Electric motorcycle pioneer Zero Motorcycles has released a reimagined version of the company’s premium sport SR/S model developed by Huge Design. The SR-X one-off concept is the latest addition to Zero’s Design the Future development program aimed at bringing together some of the industry’s most talented designers and engineers to push the boundaries of what is possible with electric motorcycles.

Led by Bill Webb, Huge Design has a history with the e-motorcycle maker with Zero’s SM concept bike, which heavily influenced the development of the popular FXE production bike. The SR-X is the latest example of his visionary concepts, the semi-faired concept bike showcasing Zero’s electric powertrain and commitment to performance and style.

“Working with Bill on the SM concept and FXE over the past few years has led to a great partnership with Huge Design,” said Brian Wismann, VP of Product Development at Zero. “When we originally spoke about the SR-X project, I couldn’t wait to see Bill’s clean, structured aesthetic applied to our premium sports platform. The result exceeds expectations and points the way forward for our internal design teams.”

For the SR-X, the Huge design team wanted to create a dramatic and low, “front-heavy” silhouette with the bodywork that fully exposed the mechanicals toward the back of the bike in an unconventional way.

“The SR-X concept bike strives to hit a design sweet spot for the near future of electric motorcycles by combining clean lines and disciplined design-detailing with the aggressive stance and raw performance found in modern liter bikes,” said Webb. “This bike is an attempt to define a new sub-category for high-performance electric, something between a streetfighter and a track bike. We wanted true sport riders to appreciate the subtle and balanced design approach—modern, futuristic, and clean without sacrificing the raw-performance look and overtly mechanical appeal of high-performance motorcycles.”

The SR-X is powered by Zero’s ZF75-10 electric motor and the latest ZF17.3 lithium-ion battery pack.

Conceived inside a Santa Cruz garage by Neal Saiki, Zero’s first prototypes were produced in 2006. Now with global headquarters in Scotts Valley, CA, the company has grown into an internationally known electric motorcycle company, operating in over 40 countries, and having 10 full-sized consumer models built on three different platforms for both street and dual-sport use.

The company’s business strategy is based on three key pillars: consumer motorcycles, with Zero carrying a broad line of on-road, adventure sport, and dual-sports motorcycles; fleet sales, where Zero is present in over 200 police departments and authority fleets; and powertrains, for which Zero technology contributes to the electrification of industry-leading applications by its partners.

“Since its launch in a Santa Cruz garage, Zero has defined the category of premium electric motorcycles and powertrains,” said Sam Paschel, CEO at Zero Motorcycles. “Zero has sold over 20,000 vehicles that have accumulated over 165,000,000 miles of on-road and off-road experience.”

The company’s mission was strengthened earlier in February when it filled the Chief Operating Officer role with automotive veteran Alex Acket, who brokered several key supplier relationships that enabled Zero to navigate an increasingly complex global supply chain recently. He developed systems for manufacturing, processing, and quality that will scale production faster, making the company a more compelling investment in the growing field of EVs.

“There are only a handful of companies that have had the opportunity to impact the history of human mobility in the way that Zero currently can,” said Acket. “And I’m thrilled to be able to align my expertise with my passions at such an exciting moment for Zero Motorcycles and transportation in general.”

September 2022 was a big month for the company.

Zero announced the completion of a new $107 million round of financing, with participation from strategic partners Polaris, Exor, and Hero MotoCorp and financial investors including long-time backer Invus. With that round, the company had raised in excess of $450 million, with an additional capital raise bringing that to above $500 million. With that total, it believes it has all the necessary resources to continue pushing the boundaries of two-wheeled EVs and electric powertrains and leading the transformation of the motorcycle and powersports industry through electrification.

That month it also added what it says is the world’s first true electric ADV model to its product line with the launch of the new DSR/X. Short for adventure, ADV bikes can be ridden on- and off-road and are often called “dual-sport bikes.”

“Our owners and advocates have been asking for a full-sized ADV bike from Zero for years,” said Abe Azkenazi, CTO at Zero Motorcycles. “We invested over 100,000 engineering hours into designing a motorcycle that lives up to both our customers’ expectations and Zero’s mission to redefine the riding experience.”

One of the results of that effort is a new Z-Force 75-10X motor that produces 166 lb·ft (225 N·m) and a Z-Force 17.3-kW·h power pack.

The DSR/X uses the Z-Force power packs and motors as well as an upgraded Cypher III+ operating system. Making it an ADV-specific design that is both rugged and capable is a unique frame design and component architecture to allow for increased ground clearance, almost 8 in of hand-adjustable front suspension travel, and three integrated storage compartments.

Zero has been working with the team at Bosch to develop a next-generation off-road riding experience. Controlled by what the e-motorcycle company claims to be the world’s most advanced operating system in Cypher III+, the DSR/X is the first electric motorcycle to integrate the suite of Bosch Motorcycle Stability Controls with Offroad capabilities. Optimized for the Zero electric powertrain, the technology is said to deliver multi-surface stability and traction. The Offroad system includes linked braking for improved brake modulation and Bosch Vehicle Hold Control for confidence and steadiness on the steepest slopes.

The DSR/X built on Zero’s Cypher III+ operating system includes the most recent addition of Park Mode, a slow-speed reverse and crawl function useful for maneuvering in tight or steep spaces. A mobile app and DDM (Cellular Connectivity Module) allow owners to control ride characteristics from speed to torque as well as battery performance and regen functions. When away from the motorcycle, the app can notify users about their charging status, help them find their bike, or alert them to tip-over events from anywhere in the world.

The DSR/X in sage green or white pearl retails for $24,495.

The other new MY23 top-tier SR/S and SR/F models will come fully equipped with battery capacity upgrades, charge speeds up to 6.6 kW, and Park Mode.

In the company’s SR/F model, the Z-Force motor delivers 140 ft·lb (190 N·m) and 110 hp (82 kW) at 5600 rpm. The enhanced thermal efficiency, passively air-cooled, interior permanent magnet AC motor propels that production bike to a maximum and sustained top speeds of 124 mph (200 km/h) and 110 mph (177 km/h). Transmission is by a clutchless direct drive, with a final drive of 90T/20T poly chain HTD carbon belt.

Zero’s 17.3-kWh lithium-ion battery in the SR/F has maximum and nominal capacities of 17.3 and 15.2 kW·h, respectively. With an integrated 6.6 kW charger, the charge time to 95% with a standard cord is 2.0 h, and with a 6-kW rapid charger is 1.0 h.

Starting prices range from the $23,995 SR/S, $23,795 SR/F, to the base $19,995 SR.