PNW area thread: someone left the bike out in the rain

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > PNW area thread: someone left the bike out in the rain

bizwank: Oct 4, 2002

So, given the Zero's ABS and direct drive, would it be a good starter bike for someone who will be doing mostly city riding? I have a 5 mile commute and can charge at home and work, and I figure if I get to the point that I want to do any road trips I can add the power tank and plan around charging stations (or just buy a second bike). I like the idea of an electric for the lower cost of operation/maintenance and I don't really care about engine noise.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2016 19:59

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 05:44

bizwank: Oct 4, 2002

Sagebrush posted:

Just to get these out of the way -- the cost of operation is not going to make any difference for you. A 5 mile commute will cost like 35 cents of gasoline on a Ninja 300, or 15 cents of electricity on a Zero. And since modern gasoline engines are so reliable that you can expect no major failures from a starter bike as long as you own it, all the Zero gets you out of is oil changes and chains. (i.e. you'll still have to do tires and brakes).

That said, I think a Zero would be a fine starter bike if:

- you're okay with not learning to operate a clutch and gearbox, like every other motorcycle in the world has
- you're okay with dropping and damaging a $10,000 motorcycle that you may be making payments on
- you leave it in eco mode for the first several months, because they have torque output ranging from "middleweight supersport" to "more than a literbike"

Basically they are super cool and would make great commuter bikes, but the financial reasons to buy one are bullshit, they're pretty expensive for something that you should expect to damage at least a little bit, and if you plan to try other motorcycles later (as everyone does) you're hurting yourself by not learning to shift.

More like 5 cents, but I get your point. Cost isn't really a big factor for me, it's more about not owning another internal combustion vehicle; our electricity (in Seattle) is super cheap and green so I'm trying to use it instead of fossil fuels as much as possible (my next car will almost certainly be a full electric). Also yeah they're super dooper cool. I understand from reading enough forums that I will probably end up dropping my first bike a couple of times so yeah I might start out with a cheapo 250 to get past that stage; I've rented scooters more times then I can count though and never had a problem with balance, nor with learning how to shift things.

Verge posted:

Of course, like Sagebrush said, the cost for either a 250 or a Zero are both close to negligible, they give you the fun of ridiculous acceleration for quite cheap and you don't have to bother with gas stations, which for me is a pain in my rear end.

Also, am I the only one that feels that new riders should have to go without ABS? Am I just being one of those anti-future fogies?

I already have a fast torquey car and I'm almost 40, so I'm not looking for a cheap thrill, more of a solution to not driving a whole car everywhere with just me in it. I don't have any reasonable public transit or carpool option with my cross-town commute.

ABS takes the guesswork out of stopping quickly and safely, which is most important for new, inexperienced riders/drivers. Forcing them to learn without it makes about as much sense as suggesting they don't wear helmets or use their turn signals.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2016 23:21

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > PNW area thread: someone left the bike out in the rain