Michelin Partners With Jihua To Create Motorcycle Boots

Michelin is well known for creating excellent motorcycle tires, especially for the street. Michelin Pilot Road 4 tires are regarded as the best wet weather street tire currently on the market. And now the French manufacturer is looking to put their rubber on the soles of your feet too in partnership with Chinese textiles and manufacturing firm Jinhua.

While the partnership is aimed to produce footwear for many active sports, their first products will include a pair of motorcycle boots (plus a pair of mountain bike shoes) and incorporate many of the technologies that they use in their tires. Given that a shoe’s insole, midsole and outsole all contain rubber, it certainly makes sense for a specialist tire manufacturer to get involved in performance footwear.

The TCX-Adventure Infinity is designed for touring and is aimed at being comfortable both on the motorcycle and off it. Inspired by the Michelin Anakee 3 Enduro tyre, the sole has technical characteristics that, according to Michelin, perfectly meet motorcyclists’ needs. The sipes for example crafted to evacuate mud, gravel and water. They also deliver just the right amount of stability and adherence. The tyre’s notched sipe design has been reproduced on the sole to improve traction, control and adherence on the road and on loose, muddy soil. Other features include a rubber compound that offers heat and abrasion resistance.

The second motorcycle boot is the TCX X-Cube which is designed for the urban environment. According to Michelin, this shoe takes inspiration from The Michel Pilot Road 3 and Pro Grip 4 motorcycle tires. The exterior part incorporates XST technology from the MICHELIN Pilot Road 3 and 4 tires to effectively disperse water and enhance adherence on any kind of surface, from tarmac to paving stones, which is particularly important for motorcyclists when they have to dismount and walk their bike.

The interior part features technology borrowed from the Michel Pro Grip 4 tire, with rounded sipes providing exceptional adherence and pedal control in all weather conditions.

The product is also made from a rubber compound that guarantees good grip and high resistance to abrasion and heat.

Now word yet on availability and pricing.

Michelin Partners With Jihua To Create Motorcycle Boots

AUS | Harley-Davidson Street 500 Pricing Announced

While the entry level Hardley-Davidson Street 500 has been available in the US for a number of months now, the LAMS approved model still won’t hit the shores of Australia and New Zealand until February 2015, but we now at least know the pricing for the critical new model.

Pricing for the HD Street 500 is $9,995 rideaway including GST, which makes it the cheapest model in Hardley-Davdison’s Australian lineup by almost $5,000. It will retail for $10,995 in New Zealand.

Here’s the blurb from HD on the new Street 500:

The all-new liquid-cooled Revolution X™ engine that powers the genuine Harley-Davidson® V-Twin built to thrive in high temperatures and heavy traffic. Liquid-cooling helps maintain temperature and performance as the sixty degree cylinders and 4 valves per head offer plenty of low-end torque. You don’t have to be winding the RPMs up to five figures to feel the strength and character of this engine. It’s built to give you a soul-satisfying ride at the kind of RPMs you find yourself riding at on city streets.

A smooth-shifting 6 speed transmission makes it easy to stay in the powerband when traffic is stop-and-go. And when the road opens up, sixth gear lets you drop the engine into a comfortable ride at highway speeds.

A seat height of just 709 cm and a narrow frame and seat gives riders an easy reach to the ground. The advantages of a low seat are a low centre of gravity, which combined with the motorcycle’s 206 kg weight gives confidence when negotiating busy urban roads or riding slowly.

Slightly forward mid-mount foot controls provide a riding position that is not only comfortable, but provide manoeuvrability and confidence. The mid-mount controls also keep the ground in easy reach when it’s time to stop. The rake and trail angles on the front end are also optimized for low speed manoeuvrability and the dual piston calipers give rapid stopping power.

And the look? This latest addition to the Dark Custom line of Motorcycles is sure to get the nod of approval in front of any crowded rider hang out in the world. Raw, stripped-down, blacked-out aggression, this is premium Harley-Davidson. Symbolised by the classic Bar & Shield badge on the tank which signifies one thing: This is the real steel. Iconic sound, premium fit and finish, a blank canvas truly ready for customisation. From the deep, rumble coming from the upswept pupes, to the rich thick paint on the metal teardrop tank, the new Harley-Davidson Street™ 500 Motorcycle is true Harley-Davidson, opening up our world to a whole new generation of new riders.

