VIDEO: Jay Leno reviews Zero S electric motorcycle

We suspected it wouldn't take long for Jay Leno to throw a leg over the new Zero S electric motorcycle, and indeed the popular late night comedian and talk show host has just posted a video review of the bike at Jay Leno's Garage. Zero founder and CTO Neal Saiki drops by and offers a bit of commentary on the recently-released machine, and there are a few bits of interest to dissect.

For instance, Neal says the bike's 32 horsepower is roughly equivalent to 50 horsepower in an internal combustion engine since the Zero S's power is available throughout the rev range. Coupled to a weight of just 225 pounds, that's an impressive power-to-weight number, regardless of which horsepower figure you elect to use. Saiki also says that the Zero's frame is made from aluminum that's just three times the thickness of a soda can. Regarding the bike's top speed of 60 miles per hour, Saiki says it's possible to make it go much faster, but the gearing required to hit those speeds would reduce the Zero S's ability to wheelie on command, and that's not good.

While Jay doesn't test Neal Saiki's assertion that you could ride the Zero S from LA to New York with just $30 worth of electricity, he does hop on and take the bike for a ride. Jay definitely seems to like the electric motorcycle, saying that he got used to the lack of shifting pretty quickly and that "this is the future" of motorcycling. Of course, it's also quiet, and Leno quips that "you could go through the bird preserve and not even bother anybody." There are a few flies in the ointment, though, such as the wimpy sound of the bike's horn. Click past the break to watch the video.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.