My newest toy is a . . . .

[DonTom]

Zero DS ZF 6.5.

Now I own a bike for every day of the week. And one more. We now need an 8 day week!

I am the original owner of:

1971 Black BMW R75/5
1984 Red (fastest color)Yamaha Venture
2002 Yellow Suzuki DR200SE
2013 Blue Triumph Trophy SE
2016 Orange/Black Kawasaki Versys 650 LT
2016 Orange Moto Guzzi Stelvio
2017 Orange/Black Zero DS ZF 6.5
2017 Red Zero SR 13.0 with Pwr Tank.

What a fun bike it is. So different. No noise, no clutch, no gears and tons of hill climbing power. Up hill or level ground, cannot even tell any difference. The most fun bike I have ever ridden by far, but I consider it a toy, not for anything real serious. But it charges with a 120 VAC AC cord so it can be charged just about anywhere, but takes time.

The phony gas tank is mostly usable storage space under a key lock. Also, there is some storage space on the right side of the bike.

The out the door price on this bike was $13,041.24 (in Reno) for lic, sales tax and all those countless fees.

Here are the specs on the bike. Notice opposite of gas vehicles, best range in the stop and go city traffic. 81 in the city, only 41 miles on the freeway at 70 MPH. Bike will go 90 MPH and I think it can even climb a hill at that speed. Sure feels like it can. More than enough to go between my two Reno houses and back (16 miles each way).

It has three power modes: Economy, Custom and Sport. I find the economy mode is more than fast and powerful enough.

Here is a photo of my newest new toy:



-Don- Auburn, CA

[Dave Brand]

Looks good!

[grouch]

I bought a new toy myself. The girlfriend wants to ride or I'd probably be done with it due to health. we looked around for something I can handle with reduced upper body strength and found this.

[Ken]

That is a very, very nice looking machine, Grouch. But if, as you say, you
have reduced upper body strength - something I can empathise with - are
you sure a nice little 200 cc off roader would not have been easier to
handle? In fact, if you had one each then you would not have to control
the GF's weight as well.

Hope you have thousands of happy miles with smiles!

Ken.

[Ken]

Sweet looking little bike, Don. Perfect commuter and, I guess, you can also
put it on the back of the camper for a little off-road fun when you park up out
in the wilderness somewhere.

Enjoy!

Ken.

[DonTom]

Grouch, ever try out a trike? What year Wing is that?

-Don- Auburn, CA

[grouch]

Grouch, ever try out a trike? What year Wing is that?

-Don- Auburn, CA

I looked at two trikes before I bought the yellow bike. I didn't care for the handling and one had a failed air suspension that rattled my teeth. I was getting the hang of riding the trikes but prefer the two wheel handling. The one I got is an '02. What I thought were factory details is really heavy customizing by the first owner. The second owner traded it in at a Harley dealership. I looked at another yellow bike that was a year older, had 20K more miles, was running a car tire in back and had been down HARD early in its life. Most of the controls were rather iffy. This one is in excellent condition, I got complete a maintenance history and most critical around here, a previous owner replaced the squeaky little bike horn with air horns. the first time I hit them I nearly jumped off the bike. The GF loves the bike and it handles both of us (neither is petite) just fine. I also paid about 1/2 of what the cheaper trike was priced at.

[DonTom]

This one is in excellent condition, I got complete a maintenance history and most critical around here, a previous owner replaced the squeaky little bike horn with air horns. the first time I hit them I nearly jumped off the bike. The GF loves the bike and it handles both of us (neither is petite) just fine. I also paid about 1/2 of what the cheaper trike was priced at.

The first thing I modify on any bike is the horn. I always put in a relay and run much better horns. I also make sure that I can sound the horn with the ignition key out.

However, I have not yet even honked the horn on my new electric bike. But it looks very mickey mouse and I doubt if it makes much noise.

I remember many years ago some cycle magazine asking us all to go into a shop to pretend we want to buy a bike, but then not buy it with the excuse the horn is not loud enough. All the bikes sold today still have cheap horns. Most of us can probably yell louder.

-Don- Auburn, CA

[Ken]

Agreed, Don. A good air horn and an after market exhaust are both
good safety investments.

The last exhaust can I fitted was a MIVVI GP on my Fazer 8 ABS.
It changed the original wooley, wuffly exhaust note into a very
pleasant rasp that was loud, but not offensive. It also gave a
few extra BHP which was a nice bonus. My CBR 6RR had a
good sounding exhaust can from the get go so I didn't change
it.

Ken.

[DonTom]

Sweet looking little bike, Don. Perfect commuter and, I guess, you can also
put it on the back of the camper for a little off-road fun when you park up out
in the wilderness somewhere.

Enjoy!

Ken.

It's just right for getting between my two houses in Reno. I can either take the freeway and charge again at the other house or do a round trip if I stay off the freeway. Between the houses I have a choice of freeway or city roads, which includes an unpaved road for about a half mile.

BTW, it's record breaking temps here in Auburn, well above 40C/105F with the real feel temp at 110F/ 43C.

-Don- Auburn, CA

[grouch]

I have one bike but if it wasn't for the girlfriend, I wouldn't have that. Ever since they gutted me, my upper body strength isn't what it used to be and between the two of us, we're at the cargo limit on the Goldwing. I'd just as soon sell it and get another SL roadster. Too many people can't see a BRIGHT yellow motorcycle.