Okay, so I picked it up Wed, and the dealer gave me a surprise: for the same price, they were throwing in the 2.8W extra battery 'power tank' -- a $2500 option on the 2015 model! I think I lucked out because anyone who was going to pay the premium for the power tank would just buy the 2015 model anyways, so they were unlikely to sell it at a decent price. I also wondered if the 'demo' bike I was given may have had battery capacity issues and so they threw in the power tank just to prevent complaints...
Just got back from a ride after work: 82 miles and got home with 24% battery capacity left--so it really does have ~100 miles of range:
https://goo.gl/maps/rHCUK This route was mostly city and windy road with just a short stretch of freeway but was hitting 60+ mph on the way back. Really happy with that! I can go to Santa Cruz or SF and back, no problem.
Impressions: 1) although the acceleration is very linear with the throttle pinned, it's sort like a ninja 250 off the line, but doesn't stop building steam and continues to pull hard up to freeway speeds. It is definitely at home on the freeway, with throttle response closer to the 919 verus a ninja 250. My dealership test ride was with the SR, and the S definitely lacks the power off the line that is present on the SR. You could definitely want more power off the line with the S, but the SR is not far off the Honda 919, that is to say, it really pulls hard.
2) the lack of engine braking is really really noticeable going downhill on windy roads, essentially the bike is always in neutral (although you can program the motor regeneration). There is more resistance in 'eco mode' but in 'sport' mode you are pretty much coasting downhill. It really just shows you how much I rely on engine braking to even out the speed going into turns. Really strong front brakes, one finger is enough, but there is some brake regen going on so it didn’t engage smoothly, there was a jerky response when it kicked in. Will have to play with the programming.
3) Suspension is really nice, with all the adjustments front and rear. I have it pretty soft but never felt like the bike was moving around too much and good compliance on bumpy roads.
4) The bike has a super-short wheelbase and very little rake, although it never felt unstable, just the perception that there was very little bike in front of you—it feels like a scooter. Tight hairpins were super easy—relative to either the 919 or the cx500 this thing can turn on a dime. On those bikes, you hang off and tug the bike around like a rolling anchor. With the power tank the zero S comes in over 400 lbs (I think) but the geometry makes it feel much lighter. I was jerking the handlebars around when I got stuck behind some cars and yeah, the bike just responds instantly, the downside being you really have to pay attention in the turns—essentially it felt like I had to guide the bike around corners as opposed to just setting a line with my body positioning. But this was my first real ride and just getting used to it from my current bikes. Overall, the twisty road handling is super light and fun, well-suited for the kind of riding that I enjoy the most.
Overall, super happy.
