The Zero FX Blackbird: A Stealth Bomber for the Streets

Inspired by the legendary SR-71 Blackbird, the Zero FX Blackbird reimagines electric motorcycles with raw power, stealthy design, and fighter-jet attitude.

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Sometimes, all it takes is a spark of imagination to transform the ordinary into something unforgettable.
When a 2019 Zero FX rolled into Christian Moretti’s workshop at Plan B Motorcycles, it wasn’t just another custom job. It was the beginning of a reinvention — one that would borrow spirit and style from one of the most legendary machines ever to conquer the skies: the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

The SR-71 wasn’t just fast. It wasn’t just futuristic. It rewrote what speed, stealth, and technology could mean. Even now, decades after it flew its last mission, the Blackbird’s shadow still falls over every conversation about cutting-edge design. So when Moretti set out to build a modern, lightweight café racer with that same DNA, he wasn’t just building a motorcycle. He was paying tribute to a legend.

Turning an electric dirt bike into a sleek, asphalt-devouring road machine isn’t something you do with a few bolt-ons and a paint job. It’s a full transformation. First up: stability. Moretti ripped out the stock front end and replaced it with a burly 50mm Marzocchi fork, held in place by custom CNC-machined triple clamps. In the back, a fully adjustable Gears Racing shock brought new levels of precision to a platform originally designed to fly over dirt, not carve corners.

Rolling stock mattered, too. Off came the motocross wheels, replaced by slick 17-inch Grimeca supermoto hoops wrapped in sticky rubber. Grip, control, and a low, menacing stance were non-negotiable.

And then there’s the braking. When you build a bike inspired by the fastest jet ever made, stopping power better match the hype. Dual 340mm ceramic rotors paired with Beringer six-piston calipers make sure this electric Blackbird can scrub off speed like a fighter jet hitting the runway brakes at Mach 3.

But performance was only half the story. The real showstopper? The design.

Every inch of the Zero FX Blackbird was stripped down, reshaped, and rebuilt by hand in raw aluminum. The new bodywork — minimalist, sharp, almost predatory — hints at the SR-71’s sleek, aerodynamic skin. A translucent coating lets the metal shine through, giving the whole machine a kind of industrial, unfiltered elegance. It looks less like a motorcycle and more like a prototype escaped from a secret skunkworks lab.

Form still follows function, though. Moretti didn’t just slap on a pretty face. Cooling became a major focus, with additional fans and a slick system of movable air intakes that adjust automatically based on speed and braking. The Z-Force 75-5 motor under the fairings runs harder, cooler, and longer thanks to engineering as smart as it is stylish.

Even the cockpit throws a wink to aviation nerds. The dash is pure aircraft fantasy, featuring a rear-mounted infrared vision camera, a steering damper that probably isn’t even necessary (but looks very cool), aircraft-style toggle switches, and yes — an attitude indicator ripped straight from a fighter jet’s flight deck.

No, this Zero FX won’t break the sound barrier. It won’t cruise at 85,000 feet. But it doesn’t have to.

What Christian Moretti built isn’t just a tribute. It’s a reminder that motorcycles are about imagination as much as they are about motion. That even in a world tilting hard toward electrification, there’s still room for machines that make your heart race before you even twist the throttle.

The Zero FX Blackbird is proof that you don’t need wings to fly.