Breaking - Zero Motorcycles unveils the Zero S [w/Video]
by Domenick Yoney on Apr 7th 2009 at 11:37AM 
Click above for a gallery of the Zero S
After months of teasing, Zero Motorcycles has finally lifted the veil from its all-electric supermoto for the streets and revealed a ride that looks well worth the wait. The Zero S shares some of the same styling cues as its off-road little brother, the Zero X, but with it's highway-appropriate tires and "projector beam" headlight, it seems ready to deliver some serious asphalt action. With 31 horses and 62.5 lb ft of torque instantly available under you fingers, the clutchless one-speed "S" should take you up to its top 60 mph speed in no time. Its 4 kWh of battery can keep you going for up to 60 miles and they say that, with the integrated charger, you can plug it in and do it all over again in less than 4 hours.
Zero Motorcycles is now accepting orders with deliveries beginning in early May. Buyers have the option of either putting down $1,000 now or writing a check for the full $9,950 purchase price. You can have it shipped straight to your door anywhere in the continental U.S. for $500, though international customers who wish to indulge in the Zero S experience may pay more. We can't wait to get in the saddle of this machine ourselves but for now we'll have to make do watching someone else enjoying electric "S" action in the video after the jump. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Gallery: Zero Motorcycles Zero S
[Source: Zero Motorcycles]
Motor
Type Brushed permanent magnet electric
Torque 62.5 ft-lbs (84.6 Nm)
Peak horsepower 31 horsepower
Peak electrical input 22,000 watts
Top Speed 60 mph (96.6 kph)
Power System
Type Patent-pending lithium ion array
Capacity 4 kWh (58volts @ 70Ah)
Range Up to 60 miles (97 km)
Recharge time Less than 4 hours
Input Standard 110V or 220V
Drive Train
Transmission Clutchless one speed
Drive system 15T / 61T, 420 Chain
Chassis / Suspension / Brakes
Front Suspension Travel 8 inches (203 mm)
Rear Suspension Travel 9 inches (229 mm)
Front Brakes 2 Pot Hydraulic, Stainless Rotor, Hand Actuated, Full Float
Rear Brakes 1 Pot Hydraulic, Stainless Rotor, Foot Actuated, Full Float
Front Tire 110/70-16
Rear Tire 140/70-16
Dimensions
Wheel base 55.75 inches (141.6 cm)
Seat height 35.5 inches (90.2 cm)
Head angle 24 degrees from vertical with 8 inch (20 cm) fork
Trail 3.26 inches (82.8 mm)
Steering Angle + 35 Degrees, -35 Degrees
Weight
Frame 29 pounds (13.2 kg)
Total weight without Power Pack 145 pounds (65.8 kg)
Power Pack 80 pounds (36.3 kg)
Total weight 225 pounds (102.1 kg)
Economy
Typical cost to recharge Less than $.01 per mile or kilometer
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KC 12:45PM (4/07/2009)
I like the idea, but that high seat height is not too smart for sales of a "street" bike.
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Tim 12:28PM (4/07/2009)
Finally a proper electric MOTORCYCYLE instead of a gay "scooter"…
Yippee!
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Tohe 4:29PM (4/07/2009)
Tim there is no need to demean a group of people to make your point. I'm sure you are better that that.
Bob 11:03PM (4/07/2009)
I agree. I am sick of electric vehicles looking like gay UFOs.
matt 12:29PM (4/07/2009)
been waiting for the unveiling of the S. i'd love to try one of these out, could be my next bike.
