Zero S ZF 7.2 11 kW 2020 Electric Motorcycle (Learner Legal)

[@retrothruster2539]

I strongly agree about learning to ride a motorcycle without restrictions, as kids, we rode immensely powerful dirtbikes, when I transitioned to street bikes, I actually thought they were slow, I'm no better than anyone else, but I have my choice of a bike with tons of rider aids which my 21' Africa Twin has vs no rider aids, I'll opt for the NO rider aids option...

[@andrewmillard5326]

Loved your review of this motorcycle. I have ridden one of these and they are superb. The brake stopping power is up there with any litre sports bike 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🤓👍.

[@daveellsworth8553]

Love your film reviews John, and missed them. You sometimes blow me away with the overload of stats, better to have them then not I guess. I enjoy each and every film you upload. Its KZbinrs like yourself, NewZeroLand and AndyManCam that have convinced me to go for an EV. Having attended a dealer day I can't wait until I finally get my hands on my very own. Just a matter of time now.

[@jtchivers]

Thanks for the kind words, Dave! Yes, I'm wary of stats overload, but people seem to appreciate them in there. Sorry for the very slow output. It takes me a while to put these kind of bike videos together. I need to summon up the time and effort to do them, but there is fortunately a great set of other KZbinrs like those you mention. I've particularly enjoyed Sam's (NewZeroland's) output for some time.

[@DanielCoffey67]

The rear mudguard kit is pretty essential on our wet (and salty) roads. I also do find that the 7.2kW side storage area does have quite a narrow hatch so can be awkward to fit items that are not flexible so I tend to use panniers first, top caddy second and side storage last.

[@jtchivers]

Agree on the mudguard kit. Yes, I can see what you mean about the side storage area. Still nice to have though. It's useful for stowing bits you might use less frequently. A spare cable, first aid kit, bulb kit, puncture kit, etc.

[@thegreatpretender4197]

I agree on the slow speed bike control, I've just passed my CBT, but having been a car driver for twenty years, I have to admit I really struggled with the slow speed bike control, and felt much more comfortable once traveling at urban traffic speeds.

[@jtchivers]

Slow speed control is all about rear brake only, Alex, and on a petrol bike, feathering the clutch for fine control. Essentially, use predominantly your front brake to take off speed, but once you're down to walking speeds, the final part of approaching a junction or coming to a complete stop, keep your hand away from that front brake lever. If you touch the front brake at slow speed, you're far more likely to unbalance the bike as the weight is transferred to the front wheel. Essentially keep your hand off the front brake lever and your feet up off the ground and you can ride at a very low speed using your rear brake to keep the bike balanced against the throttle and fine tune the speed with the clutch. The difference on an electric motorcycle is that you don't have the clutch, but the throttle is configured such that it works fine in slow speed riding too.

[@RWBHere]

Thanks John. That extra battery capability, coupled with faster charging capability, are extremely useful options. Why does it not have a rear mudguard as standard?

[@fred4926]

It can't have the two options in the same time,you got the Charge tank or the added battery

[@colinm1325]

Hey John, First of your vids watched, very enjoyable and informative. Driven a Tesla before, and would assume,... that the performance would be similar, and hopefully the suspension tunable. Thanks 👍🌈🌏💞

[@Campbellteaching]

Where is the pillion supposed to sit? Needs a flat seat and lower pillion footrests

[@jtchivers]

That's a pretty standard bike seat. Pillion is usually raised and rider sits close to the tank. Plenty of room for pillion on this compared to many bikes which ostensibly can carry pillions.

[@jtchivers]

Gosh! Just realised it's your good self. Let me just take the opportunity to complement you on your excellent videos. They've been informative throughout the past few months.

[@SantaridesaKTM]

Excellent review.

