First look: Zero SR/F Standard and Premium

After teasing us for far too long, Zero's flagship motorcycle has arrived, and the timing is good. Certain, uh, other big electric releases recently have turned a spotlight on the segment, so this is Zero's time to shine. You want specs. We’ve got ‘em. Meet the Zero SR/F.

The SR/F is putting down 110 horsepower and 140 foot-pounds of torque. It’ll do 124 mph, and the Standard version will recharge to 95 percent in 80 minutes with the optional Rapid Charge upgrade. The Premium trim will do that in 60 minutes. Sans Rapid Charge, the Premium hits 95 percent in two hours, and the Standard in four.

Zero uses the 95 percent benchmark "for two reasons. First, with normal use, it’s rare that a power pack would be discharged to zero percent. Second, 'topping off' from 95 percent to 100 percent takes 30 minutes, regardless of charging method, in order to maximize battery capacity.” All charge numbers are using 220V, and plugging into 110V will obviously lengthen the wait before you can ride again, which stings a bit. But Zero found the average recharge to cost just $1.61, which should take some of the edge off your wait time. 

"City" range, which is Zero's estimation of real-world use, is 200 miles for both variants with the optional Power Tank, available in the fall of this year. (For those interested, Zero uses SAE J2982 for this test.) Skip the Power Tank, and you’re looking at 161 miles of city or 99 miles of highway (sustained 55 mph, or 82 miles at 70 mph). The whole package weighs 485 pounds (498 for the Premium). So far, the SR/F looks promising.

The motor is Zero’s air-cooled Z-Force 75-10, powered by a 14.4 kWh (max capacity) Z-Force intelligent battery. The motor drives the rear wheel via a Poly Chain HTD Carbon belt, and no clutch is involved. Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs keep everything planted. And like its siblings, the SR/F makes use of regenerative braking. 

Suspension and brakes also get the premium treatment. The SR/F uses 43 mm Showa Big Piston Separate Function (BPSF) forks, adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. The rear shock is also a Showa, 40 mm with a piggyback reservoir and with all the same adjustability as the fork. Brakes are from Bosch, along with their MSC stability control system. The SR/F is the first electric motorcycle to use MSC, and that's a big deal. MSC monitors a range of vehicle data to support the rider and maintain traction, particularly under dynamic conditions such as hard acceleration or braking while turning. Sounds like just the thing for a bike that can deliver all that torque instantaneously.

"When combined with Cypher III," Zero explains, "the MSC’s full capabilities are unleashed, resulting in best-in-class straight-line ABS and cornering brake control, traction control and drag torque control."

The improved performance is made possible with Zero’s new Cypher III operating system, which manages the bike’s running gear, dash, and app connectivity. In Zero’s words, Cypher III makes the SR/F “an adaptable motorcycle and powertrain combination that navigates diverse road terrain and conditions, effortlessly.”

And what will all this cost you? $18,995 for the Standard, or $20,995 for the Premium. Add another $2,300 for the Rapid Charge option. Both bikes come with two-year standard warranties and five-year power pack coverage. These motorcycles aren’t cheap, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it. That’s a decision you’ll have to make.

I think Zero’s done an excellent job of elevating their product line with their most aggressive offering yet. In addition to smarter tech and better hardware, the styling update is a huge change for Zero. To build bikes that compete with Energica and Harley-Davidson, especially at the $20,000-plus price point, the motorcycle had better look good and make good on the power delivery motorcyclists expect.

Good show, Zero. I feel better about the future of electric bikes already.