Zero's New SR/F Electric Motorcycle Charges Faster Than Your iPhone
If one thing is clear about the future of motorcycles, it's that they're getting smarter. Electric motorcycle purveyor Zero unveiled the newest addition to its slate of connected bikes on Monday, and the SR/F is certainly a testament to the growing relationship between automobiles and operating systems.
Let's start with the SR/F's show-stopping feature: How fast you can juice it up. The bike charges to 95 percent capacity in just an hour, albeit only if you have all three available charging modules activated. Still, that's a galling timeframe for powering up a motorcycle, especially in light of the fact that your cell phone pales in comparison-and cannot transport you across a scenic highway. A single charge delivers a full range of 200 miles, compatible with Level 2 charging stations.
The bike has speed to burn, too. Like its considerably more expensive counterpart in the Harley Davidson LiveWire, the SR/F is fast: Twisting the throttle activates 140 ft-lbs of torque and 110 horsepower en route to a top speed of 120 emissions-free miles per hour.
But what Zero is most excited about with the SR/F is the ability to integrate the rider with every aspect of the bike (if you're into that sort of thing). That promised is housed in the bike's operating system, called Cypher III.
Though it sounds more like the name of a science fiction novel or space ship, Cypher III is pretty standard fare as far as motorcycle OS are concerned, and it's there to help you maximize the SR/F experience. There's 10 programmable ride modes that you can activate, depending upon the terrain or environment. Cypher III picks up a slew of data points related to to the bike's performance, including bike location, speed, lean angle, power, torque, state of charge and energy used/regenerated. Zero touts its bike as the first motorcycle squarely placed within the Internet of Things, which is basically just marketing speak for "there's an app."
The SR/F enters the market at a staggering price point that anyone privy to the growing EV market should expect. The standard model ships in April for $18,995, while a premium version enters the fray at $20,995.
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