May 2013 - CityBike

A newapproachto ridertrainingStreetbeginner through advancedMechanicaloil changes to engine rebuildsHere’s what I know about charging—it’seasy. Pull into the garage, switch off thekey, plug the cord into the little socket,and you’re done. After a few times youdon’t even think about it. A little light onthe dash flashes until it’s charged. Everymorning, when you open your garage,the bike will be fully charged and ready.Cut the time in half for every $750 quickcharger you install, up to three—you canget it down to about two hours. Does yourmotorcycle fill itself with gas every timeyou park it in your garage? Turns out Ilive in a gas station with a (semi) cleanbathroom, which is as convenient as itsounds.Out and about, charging is a little morecomplex. Pull up to a public charge stationand there’s nowhere for you to plug in thatdistinctive J1772 pistol-grip, unless youopted for the $400 optional socket. Thesestations will charge you up from dead inabout 4 hours, although you can speedthings up by plugging into the 110 outletas well. If you’re at an elusive CHAdeMOstations (this is changing—expect 4000CHAdeMO stations in the USA by theend of 2014) and you splurged on the$1800 accessory, you could be on your wayin under an hour with a 95 percent charge.How much? A lot. The Zero S rings in at$13,995 for the ZF8.5, $15,995 for the11.4 I rode. In California, state and federaltax credits pay you back about $2400, butyou’re still looking at a premium of about$6000 if you figure (like I do) that theZero offers performance pretty equal toa 650 Twin like the Honda NC700X orSuzuki SFV650, at least in the parts of thepowerband where we spend most of ourtime. You can see that difference two ways:a guilt tax paid only by nerds and econutsor a pre-payment of fuel costs for adedicated moto-commuter who knows hisor her commute will be the same distanceevery day.The Zero S (and by extension, the ZeroDS, which is similar, except with shortergearing, more suspension travel and a19-inch front wheel) is now a matureproduct that doesn’t need a lot of excuses.It’s a functional solution for the roughly185,000 Americans who commute bymotorcycle but travel less than 30 minuteseach way.* It’s also really fun to ride, with acharacter and user-friendliness you won’tfind in a gas motorcycle. Harden told methere won’t be any big leaps in range, speedor charge times in the near future, whichremoves yet another excuse for not gettingone.The electric motorcycle, represented by the2013 Zero S I rode, has arrived—really. It’snot perfect, or right for everybody, and itwon’t replace the fleet of gas-powered bikesin your garage. But it’s great at what it does,is fun to ride and worth a second look.Really.*The U.S.Census reported 294,000 Americanscommute by motorcycle, and that about 34 percentof all commuters travel more than 30 minuteseach way. I don’t know if the numbers correlateperfectly, so 185,000 may be optimistic, but morelikely is conservative, as I would guess motorcyclistson average have shorter commutes than our carenclosedbrethren.KYMCOUSA.com Be a fan: facebook.com/KYMCO.scooters Be a fan: facebook.com/KYMCO.ATV Follow Us: twitter.com/kymco_usa*AS LOW AS1.9 %APRR&M ENTERPRISES1905C ARNOLD INDUSTRIAL WAYCONCORD, CA 94520925-798-4360FOR 36 MONTHS FORQUALIFIED BUYERSSEE YOUR LOCAL KYMCO DEALER FOR DETAILSPAYMENTS AS LOW AS $59/MonthCYCLE WEST1375 INDUSTRIAL AVENUEPETALUMA, CA 94952707-769-5242SAN JOSE MOTORSPORT1886 WEST SAN CARLOS STSAN JOSE, CA 95128408-295-0205Choose Your Own PathIL MOTORINO2650 RESEARCH PARK DRIVESOQUEL, CA 95073831-479-9075Now Open!CALIFORNIA SPEED SPORTS2310 NISSEN DRIVELIVERMORE, CA 94551925-606-1998SCOOTER CITY614 16TH STREETSACRAMENTO, CA 95814916-448-6422VERACOM MITSUBISHI790 NORTH SAN MATEO DRSAN MATEO, CA 94401650-340-7199TRACY MOTORSPORTS3255 AUTO PLAZA WAYTRACY, CA 95304209-832-3400415-294-5005ROCKRIDGE TWO WHEELS5291 COLLEGE AVENUEOAKLAND, CA 94618510-594-0789SCUDERIA WEST69 DUBOCE STREETSAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103415-621-7223REVOLUTION MOTO307 D STREETSANTA ROSA, CA 95404707-523-2371POWERSPORTS OF VALLEJO111 TENNESSEE STREETVALLEJO, CA 94590707-644-3756www.motorcycleuniversity.net*Example: On a purchase where the Amount Financed is $1,999 your Down Payment is $0 with 36 monthly payments of $58.60 each. Interest Rate is 1.9% [ANNUAL1.9% for 36 Months [3.53% APR*]PERCENTAGE RATE is 3.53% (E)]. For other Amounts Financed, the payment would be approximately $30.03 per $1,000 financed.$0 DOWN 1.9% INTEREST RATE $30.03 PER $1,000 FINANCEDNote: The above financing programs are offered by Sheffield Financial, a Division of Branch Banking and Trust Company, Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Approval,and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Other financing offers are available. See your local dealer for details. Rate advertised is based on debt to income ratio of 45% or less. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Anorigination fee of $50 will be added to the amount financed in the above example. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Offer effective on all new and unused KYMCO ATVs, Side X Sides, Motorcycles and Scooters purchased from a participating KYMCO USA dealer between now and 6/30/2013. Offer subject to changewithout notice. [“E” means estimate.]© KYMCOUSA 2013 KYMCO vehicles meet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety and EPA standards. Take a riding skills course. For the course nearest you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 1-800-446-9227. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Avoid excessive speed and stunt driving.May 2013 | 16 | CityBike.comMay 2013 | 17 | CityBike.comKYMCO USA Ad...............KYMCO Scooter - CityBike MAY 2013Color..................................1-ColorSize ...................................10.25 x 14