AUS | Harley-Davidson Street 500 Pricing Announced

Video: Winter Enduro on KTM 500 EXC - Snow Riding

Shot in Norway on a KTM 500 EXC. Looks slightly chilly…

Video: Winter Enduro on KTM 500 EXC - Snow Riding

Is Suzuki A Dying Motorcycle Brand?

When the GFC hit the sportsbike market, no other manufacturer took as big a hit as Suzuki and it is yet to recover. It’s been a tumultuous period for the smallest of the Japanese bike manufacturers, especially in the United States where they had to abandon selling cars in 2012. But with Suzuki returning to MotoGP in 2015 are they on the comeback or will they continue with their decline into motorcycle obscurity?

Sales figures don’t show much to cheer for yet. In the United Kingdom, Suzuki struggles to get into the top 10 for sales on a regular monthly basis, usually only doing so when heavily discounting. It’s a similar story in the United States, Australia and most of Europe. In 2010, Suzuki had to close a whopping third of it’s UK dealerships due to poor sales and existing dealerships continue to struggle.

A look at Suzuki’s publicly available financial statements confirms the bad news. For the 2013 financial year, Suzuki’s motorcycle division actually made it’s first profit in six years, but only just. It turned around a loss of ¥11.9 billion ($106 million) in the previous fiscal year to make an operating profit of ¥100 million ($846,000). Unfortunately, that’s already been reversed in the two quarters to date for the 2014 financial year with an operating loss of ¥0.2 billion ($1.69 million) with sales down 10.9% for the first six months.

Thankfully, Suzuki is profitable from a consolidated view so there’s little chance that the company will cast away such a well known motorcycle brand anytime soon. But the question has to be asked, how long can Suzuki continue to allow it’s struggling motorcycle division continue to be a drag on it’s overall profitability?

As it currently stands, the future doesn’t look incredibly promising. At the latest two motorcycle shows in Cologne and Milan this year, almost all the major manufacturers were out in force and bringing a host of new models. Kawasaki arguably stole the show with their supercharged Ninja’s, but Honda and Yamaha both displayed some exciting new models and concepts. Suzuki however merely dressed up a few existing models and added or removed some fairings.

All manufacturers do that, but the problem for Suzuki is they’re tarting up motorcycles that in some cases haven’t been properly updated in close to 7 years. That’s an eternity in the automotive industry, even for motorcycles which tend to have longer lifespans. Two ‘new’ models debuted recently were the Suzuki GSX- 1000F and GSX-S1000 – a sports tourer and a naked based on the GSX-R1000. There’s nothing really wrong with these bikes as such, but not only are they years behind the market with their release, they’re based on a design that was last overhauled in 2007.

Going through Suzuki’s product catalog is an exercise in the mundane. Only two models really stand out as being contenders for desirable bikes – the V-Strom (both 600 and 1000) and the GSX-R750. These are among the few models Suzuki has bothered upgrading in recent years. The V-Strom 650 got an upgrade in 2012 and it’s big brother in 2013. The GSX-R750 remains one of the best bikes in it’s class and was last updated in 2011.

A real symbol of Suzuki’s decline is the Hayabusa. Once probably the most famous sportsbike in the world, it still commands a loyal following but in all respects lags behind the current competition and it hasn’t been updated in any significant way since it’s initial release back in 1999.

So why with all this doom and gloom has Suzuki decided to return to MotoGP, a sport which will cost them anywhere up to $50 million to compete in? Hopefully it is a sign that Suzuki is getting serious about it’s motorcycle business, especially in the western markets. Suzuki’s MotoGP bike is completely new and features and also new inline 4 cylinder engine. The technology on the track will hopefully trickle down to new GSX-R1000’s and GSX-R600’s. But in the meantime, you’ll have to be content with aging machines that might be blessed with a new paint scheme.

 

Is Suzuki A Dying Motorcycle Brand?

BikeHUD Planning Second Generation Motorcycle Heads-Up Display

A number of months ago we had a look at the future of motorcycle heads-up displays, where we looked at three different approaches to the idea of displaying information directly into a riders field of view. And while the BIKEHUD in our opinion definitely had some issues with regards to practicality, it was the only product out of the three that you could actually purchase and use today. The Skully AR-1 helmet and NUVIZ Ride:HUD are both not to be actually released until sometime in 2015.

