Zero Motorcycles test ride

Today I went on a test ride with Zero, my first experience with an electric motorcycle.

I have tried various electric and hybrid vehicles, cars, go karts, golf carts, etc.

For the most part I found them lacking.

This was NOT the case for the Zero DSR.

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-ds/dsr.php

The first thing that you should know about this bike is this… 106 pounds of torque.

The KTM Super Duke R 1290 has 92 pounds.

The Suzuki Hayabusa has 101.

The Monstrous Kawasaki H2 street model has 115.

This Zero has serious stomp, if it had a transmission it would roll thru town destroying tires.

Riding it took a few minutes to get used to, no clutch, no shifter.

I didnt have any miscues with those 2 missing items, but it was because I kept it in the front of my mind.

Once adapted to the new riding style, the ride was… interesting.

No induction or exhaust sound, no mechanical symphony going on under you.

You only hear a slight whining noise and the wind.

On Eco mode, the bike was OK… smooth and friendly, but not impressive.

However toggle it into Sport mode and it grows fangs.

An electric motor makes it power instantly, you dont wait for the power to build.

Twist throttle… experience Power.

The whole ride I was just looking for the next opportunity to twist the throttle.

This bike, with its upright riding position and instant torque is an around town assassin.

Point, shoot, brake, turn, point, shoot, wash, rinse, repeat.

If I were in the market for a $15,000 commuter bike, I would be all over this.

However, I want my bikes to be all arounders.

Commute, back road scratch, cross states, cross the nation.

This bike cant do that like I would ask for it to.

I would be looking at maybe 150 miles per charge.

For commuting or a weekend ride… great.

But I want more.

The lack of range became very apparent while I was waiting for my second ride, the FXS.

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-fxs/

The 2 they had there ran out of juice, and were charging when I left.

But… I cant wait to see what Zero has planned for the future.

I am about to blaspheme…

Like many, I have been anxiously waiting for the Ducati Scrambler to hit the showroom floors.

Today, I got word that my local Ducati dealer got one in.

So, while out and about the wife and I dropped by to check it out.

The bike is beautiful… you can tell that a lot of thought went into the aesthetics.

Instantly… I wanted it.

Then I sat on it.

The feeling passed instantly.

Like most other Ducs… just sitting on it lets me know that no matter how attractive, fast, or sweet handling it is… it isn’t for me.

After leaving the dealership, Caryn and I sat down and discussed it over a burger.

I would rather have my 22 year old DR650 than the pretty new Ducati.

The pegs are WAY to high for its hinted at intention.

Scrambler… dirt road blasting and light off road.

I would take the Hypermotard with more aggressive rubber first.

Maybe it is my size, it could be that they never intended to have its seat besmirched by someone who is 6’4″ and 250 lbs.

Today we brought home my wifes new bike, a Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250.

A small dual sport.

It is MUCH more comfortable for me than the Scrambler.

Compare it to Triumphs Scrambler?
How about this… the Triumph THRUXTON has a more comfortable riding position.

Yes, the Duc will rip its lungs out… but I am not willing to spend the time in the seat of one to find out firsthand.

The Ducati Scrambler will be a huge sales success… but for me, the bike is an instant failure.

And this… makes me sad.

Jim

Today was a wrench day

Getting dirty was the theme for today.

My son’s DR650 has not been getting much seat time.

To say that it is recalcitrant is an understatement.

Like mine, his is a kickstart only model… a year older, 1992.

When we picked it up, the kick lever had been snapped off.

Yes, broken right off at the knuckle where it went on the shaft going into the case.

The reason this happened?

The compression release was not… well… wasn’t releasing the compression.

So, you could pretty much stand on the kicker with little effect.

The previous owner broke this chunk of iron… I assume by jumping on it.

Soon after picking it up I put a brand new… and I wonder how someone had this obsolete piece in stock… lever.

Being as I am now familiar with old and hateful kickstart bikes… I could usually fire it up.

Nic… not so much.

To troubleshoot, I swapped my decompression parts over… and had no change it its behavior.

GREAT… something is screwed up inside the engine.

Here is where I confess to not being a motorcycle mechanic.

Yes, I know my way around the average internal combustion engine…  but have never had to deal with something as archaic as a machine that you have to bleed off cylinder pressure so you can use your own personal people power to get it running.

