Zero S

NOT SO MUCH
•    Limited range on the open road
•    No pillion seat
•    Brakes lack initial feel

VIVA LA REVOLUTION
While the electric motorcycle revolution has been gaining pace in many parts of the world, Australia has missed out on several of the models concerned, with many of them made in America for the American market.

However, Australia's first street-legal, volume-production electric motorcycle is now available, thanks to California-based electric motorcycle company, Zero Motorcycles.

Meet the Zero S, a supermoto street bike.

It's powered by a brushed 'permanent magnet' electric motor hooked up to Zero's proprietary 'Z-Force' lithium ion powerpack. The powertrain is slung within an attractive handmade frame, crafted from aircraft-grade aluminium alloys, while other features include front and rear disc brakes, adjustable suspension and aggressive supermoto design.

According to the director of Zero Motorcycles Australia, Phil Wilkinson, the model is set to usher in a new era for the Australian motorcycle industry. "Australians have been thinking that electric motorcycles are years away from being seen on the roads," he said. "We are extremely pleased to announce that now, for the first time ever, street-legal electric motorcycles are available in the Australian market. From the response we're getting, Australians can expect to see many Zeros on the road in the months to come," he added.

We've just had our first ride on the new electric bike on local roads and if first impressions are anything to go by, Zero could be on to a winner. The only real issue for many buyers will be the lack of a pillion seat and the 80km cruising range, but the rapid recharging system will go some way to addressing the latter.

Zero has also released the DS or 'dual sport' model, a trail bike based on the same design only with a larger 17-inch front wheel, increased front suspension travel and dual purpose tyres and we'll be sure to test the Zero DS in due course.

PRICING AND EQUIPMENT
Tipping the scales at a light 124kg, the Zero S is very easy to handle. The fancy aircraft-grade aluminium alloy twin-spar frame weighs just 8.16kg, while in contrast the lithium ion powerpack weighs in at a considerable 43.1kg.

The Zero S has a single gear ratio, with the electric motor putting its power down to the ground via a clutchless one-speed transmission. The motor produces 23hp and 68Nm, the latter figure on par with a Triumph Street Triple, though with only one gear ratio it's not as quick in a straight line.

The lithium ion battery is rated at 4kWh (kilowatt hours) and 58V at 70ah. Those numbers for the battery might not mean a whole lot to anyone used to traditional powerplants, so let's just say that a full charge -- which takes around three and half hours via the inbuilt charger -- provides a claimed cruising range of around 80km. And while that mightn't sound like much, consider this: Zero claims it costs about one cent per kilometre to run.

Zero has also integrated its new Z-Force air induction system into the motor, which essentially funnels air through the core of the electric motor to improve thermal dynamics, which allegedly increases its output.

Priced from $12,995 (plus on-road costs), the Zero S also features a single-disc front brake clamped by a four-pot caliper, with a single-pot caliper at the rear.

The suspension comprises an upside-down front fork developed in-house by Zero, and it's adjustable for compression and rebound damping. The double-diamond rear swingarm is hooked up to a Fox rear shock with adjustable spring preload. Both have 203mm of travel.

The Zero S rides on 16-inch rims shod with street tyres -- a 110/70-16 front and a 140/70-16 rear -- and comes with a two-year limited warranty.

ON THE ROAD
This is not the first Zero electric motorcycle we've ridden -- we tested the Zero X dirt bike in June 2009 -- but that particular model wasn't road legal, while this one is. Yep, it's got a number plate. Pop the key in the ignition, flick the kill switch off and after a 10-second power up, you're ready to go.

Unlike other electric models, there's no complicated routine of flipping switches in the correct order or squeezing the brakes to start.

The bike's light weight and flat bars make it a manageable machine and the simplified controls take all of four seconds to figure out. There's no clutch -- just a throttle plus front and rear brakes, each operated in the traditional manner. Twist the throttle and the bike is almost silent when accelerating save for a mild electric hum.

Initial acceleration starts off light -- I was expecting full torque off the line -- and it feels as though the acceleration mapping has retarded torque to avoid wheelstands or jerky take-offs. In hindsight, it's probably a good thing. But after about two-and-half seconds the motor kicks into full torque mode and the Zero S really hustles.

It's an odd sensation to shoot from zero to 80km/h away from the traffic lights with no gear changes, and it seems the longer you pin the throttle, the harder it accelerates. It's not as quick as a sports bike, but once it's moving it responds well to any throttle input.

