Tariffs, it's everyone's favorite word they just learned of this year. Most folks don't understand how they work, but they're basically a secondary tax on you, the consumer, that's passed along by the manufacturer due to a tariff being imposed on a country where you got parts or materials from.
In basic math terms, if you bought something last year for $12, and a tariff was imposed on said product's country of origin, then that same one will cost you $20 now after the tariff. That's how all this works. It's not, in fact, paid by the tariffed country, as many would have you believe.
And because we live in a global economy, one where manufacturers acquire parts and materials from outside the country of manufacturing, everything is affected by both threatened or enacted tariffs. The powersports industry is no different. But to hedge against those tariffs, electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles is hoping to save you a little cash by offering pre-tariff price reservations on its upcoming XE and XB dirt bikes.
Solid move, folks.
"To better serve the riding community, Zero is providing U.S. customers and dealers the opportunity to secure current pricing on the XB ($4,195) and XE ($6,495) models and will honor the original price for any customers with existing reservations," states the company's press release, adding, "U.S. customers who place reservations from May 1, 2025, through May 18, 2025, will lock in the current listed pricing for their orders. Reservations made after the May 18 deadline will reflect updated pricing to account for added import fees."
Deliveries of those motorcycles, however, seem unaffected by the tariffs, as the first batch of bikes will be in customer hands by the summer of this year.
That said, Zero does twist the knife a bit in its release, stating, "Customers in Canada, Europe, and around the world, less impacted by global trade relationships, will not be affected by the new pricing structure and delivery timeline." Basically, it's only the US customers, because of President Trump's tariffs, who are going to feel the pain. Great.
As for how much the two electric dirt bikes will increase in price, that's yet to be seen. But Zero obtains quite a few parts from China for both, and the current tariff on that specific country is going the way of 145%. Likewise, despite the White House claiming it's having fruitful discussions with the country's leaders and policymakers, China has stated no such talks are occurring. So these tariffs are likely to remain in place for some time.
Zero's CEO, Sam Paschel, stated, "Zero Motorcycles remains committed in our mission to deliver industry-leading electric motorcycles while maintaining an accessible price point for consumers around the world. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. And by honoring prices for early reservation holders - despite the shifting global economy - we’re reinforcing our position as the leader in the electric space and building the future of two-wheel transportation."
