The 2022 Zero FX ZF7.2 Is an Electric Bike

The all-electric 2022 Zero FX is a jack of all trades. While I’m not partial to that oft-repeated phrase, the addition I’ve heard lately adds something I think makes it work: A jack of all trades, master of none, but still better than a master of one. That’s because I think we lose sight of overall capability when we talk about all the masters of one. To get more news about himiway ebike, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

Think of all the one-trick ponies available today. You’ve got the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the Ducati Panigale Superleggera V4, Alpinestars’ GP Pro v2 race suit, Barrett’s MRAD, a Red Dragon, a B2 Spirit, or a pair of Christian Louboutin. These are all fantastic, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something better suited for their intended tasks. But get them outside of those confines, and they just won’t work. The Zero FX is the complete opposite and better for it.

Do you want to run single-track dirt and crawl over rocks? The Zero’s ready, though knobbier tires would be beneficial. How about blazing mountain roads, dropping a knee, and scraping the kickstand and footpegs? “Let’s go!” says the Zero, but it won’t be as thrilling as a sport bike. Do you need to just hop around town and jump curbs? Yes and yes, but battery range will be a consideration.

It may not have a specific discipline, but the breadth of what it’s capable of doing is far better than any specialized weapon.

Founded in 2006 by Neil Saiki—a former NASA engineer—Zero’s quietly (get it?) made a name for itself in the motorcycling industry. In addition to the FX, it also makes a handful of sport and naked electric motorcycles, with the FX occupying the lightweight dual-sport/motorcross portion of the company’s lineup.

The most talked-about electric vehicle stat is, of course, range. The Zero’s is pretty dang average. Factory specs say the 7.2-kWh battery (there’s a cheaper 3.6-kWh option) is good for 91 mpge city, 39 highway (at 70 mph), and 54 combined. Real-world miles are between 60 and 80 per charge, which is comparable to motorcycles of similar size and weight (Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Honda CRF450). I routinely got around 70 to 80 miles per charge, even though I’m not exactly a lithe test rider.

If you live somewhere close to fun roads and trails or you can load it up into the bed of a truck like a dirt bike—as I did a couple of times—you’ve got more than enough range to have fun. That said, it was tough for me to see its license plate and not feel like a turkey loading it into the back of a pickup.

Charging the FX is easy, though it takes a while. Zero dropped the FX off with the standard 120-volt charging cord, and it was slow to get up to a full charge. I really didn’t feel too constrained by its slower uptake because I often ride in the afternoon and let it charge overnight. An optional quick charger is available for an extra $640 and cuts the charge time in half. I’d get it just to get back to having fun quicker.

Zero’s FX is designed to be a dual-sport motorcycle, meaning it’s supposed to be capable of fun on both pavement and dirt. The company’s engineers must have been listening to Tay Money, as it understood the assignment.

As for looks, there’s not much to call it out as an electric motorcycle. It just looks like a nice dirt bike. The only giveaway, aside from the lack of exhaust and noise, are the golden fins of the motor in between the bike’s frame. I will say that its light design is interesting and I’m not sure it’s the way I’d go, but it’s certainly eye-catching.

The FX comes with Showa adjustable forks (8.6 inches of travel) combined with a Showa adjustable shock (8.9 inches of travel) in the rear. I’m not sure how they did it, but the dampening and rebound are set up damn near perfectly for either discipline. Out on the trails, the shocks soak up large rocks and rutted paths, reducing the strain felt through your arms and legs. And while softer sprung than some on pavement, it doesn’t feel spongy like some ADVs, likely helped by its featherweight 289 pounds. You can easily keep up with all your sport bike friends, even those with Ducati Streetfighters.

Aiding the FX’s capabilities is the bike’s brushless motor, which puts out 46 horsepower and 78 pound-feet of torque through a belt drive. An optional chain drive is available for better off-road durability and is a necessity if you're going to use it as a true dual-sport. At low- and high-throttle input, it’s a delight and extremely manageable. You’ve got nanometer accuracy in its throttle delivery. Just above low-throttle input, though, there’s this swell of torque that can catch you out if you’re not careful. There’s also zero traction control, so when you’re out running trails, you’re likely to end up in the dirt at some point. You get used to it, but a more linear power band would be beneficial.