ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

Hi everyone,

something to think about when having an "exotic" bike is spare parts in case of accident.
I had an accident exactly one year ago. While overtaking a line of stopped car one of then suddenly turn left to enter her home, crossing a do not cross lane and without blinkers of course.... The driver simply said "I didn't hear you coming !" Grrrrrr.......
I had just a cut finger end due to the brake lever (I brake with only 2 fingers, the two other ones are below the brake lever and get crunched during the accident). My finger has been repaired long ago and is fully functional !

But my Zero..... It's a 2013 Zero DS and I'm living in France where Zero is distributed. But my shop (a scooter and motocycle shop which don't make Zero anymore due to t his kind of problem) has tremendous difficulty to get the parts. The insurance is paying, no problem with that. And getting a brand new Zero is easy here in France, but a fork, a frame,.....

So futur owner be aware if you live outside the US. Will you be able to get parts ? Not just the small ones but the also the big accident related ones !
It could be difficult to be already ridding the futur. I lost 1 year to sell my bike as second hand and had to buy another bike for my trip to work. I took something louder: a Ducati Hypermotard with full racing exhaust and no db killer.

Have a safe ride !
Laurent

Hello,
I have a 2013 DS with the Fastace rear shock. The length of the shock is 275mm (10.83 inches) uncompressed.
Is the 2014 DS shock the same length ?
And what about the new 2015 one ?
Happy new year !!!
Laurent

I noticed a oil leak on the front fork, left side. I thought of a oil seal leak but a member of the forum told me he had the problem coming the lower part of the fork. Indeed as shown on my other post, the fork is leaking between the lower tube and the forged part retaining the wheel and the front brake.
But as I was investigating I discovered that the tube is free to rotate !!! I don't know if my front wheel is still retained by the left side of the fork !!!! I'M GOING TO DIE !!!

I made this small video:
I'm not the first one to have this issue.... Check your fork, I think the oil starting to leak is a good symptom. I think it's coming from the part retaining the brake caliper getting hot, then cold, then hot again at each breaking, cold, hot, etc....

Problem is my dealer in France stop making Zero, he is trying to reach the french representative by phone but nobody want to answer him. My rear shock is out leaking since 3 months, I had to replace it with a longer lengh, lower stroke DNM one. I'm a little on my own on these issues now, I'm feeling a bit lonely.

A little help from Zero or someone knowing how to fix the fork would be appreciated !!!

Also may I insisted that the only trouble with my bike are these suspensions and that I really enjoy this bike a lot. Maybe the 2014 have better suspension parts.
Laurent

When the 2013 S was release it was said that there woukd be an "Fox rear shock" aftermarket option. I read it on several magazine reviews.
But I never saw it, do you have any idea of what it was, the space for a rear shock is so small it must have been the Fox Float MXR. Any info appreciate !
Have a good week
Laurent

After only 2500 kms my rear shock is bouncing like a mad kangaroo and leaking oil.
I will have to go and see my dealer. By the way he has no computer for the firmware update, maybe able to borrow one one day or another !!!
But as you now on the 2013 DS model the rear shock is really too small to resist, and it will happen again and again.

So I had been searching in my area (in France) what kind of replacement shock I could have. Wilbers and Ohlins are specific to different motorcycle model and I haven't found anyone who'd like to try to find a suitable one for my DS
So now I'm dealing with EMC (http://www.emc-suspensions.fr/) who should be able to make a fitable shock

I should go and see them in two days I think
Laurent

I started by using the dual sport windscreen. It was a big improvement even in summer to avoid insect crashes !!!
But for the winter I wanted something more protective. The Zero windscreen is a MRA one. So I took a Vario Windscreen from them with mounting on the handlebar: https://www.mrashop.de/erp/catalog/navigationPath//1.Sortiment/0.html?mral=1&type=%281524%2C19%2C0%29&form=%28178%2C20%2C0%29&spr=D
Several comments: first I choose the clear windscreen as I'm riding buy night under the rain and I must see in front of me also !!!
The protection is great, the main difference with the Dual Sport can be feel on the fact that my shoulders are now protected !
The vario option is great but when it's raining I must DOWNED the vario screen so I have plenty of wind on my helmet to clear the helmet screen from rain
I've put some pictures of my install, first setting trial: try to put the windscreen forward so you can duck behind when cruising on the highway. I may have to do a little cut so cars can still see my stroboscopic lights
Laurent

So the 2014 models are out. Many words about improved this, improved that..... I was a little nervous as a 2013 owner that the 2014 will be so different and better. But as I said many words but mainly for advertising, and it's normal as Zero is here to sell motorcycles !!!
So let see:
-new suspensions: yes the 43mm front fork will be an improvement BUT it's still FASTACE suspension, and for the rear you can see the shock on the S studio pictures, it seems also a FASTACE.
-Fuel tank 2.8kw battery: but I need my storage here !!! I'm riding with my aircraft type wheeled luggage at the rear when going to work so my rain coat and my door remote controls are in the fuel tank bag. It's so conveniant !!!
-new tires: so these are the continental finaly. Well that's an easy part to change as soon as it will worn out on my 2013 DS.
-New brakes: just the rear one, and depending of your regen setting and use of the rear brake you will need it or not. On the test S of my dealer the rear brake was easy to lock but not on my DS, don't know why. With my eco 100% regen braking I don't use the rear brake so much. Remember that the most power is coming from the front brake and I think it's unchanged.
-frame mods: I think there's just a new plate for the optional mini-battery, which is said to increase rigidity.... hum, hum.... I read that the swingarm bearings where bigger but I don't remember where. Don't know if it's true because that will be a change in the frame molding which cost a lot, but I may be wrong.
-And to finish the new dash-lighting. But have a look on the studio footage: the light is exactly the same, only the instrument cluster is different to fit the rear of the lighting casting. And the new instrument and Sport/eco/custom switch are nice but small improvement over the 2013's

So as a conclusion: first they may be mistakes on the overhead statement, I'm just getting up, haven't got any coffee yet and in bad mood !!!
And also I don't wan't to under-estimated the work at ZERO Motorcycle: the 2014 are simply great. But as some of you already stated, Zero had done such a great job with battery-motor-ESC combo that the rest is just small improvements but GOOD improvements. Small may not be the good word, may be non-critical would be better.
Same with the SR, it's an evolution over the S. Which means that the standard S is a really dam good bike !!!
Have a good and safe ride !
Laurent

To have a better rear view I first put the rear view mirrors upside-down as many of you already done. The marking "object in the mirror are closer...." was upside-down also. So I tried to switch the mirror BUT on my DS the left mirror has a larger angle of view than the right and switching left and right mirror was not a good solution: I'm using the left mirror a lot and I need the larger view.
So upside-down it will be !!!
Then I thought by comparing with other motorcycles that it would be nice for the mirrors to be a little higher. So as you will see on the picture I bent the mounting screw. Caution: don't break it, I'm at the max just when a crack is starting to develop !
The rear view is now better, not perfect but better indeed.
Laurent