This is not a fair fight, and that is exactly why it fascinates. On one side, the Zero SR/F — a fully electric naked bike that answers the throttle with instant, silent, savage torque. On the other, the Aprilia Tuono 660 — a jewel of a petrol twin that revs, snarls and demands you play with its gearbox. They cost roughly similar money in some markets, yet they represent entirely different visions of what a motorcycle should be in the years ahead.

For riders weighing the leap to electric, this is the comparison that matters most: does the future’s clean convenience outweigh the present’s raw charisma? We rode both hard, on the same roads, to separate the hype from the reality.

Powertrain and performance

The Zero SR/F’s motor delivers around 110 hp but a staggering 190 Nm of torque — and crucially, all of it is available from a standstill. There is no clutch, no gears, no waiting for revs to build; twist the throttle and the SR/F simply hurls itself forward with a smoothness no combustion engine can replicate. The Aprilia’s 659cc twin makes a comparable 95 hp and a modest 67 Nm, but you must work for every bit of it, chasing the tacho and banging through the slick gearbox.

The Zero feels quicker in a straight sprint away from the lights; the Aprilia feels more alive at every other moment of the ride. One rewards the wrist alone; the other rewards the whole body, the ears and the imagination. Which thrill you prefer says a great deal about the kind of rider you are, and there is genuinely no wrong answer here.

Range, refuelling and weight

Here the petrol bike strikes back hard. The Aprilia will comfortably travel 300 km or more on a tank and refuel in three minutes anywhere on earth, no planning required. The Zero, depending on riding style and battery options, manages a real-world highway range closer to 160 km before needing a charge that takes far longer than any fuel stop. The SR/F is also heavier, at around 208 kg against the featherweight Tuono’s 183 kg, and you feel that extra mass keenly at low speed and in tight corners.