There’s a variety of reasons why someone would prefer to ride a motorcycle — even with its inherent risks and inconveniences — over a traditional car.
However, much like the transportation industry, the term "traditional" has been redefined to include modes of transportation that don’t completely rely on an internal combustion engine — you don’t need to look long to spot a hybrid or electric car on the road today.
Now Zero Motorcycles, an American manufacturer that produces electric motorcycles, is putting a new battery powered ride on the road with its 2017 Zero SR.
Nestled in the mountaintops of Scotts Valley, California, is a company that’s trying to revolutionize the motorcycling industry by building sport bikes that run on lithium-ion batteries. The company says the Zero SR can deliver TK miles of range, while producing 70 horsepower and 116 foot-pounds of torque at the drop of a hat.
No, that’s not an exaggeration or a ringing endorsement of the SR. It’s a fact. Unlike traditional motorcycle engines that require time and a suitable transmission to ride the revs in order to achieve peak torque, there’s no powerband on an electric motor, so you’ll have access to 100% of its power with a simple twist of the throttle.
Now, I wouldn’t blame purists who stopped reading after seeing "battery-powered" and "motorcycle" in the same sentence — I had my doubts, too. Taking the SR out for a spin myself helped answer some of my questions, while also raising some new ones.
Here’s our impression of the 2017 Zero SR:
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At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about the SR — it more or less looks like your standard bike …
… That is until you realize the clutch lever is missing. With no clutch and no gearbox, there’s no shifting involved.
Hazard lights for safety and etched logos on the grips are also a nice touch.
Here’s the belt drive system. Relatively quiet compared to its metallic predecessor, Zero claims that the SR has 116 foot-pounds of torque, more than any 1,000cc sport bike on the market.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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