Terry Hershner Attempting E-Bike Cross-Country Record Aboard Zero S

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

E-bike mega-miler, Terry Hershner, is at it again. In June of last year, Hershner became the first person to cross the United States on an electric motorcycle. This time, he’s attempting to become the fastest person to cross the country on an electric bike, going from San Diego, California to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and he’s doing it with a passenger!

The record is currently held by Moto Electra, with rider Thad Wolff at the controls. They did the trip in three days, coming east from Florida and ending at the Santa Monica pier in California. Hershner, along with friend and passenger, Bun Bun, is attempting to complete the trip in just two and a half days.

As you can imagine, Hershner’s 2012 Zero S is modified to the extreme. Stock, the Zero ZF9 battery pack puts out nine kWh and takes eight hours to charge. Hershner’s bike doubles the kWh output and can charge in just one hour, thanks to the addition of numerous Elcon 2500 PFC chargers and a tank bag full of various power adapters. Whether it’s a J1772, NEMA 14-50 (like you would see at laundromats) or anything in between, Hershner can make it work, and often uses multiple charging stations in unison for optimum power output and fast charge times.

Then there’s the aerodynamics. Working with the famed Craig Vetter, the two created the “dustbin” fairing seen at the front of the bike, but for a while the rear bodywork ended with a stub just rear of the subframe. Vetter and Hershner took two months to design, fabricate and install the tail piece for optimum air flow and minimal drag. Currently, the bike is capable of nearly 200 miles on a single charge — very impressive for a motorcycle that started life as a standard Zero S!

Hershner and Bun Bun are currently en route to Florida as of this posting. You can keep track of Terry’s progress by following his Off The Grid Facebook page.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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