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Great riding from Jeff's SR on the big hill.

I am following your findings with great interest. I, too, have been on a quest to find a suitable rear shock option for the '13 DS. It is a shame that a good frame should suffer such a liability of poor suspension both front and rear. The bike should not have a "DS" nomenclature with such poor suspension that was meant for a "pit bike".

I applaud you for trying out several shock versions and I was hoping that the Penske shock would be the one. I think that a major hurdle to overcome would be the tight clearance between the shock spring (body) and the front of the controller chassis. A suitable shock would have a larger diameter spring which would preclude its use because of this tight clearance. The top and lower mounting configurations could likely be modified on many shock offerings which would increase the possibilities available.

It would be good to know the required spring rate of a suitable shock. The stock shock would always bottom out in moderate dips despite my 220 pound weight with the correct preload settings. This should be expected from a "pit bike" shock.

Thanks again for your findings.

Trikester, it looks like there will be less electric vehicle presence at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb this year. http://insideevs.com/2014-pikes-peak-international-hill-climb-electric-division-entries/. I will not be on the mountain for the race, instead I will be enjoying the numerous riding activities around the state around that time.

The caution about leaving a battery in a discharged state causing damage is only if you leave it almost entirely discharged.  It is healthier for the battery to be in a slightly discharged state (40-60%). 

Terry usually leaves his charged between 40-60% charge overnight and only charges fully when he's about to use it immediately.

I concur with your comment completely. I always try to leave my 2013DS at below 50% SOC when I know that I won't be driving it for a while. I do not see much capacity loss at all even when parked for two or three weeks. The BMS does not have much parasitic current draw, especially relative to the huge capacity of the battery. All of the extensive research I have done on all types of lithium chemistries suggest storing the battery at a SOC of less than 50% for the longest service life. However, it is good to charge completely before a ride if the bike has been sitting for a while to ensure a good balancing of all the individual cells. I have even adopted the partial charge procedure on my other devices such as cell phones and lap-top computers when I do not need a full run time. Gone are the days when I leave the phone plugged in overnight to charge when it would top up in an hour or so.

I was unable to get the type of connector information from Zero except that is is an automotive type power connector made by Delphi. I would also like to know the part number or be able to acquire single connectors and terminals because I purchased their expander harness which plugs into the 12 volt connector near the triple clamp and allows multiple outlets for heated grips and an accessory outlet. I will likely just cut and splice into their wires since I will not be using it for heated grips but instead use it provide power for GPS, radar detector and a USB port for keeping the iTouch charged for the Zero App. The battery life when using the bluetooth connection and Zero App is not very long and needs external power to last a long ride.

Quote from: JefRo on November 11, 2013, 11:49:01 AM

Congratulations Wind Rider on your new ride! I too have lusted after the FX and after seeing the new 2014 version with the upgraded suspension I have an order in for one, expected for delivery after January 2014. Not that I have been disappointed with the '13 DS; the FX will provide the ultimate trail bike. I will have to do more trailering of the bike due to less range, however the option of carrying extra batteries in the tow vehicle will make for long ride loops in certain areas in which you could return to the campsite for "refueling". Fifty miles is a long distance at slower trail speeds and I have no doubt that the FX can achieve this range under those riding conditions.

Hey JeffRo,

I made a 43 mile loop ride yesterday in the cold with some vertical and some, um, more open throttle riding, and I had 3 bars left at the end.   They disappear really fast at speed but tooling around on trails 50 miles or more are doable.   

I have thought about the same kind of riding:  setup a base camp with a 1KW solar array or with a campsite with power and have a couple of extra battery packs to swap into the FX then do some loop rides that sweep back to base camp for battery swapping.   Extra battery packs are not inexpensive though.

On the trail the FX is pure joy.   I have already ridding some single track trails that I have only taken mtn bikes on before and the FX was perfect.  Light, well balanced, and with smooth, linear power on tap, it is very easy to ride through difficult terrain.

I look forward to more of your trail ride reports. I would imagine that trail riding over difficult terrain is fun and easy due to the fact that the front wheel loft can be easily modulated by the immediate response of that 70 pound-feet motor torque.

How did you raise the seat? 

I'm considering getting a 2013 DS but I have long legs and I'm afraid of being cramped.

The stock DS seat is probably ok for a 35" inseam or less, IMO. I take my MC seats to a local upholstery shop which modifies my MC seats to my own specifications by adding foam to the original seat foam and pan. Most cities would have a local shop which is the best option because you can go to the shop and try out the seat any number of times and they can make the necessary modifications before it is finished. These shops usually do a lot of classic car restoration or furniture re-upholstery jobs.

Great feedback Jefro.  If you don't mind me asking, how tall are you?

Regards,
aaronzeromoto

I am 6'8" with 38 " inseam, hence the need for radical ergonomic mods on all bikes I own.

However, those "normal" proportioned people who test rode my modified Zero found it roomy and comfortable despite a long stretch of the legs to the ground.

I do find the ground clearance of the DS sufficient for most obstacles and on par with most large displacement dual-sports. It is comforting to know that any contact with the bottom of the DS will not compromise an oil filter, cooler, crankcase or other exposed critical part found on many ICE dual-sports. The DS lower section is quite robust in this regard.