Car and Driver - USA (2019-12)

THE SILENCE

OF THE AMPS

2020 ZERO SR/F

~ BY ERIC TINGWALL

Charging Foul

You would need the

resolve of a glacier

to attempt a long-

distance trek on an

SR/F. A full recharge

on a 240-volt Level

2 connection takes

between 1.5 hours and

4.5 hours, depending

on how the motor-

cycle is equipped.

Lifeline

This shoebox-sized

storage bin fits a

120-volt charging cord

with room to spare

for a wallet, phone,

and sunglasses. Or

leave all that at home

and squish up to 53

packs of Life Savers

Gummies in there.

what’s left when

you’re right

With no clutch or shifter to occupy

the rider’s left hand and foot, this

500-pound street fighter is

almost scooter-like in its

simplicity and ease of operation.

That’s a boon for urban

commuters, but it also

frees your mind to

wander. On the SR/F, it

can be hard to capture

the all-consuming,

almost meditative

focus that comes

with riding a

motorcycle well.

110-hp AC motor, single-speed

direct-drive • Base: $19,990

Performance (C/D est)

60 mph: 3.0 sec

1/4-Mile: 11.8 sec

Top Speed: 124 mph

Speed Kills

Zero claims the 14.4-kWh

battery is good for 161 miles in

the city, but the reach plunges

as speed climbs. We measured a

range of 70 miles in our 75-mph

highway test. Averaging 319

MPGe during its stay with us, the

SR/F shames the Toyota Prius for its

gluttonous gas-swilling inefficiency.

You’re motoring

The Zero’s 110-hp permanent-magnet

motor has all 140 pound-feet of torque

at the ready from a stop, but aside from

the subdued whir it makes, the most

unnatural part of accelerating is

the lack of shifting. A finned

housing surrounds the

motor to help with air

cooling. A belt transfers

torque to the rear wheel.

Pin the Zero SR/F’s accelerator

or jump out of an airplane;

either way, you’ll hit 60 mph

in roughly three seconds

with wind thundering in your

ears and adrenaline coursing

through your veins. Motor-

cycles aren’t supposed to

be this quiet, and a $19,990

starting point is a big ask

for only two wheels, but the

Zero’s appeal is as simple as

the very idea of an electric

bike. The SR/F’s motor pulls

toward its 110-hp peak as

relentlessly as gravity.

the numbers

CAR AND DRIVERIII, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc.: Troy Young, President; Debi Chirich® (ISSN 0008-6002), VOL. 65, NO. 6, December 2019, is published monthly, 12 times per year, by Hearst, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, U.S.A. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst ella, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer; John A. Rohan, Jr., Senior Vice President, Finance;

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