VOL. 52 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 18, 2015 P51
range of 185 miles in the city, or
94 miles at 70 mph on the high-
way (125 miles combined), that
could be recharged from zero to
90 percent in just one hour, and
was capable of a genuine 100
mph, and can out-drag almost
any vehicle with a license plate
from a standing start, would
have seemed downright fanci-
ful. But that's just what the 2015
Zero SR can do when fitted with
the ZF12.5kWh battery pack with
optional 2.8kWh Z-Force Power
Tank. The latter is available as
an accessory to further extend
the range, while producing 67
bhp/50 kW at 4,000 rpm and
a hefty constant 144 Nm/106
lb-ft of torque, all thanks to
repackaged flat-sided lithium-ion
battery cells that provide 10 per-
cent more energy density than
before. The S and DS come with
two motor options: a ZF9.4kWh
or ZF12.5, but the SR is avail-
able only with the ZF12.5, and
the FX is available in ZF2.8 and
ZF5.7 sizes.
What's more, thanks to the
economies of scale offered by
that doubled sales volume and
Zero's more focused range, the
increased cost of the improved
SR/S/DS models with the much
superior and more costly run-
ning gear has been held back
to just $350 across the range.
Prices now range from $9845
for the baseline Zero FX, through
$13,345 for the Zero DS, and
up to $17,345 for the range-
topping Zero SR, albeit without
the $2495 Power Pack range
extender. So there is a higher
cost of acquisition versus a con-
ventional motorcycle, but that's
offset by the fact that these are
zero maintenance products.
Apart from replacing brake pads
and tires, and the Gates drive
belt that's now good for 25,000
miles, you ought never to have
to visit your friendly local Zero
dealer again, except when you
want to.
Hop aboard the sporty looking
SR and onto the new seat that
is fitted across the range and
you'll notice that it's softer and
more compliant to your body's
contact patch than before. Turn
the ignition key to boot up the
bike, press the kill switch on the
right handlebar to illuminate the
green-for-go light on the dash,
then wait a couple of seconds
for the controller to scroll
through its various settings be-
fore you twist and go. Then get
ready for a surprise. I'll own up
to being a little skeptical before-
hand about Zero's claims for the
SR of 56 percent more torque
and 24 percent more power over
the standard Zero S, but that's
only because I freely admit to not
being fully wired up to E-technol-
ogy, so I didn't appreciate just
how much of a difference the
bigger capacity controller could,
would and does make. Take my
word for it, there's a huge im-
provement in both acceleration
and top speed, equivalent to the
difference between a one-liter
Superbike and a 600 Super-
sport, yet delivered in a totally
accessible way. Okay, if you do
something stupid like crack the
throttle wide open from a stand-
ing start, you'll probably loop out
backwards—serves you right.
But with direct drive and a motor
One-hundred
miles on a single
charge? You
betcha!