After putting tool to engine… I shouldnt have worried.

This looks to be one of the easier beasties to wrench on that I have cracked open.

The decompressor works by cracking the exhaust valves open while you kick it, a raised section on the rocker gets pushed on by the decompression shaft.
Cylinder pressure bleeds off letting you actually get the crank spinning before it fires.

So, I needed to replace the exhaust rocker.

Pull the valve cover… rocker cover, cam cover… whatever you want to call it… and the rockers come off with it.

WHOA!!!

Pull the exhaust rocker shaft out, rocker falls out.

Put new rocker in place, push shaft into place, tighten retainer bolt.

Apply sealant, pop cover back on, adjust valves.

While I had the tools out, I replaced his nonfunctioning choke… Yes, I know that it is an enrichment circuit… with a pull knob type.

No lever and cable to fail later.

Within 5 minutes of tightening the last bolt… we had a running bike.

A week or so ago I replaced the rear brake fluid reservoir… so it was actually a running… riding… stopping bike.

Hopefully he can get some use out of it now.

While the tools were out, I decided to mount my custom Road Toad holder… see picture at top of post.

OK… it isnt an amphibian detainment device.

It is a Ram Mount with X grip to hold my phone.

I use the phone as a GPS, and it is easier to do that when it isnt in my pocket.

Oh yea, I also picked up a receiver mount motorcycle carrier for the truck.

Not enough room for 2 bikes in the bed, and I think I am taking the DR up to the northeast in a week or so when I head up on assignment.

So yea… semi productive day.

Jim

Test riding a Suzuki DRZ400 SM

Today my local Suzuki dealer had the demo truck show up.

I overslept… then piddled around… then took the wife to lunch.

SO… I got in on the last ride of the day.

But that’s OK… I was mainly wanting to toss a leg over Suzuki’s Super Moto, the DRZ400 SM.

Caryn is almost ready to go shopping for her next bike… a street legal one.

The DRZ400, in some form… SM or DS… is in the running.
She goes for her license next week, so she wasn’t able to take one out… to I took one for the team.

Now… the DRZ has been around for a few years, about 12 if I remember right, with very few changes.
For change… you have to get the SM which gives you an inverted fork, big brakes, 17″ rims, and street tires.

Pretty much any Dual Sport is a fun bike, slim, light, and able to take some abuse… kind of like the cheap hooker at the dive bar last weekend.

The SM takes the DS, and puts sticky street rubber, brakes, and faster handling rims into the equation.
The one I took on this ride stayed stuck up a Hayabusa’s ass on the twisty sections… mainly because we were instructed not to pass each other.

Guys who ride small sportbikes know one of the important truths in life… It is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow.

The Hayabusa and DRZ400 probably have the same top speed… as long as the ‘Busa never gets out of second, and it will more than likely still pull away from the little 400.

BUT… yes… BUT, in the real world this doesnt matter much.

For all of its power, the 1300 is a porky beast… around 550 lbs.
The DRZ, about 320ish… and it isnt LIGHT for a dual sport.

Light, narrow, wide bars for good leverage… on a tight road that supersport will be running scared.

However, this isn’t about road racing… this is about an entry level street bike for a new rider.

Looking at it as such, the DRZ has much to offer.

It’s biggest con is seat height in the dual sport version, those with a shorter inseam may find themselves on their toes.

The SM is lower and negated this problem for most.

Now that this complaint is out of the way… on to the pluses!

Like I said before… weight.

Bikes that are looked at as beginner bikes, 300 Ninja, CBR 300, etc… are heavier.

They also put you into more of a tuck… and have narrower bars.

This gives the new rider less of a feeling of control.

New riders have a tendency to drop motorcycles at low speeds, no bodywork to cry over on the DRZ.

Good low to midrange power, less clutch slipping and need to be in the correct gear… the 400cc piston just chugs along.

Also, it is less likely to be stolen than a sport bike.

Now, my impressions of it on this ride.

It fired right up with a poke of the start button and settled into to the familiar thumper idle.

As it is a single it does not idle sewing machine smooth, there is only 1 piston and it makes itself known.

I ride a DR 650 normally, and the DRZ was less of a paint mixer than my bike.

