Zero Motorcycles revealed Project Ventura on November 3, a prototype supermoto-style electric street bike aimed at people who have spent the last few years riding e-bikes and e-motos. Zero says a production-intent version is due in summer 2027 with more than 20 kW of power, an 81 mph momentary top speed and an estimated 75 miles of real-world range.
Zero is showing the prototype at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. It is built on the XE, Zero’s lightweight removable-battery off-roader, which lists at $6,295 in the US. Zero has published neither a US price nor a battery capacity for Ventura. Motorcycle News reports it was told to expect a UK price under £8,000.
Project Ventura Runs Faster and Harder Than the XE Under It
Project Ventura takes the XE platform and adds purpose-built 17-inch cast wheels, road tires and new bodywork. The XE has a 15.5 kW motor and tops out at 60 mph. Zero rates Ventura at more than 20 kW, good for 65 mph sustained and 81 mph in short bursts.
The XE spec sheet gives a sense of what Ventura starts from: a 4.3 kWh removable battery, 223 lb (101 kg) curb weight and 65 miles (104 km) of range at a steady 31 mph (50 km/h). It charges through an 800W off-board charger, 0 to 95% in five hours on a 110V outlet. Zero now lists the XE as road-legal for 2027.
Ventura gets an integrated onboard charger instead, and Zero calls it two-up capable. Zero says the lighting was designed from the start to work on both bikes.
Zero Is Pitching Ventura as the Bike After an E-Bike
Jim Callahan, Zero’s chief product officer, wants Ventura to feel like “a natural next step” for the millions of riders now on e-bikes and e-motos. Ventura’s more than 20 kW compares with 1.5 kW peak from Avinox’s M2S, a powerful e-bike motor launched in April.
EVXL covered the M2S as a drive unit that already takes a bike outside the e-bike classes on public roads. Ventura has more than 13 times its output and is designed from the start as a street motorcycle.
Zero’s Ventura Top Speed Claim Differs Between Its US and UK Pages
Zero’s US Project Ventura page promises “projected triple-digit top speeds” in its at-a-glance list, a few lines above its own 81 mph figure. The UK version of the same page says “exceeding 80 mph.” Both pages footnote the speed and range figures as projected and subject to change.
81 mph is about 130 km/h. The 75-mile range figure comes without the speed or conditions behind it, and Motorcycle News gave a different estimate of 93 miles (150 km). MCN also reported that Ventura will suit A1 license holders in Europe and comes with ABS and Level 2 AC charging. None of that appears on Zero’s own pages.
EVXL’s Take
Ventura’s pitch depends on two numbers Zero left out. The XE, now road-legal for 2027, sets the floor at $6,295. The only working DS page on Zero’s US site was a 2025 edition at $14,495 when EVXL checked in October, while covering the DS that rode 271 miles on one charge. My read is that Ventura has to land much closer to the XE than to the DS to win the e-bike riders Callahan is talking about. At DS money, it becomes a second bike for people who already ride motorcycles. I’d also want the battery capacity before trusting 75 miles. The XE gets its 65 miles from 4.3 kWh at a steady 31 mph, and Ventura is built to cruise at 65.
Sources: Zero Motorcycles, Motorcycle News
EVXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting and editorial perspectives are by Haye Kesteloo.
