"I don't expect a lot of competition," the 41-year-old Saiki said. "It takes a lot of sophistication to get a manufacturing operation started."
The motocross category is, in many ways, the perfect application for an electric power plant because motocross bikes are ridden for only a few dozen miles at a time and battery-powered motors are typically limited in their range.
The whisper-quiet operation in the hills also won't offend nearby residents.
Electric motors are pure torque machines, which is what a motocross bike needs to launch into jumps and power out of corners. The Zero X can get to its top speed of 57 mph in about four seconds.
One potential downside to an electric application in a dirt bike is the weight of the batteries, a problem Saiki chose to tackle with a feather-light, aircraft-grade aluminum frame and lithium ion batteries.
Those batteries have a greater power-to-weight ratio than the nickel metal hydride devices used in the Toyota Prius and the Vectrix scooter.
Though comparable in performance to a gas-powered, 250-cubic-centimeter motorcross bike, the Zero X is 80 pounds lighter. The entire bike weighs an unheard-of 140 pounds, only 40 of which are the batteries.
Its light weight doesn't just make the bike more maneuverable. It may also reduce the risk of injury from the machine falling on the rider.
It also saves distribution costs. Zero bikes are available only over the Internet. Buyers can e-mail an area sales representative, who'll bring a bike to their homes for a personal test ride. If they decide to buy, the sale is completed online and the bike shipped to their doorstep via United Parcel Service for $300.
The 58-volt battery pack on the Zero X uses the same kind of batteries found in many rechargeable power tools, but there are 168 of them bundled together in a vibration- and heat-resistant package that is also modular.
It takes just 30 seconds to remove the battery pack, which makes the bike easier to move around. It also allows the X to be updated with newer battery technologies when they become available. The battery pack has a life expectancy of five to six years, Saiki said, and is 100% recyclable, nontoxic and landfill approved.
"The motorcycle industry wants to ignore this, which is part of the reason I had to do it," Saiki said. "The big companies are very invested in gasoline motors. That's what they built their reputation and heritage on."
