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Energica / Talk me out of a Zero
« on: July 21, 2022, 08:28:38 AM »
As the title says, talk me out of a Zero. I recently rode a Ribelle RS and Ego+. I was pretty impressed with them but the Zero SR/S or F might be a better choice.
The Ego was a little cramped for me so I’d be leaning toward a Ribelle if I bought one. Downside though is the speed limiter on the Ribelle. Basically a full throttle pass in the ¼ mile and you are at the limiter. Which sort of negates the HP advantage of the Ribelle vs the Zero which is limited to the same speed.
I ride with a lot of friends on sport bikes and fairly often we’ll see bursts over that amount (124). Basically on backroads were little traffic and minimal police presence. So that is a minus for both the Zero and Ribelle but not the Ego. So while the Ribelle makes a lot more HP than the Zero, limiting it to 124 really reduces, and almost eliminates the benefit.
Charging for both is sort of a mixed bag. While Energica offers DC charging, it is much slower than Zero for L2 if I go for the optional 6kw charger. I have 220v setup for my cars now. DC charging in general is very hard on the batteries and if I am going on a long trip, I’ll just take something like my K1600 or Africa Twin. Both are good for eating up miles and can go 300 miles on a tank with a quick refueling stop.
So while I appreciate the DC charging option, the faster recharging at home of the 6kw charger for the Zero would be more useful every day.
While looking at the warranties, definitely a difference there. Basically 2 years on both for most things other than batteries. Then 3/36 for Energica and 5 year for Zero. That is a pretty big difference.
Dealer network is much wider for Zero. Closest Energica dealer for me would be almost 4 hours away and much farther than the Energica could go on a charge. Closest Zero dealer is 15 min.
Another plus for the Zero is the belt drive. Definitely reduces the noise and eliminates the hassle of lubing it. Adding to the overall low maintenance you get with EVs. Suspension is good enough on all the bikes for my needs so no big differentiation there.
I went into the test rides heaving favoring Energica over Zero. When I step back a bit, it seems like the Zero might be a better fit. I was really thinking the DC charging would be a big benefit, and it is overall, but less so based on how I use it. When I learned at the dealer that Energica has just 3kw charger, that was a big disappointment as it slows down my home charging which is where the vast majority of my charging will be.
I think the Energica looks nice, may handle and ride a bit better but I’ve owned my share of Italian cars and motorcycles. I’ll just say over my lifetime my relationship with all things Italian has been somewhat tempestuous. If the Energica is more demanding, lack of a close dealer, or even one not within riding distance of one charge will be huge minus.
Heart says go with the Energica but the limited speed of the Ribelle makes me say just settle for the Zero as I have other bikes to ride if I need more engagement and the Zero is a pretty good platform. If I had a Ribelle had performance similar to the Ego, then that would be closer to what I really want. I thought about maybe seen if the footpeg brackets from the Ribelle might go on the Ego and give me the more room I am looking for on it.
I like the new Experia but I think it might be too slow. My daily driver car is maybe a touch slower off the line than the Ego/Ribelle but will easily pull it from 20 mph and with the Experia slower than the Ego or Ribelle, it would probably be boring. The Ego/Ribelle have about the right level of acceleration to keep me entertained when I twist the throttle.
Am I missing anything? I want to put something in my garage in the next few months and nothing is really ticking all my boxes. Actually the Experia with the Ego motor and top speed would be ideal if it had a faster charger.
The Ego was a little cramped for me so I’d be leaning toward a Ribelle if I bought one. Downside though is the speed limiter on the Ribelle. Basically a full throttle pass in the ¼ mile and you are at the limiter. Which sort of negates the HP advantage of the Ribelle vs the Zero which is limited to the same speed.
I ride with a lot of friends on sport bikes and fairly often we’ll see bursts over that amount (124). Basically on backroads were little traffic and minimal police presence. So that is a minus for both the Zero and Ribelle but not the Ego. So while the Ribelle makes a lot more HP than the Zero, limiting it to 124 really reduces, and almost eliminates the benefit.
Charging for both is sort of a mixed bag. While Energica offers DC charging, it is much slower than Zero for L2 if I go for the optional 6kw charger. I have 220v setup for my cars now. DC charging in general is very hard on the batteries and if I am going on a long trip, I’ll just take something like my K1600 or Africa Twin. Both are good for eating up miles and can go 300 miles on a tank with a quick refueling stop.
So while I appreciate the DC charging option, the faster recharging at home of the 6kw charger for the Zero would be more useful every day.
While looking at the warranties, definitely a difference there. Basically 2 years on both for most things other than batteries. Then 3/36 for Energica and 5 year for Zero. That is a pretty big difference.
Dealer network is much wider for Zero. Closest Energica dealer for me would be almost 4 hours away and much farther than the Energica could go on a charge. Closest Zero dealer is 15 min.
Another plus for the Zero is the belt drive. Definitely reduces the noise and eliminates the hassle of lubing it. Adding to the overall low maintenance you get with EVs. Suspension is good enough on all the bikes for my needs so no big differentiation there.
I went into the test rides heaving favoring Energica over Zero. When I step back a bit, it seems like the Zero might be a better fit. I was really thinking the DC charging would be a big benefit, and it is overall, but less so based on how I use it. When I learned at the dealer that Energica has just 3kw charger, that was a big disappointment as it slows down my home charging which is where the vast majority of my charging will be.
I think the Energica looks nice, may handle and ride a bit better but I’ve owned my share of Italian cars and motorcycles. I’ll just say over my lifetime my relationship with all things Italian has been somewhat tempestuous. If the Energica is more demanding, lack of a close dealer, or even one not within riding distance of one charge will be huge minus.
Heart says go with the Energica but the limited speed of the Ribelle makes me say just settle for the Zero as I have other bikes to ride if I need more engagement and the Zero is a pretty good platform. If I had a Ribelle had performance similar to the Ego, then that would be closer to what I really want. I thought about maybe seen if the footpeg brackets from the Ribelle might go on the Ego and give me the more room I am looking for on it.
I like the new Experia but I think it might be too slow. My daily driver car is maybe a touch slower off the line than the Ego/Ribelle but will easily pull it from 20 mph and with the Experia slower than the Ego or Ribelle, it would probably be boring. The Ego/Ribelle have about the right level of acceleration to keep me entertained when I twist the throttle.
Am I missing anything? I want to put something in my garage in the next few months and nothing is really ticking all my boxes. Actually the Experia with the Ego motor and top speed would be ideal if it had a faster charger.