BIKESYSTEMS is so far in front of the market that they’re now looking to release their second generation product by August 2015 with a major overhaul of the BIKEHUD to be called the BIKEHUD ADVENTURE (for some reason, BIKESYSTEMS, the creators of BIKEHUD like capital letters. We’ll refer to the products in nicer letters for the rest of the article).

Here’s a quick recap of the existing BikeHUD:

• Fits onto any helmet – full or open face.


• Displays GPS, Speed, Gear and Speed Camera locations


• Ability to display race track data (lap, split, etc)


• Let’s you know if your indicators are on


• iPod connectivity

These were all great features, but our issue with the BikeHUD was that it was somewhat cumbersome. A control unit is fitted to the bike, which in turn had to be connected by a cable to the display unit every time you go for a ride. The actual display also wasn’t a true HUD – the display was a screen and wasn’t transparent that in our opinion wasn’t ideal.

The proposed BikeHUD Adventure fixes both of these and more.

Firstly, it’s now wireless. No more attaching a cable every time you ride (although you can connect a cable to the on board unit to charge on the go – best of both words). Secondly it’s now a true HUD with an image reflected onto a transparent screen. Bikesystems proposes a few tiers of the model and the details of them are below:

BIKEHUD ADVENTURE: wireless in-helmet Head-Up Display monocle. Fits in your current helmet. Shows speed, GPS navigation, safety cameras, and interfaces with your smart phone to play music and show who’s calling you.

BIKEHUD ADVENTURE PLUS: in-helmet monocle with BIKEHUB on-bike controller. This is the BIKEHUD ADVENTURE monocle with BIKEHUB controller fitted on your bike. It does everything the standalone BIKEHUD ADVENTURE does and:

• Adds high frequency speed display (updates up to 100 times each second)


• Shows extra info in the HUD monocle: gear selected, engine revs, indicators. Comes with a handlebar-mounted keypad. o Can take calls from your smartphone.

BIKEHUD ADVENTURE VISION: monocle, BIKEHUB controller and BIKEVISION rear and forward facing cameras. Does everything the BIKEHUD ADVENTURE PLUS does with the addition of:

• forward and rear facing bike-mounted cameras giving wide angle vision and eliminating blind spots. The cameras are always ready to capture images as they are powered by the BIKEHUB controller (no need to worry about charging batteries) and they do not need to be fitted each time you ride – unlike other commercially available cameras.

A cool new features includes is called the BikeHUD Pitlane which provides one-way communication via a smartphone from the pits/support teams to the racer. Messages you could display include:

• STOP. Race abandoned due to accident/ hazard on track etc


• Return to pits either now or countdown in X laps


• You are X many seconds in front take it easy


• You are about to be overtaken speed up


• You are X seconds behind the leader go for it

There’s a bunch of other really impressive features that are set to be included in the new BikeHUD Adventure which are all available to read the the Kickstarter page for the project. You can get yourself a BikeHUD Adventure for £397 on the Kickstarter and help support it’s development.

While we were somewhat critical of the first iteration of this product we’re really, really impressed with what Dave Vout and the team at Bikesystems has proposed. Unlike Skully and NUVIZ, Bikesystems has actually got the runs on the board with a proven product and the feature set surpasses even what those proposed products will have.

 

BikeHUD Planning Second Generation Motorcycle Heads-Up Display

How To Flush Your Motorcycle Coolant

The cooling system in your bike is rather important because, you know, it stops your engine from overheating and possibly being destroyed. That’s bad, FYI. But the good news is that draining your existing coolant and replacing it with new fluid is probably one of the easiest DIY maintenance jobs you can do on your bike. However, always consult your service manual as some bikes require a unique approach.

How Often Should You Replace Motorcycle Coolant?

The answer to this question depends both on where you live and how much riding you do. Most manufacturers will recommend you replace your engine coolant once every two to three years or 15,000 miles, so if you cover a lot of distance you’ll need to do it more regularly.

For those that live in locations with extreme temperature ranges (especially extreme cold) you may need to change your coolant twice a year. In winter, you’ll need a coolant with good anti-freeze specifications to ensure that your cooling system isn’t filled with a block of ice when you go to start it in the morning. In summer if it gets very hot, you may need to replace that with something like WaterWetter that has a reduced boiling point and mix it with distilled water.

