When Cycle World asked if I would attend the 2015 Zero Motorcycles press introduction, I said yes before I'd really thought about it. Aside from a few parking-lot hot laps, the last Zero I'd spent significant time on was the MX off-road model circa 2008. So the depth of my experience with electric bikes is admittedly shallow. But maybe that sort of detached perspective is what's required to adequately judge the genre's progress... Zero grew from humble roots. Originally known as Electricross, its early models were little more than electric mountain bikes. The fledgling company soon changed its name to Zero in reference to emissions. But that could just as easily have applied to its dealer network as those early machines were shipped directly to customers. Fast forward to the present and it's hard to believe this is the same company. Long gone from the strip-mall bike shop it once occupied, Zero is now spread out over two large industrial buildings in Scotts Valley, just inland from Santa Cruz, California. One houses the staff and the assembly line while the other is chock full of motorcycles ready for delivery to its now-substantial dealer network. Unlike most of its would-be competitors, Zero is the real deal.
In 2013, the model range was completely redesigned using a sustainable platform of three to four lithium-ion battery modules, nicknamed “bricks,” housed in one box, called a “monolith” (a nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey). Each of these bricks is made up of 28 battery packets that are daisy-chained together before being sealed in to ensure watertightness and to prevent damage from vibration. An optional supplemental battery module, called a Power Tank, can be installed to boost range. This battery pack lives where the internal-combustion engine (“ICE” in EV parlance) would go on a conventional motorcycle, while the motor (for once the correct term) resides down low, its output shaft concentric with the swingarm pivot for constant drive-belt tension. That belt, incidentally, is about half as wide as that on a Harley-Davidson, owing to the fact that peak belt tension occurs during gear changes, which are unnecessary on an electric bike. All battery power is overseen by a controller located between the seat and rear tire, while the dash lets the rider keep tabs on vital stats such as charge level. During the press presentation, we were shown a video that played up Zero's slogan “Sophisticated Simplicity.” Unlike more complex electric bikes such as the Brammo Empulse with its liquid-cooling and six-speed gearbox, Zero's machines are purposely uncomplicated. The Zero name can also be applied to maintenance.
After sampling the FX, S and DS models, we spent a full afternoon riding the hot-rod SR in the redwood forests surrounding the famed Alice's Restaurant south of San Francisco. On those tight and twisty backroads where a conventional motorcycle rider would leave the transmission in one gear and surf the waves of torque, the SR felt pretty normal. It's eerily smooth, and there's a bit less engine braking, but dial up the regenerative braking level via the Smartphone app and it feels even more so. It's only when the music in your earphones stops playing that you realize the machine is utterly silent. The loudest sound is a bit of belt growl while accelerating. Speaking of which, while there's no mistaking the SR for a sportbike, it is certainly sporty. You won't set any records in the quarter-mile, and wheelying is out of the question, but with a top speed just north of 100 mph, the Zero SR is definitely not slow! Steering is relatively light and neutral, but run it into a corner a little too hot, grab some more brake while leaned over and you'll feel every one of its claimed 452 pounds. One of the key changes to the 2015 Zero model line is new brakes featuring a carrier-less 320mm front rotor from Spanish company J.Juan. These work wonderfully, with predictable feel and only some slight lever/pedal pulsing when the now standard Bosch ABS kicks in. The new cast aluminum wheels shod with Pirelli Sport Demon radials are similarly praiseworthy. But while the new fully adjustable Showa suspension is said to be a big improvement, I found the ride on bumpy roads left something to be desired on the stock settings. The suspension on the longer-travel DS model worked noticeably better.
Range is still the Achilles' heel of electric bikes, but it is improving. We did 80 miles on our SR testbikes (fitted with Power Tanks) and still had close to 10 percent power remaining. And that was mostly spirited riding in Sport mode; toggle back to Eco (for Economy) mode and you could increase that distance considerably. My only complaint was that as battery power diminished, the thermal warning lamp illuminated and the bike went into limp mode. Recharge time is also something to consider: Plug the SR into a 110-volt wall outlet and it will take a good 10 hours for its battery to replenish—or less than half that with the $600 accessory Quick-Charger. Battery technology remains a work in progress... The one other issue is cost. The SR retails for a jaw-dropping $17,345 not including the $2495 Power Tank. Even allowing for never having to buy gas or pay for oil changes and tune-ups, that's expensive, putting the SR in the same price bracket as motorcycles with far more impressive performance. But as Zero's VP of Global Marketing Scot Harden said, “Imagine if vehicles had been electric all along and someone introduced a gasoline engine today. Do you think it would catch on?” No, probably not. There's a lot of Electric Kool-Aid being drunk at Zero Motorcycles, but spend some time riding one of their bikes and you'll see why their supporters are so high on them. So pass me a glass—it may be an acquired taste, but this stuff's not half-bad!| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| 2015 Zero SR | |
| PRICE (AS TESTED) | $19,840 |
| MOTOR | brushless, high-temp magnet |
| MAX BATTERY CAPACITY | 14.2 kWh |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 31.8 in. |
| CHARGE TIME, STANDARD | 10.5 hours |
| CLAIMED WEIGHT | 452 lb. |
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