2012 Zero Motorcycles Lineup Enters Production

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung
Zero Motorcycles recently celebrated the start of production for its 2012 model lineup, including the first electric motorcycles to claim a range over 100 miles.

The first 2012 Zero model off the line was the Zero DS dual sport, available with a 6 or 9 kWh Z-Force powerpack. The 9 kWh version claims a range of 112 miles by measure of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) testing.

Zero also claims a range of 62 km when traveling at a highway speed of 70 mph. The 6 kWh version claims a range of 76 mils by the UDDS standard, and 42 miles at highway speed. Zero also claims a top speed of 80 mph for the 2012 DS. The street-oriented 2012 Zero S offers slightly better range, claiming 114 miles for the 9 kWh pack and 76 miles for the 6 kWh version (63 miles/43 miles at 70 mph).

The 2012 streetbike lineup also includes the Zero XU which claims a light weight of 221 pounds and a low 31.5 inch seat height. The XU also features a removable power pack, so riders won’t need to worry about having to park near a charging station. With a 3 kWh powerpack, the XU has a shorter range than the S and DS, claiming a range of 42 miles (28 at highway speeds). The three streetbike models make use of regenerative braking to charge the powerpack, and use low-maintenance belt drives.

Joining the three street models are Zero’s two off-road models, the Zero X and the Zero MX. Both feature removable powerpacks. The MX is the lighter of the two (200 pounds claimed), and promises a 45-90 minutes of motocross-style riding or 60-120 minutes of trail riding. The Zero X also claims to be sufficient for 60-120 minutes of trail riding, and is street legal, claiming a range of 38 miles by the UDDS standard.

[Source: Zero Motorcycles]

Related Reading
2012 Zero Electric Motorcycle Lineup Unveiled [Video]

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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