2012 zero line up at milano show

[jonescg]

I've put 75,000 km on my Blackbird since 2007, and I plan on riding it till it blows up. And being a Honda that isn't likely to happen for a long time...

[Hillhater]

I've put 75,000 km on my Blackbird since 2007, ...

At that rate 300k miles will take you another 25 years
.. We will all be riding EMotos before then !

[Ykick]

... I can assure you there's plenty of 100-300k mile riders out there.

..I will take your word for it..but 100-300k is a big spread and assuming "normal statistical distribution" ..of that group, less than 0.5% of "plenty" would be the actual 300k riders ....and were all those 300k on the same bike ???

Being realistic...to ride 300k would be a rare achievement,..but to also do that on one bike ( without major rebuilds ?) would be one hell of a coincidence.

I chose that spread because my brother put 100k on brand new GS850 Suzuki in about 8 years. Trip up the Alcan, several cross country rides plus everyday riding will add up. My GL1100 is sitting at 166k (143k are mine) and the heads' never been off since I've owned it. Modern m/c's (particularly water/oil cooled and shaft drives) can reach high mileage just as easily as cars/trucks. Main difference is the butt load of tires you go through riding that much!

I commend Zero for the 300k mile rating of their battery pack! At my age, I won't be able to find out but hopefully somebody will.

[grindz145]

I'm at 58k Mi on my ST1300 in 4 years. It is more reliable than a car.

Also have 70k on an 85 CB700sc (35 of which are mine).

If electric bikes / electric motorcycles are to really be legit, then people need to ride them, and put miles on, so it's completely awesome that zero has the forethought to design in packs with real longevity.

P.S. I just did a comprehensive cost comparison the other day, between my ST1300, ebikes, etc.

Tires are about 15% of the total cost of ownership, of a modern bike.

I calculated that the tires on my ebike account for over 25% of the cost per mile! That's why we all need to bump up to moped tires...

P.S.S. I have a few buddies at the BMW shop with well over 400k Mi, on the same bike! That's pretty hard to do without hardcore touring, but it can be done, and if bikes are ridden as they should be, 100k shouldn't be hard at all.

[grindz145]

Also Luke, if anyone at Zero is looking for a long term tester, I can promise 100k mi in about 6 years.

[Ykick]

Brother grindz145, 'had no idea! 'love those ST's and impressive you can do that in upsate NY. 'rarely got crazy high annual mileage living in the Midwest but when I moved to CA I was like a kid in a candy store! "You mean to tell me you can actually ride year 'round?" Sorta, after you learn about real traffic, lane sharing and rain grooves, LOL...

Unless it's some rare creampuff, I'll never buy a used bike from CA or warm climates. Nope, look around up north and cold climates where they spend majority of time indoors. Except for a few guys like you!

[grindz145]

yeah Hah! Don't buy a used bike from me I don't even know why people waste money on trophy bikes that never get ridden. It's good to hear from some other people with high mileage.

We have year-round riding here too... sorta : http://troyrank.com/2012/02/13/february/

Heated gear is a beautiful thing.

I seriously believe in motorcycle/bicycles as transportation, so mileage has to be there. Unless of course we all get smart and move closer to where we work I haven't done that yet...

[Ykick]

Trophy stuff, impulse buys, I suspect? Similar to the vast number of high $$$ guitars that get bought and spend eternity under a bed or in a closet. Hey, if it brings a person pleasure and ain't hurting anybody, all good.

This year I started using my 15 year old Widder electric vest commuting the city on the ebike all winter. Admitedly, mild winter, but so perfect to be able to wear a light jacket for a change! And many of us have a few Wh to spare.

I'll check that site and you keep the excellent podcasts coming, my friend...

[Hillhater]

OK then,.. lets accept that there are some bikers that will put in 300k on the one bike with few major rebuilds ...
...but also accept that it is a pretty exclusive club !
Now thats quite an achievement on a IC cruiser bike, ( I suspect you would need some mighty forearms & back strength to do it on a sport bike !) .. but to attempt 300k on an Emoto bike with its limited range and recharge times ...??
..yes , that would be quite a task !

[grindz145]

OK then,.. lets accept that there are some bikers that will put in 300k on the one bike with few major rebuilds ...
...but also accept that it is a pretty exclusive club !
Now thats quite an achievement on a IC cruiser bike, ( I suspect you would need some mighty forearms & back strength to do it on a sport bike !) .. but to attempt 300k on an Emoto bike with its limited range and recharge times ...??
..yes , that would be quite a task !

It makes touring a little more difficult, but I dont know, take away about 14k of my ~58, and pretty much all of that could have been done on 100 mile range. I have about 12k a year just commuting alone. The low maintenance of the Zero is a huge boon. More people should ride like Ykick and I do, and not just as toys....but as toys too of course

p.s. There are a few bikes, the goldwing and the st1300, for a start, old Airhead BMWs, that have notably gone 300k without any major rework. There are many bikes that are only designed to last 30k though, and I think that's what shys many people away from really using them everyday to get places. I should note that most of these ultra-high mileage bikes are touring bikes, so super-easy mileage. An ebike doesn't really care though, with the exception of a couple of bearings, 200k commuting miles is very possible. There is of course a shelf life of the cells, which may affect overall range more quickly. Lack of use is no excuse though.

[Ykick]

I do agree 300k is not very likely on an all electric bike due to the handicap of no long highway runs. But, I'd rather read this type of marketing fluff than the usual eBike nonsense of 50 miles on 10Ah battery!

All electric is absolutely perfect for short town hauls though. Anybody who's been around older BMW's knows mufflers rust so quickly if you ride short trips under 20 minutes.

Trouble with people adopting bikes (pedal or moto) is the perceived lack of safety. I think that's a bad rap by folks who don't know better. With proper training, practice and execution m/c riding in traffic can be quite safe. In fact, do it right and you'll be a much better driver behind the wheel of car or truck too. In a perfect world, there'd be no non-mc qualified drivers operating cars/trucks.

Seriously, you wanna license to operate something so big, heavy and fast that can easily destroy property and take people's lives? DMV's should require m/c qualification before any other license is granted. Why have rookie drivers learning the road with big dangerous stuff? Nope, start 'em on bikes or at least make em pass the qualification test.

Radical and will never happen but I did say in a perfect world. Interesting idea, every person who rides any type of bike is one less hurtling car/truck to deal with. Which helps make the road that much safer!

Y'all got me thinking the really weird stuff and derailing this poor thread. Even though I'm beat and had a long day today, the weather's pretty nice - 60's going on 11pm in NYC, might just have to take the Cannondale out for a spin before turning in? How's that old saying go? "Live to ride and ride to live!".

Nite all...

[grindz145]

I couldn't agree more. Bikes are fundamental. The car thing only requires MORE driving attention and skill, on a public road.

Hopefully ebikes can offer a gateway drug to those otherwise reserved to a cage.

p.s. I could be dangerous in NYC with a high-powered ebike...