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Matt 2:54PM (4/07/2009)
Me too, but I thought it'd be a freeway speed capable bike. A 60 mph top speed is a real killer for me. I wonder if you can change a sprocket or something to get more speed. Is it RPM limited, or torque/power limited?
matt 3:48PM (4/07/2009)
I don't see how it can be limited by power. this thing has more power and torque than a ninja 250 and a ninja 250 peaks around 95mph... It's just if you were driving it at 95mph the battery would drain *much* faster.
steve 1:11PM (4/07/2009)
Amazing bike :) Just got to find the $10k to buy one now :(
KC: Its a Super Moto styled bike, which given the heritage of the bike makes most sense, and is about the most practical style for a good city / street bike. ( says he after 10 years commuting by MC in London on a range of bikes including GPX600, RGV250, KDX200, DT125, and XR400 )
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jharlan 1:02PM (4/07/2009)
These guys have it together. That is real torque. This looks like the best EV bike.
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Dave 1:34PM (4/07/2009)
I really want one of these! Looks like a great bike for city-extra-urban use. If the top-speed were 5-10mph (65-70mph instead of 60) faster it could easily be used for short jaunts on the freeway as well. As it is - you'd probably be best off avoiding high speed highways except for very short segments.
But if they're going to get video of a guy going around a track on one, they should really get a half-way decent rider - the guy looks like he's about to fall off going around the corners and was very clumsy over the off road whoops-de-doos. He looked like a very inexperienced rider and a bit uncomfortable.
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Tim 1:40PM (4/07/2009)
This design for an EV road bike would be even better:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/beginner_motorcycles_comparison/photo_03.html
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Bill 3:36PM (4/07/2009)
To each his own. Somehow I can't imagine an electric bike appealing to many people in the cruiser crowd. And to reiterate other comments, I can't see spending $10K for a non-freeway-safe bike. Here in SoCal, if you're not going 75, you'd better be watching your mirrors for that upcoming rear-ender.
But really, this bike is sort of a proof-of-concept that can be sold to the "early adopters" of the technology, and the performance should go up and the price go down over time.
Tim 3:44PM (4/07/2009)
Point taken. This is NOT for highway use!
gorr 2:44PM (4/07/2009)
Im interrested to buy but with a small gasoline electric recharger and performance enhancer for the same price. I drive up to 450 miles a day.
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PeterG 4:46PM (4/07/2009)
Gorr,
I am surprised you aren't interested in buying an Anti-Grav flying car, powered by Steorn Orbo Hybrid recharger, that stores the charge in an EEstor storage unit.
Once the various black hat conspirators (Government/Car+Oil Industry) finally stop blocking all these important technologies of course.
Tohe 4:33PM (4/07/2009)
I think they have a good idea here. I just wish they would part a bit from the dirt bike look. Their prototype looked more like a city bike + the top speed needs to improve. But there is no doubt this bike is a step in the right direction.
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PeterG 4:59PM (4/07/2009)
Batteries remain the killer. Despite many claims that they aren't that expensive, I don't think I have seen an EV or Hybrid that isn't at least $1000 per KWh more expensive than a gas equivalent. This is where the research money needs to go. At current prices i think they are only suitable for bicycles.
I wonder how cheap those BYD batteries are:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/03/byd-ready-to-supply-batteries-for-europe-and-north-america/
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gorr 5:56PM (4/07/2009)
Hey buddy wait. Batteries are a 100 years old technology tried tested and conceived and true and all car manufacturers have said that it's not up to the task of powering a normal car at normal price for normal performance. So stop believing the natural ressources cartel with their silly new offer of displacing 1% of petrol use by converting some few cars to battery while they make more then one billion dollars each hours.
I said and i repeat to use hydrogen for all powered devises. Ships, electrical generation, trains, airplanes, tractor-trailers trucks, bus and light duty passenger cars and motorcycles.
Andrew 11:46PM (4/07/2009)
This is much more expensive than some of the other electric motorcycles. There's another one with similar specs out there called the X Rider. I believe it's $8000...
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matt 8:13AM (4/08/2009)
The X-rider is not a fair comparison at all. It's made for energy efficency, while the Zero-S is made for performance. The X-rider is 5.36hp vs. the zero's 31hp. Also notice that the zero has a 70amp hour battery pack vs. the 40amp hour pack on the Xrider. The x-rider may be able to go a little faster and a little farther on a charge, but they are not comparable in terms of performance.