The throttle is also quite sensitive, which was a bit of a surprise. Far from an 'open or shut' affair, the Zero S responds like a fuel-injected bike: open the throttle slightly and you'll slowly accelerate away from standstill, using less of the battery's energy; crack it wide open and you'll be piling on speed quick-smart.

We only had the bike for two days, but even in that time I must confess I had a lot more fun than I anticipated. The unusual feeling imparted by the electric motor under full throttle is surprisingly satisfying; the flat torque curve contributes greatly to the experience.

Though the 864mm seat height may put some riders off (although there is a low seat option at 813mm), but when you jump on the bike it drops a few centimetres due to its somewhat soft suspension. Ride quality is best described as average, with the rear suspension feeling rather stiff over small bumps yet too soft over larger impact, like speed humps and the like. Devoting some time to tweaking the suspension setting would undoubtedly help.

I noticed a bit of clatter when bouncing over train tracks and poor quality roads -- whether it was wiring or ill-fitting brackets I couldn't tell -- but it held together during our test and the two-year warranty is a nice assurance.

On the freeway the Zero S chews a fair bit of energy, but will happily sit on 110km/h with a bit of power in reserve for overtaking. Although we didn't quite get 80km from one full charge, with sedate riding we came close to it. However, be warned: prolonged inclines aren't this bike's best friends.

As an urban motorcycle the Zero S works well. Not only is it rapid to 60km/h, it's also remarkably nimble, requiring very little input to tip into a corner. Perhaps it's the combination of average front fork, the bike's weight distribution and its light overall weight, but the front end did feel a little flighty at times.

Often it felt better to 'tilt' the bike through corners, using my knees, rather than giving the handlebars a shove in the traditional manner, but with time I acclimatised and I daresay it would be very handy tool through the twisties.

Cutting through traffic was effortless and the upright bars help deliver a comfortable riding position. There's also enough ground clearance to mount kerbs and navigate your way through urban shortcuts without too much trouble, although climbing onto a footpath takes a little more forethought than just dialling in some revs and dropping the clutch.

Because the engine torque is reduced from a standstill, opening the throttle when the front tyre is up against the kerb will result in nothing more than a slightly louder hum from the electric motor. Consequently, mounting kerbs requires a short run-up of about half a metre.

Unsurprisingly, city commuting and stop-start traffic seems to sap the battery a little quicker than steady cruising -- after completing my 35km daily commute (admittedly drilling the engine hard after every stop), the bike had used about 70 per cent of its charge.

On that topic, the Zero S charges rapidly. We charged it a handful of times and with 20% battery energy remaining it only took about two hours to top it up during one test. It's also effortless and requires no special plugs or adaptors. You just attach in the connector cable to the bike and plug the other end into a standard (10A) power point. No three-phase 15A conversion needed.

This plug-'n'-play capability is one of the best things about the bike -- well, that and the fact it doesn't need petrol -- and it means you can charge it wherever there's a standard power point.

A couple of final thoughts: it looks good, it (thankfully) has a very loud horn and it also has decent seat cushioning. The spoked, street-rubber-shod 16-inch wheels, plus with the handcrafted alloy frame and the custom injection-moulded plastics, combine to give the Zero S a bit of attitude. Shame about the rather agricultural headlight, however.

Although it's hard to form an authoritative view on the bike after just two days in the saddle, my first impressions are positive, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with bike on our next test. The suspension might not be at the standard of mainstream supermoto offerings, but compared to the Zero X dirt bike it is a significant leap forward and hints at a bright future for this cutting-edge technology.

The Zero S supermoto rides like a traditional motorcycle and although there are subtle differences in its on-road feel, it's an unexpectedly rewarding bike to ride. The Vectrix electric scooter was a novelty -- this is the real deal.

TRANSMISSION
Type: clutchless one-speed
Drive system: 16T / 53T, 420 Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Hand made aluminium alloy twin spar
Front suspension: Zero designed USD forks with adjustable rebound and compression, 203mm travel
Rear suspension: Fox monoshock with adjustable preload, 203mm travel
Front brakes: Single disc with four-piston caliper
Rear brakes: Single disc with twin-piston caliper
Wheel construction: Spoked 16 front and rear
Tyres: Front 110/70-16, rear 140/70-16

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