Zero Electric Scooters

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683 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2391443 14-Jan-2020 06:43

jonathan18:@robfish: as someone involved with the brand, you may have knowledge of this.

Sorry, I do not have any knowledge about solid tyres. In fact I have only repaired two punctures to date and one of those was a "pinched" tube.

Rob

speedracer77

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2408320 28-Jan-2020 17:22

robfish:

jonathan18:@robfish: as someone involved with the brand, you may have knowledge of this.

Sorry, I do not have any knowledge about solid tyres. In fact I have only repaired two punctures to date and one of those was a "pinched" tube.

Hello new user incoming.

I have a Zero 10x and have been using it to commute in Auckland for a while now. Interesting about the legality of higher powered scooters I think this probably needs to be changed a little bit as 300 is quite low and doesn't really reflect how they are being used.

In terms of solid tires I would advise against them, the 10in tires on the Zero 10 and X are by far the best. Solid tires do mitigate the danger of a flat BUT they come at the cost of your spine as all of the bumps in the road are translated up through the chassis and into you!!!!

Regards

Speedracer77

P1n3apqlExpr3ss

853 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2498595 4-Jun-2020 23:08

Hey folks, are many of you still riding through winter? I'm looking at buying an electric scooter, maybe the Zero 8 for my commute from Eden Terrace to the Viaduct, I have a bit of Mt Eden Rd and Symonds before getting to the cycleways. Is it feasible to ride during drizzle? Would you ever take your electric scooter to the mall and lock it up using a U or chain lock?

At the moment I get in on a moped but that's going to get more unappealing as things get back to normal business and plus the CRL works going up Pitt St (down to a single lane too narrow to lane split) choking the already choked Pitt St/K Rd intersection (oh and I'm over smelling like 2 stroke). I also have a normal bike but am after something with some electrics involved

Keen to hear some more recent feedback, I'll likely visit the folks at Freed tomorrow for a yarn

pmclgz

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2498612 5-Jun-2020 00:11

What winter, we haven't seen one yet!!

Seriously no problem even with a normal coat (nothing like the leathers that your photo shows) because you aren't going that fast but still probably get there quicker than a moped by the time you cross with pedestrians and ignore one way roads etc.

Yes I have a 10 and I take it everywhere & lock with a U lock through the front wheel & brake disk if nothing else to lock it to.

I also fitted an ignition key so no-one can turn it on to ride off (can't work out why such expensive items don't have a steering lock) and so would have to foot-scooter it - you can get key locks on alibaba for around $10 or Freed will fit one for you for around $50.

One thing I would say, I'd recommend a zero 9 or even better a 10 - depending on your weight I think you'll find the 8 too underpowered and you'll have to foot scooter it up hills. I'm 90kg and my 10 with its 1,000w motor gets me up virtually any normal hill in Auckland (College Hill, Victoria St) etc but an 8 with its "little" 500w motor just won't cut it, its almost as bad as a Lime or any of the other ride-sharing ones.

My wife is only 62kg and yet she got a Zero 9, once again the 8 just wasn't powerful enough to get her up reasonable hills

nzkiwiman

2585 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2498792 5-Jun-2020 10:11

As I am in Dunedin, mine went into "hibernation" when daylight savings ended. I did use it early May however after taking my car to get a service and the 7am wind chill was a small issue - espy on the trigger finger

djtOtago

1149 posts

Uber Geek

#2498819 5-Jun-2020 10:35

My Zero 9 is still used daily in Dunedin. My son uses it to go to work on night shift so is using it at around 11:30pm each week night and he is usually returning home about 7:30am. I still MTB to work most mornings, however if my son is home in time and it is raining I'll often take the scooter. About the only time I use the scooter is when it is rainning. I have "modified" the front and rear mud guards with extensions to reduce the amount of spray off the wheels that hits you. Little wheels spin fast at 35kph. Water proof jacket and leggings all good, you still get wet feet / shoes, but I have a change of clothes and a hot shower at work any way.
To keep my hands warm I just use my MTB gloves.

robfish

683 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2498823 5-Jun-2020 10:41

I definitely recommend waterproof clothing while scootering in the rain.

I got caught out once riding only two blocks in the rain and got soaked.

Rob

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MarkH67

518 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2504398 14-Jun-2020 11:49

speedracer77:

I have a Zero 10x and have been using it to commute in Auckland for a while now.

