Zero Motorcycles in Sydney

Not to be confused with the recently withdrawn-from-Australia Zero electric bikes, Zero Engineering make the sort of hard-edged vintage bikes your mother warned you about. There might be only three bikes in the Aussie line-up, but to buy the brace would set back over $100k.

With Gasoline limiting the proposed annual quota to 25-30 bikes, it’s clear that prospective buyers are guaranteed exclusivity. At the launch at the company's Parramatta Rd store, the guys from Silverchair looked keen, as did other celebrities and cashed-up punters. Gasoline’s industrial-feel store became the cool canvas for the night, with the live female DJ setting the beats and lights, and a vintage movie of biking and freedom making many a greybeard hark back to a simpler time.

Kimura then gained notoriety as star of the Biker Build-Off reality TV series that saw his eye for detail and engineering brain emblazed on plasmas worldwide. In 2005, PLOT became the sole owner of Zero Engineering and has steadily grown to the stage of having two factories turn out their creations. The main plant is in Toyota City, Japan and it’s here where the vast majority of the 200 bikes sold each year are produced. These bikes go to all countries around the globe apart from America. US-demand is satisfied by their own Los Angeles factory.

The ones that make the final cut are the Type5, Type8 and Type9. All the bikes use Harley Davidson engines, gearboxes, front callipers and rear master cylinders. But that’s where the Harley connection stops. These brand-new engines (the Type5 uses the 1340 Evo motor, the Type8 the 1200 Sportster mill, while the Type9 is home to the mighty 1450) are then mated to Zero’s own frame and forks. Wilwood callipers get the call for the rear. As the bikes’ style dictate a vintage look, the front suspension feature girder forks, while only the Type9 gets rear springs, the other two sport rigid rear ends with sprung saddles.

Period-style high ‘n’ square tyres ensure looking good rather than lapping quick are the order of the day. As you’d expect on machines that cross into the art arena, attention to detail can be seen all over the bikes. These are no dodgy bobbers thrown together in a shed, but road-legal vintage-inspired coolsters that come with a two-year warranty. So, what’s it gonna cost to become part of the elite set? Ride-away prices for the bikes are Type5 $36k, Type8 $30k and Type9 $41k.

Rod also co-owns Deus Et Machina, a custom bikes/café/clothing emporium that resides only a block away from the Gasoline store, now joining forces to create Sydney’s newest cool-zone. The other ‘half’ of the Gasoline story is part owner and store manager, Buster. Speaking about the process of getting the choppers through Australian Design Rules (ADRs), the Irish-born chopper fan says: "The Aussie standards are the toughest in the world and that’s why the bike has been sold globally before coming here," he said.

"We had the PLOT engineers over and they couldn’t believe the process of legalising a bike here. The biggest problem is the noise, not from the pipes, but the mechanical sound of the air-cooled engine." Buster added, "In Europe we have a bigger chopper and vintage scene where more people build their own, with a vast array of good and not-so-good bikes. With these Zero bikes, you know you’re getting individuality mixed with engineered excellence."

So how do they ride? We’ll be let-loose on the bikes in a couple of weeks and we’ll bring you the test at bikesales.com.au just as soon as the metalflake on our open-faced helmet dries…