300 Miles… To Mars?

Zaiser claim this will be the world’s first twin-hub electric motorcycle with a 300-mile range, 120 mph top speed, fast charging, advanced safety features and more! Built with sustainability in mind and crafted with the most cutting-edge materials, the Colorado start-up wants the Electrocycle to be the safest, most stylish, and most exciting motorcycle out on the market!

Apologies to the US rockers, 30 Seconds to Mars for the play on their name in the title. However, I’m sure Zaiser’s CEO, Anthony Cross; a former musician and fellow countryman to the LA based trio will appreciate the quip. Zaiser, who recently went live on WeFunder, are counting on the futuristic style, engineering, host of novel tech and sustainability to drive investment in the Electrocycle project.

Eager to learn more about this curious beast, I caught up with Anthony to get the skinny on this ambitious project. The CEO was very clear in communicating that the ethos of Zaiser is to build bikes that he and his co-founders would like to ride, “At Zaiser Motors, we recognise that traditional ICE motorcycles are being phased out, and the existing electric motorcycle market leaves new rider demand underserved.” Wow! This piqued my interest straight away… my uncle built (and competition trailed) AJS at their Thruxton based competition workshop.

His next sentence grabbed my attention further, “We emphasise sustainability, the right to repair and safety.” Well, we all want safety in a motorcycle, right? But sustainability and the right to repair? That’s right out of Pirsig’s, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance! Cross continued, “By making use of existing safety systems, years of electric motor innovations and aerospace-quality composites for safety, speed and style, our state-of-the-art Electrocycle is the safest and most rider-oriented electric motorcycle available. Our aim is to recycle most (if not all) of our components within the first 10 years of production. Additionally, we believe a core element in established motorcycling culture is the ability to work on a bike yourself, which is why we plan to adopt a ‘right to repair’ service philosophy.”

The Electrocycle will feature some innovative, if not challenging, features. First up, hub motors front and back! Whilst two-wheel drive is not exactly a new idea in motorcycling, It is rare. And on eMotorcycles? It’s probably less likely to pass from the rear-end of a wooden, equine-based children’s toy. Although, UBCO has been offering it for a while now on their 2X2 ADV and WRK’s. Zaiser claims that the Electrocycle will have a top speed of 120 miles per hour and a zero to sixty time of 3.6 seconds.

So, what about that range? Well, three (hundred) it seems is the magic number for Zaiser. To get such range from a sub-18kWh battery could involve some particularly special feats of abracadabra-ery! That represents a 20% range increase on the 249 city miles delivered by the Energica Eva from a 21kWh battery.

Cross did make an interesting analogy though, “At some point in the development of the Internal Combustion Engine, manufacturers stopped making gas (petrol) tanks bigger and they started making their engines more efficient”. He added, “The battery is great, there’s nothing wrong with that, what we’re really focusing on is getting more energy out of the batteries that exist. We have a lot of Real-Estate yet to add more, or remove, even in our product design right now. One way or another, we are going to get there – that is for sure”.

The company plans on integrating innovative new tech from the automotive and motorcycle industries into one cohesive package. From lidar sensors and haptic feedback units in the handlebars to other accident-avoidance technologies.

“The Electrocycle will be packed with exciting tech that has never before been present on one singular vehicle in this way”.

My ears pricked-up at the mention of ‘haptic feedback’ by Cross. “So, could that mean a haptic jacket”, I asked.

“Let’s just say that we’re working on some things that I can’t talk about right now”, replied Cross.

Intriguing! Helmet Coms? Check. Auto-Stabilisation? Check. Haptic jacket? Maybe…

It’s clear that the team at Zaiser is determined to produce an outstanding ride that doesn’t fail to please visually and technically, with safety, sustainability, right-to-repair and the potential to upgrade hard-wired into the production concept. Before starting the interview, I was sceptical of the claims being made “Just gimmicky marketing figures to generate traffic to a funding campaign”, I thought to myself. However, by the end of our conversation I was convinced of the following from Zaiser:

1.     Genuine belief in the project

2.     Passion for motorcycling

3.     Commitment to research

4.     Commitment to innovative tech

5.     Determination to succeed

Will the claims made by Zaiser shift from Sci-fi fantasy to reality? Only time will tell. eMotorcycle tech is currently accelerating faster than a Lightning LS-218 and a late 2021/early 2022 launch date (funding permitting) could very well put their goals within reach. One thing is for sure, with a member of the Space-X Falcon Rocket programme on board, the sky’s the limit. Let’s not forget, four of the five points in my list above are what put Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon. Commencing count down, engines on…

My full interview with Antony Cross is available on our YouTube channel.

NOTE: WeFunder works like other popular funding sites, but also adds the option for deeper and more involved investment opportunities, which Zaiser offers through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity or SAFE option. SAFE gives backers early entry if the company eventually goes public. As of this writing, Zaiser has raised just under $28,000 of their $500,000 goal.