2013–2015 · Electric Motorcycle · Buyer's Guide
Silent Punch, Enduro Light
Strip a dirt bike down to its essentials and hang a battery where the engine used to sit, and you get this. The FX ZF2.8 runs an air-cooled electric motor making 27 hp and 70 lb-ft, fed through a single speed and a belt, so there is no clutch, no shifting, and nothing to warm up. At 238 lb (108 kg) wet on a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear, it sits in dual-sport territory by geometry and in a category of one by drivetrain. Ride modes are part of the package. The rest of the bike is deliberately, almost stubbornly plain.
It rides like a light enduro that someone muted. The mass sits low and central, so it steers with your knees more than your arms, and the torque arrives the instant you ask rather than after a downshift. That suits short, dense riding: city miles, fire roads, a loop of tight pavement close to home. The honest caveat is ownership. This is an early electric machine with a recall history worth checking on paper before money changes hands, and the 35.4 in (899 mm) seat rules out a lot of riders before the first mile. Plan your charging and it works. Ignore it and it doesn't.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 27 hp (20 kW) @ 3,700 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 70 lb-ft (95 Nm) |
| Engine | Electric |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 1-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front tire | 21 inch dual-sport |
| Rear tire | 18 inch dual-sport |
| Seat height | 35.4 in (899 mm) |
| Wet weight | 238 lb (108 kg) |
Equipment check
Safety
The first mile rewires your ears. There is no idle, no exhaust note, just belt hum, the rustle of dual-sport tread, and wind past your helmet, which means you notice road surface and traffic in a way a combustion bike never lets you. Nothing buzzes through the pegs or the bars, so your hands stay fresh far longer than the seat does. Ergonomically it's enduro-plain: narrow between the knees, tall in the saddle, easy to stand on, with a flat perch that pushes you around rather than holding you. You lift it, lean it, and paddle it at walking pace with one boot down and barely a thought. At real road speed the sensation is oddly serene, a lot of motion with almost no drama attached to it, and you find yourself riding faster than the silence suggests.
This section isn't my test ride. It's what riders have told me over the years: paddock conversations, club nights, and the messages that land in my inbox from people living with one. On the FX ZF2.8 the chatter splits cleanly. The riding gets praise, the logistics get complaints.
Torque is what riders bring up first and most often. The pull arrives the instant the throttle moves, enough for hard drives off-road and for lifting the front wheel without much thought. Owners also describe a machine that is easy to point and light enough to change direction on a whim. The word that recurs is playful: curb-hopping, sliding on trails, short antics on backroads.
Range is the gripe riders raise most. Owners report roughly 35 miles (56 km) around town and closer to 15 miles (24 km) at highway speeds, which puts a ceiling on longer days and fast dual-sport use. A few report a thin dealer network and uneven service that complicates repairs and warranty claims.
DC-DC converter fault can temporarily disable ABS and lights
The 2015 DC-DC converter may have insufficient output power. During high power demand the anti-lock brakes (ABS) and all vehicle lights can temporarily stop functioning, increasing the risk of a crash. NHTSA recall 16V610000.
Battery water ingress leading to corrosion and fire risk
Early 2013 models had a manufacturing defect in the battery sealing compound that could allow water to penetrate the cells, causing corrosion, electrolyte leakage, and a potential rapid temperature increase with off-gassing.
Controller firmware fault can shut off power to the motor
A controller firmware fault can, under certain system faults, shut off power to the motor. A sudden loss of motor power may increase the risk of a crash. Affects MY2013 FX (and MY2012-2013 XU/S/DS). NHTSA recall 13V635000.
Where this Zero FX ZF2.8 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the FX ZF2.8 is actually built for.
For city miles and short weekend loops this fits you well: quiet, near maintenance-free, instant off the line. Just size up the 35.4 in seat first and build your charging around a real daily route.
Made for Austin · Bay Area Ridge Roads · Denver / Front Range
On tight, twisting ridge roads its light steering and clean torque are genuinely good fun. With 27 hp and dual-sport tires, though, treat it as a short-loop bike, not a long day out.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Zero FX ZF2.8. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
