Electric motorcycle takes it to the streets

California firm adds a battery-powered road bike to its lineup, giving it more speed and range

May 08, 2009

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Special to the Star

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.–Zero Motorcycles, an electric motorbike firm in Silicon Valley, Calif., has followed the well-received unveiling of its electric trail bike with another hopeful entrant, the Zero S.

The Zero X electric trail bike impressed skeptical motorcycle journalists about a year ago, as well as visitors to the Toronto motorcycle show last month at the International Centre. Now the company has released the Zero S – a road-legal supermoto that costs slightly more than $10,000 (U.S.). It hasn't yet been approved for Canadian roads, though the companyhopes for this to happen this summer.

The X clearly showed its heritage. Zero's inventor, Neal Saiki, was previously a mountain bike designer. His trailie weighed a scant 63.5 kilograms. In order to give the Zero S a (barely) highway-capable top speed of 96 km/h, and a longer range of 96 km, it was designed with a 36 kilo lithium-ion battery pack – twice the size of the trail bike's power supply.

Add in a built-in charger and meeting U.S. Department of Transportation rules for things like tires (which beget heavier wheels, which beget beefier suspension, etc.) and the end result is no longer a bicycle with a battery and motor, it's a real motorcycle. Still, it weighs only 100 kilos.

Zero claims its brushed permanent-magnet motor generates more than 60 lb.-ft. of torque and 31 hp, which makes this by far the best-performing electric street bike currently in production. The motor is imported from Germany, but virtually every part of the rolling chassis is custom-made (often by companies that Saiki came to know during his mountain bike days).

One striking aspect of electric motors is that they make all their torque at any rpm. To avoid uncontrollable wheelies, all electric motorcycles rely on "motor-control" software to soften power delivery at slow speed. Think of this as the equivalent of having good fuel mapping on a fuel-injected bike.

The "early production" bike we got our hands (and butt) on last month in Huntington Beach, Calif., was still due to get some motor control finessing – although it was already better than many electric bikes we've ridden.

Another glitch prevented the speedometer and battery meter from working, so there was no way to confirm the company's speed and range claims. Suffice to say the bike's easily capable of handling urban and suburban traffic.

Those unique torque characteristics make it hard to compare the Zero to conventional bikes. It easily pulls as hard as a 250 cc dual-sport when leaving a traffic light or a slow corner. But it reaches the top of the powerband suddenly, at the top speed of a 125 cc commuter bike.

The lack of clutch, gears and almost all noise is easy to get used to, although experienced motorcyclists are alarmed when the Zero freewheels like a bicycle entering corners.

Saiki said the company is working on its own motor that will have regenerative braking – when you roll off the throttle, the motor becomes a generator and recharges the battery – that will create a familiar engine-braking effect.

Despite its 16-inch wheels, the Zero S has a 90 cm seat height and definitely feels like a full-sized motorcycle. It's styled as a full-on Supermoto, and the hydroformed aluminum frame and beefy swingarm could easily handle Supermoto jumps. But the company aspires to the commuter market and will offer hard luggage as an accessory. In accordance, the bike's suspension is set up for comfort, not sport (though the seat's as hard as any full-on race bike's).

As tested, the front brake was only adequate, but Saiki said the company would soon improve it with a different rotor and master cylinder. Such upgrades will be offered to existing customers at cost.

The overall fit and finish of our test bike was impressive.

If Zero's range claims can be believed, it's already a functional commuter. That said, it costs more than twice as much as Kawasaki's Ninja 250. That bike outperforms the Zero S, and the price difference would pay for well over 160,000 km worth of fuel. That means Zero S buyers are paying a huge premium for the satisfaction of being green.

As with personal computers, the next generation of batteries will be more powerful and cost less. Zero still assembles bikes one-by-one; better batteries and larger production volumes will be needed to close the gap with petrol power as far as ordinary motorcyclists are concerned.

Zero's business plan calls for the company to sell to American customers through a network of product demonstrators, who will visit customers by appointment. The company also sells the S directly through its website, www.zeromotorcycles.com.

Zero hopes to sell 600 S models in 2009, with deliveries beginning in mid-summer. The motorcycle is priced at $9,950 (U.S.), plus $500 shipping.

Mark Gardiner is a Canadian motorcycle writer based in California, and author of Riding Man.

Related link:

An electric bike for beginners

Electric motorbike set to roll out

Toronto Star