Throttle response was good, as was take up on the clutch… very easy to get moving off the line.

The upright seating position combined with the wide bars made for easy low speed maneuvering.
Easy maneuvering, good off idle torque, and a smooth clutch makes it very nonthreatening.

Pulling out onto the road the thumping of the engine quickly turned into a nice surge of power, kept right up with the much larger bikes I was riding with.

On the backroads around Birmingham I never felt that it was underpowered.

The brakes are good, much better than my 22 year old DR.

The seat however… I would have to change that, hard and narrow.
It never got uncomfortable on this short ride, but I wouldnt want to stay on it all day.

The shifter snicked right thru the gears… all 5 of them.
This is a bike that would benefit from a 6th gear.

I had it up to 86, and never felt like I was abusing it… but another cog would make interstate running more relaxing.

Off the normal surface streets and onto a curvy backroad and the bike was in its element.

Snapping side to side, over rises, down hills… the seat and missing gear didnt matter.

It transformed from a friendly beginner bike, to a bike that a guy with 35 years of experience ended up giggling inside of his helmet on.

Grip, lean angle, a willing torque biased engine, and a natural seating position makes this a must ride.

I was saddened at how short the ride was, I could have spent all day on the country roads around here.

So… would I suggest this to a beginner?

I certainly would.

Its friendly and easy to ride manner is perfect for the novice rider… as is its crashworthyness.

As they gain experience and confidence, they can explore its handling and backroad manners.

This is a beginner bike that you dont outgrow.

Hell, grab some regular DRZ400 wheels and tires… and you have your dual sport dirt bike.

I would love to see one of these in my driveway, look in my mirrors and see it chasing me down a 2 lane country road, and kick back at a camp fire and see the shadows from the flames dancing on the paint.

Should YOU look at one?

Only if you ride to have fun.

Keep the greasy side down.

Jim

3 month update?

In the past 3 months we have had some changes.

My son Nic has moved in,

Caryn has her own bike… an 86 Suzuki DR200.

Nic decided to get HIS own project bike… a 92 DR650.

AND we picked up a little beater gas mileage car… a 99 Escort ZX2.

I have went from being a contractor to a full time employee for the company I was working for.

And… the long term job I was working on in Birmingham has come to an end.

So, I am back out on the road, this is being typed up in Lake Placid Fl.

Nic decided he wanted a little world experience, packed up his car and drove to Alabama from NC.

The guy even had a job lined up before he left.

Caryns little DR is an Enduro, not road legal.

However it is giving her experience, both on and off the road.

Nic ran across a good deal on a DR like mine.

It is a project bike, but like Caryn’s bike… it is experience.

The ZX2, it gets about 3 times the fuel economy of our F250.

It is also a 5 speed, which can make almost any car fun.

We have been missing a manual transmission.

Once again, I am a company man.

Truck, tools, uniforms… it feels good.

The one thing I will miss is being home with my family… but the steady work is welcomed.

Life is good.

Jim

Still rolling 2 wheels into Birmingham

A continuation of last months post…
Nic has officially moved in and is working every hour he can get.

Looks like that with an exception of a week or so, I will be working a job here well into January.
Since I am working in one spot and not having to transport much other than myself and the contents of my computer bag… I have been commuting on the DR650.
While I have ridden a bit in the past few years… this is the first time I have actually commuted on 2 wheels in over 18 years.
I am taking this chance to get her set up for some weekend touring and maybe some adventure riding.
Ebay has supplied me with a couple of Wolfman tank bags, one is their original Explorer bag from 1998… yea, 16 years old and still going strong.
Wolfman, http://www.wolfmanluggage.com, makes some of the best ADV luggage out there.

She also has a fresh set of Shinko 244 tires front and rear, these are an inexpensive and rugged on/off road tire.
The difference is astounding, the Skinko 705 on front was old and starting to crack… the Dunlop D607 was just worn out.
The handling is OH so much better on the road, and I can actually take it on less stable surfaces without feeling like it is going to go tits up at any moment.
Last week I watched the odometer roll over 19,000 miles… not bad considering that she turns 22 years young this month.
Personally, I am loving commuting on 2 wheels again.
Weekend trips are great, but it makes me feel like the bike is more of a toy.
Having one for daily transportation… that is what it is about.
But I still plan on making a weekend getaway some time, just have to figure out where and when.

