Zero motorcycles – California launch

Visually, nothing seemed out of place. Riders ahead of me braked before turns and leaned into bends, some of them hung a knee out towards the apex. They accelerated onto straight stretches, some tucking in for a few extra clicks of top speed.

Audibly, however, everything was amiss. The fluid movement of the machines lacked a soundtrack; there was no sound of pistons a pumpin’; the characteristic change in tone of an internal combustion engine as the bikes sped up and slowed down was absent.

Only the mild hum of the bike beneath me gave some indication that we were on something motorised.

Coming to a stop, fellow journalist Kevin Ash from the U.K. rolled his motorcycle silently beside me. “It doesn’t feel natural, does it?” he said.

“Nope, nothing about it does,” I replied.

Following a horde of silent electric motorcycles along twisty rural back roads in northern California seemed as odd as watching a movie with the sound muted.

Welcome to the product launch of Zero’s latest street bikes.

ZERO SUM GAME

Zero founder Neal Saiki (who recently left the company to compete in a contest to build a human-powered helicopter) was a bicyclist at heart, and this reflected on the early motorcycles he built. He scoured bicycle parts suppliers for many of the components used to assemble the firm’s earlier machines.

The company, which has sold about 1,000 electric bikes worldwide to date, set a goal to make the machines feel more motorcycle-like.

To help achieve this goal the company is making some management changes, including just recently replacing CEO Gene Banman, whose background includes working for Intel, Sun Microsystems and NetContimuum (all computer-related companies), with Karl Wharton, who comes from Triumph Motorcycles.

They also hired Abe Askenazi a year ago to head its engineering department. Askenazi has lots of motorcycle-designing skills, having worked as an engineer for Buell Motorcycles until Harley pulled the plug on the company last year.

Numerous improvements have been incorporated into Zero’s 2011 models (83 per cent of the components used across its range of five bikes are new), probably the most important being in the battery management system, which now monitors current, as well as voltage draw.

This has greatly improved ride performance, as the previous system monitored only the voltage, which caused the battery level meter to fluctuate greatly when riding at high speeds and caused the safety systems to kick in prematurely when the voltage reading appeared to be too low, cutting power to the motor and forcing an unplanned stop by the side of the road.

We’d noted this when we tested a Zero S in 2009. Power would return to normal after a few moments; rider confidence not so much.

STREET CRED (the DS and S)

Although these bikes are geared to different uses, the DS (dual sport) and S (street) are essentially the same bike with some differences in suspension and wheel sizing. For 2011, they see a 12 per cent hike in battery capacity which increases the maximum range from 80 km to 93.

Another change is a move to a maintenance-free belt drive, which has eliminated the chain and the associated whirring of the previous models, making the machines incredibly stealthy. A chain is optional on the DS if someone intends to focus more on off-road riding where a belt would be a bit of a liability.

Wheel sizes on the S have been increased, going from 16 inches to a more common 17 inches. The DS, however, is a bit of an enigma, as it has taller dual-sport suspension (and subsequently taller seat height), but uses an unusual 17/16-inch front/rear wheel combination.

The DS shares most of its components, including the swingarm, with the S to keep costs down, and according to Askenazi, a 17-inch rear wheel with a dual-sport tire wouldn’t fit on the DS and it would have required a time-consuming redesign (the S uses sporty low-profile rubber).

Other improvements include larger, more powerful brakes, made to Zero’s specs by bicycle brake manufacturer Hayes. Also, redesigned bodywork has been refined and better integrated into the machine, and adjustable suspension has been recalibrated for improved comfort and handling.

The new monitoring system is much more stable and the Zero S tester I rode and never threatened to quit while holding the throttle pinned at an indicated 100-plus km/h (top speed is rated at 108 km/h). It did, however, instill a bit of anxiety in me when the battery meter began flashing a low-level warning a mere 10 kilometres into our ride.

The meter indicated the battery was about three-quarters full at the beginning of the ride, which should have been more than enough to cover the 16 kilometre test loop that Zero had set up for us.

However, it proved just enough to get me back on fumes, or more appropriately, residual electrons. Zero’s techies attributed this to the system “learning” the charge cycle and said that more charge cycles would improve the range.

