California-based electric motorcycle manufacturer, Zero Motorcycles, has just launched an all-new motorcycle called the SR/F. The bike was teased multiple times during the weeks that led up to the official reveal and Zero had claimed that the bike would be the “future of motorcycling”. Well, is it?
Zero has equipped the SR/F with a ZF14.4 lithium-ion battery pack that the company claims is capable of a combined (highway and city) range of 198km. The battery powers the company’s new ZF75-10 motor that makes 110hp and 190Nm of torque. The SR/F is available in two variants that are identical in all aspects except their charging capabilities – the Standard variant that gets a 3kW charger and a Premium variant that comes with a 6kW charger. Additionally, Zero will also make available a Rapid Charge option, which will configure the motorcycle to be charged to 6kW more. The company claims that the SR/F Premium with Rapid Charge will be capable of 95 percent of charge in one hour, which is quicker than most smartphones!
What makes the SR/F more technologically advanced than its siblings is the use of Zero’s new operating system called Cypher III. The software works alongside Bosch’s Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) system to better control ABS, traction control and power delivery. The company has also revealed that when the SR/F goes on sale later this year in international markets, users will be able to monitor the bike’s status and receive software updates via cloud services.
The SR/F comes equipped with a fully-adjustable USD fork and monoshock; both by Showa. The bike also comes shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres. Zero has priced the SR/F Standard at $18,995 (Rs 13.50 lakh) and the SR/F Premium at $20,995 (Rs 14.92 lakh) in the USA and the motorcycles are expected to go on sale by mid-2019 in foreign markets. In comparison, Harley-Davidson has priced its all-electric LiveWire at $29,799 (about Rs 21 lakh).
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
