In Time for Holiday Gift-Giving! Zero Launches Improved Electric Dirt Bike
By John O'Dell October 31, 2008
We don't do a lot of motorcycles here at Green Car Advisor
but we certainly understand the need many have to get out of the car and into the open air once in a while.
For those whose idea of a great weekend is to hightail it along an off-road patch atop a motorized two-wheeler, the folks at Zero Motorcycles have been offering the Zero X, a battery-electric dirt bike that competes with conventional 250 cc bikes.
Production is limited and the 2008 model sold out late last month.
Now the company is launching the 2009 Zero X dirt bike, which it says has been upgraded for better power, ride and handling.
The basic specs pretty much look the same: 23 horsepower, 17,400 watt motor, 58-volt, 2/3 kilowatt-hour battery pack, 40 miles (approximately 2 hours of rising (range with a two-hour recharging time and super light weight - although, at 151 pounds, the 2009 Zero X is six pounds heavier than the '08 model.
But Zero says it has incorporated a number of updates to the "drivetrain, frame, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires" that make the '09 model faster and more durable.
Zero was able to boost the X's speed without increasing the size (and weight and cost) of the motor by reprogramming the power control unit to help maximize use of the electrons flowing from the battery pack to the motor, and by improving battery efficiency to get more oomph from the cells, said John Lloyd, sales vice president for the Santa Cruz, Calif.-based electric motorcycle maker.
He declined to discuss exactly what was done, citing competitive concerns.
Another change is in the pricing.
The 2009 model will start at $7,750, up $300. But the company says it will stick to its '08 pricing - $7.450 - as an introductory price for 2009 Zero Xs ordered through the end of the year.
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Very cool. Price is steep, but this is a great use of the technology, as it eleminates sound and air pollution worries.
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