I am a 58 year old motor head (from the rich/broke Country of California) and it took me a bit to adjust to electric as well. Pretty much when the horse power to weight ratio became attractive. That has always been a driving force in my life. Quiet has its advantages as well as buckets of torque from a stand still. Cops don't seem to notice me nearly as much. I have not yet adjusted to watching people drive on the left side of the road yet, you were freaking me out with that. More and more I am appreciating not putting out exhaust fumes, I love the mountains and clean air. Zero seems a bit pricey but they are doing a great job performance wise. I think they justify the price tag, to some extent, by the high price of gas powered bikes. As battery technology continues to advance, we should see the cost drop and/or range increase as batteries are a huge factor. The cost of gas will continue to rise. The range indicators really just show you how much your riding style has changed and are sort of trivial to me. An active volt meter is the real fuel gage. Drive fast and take chances, Barclay.

I just bought a Zero SR, and the more I ride it the more I like it. It's everything from a smooth, easy cruiser to a brutally quick canyon carver. I don't have the range extender battery pack, but even though it's not light on paper it feels *MUCH* lighter than my Hyosung GT650, and is definitely *MUCH* easier to pick up if you drop it. It also doesn't have any bits sticking out to get damaged. Drop it and all you'll get is a scuffed bar end. This guy has an axe to grind and isn't honest about the riding experience. Case in point: he says how sure he is that he would beat that ICE bike to sixty and even does a burnout, but says nothing whatsoever about the actual ride other than to complain about how hooning reduces the range. Trust me, I these things are a blast to ride and well worth the price of admission, especially since there's no maintenance to speak of. No oil or oil filters, no air filters, no constant checking for bolts being loosened by vibration, no spark plugs, none of that stuff. Just plug it in - at home; you can't refuel your ICE bike there - and clean it now and then. Never have to make a special trip or detour from other trips to get gas. If you're commuting, go directly to work or home, and never stop for fuel. Plug it in at home or work and it's full and ready to go when you are, and it costs a fraction of filling your tank with fuel. In the long run, electric will be much cheaper than any comparable ICE vehicle, and it will last a lot longer and spend a lot less time in the shop. Don't underestimate electric. If you haven't given it an honest go, you really don't have a right to an opinion about it. I will say one thing, though: I wouldn't waste my time with an S or DS. They're about as quick as an SR or DSR at about 60% in custom mode. They're still fun, but it's night and day different.

He didn't mention the fact that there are almost no maintenance costs. All you need is tires, breaks, and a belt once in a while. No oil, few moving parts, and estimated 350,000 miles or so until 80% range.

Electric bikes can't come soon enough for me. Great video.

I have a 2015 ZERO SR and I love it. All the normal questions and answers. 1. I get 130 miles of range going "extra-legal" speeds in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 2. I charge fully in less than a hour with a aftermarket DigiNow fast chargers using a standard j-plug at a public charge station. 3. It goes over 100 MPH and accelerates off the line with no clutch or transition faster than most sport bikes. 4. Being quiet is not dangerous. I ride and commute every day. You will not get as many tickets or dirty looks. 5. The throttle response is better than any gas bike and you can tune it with the app.

I actually got pulled over by a police officer riding a zero, didn't hear him coming. This got me extremely interested in these bikes.

