This morning, exactly two weeks after taking possession of my 2023 Zero FX, I’ve crossed the 1000km mark on the odometer. These are a few of the things I’ve learned in the saddle.
Birds are Surprising
Have you ever noticed birds will sometimes fly very close to you when you’re driving a car? Birds are fast and maneuverable (well, except for pheasants) and will swoop across your lane or in front of you while traveling at speed.
Well, they do the same thing to motorcycles except they can get a LOT closer. I had a crow take wing right in front of me while traveling at 80km/h and it was … surprising.
I have learned that pigeons have been the cause of more than one accident on the road.
Stay chill. They won’t hit you.
Bugs Hurt
At highway speeds, bugs hit your visor like small squishy bullets and make a huge sticky mess. The sound of one hitting your visor or helmet is a firm “thwock” for a big fly or bee. If they hit you in the chest in an area that isn’t padded, it can hurt. Maybe even leave a mark!
I’ve heard that rocks are not a good time, so I’m careful not to stay to close to vehicles ahead of me.
Nobody in Cars are Paying Attention
Now that we’ve covered the birds and the bees, let’s move onto people: Nobody can see you. Nobody’s paying attention.
I’m sure some of you are, and thank you for being careful, but the rest of you, keep your eyes on the damned road. Watch your mirrors. Why the fuck are you following me so closely?
I’ve counted too many people looking at or typing on their phones while pulling up to a stop light. Seriously. WTF are you even doing behind the wheel?
You have no room for distraction on a bike. It requires hyper-vigilance.
The Motorcycle Wave
The first time it happened I was still doing practice stops in the gravel driveway across the road from my house. Some dude on a bike rolls past and drops two fingers to the road. The motorcycle wave. Hey, that’s kinda cool, I thought. Then it happened again. Some guy on a Harley dropping two fingers as he blew past.
On the road, you get the wave All The Time. On a street in town or on a rural backroad in a turn while leaning the bike at 80 km/h, other riders will drop the fingers and expect it in return. It’s not always a great idea to take your hands off the grips.
Use your judgement. Focus on your ride. Don’t be put out if you wave and you don’t get one back.
It’s Not Range Anxiety, It’s Battery Management
This is the big one that everybody talks about with an electric bike: “What’s the range like?”
Well, it’s a mixed bag really. The amount of power you’re putting through the motor directly affects how much power you have left. Shocking, isn’t it? (yes, that’s a pun)
The difference between 50km/h and 80km/h (or 100km/h) on battery life is significant. Around town, you can use Eco mode and get more regenerative braking. Off-road works well in this mode too and at trail speeds, 30-40km/h, you can really stretch the battery beyond the usual limits.
I’ve already planned and executed a couple of rides that left me with 15-20% power left on the pack. About 80kms of mixed back-road and off-road riding. I could see stretching the battery to 140kms under the right (slow) conditions. That’s about what you’d get out of a typical 300-400cc dual-sport or trailbike.
Not great, but it’s plenty for cruising around town or short trips on the back roads. And with a quick charger, you can go again in another couple of hours.
And it’s “free”. At about 80¢ / charge, it’s the cheapest entertainment you can get for 2-3 hours of fun.
It’s good for my brain
This is the one that was the most surprising, and it shouldn’t be. I used to ride bikes as a kid. Small motocross, trailbikes, ATVs and even mountain bikes. They’re so much fun, and I’ve missed it more than I realized. I’ve cycled through my 20s but don’t enjoy mountain biking in the city, and find it’s too much work to get anywhere out of town. Road bikes didn’t really appeal to me.
But a dual sport motorcycle is absolutely the most fun I’ve had in probably 20 years. It’s a fast road bike mixed with off road suspension and tires.
Back in the 70s, The Wide World of Sports invented a new form of moto racing called Supermoto. They took the best riders from track, motocross and rally and combined them into a single, three stage racing challenge with elements from all three disciplines.
That’s what a dual-sport motorcycle feels like. You can go from the road to a dirt trail and have full control. It’s an awesome feeling, and after my morning ride, I feel great for the rest of the day. Doesn’t really matter what comes at you, if you’ve already traveled 50kms and watched sea birds skimming the ocean while sipping coffee on the side of the road.
This is a high quality poast