JaimeC
New member
I had a chance to demo this beast today at Americade. From a quick walk around compared to my C650GT scooter it has far less storage capacity. The majority of the underseat area is the massive battery pack. I was informed it is two cells from the BMW i3 electric automobile. The passenger seat lifts up and has a storage area big enough to hold one full face helmet. HOWEVER the BMW rep said that if you carry the charging cables in there, there won't be enough room for a full face helmet (perhaps a 3/4 would fit?).
What looks like two glove boxes on either side of the fairing is deceptive. Only the right side cover hides a storage area. The left side covers up the J1772 charging port.
The low windshield is non-adjustable. It keeps the majority of the wind off of your chest to reduce fatigue but your head is completely in the airflow. I'm 5'10" and there was no buffeting, it was essentially "clean" airflow.
The riding position is more reminiscent of the Yamaha TMAX than the C650GT. I could not straighten out my legs for a stretch like I can on the C650GT, or as I was able on the C650 Sport. The passenger has fold-away foot pegs, not a running board like the GT scooter.
Now comes the part most of you will be interested in hearing. Starting the scooter is reminiscent of the Victory Empulse TT. Besides turning the key, you have to hold in the brake and press the "Start" button. I have NO idea why they feel this is necessary but there you have it. Once you press the "Start" button a whole array of displays appears on the front dash panels. It has several driving modes. "Dynamic" was full power and full regen. Compared to the Zero S, the full regen felt like you dropped an anchor. It really does slow the scooter down, and not gently either. I switched it into "Road" mode and that felt more like my "Custom" setting on the Zero S. They also have a mode called "Sail" which has no regen at all... cutting the throttle just causes the bike to coast like a 600 lbs bicycle. There is also an "Eco" mode but I didn't try that so I don't know how it feels. It looks like it provides full regen and limits your top end power.
As for that power: If you have an "R" model Zero you'll know what I'm talking about. This thing pulls like a FREIGHT TRAIN right on the get-go. I was seriously impressed by that, let me tell you! Despite the weight, it handled very well as all the weight is carried very low.
The BMW reps said they're not sure when it'll go on sale in the United States, or how much they'd charge for it. They told me in Europe their biggest customers were not individual buyers but corporate fleet orders. So I don't know when you might see these in the dealerships. It was nice, but I'm more than happy with my Zero S.
What looks like two glove boxes on either side of the fairing is deceptive. Only the right side cover hides a storage area. The left side covers up the J1772 charging port.
The low windshield is non-adjustable. It keeps the majority of the wind off of your chest to reduce fatigue but your head is completely in the airflow. I'm 5'10" and there was no buffeting, it was essentially "clean" airflow.
The riding position is more reminiscent of the Yamaha TMAX than the C650GT. I could not straighten out my legs for a stretch like I can on the C650GT, or as I was able on the C650 Sport. The passenger has fold-away foot pegs, not a running board like the GT scooter.
Now comes the part most of you will be interested in hearing. Starting the scooter is reminiscent of the Victory Empulse TT. Besides turning the key, you have to hold in the brake and press the "Start" button. I have NO idea why they feel this is necessary but there you have it. Once you press the "Start" button a whole array of displays appears on the front dash panels. It has several driving modes. "Dynamic" was full power and full regen. Compared to the Zero S, the full regen felt like you dropped an anchor. It really does slow the scooter down, and not gently either. I switched it into "Road" mode and that felt more like my "Custom" setting on the Zero S. They also have a mode called "Sail" which has no regen at all... cutting the throttle just causes the bike to coast like a 600 lbs bicycle. There is also an "Eco" mode but I didn't try that so I don't know how it feels. It looks like it provides full regen and limits your top end power.
As for that power: If you have an "R" model Zero you'll know what I'm talking about. This thing pulls like a FREIGHT TRAIN right on the get-go. I was seriously impressed by that, let me tell you! Despite the weight, it handled very well as all the weight is carried very low.
The BMW reps said they're not sure when it'll go on sale in the United States, or how much they'd charge for it. They told me in Europe their biggest customers were not individual buyers but corporate fleet orders. So I don't know when you might see these in the dealerships. It was nice, but I'm more than happy with my Zero S.