Zero XE & XB electric motorcycles: between mountain e-bike and sports enduro

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The US manufacturer Zero is the world market leader in electric motorcycles. Having previously distinguished itself with powerful bikes with a relatively long range, it is now expanding its range at the lower end of the performance scale. The Zero XE and Zero XB look somewhere between a mountain bike and a sports enduro and offer neither a lot of power nor a long range. However, they don't have to in off-road terrain and that's exactly where Zero places the two bikes' main area of use.

Two completely different bikes

While the Zero XE requires an A1 or B196 driver's license, the XB can even be ridden by 15-year-olds with an AM driver's license. It is therefore not surprising that the two electric motorcycles have hardly any components in common. While the XE boasts a peak output of 15.5 kW and a continuous output of 11 kW, the XB has a peak output of just 7.5 kW. The more powerful of the two electric bikes not only looks more grown-up in terms of design, but also visually resembles an enduro with a combustion engine. This is due to the trick of placing a white and red plastic cover above the battery, which is somewhat reminiscent of a tank. The seat is long and flat, with a motocross-style rear fender behind it, except that a license plate holder is mounted on it, which carries a rear light and indicators.

Fully adjustable chassis

The upside-down fork makes a stable impression and can be fully adjusted without tools using the rotary knobs on the top of the fork legs. The rear shock absorber strut – is also fully adjustable – and has an external reservoir. It is connected to the aluminum swingarm via a linkage. The frame, which contains the battery and holds the electric motor as a load-bearing element, is also made of aluminum.

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Zero XE / XB (8 Bilder)

Zero chose the wheels in the 21  inch front and 18  inch rear sizes preferred by off-roaders. Obviously, the XE is fitted with tires with a coarse tread as standard, although Zero has not yet disclosed the brand. The narrow front mudguard sits high above the wheel, the suspension travel measures a decent 215 mm at the front and 248 mm at the rear.

TFT display on the left of the handlebars

Two LED projection headlights arranged one above the other are designed to cast bright light on dark paths. Zero has come up with an original idea for the 2.4-inch TFT display: it is located at the left end of the handlebar, right next to the rubber grip. Although not a lot of information fits on the small screen, the most important information does, and the control buttons are located directly underneath. The slip control can also be switched off here at the touch of a button, which off-road riders will welcome.

Zero has also gone to great lengths to make its XE look grown-up in other respects: it has three riding modes: Eco, Standard and Sport, the recuperation is adjustable, a hill-hold function prevents the motorcycle from rolling away on inclines and a tilt sensor detects a fall and switches off the engine. It should be possible to adjust the final drive ratio, but Zero does not explain how, although the chain to the rear wheel is not geared differently.

Alleged range of 100 km

The XE has a 4.3 kWh lithium-ion battery and Zero puts the range at a constant speed of 50 at 100 km. With a charging capacity of 800 watts, it takes 5.5 hours at the socket to get from 0 to 100 percent. The small size of the battery was probably chosen because of its weight: according to the manufacturer, the XE weighs 101 kg, so it should perform well off-road, especially as its fully adjustable chassis is designed for this. However, with a seat height of 900 mm, it is quite high and the narrow seat is not exactly inviting.

Smaller XB

The smaller Zero XB almost looks like a souped-up e-mountainbike. Everything about it is smaller compared to the XE. The seat is significantly shorter, the rear mudguard is almost non-existent, the rear light is only bolted on, the swingarm is slimmer and the wheels have a diameter of 19  inches.

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Zero XE / XB II (7 Bilder)

The suspension travel is shorter at 195 mm at the front and 176 mm at the rear and the suspension strut is more delicate. The brake with the 220 mm brake disk at the front could also be found on a bicycle. Only the two LED headlights appear to match those on the XE.

Speed specification cannot be correct

On the other hand, the XB is considerably lighter at 63 kg, which is mainly due to its battery, which only stores 2.4 kW of power. The empty battery can be fully recharged within three hours using the charger supplied. Adapted to the AM l driving license, the electric motor provides four kW of continuous power, but offers 7.5 kW at peak times. Zero states a range of 75 km at a speed of 50 km/h. The problem with this figure is that vehicles in the AM class are not allowed to travel faster than 45 km/h.

Frame open at the top

The aluminum frame of the XB is open at the top and secured there with a lockable bracket. This makes it easy to remove the battery. Zero advertises that the rider can quickly replace the battery if necessary, but does not specify how much a second battery would cost. Zero sees the XB primarily as a fun vehicle for off-road excursions, but also for commuting. It remains to be seen how much sense a spartan off-road bike with a maximum speed of 45 km/h makes on public roads.

Both models can already be ordered online on the Zero homepage for a reservation fee of 100 Euro. The prices are quoted at 6400 Euro for the XE and 4400 Euro for the XB. In America, there are areas where enduro riders can let off steam to their heart's content, but such activities are generally not legal in Europe. The new Zero models will probably only find a small target group in Europe. KTM has been trying to convince off-road riders with its Freeride E for ten years, but has yet to achieve any significant sales figures.

(vbr)