The electric motorcycle that can rival professional off-road vehicles turns out to be Tesla in motorcycles

The electric motorcycle that can rival professional off-road vehicles turns out to be Tesla in motorcycles
From: Electric State
Author: Yuan Chong

Under the wave of global vehicle electrification, motorcycles are one of the most important means of transportation on land, and electrification has become unstoppable. Today, I want to bring you a pure electric motorcycle. Recently, the well-known foreign electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero launched the latest pure electric all-terrain adventure motorcycle. In fact, the reputation of this electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero, founded in 2006, is equivalent to Tesla’s existence in the motorcycle circle.

This Zero FX is a pure electric adventure motorcycle with off-road performance. It is divided into two models under this series, one is the Zero FX ZF main multi-functional and multi-road adventure series, and the other is the Zero FXS super sports series .

The two models differ only in tire specifications, and the super sports series is what we often call road skid bikes. However, today we mainly introduce the Zero FX ZF adventure series. Although this model has the frame of an off-road vehicle, it uses all-terrain tires. It has a variety of road conditions and off-road conditions, which is more in line with the positioning of adventure models. At present, most of the popular motorcycle models in China are equipped with an all-terrain tire.

■ Appearance

From the appearance, the Zero FX ZF adopts desert yellow and matte gray two-color matching. The headlights use two exposed independent headlights with lenses, and the triangular halogen turn signals look wild. The side panel of the raised fuel tank adopts an integrated design, and the right-angled sculpture shows a wild character. Below the right front cover is the location of the charging interface.

The frame adopts a matte black aluminum alloy cradle frame, a modular battery pack is placed in the engine position of the traditional fuel vehicle, and there is a huge radiator on the windward side under the frame, because this is an electric motorcycle In the car, the water-cooled heat dissipation system on the traditional off-road motorcycle was directly removed, and replaced by the air-cooled heat sink on the vehicle’s highly integrated electronic control system, which was integrated into the frame. In addition to heat dissipation, it can also be used as a shield to protect the battery pack. From the appearance, there are quick-release screws on the heat sink, which are convenient for replacement at any time after damage.

Viewed from the side, the Zero FX ZF has a standard off-roader stature, with super high ground clearance, 881mm seat height, adjustable upside-down forks with 41mm travel, and 40mm adjustable Showa The single-shot rear shock absorber, put on a set of off-road pineapple tires, and you can take off directly. The wheel set uses a front 21-inch rear 18-inch standard off-road vehicle size wheel set, which can meet your off-road needs at any time. The tires are Pirelli Scorpion MT series all-terrain tires.

Although the shock absorber configuration is not used by those top international brands, the shock absorber from Japan Showa (Showa) is standard for Japanese off-road motorcycles. The front 41mm shock absorber travel is only 8mm less than that of professional off-road vehicles. And the sitting height of 881 mm is not for everyone. If you have an off-road heart like Xiaobian, then these are not problems. Of course, Zero doesn’t want you to do this, because this car has a back seat, and taking people with you means you need to be responsible for your friends in the back seat.

In terms of safety configuration, Zero FX ZF is equipped with J.JUAN (Spain’s Western Mutual brand) front unidirectional dual-piston calipers, rear single-piston disc brakes, and is equipped with Bosch 9th-generation ABS system, which can provide excellent braking Effect.

Since there is no fuel tank and engine, the battery is arranged in the middle of the frame. Zero FX ZF adopts a modular battery pack design. A total of 2 3.6 kWh battery packs can be placed in this position, which is convenient to replace the new battery at any time. resurrection”. Although the battery pack is square, it has a bumpy design to ensure that the battery packs will not affect each other during intense driving and can be tightly fixed in the frame. At the same time, the casing of the battery pack is also reinforced with an aluminum alloy casing to ensure that the battery will not be damaged in bumpy road conditions. And if you’re still concerned, its 5-year unlimited mileage warranty should get you going.

From the rear, the halogen rear taillights and turn signals remain traditional. But the most impressive thing is the huge rear chainring, which uses an efficient carbon fiber belt drive and requires no maintenance.

The low-speed torque of a motorcycle can be changed by changing the size of the rear crankset. The larger the crankset, the greater the low-speed torque and the weaker the top speed. Therefore, on traditional fuel motorcycles, finding the balance between high speed and low torque is the key. But in the case of electric vehicles, this theory becomes meaningless, because the ordinary motor speed can easily exceed 10,000 rpm, and it can still output power continuously. In order to match the powerful low torque of off-road vehicles, even this large The rear crankset, the speed capability will not be weak, the only problem is that the energy consumption of speed driving will be very high.

