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Zero motorcycles lowers 2015 motorcycle msrp in north america

So at today's (5/21/2015) highest average (California) of $3.71 per gallon, you could buy over 363 gallons of gas and ride nearly 22,000 miles on your NC.

I'll stick with gas for a while.
 
Just like the electric cars. It's a dumb gamble that you'd own it long enough to recoup the cost of the higher price let alone the batteries that you'd replace in those ten or twenty years....
 
I love the idea of electric motorcycles, but I agree that I wouldn't buy one for the purpose of saving money on gas. If I had the disposable income, sure I'd get one. From reading the reviews I think they would be a blast to drive around town or in some nearby twisties. You just don't have the freedom to get on and ride several hundred miles at a time. That is my biggest beef with electric. We just don't have the battery technology readily available enough to make it worthwhile in my book. Even with the extended range battery pack, there isn't a Zero model that could even get me to and from work. Needless to say, I won't be replacing my NC with electric any time soon.
 
I know that this is an older thread but I just saw it and wanted to comment on the price drop from Zero. I bought my bike well before Zero lowered their prices, in fact, I got one of the very first 2015 SR's delivered back in December and paid the original price with no complaints. The test ride just blew me away and I probably would have paid more than they were asking, I was that impressed. 106 ft lbs of INSTANT torque available at the twist of the throttle at any speed can make a man lose all good judgement. Just after Zero announced the price drop I got an email from them saying that as a token of their appreciation they were sending me my choice between 2 Zero riding jackets, a pair of gloves AND a quick-charger! I replied with the sizes that I wanted and sure enough, I received my freebies shortly afterward. All of this stuff was worth about $900.00 and they just gave it to me out of the blue. The summer jacket and gloves are very good quality and the charger, which I haven't used yet, will cut my charging time in half. Zero was under no obligation whatsoever to do this. I knew the price of the bike when I bought it, and paid the money with my eyes wide open. To say I am mightily impressed with Zero's generosity would be a gross understatement. In fact, I am dumbfounded. Not only that, but they also sent me an additional separate $250.00 gift certificate (that I deposited as cash, it was not just for Zero merchandise) because I referred someone to my local dealer who bought a 2015 SR. Zero has made me a true believer, they have gone way above and beyond. I have never been this impressed with any other company - nothing else is even close. When I first got my bike they even sent a tech to my house to correct a small dashboard light glitch. How's that for customer service? Other than that, which amounted to nothing, the bike has been trouble-free. So if any of you want want a positive recommendation for Zero, look no further.
 
I had the chance to test ride the SR last month. The instant torque was amazing. If I had that kind of expendable income, on would be in my garage. There are plenty of fun rides in range, and it would make a great commuter for my short ride to work. I just can't justify the cost right now.
 
The range is keeping me from even thinking about buying one. My commute to work is 80 miles round trip on the interstate and even though the bikes have some descent city range, their combined/highway range don't even come close to getting me back home.
 
Agent said:
I love the idea of electric motorcycles, but I agree that I wouldn't buy one for the purpose of saving money on gas. If I had the disposable income, sure I'd get one. From reading the reviews I think they would be a blast to drive around town or in some nearby twisties. You just don't have the freedom to get on and ride several hundred miles at a time. That is my biggest beef with electric. We just don't have the battery technology readily available enough to make it worthwhile in my book. Even with the extended range battery pack, there isn't a Zero model that could even get me to and from work. Needless to say, I won't be replacing my NC with electric any time soon.
Click to expand...

