New 2023 Zero DSR/X First Ride Review: The Future Of Adventure Motorcycles?
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
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It is a bit of a contradiction to have an ‘Adventure’ bike where you need to plan your routes so carefully, especially given that it’s range is so low.
I am not against electric bikes, but will not be funding the development of them until the infrastructure to make them real world usable is in place and the technology for charging, and range does the same.
Good video, thanks.
we're all funding them already Increase in power bills is partly due to find this stuff, or at least that's what my power company told me
Finding a place to charge IS the adventure :) and not finding one makes the adventure extreme.
True, I don't see a point to electric adventure bikes until range is improved and some issues are nailed down, as a commuter bike, especially for city folk, it's a whole 'nother discussion. There it makes sense
I would be worried about running out of power in the middle of no where 😬
Yeah agreed, not really interested in any electric vehicle (especially an off road one!) unless it has 150+mile range.
Finally, an ADV bike with a lower range than a Multistrada V4.
Sonny reason why I past on the Multistrada V4 because of the horrible range. I went with the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.
😂
I like Zero but the range needs to be improved. I passed on the Ducati Multistrada because of the bad range. I ended up going with the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer for my ADV bike‼Great video 👍🏼
I live in Canada. A typical adventure bike would need to take me at least 600 km a day into the remote countryside. With its 290 km (180 mile) range, the Zero DSR/X is only good for about two and half hours riding. What adventures are anyone taking on this short ranged machine?
Yea good point, I would hate to have to wait for this bike to charge in the middle of my adventure.
Range is realistically 80 to 100 miles lol.
Yeah that range is for city riding, not out of town riding. Same here in Oz. Next to useless for real adventure riding.
@@FlyingFun. not even close to being enough.
@@andrewd7586 makes sense, adventure city riding 🤔
If your adventure is riding down to the Starbucks where you introduce yourself with your pronouns, then this is the bike for you.
This comment wins. No further scanning needed.
haha 😂
Absolute gold!!!!!
An interesting and very fair review MotoBob, I was pleased that you mentioned what you considered to be it's true competitors based on seat of the pants real world riding feel. The upper middleweight bikes that you mentioned have roughly double the range, weigh significantly less (up to 50kgs for the KTM), cost half as much to buy and can be refuelled in 5 minutes at numerous locations worldwide. Therefore I fail to see how the Zero ticks the Adventure bike box satisfactorily. I also struggle to see the 'Green' element of BEV's - zero emissions at point of use is fair but not when charging given how a significant amount of the energy used to charge the battery is generated (varies country to country). Let's be honest, electrically assisted pedal bikes (with sensible speed assistance of up to 28mph such as in the US) make sense in cities and urban environments. Just for reference, I popped out for an afternoon 160 mile cross country ride yesterday from mid Wales to the coast and back on my 12 year old 1200GS. No fuel stops required (range over 200 miles and full when I left home), no range anxiety and a lovely sound track from the exhaust. I would love to see a breakdown of the energy/chemicals/minerals used to manufacture and then run the Zero versus a KTM 890 Adventure over say 10 years and 50,000 miles. Then we could really see whether we/the planet is best served (or least impacted🤔🤔) by BEVs or traditional ICE vehicles. Apologies for the rambling reply, keep up the good work👍👍.
The only way i can see a case for these is if those in power decide to ban everything except zero emissions vehicles from national parks (or whatever the equivalent is in your country).
The range, weight and expense will still be an issue but if it's your only choice then what do you do? Buy an electric mountain bike instead of course! ;)
@@popuptoaster The motorcycles constitute such a small percentage in the pollution as a whole, electric motorcycles will never make any sense.
The perfect bike for most of the ADV riders I know. They dress up and kit out like Ewan and Charlie and then potter about the city and suburbs. Now they have the perfect excuse...
Needs a tow bar for a diesel generator to charge it, when it runs out in the back end of nowhere.
Probably have to run the generator for 9 hours to charge it to be able to ride for 1 hour.
Great episode Rob ! The bike looks great , great facia !! I'd be watchful on their practices with feature licensing with the subscriptions approach. I'm not convinced the battery density is there yet until we get to ~600Wh+ , that will be a game changer for bikes, more so for 1000Wh, we are only a few years away, this will cut down on weight drastically. I tried the live wire, L3 DC fast charger capable, great feel and good acceleration, not yet the 1000RR eye peeling acceleration. Would love to try that Triump EV Bike, wicked look.
One question. Why? This is as comfy as my chair and the same range. Silly!
