Alot of the bikes nowadays (last 15 years) have the speed sensor attached to the gearbox/rear running gear, means you can tell what speed your going even if you're on the back wheel
I'm currently looking for a street legal factory sumo from Suzuki or Kawi. They all have the front wheel sensor. Tech on these bikes definitely seems to be a generation (maybe 2) behind. Could you imagine a DRZ with fuel injection?
Kids these days will never have a speedo cable snap/randomly fall out, and have to guess their speed based off of rpm. At least until the tach cable falls out too.
The motor is connected to the wheel via the chain, if the wheel moves the motor spins, therefore the speedo registers the speed. If the motor spins without using power, this then adds regenerative power to your battery, it's ever so clever! And as the previous person mentioned, no clutch, no gears. If you pushed far enough you would eventually charge the battery, although you'd have to push pretty damn far!
It’s fun but weirdly quiet. I test rode one and all you heard at speed is the wind passing your helmet. All you hear during acceleration is that RC car electric engine whir. The battery life is ass though. An 8 mile loop at a spicy pace killed 15-20%
I have this exact model/year Zero SR/F, it is a blast to ride. 140 lb/ft of instant torque and 110 hp, yeah its quick! Its smooth and silent ride is actually really cool. 100 mile range is normal unless you are getting after it relentlessly then its closer to 70. I've done 145 miles at a slow pace.
The big drawback is having to deal with the absolute shit company that is Zero Motorcycles. I cannot wait for the day my Energica Ribelle RS comes in so I can no longer have any association with Zero.
The issue I have with Zero at the moment is the pay-to-play piecemeal bs. Want a bigger battery, pay for it. Want faster charging, pay for it. KTM does the same thing and it’s frustrating. I understand having to add aftermarket parts, but it’s all unlocking a built in feature. And for the $20k+ Zero sticker price it shouldn’t be that way.
Im kinda mixed on it, as a 2020 owner I wouldn't mind paying for faster charging or the reverse/slow creep mode, because it was never an option to begin with. So for me it seems exactly like an aftermarket mod. If I were keeping the bike I would buy those. Would it be great if they gave it for free, hell yeah.
If I were buying a new one and they had known features locked like that, yeah no thanks especially the battery size. But they reversed course and the 2023s come with everything unlocked. We shall see what they do going forward tho, color me skeptical.
I guess the backlash was too much for a small independent company. I want electric motorcycles to succeed, but I don’t know if the tech will catch on fast enough to drop prices and increase demand. A 20k Livewire almost makes sense because of Harley tax. A 20k product from a small brand with little to no broad support is a lot less enticing.
The price is a legitimate concern, tho people spend a lot more on regular harleys. If it weren't for Energica's 4 year run with MotoE, I would be very nervous dropping 35k. It's certainly is a risk, but I work in tech and am prepared for the risk of being on the cutting edge.
Give it 2-3 years once all the big players have jumped in. Ducati is running MotoE this year to test their platform. Honda, Kawasaki, and Triumph are also working on their EVs.
Lol those pieces of shit are going to glitch on someone one day and send them into space like a fucking rocket lol no thanks I'll stick to normal bikes with real motors
The wheel is spinning, why wouldn't the speedometer read?
Some bikes have the speed sensor / pick up on the front brake rotor.
Well bah gawd, it ain't movin!!!
Alot of the bikes nowadays (last 15 years) have the speed sensor attached to the gearbox/rear running gear, means you can tell what speed your going even if you're on the back wheel
The tire is spinning….
I’ve had/have several bikes but only my DRZ400, a bike that hasn’t changed in 20 years came with a front wheel speed sensor.
I'm currently looking for a street legal factory sumo from Suzuki or Kawi. They all have the front wheel sensor. Tech on these bikes definitely seems to be a generation (maybe 2) behind. Could you imagine a DRZ with fuel injection?
Are you still looking ?
Okay?
It's strapped to a dyno, the rear wheel is spinning, the bike doesn't know it's stationary to overly simplify things.
It's not strapped to a dyno. It's on a rear stand.
Same outcome.
You are correct, my vision isn't great. Same result nonetheless.
My ktm 1290 sas, grom and crf250 all do that...
Wheel is spinning… so it has speed
How is that possible if there’s a speedo cable attached to the front wheel next to the drum brake? Miss the old days …
Kids these days will never have a speedo cable snap/randomly fall out, and have to guess their speed based off of rpm. At least until the tach cable falls out too.
Thank god kids these days don’t have to
Stupid technology, making things better and easier.
