The new Zero

[Rick in WNY]

They've released the specs.

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-srf/

Harley better be afraid.

[Gliderjohn]

Going to be interesting watching this for the next few years. Looks like Zero has it together quite well.
GliderJohn

[fotoguzzi]

Yikes 140 FP of torq? 

[rdbandkab]

200/220-ish range with a 1 hour "optimal" charging time.
She ain't cheap though!

[Ncdan]

Like most all electric vehicles, cars or bikes, the range without a stop and charge makes it impractical, for my use anyway. Road trips are seldom just 200 miles or under.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yikes 140 FP of torq? 

and 110 hp. Instantly available. 

[rocker59]

She ain't cheap though!
 

$18999 - $20999 may not be cheap, but it's a bargain as compared to the H-D offering.

[bad Chad]

Like most all electric vehicles, cars or bikes, the range without a stop and charge makes it impractical, for my use, anyway. Road trips are seldom just 200 miles or under.

It’s not aimed at you.   It’s aimed at the vast majority of motorcycles that travel less than 150 miles a day.   I can see the price of the HD Live Wire dropping quickly after they sell the initial builds to the small group of HD early adopters.

[LowRyter]

I think Vespa might be as concerned as Harley.

[inditx]

I’m sure it would be a rush to ride!
Not gonna plop down $20 large though......yet

[JJ]

OK Lannis...you win! - I removed my comment...and won't use the "GG" term ever again on this forum!

Here is one for you, however, on a different note!

[Chuck in Indiana]

but I for one, and not quite ready for the transition...

JJ, you need to ride a high performance electric bike. All that power and instantly available torque is seriously addicting. Before I test rode the previous gen Zero SR, I thought I wouldn't like it. I was seriously wrong..
That said, the technology isn't quite there, yet. It is advancing more rapidly than most think, though. GM is dropping most of their line to concentrate on electrics. BMW.. I could go on.
Need I say, we *need* to do this.. and.. seriously invest in renewable energy?

[Lannis]

OK Lannis...you win! - I removed my comment...and won't use the "GG" term ever again on this forum!

Here is one for you, however, on a different note!

No possible comment to that ... It's true!

[JJ]

JJ, you need to ride a high performance electric bike. All that power and instantly available torque is seriously addicting. Before I test rode the previous gen Zero SR, I thought I wouldn't like it. I was seriously wrong..
That said, the technology isn't quite there, yet. It is advancing more rapidly than most think, though. GM is dropping most of their line to concentrate on electrics. BMW.. I could go on.
Need I say, we *need* to do this.. and.. seriously invest in renewable energy?

Agreed...and if ever get the opportunity, I will definitely go for it!

[blu guzz]

The problem I see is the audience that might be most excited about this is up to their asses in student debt. 
I never paid $20k for a bike, but that is not in my future.  There are some well off riders who will pick these up as a novelty, but I just don't think there will be enough of an audience for those for the next few years.  Being interested in the environment, I applaud their effort. 

[Aaron D.]

Nice looking bike and decent spec. Price is actually pretty good for the state of affairs.

Need? I'll believe that we are serious about need when the campaign to fast track nuclear plants gets going.

[bad Chad]

It’s a big country fellas.   You start out with 325 million, you only see t sell a few thousand to get things rolling.

[Gliderjohn]

From blu guzz:

The problem I see is the audience that might be most excited about this is up to their asses in student debt. 
I never paid $20k for a bike, but that is not in my future.  There are some well off riders who will pick these up as a novelty, but I just don't think there will be enough of an audience for those for the next few years.  Being interested in the environment, I applaud their effort.

I think with sales and technology improvements that they will come down in price, at least to some extent. For example I recently paid $199 for a 32" high def smart TV. I also recently saw a reproduced ad for a 1964 22" color TV for $639 at the time and using an inflation calculator that would be over $5,200 in todays dollars. Time will tell.
GliderJohn

[Motormike]

Yes, it's true that electric vehicles can be quite fast off the line...all that electric motor torque in an instant.  Unfortunately, if you ride it like you stole it, the range drops off disproportionately. Far more so than a comparable ICE.  I was once at Road Atlanta for a BMW car club event (just helping out). There was a Tesla doing laps (quietly!).  As I recall, he did about three full sessions, and then he was done for the day.  Meanwhile, the "old fashioned" gasoline cars refueled and kept right on going.  Every real-world review I've ever read about electric cars or motorcycles indicates the real usable range is quite different than the advertised range.  You know, kind of like manufactures advertised "horsepower" "empty weight" etc. 