Thank you mr Bob!
Nice one Bob.
Electric bikes, other than trail bikes, is a big no from me 😔
Nope, not there yet. Range, Charging time, Weight, Price. These are the main issues to tackle for these (extends to all electric bikes really) to be anything more than a city commuter. I think we are a few years away from them making sense for the average consumer...
Rich man's toy
Better off with a suron £5k 50mph 50mile range. It's like a mountain bikes cross between a moto-x bike.
That cost of ownership isn't showing the battery change in a few years. When compared to that, an ICE is definitely a better deal.
Difficult to add in that cost because, a: not all battery packs seem to die, some go well over a hundred thousand miles in cars and some don't, and b: the price per KWH has been steadily decreasing over time so a pack could be cheaper in five years than it is now.
Also, to add to that, there are and will be new chemistries and new technology for batteries under test already and it should be be simple to modify an electric bike/car to use a new battery type if one becomes available.
Don't get me wrong, I like IC engines, i have a V8 AMG but a lot of people are making judgements about electric vehicles based on poorly written and researched news stories.
Cost of electricity is close to the same as petrol now even more if you fill up when out and about, if you can get cheap electric at home them commuting is about all electrics good for.
@@FlyingFun. You can make your own power with solar, can't practically do that with petrol, i know not everyone has the room or the climate to go completely off grid, but with the cost of the panels as low as it is these days seems like a no brainer to at least investigate the possibilities. I live on a boat and have solar and a battery bank. It wouldn't charge a bike for every day use but i reckon i could get free full charge for every weekend during the summer.
@@popuptoaster our house isnt suitable being old skate tiles and not a strong structure supporting them.
I'll defo cover it in solar when it's time to replace the roof though or if we move to another house.
Here in the UK we dont get huge amounts of sun but I think the panels are good enough to work even here.
Renewable energy is the way forward but it will take time and investment, but also I think we need to reduce our use of power generally until it is all in place, unless of course we bike the bullet and build some nuclear power stations.
I've been away...in Menorca...a Balearic Island with great roads for the 125 moped I hired for it (though a rain storm really hurts at 60pmh in shorts and t-shirt!) Back now in London today on the A406 and M1 with my wife as pillion at (at least) at 70mph today, so different... on the hols I happy but vigilant on the bike, here at home I'm the same but with a little extra element of "challenge me and I'll choke you out, #bjj" Great content as always Bob. Thanks mate..
Amazing review! Have you ridden an Energica Experia??
Nice looking for sure
Lovely looking bike, do they do the model with a 750cc parallel twin in it?
Very interesting bike. And good looking too. Perhaps you could arrange a bit of interview with Marc from Marc Travels, who is traveling from Germany to the UK on a Zero, as we speak, just get his views on the whole traveling on an electric bike. Cheers from Brazil.
Great review as usual Rob, however, what an opportunity missed by Zero, to make a typical adventure bike in appearance, ie hideous, where they could have broken the mould.
Nice to see you here 😀 I'm still not sure I've seen a normal looking electric motorcycle yet. Took a long time for electric cars to look OK. Maybe it will be the same with the bikes.
I really like the design! But yeah… if you’re going off road or on long trips, it doesn’t make sense
Yep I agree
I guarantee you when they graphed the coo over time, they ignored the fact that the battery will be toast in ten years or so.
Of all the segments bikes fill, adv electric makes the least sense with current battery tech.
And as for changing my mindset for long rides and charging for an hour every 100 miles? No. Adv bikes especially are mainly used for eating big miles. Adding an hour every hundred is nonsense.
and those batteries are ZERO recyclable ! , there will be a mountain of toxic good for nothing used batteries in 15 years , probably as big as the pile of dead Congo and Chinese children who are dieng in huge numbers mining the lithium !!! Hyprocrites !
Cool idea and i like the fxs sm ..but 12k ?
Hi Bob, would you go for energica experia or this DSR/X.
Thanks for your advise .
Cheers Maxime from réunion island
Way too expensive compared to the competition and the range on the motorway is pathetic! Maybe in 10 years or so when the infrastructure could be in place.
Zero is defitenly the future but yea right now the range is not good
There is a bit of an unfortunate irony, that the most popular motorcycle use-case (ADV) is also the worst fit for electric power, given range restrictions and limited recharge points in rural areas
unless there are charging stations in outback Australia or the middle of Africa, forget it
Take a genny?!