We have the battery technology. It's just suppressed. The EV1 from the 90's would do 300 miles on a single charge, but GM crushed them all and hushed it up. Big oil companies have tons of lobbyists that are paid millions each to get legislation enacted that controls technology that would make electric bikes (and cars for that matter) affordable to the masses. Just my two cents...
 
davidc83 said:
The range is keeping me from even thinking about buying one. My commute to work is 80 miles round trip on the interstate and even though the bikes have some descent city range, their combined/highway range don't even come close to getting me back home.
Click to expand...
Not true. My Zero's range at a steady 70 mph is 77 miles. I once went 40 miles at 80 mph just to see what would happen at that speed (wind resistance is the battery killer, which is why the range is so much better at lower speeds) and I got home with 45% battery left. Holding 60-65 mph would get me 80 miles easily. The range is 94 miles at 55 mph but that is too slow for the interstate. A small add-on battery, which fits in the frunk space, would give a 94 mile range at 70 mph. If you can plug in at work - and all it takes is a standard 110V receptacle - your commute would be a piece of cake with the standard battery.
 
Last edited:
MichaelJohn said:
I know that this is an older thread but I just saw it and wanted to comment on the price drop from Zero. I bought my bike well before Zero lowered their prices, in fact, I got one of the very first 2015 SR's delivered back in December and paid the original price with no complaints. The test ride just blew me away and I probably would have paid more than they were asking, I was that impressed. 106 ft lbs of INSTANT torque available at the twist of the throttle at any speed can make a man lose all good judgement. Just after Zero announced the price drop I got an email from them saying that as a token of their appreciation they were sending me my choice between 2 Zero riding jackets, a pair of gloves AND a quick-charger! I replied with the sizes that I wanted and sure enough, I received my freebies shortly afterward. All of this stuff was worth about $900.00 and they just gave it to me out of the blue. The summer jacket and gloves are very good quality and the charger, which I haven't used yet, will cut my charging time in half. Zero was under no obligation whatsoever to do this. I knew the price of the bike when I bought it, and paid the money with my eyes wide open. To say I am mightily impressed with Zero's generosity would be a gross understatement. In fact, I am dumbfounded. Not only that, but they also sent me an additional separate $250.00 gift certificate (that I deposited as cash, it was not just for Zero merchandise) because I referred someone to my local dealer who bought a 2015 SR. Zero has made me a true believer, they have gone way above and beyond. I have never been this impressed with any other company - nothing else is even close. When I first got my bike they even sent a tech to my house to correct a small dashboard light glitch. How's that for customer service? Other than that, which amounted to nothing, the bike has been trouble-free. So if any of you want want a positive recommendation for Zero, look no further.
Click to expand...

That's awesome service. They had a demo day at a local dealership a month ago I think. Now I wish I had gone. Perhaps I was too distracted...NC...doh...
 
The bike sounds nice. I want more range though, like most others.

The service part is only temporary though. You have to know that. Unless the thing only costs 20% of cost to produce and deliver.devil.gif
 
mreric said:
dont forget to account for maint, electric have almost no maint
Click to expand...

Maintenance costs on the NC related to the gasoline engine are almost nothing. Figure over 16,000 miles: two oil changes, a coolant change, a valve adjustment, and an air filter. Doing my own labor, that's maybe $100 per 16K miles, or maybe $625 over 100K miles. On the NC, you'll also factor chains and sprockets vs the belt on the Zero. Both motorcycle types have suspension and tire maintenance costs. Batteries is a big question mark.

Bottom line is the electric motorcycle needs to get way cheaper to compete with gasoline, even when maintenance costs are figured in.
 
670cc said:
Bottom line is the electric motorcycle needs to get way cheaper to compete with gasoline, even when maintenance costs are figured in.
Click to expand...

I don't look at it so much as a competition - but another, different, motorcycle choice. my Zero offers me some things that are not available on any gasoline bike. No gas bike is as quiet, which I love - it is totally stealthy and I can accelerate hard all over the place without drawing attention to myself. No gas bike is as smooth, there is simply NO vibration, period. There is no other gas bike on the market that offers me this type of acceleration without shifting gears. I have driven/ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on manual shift vehicles and I don't want to do it anymore. I enjoy the ride now more without thinking about shifting - I find it liberating. There just aren't any other automatic motorcycles in the marketplace with this kind of power. And the instant torque, OMG I have never felt anything like it and I have owned some very quick vehicles. Yes, I paid a premium for the Zero and when viewed as simple transportation, gasoline bikes make more economic sense. However to me my bike is more than just transportation and the Zero guves me things that I can't find anywhere else. For me it is well worth the money.
 
