A Japanese electic motorcycle

[Richard230]

Here is another company that wants to enter the electric motorcycle market:

http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/terra-motors-kiwami---the-japanese-electric-motorcycle.htm

[frodus]

Looks like a rebadged zero frame....

[Richard230]

So it does.  I just wasn't paying attention at first.  But now it looks like a 2013 Zero with a different set of plastic fairings.  I guess it could be that the Chinese company that makes the frame and the Taiwanese company that makes the suspension are now offering these items for sale to other manufacturers.  Or it could be that the company is recycling the 2013 Zero design for Japanese home market sale?  It is kind of odd.

[frodus]

Or what happened to the 59 Zero motorcycles that Zero said they sold to the Chinese government a few years back in some big deal? Haven't heard much about that since it was mentioned...... And no pictures of them out in the wild.....

[protomech]

Terra says they are targeting India not Japan.

Zero sold 100 2012 DS bikes to Colombia and 59 2012 S bikes to Hong Kong last year. Is that what you mean?

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/press-releases/may-16-2013-zero-fleet-hong-kong.html

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/press-releases/june-25-2013-bogota-zero-fleet-police.html

[Richard230]

The Kiwami is mentioned at the end of this article discussing Indian motorcycles by Ride Apart.  In this article they say the bike has a range of 200 miles  :O and costs $18,000.  :confused:

http://rideapart.com/2014/01/why-your-next-bike-may-come-from-india/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HellForLeather+%28Hell+For+Leather%29

Is the bike made of off-the-shelf Zero parts or is it a re-badged Zero?  If it uses a Z-force motor, that I would say it is the latter.  If it uses a different motor, than it is likely Terra is buying parts from Zero's Asian suppliers.   

[frodus]

Did they actually deliver them and are they in service?

I ask because there seems to be a press release with no followup and no proof they ever delivered or were put in service.

Now if Hong Kong backed out,  and zero had them there,  it would make sense to sell the vehicles to someone else.

All 2013 bikes.

[Richard230]

But what about that motor spec of 10kW?  The Zero 2013 Z-force motor is rated at 40kW? 

Check out their website.  All in English and they are looking for dealers:

http://www.terra-motors.com/kiwami/

It is a mystery to me.   

[Richard230]

My latest guess is that Zero is selling their bikes to Terra and letting them distribute the bikes to Asian countries, such as India and Japan.  That would make a lot of business sense for a small company like Zero.  The change in plastic and paint is likely Terra's idea to better appeal to the Asian market.

[Richard230]

I am wrong again!  Mike Werner (motorbiker.org), who originally reported the story, contacted Zero and this is what they had to say about the Terra Motors Kiwami:

To answer your question about the Terra Motors

-This product and announcement is a complete surprise to Zero
-They bought two of our bikes (a Zero S and a Zero DS ) to evaluate Zero powertrains for potential use in future vehicles
-Zero do not have a contract / supply agreement in place with them for the use of a Zero S to be repurposed as a Kiwami motorcycle

Bad, Bad Terra Motors.  This will not help your reputation (assuming that you had one in the first place).   

[Richard230]

More from autoblog.com.  Don't forget to watch the video and read Terra's press release.  What were these guys thinking?   

http://green.autoblog.com/2014/01/31/terra-motors-kiwami-electric-motorcycle-really-zero-s/