I don't know why more people in the cities don't do this! It has to be cheaper with no petrol costs or parking costs and easier to get around in rush hour.

I've read through this thread and have been doing some research on various scooters, they look like a ton of fun! Of all the personal electric vehicles (electric scooters, E-Bikes, electric skateboards & electric unicycles) these look to be the highest performing option. I'm thinking about buying a scooter for fun and maybe exploring some cycle trails. I've looked into (reviews, youtube videos, etc) the Zero 10X and Zero 11X, the Kaabo Mantis Pro, the Dualtron Eagle Pro and other similar scooters - they all look pretty great IMO. I've also watched some videos on the Rion RE scooters, wow - those are crazy with their 128kph top speed that they are limited to.

There seems to be a few options for 10" tyres to fit the 10X/Mantis/Eagle/etc. The stock tyres are usually 2.5" wide road tyres, but you can get offroad tyres and 3" wide road tyres. The offroad tyres would be pretty good on the cycle trails. Has anyone done much riding on cycle trails with a 10X or simiar? A google search finds a bunch of cycle trails around NZ with a difficulty rating of 1 to 4, I think 1 & 2 would be pretty doable on an electric scooter. Level 3 is a maybe and I'm not sure about level 4 (suitable for mountain bikes only). If I buy a scooter I'll probably go for a ride on an easy trail to start with. I suspect the harder trails will have steep uphill and downhill sections which may be beyond the limits for an electric scooter.

I would need to put a scooter in the back of the car to take it places, I would guess that a 10X and similar scooters should be able to fit, maybe with the rear seats folded down.

P1n3apqlExpr3ss

853 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2511680 24-Jun-2020 19:25

It's been about 2 weeks since I picked up a Zero 9, so far so great! I opted for it over the 8 because a single drum brake with on a solid tire as a commuting tool doesn't sound smart. Going 3.5km to and from work on it is a breeze, all the benefits of a moped and bicycle without smelling like petrol or sweat. The only thing I've done is squirt some silicone sealant around the cable ingress at the front and purchased some tire slime I am yet to put in

MarkH67

518 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2550788 27-Aug-2020 16:46

I decided to get a scooter for fun and getting out exploring. After a whole heap of reading reviews and watching Youtube videos trying to decide on a Zero 10X or similar - I decided on the Kaabo Mantis Pro (60V 24.5Ah LG Battery, hydraulic brakes, Minimotors EY3 display/controller, 6kg lighter than 10X and the stem fixes to deck when folded), but at the time there were no NZ distributors for Kaabo (I see on facebook there is a distributor now getting in Kaabo) so I bought one from Aliexpress. It was a painfully long wait, but I got my Mantis Pro and have done a few rides, clocked up around 140km on it so far. Definitely a lot of fun and makes me more interested in electric micro-mobility devices in general.

Next I'm considering an EUC for something different and also very fun.

wazzageek

1093 posts

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#2561409 9-Sep-2020 22:23

Ordered my Zero 9 ... just waiting on delivery :-)

nzkiwiman

2585 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2565775 16-Sep-2020 11:27

My Zero 9 has been in "hibernation" since May; I need to use it next week

Anything I need to look out for - or it is simple as making sure the tyres still have air and its charged?

jonathan18

7413 posts

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#2565954 16-Sep-2020 13:30

My 10 sat fallow for many months before I could get the energy to fix a flat tyre; apart from charging it, checking brakes and the other tyre, the only other thing I did was taking it for a test ride to ensure it was performing as expected.
I’ve improved since then - two flatties in the past few weeks and I’ve repaired them both within a few days!

Damez

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#2574892 27-Sep-2020 15:16

I'm a month and a half into ownership of my 10X, bought from Freed. Got my first puncture about 3 weeks ago, a pincher, had it fixed back at Freed. It's been running great since then.

Just shy of 200km on the clock so far. Mostly used for zipping down the road along the local beachside for some fresh air, plus the 9km commute to work, and back home again, 3 times a week during the Auckland 'lockdown'.
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjA8XpwJq

I avoid riding in the rain whenever possible, it's just too dangerous out there and the unit isn't waterproof. The rear mudguard is practically useless as water and mud freely fly up the back of your clothing. I don't offroad with it. I avoid any obstacles, curbs and anomalies in the path/road to minimise risk of damage to either the unit or myself.

