The electric revolution is upon us. With several auto manufacturers having committed to fully electrifying their range within the next 10 years, it makes perfect sense that the theme will eventually spill over into the motorcycling world.
Zero is very much the “Tesla” of motorcycles, and every year we are seeing a huge amount of progress in its offerings. This year we are getting a pretty special treat though, the very first electric Adventure bike. It is a very ambitious project, but after making a few highly successful electric dual sports that are getting used by both the army and police, it makes perfect sense that Zero would be the first company to take a stab at the fastest growing segment in the industry.
10 First Electric Adventure Bike
For rather obvious range related reasons, nobody else has been willing to have a go at making anything like this yet.
It is the first of its kind and like most first year models, we don’t expect it to be the best at anything, but it is going to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
9 Extended Range
Claimed range is a rather exciting 180 miles. This is a lot for any motorcycle, let alone an electric motorcycle. Further reading will indeed reveal the truth though, that 180 mile figure will only get achieved pottering around town.
Combined with the highway figure that drops to 130 miles, a more realistic figure for everyday use, but if you are going to be bombing down a highway (like most Adventure bike riders), that is going to be closer to half the claimed range. It is still a huge step in the right direction.
8 Low Center Of Gravity
One thing about a battery pack is that it doesn’t behave much like a full tank of gas. The weight is a constant, not a variable, and it stays nice and low.
This is great for handling, and the bike will be an absolute blast to ride on a twisty road as it can transition as fast as any middleweight Adventure bike.
7 New Bosch Stability Control
This is the first electric motorcycle to come out with Bosch’s newly developed MCS (motorcycle stability control) system which aims to improve the off-road riding experience.
This is telling because aside from getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, the single biggest concern for those riding an electric motorcycle off-road is rear wheel spin. With the instant torque and no clutch to modulate, spooling up the rear is a real concern. This system should mitigate that and if the first testers are being honest, it works.
6 Fast Charging
It is important to note that the standard charger will require an overnight charge of up to 10 hours. This is actually much better if you want to preserve your battery, but it has obvious limitations.
They do offer an optional 6kW rapid charger that will take the bike from 0 to 95% in an hour. That is blisteringly fast, and adds a lot of convenience.
5 Comfortable Commuter
Any form of electric mobility lends itself to the daily commute, but this offering adds incredible comfort to the package.
Like pretty much any Adventure bike, it is relatively tall, but the seat height isn’t all that intimidating at just over 32 inches, and you get comfortable upright ergonomics that will help you soak up the miles. To top it off, this is like all electric motorcycles, an automatic, which makes it easy to ride in any city.
4 Zero BDR
At the end of the day you won’t be buying this as a very big city commuter. It is great that it can handle that too, but if you buy an adventure bike you want to be getting out onto the trail.
Zero really has partnered up with Backcountry Discovery Routes to map out EV friendly routes, which in itself, is an innovative collaboration. They will map out routs that include charging stations, so all you need to do is follow their built-in turn by turn navigation.
3 Ridiculous Torque
166 pound feet to be exact, that gives the bike thrilling off the mark acceleration. It will be tempting to race anything and everything from light to light, but you will quickly use up your battery if you don’t use this power with discretion.
It will obviously run out of puff eventually, but only after 100 MPH, topping out at 112 MPH. Which is faster than most Adventure bike riders would ever really care to go.
2 Heavy Adventure Bike
At 544 pounds this is right in line with the full sized Adventure bikes like the BMW GS (pictured) ruling the roads and trails these days. It is a heavy bike that is not necessarily beginner-friendly.
Unfortunately with just 100 horsepower, it doesn’t match them for power, but most riders will value the torque more than the horsepower.
1 Competitive Pricing
The single most surprising aspect of this bike is the price, it certainly isn’t cheap at $24,495, but that is right in line with the full sized Adventure bikes they will be competing with (Ducati pictured).
Naturally that will be in base spec, and we are sure most would want to add some of their options, especially that fast charger that simply won’t be cheap. This is still a giant leap though, as it marks the first time an electric motorcycle will be competing directly with ICE competition.