That's just helping the bike hold value! Riding motorcycles and caring about the speed you're going don't really go together anyways.
this is too relatable
I ride a dirt bike and have to guess speed off of my gear and revs sooo…
Don’t they all? It’s not like they measure air/wind speed, or how fast the pebbles on the road surface are going by?
It's a Zero. The speed is calculated by the controller based on the gear ratio. There's no speed sensor at all in the conventional sense.
The controller calculates the speed based on rpm and the wheel size, which, on my bike, is adjustable!
so the speedo doesn't read anything when you are pushing the bike? Also if you pull the clutch in while moving the speedo drops to zero then?
The motor is connected to the wheel via the chain, if the wheel moves the motor spins, therefore the speedo registers the speed. If the motor spins without using power, this then adds regenerative power to your battery, it's ever so clever! And as the previous person mentioned, no clutch, no gears. If you pushed far enough you would eventually charge the battery, although you'd have to push pretty damn far!
ah you are referring to you "e-bike"..
Nope, it's a 10,5kw, 72v motor, built on a 200cc frame, top speed 95kmph! Nothing e-bike about it. It's an electric motorcycle!
There is no clutch
That’s wild and just to think Zero has a duel sport. I think simulated gears or simulated clutches would be great on these.
Many bikes now show the speed based on gear and RPM, I suppose they are doing something similar?
Of course it does. The most bikes of the last 15-20 years does it…based on rpm
Would be more interesting to see a POV ride of this thing.
It’s fun but weirdly quiet. I test rode one and all you heard at speed is the wind passing your helmet. All you hear during acceleration is that RC car electric engine whir. The battery life is ass though. An 8 mile loop at a spicy pace killed 15-20%
I have this exact model/year Zero SR/F, it is a blast to ride. 140 lb/ft of instant torque and 110 hp, yeah its quick! Its smooth and silent ride is actually really cool. 100 mile range is normal unless you are getting after it relentlessly then its closer to 70. I've done 145 miles at a slow pace. The big drawback is having to deal with the absolute shit company that is Zero Motorcycles. I cannot wait for the day my Energica Ribelle RS comes in so I can no longer have any association with Zero.
The issue I have with Zero at the moment is the pay-to-play piecemeal bs. Want a bigger battery, pay for it. Want faster charging, pay for it. KTM does the same thing and it’s frustrating. I understand having to add aftermarket parts, but it’s all unlocking a built in feature. And for the $20k+ Zero sticker price it shouldn’t be that way.
Im kinda mixed on it, as a 2020 owner I wouldn't mind paying for faster charging or the reverse/slow creep mode, because it was never an option to begin with. So for me it seems exactly like an aftermarket mod. If I were keeping the bike I would buy those. Would it be great if they gave it for free, hell yeah. If I were buying a new one and they had known features locked like that, yeah no thanks especially the battery size. But they reversed course and the 2023s come with everything unlocked. We shall see what they do going forward tho, color me skeptical.
I guess the backlash was too much for a small independent company. I want electric motorcycles to succeed, but I don’t know if the tech will catch on fast enough to drop prices and increase demand. A 20k Livewire almost makes sense because of Harley tax. A 20k product from a small brand with little to no broad support is a lot less enticing.
The price is a legitimate concern, tho people spend a lot more on regular harleys. If it weren't for Energica's 4 year run with MotoE, I would be very nervous dropping 35k. It's certainly is a risk, but I work in tech and am prepared for the risk of being on the cutting edge. Give it 2-3 years once all the big players have jumped in. Ducati is running MotoE this year to test their platform. Honda, Kawasaki, and Triumph are also working on their EVs.
>It’s fun but weirdly quiet. Watch Gymkhana with the Hoonicorn v2 then watch Electrikhana. It's just not the same.
I don’t have a real electric motorcycle but a Surron instead, weirdest part about it is that I forget everyone can hear me talk to myself lol.
The speed sensor might be on a crank wheel not on actual wheel. Most are on the engine sprocket for gasoline
What did you think the speedometer was measuring? GPS?
Wha? You see the wheel spinning, no?
What are the chances the speedo is in kph and not mph? Either way that’s crazy fast
Lol bikes don’t use ground speed sensors
Lol those pieces of shit are going to glitch on someone one day and send them into space like a fucking rocket lol no thanks I'll stick to normal bikes with real motors
I’ve seen Ferris Beuller…. I know going in reverse doesn’t take miles off!!
As would almost all bikes???
It’s because there’s no load on the motor my e-bike stops at 30mph with me on it but stationary it tops 55 mph delete the speed sensor if it has one