[@qbukhari]

Fantastic review Keep up the good work

[@digger8180]

Hello John, I ride year round in Scotland, it reasonably for say four months a year can get down to - 2°C air temp, how do you think the battery would cope especially if the bike was parked overnight out in the elements, (at work) for 24 hours? Your thoughts appreciated before taking the plunge. 👍🏻

[@jtchivers]

I'd avoid leaving the bike outside if at all possible. I don't think it will do it any good in the long term, even if it has a minimal impact in the short term. Better to keep it somewhere indoors if not in a garage. Bear in mind you won't have issues with dripping oil. There are some recommendations on dealing with cold weather on the excellent unofficial Zero owners' manual. zeromanual.com/wiki/Usage

[@alanrobinson2229]

Thanks John for the video. Regards IAM training,would the FXS have enough range to take part in guided sessions?

[@jtchivers]

Thanks, Alan. In all honesty, I'd say not the 7.2 kWh battery version. The 14.4 kWh battery would be fine though. The average check ride would be over 50 miles, and of course you still need to get to the start point and back from the finish point. I do most of my observing on my 2016 13 kWh DSR, so a 14.4 kWh battery would be fine. I occasionally do a day out towards the end of the course, if an associate fancies it, where we alternate the lead ride position, and for that I generally use a petrol bike, although I could equally stop somewhere for lunch now and charge using the Charge Tank.

[@MrTubatron]

At 12:12 I thought you were going into the gravel because of the camera :)

[@jimalden9376]

I wonder how much better the range would be if your license plates weren't the size of a parachute. ;)

[@jtchivers]

I don't feel like getting particularly defensive about registration plates, but I'm guessing the idea is that they can be read from a greater distance than those in some other countries. They're pretty strict on this stuff, even though some bikers in particular flout the rules. www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/rules-number-plates Just think of it as extra protection from getting a crappy streak of mud thrown up the back of the bike!

[@FlyingFun.]

What's the depreciation like on these? Servicing and fuel savings are good and I'm tempted as I miss riding bikes, I have full licence but honestly dont feel the need to 160mph lol.

[@jtchivers]

I honestly don't know. My gut feeling is fairly fast depreciation early and then they'll hold their value very well. There is obviously a market for second hand EVs, as they work out cheaper for the buyer. We had an electric Smart car for a year or so and then sold it for £1000 more than we got it for through a dealer, who of course added their own mark-up. The buyer really wanted it and because of the relative scarcity of certain EVs at the moment, they do tend to hold their value well and even gain value. In this case, as a learner-legal bike, you also have to consider the high demand for second hand learner-legal bikes. Add in the fact that there is almost certainly a market for pre-owned, cheaper electric motorcycles, and I think it will hold value well, after the obvious depreciation once you ride it off the forecourt.

[@FlyingFun.]

@@jtchivers I agree, I think I'd buy a good used one to avoid the initial drop.

[@NewZeroland]

Great video as usual! Really informative, and those riding shots are sweet. Now it makes me wonder if you could get a 7.2kWh version and swap in a Zero SR motor and controller.. so you'd have an ultra fast, ultra lightweight Zero.

[@jtchivers]

Thanks, Zerbro (well we fellow owners need a name)! Good idea on the SR motor and controller! That would definitely be an interesting experiment for someone brave enough and with the requisite skills. Sadly, that isn't me. 😁

[@fotoamgamgfoto3695]

Hi! I plan to buy a 2021 Zero S 14.4 battery version. Is there a way to add type 2 fast charging for it? As I see there is a Charge tank modification option for 6kW charging, that would be also good, just have to make sure it can be added and accepts Type 2 public stations. I already have for my current ebike a Type 2 -> Schucko adapter so I can use my slow 500W home charger with that and it works up to 16Amps at current resistor config so until 11kW, but with a resistor change can full type 2 AC be used like 22.5kw.... I have to achieve 250km range so need a stop for charging at public Type 2 station and charge in max 2 hours.

