The Budget American Dual-Sport That Can Truly Handle The Wild Is The Zero FX

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Say 'budget dual-sport' and immediately a Japanese brand comes to mind. They have established themselves as leaders in most budget segments because of the mix of engineering, low maintenance, and low cost of purchase. American motorcycles, on the other hand, are known for being expensive cruisers and tourers. So saying 'budget American dual sport' can come as a surprise to many. There are more than two American motorcycle manufacturers, though, and if you comb through them, you'll find a wealth of motorcycles, including budget ones, and many different styles of motorcycles.

There are even a couple of incredibly good electric motorcycle manufacturers. One of them is Zero Motorcycles, a company that was founded nearly twenty years ago, and shipped its first model in significant numbers in 2010. This is also the year that Zero launched its first dual-sport motorcycle, the DS, and it has had a dual-sport in its lineup since then. Today, it is the budget American dual-sport that can truly handle the wild.

To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Zero Motorcycles and other authoritative sources.

Here's Why The Zero DSR/X Is The Most Versatile Electric Motorcycle

From city streets to off-road trails, this bike delivers performance, versatility, and cutting-edge tech for every kind of rider

Posts

The Zero FX Is The Budget American Dual-Sport That Can Truly Handle The Wild

Price: $12,495

The story of electric motorcycle manufacturers and the US market is a sad one. Zero is one of the few bright lights - it has seen brands like Brammo/Victory, Energica, and Alta come and go, but it has stayed steadfast. It has had a dual-sport model in its lineup since the first year it started shipping products in decent numbers. This model used to be called the DS, while the FX was the MX model. However, the FX is now the true dual-sport and the DS is actually an adventure bike. When it was an MX model, it won the Pikes Peak hill climb in its class, in 2013 and 2014. So today's Zero FX dual-sport even has some motorsport heritage!

The FX has a decent amount of range from its battery pack, although you can't add more with a power pack like you can with some of the other models. You can quick charge like the others, however, and with a great set of electronics, you've got great safety as well. Finally, it is priced reasonably - and that is why the Zero FX is the budget American dual-sport that can truly handle the wild.

Why We Picked The Zero FX

* Great torque delivery because of electric motor

* Good safety suite

* Level 3 charging is very fast

* One of only two dual sport bikes manufactured by an American brand

Zero FX Motor: Electric Performance

Great Performance, But More Range Will Be Useful

The FX uses the familiar Z-Force motor. This is an interior permanent magnet brushless motor that makes peak torque nearly off idle, so it is perfect for both city as well as off-road riding. It is air cooled, so there is none of the complexity or weight associated with a liquid cooling system. Look closely, and you'll notice that the torque figure of 79 pound-feet is around twice that of a 500 cc KTM Enduro motorcycle, so there is some fun that can be had here. The downside is the size of the battery pack and the range, though.

Unlike the street-oriented models in Zero's lineup, the FX doesn't have the option of the add-on 'Power Tank' extended battery capacity. That means that if you ride it like the hooligan it encourages you to be, you'll get under 60 miles from a full charge. Thankfully, there is an onboard charger. You can plug it in anywhere and have a cup of coffee. The level three charger will take just 1.3 hours to charge to 95 percent, but if you have the level 1 charger and hope to top it up from empty, it will take just under 10 hours.

There is no clutch or gearbox because this is an electric motor, and drive is sent to the rear wheel via a carbon belt. You can, however, temper the power delivery and increase range with the ride modes available. With its combination of passive air cooling, no clutch or gearbox and final belt drive, this is a 100 percent maintenance-free driveline. We like that considering how painful chain cleaning can be after an off-roading session!

Zero FX Motor And Battery Specifications

Motor Configuration

'Z-Force' 75-5 passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent magnet, brushless motor

Power

46 HP @ 4,300 RPM

Torque

79 LB-FT @ NA RPM

Transmission

Clutchless direct drive

Final Drive

Poly Chain HTD carbon belt drive

Battery Pack

'Z-Force' Li-ion intelligent integrated

Battery Capacity

7.2 kWh

Range City

102 Miles

Range Highway

57 Miles (high speed commuting)

Charge Time (Minimum)

1.8 hours to 100%/ 1.3 hours to 95%

Charge Time (Maximum)

9.7 hours to 100%/ 9.2 hours to 95%

The Cheapest Electric Motorcycle Available In 2025

This is an affordable solution to your urban mobility needs, and it's made in America!