I am 100% with you! This goes into the right direction, but still… if I want to 200km on the motorway with it, I will be pretty stressed
energica Esperia .. can do this its the rival of zero .. bigger batts and very promising range !!!
I’m really looking forward to more/better electric bike. They may not be perfect yet, but they’re getting better. I’d love to see you trying the Energica Eva Ribelle.
How long until battery tech comes to compete with ICE range? A long time I believe, this the issue with EC’s IMO. I do 500/600 mile days on my GTR1400 and I stop and see the sights along the way. Here in the US it’s so huge it is about range.
I don't think battery technology is going anywhere.
Plus if out in the wilderness u can not top off from reservoir gas. Unless you carried extra batteries or someone had a generator either gas or electric solar generator
gotta say it looks amazing, their best bike so far, be a great local bike
Im sure it would make a good local bike
How can there be so many positive reviews of this bike from so many channels? I can only conclude launch fever has set in. The thin air up mount Etna or or an expenses paid trip and hotel?
Panniers and top box do not make an adventure bike.
Try riding that bike from the launch venue back to the UK. Bet a Sinis 125 would make the journey quicker.
Spot on I agree 100%. I would compare the Zero with a CB500X and say you've spent roughly 4 times as much to get something with roughly a third of the range - both made from metal and plastic with rubber tyres. The CB500X is just easier to repair, recycle and more affordable for a normal person on an average wage😉👍👍
@@edxr250r Glad it's not just me who thinks like this. I rode the CB500X for a week on tour, an excellent bike. ,
I lol'd a bit at the price. They recycled everything from other models, no way it is that expensive to make.
Frame is new, front forks are new, rear is new, belt is wider, diameter sprockets are new, motor is new, offroad bosch system is new. Want more?
What is the realistic charging time to from say 10% to 80%. Is it under 30 minutes? I was at a rest stop and a guy in a Tesla ask me to follow him to his next recharging exit just in case his car died. The lack of infrastructure appears to be the biggest drawback.
Oh wow!
Holy moly that range is terrible. Love the bike and can't wait to have a electric bike in the future but it needs 500km plus range
Needs a 500 mile range in the US.
@@Dave-sw2dm Even bettet
To answer your question: no, absolutely no sense. Roughly twice the price of an ICE equivalent. The complete lack of charging infrastructure with resulting range anxiety. Today’s electricity price, with further astronomical rises forecast, makes it more expensive to charge batteries than fuel an ICE engine. Then there’s possible electricity rationing to consider this winter so good luck with a 10 hour home charge. Still, it looks nice!
The experience or features as a service a a no-go for most people as per reviews and reactions from other channels.. your take?
It’s annoying as a consumer but it’s going to be everywhere
There is a nice one wheel trailer for motorcycles that can fit this one and load it with a diesel generator for longer than the spin to the shops adventures.
It's almost perfect, if had more range I would buy one right now !!!
Yea range needs to be improved I agree
Price does not match the picture with lots of optional parts! "Adventure" below 100 miles range is a joke only.
They defitenly need to improve the range
"Adventure" = riding to work between charges.
Electric bikes make sense in the city, but not on the motorway. High speeds do not work, the distance is too small. For the money, Triumph 900 Rally Pro is a better deal.
I'm a proud owner of Triumph 900 from India 😊✊
Good point! I went with the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer for my adventure needs.
@@hello-dz8co nice! Hello India 👍🏼👋🏼
@@jesseonamotorcycle hi 😊👋
Yeah Bro Your Right
I tried a SR/S and, although I loved riding it, it felt like a bike worth about £8-9k in quality....that means your paying roughly twice what it's worth for it to be electric....
The looks can on;y be described as ‘kerplunk’ or ‘thud’.
range and cost
just out of curiosity - does anyone see any zeroes on the road? I live in California and almost all e-bikes I see are livewires, and those are generally used as around town bikes (we waited almost an hour for a guy with a livewire at a restaurant couple months back because he needed to charge, needless to say we gave him hell lol). but I have personally never seen a zero on the street here in CA (other than in a dealership), saw a zero in Hawaii once, but that's the only one I've seen so far. who are the people buying these bikes and where are they!?
Yep. See 'em infrequently but I do see them going up/down the 805, and one consistently around where I work. So they are out there and they are doing bike things.
@@chazmang6991 good to know, I wonder if I just didn't recognize them
@@JSweec It takes me a 2nd or 3rd glance to recognize what it is (especially on the freeways as staring at a motorcycle to figure out the brand isn't the best thing to do while going 75 mph :-)). On the other hand I have yet to see a Livewire out in the wild.
