Zero Adds Grunt For More Electric Motorcycle Pleasure

Zero is by far the largest selling electric motorcycle maker in the world. It offers a full line of models for both pavement and off road riders. At this year’s EICMA show in Milan, the company used the occasion to introduce its newly tweaked lineup. The big news is that all Zero electric motorcycle models now come with a new IPM (Internal Permanent Magnet) motor.  A new higher amperage motor controller permits faster acceleration times. The drive belt is now slightly wider to accommodate the extra torque of the IPM motor.

Zero S and DS

The basic Zero electric motorcycle is the S. Intended for pavement riding, the 2017 S comes with a 13 kWh battery and sells for $13,995. Horsepower is up from 54 to 60 and torque jumps from 68 to 81 lb-ft. It weighs 408 pounds and has a city range of 161 city miles. The dual sport DS sells for the same price, carries 5 extra pounds and has a slightly shorter range.

The big news for S and DS customers is that there is now a less expensive option that features two battery modules instead of four. The S 6.5 sells for $10,995 and weighs 313 pounds. Horsepower is 46 and torque is 78 lb-ft. Range is 81 city miles. The DS 6.5 is the same price, weighs 317 pounds and has a city range of 74 miles.

In previous years, Zero offered S and DS customers a choice of a three or four brick battery but it has decided to offer 2 and 4 brick models this year. The smaller battery pack is considerably less money and almost 100 pounds lighter. The smaller battery also leaves room for a lockable storage compartment. Zero believes the bikes with the smaller battery will be perfect as urban commuters with more than enough performance to be entertaining to ride and sufficient range for zipping to work and back.

Zero SR and DSR

There’s no half-battery option for the R series bikes. They are all about power and an exhilarating ride experience. With the new motor controller, torque jumps from 106 to 116 lb-ft. Horsepower is up from 67 to 70. Range and price are unaffected.

The 2017 Zero SR sells for S$15,995, weighs 414 lb and has a city range of 161 miles. An optional Power Tank boosts range to 202 city miles. The 2017 Zero DSR sells for US$15,995, weighs 419 lb, and go 147 city miles. An optional Power Tank boosts range to 184 city miles (296 km).

Zero FX and FXS

For dirt bike fans, the FX and FXS also feature more power this year. They are available with either a single brick 3.3 kWh battery or a two brick 6.5 kWh battery. The FX 3.3 sells for $8,495. It weighs only 247 pounds and has 27 horsepower and 78 lb-ft of torque. Range is 41 city miles. The FXS 3.3 costs the same, carries a few extra pounds and has a slightly longer range.

The FX 6.5 sells for $10,495, weighs 289 pounds, has 46 horsepower, and 78 lb-ft of torque. Range is quoted as 82 city miles. The FXS sells for the same price, weighs 293 pounds and has a range of 90 city miles. Horsepower and torque are the same. Both bikes are priced $500 less than last year’s models.

Zero has made impressive gains in both motor and controller technology but kept prices the same on most models. The top ZX models are actually less money than before. That’s the way to keep customers satisfied and build even more sales momentum.

Source: New Atlas  Photo credit: Zero Motorcycles

Zero Announces 2016 Lineup: Better, Longer, Cooler

Zero will be presenting their new models at the AIM Expo in Orlando today, and we got to peek behind the curtain so you could be the first to read about it. On Monday we joined a call with Zero’s Scot Harden to find out what’s coming for 2016. They’ve made a lot of exciting improvements to the lineup and are introducing two customer-designed bikes, the FXS and DSR, after so many Hollywood Electrics customers couldn’t leave without these upgrades.

I was seriously in the market for a Brammo Empulse. Until I rode a 2013 Zero FX on the streets of Hollywood. I knew immediately, even with knobby tires, this was the perfect urban assault vehicle. So I bought one and had Hollywood Electrics swap those dirt wheels out for wheels that come with the S, and some Pirelli Diablo Rosso II’s. Well, this has become such a popular modification that Zero went ahead and made it permanent for 2016- the Zero FXS, a proper Supermoto bike.

The FXS features the new IPM motor, suspension components from the DS and comes stock with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires. The new FX and FXS also have taller handlebars. I just hope they’re narrower on the FXS, as I was smoked by some kid on a fixie lanesplitting through DTLA because his bicycle was so much narrower than those massive bars. Reviewing the 2016 Zero FXS on the streets of LA for your edification will be one of my greatest pleasures.

The Z- Force motor has been dramatically redesigned to deliver power more efficiently and cool more rapidly. The patented Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motor has the magnets mounted in a new formation to significantly improve cooling under hard riding conditions. This will be especially valuable to racers but also to riders whose only mode is “ride it like you stole it”.

The horsepower and torque haven’t changed on any of the Zero models, but the motor can use all of those ponies for longer periods of time, as long as the battery is still up for it. If not, you’ll still get the governor kicking in to throttle you back to a speed more likely to get you to your destination.

For 2016 Zero has improved the battery capacity of the S and DS models by 4%, but the FX line with its swappable batteries now boasts a whopping 14% more battery life. This is no small feat. But if that’s still not enough juice for you, and you want something a little cheaper than the Power Tank, Zero now offers the Charge Tank. This on-board charger comes with a J1772 and can triple the charging speed! You don’t even have to connect the regular plug to an outlet, the Charge Tank automatically connects to the on-board charger and works through that as well. The Charge Tank is also backward-compatible with 2015 Zero S and DS models in place of their Power Tank. And Power Tanks from 2015 can fit 2016 models.

With Zero’s Charge Tank, and startup DigiNow having just announced their Super Charger accessory, it’s clear a lot of electric motorcycle owners are looking for a faster charge more than the weight (and cost) of extra batteries. The $1900 Zero Charge Tank can fit where the $2674 Power Tank (extra batteries) would go. And it’s a lot cheaper than the batteries. This proves that Zero is listening to their customers and finding that many of them would like to go for a long ride and stop for a quicker charge than what a 110v outlet will give.

Zero continues to offer the highest energy density batteries in the entire EV industry. Take that and stick in your SUV, Elon. All these improvements are actually costing less in some ways. The more popular SR and FX models retain their 2015 prices, while the S and DS are each $1,000 cheaper than in 2015. The FXS will retail at the same price as the FX- $8,495 for one battery (3.3) or $10,990 for two (6.5). Don’t be cheap and think you’ll be ok with only one battery. You won’t. And 27 hp is a LOT less than 44, even with 70 ft-lbs of torque in a super-light sub-300lb. package.

The DS also gets a sportier version in the DSR (above)- This high-performance dual sport features the new IPM motor, ZF13.0 batteries, 56% more torque and 25% more power than the DS. Zero continues their fleet program, with the following lineup …

… and here’s a handy chart of how the 2016 bikes compare to each other on the basics. The details should be up on Zeromotorcycles.com soon.

Zero Motorcycles 2016 Pricing

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All photos courtesy of Zero Motorcycles.