[@jtchivers]

You can have a 6kW Charge Tank fitted, no problem. I had one retrofitted to my 2016 Zero DSR three years after I bought it. I don't know for sure whether the S/SR/DSR Charge Tanks now have the Type 2 socket for Europe, but I think they might still be using Type 1 (J1772) socket, unlike the European SRF/SRS/DSRX. Not that that's a big deal, but it would mean your Type 2 Schucko lead wouldn't work. They should supply you with the T1 to T2 cable for use at fast charge points and you can get a domestic socket to T1 cable from quite a few places more cheaply than the official Zero one costs. The bike will charge at a maximum of the Charge Tank rating and the on-board charger, if you really want to do that. You absolutely can't charge at 22.5 kW. The battery wouldn't accept it and the BMS won't allow it. This is down to the 1C rating of the battery, which means the absolute theoretical maximum charging speed would be the kW equivalent of the kWh capacity. So, a 14 kWh battery would charge at a theoretical maximum of 14 kW. 2 hours will get you a full charge using just the Charge Tank. In my experience with my DSR, I'd tend to stop for around 90 minutes. I found the Charge Tank alone was fine on journeys away from home and I tended to use the on-board charger at home.

[@thegreatpretender4197]

Does anyone know the cost of a replacement battery and roughly how many miles you can get from the lifespan of the original.

[@jtchivers]

The typical battery should easily outlast the life of the bike and by a long way. I don't know of a bike (or a car) where a battery has died through normal use, with one exception (a Tesla, where it was replaced under warranty). The BMS takes care of the battery, ensuring that it stays healthy and balanced, so replacing the battery monolith is not something you would expect to ever do, and more than you'd expect to replace an engine in a ICE vehicle. That said, NYA Bikes is the only place I know in the UK which lists the monolith battery price in its online shop and in this case, you'd be looking at £3200. But you shouldn't consider that a dissuading factor any more than you'd consider the price of a replacement engine a factor in buying an ICE vehicle. www.nyaparts.co.uk/shop/electric-bike/battery-chargers-and-electrical/battery-assembly-long-cell-7-2kwh-zero-s-sr-ds-dsr-fx-fxs/

[@joanantonim.p.2400]

Thank you very much... 👍👍👍😃👋👋🏍🏍🏍🏍🔋🔋🔋🔋🔋🔌🔌☇☇☇☇☇☇☇

[@edge2991]

what does a learnerlegal mean

[@jtchivers]

@@edge2991 In the UK, it means that someone who is learning to ride a motorbike but has not yet passed their practical test can ride it with L plates.

[@edge2991]

@@jtchivers thank you

[@martijnkok777]

Did they just copy the headlight of the MT-03 from 2006?

[@jtchivers]

They quite possibly did.

[@alanhales7537]

I was enjoying your review on the motorcycle in the video up until the point where your rant on learner laws started and went on and on. I wanted to see and hear about the bike not your personal views on other topics. Which may be fine and make sense but put them in their own dedicated video.

[@kevindarkstar]

There is no way any 17 year old would be putting L plates on this! Way too expensive for most even older learners.

[@keithreeder]

There are 17 years olds driving Lambos. Just because _you_ can't afford it, don't assume everyone else is the same.

[@Paulfarmer-en4vh]

I don't agree I grew up and rode bikes up to 250cc none of my mates or I died it's always been other road users that's the majority of the problem little Johnny can pass his car test and put his insurance on daddy's and get a Porsche etc causing mayhem and death young motorcyclists need a cbt then a licence then another licence stamp ect I passed my bike licence first time on a 250 four stroke then bought a Z900.im still here. 15:22

[@jtchivers]

Don't agree with whom? I suggested that bike restrictions aren't especially helpful, so not sure who you're not agreeing with. But as to the second comment, I'm more interested in hard stats than anecdote on casualties. Some hard stats are at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022. One thing which we know DOES decrease the probability of an accident, is additional rider training in terms of Roadcraft skills.

[@148bus]

Far too dear!.......nearly £13,000 ???.......JOKE. I can only see people going for other makes of bikes.

[@jtchivers]

Plenty of combustion engine motorbikes are that price and considerably more, and then you have constant high fueling and servicing costs compared to electric. Running costs for electric are minimal. I've covered the potential savings pretty extensively, but if you only look at the purchase price, you're not considering the real costs of ownership. I've mentioned elsewhere that I know of electric bikers whose fuel savings alone financed their electric motorcycle.

[@keithreeder]

Meh. Work harder.