A few things I've learned so far:

Tyre pressure!
Get a pressure gauge, or even better a hand/foot pump with a built in gauge. Making sure the air pressure in the tyres is always correct, at least once a week but as often as possible (I check first thing every day before I use it), will save a lot of hassle (and money) from avoiding getting those pesky pinch punctures. James at Freed, as well as several other sources online, recommend maintaining a pressure of 45-50 psi. I generally aim to keep mine at around 48 or 49.

Safety gear
This unit is in a completely different class than the likes of the M365 Pro, which I upgraded to the 10X from.
Your run-of-the-mill open face cycle helmet just isn't going to provide a level of protection appropriate to the capabilities of this scooter and the damage that could be done to you in an accident. Particularly if you'll be using the full capabilities on the road, as opposed to limiting it to 25km/h to ride on the footpath. I strongly recommend a full face helmet, a mountain bike variety will be great, a motorcycle variant would be the ultimate. Many road helmets come with a visor built in, however full face mtb and motorcross helmets don't have face visors so I'd recommend getting a pair of mx goggles to protect your eyes from the elements and flying debris and bugs. There are literally hundreds of different brands and types of helmets and goggles to cater to any taste and budget. Just like most things though, you get what you pay for so it depends on how much your safety means to you as to how much you're willing to spend.
Get yourself at least 1 good quality cycle light/lamp. Lights are more about being seen by other road users and pedestrians at any time of day in any conditions, rather than just being able to see in the dark. The 10X comes with a set of front white lights and rear red lights built into the deck, but the front lights may as well just be there for decoration for all the use they are at night. The type of lights used by cycling enthusiasts are perfect for crossover use on this type of e-scooter. Personally I use a Blackburn Dayblazer 800 mounted on the handlebars or the steering stem, plus a Niterider Lumina Micro 850 mounted to my helmet jaw guard.
I also strongly recommend getting a good pair of gloves, again whether it's of the cycling or motorcycling variety is up to you, as long as they have some decent thickness (especially on the palm side) to protect your hands in the event of a mishap.
Other safety gear items I recommend are a pair of knee/shin guards and elbow guards.

Aftermarket additions
I'm going to make a wild assumption here that every owner of a 10X knows exactly what I'm referring to when I talk about the wretched "squeaky stem" issue. The issue started for me on day 3 of riding, and it was horrible. A bit of searching around for help online led me back to the Freed website where they had the Rugged Folding Clamp advertised, but were out of stock. So I turned to the next best search result and found it for sale at Falcon PEV in Singapore. I ordered it and it arrived within a week. It comes with a thin metal shim and a much more solid clamp to replace the stock one. That eliminated the squeaking issue.

Saddle bag. Fits essential items in like bluetooth speaker, minipump, multitool, power bank and adapter cables. Best add-on ever.

Extended kickstand. The original kickstand is too short and as a result the scooter is prone to falling over in a stiff breeze or on less than solid ground. Aliexpress sells the kickstands that are 2cm longer, which is what the scooter should have came with (as well as the rugged stem clamp too, for that matter).

Phone holder. Super useful. Again, Aliexpress sells cheap and cheerful examples.

Handle bars. I switched out the OEM bars for a WAKE aluminium bar. The new bar is 72cm wide, which is quite a bit wider than the stock bar and it allows for the attaching of more cockpit accessories. It's a bit lower than the stock bar so I've ordered a stem riser to bring it back up to height.

Also awaiting delivery of a set 10" x 3" road tyres.

In future I'll be ordering some wing mirrors, rear brake/indicator light unit, handlebar indicator lights.

These photos are just after I got it back from the puncture repair, before I swapped out the handlebar.

https://goo.gl/maps/nxivBwaT6M4nBWvv6

https://goo.gl/maps/FWEzY19XzozKiQaVA

https://goo.gl/maps/hmTaRTUVvCxMqRaU9

P1n3apqlExpr3ss

853 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2590066 21-Oct-2020 22:12

Has anyone noticed any weird quirks when charging? I have a Zero 9 and sometimes it'll say it has fully charged at 50.5~V, and you definitely notice it the next day when going uphill.. some days (generally when plugging in as soon as I get home when the battery is warm, but not today..) it'll charge all the way up to 54.6~V

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