Deus Custom’s Zero SR/S Is A Gorgeous Marriage Of Retro And Futuristic

A motorbike being powered by electricity rather than petrol doesn’t preclude it from an incredible custom treatment. In fact, as explained by the guy behind this gorgeous creation, a plug-in bike makes for an even better starting point, thanks to the lack of fuel tank providing greater flexibility.

This is the Zero SR/S by Deus ex Machina, and wow, is it delicious. Using Zero’s electric commuter/touring bike as a starting point, it’s been transformed by Michael ‘Woolie’ Woolaway in his last project for Australian company Deus. As a coda, it ain’t half bad.

Despite the retro, cafe-racer-esque looks, the new bodywork is all made from carbon fibre. It was designed by hand rather than using CAD, with a couple of Lockheed Martin engineers helping with the material layout. There’s a bikini fairing at the front with a single headlamp, and some winglets providing a more modern touch.

At the back is a bare carbon tail with a Saddlemen seat featuring a neat high-voltage symbol. The high, flat bars of the original bike are gone, replaced with nicely angled clip-ons to give a sportier riding position.

It’s more than just a cosmetic makeover, too. The Showa front forks and rear shock are said to be World Superbike-spec, and there are carbon fibre dynamag wheels to reduce unsprung mass. A custom thumb brake for the rear - replacing the original foot-operated one - and other brake components came from Spanish firm J.Juan.

The powertrain is - we assume - unchanged. The standard SR/S has a 12.6kWh battery pack driving a motor which gives 110bhp and 140lb ft of torque. The claimed range is 161 miles, although talking about such technical details seems moot - this bike is all about ogling. With that in mind, we’ll leave you to it, so you can do just that. And so will we.