2015 Zero Sr

2015 ZERO SR

IGNITION

FIRST RIDE

Drinking the electric Kool-Aid

Brian Catterson

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...

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 200i:ASpace 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.

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 back roads 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.

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 claimed 106 pound-feet of torque and a top speed just north of 100 mph, the Zero SR is definitely not slow! Steering is relatively light

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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 from Spanish company J.Juan working with a carrier-less 320mm front rotor. 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 Diablo Rosso II radiais 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. The suspension on the long-travel DS 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 mode and you could increase that distance considerably. 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.

The one other issue is cost. The SR retails for a jawdropping $17,345, not including the $2,495 Power Tank. Even allowing for never having to buy gas or pay for maintenance, 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, but spend some time riding one and you’ll see why its supporters are so high on them. So pass me a glass—it may be an acquired taste, but this stuff’s not half bad!

SPECS

2015 ZERO SR

PRICE:

(as tested): $19,840 MOTOR:

brushless, high-temp magnet MAX BATTERY CAPACITY:

14.2 kWh SEAT HEIGHT:

31.8 in.

CHARGING TIME:

standard current:

9.9 hours

CLAIMED WEIGHT:

452 lb.