After riding the new Zero DS and S, I found that there’s still room for improvement. The brakes, although more powerful than before, still had a wooden feel up front and were overly sensitive in the rear. And the bodywork, though more flowing and more attractive, didn’t match the fit and finish of even entry-level bikes.

Some of the bikes had lopsided rear fenders – not a catastrophic styling faux-pas but not becoming of machines hovering around the 10-grand mark either (prices are $10,495 for the DS and $9,995 for the S).

THE X FACTOR (MX, X and XU)

Zero’s MX and X represent the company’s off road offerings (though both models are available with optional street legal kits for about $500), but are now joined by the new for 2011 XU which is essentially a lowered version of the X with street tires.

Unfortunately there were a limited amount of XU models available for testing and I didn’t get a chance to sample one.

All the ‘X’ bikes have been upgraded with easily removable power packs, allowing owners the convenience of taking the battery out of the bike for an indoor charge if an electrical outlet isn’t immediately available outdoors.

It also allows owners the option of swapping out battery packs when depleted, should they opt to buy a spare battery pack.

The smaller, lighter battery pack in these models reduces weight (specs below), but it also reduces range by about half. While this isn’t so much a problem if you’re riding on a closed course, which is the MX model’s forte, on the road you’re really limited to the daily commute.

Zero had laid out two off-road courses at a riding ranch; one a short trail loop though the woods, the other motocross track. These layouts emphasized the greatest benefit of these electric dirt bikes: their silent operation.

At any one time, except during the lunch/charge-up break, about a half-dozen Zeros were circling the courses, and I can guarantee that the neighbours, whose homes could be seen about 200 metres across the road, had no clue that a bunch of moto journos were thrashing the machines next to their back yards.

That silence also made my jaunt through the woods a rather surreal experience. Without a two-stroke buzz or four-stroke drone reverberating through the trees, the off-road experience took on another dimension. Breathing echoing in my helmet and tires thudding over bumps comprised the main auditory stimulation when sliding and jumping about off road.

The MX, which uses the more powerful Agni motor found on the S and DS models (the X and XU use a lower output Mars motor), had good speed once you built momentum. However, there was one sharp, bermed uphill corner on the trail course that taxed the MX bike if you lost momentum, the bike struggling to gain speed again even with the throttle to its stop.

Aside from that section, though, an entertaining pace could be maintained and with a full battery charge good for about 30 minutes of hard riding, that meant you could lap the course about 10 times, which both exhausted the battery’s reserve, as well as this rider’s stamina.

The MX model is more of a trail bike, with lower output but slightly longer range. Still, you’d be wise not to waver too far into a trail, however, as a dead battery isn’t as easy to replenish as a dry fuel tank.

ARE WE THERE YET?

The limited range is the biggest hurdle electric motorcycle makers must overcome. Although Zero also offers an optional J1772 charging receptacle for public charging-station capability and wall outlets are abundant and in moments of desperation can be found in any building, topping up a Zero’s battery takes up to four hours.

You can cut that time in half by purchasing Zero’s optional quick charger, but you’re still looking at a two-hour break before being able to access the full available range, which is achievable under ideal conditions, though they don’t include sustained highway speeds.

One area where the electric power does really shine is with the company’s off-road bikes which you could ride in your back yard at midnight and never get a complaint from your neighbours. There, the range isn’t so much of an issue and if you run out of electrons you won’t be stranded in the deep dark woods or at the side of the 401.

Despite how far Zero have come, I also found the machines to be paradoxical. While Zero is making efforts to make them sportier and more motorcycle like — factors aimed at enticing riding enthusiasts — electric bikes are fundamentally more likely to appeal to thrifty, environment-conscious commuters.

That type of rider would probably trade the beefy race-bike-like aluminum frame and inverted fork for simpler, inexpensive components, on machines with better weather protection and some storage space for the daily ride to work, and not for a sporty romp through the twisties.

The 2011 Zeros are vastly improved over the previous models, and with a recent investment of $26 million U.S. from private investors, you can bet they’ll improve further still. But for now, they’re still ultimately a work in progress.

SPECIFICATIONS/COMPARITOR