Posts

Zero FX Chassis: Light And Strong

Made Of Aircraft Grade Aluminum

The FX is an electric vehicle, which means that it is going to be heavy. And that in turn means that extra effort needs to be made elsewhere, Zero has compensated for the heavy driveline by constructing a chassis made out of aircraft-grade aluminum, but stops short of calling it a trellis frame like it does with the street-oriented models. This chassis has been around in this form for over a decade, so there shouldn't be any reliability issues with it now.

The suspension is by specialist Showa, is fully adjustable, and has over 8 inches of travel at both ends. You get an enduro-sized 21/18 spoke wheel rim package with Pirelli Scorpion MT-90 tires. J.Juan brakes with single 240 mm discs at both ends have different calipers; a two-piston floating caliper at the front, and a single-piston caliper at the rear are present. They are equipped with Bosch switchable ABS.

Zero FX Chassis Specs And Dimensions

Chassis

Aircraft grade aluminum frame

Front Suspension

41mm Showa inverted cartridge forks, adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping; 8.6 inches travel

Rear Suspension

Showa single shock with 40 mm piston and piggyback reservoir, adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping; 8.94 inches travel

Front Tire And Wheel

90/90 21

Rear Tire And Wheel

120/80 18

Front Brakes

240 mm J.Juan disc with axial mount two piston floating caliper

Rear Brakes

240 mm J.Juan disc with axial mount single piston floating caliper

Length/Width/Height

NA inches

Wheelbase

56.6 inches

Rake

25.4 degrees

Trail

4.1 inches

Seat Height

34.7 inches

Ground Clearance

NA inches

Curb Weight

289 LBs

Zero FX Features

The Zero FX feature list is short and sweet, like a dual-sport bike's usually is. It has a 5-inch TFT color screen with Bluetooth connectivity. Via the Zero smartphone app, you can also customize it. The FX has an onboard charger, but it is the slowest of the lot - it takes nearly 10 hours for it to go from 0-100 percent battery, although you can plug into any available wall charger to charge the bike. Twin projector headlamps and the flyscreen above them give the FX a look reminiscent of the Buell XB from some angles. The options list offers things like LED indicators, luggage, and different footpegs. Of note are the quick charger, which costs up to $850, and the chain final drive kit to replace the belt drive if that's what you prefer.

Zero FX Notable Features

* 5-inch TFT color customizable display

* Bluetooth connectivity

* Onboard charger

* Three levels of chargers available

* Twin projector headlamps

* Fully adjustable suspension

* Switchable ABS

Why Kawasaki's Impressive Hybrid Motorcycles Won't Find A Market In the US

Kawasaki recently launched the world's first Strong-HEV motorcycles, but America's riders have few reasons to buy them.

Posts

Zero FX Competition

Really Good Competition

Let's get the gas-powered dual-sport bikes out of the way first. There are quite a few that you will find from Japan that will meet the requirements of both a budget vehicle as well as good performance. The KTM 390 Enduro R needs a special mention because of how it plans to disrupt the market with its features, power, and pricing. However, none of these are either American or electric. We're not considering the price equivalent bikes because they're all enduro machines that are high-strung.

Coming to electric dual-sport models, Stark Future has a model called the Varg EX that has a similar price as the Zero FX. The Varg EX offers a staggering 764 pound-feet and much better charge times than the Zero. However, it isn't American, either. For that we need to look at the Canadian Can-Am Origin that offers a giant touchscreen display, and a Rotax-designed liquid-cooled electric motor. It will also charge from 0-100 percent in just 90 mins with a quick charger. However, both these models are less than a year old and the FX also has motorsport pedigree. So they have some way to go before they prove their reliability and longevity like the Zero FX has.

Zero FX Vs Rivals

Model

Zero FX

Can-Am Origin

Stark Varg EX

Price

$12,495

$14,499

$12,990

Motor

Interior permanent magnet, passively air cooled

Rotax e-power, liquid-cooled

Liquid-cooled

Power

46 HP @ 4,300 RPM

47 HP @ NA RPM

80 HP @ NA RPM

Torque

79 LB-FT @ NA RPM

53 LB-FT @ 0-4,600 RPM

203 LB-FT @ 5,650 RPM