ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: MostlyBonkers on January 28, 2018, 03:01:00 PM
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That may sound like a crazy comparison to you, but bear with me...
I want to learn how to go around corners properly and would like to buy a bike that will help me do that and also be lots of fun to ride. I also want to be able to ride for longer and do proper day trips when an opportunity presents itself. To my mind, the 2018SR with charge tank just about fits the bill and of course, I love riding an electric powertrain. However, that bike costs around £18,000 here in the UK. The standard Fireblade costs a little under £16,000, is available on 0% finance and my local dealer is willing to throw in the quick shifter.
I test rode an older Fireblade a coupe of years ago and discovered something rather interesting: once it's rolling, you can put it in second gear and leave it there. From about 20 mph all the way up to 120 mph, second gear gives you everything you need. The rest is just a question of controlling the torque with your wrist. No different to riding a Zero, in that respect. The four cylinder engine is very smooth and likes its revs. Add a quick shifter into the mix and gear changes become effortless for those times that a higher gear and lower fuel consumption might be more appropriate. Add to that the fact that the Fireblade is very light, nimble and fun to ride and I think I'm sold!
I'll keep my 2014DS for my commute and actually take care of the Fireblade. I think it'll be a lot of fun and I won't have to worry about where to charge it or having to take long lunch breaks.
What do you folks think? Is it really that crazy after all?
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Why not get a SC?
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At least for an electric vehicle it is an honest purchase which does much lesser harm to literally everyone on the whole surface of the earth when compared to an internal combustion anything. I'm not your financial advisor here but if you want a moral compass there's nothing I can think of in favor of an internal combustion engine...
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I'm no Honda fan, after my experience with the '98 Honda Superhawk (believe it was called a Firestorm in GB), but I think you should go ahead. I've had my '02 Kawasaki ZX9R since buying it new and it's coming up on 90,000 miles and I still love that bike dearly. ICE-age bikes will soon be extinct, so you might as well enjoy one just so you can tell future generations how backward and barbaric we were 30-40 years from now.
It's not like one fuel-injected motorcycle with catalytic converter(s) is going to hasten our descent into Armageddon that much, especially when we have so many backwoods, inbred, buck-toothed, sons-of-their-own uncles driving alone in cartoonishly large monster trucks, drag-racing from one stoplight to the next. Here in the States, we actually have a community of slack-jawed rustics who engage in "rolling coal", who modify their diesel engines to indulge in "conspicuous pollution", who think it's somehow triumphant to "roll-coal" on Pruises or other EVs. I wish I were kidding, these idiots really do exist here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gcb84qn3mU&t=7s).
Ride safe and have fun! (And please don't ruin your bike by putting a loud aftermarket exhaust on it that will require a jetting remap which will reduce your fuel efficiency and turn your bike into a polluter.) And please use gears 3-6 when applicable to enjoy better fuel economy and pollute less.
(http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/160224-zed-boobs-491x1024.jpg)
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I put over 75,000 miles on my CBR1000RR that's almost identical to what you rode... Yeah. Any gear works at any legal speed. 1st gear goes past 90mph, and 6th can be pulled at idle.
It's a really good street bike if you're experienced and disciplined enough to not splat yourself. It's not for everyone...but if it's for you it will do everything you ask of it.
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Thanks guys. We're getting rid of our Kia Soul EV, so my wife isn't keen for me to go out and drop a bunch of money on a new bike. If I do get a Fireblade, it'll be keeping the stock exhaust. The noise doesn't do much for me these days and they do a better job of keeping the emissions down.
I've got a new job and some of this is me going through a manic phase. I thought you'd find it an interesting comparison though. If money was no object, I'd replace my 2014DS with the 2018SR and get a Fireblade too... [emoji4]
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It's fun to pine. You might have been disappointed by the Fireblade, actually.
ICE Age cars and bikes on their way to obsolescence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peycjf5XdC8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peycjf5XdC8)
If you're ever in the San Diego area with your boots & crash-hat, you're welcome to take my 9R for a spin. It's only a 900cc, but it has a large airscoop intake that makes a noticeable difference over 70mph, especially on cool mornings, and will do an honest GPS 100mph in first gear. It gets worrisome at 7000rpm, is downright terrifying at 9000, and redlines at 12.
