You'd think two corporate cultures couldn't be more different than the late, great Buell motorcycle company and the Santa Cruz, California-based electric upstart known as Zero Motorcycles. But is the brave new world of battery-powered bikes really that different from the v-twin powered old guard?
Abe Askenazi doesn't think so, and he should know; the guy put in 15 years at the Wisconsin-based manufacturer under Harley-Davidson ownership, and when Buell was put out to pasture, he was drafted by Zero to infuse the company's products with more motorcycle-like characteristics.
Among the fruits of his labor are bikes like the 2011 Zero S, which I tested recently near the company's headquarters in Santa Cruz. Fresh off a $26 million infusion of cash, Zero is well positioned to bring electric motorcycles towards the mainstream.
I sat down with Abe at Zero's 2011 press launch to find out what connects the seemingly unrelated worlds of internal combustion and electric motorcycles; find out his perspective in this interview.
Related:
- 2011 Zero S Review: The Electric Motorcycle Grows Up... Sorta
- 2009 Zero X Review
- Zero XU Electric Motorcycle Adds Quick Charge, Removable Battery
- Zero S Photo Gallery
- Photo Gallery: Brammo's sub-$10,000, 100 mph Electric Empulse
- LA Eatery Uses Electric Motorcycle for Force of Good
- Zero MX Motorcycle Beats Gas Bikes in Offroad Challenge
Photo © Zero; click for Q&A
Whoa – This is really cool. It’s good to hear from someone inside Zero and get his perspective of the direction e-bikes are heading.