I am an oldie. Approaching 60 in a couple of years. I have a 1.5 year old 1,500 watt 84-volt honda zoomer-x like e-MC. Before that I had a 9 month old vespa type e-MC/scooter. Been ebiking for 2.4 years or so. My ebike is simple and not high powered. It's not as fancy or costly as a Zero. Got it for about U$800 used for 3 months only, and got some lithium batts now to total the cost to U$2,000. The batts should last me 5 or more years and not worry like using those lead acid batteries. It expensive on the onset but it will be cheaper in the long run with less headaches and maintenance. The U$2,000 is what I would have paid for a gasoline Honda Zoomer-X plus a little modifications in our country. My maintenance cost per year plus gasoline probably will set me back around U$500-600. With the electric MC, I only pay around U$40 a year. Only mechanical parts usually need servicing or replacing. No change oils, filters, adjustment of timing belts, mo parts to become loose or needs adjustments periodically, no parts to wear off except the tires, brake pads, and maybe the axle bearing. No massive heat build up. U$500-600 may not be much in the USA, but it is a lot in our country. But the biggest shock is the cost of paying the electric company only U$40 or less for powering this for one year (at about 10,000km plus mileage). And yes, we charge at home. With the 25aH and 15ah sets. I can go 110-130km range with these 2. I usually just use around 25-40km per day, sometimes less. And it takes maybe 2 hours to 4 hours to charge with such short usage. I just leave it at night to charge, or just plug it in whenever I want to even for a 1 hour charge. Even if I don't charge it, I can go 3-4 days with this uncharge. But I charge them when the bike is idle just to be able to cover any contingencies. It's not doing anything anyway, so just plug it in! Electric bikes may not be for many oldies. It is for the next generation. They are more in numbers and they know that power/torque and speed can be had in relative silence or low noise/sound. Maintenance is cheaper too. When we are all gone, few of the next generation will know of combustion engine motorcycle. And cars. And trucks, Practically almost any vehicle on the ground (maybe even in water or even in the air). It's hard to teach old dogs new tricks. That is why I went full steam ahead with this. My body may be old, but my heart is young. Even more, it's just plain common sense and practical. IF ones ego or bias can't be swayed, then the pocket (savings) and ease of maintenance (literally 1-5% effort) is the deciding factor for me.

It is electric, not electronic. Great review btw.

great review. these bike are only going to get better and better.

I've got 6000 miles on mine and I've loved every mile of my nasty commute especially blowing past the 100,000$ Porsches stuck in traffic. Live free or die!

I bought a used 2018 Zero SR two months ago. I love it. For the last 30 years, after every ICE car or bike I purchased, I created a maintenance plan. Not with this bike. I am not missing the five whole systems from an ICE: gas, air, spark, exhaust, and coolant. This Zero differs from a electric car in that it can be charged via a 110 volt wall outlet. Therefore, most every house (and your friend's house) already have charging capability for your bike. Same goes with my work - they don't have a 220 Volt car charger, but they do have a 110 volt outlet, and let me charge at work. I was choosing between a electric car or bike, and I'm glad I started with a bike. I plan to get a car in two years. You need to change a little, and think out your charging plan every two to three days, but you soon find yourself getting on the bike and loving the silence. Petrol engines are CO2 pumps. Now that there are 2 billion cars on the road, that is a lot of CO2. Yes, the bike is pricey, but I want this company to succeed, so that's where I'll put my money.

Having ridden this bike at the factory a few years ago, I rode away on my BMW R1200RT more than impressed with the Zero SR. Yes it took a little getting used to, maybe the first few miles with looking for a clutch handle. What is most impressive is the seamless delivery of power when applying 'throttle' via the twist grip. A novice to motorcycles could safely ride this bike which will hopefully provide new riders to the world of motorcycle riding. Once dry cell lithium batteries become viable, legacy electric bikes can then be readily upgraded with a drop-in battery upgrade to solve any range anxiety and early adapters will have enjoyed years of a maintenance free motorcycle by this time. I've replaced my gas powered hedge trimmer, lawn mower, weed whacker, leaf blower, and BMW car with an electric replacement. The motorcycle is next - only a matter of time once the battery density challenges have been solved and that day is fast approaching.

I owned a 2013 Zero FX for awhile, and sold it to buy a Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 (I wanted to tour Mexico by motorbike). I've been missing the Zero FX ever since, and may buy another. It pulled harder than my 1200 does. And that's just the FX; the SR is much stronger and faster. Electric bikes are super fun!!!

I've seen a lot of reviews on this bike. This is hands down the best one. Thanks.

An electric motorcycle pulled up to a gas station : Gas attendant " Fill 'er up? Rider: "No, tanks"

Good and honest review. Whether we like it or not, electric bikes are here to stay, . A bit more styling and some time to accept electric vehicles, Ill prolly own one. Also, you got another subscriber. Cheers from Sweden

Factor in the the low servicing costs (tyres, brake pads and new belt at 40k km)... I'd say it's close to doable.. Stick some PV on the roof and fuel is almost free... For those people saying the power is generated by coal anyway... ever thought about how much electricity is used to make petrol? Nope didn't think so.

