Zero Motorcycles NextGen

Love the motorcycle, the software and app are crazy making. Very poor software, not at all intuitive. I figured out much of the bike by fumbling around, since the manual is inaccurate in so many places. For $20 K I would expect things to work simply and smoothly. The manual should explain things in detail rather than the simplistic and inaccurate way it hints at how to do things. Just say it the way it is with all the alternatives, instead of dumping us in a menu that doesn’t look anything like the manual. There are two buttons on the handlebars marked “mode”. Really? One of them has a single function, which is not “mode“. Trying to register this bike is the first thing I can’t stand about it, and the Dealer agreed he couldn’t figure it out either. Come on guys, this bike has been around for years, edit your own manual and get it right. The bike itself, fantastic.

Works well. Was able to update the firmware without any issues. I wish that you could display more information on the screen than just 4 items. While riding, it’s nice to know battery temp, motor temp, estimated range, and instantaneous efficiency but I would also like to see the trip odometers and it would also be nice to see the ambient outdoor temperature and temperature of the control board. Car dashboards contain a lot more information and on many of them you can change the screen to the next screen to reveal information contained in deeper level menus such as checking tire pressures while driving… I think more could be done to improve the dashboard screen and give it additional functionality.On the app, one should be able to change riding modes. I don’t know what happened with the last update to the firmware but I can’t select ECO mode while riding. They made a modification that lets you set traction control and ABS but those should be in a lower menu from riding mode. On the DSRX the modes are Standard, Performance Eco, Rain, and Canyon (which gets replaced if you create a custom mode). One SHOULD be able to change riding modes while riding and not have to stop or put the kick stand down.With this critique I offer a suggestion: Mode Button changes riding modes when bumped to the right, and while in the menu selecting riding modes, the turn signal button should change Traction Control mode when bumped left and ABS mode when bumped right. Releasing throttle confirms choices. Left bump on mode button exits menu and restores function of turn signal button.

I’ve had my SR/F for almost three years now, and this app is a big disappointment. Recent previous versions had been working OK, but this one is a failure. Two examples: 1: Remote connect is gone, so I can’t check on the status. For example, when my motorcycle is plugged into a public charger, and I’m several blocks away, in a store, or restaurant, or library… 2: It won’t update my firmware, and hasn’t in many weeks. When I try to update, it tells me there is a newer version available, but when I tell it to start updating, within two minutes, it gives me two failure messages, always the same. A Bluetooth connection failure message, which will stack up multiple times, making it annoying to get to go away, then the update failure message: “Firmware transfer has failed. Please key off your motorcycle for 3 minutes and then try again“. I try at the end of every ride. It always fails. This app is a failure.