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Thanks guys. We're getting rid of our Kia Soul EV, so my wife isn't keen for me to go out and drop a bunch of money on a new bike. If I do get a Fireblade, it'll be keeping the stock exhaust. The noise doesn't do much for me these days and they do a better job of keeping the emissions down.
I've got a new job and some of this is me going through a manic phase. I thought you'd find it an interesting comparison though. If money was no object, I'd replace my 2014DS with the 2018SR and get a Fireblade too... [emoji4]
What why? The Soul is a lovely car.
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The Soul is a lovely car indeed. We've had it for 18 months and I've enjoyed driving it. However, last Saturday I spent 3 hours at rapids just to cover 110 miles. Then I decided to travel up to Manchester in it on business. A distance of 180 miles which should take a little over three hours. It took me 7. On my way home I couldn't charge at two locations due to faulty chargers and had to divert to other chargers with very little charge remaining. I was lucky enough to make it on both occasions but it was a deeply unpleasant experience. That trip also took seven hours.
I'm fed up with charging my car all the time and its lack of range. The charging infrastructure isn't reliable enough and it has caused far too much inconvenience and anxiety. I'm getting a Ford Kuga with a petrol engine. Hopefully things will have improved in three years time and I can get another EV. We could do with a bigger car anyway. The boot in the Soul isn't big enough for a family of 5.
The Fireblade will have to go on the back burner for a while. I really want one though!
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I feel your pain bonkers, I bought a Chevy bolt three months ago after having a Mitsubishi imiev for 5 years, it feels like the world opened up and I am no longer planning, pining and worrying, my wife no longer tells me how close she was to running out of battery, now she just says “it’s over halfâ€, I feel like some company is going to come along and eat zeros lunch by offering decent range and fast charging, those two things combined will be the aha moment!
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That's a bummer. Have you already signed for the Kuga? Perhaps is a PHEV like the Mitsubishi Outlander something for you, that way you can do at least the local trips fully electric.
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I feel like some company is going to come along and eat zeros lunch by offering decent range and fast charging, those two things combined will be the aha moment!
I fear that might be the case too. Perhaps Zero have another couple of years or so before it becomes profitable to build a bike with adequate range and DC rapid charging built in as standard. Hopefully Zero will do the same or just get bought up. I hope they're not left to rot. That would be sad.
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I feel like some company is going to come along and eat zeros lunch by offering decent range and fast charging, those two things combined will be the aha moment!
A few days ago, roughly the same thought sprang to mind ... together with the following promotion stunt:
Make a fully electric motorcycle that can ride along (camera man and all) with all the other ICE bikes in a big, internationally known Tour de France (http://www.letour.fr/en/) style competition.
... watch the orders roll in.
(http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/03/WATSON_00004366-081-630x420.jpg)
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It's already been used for great camera work!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IoxuX0J01g
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It's already been used for great camera work!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IoxuX0J01g
"ZF9" was mentioned. I think that would make it a 2012 Zero S.
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It's already been used for great camera work!
Which is excellent ... but this example has two drawbacks:
- no one will know except those interested in the 'behind the scenes' (... and the film cast & crew)
- as they said themselves, an electric bike is used here for their lack of vibration. It doesn't promote any of the strengths of a good electric bike (performance, range, charge time, ...)
In public (sports) events you can have a much higher visibility to a much wider public.
As many of us have noticed, an electric bike is still very good at turning heads. If you can then also show off with its real world usages and perhaps get (or buy) some media attention ... you're golden.
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To me, lack of vibration is a major strength of electrics. My Zero may be the first motorcycle I've ever owned that doesn't make my hands numb.
Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk
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To me, lack of vibration is a major strength of electrics. My Zero may be the first motorcycle I've ever owned that doesn't make my hands numb.
Yeah, that's also one of my observations.
I've read somewhere that the no vibration thing is also one of the upsides of riding a Boss Hoss.
(A quick google search gave this from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_Hoss_Cycles): "Boss Hoss bikes and trikes are noted not only for their enormous power and size but also for their low vibration")
But with comparing a Zero with a Boss Hoss, I doubt you can get any further on the opposite sides of the spectrum ... unless you leave the motorcycle category. ;D
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To me, lack of vibration is a major strength of electrics. My Zero may be the first motorcycle I've ever owned that doesn't make my hands numb.
