The electric motorcycle you can ride away today

Amongst the concept designs and prototypes that seem always to be less than a year away from production, an electric motorcycle has gone on sale in Britain that offers an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and near-silent alternative to petrol-powered alternatives.

Most importantly, it is a motorcycle that can ridden away from a showroom today.

The Zero range of electric motorcycles costs from £5990, but offers a far higher specification, performance and range than most of the electric scooters currently on the market.

The Zero is offered in a choice of four guises ranging form the road riding-oriented ‘S’ through to the off-road motocross competition bike, the Zero X.

All the models benefit from the instant power and torque that is made possible gearless electric drive, lithium ion batteries and high-grade aluminium frames.

We ride the Zero DS

A wet and windy racetrack is not the ideal environment in which to test a bike most at home on roads and light off-road trails, but it was a valuable opportunity to pit the performance and handling of the Zero DS against other electric two-wheelers on the market.

Despite its height, the Zero DS carries its 122kg well and acceleration from a standstill is brisk – certainly more than adequate to deal most traffic conditions, although the top speed of 55mph would leave most riders feeling exposed on motorways.

The bike stops as it should and although there are two other Zero bikes designed specifically for off-road riding, the 10 inches of fork travel on the DS means it should feel as comfortable on trails as it does on the road.

There is no doubt that the Zero is a far more serious proposition than many of the electric scooters currently on the market. It is undeniably competent and viable option for many leisure and commuter motorcyclists. It will appeal most to city commuters who want to stand out from crowd or off-roaders who want to explore trails or gravel roads in near silence. Recommended.

Electric motorcycles are coming…

The Ecolve Bolt is another electric motorcycle on its way to market and Forrest North, a former engineer at Tesla, is now taking orders for the Mission One (pictured right), a sports-oriented electric motorcycle that boasts a range of 150 miles and a charging time of less than three hours via a household power supply.

Quantya SA was formed in Switzerland to create a range of high-performance and efficient electric motorcycles, which includes a fully-electric enduro model called the Strada.

• Zero bikes UK distributor: www.solstisbikes.com
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