A motorcycle that's fast, silent and green

by Jordan Yerman | August 2, 2007 at 10:03 am

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Motorcycles are cool. So is emission-free fuel. An electric bike: extra-cool! This bad (little) boy is the equivalent to a 250cc motorcycle in terms of power, so it'll do the commute but will not compete with the Ducati Monsters or KTM Dukes of this world, at least not yet. Whilst motorbikes get better fuel economy than their four-wheeled brethren, they still pollute at a greater relative rate: you'd think that a tiny vehicle would get better than 40mpg when my brother's Civic gets 30-something, but there we are.

The Zero runs on lithium-ion batteries rather than gas. As a result, the engine doesn't make any noise. Before the safety bracelet, riders would dismount, forget they left the engine running, and send the bike on a ghost ride after accidentally twisting the throttle. The bracelet flips the key to the off position.

I handled the throttle with extreme caution on my test ride. I almost ran over Saiki, but that was due to driver incompetence. More on that later.

The Scotts Valley, Calif.-based company hopes to ride the growing interest in green vehicles with a line of electric two-wheelers. The company's first model, the Zero X for dirt bikes, can already be bought directly from the company for around $6,900. Google co-founder Larry Page bought one.

In the next few months, Zero Motorcycles will try to come out with a street-legal commuter motorcycle that will be slightly larger and more powerful than the Zero X (along with having the lights and turn signals necessary for street riding). Later, it will follow with a scooter.

My other main concern is the noise: motorcycles sound awesome, let's face it, so I wonder how the public will embrace a silent bike...