Yeah, that's also one of my observations.
I've read somewhere that the no vibration thing is also one of the upsides of riding a Boss Hoss.
(A quick google search gave this from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_Hoss_Cycles): "Boss Hoss bikes and trikes are noted not only for their enormous power and size but also for their low vibration")
But with comparing a Zero with a Boss Hoss, I doubt you can get any further on the opposite sides of the spectrum ... unless you leave the motorcycle category. ;D
Having ridden one, it IS surprisingly smooth for what it is, however they can also be so loud that it doesnt matter anyway.
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[...] however they can also be so loud that it doesnt matter anyway.
That and the amount of dinojuice it requires to function are but two of the reasons why it's on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to a Zero :)
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Bonk, are u sure??
After owning a GSX-R750 4 years and 2 Fireblades (2 years each) i can tell you that i had lots of fun.
Sometimes.
The thing is that on public roads, you can't do what a blade or similar bike is capable of.
That got me frustrated sometimes, but on the other hand i did not want to lose my drivers license or my life. So I did a few days on the track in 4 years time. But over here in the Netherlands that is an expensive hobby.
So when i turned big 4 0 I sold the last one and killed the little boy inside me (constantly wanting something new) and bought a VFR1200 you are very familiar with.
A Blade on public roads maintaining legal speeds will crap your wrists after one hour because your torso is not receiving enough air resistance to lift the weight from your arms. Furthermore, keeping it in second gear will result in very annoying high revving behavior (like on/off throttle) moving your ass back and forth or cramping your already molested wrist with the clutch. It's nothing like the smoothness of a Zero. You are not 25 any more.
You'll end up selling the blade within 2 years. Huge depreciation/wanting something new/not to mention the wife maybe ordering your coffin (you WILL try out the blade anyway, and top end is twice as fast as a Zero)
I nearly killed myself 3 times. All where my own faults.
I think you can experience more fun with a motorcycle that's got useable potential. Besides, you already know how to corner.
So think harder.
(sorry for me being 'direct')
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Another option is to simply find a friend with a Fireblade and offer to swap bikes for a few miles. Most riders would probably jump at the change to take your Zero for a spin.
I always learn something when I swap bikes with friends, even if it's just that my friends have terrible taste in bikes and don't make an effort to maintain them.
When my BMW was being serviced last month, they let me take out their S1000RR. I was pretty impressed that the thing redlined at 16K, but after 4 miles, I turned around and headed back to the dealership. It was loud, buzzy, and didn't have any midrange at all--the reason it revs to 16K is because the power doesn't even come on noticeably until 8K.
You might ride one of the new Fireblades and that will be all you need to get it out of your system.
Also, don't waste time reading motorcycle magazines--they only make the pining worse.
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Bonk, are u sure??
After owning a GSX-R750 4 years and 2 Fireblades (2 years each) i can tell you that i had lots of fun.
Sometimes.
The thing is that on public roads, you can't do what a blade or similar bike is capable of.
That got me frustrated sometimes, but on the other hand i did not want to lose my drivers license or my life. So I did a few days on the track in 4 years time. But over here in the Netherlands that is an expensive hobby.
So when i turned big 4 0 I sold the last one and killed the little boy inside me (constantly wanting something new) and bought a VFR1200 you are very familiar with.
A Blade on public roads maintaining legal speeds will crap your wrists after one hour because your torso is not receiving enough air resistance to lift the weight from your arms. Furthermore, keeping it in second gear will result in very annoying high revving behavior (like on/off throttle) moving your ass back and forth or cramping your already molested wrist with the clutch. It's nothing like the smoothness of a Zero. You are not 25 any more.
You'll end up selling the blade within 2 years. Huge depreciation/wanting something new/not to mention the wife maybe ordering your coffin (you WILL try out the blade anyway, and top end is twice as fast as a Zero)
I nearly killed myself 3 times. All where my own faults.
I think you can experience more fun with a motorcycle that's got useable potential. Besides, you already know how to corner.
So think harder.
(sorry for me being 'direct')
I appreciate you being direct and I'm impressed that you remember me having a VFR 1200!
