2020 Zero SR/F and SR/S
- Power: 110 horsepower at 5,000 rpm; 140 ft.-lbs of torque
- Range: Between 82 miles and 161 miles, depending on how you ride it; 200 mile range with Power Tank add-on
- Charge time: at standard speed: 4.5 hours for the Standard version; 2.5 hours for the Premium. If the 6kW rapid charge option is installed, it’s a claimed 1.8 hours for the Standard and 1.5 hours for the Premium.
- Price: SR/S: $19,995 for the Standard; $21,995 for the Premium. SR/F: $19,495 for the Standard; $21,495 for the Premium
Do you like your electric bike faired or unfaired? If you love a naked bike that doesn’t hide behind a bunch of plastic, the SR/F just might be the electric bike for you. Clearly, this is all down to personal preference, but I personally think the SR/F is the better looking of the two Zeros on this list. Obviously, your taste may be completely different, and that’s one of the beautiful things about motorcycling.
It’s slightly less expensive, presumably because the two bikes are otherwise just about the same in terms of specs, only this one has less plastic. Curb weight for the SR/F is also 485 pounds for the Standard or 498 pounds for the Premium, while the SR/S is 505 pounds for the Standard and 516 pounds for the Premium.
Choose the SR/S over its naked sibling, the SR/F, and Zero says you get a 13 percent increase in highway efficiency and range thanks to its fairing. You’ll have to crouch down and tuck behind that windscreen to tap into the full benefit here, but the ergonomics make it seem as though you’d feel compelled to do that, anyway.
The SR/S has lower foot pegs and higher handlebars for a more upright, relaxed riding position when you’re seated neutrally and not crouched. If you’re looking for a practical, everyday commuter that can also have some fun, and comes with a two-year warranty on the bike and a five-year, unlimited mile warranty on the power pack, this could be your bike.
zeromotorcycles.com
Energica Ego and Ego +
- Power: 145 horsepower (continuous); 148 ft-lbs of torque for the Ego and 159 ft-lbs of torque for the Ego +
- Range: Ego: 124 miles City, 80 miles “Extra-Urban”, 100 miles combined. Ego +: 250 miles City, 112 miles “Extra-Urban”, 143 miles combined.
- Charge time: DC fast charge mode 4: 250 miles per hour, or 80 percent of full charge in 40 minutes. Slow charge mode 2 or 3: 42 miles per hour.
- Price: Ego: $19,540; Ego +: $23,870
If sportbikes are your thing, it’s difficult to deny Energica’s appeal. The gorgeous Ego was the first to set hearts alight, and all that really separates the Ego and Ego + is whether you opt for the 13.4 kWh base battery pack or the upgraded 21.5 kWh unit that gives it the little “+” next to its name.
Either bike is available in your choice of Asteroid Gray or Rosso Corsa at no additional charge. If you want the fancy Sport Black kit, which echoes its MotoE livery and may apparently change slightly depending on sponsorship, it’ll cost you an additional $2,714. That does get you some pretty nice red seat stitching that really stands out against the black saddle and fairing, and echoes that trellis frame quite nicely.
energicamotorusa.com
Energica Eva Ribelle
- Power: 145 horsepower at 6,000 rpm; 159 ft-lbs of torque
- Range: 250 miles City, 112 miles “Extra-Urban”, 143 miles combined
- Charge time: DC fast charge mode 4: 250 miles per hour, or 80 percent of full charge in 40 minutes. Slow charge mode 2 or 3: 42 miles per hour.
- Price: $22,160
If you’re looking at the Eva Ribelle side by side with the Ego+, you’ll see that the specs are very similar. By now, you also probably already know whether you’d take this streetfighter over the fully-faired sportbike version or not. There’s not really a right or wrong answer; it’s more a matter of personal preference than anything.
All else being equal, it’s worth noting that the Eva Ribelle is $1,710 less than the Ego +, if that affects your decision-making process at all. Either one is still a significant chunk of change, but if you need to justify it to yourself or someone else as the more responsible choice, we’ve just given you a miniscule bit of math to help you along the way. You’re welcome.
energicamotorusa.com
Damon Hypersport HS and Premier
- Power: 200 horsepower; no torque figure given
- Range: 200 miles combined, city and highway
- Charge time: less than 3 hours at level 2
- Price: Hypersport HS: $24,995; Hypersport Premier: $39,995
To be absolutely clear, Canadian company Damon Motorcycles is currently taking orders for both the Hypersport HS and Hypersport Premier. However, the first physical bikes aren’t expected to roll out until 2021. The company’s model is based on building bikes to order, which sets it apart from the other manufacturers on this list.
Given that we’re already into the middle of July, 2020 at the time of writing, that doesn’t seem completely unreasonable. Order books for the less expensive HS are full for 2021, so be aware that if you opt for an HS, you won’t see it until 2022.
What’s the difference between the two? For almost $15,000 extra, the Premier boasts the benefit of Brembo brakes, full Öhlins suspension, and a single-sided swingarm. Styling is also a bit different, and you get your choice of Arctic Sun or Midnight Sun colorways with the Premier. Meanwhile, the HS only comes in Damon yellow. A fully refundable reservation for the HS is $100, or it’s $1000 for the Premier.
It’s worth noting that this is the only bike on this list that hasn’t spent time in the real world yet, so it will be interesting to see how well the real-life experience stacks up against presentations on paper.
damon.com
Lightning LS-218
- Power: 200 horsepower; 168 ft.-lbs of torque
- Range: 100 miles average range at highway speed; can get up to 160 to 180 miles per charge with the 20kWh battery pack option
- Charge time: 30 minutes with DC fast charging; 120 minutes on a level 2 charger
- Price: ranges from $38,888 for the 12kWh to $42,888 for the 16kWh version and $46,888 for the 20kWh version
LS-218 isn’t the name of a moon orbiting Calpamos. Instead, Lightning set a 2011 land speed record at 215.960 mph while achieving a top speed of 218.637 mph that same day, and that’s where its halo model got that name.
You get some pretty nice hardware on the LS-218, including RaceTech forks with Öhlins NIX30 cartridge internals. There’s also an option to upgrade to Öhlins FGRT inverted forks instead. Front suspension has fully adjustable spring preload, compression, and rebound damping. Rear suspension is comprised of a billet aluminum swingarm and an Öhlins TTX36 Shock and linkage system with preload, ride height, and high and low-speed compression and rebound adjustability. Brembo brakes stop you all around, and total weight of the bike is 495 pounds.
What’s it like to ride? In a piece where Motorcyclist magazine pitted a Kawasaki H2 against the Lightning LS-218 in a drag race, journalist Zack Courts wrote, “What it means is that the end of this drag race is actually just the beginning of a new era of competition. The Lightning LS-218 isn’t perfect, but the fact that there’s even a conversation—that an electric bike actually creates feelings that are hard to describe—holds more potential than just horsepower.”
lightningmotorcycle.com