@@chazmang6991 interesting, I see them a lot in DTLA, I guess different demographic/locations
Honda still absolutely *DOMINATES.* For a niche buyer they'll get some scratch.
Honda does make some nice bikes 👍🏼
If the future of adventure bikes is 45 miles before heading home for a recharge, we’re going to have to come up with a new name for the segment. I’d hardly consider a 45 mile trip an adventure.
What is sill missing, are electric cruisers. Topspeed, range and weight don't matter that much, so the electric drivetrain fits better to them...
I think the Energencia ADV is a better option.
Totally agree. It’s a gimmick and most definitely not the future. It may be a part of the future (for a very small minority) but generally speaking they will not sell in big numbers. Touring on an EV is simply out of the question. There are other alternatives to EV which will make up the vast majority.
@@dt6949 E bikes can and do work for some people and that number will expand as prices drop and range increases.
The bikes are years behind EVs and those are now on the tipping point.
Would I buy an electric bike now? No.
Would I have one if it was my only option? Yes.
You still have to remember that the UK and most of Europe still powers their power plants use coal to generate electricity. When you add the price of electricity to the overall cost its not as appealing too.
They envision pretty short adventures in the future, it seems.
In trying to justify the extra cost of this bike, economically, it’s just not there yet. A comparable gas bike, is roughly half the price at less than $15k. In my local area, that’d be like getting over 2800 gallons of fuel for free, and at a guesstimated 45 mpg, over 128,000 miles driven.
If your adventure is to the local Walmart and back, then this is the bike for you. 👍
I want one as a daily rider... I spend $800 a month on gas on my modded suv. This thing would pay for itself
All for it! Make trails quieter so wildlife can go about their business just trying to survive and make a living
😆
I just don't understand these adventure electric bikes.. adventure bikes are for distance this will have worse mileage than the SRF/SRS versions as its heavier and taller. Just craziness IMO. I've refused to review the Enegica version as just plan ridiculous
since when it nice the quietness of a bike??? :-))))))))))))))))))))) i like some of your videos but not sure about this one... so only 2 issues in your view?? price and range? so all the other issues are non-issues...
What's up Bob, I enjoy your channel great content. If there is one thing I could ask, could you put standard inches and pounds next to your metric measurements for us Americans that are too stupid to convert it in the head😆
haha that would be nice
Zero's corporate pay to play greet strategy renders this bike a non starter for me. But as others have also said, the tech and the bike is impressive, but for me, we are still 5 years away from something I'll rush to buy.
One thing that will determine if it works, no not registration figures... sales figures!
Does it come with a halt and catch fire option
Yeah, that KTM is good at everything. You'll make lots of friends on one of those. 99% of those friends drive tow trucks, and 1% own them.
Just like a Ducati, you'll meet plenty of helpful people.
Another thought, I wonder why EV Motorcycles don't use regenerative shock absorbers to improve range that converts parasitic intermittent linear motion and vibration into useful energy. Maybe it's not possible for this application?
MOTOBOB produces The Best Motorcycle Media in the whole internet
He does produce some good videos 👌🏼
Nor for me until range is sorted
The big thing too even if you want to do glamping type Adv riding once this gets longer range. Name a moto camping place that will be fine with a whole bunch of electric bikes running up the electric bill on the already low profit type business model they have…
This is a true adventure bike, because you will have to somehow survive when your bike runs out of juice in the middle of nowhere, and you can't even charge your phone because the bike battery is dead, too.
If only somehow had invented a liquid that can be easily carried, refilled in seconds, that declines in weight as its used, and that can ride 400 km between refills. Sigh....
@@admiralbeez8143 Maybe someday, friend.
Yeah, na. That so called range or lack there of, for touring, combining the cost, for Australia for instance is just a complete waste of money, & could not be justified to appear green. Bloody hell, I’d hardly get in the zone, then have to stop to “fill it up”! Looks pretty good, but that’s it.
Think I'll stick with my old af Vstrom
Hydrogen feul cell motorcycle make more sense to me
Charging stations showing up in USA national
Parks with faster charging times. Many national parks do not allow gas powered vehicles off road but quiet electric no problems. Quiet does not bother humans or animals
Cool bike but wow that price is steep!
Zero is the future but just doesn't make sense right now if you ask me Derek
So I plan a ride for Sunday and the night before I plug in to full charge the bike ......unfortunately we get a lot of power cuts in the country side......so next morning ......I get a extra lye in bed 😂😂😂........one day maybe but not yet!
