Zero’s new SR/F is a sub-500 pound street fighter with over 100 horsepower and 140 ft-lb of torque. While it has not yet been released to the public, the electric bike will allegedly hit customers later this month. Shortly after the production bike is released, a lightly modified version will compete at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this June.
The entry list for this year’s PPIHC was recently released, and it shows that the Zero will be competing in the Pikes Peak Heavyweight class against a series of gasoline powered big-bore European and Japanese bikes from the incredible Aprilia Tuono to a scad of BMWs.
Interestingly, the Zero will not be the only electric bike in the class, as it will be joined by an electrified KTM Superduke chassis built by the students of the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The current record is a 9:49.625 set by a KTM Superduke 1290 R, which is quite impressive. Any number of things can happen on the mountain, and that’s why they run the race, but with two EVs on the roster, it might not be too wild to assume the record is going to fall again this year. Considering the race runs from about 8000 feet above sea level to over 14000 feet above sea level means the electrics will have a power advantage at altitude.
The last time an electric bike set a record on the mountain was in 2013 when a Lightning Electric Superbike ran a 10:00.694. With advancements in EV power and tire technology since 2013, so long as the weather holds, it shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.
Via RideApart