1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,916
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]

2
00:00:02,916 --> 00:00:11,664


3
00:00:11,664 --> 00:00:13,870
ROBERTO BALDWIN: To
be completely honest,

4
00:00:13,870 --> 00:00:16,990
electric motorcycles are
sort of a weird proposition.

5
00:00:16,990 --> 00:00:19,370
Motorcycles already
get great gas mileage.

6
00:00:19,370 --> 00:00:22,780
And for some, the loud
engine is a source of pride.

7
00:00:22,780 --> 00:00:25,510
Yet, Zero Motorcycles
keeps making new models

8
00:00:25,510 --> 00:00:28,080
and frankly continues to
impress with its evolution.

9
00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,795
[ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES]

10
00:00:30,795 --> 00:00:34,590


11
00:00:34,590 --> 00:00:37,500
The latest more cycle out the
northern California company

12
00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:40,320
is the SR/F. Now,
this isn't an upgrade.

13
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,620
This is a brand new bike,
an entirely new beast.

14
00:00:43,620 --> 00:00:47,190
And with it comes new technology
both in the handle bars

15
00:00:47,190 --> 00:00:48,840
and in the powertrain.

16
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:54,550
But like all EVs, it is
expensive starting at $19,000.

17
00:00:54,550 --> 00:00:58,390
Still, I can't help but
want one in my garage.

18
00:00:58,390 --> 00:00:59,820
To talk about the
tech, the first thing

19
00:00:59,820 --> 00:01:02,160
you need to talk about
is the first thing

20
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,540
you see when you sit
down on the bike,

21
00:01:03,540 --> 00:01:09,120
and that is the new five-inch,
full color TFT LCD display.

22
00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,610
Now, it displays
the usual how fast

23
00:01:11,610 --> 00:01:13,230
you're going, what
your state of charge

24
00:01:13,230 --> 00:01:16,290
is, what time it is, but
it's also where you control

25
00:01:16,290 --> 00:01:18,450
the cruise control,
the ride modes,

26
00:01:18,450 --> 00:01:22,620
and even the heated grips if you
so happen to get that option.

27
00:01:22,620 --> 00:01:24,810
Is this warm now?

28
00:01:24,810 --> 00:01:26,220
Yeah, that's the stuff.

29
00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:28,860
While riding both during
the day and at night,

30
00:01:28,860 --> 00:01:31,470
the display was bright enough
for me to see even while I

31
00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:33,420
was wearing polarized glasses.

32
00:01:33,420 --> 00:01:35,580
It also has two modes
for night and day,

33
00:01:35,580 --> 00:01:38,760
so your eyes aren't blasted
once the sun goes down.

34
00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:40,650
The whole thing is
controlled by this knob,

35
00:01:40,650 --> 00:01:44,490
slash lever, slash button that's
right above the turn signal.

36
00:01:44,490 --> 00:01:46,760
Now, it took me about two to
three days to get used to it.

37
00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:48,900
There's a lot of
pushing and holding

38
00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:50,250
to get into certain modes.

39
00:01:50,250 --> 00:01:52,890
But before long, I
was adjusting the ride

40
00:01:52,890 --> 00:01:56,370
modes and the heated grips
on the fly with no problem.

41
00:01:56,370 --> 00:01:57,930
My biggest issue
is there's a bit

42
00:01:57,930 --> 00:02:00,250
of latency enabling the modes.

43
00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:01,500
There's a lot of
pushing and holding,

44
00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:03,360
which meant I kept
looking down instead

45
00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,490
of looking at the road, which
isn't ideal for a motorcycle.

46
00:02:06,490 --> 00:02:08,699
Where you want to look
down is at the new app.

47
00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:11,340
It's easier to use and
frankly just looks better.

48
00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:14,700
Plus thanks to the
SRS 3G connection,

49
00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:16,800
which is included
with the bike, you

50
00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,260
can check on the bike for
things like charge rate,

51
00:02:19,260 --> 00:02:21,270
nice when you're eating
lunch, and you want to know

52
00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:22,560
if you should order dessert.

53
00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:23,910
You [? know it ?]
because you want

54
00:02:23,910 --> 00:02:26,220
the bike to have more range,
not just because you're

55
00:02:26,220 --> 00:02:27,450
a glutton like me.

56
00:02:27,450 --> 00:02:29,070
The 3G connection
means that Zero

57
00:02:29,070 --> 00:02:32,740
can push over-the-air updates
to this bike almost anywhere.