MichaelJohn said:
I don't look at it so much as a competition - but another, different, motorcycle choice. my Zero offers me some things that are not available on any gasoline bike. No gas bike is as quiet, which I love - it is totally stealthy and I can accelerate hard all over the place without drawing attention to myself. No gas bike is as smooth, there is simply NO vibration, period. There is no other gas bike on the market that offers me this type of acceleration without shifting gears. I have driven/ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on manual shift vehicles and I don't want to do it anymore. I enjoy the ride now more without thinking about shifting - I find it liberating. There just aren't any other automatic motorcycles in the marketplace with this kind of power. And the instant torque, OMG I have never felt anything like it and I have owned some very quick vehicles. Yes, I paid a premium for the Zero and when viewed as simple transportation, gasoline bikes make more economic sense. However to me my bike is more than just transportation and the Zero guves me things that I can't find anywhere else. For me it is well worth the money.
Click to expand...

You are correct. The electric motorcycle competes for the consumer's dollar, but it is a different machine. I do appreciate all the qualities you mentioned. I hope to own one some day when the price is more palatable and economical.

Perhaps they could substitute the acceleration capability for more range. I don't need to accelerate fast, but I need to get where I'm going and back.
 
There is an eco mode on the zero that limits output. On my test ride, they started me on eco, then bumped it up to sport. In eco mode, accelerating less agressively (which is also controlled by the rider on any bike), the range is somewhere around 180 max if I'm remembering the pamphlet correctly. Of course speed affects the range.
I too hope for more range one day, and faster charging times. For now, I'm happy with internal combustion...But if I happen to stumble upon $17k, I might get one for the fun factor.
 
Eco mode - I almost forgot I have it because I never use it.:) Actually, Eco mode is perfect for low-speed maneuvering (another advantage of an electric motorcycle, incredibly precise and easy throttle modulation) but it's Sport mode all the time when I'm on the road. I must also say that everyone is absolutely right concerning range - that is a real achilles' heel. I cannot take the Zero on any longer rides, it just doesn't work. Charging is time-consuming and you can't do it just anywhere. I bought the NC mainly for that reason. I love being on the highway on the NC with absolutely no limitations whatsoever. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have friends that I visit in the Sierras and I would love to be able to take the Zero but that is totally out of the question. There are definitely compromises to be made when owning an electric motorcycle right now. I am anxious to see what the next few years will bring.
 
MichaelJohn said:
Eco mode - I almost forgot I have it because I never use it.:) Actually, Eco mode is perfect for low-speed maneuvering (another advantage of an electric motorcycle, incredibly precise and easy throttle modulation) but it's Sport mode all the time when I'm on the road. I must also say that everyone is absolutely right concerning range - that is a real achilles' heel. I cannot take the Zero on any longer rides, it just doesn't work. Charging is time-consuming and you can't do it just anywhere. I bought the NC mainly for that reason. I love being on the highway on the NC with absolutely no limitations whatsoever. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have friends that I visit in the Sierras and I would love to be able to take the Zero but that is totally out of the question. There are definitely compromises to be made when owning an electric motorcycle right now. I am anxious to see what the next few years will bring.
Click to expand...

I read a test report from Motorcycle Consumer News. It would be nice to have one but I will wait for more "advancement". Your +s are spot on though. Silence and torque would be so cool.
PS. MC Consumer news is the mag for me. Like Consumer Reports. No advertisement.
No affiliation. I just got another bike after a 20yr hiatus and saw my brother (no Hiatus - 60yrs) and he showed me some copies. I have read most of 2015 and will soon devour 2014.
I think anyone that rides a motorcycle should read it.
 
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