[kingoffleece]

I'd wager with that torque it eats rear ties for lunch.

[pete roper]

JJ, you need to ride a high performance electric bike. All that power and instantly available torque is seriously addicting. Before I test rode the previous gen Zero SR, I thought I wouldn't like it. I was seriously wrong..
That said, the technology isn't quite there, yet. It is advancing more rapidly than most think, though. GM is dropping most of their line to concentrate on electrics. BMW.. I could go on.
Need I say, we *need* to do this.. and.. seriously invest in renewable energy?

Abso-bloody-lutely!

Look guys, Chuck has ten years on me, I'm older than dirt, but I can see the future too and hopefully it won't contain nasty, old fashioned IC engines!

Twenty five years ago how many of us would of dreamed we'd be walking around with supercomputers in our pockets that allow us to do pretty much everything, (No, watching porn isn't compulsory!) and access information, accurate or otherwise, instantly?

The future is coming and it should be better, cleaner and more beneficial for all!

Bring it on!

Pete

[oldbike54]

 Every seven years fellas , every seven years .

 Dusty

[Muzz]

I reckon that an electric small bike (say Honda 100 style or even the Cub) would be absolutely ideal around town.  Biggish wheels and a ton of low down snot.

Here in Christchurch our council has been putting in cycle ways left right and center, to the detriment of road traffic I must add.  One goes past our drive, and I am noticing a dramatic increase in the number of electric pushbikes using it.  Even quite elderly (actually, at 70 I guess that's me ) are using them to be able to get somewhere at a reasonable speed.

I must add that my trusty rusty still relies on the twin cylinder radial engine to get to where I want to go.

[Luap McKeever]

That price is not bad if you consider you'll never have to buy fuel or oil. And the only maintenance you have to do on these things is the brakes and tires.  I'd own one in a second if I lived in a warm climate town. I'd ride it to work etc. Keep my Guzzi for longer trips.

FWIW, I rode a Zero at Brookside when they were open. I was very impressed. Power is stupid...and right now! I don't remember what model I rode, but I was told it had a 200 mile range and a 30 minute charge on regular 110. Heck, I could travel cross country on that. You could just "refill" it almost anywhere. 

[weevee]

Review here: https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/zero/exclusive-2019-zero-sr-f-review-first-ride.html

Vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4yrvg6-ao

[twowheeladdict]

The electric bikes are interesting, but when you read the detailed specs you see that for us that live in the country the range is a whole different story than those who use in the stop and go city.

When you look at the gas powered bikes you can buy for the same (or less) money, you have to really want an electric motorcycle. 

[Rough Edge racing]

 Hmm, no clutch, no gear shift, no vibration, no sounds of internal combustion, no interest....That and I'm way to cheap to spend the money...

[Johncolleary]

I rode the live wire when it was traveling around and was totally amazed at the power but the range is the deal killer.

[Rick in WNY]

My daily commute... 42 miles each way. There are two routes I can take, basically the same length.

One is 20 miles of 55mph 2-lane followed by 18 miles of 70mph 4-lane followed by a couple miles of city riding.
The other is 40 miles of 55 mph 2-lane followed by a couple miles of city riding.

My point being, electric bikes have finally gotten to the point where they have the ability to handle my daily commute. Now, one thing I noticed... Zero bumped up the power, torque, and range on this new bike, but they did it the hard way.

It's running the same 14.4 battery pack as the last gen.

This means they increased range by increasing efficiency rather than strapping more batteries to it. They keep this up, they're going to be so far out in front other brands will have a hard time catching them.

I've run the numbers, the lack of maintenance and consumable items on an electric bike vs a motor-cycle means it would cost me $1000 less per year to run an electric vs a conventional motorcycle. Yes, most of that is gasoline. That's also me and my riding, which now that I'm approaching the end of hauling kids to school (youngest graduates in June) means I'll be using my bikes more... to the tune of 10K miles per year. If I kept it for the 5 years the powerpack is under warranty... well, it's effectively a $15,000 bike due to the reduced ownership cost. This is what you need to look at with electric vehicles... the total annual operating cost.

As for range, well, Zero posts numbers based on multiple values. City riding, 55mph cruising, 70mph cruising, and mixes. Thing is, from people who own Zeros, the factory numbers are accurate or if wrong, a little conservative.

For me, a good electric bike would do everything I'd need as a commuter. YMMV.

[trippah]

and should we get a "green" government anytime soon, they might adopt a tax break to help electric vehicles prosper.  (Much like tax breaks for insulted windows etc a decade ago).