretty much devoid of traffic.

Haha those stations are just up the street from me. Think they put them where they did for easy access to power (off the back of Safeway). A lot more people have discovered them, regularly see at least one in use.

[DonTom]

I saw those two stations being built and then watched them sit around and not turned on for a couple of years. When they were finally activated a few years ago it never occurred to me that they were CCS. They sure looked like L2 stations to me.  I shop at Safeway and go to the bank next to the facility at least once a week and have never seen anyone anywhere near the chargers, other than the semi-trucks unloading supplies at the back of the grocery store.  Talk about hiding the facility from the public. That location is pretty much devoid of traffic.

L2 ChargePoint charge stations are thin. The thicker ones, more the size of a gas pump, are usually CCS on one side and CHAdeMO on the other side.

They are often well hidden. For some examples, the Tesla SuperChargers hidden behind the Safeway in Truckee, CA. I bet people have shopped there for years without knowing they were there. But no issue to Tesla Drivers. Just turn on the mic and say "navigate to Supercharger" and the GPS  shows you how to get there in a way that is impossible to miss. I don't have any of that auto drive stuff in my Tesla. I prefer to drive it myself, which still is not often. It mainly just sits in the garage while I ride the bikes.

Also the CCS hidden behind the SaveMart in Truckee. Those who need to know they are there do, like me. But now they also have CCS in front of the place. The ones in the rear are EV-Go, the front chargers are from Electrify America. I have used both with my Energica.  No J-1772 there front or back,  but there are several J plugs in other areas of Truckee.  Truckee is getting ridiculous with the number of all types of charge stations from every charge company.  But from between Truckee &  Reno there are no charge stations  at all.

I probably used every charge station in Truckee over the years, except for CHAdeMO.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Richard230]

I saw those two stations being built and then watched them sit around and not turned on for a couple of years. When they were finally activated a few years ago it never occurred to me that they were CCS. They sure looked like L2 stations to me.  I shop at Safeway and go to the bank next to the facility at least once a week and have never seen anyone anywhere near the chargers, other than the semi-trucks unloading supplies at the back of the grocery store.  Talk about hiding the facility from the public. That location is pretty much devoid of traffic.

L2 ChargePoint charge stations are thin. The thicker ones, more the size of a gas pump, are usually CCS on one side and CHAdeMO on the other side.

They are often well hidden. For some examples, the Tesla SuperChargers hidden behind the Safeway in Truckee, CA. I bet people have shopped there for years without knowing they were there. But no issue to Tesla Drivers. Just turn on the mic and say "navigate to Supercharger" and the GPS  shows you how to get there in a way that is impossible to miss. I don't have any of that auto drive stuff in my Tesla. I prefer to drive it myself, which still is not often. It mainly just sits in the garage while I ride the bikes.

Also the CCS hidden behind the SaveMart in Truckee. Those who need to know they are there do, like me. But now they also have CCS in front of the place. The ones in the rear are EV-Go, the front chargers are from Electrify America. I have used both with my Energica.  No J-1772 there front or back,  but there are several J plugs in other areas of Truckee.  Truckee is getting ridiculous with the number of all types of charge stations from every charge company.  But from between Truckee &  Reno there are no charge stations  at all.

I probably used every charge station in Truckee over the years, except for CHAdeMO.

-Don-  Reno, NV

As usual you are correct, Don. I never really looked at that charging station in Pacifica before since it was so close to home and I run on cheap 120V power.  So I stopped by and checked it out today. See attached photos.  Apparently you get your choice of two different flavors of 50 amp fast charging.

In other news: the proposed wildfire prevention utility fee, which would have been tacked on to your electric bill that the California state legislature was attempting to implement, was defeated last night.

[Crissa]

Yeah, we can't actually pay for better systems, nooo.  Ugh.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

Apparently you get your choice of two different flavors of 50 amp fast charging.

The blue is CHAdeMO (for mostly  Japanese name EVs such as the  Nissan Leaf, etc.) and the black is the CCS, that Energicas and the LW  can use for a fast charge, as well as most other vehicles that are compatible with DC fast charge (other than Tesla & Japanese).

But there is an adapter  for a Tesla so it can use CHAdeMO.

That can be handy at the Wal*Marts, as those Wal*Marts that have the chargers normally have CHdeMO and CCS just as there in Pacifica. A few also have a separate  thinner  J-1772 station.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[af1 racing]

Sept 15th is when dealers hear all about the 2021s....

[Richard230]

Sept 15th is when dealers hear all about the 2021s....

Looking forward to that. I bet the news leaks out very quickly on that day. 

[valnar]

Part of me hopes the 2021's are a quantum leap forward, but the other half hopes there are only incremental improvements.  I don't want to look sideways at my new 2020 FXS with disgust.   

[JaimeC]

Part of me hopes the 2021's are a quantum leap forward, but the other half hopes there are only incremental improvements.  I don't want to look sideways at my new 2020 FXS with disgust.   

I know, right??  I really can't afford any new vehicles these days...

I bought my S at the end of 2018 before I knew what the 2019s had in store.  Although I would've LOVED to have had the 14.4kWh battery, I HATE black motorcycles (I'm not particularly fond of silver either, but I prefer it over black).  When the 2020s came out, I was disgusted to see that they were only selling the 7.2kWh version of the S in the US.  They still sell the 14.4kWh in Europe, so I don't know why they wouldn't make it also available here.  I don't think the extra power of the SR is worth the $3,000 premium over the standard S (nor am I particularly fond of the much higher insurance premiums),

Be interesting to see what 2021 has in store but right now the only thing I'm considering is upgrading my S with a Hollywood Electrics fairing.