Another reason you may need to replace your coolant more regularly is if you go racing. Many motorcycle racing organisations restrict or ban the use of glycol based coolants as they’re slippery and can cause a hazard to other riders should a spill occur. Therefore you’d have to replace such coolant with distilled water.

How Do You Flush and Replace Motorcycle Coolant?

We’ve created a video for you to watch which demonstrates this job but we’ll also describe the process step-by-step below.

Tools you’ll need are a wrench to remove the bolts from your bike, replacement coolant (obviously), distilled water and a container to capture the drained fluids.

1. If required, remove your fairings and the reserve tank so you can access the radiator cap.

2. Locate the drain bolt. To find the drain bolt, follow the pipe from the radiator to the impeller cover. If you’re struggling to find it refer to your owner’s manual.

3. With your wrench, unscrew the drain bolt and make sure you place the container underneath it to capture the drips.

4. Unscrew the radiator cap. Generally you’ll need to unscrew it anti-clockwise half a turn, then push down on it and unscrew it the rest of the way. This release of pressure will allow the coolant to drain from your bike – you’ll need to move your container to capture the coolant.

5. Screw the drain bolt back in with your hands. Don’t tighten it up properly just yet.

6. Pour distilled or demineralized water into the radiator until it fills up. Before unscrewing the drain bolt, turn your bike’s engine on for a few minutes to assist the distilled water to circulate through the system.

7. Unscrew the drain bolt and capture the distilled water in the container.

8. Make sure you also empty the coolant in your reserve tank.

9. Put the drain bolt back in and tighten it according to the torque values as stated in your service manual.

10. Poor your new coolant into the radiator, but do it slowly. By doing it slowly you reduce the amount of air introduced into the cooling system. Fill the reserve tank too.

11. Replace the caps on both the reserve tank and the radiator and run the bike for a period of time until the radiator fan turns on. This will help any air trapped in the system to rise into the reserve tank.

12. Let the bike cool. The expelled air will mean coolant is drawn from the reserve tank into the cooling system, so top up the reserve tank.

13. Make sure you dispose of your old coolant properly. Don’t put it down the drain as it contains numerous chemicals. A local recycling or refuse station will be able to dispose of it correctly.

 

How To Flush Your Motorcycle Coolant

Will Honda Build The Honda RC213V-S And Does Anyone Actually Care?

Much of the world motorcycle press was gushing at the sight of the Honda RC213V-S. It’s a street legal MotoGP bike that’s long been rumored to be in the works by the Japanese giant. We’re a bit more cynical here and think that much of the press has been having a bit too much Honda Kool-Aid. Will Honda Build the RC213V-S? That’s a big maybe, and in our cynical view there would be no point to it except for some PR wankery.

Of course, if you’re really keen on owning a MotoGP bike from Honda right now, the only thing that’s stopping you is your bank balance. Anyone with $1.2 million can buy a Honda RC213V for use in MotoGP, or at any track for that matter if you’re so inclined. You just can’t take it for a spin down to the shops for some milk. So how can Honda release a MotoGP spec bike for road use that would actually be affordable?

Well the answer is they obviously can’t. While being able to produce a couple of thousand bikes will help amortize the cost of the RC213V-S, the sticker price is still likely to be around $250,000. Obviously only a small fraction of people on the planet could afford such a machine and even fewer would actually ride it in anger.

The closest any manufacturer has previously gotten to releasing a MotoGP spec bike was Ducati who made the Desmosedici RR back in 2006. Although now eight years ago, it cost $72,000 back then and yet in testing done by MCN, was almost 1 second slower in a quarter mile run in comparison to the actual Ducati MotoGP bike.

So why now? Why after so many years of rumors has Honda finally decided to (maybe) produce a bike such as this? The answer is simple. Take a look at what the competition has been doing this year. We’ve got the Kawasaki Ninja H2 and H2R, the Yamaha R1, the new BMW S1000 R and the Ducati 1299 Panigale. Honda’s new releases have almost been as exciting as Suzuki’s. Honda’s hand has been forced and they’ve quickly scrambled to do something to gain back some press exposure.

For the most part it has worked. The press lapped it up. But in our jaded opinion, this is a pointless machine. While not exactly cheap, both the Yamaha R1 and Ducati 1299 Panigale bring new technology and performance to the market that mere mortals can afford and use in a practical sense. All Honda has done is slap some indicators and a number plate holder on a race bike that nobody will be able to afford. There’s nothing new or innovative here. So while Honda fans wait (and wait) for an update to the CBR1000R, you can rest happy that Honda is no doubt already thinking of an RC213V-S Special Edition that will feature Marq Marquez’s number 93 emblazoned on the bike.