■ Power

Zero FX ZF is divided into two power modes, Eco and Sport. Zero FX ZF is divided into two different models of 3.6 kWh and 7.2 kWh according to different battery pack capacities. However, the power is also different. The motor power of the 3.6 version is 20 kWh. kW, the motor power of the 7.2 version is 34 kW, and the torque of the two models is the same as 106 Nm.

Basically, it corresponds to the two displacements of 250cc and 450cc in fuel off-road motorcycles. Anyone who has ridden a 4-stroke 450cc off-road motorcycle will know how powerful this power is. The most terrifying thing is that the torque reaches 106 Nm, which is much higher than the power performance of many mini electric vehicles. However, the Zero FX ZF3.6 weighs only 112 kg, and even the 7.2 version is only 131 kg. A strong thrust-to-weight ratio is key for off-road vehicles to traverse a variety of terrains, while also ensuring excellent handling.

The most special thing is that such power parameters can also be adjusted by themselves through the Zero Motorcycles APP, which is much more convenient than those off-road riders who adjust the carburetor of a fuel car. It can not only modify the performance parameters of the motorcycle itself through the APP, but also display real-time data such as remaining power, charging time, and mileage on the mobile phone like a dashboard.

■ Range

The two versions of the Zero FX ZF have different battery life due to different battery pack capacities. Interestingly, from the configuration list on the official website, the editor found that Zero FX ZF lists the cruising range of 3 different road conditions, including city, 113 km/h high-speed, and comprehensive cruising range. The maximum cruising range of the 3.6 kWh battery pack is 74 kilometers. The 7.2 kWh battery pack has a range of 146 kilometers. For such an expedition vehicle with off-road capabilities, it is completely sufficient. After all, the Honda CRF450L, a classic road off-road vehicle at the same price, only has a 7.6L fuel tank, and the battery life is only about 100 kilometers.

■ Charging

The charging method of Zero FX ZF is also very convenient, no charging pile is required, only 110V or 220V household power supply can be charged. The 3.6 version only takes 5.1 hours to charge to 100%, and the 7.2 version takes 9.7 hours. The 650-watt fast charger provided with the car can also increase the charging speed by 60%. If you still feel slow, that’s okay, you need to pay an extra $600 and install a top-level fast charger, version 7.2 from 0 to 100 % was shortened to 1.8 hours.

■ Price

The ZF3.6 version is $8,495, and the ZF7.2 version is $10,495, the same price range as the fuel version of the 250cc and 450cc motocross bikes. An additional 3.6-kWh battery module is available as an option for $2,895, and a top-of-the-line fast charger is available for $600.

■ Who is Zero?

Founded in 2006, Zero is a manufacturer specializing in the production of electric motorcycles. Since the first electric motorcycle was revealed, the company has become a benchmark in the electric motorcycle industry. Founder Neal Saiki is a designer himself who worked for a mountain bike company before deciding to enter the field of electric powered motorcycles.

After 10 years of development, Zero electric motorcycle company has launched a series of models including Zero S, Zero SR, Zero DS, Zero DSR, Zero FX and Zero FXS, which are involved in the street, racing and off-road markets. Prices also range from $8,495 to $18,690.

■ Review

Introducing this Zero FX to everyone today is also out of my own selfishness, because I once owned an off-road motorcycle, and it brought me particularly good memories. In today’s world of electrification, more and more motorcycle companies have begun to transform, and BMW electric motorcycles have been on the market very early in China. Among them, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which are popular among car fans, also launched pure electric motorcycles, and announced the price at this year’s CES exhibition. Honda China also launched an unprecedented V-GO electric scooter in China with a price of 7,988 yuan, which is also a milestone for Honda to officially accelerate its electrification strategy.

According to the editor’s understanding, there are also many motorcycle manufacturers in China that are beginning to transform to electrification, and many of them are already on sale. If an electric motorcycle manufacturer sees it, the editor is not stingy to help each motorcycle manufacturer make an evaluation, please contact us. Finally, I would like to remind you that electric motorcycles need a motorcycle license, and driving an electric motorcycle requires a motorcycle E or D driver’s license. Under this year’s domestic policy, those low-speed battery cars are called “exceeding the standard electric cars”, but they are not Oh, it’s allowed on the road.