Fair play to the UK Zero Motorcycles team, who picked the coldest week of the year to complete an attempt on the ACU’s Maudes Trophy endurance event, first set up by George Pettyt, owner of Maudes Motor Mart in London back in 1923. The inaugural Maudes Trophy was awarded to Norton, and Zero has now completed the first attempt with a battery-powered bike. The course for the award has varied over the years, but Zero’s route was a gruelling 1200-mile 60-hour run, which kicked off at Land’s End, then headed to Lowestoft – the easternmost point in Great Britain – before it turned north to Edinburgh, finishing up in Liverpool at the FIM’s award ceremony.
Seven riders battled -6°C temperatures, wind, rain, sleet and snow to ride the two all-electric Zero DSR/X motorcycles in shifts, including the National Motorcyclists Council’s Craig Carey-Clinch, former racer Curt Langan and bike journalist Martin Fitz-Gibbons. The remaining team members were staff from authorised Zero dealerships: Andy Dalton from Wheels Motorcycles, Matthew Drew from J&M Electrobikes, Macauley Perkins and Ben Grayson from The Bike Sanctuary.
Speaking after the challenge, Dale Robinson, Zero Motorcycles UK country manager, said: “Wow, what a ride and much more an endurance of man than machine. The bikes performed faultlessly, but the biggest challenge was for the riders, who were riding in sub-zero conditions. They stuck to the task with great dedication, and not one gave up when they could have been forgiven for doing so.
“Aside from the honour of winning this prestigious award, it has been an excellent opportunity for all involved to learn more about riding electric motorcycles in extreme conditions. Potential customers are often asking questions about touring and riding in cold temperatures. Our dealers now have first-hand experience riding in conditions no Zero owner is likely to ever find themselves in, and we have been able to prove our product in these most challenging conditions. It feels fitting to be the first EV company to win this trophy 100 years after it was first awarded. Electric motorcycles are no longer just the future but a viable proposition for many riders today.”
Craig Carey-Clinch added: “In such extreme cold weather conditions, teamwork was vital to the ride’s success, and every member played a key part in what was a gruelling ride at times. I started the challenge with an open mind about the capability of electric motorcycles on long-distance journeys, but the DSR/Xs performed very well, considering the extreme cold. However, when it comes to infrastructure for riders, much more needs to be done by public authorities if they want to encourage a switch to ePTWs. It’s not that charging facilities are rare; the opposite, in fact. It is that many have no facilities or shelter for riders waiting off their bikes. This is a matter the NMC will look into further.”
Zero’s Maudes Trophy challenge was supported by a number of UK partners, including Lexham Insurance, Pirelli, Moto Novo Finance, Pidcock Motorcycles, Oakley Motorcycles, J&M Electrobikes, Wheels Motorcycles, Cradley Kawasaki, JPB Signs and Magnet Motos.
ZERO 2024 RANGE
Zero has extended its electric bike range for 2024, with new models for restricted licence holders. New for learners and A1 licence holders is the Zero S and DS, and there’s a new DSR model for A2 licence holders. The bikes can be upgraded to unlock more power when the rider’s licence permits