Showing the world how to do it right all this while, the folks upped their game for 2020 when they unveiled a brand new streetfighter, the SR/F. The bike features a new “Cypher III” operating system that brings in Bosch Motorcycle Stability Control and a multitude of data onto the TFT dash. USB charging ports, LED lighting, storage space, a fly screen, heated grips, and aluminum bar ends adds to the oomph factor.

Now, the same guys have taken that and slapped aerodynamic fairings, taller handlebar, lower footpegs, and a windscreen to create their exciting new entry into the sports-touring territory. This is the Zero Motorcycles SR/S, unveiled at an event in New York. And honestly, I love how it carries a hint of retro on it.

STYLING

After a cool surf in the morning, the chaps at Zero got onto their drawing boards with the SR/F at the hindsight. Their first order of business was to feature a full fairing, but they weren’t much fascinated with the idea of going complete bonkers over the sportsbike details. Instead, they went on gracefully with rider comfort and better aerodynamics.

Yes, this added almost 20 lbs over the 485-pound SR/F, but the clever bit here is that the same fairing increases the range of the SF/S to 13 percent more than the naked sibling. The new fairing has integrated LED headlights, mirrors, indicators and a tallish touring screen. They cover the battery pack unit and go as far back as the rider’s leg. The screen is non-adjustable though, at least for now.

The Cerulean Blue and Skyline Silver paint job on the SR/S carry metallic flakes that pop when the sun shines on them. This is something that only custom or commissioned limited-edition machines carry. Then there are the mirrors that are unconventionally mounted on stalks behind the nose fairing, instead of being on the handlebar or on the fairing itself. How practical this setup is only a matter of perspective, but this sure takes me back to the 90s’.

Behind the fairing is, however, the same full-color 5” TFT LCD display equipped with Zero's Cypher III operating system with Bluetooth connectivity through to your phone for monitoring, system upgrades, bike status, ride data sharing, multi-mode navigation and more. The standard-looking fuel tank acts as a storage area with two USB ports and, in a separate section, the main charger port.

Dimensions

POWERTRAIN

Powered by the same ZF75-10 motor, this is the most powerful electric bike released by ZERO to date, after the SR/F. The ZF14.4 lithium-ion battery pumps enough juice to bring out 140 pound-feet of torque and 110 hp that will help it reach 124 mph. The SR/S has a 90-mile range at 70 mph, ten more than the SR/F, courtesy the aerodynamic fairing. An extra “optional Power Tank" accessory will give the SR/F as much as a 201-mile range around town at slow speeds.

Despite the fairing, the battery-motor unit gets the same amount of airflow the naked SR/F receives, saving the engineers from scrambling for new cooling solutions. The motor already boasts radial cooling fins to deal with the extra waste heat, and the main Lithium-Ion power pack rocks an aluminum heat-sink housing with cooling fins. A Gates Carbon Drive belt transmits the power to the rear. This “Power Pivot” keeps the drive-belt tension consistent regardless of the asymmetrical swingarm’s position.

The charging system comes with a 3.0-kW (standard) and a 6.0-kW (premium) option. The latter would allow a 0-95 percent charge in two hours. The Premium SR/S can also be equipped with an additional 6-kW rapid charging option, which would eventually bring down the charging time to just under an hour. Unfortunately, there’s still no DC fast-charger option.

Engine Specification

RIDE AND HANDLING

The same welded-pipe Trellis frame on the Zero SR/F provides the structure for the SR/S as well. The riding geometry sees a rather comfortable setup with the handlebar being 15mm wider, with 26mm more rise, and angled 2 degrees closer to the rider. This puts the rider a tad upright and natural with requiring a much lighter effort on the torso to dispense the SR/S side-to-side, corner after corner.

The comfort equation is improved with 20 mm lower footpegs, relaxing the overall rider triangle. Passenger comfort has also been enhanced with a larger pillion seat and lower rear footpegs, and to do this, a new subframe extends out farther than the SR/F’s that also carries the 12-volt auxiliary battery.

The chassis is equipped with adjustable Showa 43mm Big Piston SFF at the front and a 40mm Showa piggy-back reservoir shock at the rear with softer settings from the SR/F. Additionally, the rear spring is a single-rate unit compared to the progressive rate spring seen on the naked bike. The braking department sees J-Juan radial 4-piston calipers with radial master cylinder clutching onto a 320mm disc upfront and a single-piston floating caliper on 240 mm at the rear.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rubber on cast, 17-inch rims offer premium contact with the asphalt. The SR will come with Bosch Advanced MSC, riding modes, cornering ABS, regen, traction control, and torque control.

Chassis Specifications

PRICE

The base version of the SR/S is $19,995, and a premium SR/S (with a higher charging capacity, heated grips and aluminum bar ends) comes in at $21,995. A grand more than the SR/F streetfighter versions. The 3.6-kWh extended battery module costs an extra $2,895.

Zero has already begun shipping the SR/S via the 91 points in the U.S. and 200 globally — the largest for any e-motorcycle company. Zero says it’s got a full complement of matching luggage accessories set to be released shortly as well.

COMPETITION

Energica Ego

A permanent-magnet AC (PMAC) electric motor provides the drive. It cranks out 136 ponies from 4,900 through 10,500 rpm where the rev limiter kicks in, and a soul-crushing 143.8 pound-feet of torque from zero to 4,700. The battery rated for 1200 cycles can take charge in 3.5-hours or less, as low as 30 minutes for an 85-percent charge depending on the level of discharge and which of the four charging modes you use. Charge time and range are the hot-button topics on electric vehicles of any sort, and the Ego gives up around 93 miles at an average speed of 49 mph, which is fine for around town, but you can forget about any kind of road trips at high speed.

Marzocchi provides the ride at the front end, with 43 mm USD forks that come with adjustments for compression and rebound damping, as well as preload. A coil-over Bitubo monoshock acts directly on the radical swingarm sans linkage, and it too comes with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload. Brembo four-pot calipers bind the massive 330 mm front brake discs, and a twin pot Brembo grabs the 240 mm disc in back. The braking forces are moderated by the Bosch switchable ABS that also comes with a nifty anti-rear-wheel lift-up function.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Zero SR/F was hailed as the best streetfighter motorcycle powered by an electric powertrain that had the yummy goodness chunks to take on the competition with all might. And with it, Zero again stood firm as the world’s top EV bike builder. Wanting to step up in its own game, the California based manufacturer finally unveiled a sprightly new sports tourer – the Zero SR/S. The first for the company.

Although the range and power are unchanged, and a lack of DC Fast Charging is still an issue, but the design, finish, and, most importantly, riding quality of the SR/S are impressive things, relative to its siblings. This is what we come to expect from major players in the industry.

Zero has finally achieved the legitimacy badge with the SR siblings, and it says a lot for the company that matured over the years from a glorified mountain bike to full-fledged electric motorbikes in all categories.