A 2 up bike is still in the cards, so Caryn and I are still searching for the right one.
I must say… I enjoy the search.
What has shocked me, is one bike that has entered the running.
The BMW F800S, which has an AMAZINGLY comfortable seat for your Tail Gunner of choice.
The Commanders perch is damn nice also.

Now… to see if I can raise the suspension and spoon on some gnarly knobbed rubber.

Jim

It has been 10 months…

Since my last blog post.
A bit has changed, jobs, companies, states of residence.
I spent a couple of months up in New England, and now am down in the Birmingham Alabama area.
The Mighty DR has become my commuter vehicle, and should remain as such thru the end of the year.
I have to say, a motorcycle for commuting is a wonderful thing.
However commuting on the interstate blows goats for quarters.
In general, I hate the interstate… no matter what I am behind the wheel/bars of.
It is great for rapidly getting you from point A to point B… unless it is “rush” hour.
Then you are sitting in a slow moving parking lot with a lot of angry and impatient people in multi ton battering rams that tend to not notice the guy on the bike.
My current assignment is in downtown Birmingham, and I finally found a route that keeps me mostly off of the superslab and allows me a peaceful ride on the 2 lane roads.
Heavenly
Using a bike as a main vehicle instead of a weekend toy is a mind shift.
My commute is between 40 minutes and an hour depending on traffic, Generally thru 35 mph zones.
No matter the posted speed limit… it is 35 on average in actual use.
I cant imagine using some high strung bike that runs 70 mph in 1st gear for this duty… I would weep for its clutch.
I keep clothes at work, commute in my riding gear… since I dont have over gear yet, the over gear is planned.
It seems that people in full gear is still a strange site to people.
Not track leathers… just standard gear, textile and mesh jacket and pants, helmet, gloves, and boots.
Most people I have seen seem to prefer shorts, sneakers, and a T shirt.
I prefer to not have skin grafts.
Being around B’Ham is great, I have been to Barber twice… YOU need to go also.
There are a lot of bikes running around, a byproduct of being in the south.
It is October 22, and overall still too warm for my Transition 3 jacket.
I am not complaining.
With any luck I will be able to spend more time in this area… especially since I moved the RV down here with my family.
A household which is gaining an additional member when my son arrives in 2 days.
Nic, who is 18, has an interest in 2 wheeling it… with any luck I will be able to get him trained up and commuting as it should be done.
He has the ability, I just need to get him settled down a touch… he has already drug the sidestand of the DR cornering in a parking lot.
I am still cringing.

Life is good and only getting better… expect more timely updates.

Keep the greasy side down.

Jim

Where is the fun?

I remember being on 2 wheels as a kid, and what I remember is having fun.

Bicycles or motor bikes… I went out with no other purpose than to build the biggest grin that I could.

As I aged, bikes became as much of a tool as it was entertainment… then it became mostly transportation.

I lost the Fun.

It is almost understandable. What bikes today are sold as “Fun Bikes”?

We have racy sport bikes, “look at me” cruisers, touring bikes, learner bikes…

Where are the bikes made just to be fun?

When I first saw pictures and snippets about the Honda Grom a few months ago, my first reaction was “WTF is this… a glorified scooter?!”

But after letting it soak in, I get it.

It is a bike that is made to be… Fun.

Low powered, light weight, unassuming, unintimidating…

It isn’t made to take on a race track or twisting canyon road, load up and ride from coast to coast, park amid the chrome and loud exhaust at the local pub.

Its small and low powered, but it isn’t a scooter… hell, some scooters are 500-650cc now.

This bike was made just to be a Grin Factory.

Honda used to make bikes like this in the past, they know the blueprint for it… and have updated it for todays buyer.

Even if that person doesn’t know that they are a buyer yet.

This is the kind of bike that can lure people into the showroom and start them down the road of a 2 wheeled lifestyle.

Especially people who live in urban areas.

You live in town, work 5 miles or so away… and your commute is mostly on surface streets.

Maybe you take a cab, a bus, or the subway to work daily.

By bus or subway… you are spending what… $100+ monthly?