58
00:02:32,740 --> 00:02:35,460
In fact, I got one while
reviewing the bike.

59
00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,160
When it popped up, I just
parked it in my garage,

60
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,560
plugged it in, and walked
away for 30 minutes.

61
00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,410
More and more vehicles,
cars, trucks, SUVs

62
00:02:43,410 --> 00:02:45,180
are getting these
types of updates,

63
00:02:45,180 --> 00:02:48,450
so it should be no surprise
that it's coming to motorcycles.

64
00:02:48,450 --> 00:02:51,810
The only issue you might
have is if you accidentally

65
00:02:51,810 --> 00:02:54,390
initiate an update
while you're, well,

66
00:02:54,390 --> 00:02:55,560
out in the middle of nowhere.

67
00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,700
It's actually pretty difficult,
so it shouldn't happen.

68
00:02:57,700 --> 00:03:01,326
But if it does, you're just kind
of stuck there for 30 minutes.

69
00:03:01,326 --> 00:03:04,242
[MUSIC PLAYING]

70
00:03:04,242 --> 00:03:07,160


71
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,320
The SR/F feels less
like an evolution

72
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,950
of Zero's motorcycle lineup
and more like a jump forward.

73
00:03:12,950 --> 00:03:14,900
The bikes have always
had a fun factor

74
00:03:14,900 --> 00:03:17,330
that ties into the EV torque.

75
00:03:17,330 --> 00:03:20,420
The FXS is particularly
fun but also

76
00:03:20,420 --> 00:03:24,170
a bit too dangerous for anyone
beyond experienced riders.

77
00:03:24,170 --> 00:03:26,480
The controller for
the SR/F tampers down

78
00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,720
some of that initial burst
into something more manageable

79
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,480
without losing the exhilaration
of that initial boost of power.

80
00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,780
On my first ride
with the Zero SR/F,

81
00:03:35,780 --> 00:03:38,210
the company kept using
the word "smooth."

82
00:03:38,210 --> 00:03:40,970
Now, I assume this is
just a bit of marketing.

83
00:03:40,970 --> 00:03:44,360
But in reality, compared
to the rest of the lineup,

84
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,010
this bike really is smooth.

85
00:03:46,010 --> 00:03:48,120
Yet that doesn't mean
you won't have fun.

86
00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,310
In fact, in street
and sport mode,

87
00:03:50,310 --> 00:03:52,910
you'll be blasting off the
line and have access to power

88
00:03:52,910 --> 00:03:55,670
almost all the way
up the power band all

89
00:03:55,670 --> 00:03:57,470
without switching gears.

90
00:03:57,470 --> 00:03:59,990
It's just a non-stop smile fest.

91
00:03:59,990 --> 00:04:02,630
The power is handled
by the ZF 75-10

92
00:04:02,630 --> 00:04:07,970
motor, which is brand new, and
the new ZF 14.4 battery pack.

93
00:04:07,970 --> 00:04:12,480
That 14.4 stands for, well,
a 14.4 kilowatt-hour battery

94
00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:13,280
pack.

95
00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:18,290
Now, you put those together, and
the bike outputs 110 horsepower

96
00:04:18,290 --> 00:04:21,250
and 140 foot-pounds of torque.

97
00:04:21,250 --> 00:04:23,390
So yeah, it's fast.

98
00:04:23,390 --> 00:04:25,980
[MUSIC CONTINUES]

99
00:04:25,980 --> 00:04:27,840


100
00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:29,750
Around corners,
these large tires

101
00:04:29,750 --> 00:04:32,430
dole out impressive handling,
while the Showa suspension

102
00:04:32,430 --> 00:04:34,500
keeps you planted
to the asphalt.

103
00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:37,140
On highway and mountain
roads, I never felt

104
00:04:37,140 --> 00:04:39,060
anything other than stability.

105
00:04:39,060 --> 00:04:43,200
It works as a commuter and
a bike for quick fun jaunts.

106
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,110
If you're looking for a
weekend cruiser, something

107
00:04:45,110 --> 00:04:48,300
that'll do 500, 600 miles
over two days, well,

108
00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:50,520
this is not your bike.

109
00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,820
In fact, there are no EVs
that'll fit that bill.

110
00:04:53,820 --> 00:04:56,220
And during my tests
with the SR/F,

111
00:04:56,220 --> 00:05:00,230
I got between 75 and 140 miles
of range between charges.

