Zero SR/S Motorcycle Hums Down Electric AvenueZero MotorcyclesYou really have to at least try out an electric motorcycle. They deliver 100 percent of their torque as soon as you touch the ride-by-wire accelerator, you can lean them into any corner just like a sport bike, and they make almost no noise doing it.I had a Zero SR/S electric motorcycle for a couple weeks and I remembered how much I like these things. Just before that I rode a LiveWire S2 Del Mar, and that thing was downright thrilling. You can read about the LiveWire here, but right now I'm going to discuss the Zero SR/S.Zero was started in 2006 in Santa Cruz, California, home to hippies, surfers, and students of UCSC. Maybe it was that creative environment that led to its coming into existence, but the company conveys a prime mix of technology and excitement.AdvertisementAdvertisementI first rode a Zero SR in 2018, and thrilled to its instantaneous acceleration, grippy cornering, and regenerative braking that could just about replace disc brakes on twisty mountain roads.The Zero SR/S you see here is an up-to-date, modern, and fully faired evolution of that bike. It's powered by what Zero calls its Z-Force 75-10 enhanced thermal efficiency, passively air-cooled, interior permanent magnet AC motor making 113 hp at 5,600 rpm, and 140 lb-ft as soon as you twist the right hand grip. The motor is located forward of the rear wheel and aft of the big, optional, 17.3-kWh lithium-ion battery.The SR/S in its native habitat on Angeles Crest Highway.Mark VaughnZero lists 171 miles maximum range, but you'd really have to be hunched behind the windscreen and going at sub-freeway speeds to get that. At least in my experience. The bike really wants you to have fun every time you get on it, so range kind of gets thrown out the window right away. Expect half that or less if you're having any kind of fun at all.Zero just announced that you can get Level 3 charging on its bikes, which might eliminate some range anxiety for potential buyers. Plug in to any CCS Level 3 charging station and you can go from 10–80 percent state of charge in just about a half hour. That's coming in about a year or so.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Currently under development by Zero's engineering team, the new CCS port and fast charging module will be available for new Zero Dual Sport and Street category motorcycles later in 2027," Zero said. "The system is also being engineered to be retrofittable as an accessory on Street and Dual Sport motorcycles from Model Year 2022 onward."The new model SR/S you see here has a more upright riding position, with lower foot pegs and higher handlebars compared to the model I rode eight years ago. While you can program your own riding mode, even in custom high-regen, sport-everything-else mode, the new model felt a bit more like a comfort setup than the more thrilling SR model I had in 2018.Zero MotorcyclesZero spent a lot of time working with the Showa team tuning the suspension, and the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs never faltered, but, like the Ducati Panigale V2 I rode a few weeks ago, this one felt like it had changed from a sport bike to a comfortable commuter.(Maybe that's where the buyers are. Zero did say earlier this year that it'd just completed "another year of global growth and expansion." The company delivered a 89% year-over-year increase in North America.)AdvertisementAdvertisementI will say the brakes felt better, with Bosch Advanced MSC, dual J-Juan radial four-piston calipers with radial master cylinder, 320 x 5 mm discs in front and single piston floating caliper, 240 x 4.5 mm discs in the rear.The Zero DSR/X all-electric adventure bike I rode three years ago was one of the most comfortable two-wheelers I've ever ridden, so comfort isn't a bad thing. I just think Zero should have kept the SR/S more sporty and let the DSR/X take up the part of the market that wants comfort.The SR/S starts at $18,745 before destination, according to Zero's website. The DSR/X ADV bike starts at $22,995. The LiveWire S2 Del Mar electric motorcycle that I found so exciting off the line starts at just $11,999, and dealers may be motivated.Zero XE dual sportZero MotorcyclesI also got to try out the Zero XE dual sport dirt and street bike that starts at just $12,495. It weighs 223 pounds and tops out at 53 mph. Zero says it's "the most fun you have can have off-road without making a sound." Mine had knobby tires that would be best suited to ranch life and trail riding, not the paved city streets to which I subjected them. If you lived in Wyoming and wanted to get to the north 40 and your horse had the day off, the FX would be perfect.AdvertisementAdvertisementPrice is still a barrier to buying an electric motorcycle for some, especially since you can buy a good used gasoline-powered motorcycle, or any of a number of competent e-bikes for a lot less. But the Zero and the LiveWire are fully freeway capable—and silent as the tomb of the internal combustion engine (haha).