Look at it from another perspective: what will you use the bike for?
I use it 90% for commuting and 10% for fun.
The acceleration of the standard Empulse (E1 is the official name I believe) in 1st gear is almost enough to keep up with a Zero SR. I tried that while riding with a friend last Wednesday. He could get no more than a few meters on me as long as I was in 1st. So it is plenty fast. It wins all stoplight sprints against cars.
I don't need fully adjustable suspension for commuting and the E1 suspension is actually very well balanced for me (I weigh 75 kg's)
The handlebar is slightly different, no idea what the exact difference is between th E1 and the R.
And that's it with regards to differences as far as I know.
So what are the benefits of the E1?
I really like the black forks!
The motor housing looks much better!
I have an all black E1 so I even like the black spring of the rear shock
It is 2000€ cheaper...
Here is a picture of my bike together with my friend's Zero SR. (mine is the better looking bike of course
)