Jason at Streetbike got back to me about how I might be able to save some money by purchasing a bike through my limited company. It got me thinking again. I guess an SR will corner well enough for my abilities. I'd definitely chop in my 2014DS too, so I'd only have one bike to maintain. I'd get more out of it because I'd be riding it to work every day. Hmm... thinking harder! :-)
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Another option is to simply find a friend with a Fireblade and offer to swap bikes for a few miles. Most riders would probably jump at the change to take your Zero for a spin.
I always learn something when I swap bikes with friends, even if it's just that my friends have terrible taste in bikes and don't make an effort to maintain them.
When my BMW was being serviced last month, they let me take out their S1000RR. I was pretty impressed that the thing redlined at 16K, but after 4 miles, I turned around and headed back to the dealership. It was loud, buzzy, and didn't have any midrange at all--the reason it revs to 16K is because the power doesn't even come on noticeably until 8K.
You might ride one of the new Fireblades and that will be all you need to get it out of your system.
Also, don't waste time reading motorcycle magazines--they only make the pining worse.
Also good advice, thanks!
A lot of this is down to my recent bad experiences charging my Kia Soul EV. It has just made me feel like turning my back on EVs until the infrastructure is much better. Life is too short and all that... Putting a Superbike to one side, I'd have real trouble going back to a traditional ICE bike. Overall, I'm very happy with my Zero and I absolutely love riding it. I just wish I could fill it up as conveniently. I shall keep you all posted!
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I know the feeling of lacking convenience concerning high mileage days.
As a result my NC750 X is doing fine. I needed the range for my commute (new job) and is my only transportation. I regret selling my DS every day.
The first stop at Shell's felt aweful...
Good luck!
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To me, lack of vibration is a major strength of electrics. My Zero may be the first motorcycle I've ever owned that doesn't make my hands numb.
Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk
Ack! My SR is the only motorcycle I've owned that *does* make my hands numb. Disclaimer: think I've only owned a half dozen bikes in my life.
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To me, lack of vibration is a major strength of electrics. My Zero may be the first motorcycle I've ever owned that doesn't make my hands numb.
Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk
Ack! My SR is the only motorcycle I've owned that *does* make my hands numb. Disclaimer: think I've only owned a half dozen bikes in my life.
Then you're doing something wrong.
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Ack! My SR is the only motorcycle I've owned that *does* make my hands numb. Disclaimer: think I've only owned a half dozen bikes in my life.
Everybody's body is built a little bit differently, and it's not possible for one design to satisfy everybody. A few people can't stand the Corbin seat, most people (like me) love it. That doesn't mean anybody's wrong, it just means it doesn't work for everyone.
My guess is your numb hands is related to positioning or angle of your wrists, as opposed to vibration. I replaced my grips with these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPGQ828/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 , which I see are no longer available, but which make me much more comfortable on the bike. I like the softer rubber combined with the hard billet aluminum, but mainly I prefer a larger-diameter grip than the stock ones.
You might want to take a look at the bikes you're comfortable on, and see if you can find a replacement handlebar that closely duplicates that position. It's short money if it makes the bike work better for you.
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Since I have a keyboard in front of me now, I will elaborate...
Everything you touch when riding, the position of the controls, the width, height and angle of the bars, the seat shape, the seat height, seat firmness, the grip of the plastics for your knees, the height/setback/width of the pegs, etc... are all adjustable.
now the #1 reason for numb hands is deathgrip on the bars. if you are squeezing the bars at all, or if you're using them to hold you on the bike you're riding it wrong. You should be relaxed with a very light grip on the bars, and hold yourself up by your core and lower body.. not the bars. this alone is the issue for most people.
that said, we're all not the same, and maybe its just the wrong angle for you, or you have pinched nerves, or maybe just a specific back muscle gets tight. whatever the case may be, the key is to first identify the problem... THEN solve it... it may mean you have to move the bike to fit you, or it might require you to learn a different riding technique. If you can identify what you want to change, this forum is full of helpful and thoughtful people that will help you find some way to fix your issue.
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How I resolved numb hands / sore back:
Rox Speed FX 2-in risers
Koso Apollo heated grips
Cramp Buster