This reminds me of a time back in the day when my dad said "those Japanese bikes are rubbish, they will never take off" with me on my Suzuki GT250 X7, funny how history repeats itself....nuff said.

'Which is basically witchcraft' Lmao

What a great video - Full of info & very interesting to watch! We have an electric push bike (shown in thumbnail) but only get around 80 miles of range. Thank you very much.

a Prius isn't really an electronic car..

Dear zero, The specs on the bike are awesome. Now please make them look better. And a full fairing option would be nice too!

The future is amazing! Great video.

im getting one of these for my next bike...i use my bike mainly for around town small errands so the thought of never going to a gas station and just leaving my bike plugged in(i do now anyway) so it wouldnt cost me a dime more than it does now. im constantly charging my battery at 2 to 10 amps

I think it looks bloody cool. Styling is amzing, simplistic.

Loved the smokey burnout

For having come from a petrol head this was a very fair review. Thanks for taking the time, and I particularly enjoyed that little witchcraft comment

I like the 'not sold on it but what is good is really good' tone of the review.

First up, within 5 years we will have Lithium-metal or Lithium-Sulphur batteries with 3x the range, or same range with 1/3 the price

"Ignore the Power" Power should never be ignored, because the transmission and the wheels and sprockets multiply torque. Power is all about quantity. Torque is about quality.

Two things, the range increasing from riding is just because the last known riding style calculated that it had 130odd miles left, and you rode in less aggressively than it’s estimations. You cannot gain energy whilst using it like that, unless you started at the top of a rather large hill and finished at the bottom without going back up, and also related to this I’d imagine that the 74 miles was also calculated from your aggressive riding, and I’m sure it would increase if you drove it carefully so you had possibly 80-100 miles lect

Brilliant video and very informative. I'm old school with my bikes, but I can see the virtues and future of electric bikes and cars. I would def have the bike .

I've had a go in a Tesla S and Chinese electric scooters. I just like big acceleration or two wheels - the powerplant is secondary. I wouldn't buy one of these in 2017 but the next generation ones could be awesome. Also, it's guys like the old guys in the video that mean we don't yet have hoverbikes, they fear anything new and stifle progress!

With all due respect California does not have pots and pots of cash that state is almost broke

nice review bro! love your style, awesome work

Well done. Thank you for the honest review.

how Much!? I'll be interested once they're mainstream enough to have a sensible price tag. However, if the future is electric then I'd rather ride an electric bike than no bike

Hi John, another excellent review, I saw one of these at the NEC and balked at the price, as with all this technology its priced beyond the common man, at half the price you'd think twice. Do the maths: spend half as much on a very respectable motorcycle and (for the average rider), how many miles could you travel on £8k's worth of fuel! I respect the technology but...

had my zero s since 2015. love it. just need a level 2 charger with a quick charge pack. not great for apartment living though unless you have easy safe access to a plug. i definitely need a garage after going 6 months without.

I'd love to have your take on the SR/F. Seems much more refined from a distance.

Where are the god damn fairings? Zero themselves said that it would increase range from 20-30%. Why would they not add them?

You must be insane spending 20.000 GBP for that thing....no f@cking way. Drop it down by 7000 and maybe then will consider it...

thank u very much, this was so much more informative than l expected and it even was a lil bit funny at the end 😉

I got to ride one of these and I was deeply impressed. It felt almost as quick as my B-King and the silence was cool.

I fly all electric RC airplanes and helicopters. They are more powerful and faster than gas engine planes. I don't know how I'd feel about an electric motorcycle but I know I prefer electric RC planes by a Hugh margin!!!

Two things gave me an electric shock ... Torque figure and it's PRICE !

Thanks good review, impartial and informative 👍

Good review love the retro helmet.

At $10 a gallon , I can't see why anyone would not see the point...

This is a cool bike. The only problem is for that price, I can buy a 1000cc supersport which is much cooler.

I test rode a DS and an SR a few months ago. I quickly decided I will own a DSR by the end of this year.

wonder what the fuel\charging cost would come to over a year versus petrol for the same miles?