112
00:05:00,230 --> 00:05:04,060
Now that huge discrepancy has
to do with a lot of variables,

113
00:05:04,060 --> 00:05:06,675
including what kind of
mode I was riding in

114
00:05:06,675 --> 00:05:07,860
and stuff like that.

115
00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:10,740
But really, it has to do
with where I was riding.

116
00:05:10,740 --> 00:05:12,300
If I was on the
freeway, I was going

117
00:05:12,300 --> 00:05:15,750
quickly, which meant I was
burning through the batteries.

118
00:05:15,750 --> 00:05:17,820
If I'm just cruising
around town,

119
00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:20,400
the battery lasted way longer.

120
00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,920
Also in Northern California
during the summer,

121
00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:24,960
the afternoons are very windy.

122
00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,730
And I just happen to be on the
freeway during those times.

123
00:05:27,730 --> 00:05:32,070
So like a giant sail that's not
helping the boat go forward,

124
00:05:32,070 --> 00:05:34,650
I was killing the
battery by riding around.

125
00:05:34,650 --> 00:05:36,780
In the city while an
Eco mode, the bike

126
00:05:36,780 --> 00:05:38,280
had more than
enough charge for me

127
00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:41,460
to ride around for about a week
before I had to plug it in.

128
00:05:41,460 --> 00:05:43,560
For that charging,
the bike supports

129
00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,810
level 2 charging standard.

130
00:05:45,810 --> 00:05:48,360
You know, the port you see
on almost every electric car,

131
00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,420
that's on this bike, no
more riding around looking

132
00:05:51,420 --> 00:05:53,310
for a wall socket
if you happen to be

133
00:05:53,310 --> 00:05:55,180
out with your Zero motorcycle.

134
00:05:55,180 --> 00:05:57,900
Now, most of the time,
I charged my vehicles

135
00:05:57,900 --> 00:06:00,630
at home, whether it be
a motorcycle, or a car,

136
00:06:00,630 --> 00:06:01,720
or whatever.

137
00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,680
But when I'm out
riding, I would rather

138
00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,530
be able to stop at one of
these charging stations

139
00:06:07,530 --> 00:06:11,070
and top off the bike then just
immediately heading on home.

140
00:06:11,070 --> 00:06:13,830
So we talked about all the new
tech and the new powertrain,

141
00:06:13,830 --> 00:06:16,710
but the one thing we haven't
talked about is curb appeal.

142
00:06:16,710 --> 00:06:18,750
And in that respect,
Zero's really

143
00:06:18,750 --> 00:06:23,610
brought it with the SR/F. Now,
they've actually accented both

144
00:06:23,610 --> 00:06:26,140
the motor and the battery pack.

145
00:06:26,140 --> 00:06:28,020
So when people
drive by, they know

146
00:06:28,020 --> 00:06:30,600
this is different from the gas
motorcycles they're used to.

147
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,370
This is an EUV.

148
00:06:32,370 --> 00:06:35,490
And the result is something
that looks magnificent.

149
00:06:35,490 --> 00:06:37,170
And it still has
that storage area

150
00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:39,480
that resides where a
traditional motorcycle

151
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,010
will have its gas tank.

152
00:06:41,010 --> 00:06:42,270
This thing's
actually pretty big.

153
00:06:42,270 --> 00:06:45,210
You could probably get about
five burritos in there.

154
00:06:45,210 --> 00:06:47,640
And it has two USB ports.

155
00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,510
So I can charge my phone and
suck the battery from the bike

156
00:06:51,510 --> 00:06:54,320
ever so slightly so when
I get to my destination,

157
00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:55,120
I can tweet about it.

158
00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,090
[MUSIC PLAYING]

159
00:06:58,090 --> 00:06:59,580


160
00:06:59,580 --> 00:07:02,200
With these upgrades and
a better-looking bike,

161
00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,300
Zero continues to be the
one electric motorcycle

162
00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:07,100
maker to keep your eye on.

163
00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:09,050
Now, there are other
companies out there,

164
00:07:09,050 --> 00:07:10,790
but they keep going
out of business,

165
00:07:10,790 --> 00:07:12,440
or they're not doing so hot.

166
00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,340
Meanwhile, the big guys, they're
working on concepts and ideas.

167
00:07:16,340 --> 00:07:18,950
While that's happening, this
Northern California company

168
00:07:18,950 --> 00:07:22,610
continues to put out quality
two-wheeled EV transportation.

169
00:07:22,610 --> 00:07:25,660
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]

170
00:07:25,660 --> 00:07:42,400