Before I tried out the Zero DS, an electric Dual Sport motorcycle by Zero Motocycles of Scott’s Valley, California; I theorized that an electric motorcycle would be impractical for a law enforcement application. But wouldn’t you know the Zero DS proved itself worthy, and even exposed some patrol applications that hadn’t occurred to us until this test.
For the record: I ran Zero DS for over a week anytime I had even a moment to run it. I used it for every conceivable situation, as often as possible, and I tried every charging scenario I could imagine. I ran the Zero DS in shallow water, triple digit weather and over fairly uneven terrain. Throughout, the motorcycle ran as advertised and turned in impressive performance. I tried it with soft panniers, to simulate having clipboards and forms on board on patrol duty. I got tired of dragging them through dirt and branches, so I took them off.
The Zero DS is a midsized bike at 297 pounds. If I were to compare its handling to a conventional motorcycle, I would say it feels like a 350-400 cc supermoto. It was pretty competent in winding roadways and 56.3 inches of wheelbase, coupled with a very unique frame and swing arm.
The controls and console are pretty standard for a motorcycle, except for the lack of a clutch, tachometer and the presence of a throttle switch. This is a rocker switch that sits where the right thumb rests. The large part of the switch disconnects the throttle for safety.
With the standard seat, it sits a little high at 35.8 inches. The optional seat brings it down almost three inches. I’m average height, and 35 inches was just right for me. This was the first advantage of having a dual sport law enforcement tool: The officer can see over the average sedan when seated.
Zero claims to have about a 4-hour recharge time. There is a charge indicator near where one plugs it in, which consists of a series of indicator LEDs. One plugs it into a standard 110-Volt outlet using a pigtail that looks exactly like the three-pronged male end of the old computer tower/monitor plugs. The bike comes with the cord that connects to the pigtail, which I stuck into my cargo pocket whenever I rode out of town. A quick charge module cuts the charge time to 2.3 hours. I didn’t use one, nor did I need one. It never took four hours to charge, even when I nearly depleted the power pack. Charge time was usually closer to 3.5 hours, as long as the charge indicator in the cockpit has one or two bars left.
I also toyed with the charge a bit. I figured some officers would pull into the station in the middle of a shift with a half charge and plug it in to top it off. I topped it off for an hour from a little more than half a charge a few times and often interrupted the charge, stopping at a 3/4 level several times. This did not affect performance or capacity.
The Zero DS charge indicator consists of ascending horizontal bars on the right side of the console. It even has a gas pump icon, which appeals to my dry sense of humor. They accurately indicate the charge, except they begin to rapidly disappear when one cranks hard on the throttle, only to reappear when one lets off. This, apparently, is encouragement to conserve the battery pack, which I didn’t. Really, the DS cost about $.48 to recharge, which means that several plugged in simultaneously won’t spin my electric meter any faster. It was plain cheap to run.
Zero advertises a maximum range of 58 miles. This varies, depending on riding style. I experimented with this a bit and found that I did get more than twice the mileage riding at approximately 30 miles an hour then 60 mph. However, twice the mileage is not worth half the fun, and I was satisfied that I could get about 25-30 miles or so on a brisk ride. I got a little bored on the back roads and kept passing cars. Yes, I got over 50 miles per hour during several rides. In its law enforcement application, this is really perfect. The bike can literally do 4-5 miles an hour, a walking pace. When needed, officers can be at 60 mph in a matter of seconds.
Like a gas product, I reduced the cruising range when I accelerated hard and ran it fast. Since two-wheel therapy has been proven to be highly effective, I recommend kicking up a little gravel daily.
There are several similar designs out there, but the Zero models use second generation Lithium Ion power packs that are monitored to deliver a combination of power and reliability.
The Zero DS has a dual sport suspension, HB Performance single front and rear disc brakes with steel braided lines. The standard parts would be custom or premium aftermarket parts on most other bikes. The lightweight anodized 17-inch wheels and belt drive give the bike a unique appearance and handling characteristics.
I like dual sport bikes because I like options. This one has generous travel in the rear swing arm lightweight inverted forks. I’m only average in my off road skills, but the DS was up to the challenge.
The powerplant for the Zero Motorcycle is an axial flux motor with forced air cooling. I had to look this one up. The stator (remember the rotor and stator in the homemade DC motor at the science fair?) and the rotor face each other like hard drive discs on a computer. This setup allows for maximizing torque in a small package, and efficiency when maximum torque is not needed, like for coasting. Somehow, Zero has modulated the power so it accelerates evenly until it gets a few feet over the line, then it kicks in.