Will Honda Build The Honda RC213V-S And Does Anyone Actually Care?

Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen And Vitpilen - Two Concepts That Must Be Built

EICMA 2014 has been finished for a few weeks now and despite all the hype behind the Yamaha R1, Ninja H2 and Honda RC213V-S, perhaps the most important bikes shown were the Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen and Vitpilen concepts. But why would two bikes that only have a 373 cc thumper and pump out a pedestrian 43 hp nearly become the talk of EICMA? Because non-motorcyclists fell in love with it.

The story on the Husqvarna 401 Vitpilen (White Arrow) and Svartpilen (Black Arrow) first broke on Bike EXIF and quickly spread to the front page of Reddit followed by the rest of social media. And the one thing that stood out was so many people making the comment that this is a machine that would get them into motorcycle riding. That’s huge and is the current holy grail for motorcycle manufacturers around the world when it comes to western markets.

As it stands, the biggest growth areas for bike manufacturers isn’t in the saturated western world but in the developing nations; India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and so on. But they’re volume plays. A bike like the Husqvarna 401’s is something that could lead to real growth in the western world. But what’s so special about these two bikes?

From a purely unscientific perspective, they look gorgeous. There was universal praise for their ‘retro-futuristic’ looks that takes the best of cafe racers and dials it up a few notches. Being a concept, a production version would no doubt lose some of the uniqueness and become a little more mainstream, but that’s then and this is now. People loved it.

The second reason it captured people’s attention is that it wasn’t intimidating. If you were trying to get some interested in motorcycles the the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, you’re probably not going to get very far. Sure, it’s technologically impressive, but people wary of bikes aren’t going to change their mind for a machine that would probably kill them within five minutes or riding.

The Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen and Vitpilen on the other hand use the same engine as found in the KTM RC390 – a bike designed for learners. The concept bikes only weigh 297 lb though which means while it won’t be superbike quick, it’ll still beat 95 per cent of cars off the traffic lights in the real world.

And this is what so many people, even die hard motorcyclists have been crying out for. A super sexy machine that’s actually practical for everyday use. Owning a BMW S1000 R may seem like the best thing in the world, but if you’re riding in heavy traffic every Monday through Friday, it’s not really ever going to get used for what it is ultimately best at. The Husqvarna 401 concepts exude street cred and purpose. And anything that can get more riders on the saddle is a good thing in our opinion.

As licensing requirements in Europe and Australia continue to become more onerous for new riders, machines like this will become more mainstream than they are now. And if that means more lightweight, practical and attractive motorcycles then bring it on.

 

Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen And Vitpilen - Two Concepts That Must Be Built

2015 Zero S Motorcycle Ride Review

As much as you might have been told before setting off for the first time on an electric motorcycle, nothing can prepare you for the strange sensation of near silence as you open the throttle on the Zero S and accelerate away. Zero Motorcycles are one of the more successful mainstream electric motorcycle manufacturers and their Zero S attempts to strike a happy medium between performance, price and range. But does it tick off all those aspirations or is the technology still not mature enough for the mainstream?

Zero Motorcycles was first established in 2006 and has quickly become a name synonymous with more mainstream electric bikes alongside the likes of Brammo. The Zero S is classed as a naked, with minimal fairings and a fairly upright riding position and has been available since 2009. Almost every year, Zero makes major advances with the bike and the bike that you can buy in 2014 is leaps and bounds ahead of the original machine.

Unlike it’s main competitor, the Brammo Empulse, the Zero S does away with a clutch and therefore has a single gear.  Using what Zero calls a clutchless direct drive, it does create a small compromise as the one gear needs to be a jack of all trades. But with full torque available from the get go and full power nearly the same, that’s not really a big deal. In additoin to making things simpler (and cheaper), doing away with a gearbox and clutch also means a reduction in maintenance – in fact the Zero S entire powertrain is maintenance-free.

