After having discussed electric motorcycles in detail a few weeks ago, this week we look at the launch of the Zero SR/S.
Zero has teased this motorcycle for a while, giving away almost nothing on specs, design or purpose, but last week, it finally unveiled the newest model in its already impressive lineup, the SR/S.
This new model is a sportsbike, but does steal quite a bit from the SR/F, the company’s streetfighter model. The SR/S has an improved aerodynamic design, full fairing and offers a more comfortable, upright riding position. The higher handlebars and lower footpegs give away that the bike was designed for city commuters. The SR/S weighs almost 230 kg (505lb), and Zero claims that the improved aerodynamic will lead to a better range (13%), but on paper, the bike’s range specs largely mimic those of the SR/F
For the powertrain, Zero decided to stick with the same ZF 75-10 engine, delivering 82kW (110 hp) and 190 Nm (140 lb-ft) of torque, giving the bike a top speed of 200 kmh (120 mph). The bike also features the same 14.4 kWh battery. The battery can be upgraded with the Power Tank accessory which adds 3.6 kWh of capacity.
Given the improvements in battery technology, we would’ve liked to have seen improvements in range compared to the SR/F model. After all, it’s the limited range that keeps a lot of people from buying electric motorcycles. With the SR/S, Zero doesn’t manage to fulfill our dreams. The new SR/S sports largely offers the same range specs as its predecessor, with a city range of 259 km (161 mi), a highway range of 132 km (82 mi), and a mixed range of 175 km (109 mi). With the Power Tank, the Zero SR/S is rated for a city range of 323 km (201 mi), a highway range of 166 km (103 mi), and a mixed range of 219 km (136 mi).
While on paper, the city range doesn’t look too bad, the highway range does look rather limited, and in reality, the 166 km / 103mi, could turn out to be a lot less if you’re going just a bit faster than 100kmh/60mph on the highway.
When it comes to recharging the SR/S, the company offers three different options. Using 1 charger module, the bike charges up to 95% in 4 hours, with 2 charger modules this is reduced to 2 hours, and with 3 charger modules, you can charge the battery in just over 1 hour. Using the 3 charger modules, the bike becomes a bit more useful for roadtrips, but as we mentioned before, waiting for an hour is not ideal if your friends on gasoline powered bikes are already miles ahead.
Zero is using the Cypher III system as OS, giving you 10 different riding modes and oodles of information on the bike’s performance, including bike location, speed, lean angle, power, torque, state of charge and energy used/regenerated.
The SR/S has a starting price of $18,995, but the premium version (incl. the rapid charge system) with powertank comes in at $24.295. Check out the Zero SR/S site for all the specs and cool videos.