I could fill the fuel tank on that little bike for about $4.25, and from looking at the mileage reports on http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/honda/grom you could run at LEAST 120 miles.

Many places have free bike parking, others have reduced rates.

You may be able to park it in your living room nightly… as art.

Now, this little thing is not for everybody… it isn’t even for me.

However, for a few people out there… this little thing could be just the thing.

The Grom is not a small bike pretending to be a full sized bike.

It still has small bike dimensions, but for a small bike… it is roomy.

I am 6’4” 250ish lbs… and while it was cozy, it wasn’t cramped.

I could spend more time in the saddle of it than many full sized bikes.

I am not a Honda fan, or a small bike fan… but how could I not be a fan of a Grin Machine?

Jim

An excerpt…

Zeke sat there, staring at the TV and rubbing his chin… thinking to himself.

I know some of this is real, but I really wonder just how far down the rabbit hole this all really goes.

Spectacular Tales, the show about people who say they can do some really cool and neat stuff, was just going off,

Zeke had seen and heard things in his 45 years on this planet, that he figured most others hadnt.

The cold spots, the voices, the things that moved with nobody else around.

And his heat and helping.

Daddy told him it was old magic, white magic, country magic.

Cuts healed quicker, as did broken broken bones.

This was a reason he joined the Navy and became a corpsman, nobody questioned when he did a good job on the wounded.

It was hot over there, people didnt realize the boost in his body temp while healing… even tho it made him glow in that scope.

Rubbing his side, he pushed that memory out of his mind.

If folks like him and Daddy existed, what else out there was real?

Ghosts? Yea… he had experienced enough to know that they were out there.

Witches? Yep, there were a few of them out there… and a lot more that fancied themselves as such, but had no clue as to what a real witch was.

But what about the big bad beasties?
Were there really vampires, werecreatures, and all of the assorted things you find in a horror movie?

Beau, the grey muzzled old shepherd, snuggled down beside him.
Nobody would ever get the old pups real age, if his memory was correct Beau would be 31 this fall.

Zeke rested his hand on Beau’s head and closed his eyes.
The warmth flowed between them, healing and love.
And with that warmth running, they fell asleep together.

It was a sharp and blasting bark that jolted him awake.
Beau was crouched down with his tug rope, front legs stretched out on the floor in front of him, hind end up in the air… tail just a going.

Zeke scooped up the rope and chucked it down the hallway, the pup was after it in a flash… nails skittering on the hardwood floor.

Even tho he had just woke up, Zeke was exhausted.
He always was after “one of those” naps with his best friend.

Chocolate.
It always seemed to help, he thought as he unwrapped a bar of it.
This one was a bitter dark with some chili pepper in it.
A little strange, but rather tasty.

The big shepherd came blasting back into the room, trying desperately to stop in time.
But, to no avail… he crashed into the couch next to the man that he loved like no other.
He would have to get used to the speed and strength of youth yet again.
Not that he mined, he felt that the occasional rebirth did him good.

Hopping back up and stretching his legs, the old aches and pains were gone… and he couldnt help himself, as he blasted thru the old house and out the back door.

He was a grown pup again, and Zeke didnt know what in life gave him more joy than that.

 

 

Jim

Simplicity

Yes, another post triggered by the new motorcycle.

While the DR650 is down on power compared to the bikes I have owned since my teens, like I mentioned before… I am not missing it.

Something I am really liking is the simplicity.

1 carb, 1 cam, 4 valves… if needed, easy engine rebuild in the chassis.
Hell, if you want, you can punch a ’96 or newer DR650 out to almost 800ccs.

The kickstart is something I am really warming up to.

No, it is not as easy as flipping the choke, punching a button, and letting it warm up then riding away.

It makes me feel more connected to it.
Joe Blow is not going to walk up to this bike, start it… and ride it off.
It makes this bike MINE.
I go out and fire it up sometimes just to do it.

There will be some upgrades to it in the future.

Forks, shock, carb…

This thing is fun… F U N
I wouldnt mind another one or two of them.

The fact that I can do a major service to it and it takes an hour or so blows my mind.
No measuring shims and swapping them out, no synching a bank of carbs.

I can grow to appreciate the simpler things…

 

 

Jim