It's the same story as electric cars - until technology is such that these cars and bikes are about half the price they are now, they are still out of reach for your average Joe

Petrol bikes and cars are dinosaurs... good riddance...

when I first found out about these bikes I didn't even know something like this existed this was obviously before the craze for electric vehicles was as big as today. At the time I wasn't in to electric cars at all I thought they we're boring and had no character and I still think that but when I saw these bikes they instantly grabbed my attention they weren't obnoxious like most electric vehicles are they weren't painted in some insane color and above all they didn't bombard you with anything that said "eco friendly" or "zero emissions" closest thing to that was the brand name they had a simple design that looks great although slightly plain is pretty unique. At last I have found a electric vehicle with actual character and even though it is pretty expensive your still not dropping 100,000$ on a tesla p100D for the same or even more fun. So all I have to say now is this is one of the very best bikes I have ever seen and I'm thankful I found out about Zero Motorcycles.

Great video, what electric motorbike would make a good learner bike?

Talk to me when they have a 400 mile range. Til then it's useless to me.

So the future is for rich people only 😐

I would love to see you test ride and review another electric MC, evoke Urban S. Can't find anything on it just yet, but looks promising too, main competition to Zero imho. Cheers Nurali

Thoroughly enjoyed this.

Living in the Netherlands in a city I absolutely hate loud bikes standing across the street at a stoplight taking of and making a hell of a noise doing it. I always go up with my hand a point my pinky at them stating they are compensating for a small Pe...s Please do other humans a favor and just buy silent bikes wear headphones and blast your old bike sounds in your head without bothering the rest of the world with your sound pollution

No shifting, no character, no good sounds and charge times. Electric bikes rub me the wrong way.

When the range is better and the prices come down I'd be interested,, I'm in me 50s been riding since I was 12 had a lot from the bottom to the top in power and cc ,,, would like to try one ,, great review Shane uk

Great review, although I wonder if the front break lever can be switched over to the left-hand side ,where the clutch usually is? Reason I ask is being a Leftie (Left-Handed predominantly, even though am ambidextrous) it would seem more convenient.

Very informative, humorous, and helpful review. I'm keenly interested in electric bikes, but just no there yet... Have multiple gas bikes, Honda, KTM, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, and still love riding gas...

Best review of an EV m/c yet. As per usual John.

it didn't had chain and sprockets it does have a camshafts to run to deliver power ? am i right??

I ride a V4 with a loud pipe, it lets others know where I am - I've had a number of road bikes and have to say that the quiet one's placed me at more risk of injury. I believe sound needs to be engineered into these motorcycles, particularly off road as we need to hear what's coming.

I don't ride but KZfaq recommended your vid as I watch a lot of "Fully Charged" and other EV videos. Firstly, the filming, editing and production was 1st class. Your critique screamed experience and it was a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Have to ask though as a non-rider where you mentioned that on your petrol bikes when you were cutting up the lanes, dog walkers, hikers etc jumped into the hedges but didn't on the Zero I assume that was a safety disadvantage? Was the Zero that quiet to other road users? Also if you get a chance to do another review of a different model please go into the phone app in more detail. That looked really cool being able to tailor the tune from an app. Anyway, great watch! Subscribed! Edit: Have been "Google-fu"ing Zero and your channel. Didn't mean to sound condescending above, as judging by your view count you are a tier1 channel. Apparently Zero do an "S" that's CBT compliant (which is restricted by the app for EU regs, due to continuous torque output). If you're friendly with the dealer, I'd love your opinion as an alt to a regular 125 to someone considering a switch to 2 wheels for the commute/starting out.

Hello sir this is great beginning of electric bike

The future is here and it's looking amazing!

I think they filmed some of this in San Jose and Scott's Valley.

A brilliant review ... keep it up geezer

Do I have the option of buying only the battery pack ? Sounds mind boggling that Zero has implemented 14-15 kW battery pack with such low space constraints.

