It’s cool…not really practical for where I live, but cool.
My buddy up the road built an electric bike from an old bmw frame, forklift motor, and batteries for around 2 grand that has almost the same specs (it only has a range of 30 miles) as this one.
I’m looking to do a similar project when I have the time, but with better batteries that will get a range of aprox. 40 miles.
Here’s another electric bike that’s out (also, don’t forget the one I posted earlier in this thread. Crazy exspensive, but damn…)
Power comes from a brushed permanent magnet motor that produces 31 horsepower and an impressive 62.5 foot-pounds of torque. Zero says the bike will do 65 mph—75 with the optional 47-tooth rear sprocket—and hit 60 mph in less than four seconds. We’ll have to take Zero’s word for it until we get an uncorked S later this summer. That said, the Zero X dirt bike we rode in April was quick enough to leave us grinning like models in a toothpaste ad.
The 4-kilowatt-hour lithium-manganese battery is good for an average range of 40 to 45 miles and a maximum of 60, depending upon how hard you twist the throttle. Once it’s dead, you’re looking at four hours to charge it from a 110-volt outlet. You can plug it into a 220-volt line but it won’t charge any faster because the charger is limited to 1,000 watts, and at 110 volts, a 15-amp U.S. wall outlet already exceeds that by 650 watts. Unlike the Zero X, the S doesn’t offer a swappable battery because the pack weighs 80 pounds, twice as much as the pack in the X. Zero figured that was too heavy for people to move around safely. Everything is wrapped in a gorgeous aluminum frame and plastic bodywork that, though bland, is stouter than a Romanian bodybuilder.
Had a nice bike in my youth..my girlfriend had a Harley…One day while coming down a steep hill I hit some gravel and skid for what seemed like 2 miles… then god spoke to me ” You will kill yourself if you keep this up dill weed..your choice..” I sold it..
Had a nice bike in my youth..my girlfriend had a Harley…One day while coming down a steep hill I hit some gravel and skid for what seemed like 2 miles… then god spoke to me ” You will kill yourself if you keep this up dill weed..your choice..” I sold it..
It’s cool…not really practical for where I live, but cool.
My buddy up the road built an electric bike from an old bmw frame, forklift motor, and batteries for around 2 grand that has almost the same specs (it only has a range of 30 miles) as this one.
I’m looking to do a similar project when I have the time, but with better batteries that will get a range of aprox. 40 miles.
Here’s another electric bike that’s out (also, don’t forget the one I posted earlier in this thread. Crazy exspensive, but damn…)
Sorry Bobaloo, didn’t see your edit ‘till just now.
Yep, found it used on Craigslist. I was looking for something a little newer (this is a ‘95) but everything I found was WAY too expensive and didn’t come with all of the extras that this one has; ohlins front & rear shocks, PIAA lights, Hepco & Becker pannier system, corbin seat, heated grips, hand guards, ram mounts, custom exhaust, etc.
And I bought it from a BMW mechanic, so she’s been babied.
It rides like a dream. I was worried about how it would do in the twisties, but it is so well balanced it handles ‘em with aplomb. And the clearance is so high I can lean over so far without dragging the pegs it’s ricockulous.
Yep, I’m happy. I’ve already started making the first tentative plans for an epic journey.
