efore I gIve you the lowdown on Zero’s all-new electric adventure
bike, even before I highlight the joys of
riding it up and down Mount etna in Sicily
in near-silence, I need to ask you a few
questions.
what is an adventure? Is it determined
by its duration, distance covered, beers
drunk or simply the memories it creates? An adventure for my
eight-year-old son is camping in the back garden, less than 10
feet away from a warm house and power for his iPad. for some
of my friends, an adventure means nothing less than pitching
their tents at base camp on Mount everest.
So, yes, this is an unusual way to start a road test, but it is
worth considering the “adventure” label and the enormously
wide spectrum of meanings attached to it. And if adventure
riding to you means forays into europe and even beyond, with
vast mileages easily achieved each day, then I will not take up
your time. unless you plan your trip like NASA, it cannot be
done on the new Zero DSr/X adventure bike.
however, that is not the end of the story. far from it. Zero
claim a range of 357 kilometres with a Power tank (optional at
£2,899 = rs 2.67 lakh) when ridden slowly off road or 290 km
of city riding (without Power tank), which could be up to 10
hours of relaxed off-road riding. ride all day, plug in overnight,
ride again the next day, and repeat. for many riders, that could
be enough for an adventure.
Meanwhile, the claimed highway range in standard form is
137 km, with a combined quoted range of 185 km. During this
test, I covered 81 km of spirited riding, both on and off road,
with 105 km or 60 per cent battery remaining. In theory, that is
B
186 km in total, which matches Zero’s claimed combined range.
Is that far enough for an adventure? In reality, it means riding
for two hours or less, stopping for an hour or more to recharge,
and away again for 120 minutes more of riding.
So, clearly, the DSr/X comes with a big question-mark
about its range and the only definitive answer to whether it goes
far enough will boil down to what you want from an adventure
bike and what adventure means to you.
that is even more relevant given that the D it becomes a
noticeably pricey adventurer. A full spec’d DSr/X is priced at a
lofty £24,150 (rs 22.22 lakh). Add the aforementioned £2,899
(rs 2.67 lakh) for the Power tank or £2,459 (rs 2.26 lakh) for
the rapid Charge Module, plus a few accessories such as
Full-colour info-console useful
38 Bike India October 2022 | www.bikeindia.in
luggage, and BMw r 1250 gS Adventure will set you back by
just over £20,000 (rs 18.40 lakh) and Ducati’s expensive but
attractive Multistrada v4 S starts at below £20K too; even a
full-spec Multi with luggage, radar—everything—comes in at
£23,245 (rs 21.39 lakh).
the only electric competition is the energica experia, which
is more expensive at £27,790 (rs 25.56 lakh), so at least the
California-built Zero is cheaper than the Italian alternative,
which cannot go off road and does not have any off-road modes.
And if you have solar panels or can plug in at work, it is
effectively free to run. It has belt drive and no liquids to change,
while service costs should also be low. Although the initial
outlay is expensive, running costs should be significantly less
than those for the gS and Multistrada.
Putting range and price to one side for a moment, as an actual
motorcycle, the Zero DSr/X is impressive. I have ridden
around Sicily many times: it is the true rustic Italy and one of my
favourite places to ride and lives in the shadow of Mount etna,
the largest active volcano in europe. Knowing the island so
well, I thought it was a brave move by Zero, given the roads’
technical undulations, steep climbs, testing hairpins, and
reasonably challenging off-road opportunities around the base
of the etna. however, the Zero DSr/X took on the challenge
with relative ease.
the 17.3-kwh battery pack is the same as found in the other
premium models in the Zero range, but the Z-force 75-10X
motor is all-new for this model. this translates into 225 Nm
of torque and 102 hp at 3,650 revolutions per minute (rpm) in
peak power mode. that is a huge amount of grunt.
this is the most potent Zero to date, with more torque than
the sporty Zero SrS, if a little down on peak power. It also has
far more torque than its closest electric rival, the energica
experia (115 Nm) and kicks sand in the face of any petrol-driven
adventure bike. Zero claim a top speed of 180 km/h, which is
identical to the energica’s.
If you have never ridden an electric bike before, torque is
instant, with no lag. twist the throttle and go. from the traffic
lights, the Zero would give any conventional petrol superbike a
run for its money and embarrass any adventure machine.
there are multiple riding modes to change the behaviour and
feel of the bike: rain, eco, Sport, Canyon, and Standard. only
Sport and Canyon are full power. each map has its own power
characteristics. each clearly displayed mode also changes the
level of rider aid intervention and re-gen braking (which is like
conventional engine braking but also re-charges the battery).
Zero has collaborated with Bosch on the DSr/X’s
electronics, which means we have lean-sensitive traction control
and ABS. Additionally, within each mode, you can revert to a
specific off-road mode, meaning there is not just one specific
off-road mode. If you wish, within the menu page you can
remove tC and ABS.
I started the road test in eco. Do not be deceived, eco does
not give watered-down performance; it is startlingly quick off
the line. As we cut up the endless hairpins and passed through
picturesque villages on the side of Mount etna in Sicily, eco
mode was more than enough.
however, if you want to feel the full brutish force of the Zero’s
massive torque, opt for Sport or Canyon. I have ridden 200 hpplus superbikes and raced at a decent level, but the acceleration
in these full-power modes is exceptionally rapid and will surprise
any rider, no matter how racy or experienced. It takes your breath
away and accelerates without hesitation or noise. overtakes are
effortless, with no flicking back of gears or checking the revcounter. Quarter-turn the light throttle and you instantly dart
past moving traffic with the acceleration of a serious, big-cube
sports bike, not a 247-kilogram adventure bike.
I preferred the Canyon mode, with its lovely surging
acceleration, with enough engine re-gen to make it feel like a big
v-twin. Despite riding hard, the range increased slightly as I
was using more re-gen on the fast run down from Mount etna.
you learn to ride accordingly: do not use the brakes if you can
avoid them, let the re-gen slow the bike down and be as smooth
and flowing as possible, which extends the battery range.
with little traffic and an endless blend of sweepers and
hairpins and everything in between, Mount etna is a biking
paradise, especially as the road surfaces was re-laid following the
eruption in 2002. the Zero could have been found out in such a
pure road environment but it met the challenge beautifully.
you do not have to make compromises just because it is
electric. It weighs barely more than a fully fuelled BMw r 1250
gS. Its suspension is fully adjustable and features quality Showa
components. the directly mounted shock, with remote pre-load
adjustment, has a huge amount to deal with given the bike’s
torque output, but stands up to the challenge. equally, the
47-millimetre Showa forks give enough feedback for some
spirited riding. Quality Pirelli rubber allows you to carry enough
lean angle and corner speed corner to scrape toes and even pegs
if you are hauling a heavy payload. And do not forget, you have
lean-sensitive cornering anti-lock braking system (ABS) and
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