Randy

Contempt or Wheelies?

They say that familiarity breeds contempt. Well I say familiarity breeds wheelies! After I became familiar with the Zero, my desire to do wheelies and other motorcycle antics kept increasing. Keeping the desire to be mischievous at bay was harder and harder. Especially as the weather became warmer and the road conditions improved.

The first full throttle accelerations were a blast with no tire spin. The clear roads and wearing studs produced more available traction when not leaned over on dry pavement. It sure was fun to quickly squirt away from stop signs and lights. It amazes me how quickly the Zero accelerates from a dead stop. That is the performance sweet spot. Once up to speed the end of acceleration drops off suddenly. No rev limiter kicking in as the engine says in a Scottish accent “I’m giving you all I got!” It is more like, “Excuse me? Just for your reference, you have reached the maximum acceleration point of the Zero FX with dual battery configuration. Thank you.”

Just to be clear, I didn’t do any wheelies. I kept reminding myself that this is a test bike and must be operated in a safe and responsible way at all times while obeying all traffic rules and regulations. I really did well as I can honestly say that I didn’t exceed the speed limit by more than about 7 miles per hour and mostly rode at about 5 over so as not to be going too much slower than other traffic. The studded tires were similar to having a parental control limit on the throttle. Spirited riding with them would have likely bitten me at some point.

When I get comfortable with any motorcycle after day in and day out riding, I start to find myself automatically adopting certain riding behaviors subconsciously. I never decide to do these things, they just happen. The most common is coming to a complete stop without putting my feet down. The goal is to reach that short tiny oscillation you get as the bike comes to a stop, springs back briefly and springs forward again. A sort of boing, stop. It is really satisfying at some deep level. The trick then is to balance the bike for a second or two before riding off again.

Does this constitute a full stop by traffic law? I ask myself this question often. The motorcycle meets the legal description of having ceased all forward movement. Lateral movement of the motorcycle is continuous even at a stop as it moves slightly while your feet are down. Most officers are looking for one foot on the pavement as then you are generally in a position to assess the intersection for safety before proceeding. I generally try to keep my feet up stops at non stop sign places and away from active traffic scenarios. It sure is fun and my subconscious likes to sneak them in when I am not expecting it.

Last of the Snow and Riding to City Hall

We had a couple late season snow falls and some freezing rain/snow. A thin layer of snow or ice wasn’t an issue with the studded tires. Just routine commuting on the Zero.

One of my last rides on the Zero was to a committee meeting at Duluth City Hall. I walked through the building with my Roadcrafter Classic suit on as people gave me worried stares. As I entered the meeting room, all went quiet as I unsuited. In our small town, transportation riders are still scarce and stand out in any general business type environment. Bicycles are common and don’t stand out as much. Hopefully motorized two wheelers will follow and it looks like they will.

One other committee member rides and has been listening to my stories about the Zero each month and was able to see it in person. He was surprised at how small it was in appearance. The narrowness of the lower chassis area makes the Zero FX look very small visually to riders as they expect a wide engine to be there. The dimensions of the bike are actually what is considered full size in the motorcycle world but perceptions are that it is sub size.

One Last Look at the Magaco

An opportunity finally came up to let my grandkids see grandpa ride off on the Zero magaco. The oldest actually has now learned how to say motorcycle pretty well so magaco may go into hibernation for awhile until the youngest picks it up. They really like to watch out the window and wave as I wave back while riding off. It is like embarking on a grand journey every time!

The oldest has told me multiple times over the Winter: “Grandpa! Don’t ride the motorcycle. It's too cold.” I try to explain that my riding suit keeps me warm but I don’t know if he believes me. He even crunches up his forehead as he says it like he is giving me a good talking to about my irresponsible behavior. He may be channeling his parents.

Final Thoughts

The experience of riding the Zero this Winter has been really great! I am thankful to have had the opportunity. My eyes have been opened to a whole new realm of what I now consider rideable days. My fear of frozen surfaces is almost gone. I had a fall once in a very unusual black ice scenario some years back that made me fearful whenever I was riding around the 32° F mark. It involved a bridge so I still use caution as bridges can and do freeze sooner than roads.

Before the Zero Below Zero project I used to always make sure the temp was above 32° F when riding with any kind of moisture in the environment. Now, I take into consideration the amount of thermal energy built up in the road surface and routinely ride home on regular tires with wet streets and air temps in the upper 20s° F. The thermal energy of Lake Superior also comes into play and streets near the lake can be fine while just up the hill there is ice forming. I never used to play the traction game like I do now.

My key takeaways are:

  • You can effectively commute about 70% of the Winter in Duluth Minnesota on an electric motorcycle with lightly studded tires. Reasons:
    • Fine and linear throttle control allows the rider to adjust rear wheel power to stay within the available traction range more easily than is generally possible with a gas powered motorcycle.
    • The electric motorcycle does not need to warm up. You just turn it on.
    • No shifting allows you to wear heavy boots and keep your feet warm.
  • The number of accidents per mile will be less with an electric motorcycle. Reasons:
    • The simplicity of operating the Zero reduces the amount of attention needed and that extra attention can be used for more awareness of your circumstances.
    • The Zero’s extreme linear throttle control and lack of need for shifting allows for finer control of the motorcycle.
    • The absence of engine noise allows you to hear other road vehicles so you can be more aware of your surroundings.
    • The Zero is always in the “right” gear ready to get you out of trouble. You don’t need to continuously shift and keep the engine RPMs in the power band so you are ready to accelerate quickly if needed.
  • Less maintenance means more riding. The Zero is the perfect commuter motorcycle. You could literally ride it for years of commutes without needing to do anything but plug it in and check tire pressure.
  • I want one! Wife? Are you reading this?