Founded by a former NASA engineer, Zero Motorcycles was born to push the boundaries of technology and design. Like many great ideas, it all started in a garage, with the intention of transforming the riding experience on an electric bike.
Zero has changed the narrative for good. Electric riding is no longer the domain of scooters and “zip-around” little bikes. Now, it has become the realm of serious biking, but with the advantage that anyone can ride one.
For starters, you don’t need a motorbike licence, just a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) that you can bypass if you have a full driving licence. Secondly, the new naked model, the 2024 Zero S, is light and low, making it very easy to drive despite its imposing appearance. I am 1.67m in height and weigh 53kg, and I was able to ride it as smoothly as my pedal bicycle, just looking a hundred times cooler. The Zero S has the badass silhouette of a MotoGP machine – minus the fairing.
Despite its imposing presence, the Zero S is very easy to handle, feeling agile and nimble both around town and on the open road.
I suppose all that working in NASA paid off. Zero bikes are light and seriously fast off the handle (the Zero S has a torque of 132Nm). The company claims that “each motorcycle is optimised from the ground up to leverage the revolutionary Z-Force electric powertrain and uses a specially designed rigid, aircraft-grade aluminium frame to minimise weight”.
On top of its lightning-fast reflexes, the Zero S can get up to 140km/h, fully charges in less than an hour and a half (the cable is where the petrol tank would be), and around town, it will give you a range of nearly 250km.
Left, the charging cables storage unit. Right, the Z-Force 75-7 motor, which generates 132Nm of torque and 11kW of power.
In terms of comfort, I mentioned earlier that is very easy to ride, and that starts with the way you sit on it. The chassis has a narrow waist, which translates not only to a better sitting position but also smoother handling.
Whether for urban or road riding, the Zero S delivers a confident, exhilarating experience that can be further enhanced with its NextGen app and dash interface. There are five riding modes that come pre-loaded from the factory – Rain, Eco, Standard, Sport and Canyon – but there are innumerable possibilities to “tune” your Zero S to your preferences.
On my Christmas list. From £15,300 OTR. Have a look at the whole range of Zero Motorcycles HERE.
Author: Julia Pasarón
Photo of Julia Pasarón © Lina Ress. Helmet by HEDON; leather jacket by HUGO BOSS; ankle boots by PONS QUINTANA, jeans by ONLY.
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