Just about every motorcycle is a joy to ride on the first day. But what about after two years and 10,000 miles?
This is where the Zero Motorcycles brand starts pulling ahead.
I bought my SR/F in December of 2019. Since then, my only cost has been electricity and the majority of my road trips have included free fuel. That’s because there are still quite a few free Level 2 charging stations here in Florida.
The bike has been problem free.
The only maintenance I’ve done is put air in the tires and do the customary checks from time-to-time, like taking a look at the belt.
I’ve got a new set of tires on order, which will mark my first visit to the dealer for service since buying the Zero.
Although I’ll be switching to Michelin Road 5 tires, I’ve been perfectly happy with the Pirelli Diablo Rossos it came with. At 10,000 miles there’s still tread left. The Diablos have held up better than I would have guessed.
Once I put the bike in the shop for a tire swap the dealer will also be doing a cruise control recall service – although I’ve had no issues. They’ll also be performing a rear rotor bolts torque check, which Zero also recommended in a separate recall notice.
That’s it. The rest has been nothing but fun. For those of you who have never ridden an electric motorcycle, you’re missing out.
By now you’ve heard all the stories and seen the videos about the never-ending torque and once you’ve experienced it, you’ll probably never want to go back. That combined with the SR/F’s handling, anti-lock brakes and Bosch stability control makes it a grin-inducing experience at every turn.
The first question I always get about my SR/F is, “how far will it go?” My short answer: about a 100-miles. The more in-depth answer is the longest I’ve traveled in a single charge is about 116 miles with about 5% of charge left.
I’ve found Zero’s 2020 range estimates for my SR/F have been spot on. Zero estimated 99-miles at 55 miles-per-hour and 82-miles at 70.
Since buying my Zero I’ve made a few modifications.
I added two sets of LED turn signal bulbs with built-in resisters, an MRA windshield, along with a Corbin seat, which was made in Hollister, California; which is about an hour from Zero’s Santa Cruz factory.
I also installed a set of Rox risers, which made a big comfort difference for longer rides. For anyone interested in the details on the risers, here’s a link to the post and video I did on them.
One of the first things I did after buying the bike was install Zero’s OEM luggage rack designed by SHAD along with a top-box to go with it.
I’ve been happy with the Zero’s build quality with two exceptions.
Occasionally after riding the bike in the rain or after washing it condensation sometimes appears at the edge of the gauge cluster. It’s not a big deal and quickly dries out, but on a high-end bike this, it isn’t an issue I’d expect to see.
The Shad rack also missed getting a top-notch quality control mark. One of the bolts didn’t fit properly, forcing me to make a trip to the hardware store.
For anyone considering adding a rack, I’d recommend instead going with the SR/S model’s rear rack system, which is more attractive and will also give you a larger passenger seat.
In terms of what I’ll be doing next to the bike, I’ve ordered Zero’s lower foot peg kit from the SR/S so I’ll have a slightly less aggressive leg stance. I’m also planning to buy Zero’s software unlock that will up my charging speed to 7kWh.
So would I recommend the SR/F? Yes, but with a caveat that I’ll get to soon.
I cross shopped my SR/F against Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire and Energica’s Eva Ribelle.
The Harley was knocked out of the running fast due to its crazy-high price, which was about $30,000 at the time, and by its lack of Level 2 charging speed.
Since then, Harley has spun off the LiveWire into its own brand and made the price much more competitive. But, it’s also pulling the bike out of most Harley dealers and didn’t fix the lack of Level 2 charging speed.
I did seriously consider the Energica but I preferred my the SR/F’s lighter weight, styling, belt drive and the fact that the SR/F is assembled in America.
I found the Eva pretty top heavy and harder to maneuver at low speeds. Plus, there’s no Energica dealer yet here in Jacksonville, Florida.
Despite being electric, both the Energica and LiveWire use oil-based lubricants. Fellow YouTuber Sam Baker did a demo oil change on his Energica Ego.
Editor’s Note about Sam Baker’s video: Newer Energicas have simplified the fluid change process and lengthened the interval between fluid changes. For more information see the comments section for this video story or visit Energica’s website.
Thankfully – at least from my perspective – Zero went with an air-cooled design for its bikes
For anyone considering an electric motorcycle I’d advise you to study-up on your region’s charging options before buying.
Regardless of what EV motorcycle you choose, there are compromises. Zero has far and away the fastest Level 2 charging available in the industry at the time of this video’s publication.
If you’re planning to do a significant amount of long-distance interstate riding, then the LiveWire or an Energica might be a better option since they both come with Level 3 CCS charging, which Zero still wasn’t offering at the time of this video’s publication. With Zero’s Rapid Charger and Cypher Store unlock, Zero’s can reach charging speeds of up to 13kWh, although most U.S. Level 2 chargers aren’t set up to charge that fast, with the majority only reaching charging speeds of 6.6kWh or less.
By comparison, Energicas can charge at up to 20 kWh per hour using CCS chargers and up to 3kWh per hour on Level 2 chargers. Some other factors to consider: CCS charging is thought to be harder on batteries and usually significantly more expensive than Level 2 charging. Most experts advise using CCS Charging only when needed to maximize the life and range of a vehicle’s battery.
Unfortunately, the perfect bike that includes high-speed versions of both types of charging doesn’t exist in showrooms yet.
The new Zeros are offering bigger batteries with up to 113-miles of range on the interstate, while Energica has made significant strides in getting the weight of its bikes down.
The 2022 Eva Ribelle weighs 573 pounds while a SR/F weighs 500 pounds. But the Ribelle comes with a standard 21.5 kWh battery.
Zero offers a 20.9 kWh Power Tank option. Zero doesn’t list the weight on the Power Tank, but I’d guess it probably hikes the weight to about 545-pounds, given the unofficial Zero manual website listed a Power Tank for a Zero DS as weighing 45 pounds.
Objectively, I can’t recommend the SR/F over its primary EV competitors due to Zero’s lack of CCS charging.
But subjectively, I obviously prefer the SR/F. The good news for motorcyclists is there is finally a decent number of EV choices out there, and for me, the SR/F topped the list.
If you have any questions about my SR/F that I failed to answer in this video, let me know in the YouTube comments and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
And if you enjoyed this episode of EV Rider please give it a like and subscribe on YouTube so I can continue to bring you more EV-adventures and reviews along with the people and places in Florida.
