It’s common for custom builders to develop a signature aesthetic, but few maintain it as zealously as Droog Moto. The husband and wife team of Max and Erica Droog are hell-bent on leaving their hallmark on every bike they build.
So much so, they even once refused a client’s request for a brown seat, because it didn’t match their style guide.
Droog Moto bikes are rough-hewn and aggressive—knobby-tired machines with a post-apocalyptic vibe. They almost always feature angular lines, dark colors and brutally compact proportions.
Max and Erica are physically based in Washington State, but run Droog as an online-only company. As last year was winding down, they decided they wanted to build something electric to kick off the new decade.
“We’d built a Brammo Empulse R scrambler a few months back,” Erica tells us, “that was rad to work on and caught a lot of attention.”
“We got our hands on a new 2020 Zero FX and immediately saw it had the potential for what we wanted to create. A stealthy and sleek machine—capable of hitting trails, bombing through city chaos, and general hooligan riding!”
The Zero FX is basically a street legal enduro, making 106 Nm of torque and weighing just 247 lb (112 kg) in the Z3.6 version.
Yes, it comes in two versions. The Z7.2 has a single 7.2 kWh battery, makes 46 hp and has a city range of 91 miles. Then there’s the Z3.6, which has a half-sized 3.6 kWh battery, for 27 hp and 46 miles.
The Z3.6’s battery is hot-swappable, and you can pop in a second one to match the range of the Z7.2. “So we chose to go with the 3.6 modular version,” says Erica. “With the additional removable battery, it can be a bit more versatile for different riding situations.”
“The other battery can be charging at home while you’re out and about. Or you can pop it in at the same time, to get the full Z7.2 range.”
The Zero FX’s compact drivetrain, and the inherent simplicity of the overall package, meant that Droog had a cracking canvas to unleash their design on. They ditched all of the bike’s plastic bodywork, and anything else they could afford to run without.
They kept the ABS system though, but repackaged everything so that all the wiring sat in one spot—under a faux fuel tank that was shaped from steel.
Bouncing between steel and aluminum as needed, they built a new subframe and side panels, capping it all off with a barely-there perch that hides an additional storage compartment underneath.
There’s a new headlight nacelle up front too, complete with a pair of LEDs. An LED taillight and a pair of LED bar-ends round out the lighting package, while the handlebars and riser clamps are from Droog’s own catalog. The stock speedo’s been nudged to the side, and the brake master cylinder and reservoirs have been upgraded.
Even though Max and Erica had originally picked the bigger-wheeled, off-road specific FX, they eventually decided to switch it to a supermoto setup. So they built up a pair of 17” wheels with black Excel rims—then converted them to run tubeless tires, and wrapped them in fresh Pirelli Scorpion Rally rubber.
“It’s an awesome looking tire with great performance on- and off-road,” explains Erica. “Not as knobby as we typically do, but it still gets the job done!”
Droog dialed in the suspension too, with new internals up front, and a new Hyperpro spring at the rear. Despite the change in appearance, the idea was always to keep the bike lightweight and flickable—so the suspension tweaks and smaller wheels were a must.
The Zero now fits into Droog’s porfolio perfectly. Boxy and tightly-packed, it looks ready to either head down to the local cafe, or outrun zombies.
Dubbed the ‘E-Fighter,’ it’s also #16 in Droog’s built-to-order series. So you can have one tailored to your needs … starting at a cool $32,500.
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