The electric motor in the Zero S has an output of 54hp @ 4,300 rpm and 68 lb ft of torque at, well, all RPM. That’s a fantastic amount of torque in comparison to the actual horsepower of the bike and it’s instantaneous availability is one of the great advantages of electric motors. But all that torque in the world can’t make hide that low power figure. It’s only marginally more than the learner friendly Honda CBR500R (50hp @ 8,500 rpm) and gets dwarfed by the Yamaha FZ-07 (74 hp @ 9,000 rpm). I know we’re comparing apples and oranges in a way, but when the Honda and Yamaha cost $6,299 and $6,990 respectively while the Zero S is $15,345, those comparisons need to be made.

Starting the bike is another exercise in quirkiness. Turn the key, put up the world’s ugliest kickstand and you’re away. No starter button to press. I did find however that sometimes there was a lag between putting up the kickstand and when the engine was ready to go. The sound of the electric motor is great in my opinion, especially when you make it work hard. All those sound effects you remember as a kid growing up become reality now, the whine has a definite futuristic feel to it and I received a lot of strange looks from motorists when I filtered between their cars.

Claimed acceleration figures are 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds which is around what a Ninja 300 will do. Unfortunately, it feels even slower than that figure and it’s already fairly pedestrian for a two-wheeler, especially one at this price. A big part of that is probably the lack of noise. A howling engine that overwhelms your senses plays a big part in the sensation of speed. Without that it just seems like you’re accelerating slower than you actually are. Where it lets you down from a standing start it makes up for when you’re at speed though.

When at cruising speed, the torque of the electric motor becomes apparent. A twist of the throttle will see you going from 40 mph to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds and similarly from 60 mph to 80 mp in under 3 seconds. Not only is that impressive, it’s extremely practical for city riding. It makes overtaking far easier than a bike of this power should be capable of.  And combined with the decent ergos of the bike, makes it great to filter in heavy traffic with.

And city riding really does seem to be this bikes specialty. Sure, you can take it into the mountains for a squirt through the curves (as long as they’re close enough), but I question if that’s your main objective why you’d purchase this bike. A Ninja 300 is as quick and has better handling than the Zero S. The Zero is however effortless to ride.  No clutch, no gears, instant power when it’s really needed and a comfortable riding position.

I’d almost go far as to say it’s a motorcycle designed for scooter riders. And if that sounds like an insult, I don’t mean it as such. But at this stage, this to me isn’t a motorcycle for motorcycle riders. There’s no where near enough performance, and without better speed and acceleration the bike feels really lacking given it’s characterless personality. And that has nothing to do with the limits of the technology. Check out reviews of the Zero SR and you’ll see fairly consistent praise for its more powerful engine. But costs are obviously still an issue and hence what we have with the Zero S.

And it’s not just the engine that seems to have suffered from price constraints. The bike seems solidly made but I can’t shake the feeling that it seems somewhat cheap. That’s probably not helped by the black and yellow color scheme of the bike I rode. For the price it just doesn’t scream quality. As mentioned before, the kickstand is horribly ugly and I disliked how the front brake line seems to be so exposed instead of being hidden like on almost every other modern motorcycle – it reminds me of a children’s BMX. The seat padding is also thin and would definitely start hurting after a while in the saddle.

On the plus side I found the rear view mirrors excellent, providing a huge amount of adjustment for almost any sized rider to see behind them. The instrument cluster is clear and easy to use and the overall riding position is quite a nice place to be. The grips however are rather hard and I also found the rear brake pedal a bit too far forward of the foot pegs. Yes, I’m being pedantic but this is a $15,000 plus bike we’re talking about here.

The elephant in the room is of course the range. Claimed range for the middle of the road Zero S which has a 12.5 kWh battery is 115 miles of combined city and highway riding. That’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. And like fuel consumption figures, you can guarantee the reality is not as impressive. You can opt for a bigger battery which extends the range to 141 miles, but that bumps up the price up to $17,840 plus increases the weight of the bike by a substantial 44 lb, making it even slower.

While we tested the 2014 model, the 2015 model will get upgraded suspension, ABS brakes (which haven’t even been available as an option previously) and better rubber, but the motor remains unchanged.

I went away from riding the Zero S somewhat underwhelmed. No doubt the Zero S is made to a price point and that means an underpowered engine. Which is a shame because otherwise it’s a decent bike – just not an exhilarating one. The Zero SR, which starts at $17,435 would definitely be the bike to choose and is a proper example of what a modern day electric motorcycle can achieve.

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2015 Zero S Motorcycle Ride Review