A couple of quick points. you normally rapid charge a battery to 80%, that can be very quick, over 80% the charge starts struggling to get into the battery, that is why they slow down and take all night to get to 100%. The second thing I want to mention is something that happened to me last year. I was at a car show in the EV area selling my book when I started chatting to a guy from the Australian Morris Minor club. I asked him what he thought of the idea of converting a Morris Minor to electric. His response really surprised me. he thought it was a brilliant idea, in fact they were already converting one. basically they love the car but hate the engine. It is heavy and under powered. Great review

Oh the Chinese 125. You will always be with us

I have a 2017 ZERO DS. Just recently took a test ride on a 2018 ZERO SR ZF14.4 ... thing is a BEAST in Sport mode. I weigh only 160lbs so add that to the bikes 400lb curb weight and that 116ft/lb of torque really got my attention. Feels much punchier than my year older DS.

Excelente canal los felicito... saludos desde Colombia

Great review - enjoyed it. But regarding the range remaining - it's just saying to you - "If you continue to ride in the way that you've ridden, this is the range you'll get" - it didn't regenerate more miles (yes, it _did_ reclaim something from slowing down, but it's pretty negligible) - you were just riding conservatively enough for it to say "Hey, you carry on riding like that, you'll get this greater range instead" Switching your riding style to something more aggressive, it again just says "Ok, you ride like that - _this_ is the range you'll get" - it's a completely dynamic reading - which is really useful because it lets you see in real-time how's best to ride if range is important. The regenerative braking is good, but not that good.

that burnout was dope af

Looking for those vehicles but with 3 wheels, roof, removable batteries on wheels so I can charge at home... I hope to seem them more on roads ! Thanks for the great video !

Another question I have actually two.First question is are they quiet.Second question is can it gear down.

Can the bike be moved when turned off? Does it have neutral?

Nice to get a British perspective on the Zero. FYI, there is no battery regen from the brakes, just rolling off the throttle.

It's easy to forget that we already feel range anxiety on our petrol (i.e., gasoline) motorcycles, particularly on long rides between isolated towns (e.g., mountain rides, or cross country). I don't see the issue being siginificantly worse on an electric bike, particularly since 99% of my riding is done quite close to home.

There is something to say about the feel of shifting.. however there is also something to say about just focusing on driving and not having to worry about anything else.. as for styling I am not a huge fan.. obviously changing some cosmetic stuff wouldn't be hard but I think that would be a great everyday driver, then on the weekend get yourself that cafe racer, R1,GSXr,big harley or whatever, and use that on the weekend to just run through that petrol.

this off topic but what kind of boots are those?

Coming soon, a solar charger windscreen option?

what happens when its raining and is it suitable for muddy roads

Great review. Thanks.

Like the review, sad you weren’t won over to electric. It would make me happy to know I am not tossing poison on some four year olds lungs. We are in this world together...I hope we clean it up for each other. Cheers!

Very good point that it does not look as good as it could be. They are not trying to be different enough in looks when they could and should. It would be nice to rock up somewhere and be noticed that the bike is very different.

Pure motorcycle enjoyment is the wind, the freedom, simplicity, the open road. The Zero just doesn't look that nimble and cool as a cafe. Dont mind classic design with silent motor. But congratulations to them for doing this fr! Someone has to be the first.

Very well sorted and well spoken review my friend. You offered many angles and outlooks and covered the bases. One of the better bike reviews in general to be honest. Thank you sir I enjoyed that. I myself shuttered at the idea of my beloved internal combustion engines dying out (still do actually) but I am getting more and more excited about trying out an EV bike. Cheers

what about people not noticing the bike because the lack of sound. Will accidents increase??

I like the look of the main bodyfrom the side but from a front view, something about the headlight makes it look like an old bike. I like the fxs more.

There's a difference between electronic and electric. I'm concerned about those brakes. How can that puny front brake stop a 200-kilo bike properly? Thanks for the review!

Una forma de hacer mas efectiva la autonomía de las motos ZERO, seria que implementara una boina en la llanta delantera, y la producción de energía de la misma dirigida a las baterías; entonces tendría dos fuentes de produccion de energia cuando estuviera en movimiento. una que seria la energia que produce el motor al frenado y la otra que produciria la llanta delantera... esto aria la moto aun mas potente de lo que es elevando el porcentaje de autonomía al momento de conducir una moto electrica.

Nice video. The future is unexpected. I'm sure the steam engine fans were skeptical of the gasoline/petrol engine.

Lol... we have to be so careful when we speak in public. One little mistake becomes a long run of discredit. But let’s be real. He is not a politician. Just hopefully a good biker.