The fact is, EVs have been around almost as long as gasoline-powered engines, and the main reason they have never been competitive (that is, until the last decade) is the limitations of their batteries.
Motorcycles are a case in point – not cute electric scooters or electric bicycles, but off-road bikes and street cruisers with enough torque, speed, maneuverability, comfort, and range to face off against their gasoline-powered brethren.
A former NASA engineer named Neal Saiki founded a company called Electricross in Santa Cruz, California, in 2006. Saiki reportedly attached his battery-powered motor to a rugged mountain bike frame. The prototype didn’t look like much. But, four years later, the company, renamed Zero Motorcycles, began shipping bikes with their fairly advanced Agni motors, made by a UK company that specialized in creating powertrains for electric vehicles.
Zero introduced a dual-sport model (the DS) in 2010 and has steadily improved on it ever since. The company introduced the DSR (based on the DS) in 2016; it featured a more powerful, air-cooled motor, an improved battery pack, and an onboard charging system. Today, the DSR/X is the latest in EV motorcycle evolution, with no real competition to speak of.
The bike has a top speed of 112 mph, a city range of 179 miles, and a peak torque of 169 ft-lbs. The optimal charge time is only 1.1 hours. Detractors say that Zero’s models, such as the DSR/X and the SR/S, are heavy and costly compared to their comparable, gas-drinking brethren. (The SR/S starts at $20,495 and the DSR/X starts at $22,995.) They also say those bikes require some manhandling on corners. But, consider the advantages. These are the quietest motorcycles in existence – they are literally as quiet as the wind. (Law enforcement and the military are buying them for obvious reasons.) You can charge up while you stop for lunch. It’s also one of the most technologically advanced two-wheel machines on the road. Oh … did we mention it’s sexy as hell?