I love E bikes but Zero is falling behind with battery and charge tech. All they need is a fast charger and bigger battery like the Energic, then 10 min charges worth 200 mile range
80 miles will barely get you to work and back so having an "adventure" without having to plan stops every hour for an hour is a ludicrous notion.
A simple trip to Cornwall from London that would normally take 6hrs could take up to 12 on this thing.
What fun!
Totally useless here in Australia as an Adv bike, particularly if you live in the country. The range on this thing gets you nowhere. "Modify your thinking about touring" indeed. Hah! Covering distance here is a necessity, not a lifestyle choice.
If Zero would just suck it up and accept that they need DC fast charging which would bring there charge time down to 15-20 minutes (like energica) then there bikes would fit more use cases. But yes a bike category that aims to get away from human infrastructure is going to struggle to become electric.
Electric sounds good but realistically they are not there yet. As a commuter, maybe.
Hahaha hardly any range with a beltdrive?! That’s not the future people. Sorry, it’s a cool idea and electric would be good for commuting but come on the whole lure to adv bikes is hitting that road you have no idea where it leads....not planning to stop for over a hour every 85miles....
Of course it doesn’t make sense... but we’re going to have to get used to it!
Next, ZERO DSR/X will be able to be plugged into trees and rocks in the mountains and deserts.
That would be nice 😆
Too heavy too thirsty too expensive! Far better ICE choices. If you believe these will be cheap to run for much longer. Then you are going to be very disappointed.
So 85 miles at motorway speeds, and I bet that's unladen without luggage. So let's be generous and say 80 miles at motorway speeds when loaded up.. So at around 65 miles you need to start looking for a fast charger (assuming you paid for the fast charger upgrade), and then charge for at least an hour. So 1 hour of riding at best, then 1 hour at least of charging. Oh deary deary me. What a torrid adventure that would be.
EVs arent ready for adventure touring yet
I agree porkoholic
Yeah, screw that!
Still time enough to get a decade of use out of Suzuki's forthcoming 700cc parallel twin before this Zero becomes a compelling competitor on ownership/convenience standpoints.
Anybody else get the feeling that motorcycle media is being incentivized to positively review these bikes despite their glaring deficiencies which preclude any realistic purpose for upwards of 75-90% of riders? It's also odd that there is never a negative review of electric bikes. Blinding double standard applied between gas and electric bikes that gives the appearance of an agenda.
Yes totally
I agree totally, my thoughts are that when reviewing a bike the purchase cost is just a number on a sheet of paper not something that would preclude you from riding the bike. Put it this way, if any of the ICE alternatives mentioned cost £24k, had 7 litre fuel tanks and needed refuelling with a syringe, I suggest they would get slated as being far too expensive and impractical 🤔👍👍.
Great review! I really like this bike and am very excited about the future of EV Adventure bikes. I am optimistic that the charging infrastructure and battery range will leap frog in the next few years. I would like to see an All Wheel Drive ride mode or push button on demand 2x2 feature for any rough patches of terrain. Possibly a second smaller motor added just for the front wheel and could be mounted in the storage compartment. I would also like a left hand kill switch to prevent Whiskey Throttle events but other than that I think this is an excellent bike and a huge step in the right direction for Zero!!
No sound No happiness
Good point DUCA
For Cyprus perfect but not for touring Europe etc..
£25k for a local bike what a joke.
Is any one really going to pay that?
If you have enough money to buy this bike you have enough to buy a petrol bike and buy the petrol...
Not for me, price and distance.
You're not the only one who thinks that Erwin
Until the price goes down on electric bikes it doesn't make sense to get one
Electric and adventure? That doesn't sound right. Unless it has solar chargers.
Can't wait to read the comments from all the open minded positive UA-cam folks
Electric ‘adventure’ bike that needs recharging every 80ish miles….. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Is it April 1st? I’m afraid EVs are nowhere close at the moment! Unless you have a huge support crew in Petrol/diesel cars with electric generators following you around (Ewan and Charlie…. 😆). Thank you for making me laugh today 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Good point - I watched a video recently where a couple of guys rode a pair of Zeros on a long on/off road adventure. Their support crew consisted of at least two 4x4 SUVs with spare batteries and a mobile generator....🤔😉😂🤣😂. But it proved it could be done.... 🤔🤔🤔🤔😮😮😂🤣😂🤣😂
Nothing more than a rich man’s toy.
The range is absurd for an adventure bike