New Scooters from Electric Motorsport

I met the man from Electric motor sport in 06, I forget his name, but he was very knowledgeable about the technology and the business. I would buy a Z6 just to see what he has blessed, but that is a 4K$ gamble. EMS and the LA dealer have been very responsive over email answering questions. Well, they would not have to be so responsive if the full specs were published. The information is very thin. I guess we know where the motor and controller come from. The actual dimensions of the bikes are unknown.

My measuring stick, the EVD from Martin - that's a well researched, full size road scooter that has lasted - albeit with flaky switchgear and the odd doo dad falling off. But.....we know how large, we know there are parts, we know 100's of people that have purchased.

So, is the Z6 longer wheelbase than EVD? Weight specs, 12V acc out? Current?

Why is it that in this business, we are expected to whip out a credit card for an essentially non-returnable item, that few own, making the early buyers the test fleet. ???

Upside Electric Motor Sport has been around for a long while, he has parts for most things he carries, and probably had a direct hand in design. These are guesses, at best.

Downside, if its a dog, I am screwed. So, my dear EV enthusiasts (another world for bonkers R Martin EVD for 2399.00 shipped (lead acid, ya...) IT has a track record.

Native Z6 2750 + 300 Ship =3050 Lead acid. or 4050 with LifePO, which is very competitive - the batts are fully managed charge / discharge (Which is still a bastard compromise for these fragile batteries - the manufacturers need to protect the cells natively, no joke) .

Please give me your V Vote and I will be the next guina pig.

His name is Todd and I've known him for a long time ... I bought a scooter from him in 2002 and have kept in touch since.

Electric Motor Sport has been around for a long while, he has parts for most things he carries, and probably had a direct hand in design

They started well before 2002 when I first met Todd. And yes he and his staff (there's more than Todd in the business) did have a direct hand in the design. Further EMS designed the winning bike of the TTXGP 2009 Open Class, which should give a clue or two about their capability. They do have direct relationships with manufacturers and for example the GPR-S frame is built for EMS by a motorcycle factory in Thailand (presumably the scooter comes from the same factory? Haven't asked him that question).

Why is it that in this business, we are expected to whip out a credit card for an essentially non-returnable item, that few own, making the early buyers the test fleet. ???

If you want the typical support and warranties that requires a higher business cost structure. I had a long conversation with an expert on this a couple months ago (former sales exec with former Vectrix). This is a large part of why the bikes from Brammo and Zero are more expensive than the prices you're quoting. And yes I completely agree that it's tricky considerations to spend that much on a bike where the support story is difficult. If that's important to you, go for Brammo or Zero. Both are on the CA list of vehicles that qualify for state rebates.

the batts are fully managed charge / discharge (Which is still a bastard compromise for these fragile batteries - the manufacturers need to protect the cells natively, no joke)

The way the battery industry has worked so far is - there are cell manufacturers - and there are other makers who provide management systems - and there are vehicle makers whose expertise includes integrating everything into a working system.

So......thumbs up or down on the native Z6???????????

I would buy it if I was seriously looking for a scooter - I've not ridden it, but have looked at one in the flesh. But a) I live close enough to EMS to get direct support, b) I know that I'm capable of fixing problems that crop up, c) I might enjoy the opportunity for customization because it's an open architecture

Other people probably have different constraints

Z6 I powerful bike. The battery can be used for up to 25 miles of range but that depends on how it is ridden. Upgrading to Lithium Ion in the future would effectively double the range..