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May 13, 2023

Zero Reteams With Huge Design To Create Sci

The Huge Design SR-X concept electric motorcycle is a Zero Motors SR/S at its

The Huge Design SR-X concept electric motorcycle is a Zero Motors SR/S at its core, and retains the ... [+] speed and power of the stock bike.

Many motorcycle enthusiasts would consider recent models from electric motorcycle maker Zero Motors to be cutting edge just because they run on electrons instead of gasoline, but in recent years, the California-based company has been tinkering with their aesthetics to even further depart from the norm.

A few years back, Zero caught wind of a makeover Huge Design gave to a Honda sportbike and teamed with the design house to create the SM Custom, a sleek, slim and positively urban-focused lighter-weight electric bike that took the unusual route of going from concept bike to production motorcycle with only minimal cosmetic changes. Today, the SM Custom is sold as the Zero FXE (review below).

Zero went back to Huge and this time let them have their way with the company's halo street bike, the SR/S, which was already a looker (photo at end of story). Huge Design has now returned with the SR-X, and stripped away most of the SR/S's aero bodywork in exchange for a future-look design that would fit in most movies set in the year 2050. Or maybe later.

Huge Design stripped away the SR/S bodywork and added a ducted, flowing futuristic look.

The changes to the SR-X echo a 2016 Huge design exercise called the Mono Racer that was built around a Honda 1,000cc sportbike, but the SR-X is even more radical. The SR/S windscreen has been tripped away and instead of the quad set of headlights on the stock bike, a wide line of LEDs lights the way forward. Out back, a round LED tail light projects red light from the brief, upturned tail section.

Large footpegs ride on even larger concentric-style mounts. Riders could change their position for ... [+] comfort - or aggressive sport riding.

Amidships, the stock footpegs have been replaced by large round concentric-style pieces that hold machined pegs. Up top, the SR/S handlebars have been swapped out for some lower racer-type clip-on bars mated to the stock fork tubes. This being a concept bike, there are no rearview mirrors since that information is likely pumped directly to your optic nerves in this bike's era. Bodywork that wouldn't be out of place on the lightcycles in Tron: Legacy surrounds the battery pack and flows over the top of the SR-X.

Front LED bar is seamless and accented by the red stripe. SR/S windscreen is long gone.

"This bike is an attempt to define a new sub-category for high performance electric, something between a streetfighter and a track bike," Huge design lead Bill Webb said in press release. "We wanted true sport riders to appreciate the subtle and balanced design approach—modern, futuristic and clean without sacrificing the raw-performance look and overtly mechanical appeal of high-performance motorcycles."

Tail-up seat pan is a hot trend in the custom world; round LED tail light has a turbine feel to it.

The SR-X is built on an undiluted SR/S mechanical platform, so it retains its stock suspension, brakes and 110 horsepower electric drivetrain that features a massive 140 pound feet of torque.

For maximum efficiency, Zero motorcycles drive the rear wheel right off the electric motor's driveshaft, there are no gears, although some bikes can also go slowly backwards depending on the model. Range from the 17.3kWh battery is about 100 miles depending on load and enthusiasm while riding. Top speed is electronically limited to 135 miles an hour.

The 2020 Zero SR/S at rest. Not for long, though. I put a lot of miles on it.

Will the SR-X mimic the FXE and make its way into production largely unchanged? That's the beauty of an electric concept motorcycle: It's a shorter hop to reality (and real production) than the revisions a gas powered concept bike requires to see the light of day in the showroom. "At Zero Motorcycles, we are driven by a passion for design and technology, and the SR-X is the perfect expression of this passion," Brian Wismann, VP of Product Development at Zero said in the press release. "We can't wait to see how this concept bike will inspire the future of the industry and continue to push the boundaries of what's possible."

Never say never.