Electric Motorcycling - Pure Energy
Arcadia Bluffs Overlook The ignition key turns - a click, then silence. With no clutch to release, all that’s left to do is twist the throttle which is not a throttle at all. The spring-loaded rheostat sends a signal to the motor controller to release the flow of electrons. With a high-frequency whirr of a Star Wars speeder, the bike weaves through the tree-lined city streets scattering a few squirrels that have not encountered this strange beast: a Zero. An electric motorcycle lets me savor not only the sights and smells of my environment when freed from the metal and glass cage, but also the sounds. Gone is the incessant drone of the engine and the click of the gear shift leaving the crashing of waves on the beach, a laughing seagull, the rush of wind. Enduro, dual-sport, or adventure bike - whatever the name - the Zero DSR seems to float across pavement, gravel, and dirt to my campsite. With only a standard electrical receptacle next to my tent, the bike gorges on electrons