Many agencies will see this product as a public relations tool. You know, it’s electric and the agency can demonstrate they recognize the need for green transportation. While this is OK, the true potential for the Zero DS is in enforcement. The Zero DS can stealthily get right up on a call while the rider sees over the tops of vehicles during the approach. Officer safety is improved using invisible deployment, where the officer is on scene before the violator knows it. This is pretty easy on a street filled with residences. It’s tougher when there is some distance between houses and approaches by road are obvious. The Zero DS changes the paradigm a little here.
This is one thing that has to changed in the LE version of this product – it has to be capable of blacked out drive. It can sneak up on a crime in progress and negotiate just about any terrain you can put a motorcycle through.
I made it a point to cycle it several times day. I rode it hard for an hour, came back, and charged it. However, I only charged it for an hour and a half and then rode again. When I returned it to my garage this time, I let it sit overnight. I cycled the motorcycle several times like this. It still gave me full-service, even if I charged it from a "half tank". If I interrupted the charging after only an hour, it still gave me about three quarters capacity and service.
There were a couple of instances where I really had an opportunity to test the bike’s handling features. First, a vehicle pulled out in front of me while I had it completely throttled out. It braked evenly, without brake dive.
Another time I was making a turn in front of traffic at an intersection when I discovered the evidence of a major engine blowout with at least 100 feet of the oil slick that covered more than half the road. I was already into the turn when I realized I had no traction. I put my foot down and my foot slid on a sheet of oil. Since I was headed for traffic in the other lane I got back up on the peg and accelerated out of the turn, riding the bike. I would say that this bike has ideal handling.
The engine has a high-efficiency forced air system underneath the saddle. When one initially turns the key, the fan starts up – the Zero version of “powering up”. This whisper, by the way, is as loud as it gets. I don't completely understand the technology, but forced air raises the efficiency of the motor and increases its longevity. Whatever it does, the direct drive creates responsiveness at the twist of the wrist that rivals most midsize motorcycles. This kind of surprised me, because when one initially throttles this bike it appears as if it was going to start up gradually. Having kept up with a few of those noisy road bikes behind at intersections, I can attest to its road worthiness. It’s no quarter-miler, but it is more than satisfactory. I found that the lack of engine (or any) noise made the officer as approachable as a Segway rider. The difference is the fact that officers on patrol riding Segways can’t back up another officer on the other side of town.
When I let officers with motor experience check out the Zero DS, I got a couple comments that startled me. The first was, “I’d make a traffic stop on this”. I experimented with this a little, simulating a dozen traffic stops from a city intersection. I definitely wouldn’t make routine stops in a 55 MPH zone (like I was doing), simply because one would be limited for a dozen or so stops. I would use this for campus or city park traffic enforcement, which is its ideal venue.
I rode this bike through city neighborhoods at night. This is Patrol 101: Invisible deployment is a component of officer safety. The Zero DS can jump curbs, grind through construction sites, ford streams and make less noise than a mountain bike. If the call is a high stakes in-progress incident, this vehicle can be on top of it before anyone even knows about it. Obviously, the police package should include complete blackout, including the charge indicator LEDs at foot level.
The Zero DS advantage?
Anytime an agency would use bicycle patrol, the Zero DS has the edge. This motor can roll along at a walking pace, about 4-5 mph, which is hard to maintain on a bicycle. If needed, 65 mph to the hot call is doable. I rolled the DS through a city park, over the grass, without damage to the lawn, at about 40mph, which is a tactical advantage over any bike patrol.
Anytime an agency would need stealthy special enforcement for the likes of business and bar checks, the DS can negotiate traffic, alleys and even stairs, just like any “enduro type” of motor patrol. I can think of a couple of crank lab cases that would have been easier with the DS.
Its roder can have a special assignment for a city, or county that has a park, or sport complex area where the assignment mixes public enforcement and public service. I can think of several parks like Central Park in NYC, Balboa Park in San Diego and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota where an electric vehicle would be the undisputed champ for patrol.
I’d actually like to see this product become a patrol vehicle in our National Parks.
I did a lot of testing in the general vicinity of California State University, Stanislaus. Stanislaus State is enjoying their second year on the US News and World Report Best Colleges ranking and the Princeton Review Best Colleges ranking for the 6th year. For me, it was the perfect testing area, because the medium sized campus is right in the middle of a medium sized city. On this campus, there isn’t a building entrance, dormitory or campus entrance more than a few minutes away by a centrally located officer, traveling the posted speed limit.
Does the Zero DS have a down side? It does. This is a second generation power pack, and I think a 58-mile limit keeps it within city, park or campus limits. The technology is only getting better, and Zero is on the cutting edge here. I think Zero Motorcycles Inc. holds the key to the future of electric patrol.
