When we visited Zero Motorcycles’ headquarters in Scotts Valley, California to test-ride its 2011 2001 model year electric motorcycles, we got to meet some of the hardworking engineers responsible for ensuring the company remained at the forefront of the electric motorcycle world

And while Zero’s engineering team was small compared to the teams mainstream automakers and motorcycle companies have, they made up for it in other ways, putting in every ounce of work to ensure that Zero’s motorcycles were the best they could be. 

But working hard normally means playing hard too. The team at Zero Motorcycles are no exception. 

So it came as no surprise when news surfaced that Luke (no last name given), Zero’s battery engineer had converted a pedal bicycle in his spare time to a two-wheeled beast that can out-accelerate a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Just for fun, you understand. 

The custom bicycle -- which is based on a downhill mountain bike --  features an elongated frame and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

Custom-Built Electric Superbicycle

Custom-Built Electric Superbicycle

It can also recharge from empty to full in just 5 minutes. 

We’re not sure of the specifics, but suspect that the motor, battery and controller components come directly from Zero’s own parts bin. 

While the very fast conversion isn’t road legal and has been described by colleagues at Zero Motorcycles as “frighteningly powerful,” the super-fast bicycle gives us an interesting insight into what might lie ahead for the team at the Californian company.  

After all, if a single engineer at Zero can make a bicycle reach 60 mph in a few seconds in his spare time, what on earth does Zero Motorcycles have in store for us in the coming months? 

Are we about to see an electric motorcycle with the same performance specifications as a high-end road motorcycle? We really hope so. 

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