In the blistering heat of June (yes, sometimes in England, we do have sunshine), I took the chance to mount another Zero motorcycle. This time the DSR/X Adventure, which I took on the trails near Guildford in Surrey. The owner of MotoEbikes of Guildford, Lee Robinson, joined me on another DSR/X to talk me through the bike's features.
American company Zero Motorcycles has joined other manufacturers by adding an Adventure bike to its expanding portfolio. The DSR/X desert machine has stunning looks and comes with surprisingly good range figures, and the key to successful electric motorcycles is range, range and range. Zero states 357km/222m with a Power Tank that is an additional £2899, If you ride off-road. Take the bike on the road, and as the speed increases, Zero claims 290km/180 miles without Power Tank.
The DSR/X maintains the 17.3kw battery pack that the premium Zero models use, but the Z-Force 75-10x motor is all new. The bike produces a claimed 225 Nm/166 ft-lb of torque, making it the most potent Zero model.
After Range, the next issue with electric motorcycles is the charging time. Bikers want a machine they can use and not wait around while friends on petrol bikes enjoy blasting around the country. The DSR/X has impressive times with an hour's charging, giving you 95% capacity. However, this is achieved with the optional Rapid Charge Module, for which you must pay £2459 extra. If wanting to own an electric motorcycle, you will want the Rapid Charge Module.
After about thirty minutes of road riding, Lee took us to some suitable bridleways where we could engage the off-road Mode. The DSR/X was a peach, and the instant power is hugely beneficial in tackling narrow, rutted trails. Despite the weight, the bike is agile, and you can stand up on the pegs and position it easily. The DSR/X has a fully adjustable Showa suspension, with long travel aiding your off-road experience, as do the five riding modes, each having a specific off-road setting.