2023 Zero DSRX Review - Worlds first electric adventure bike ridden!

[@lestersmyth692]

The bike itself has came a long way however the infrastructure, charging time, range and cost all put me off big style. Most rides out on my Tiger are usually 100+ miles with no range anxiety issues. Thanks for the review 😀

[@motorcyclemadness6006]

There’s actually more plugs than fuel pumps now .. the infrastructure can easily handle the load for quite some time yet and ramp up .. with vehicle to grid load balancing growing storage and the spread out times people plug in and this eventually being priority should be ok..

[@StoltHD]

@@motorcyclemadness6006 - you still need a lot longer time charging the battery than filling up 5 times with fuel... and what will you do if you want to go for an "off-road"/back country journey where there are no chargers for 300-350 km? Not everyone that only ride down to the nearest Starbuck to show off the bike...

[@o00scorpion00o]

The Zero might have come a long way but it still has a mountain to climb. NT1100 range 400 kms fill up in less than 1 min Zero claimed 80 miles range on Highway and 1 hr 30 min charge time or 1 hr with fast charge ? lol NT1100 costs around 10 K less.

[@steveminers5764]

I follow Marc travels and his adventure from Berlin to NZ. At present he is Albania via Tunisia. It’s a great adventure but what hassle trying to charge even if it was free to charge in Tunisia.

[@BonnevilleTB7]

I think you hit the nail on the head with your summary, not enough range and purchase price not reasonable at this time. Keep up the good work it’s so refreshing to hear someone talk sense on KZbin.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Thank you very much!

[@wellyftw]

Time will have the price drop and the range increase. Maybe in 5 years or so but the more early adopters buying these electric bikes, the sooner we'll see the price drop.

[@roverchap]

I'm glad that you didn't sit on the fence with this review. Electric bikes, if we must have them, are for city commuting. A waste of space for touring. I need a bike which I can set off from Manchester in the morning to make a midday channel crossing. I can do that non-stop in about 4 hours on either of my two classic BMW tourers. Not a chance on an electric bike, I would need an overnight stay or at least be riddled with anxiety about making a pre-booked ferry crossing.

[@darrengibbons7588]

Great review and agree with your comments . I really can,t see the point why the manufacturers should produce such a machine . The only place they really work is in the big cities as a commuter however the sheer cost of one of these bikes again goes against it . Can,t see them selling many anytime soon . If you were to consider one for commuting you could almost buy three Honda nc750x ,s for the same price as one zero . Not my cup of tea am afraid

[@thepictontwowheels7195]

Totally agree. These bikes need to advance their range between charges by at least another 100 miles to be used for touring . At 24000 it's pricing itself out of the market. Most folk cannot afford that in this day and age. Enjoyed the review and to be fair, would like to take one out for a test drive. 👍

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yes well worth trying if you get the chance....

[@ian-c.01]

I have a feeling that these are not intended to be used by most people right now, the main reason for owning one is novelty factor which is why many people own multiple bikes, their target users are multi bike owners who want something a bit different or commuters who only use it for getting to work and back. This is most definitely not a serious touring bike and even if you could double the battery capacity and halve the time it takes to charge you still have to rely on poor infrastructure etc !

[@GadgetMart]

It’s never going to happen. Accept EV for what it is or don’t bother

[@jonnycando]

@@GadgetMart what it is…overpriced and under capable…just can’t wrap my head around it.

[@GadgetMart]

@@jonnycando Vote with your wallet

[@johnmorris5809]

Top review as always 👍 It’s a ridiculously flawed concept, what happens if you run out of charge on your adventure? Just walk to the fuel station for a can of electric? Let’s hope the sustainable fuel / hydrogen options start gaining momentum. It looks okay but way too expensive, I’m amazed anyone would buy one.

[@onecookieboy]

No one in their right mind would buy one, it's not a motorcyclists bike, it's a commuter for the wealthy who want to project a save the planet vibe.

[@stevebolton8471]

I have seen a BMW (?) hybrid car with hydrogen. If you don't use the car for 16 or 17 hours the car has to vent the hydrogen off slowly. Hydrogen, like batteries, has much lower energy density than petroleum.

[@bink281]

Energy density is critical for motorcycles and hydrogen is lower than battery tech. The only practicable zero emission tech on motorcycles is going to be battery power or synthetic fuel, both of which need to come a long way :(

[@Trevor_Austin]

Don’t be suckered by the ecoloons and hydrogen. “Sustainable” fuel may well be our future, just so long as we have enough food and we don’t start moving farmers off their land as is happening in Holland, for the environmental reasons - obviously.

[@DJPTEXAS]

@@Trevor_Austin Agreed... it's all about control....

[@davidforsdike4343]

It looks ok . Is it more environmentally friendly than something like a CBx 500 ? Which would do 100k Last 20 years and only need one small new battery in that time.

[@reidspeed77]

🤣👍

[@Sankara561]

Yes it is, EVs generally make up their somewhat higher environmental cost of manufacture within 2 or 3 years (longer if you're only doing 5k a year as per your example)

[@DaveBarnes1]

Well, if it's only doing 100 miles a day (then a long charge) it possibly won't be....

[@Sankara561]

@@DaveBarnes1 100 miles a day would be 36k miles a year. 10 hours charging each day would only affect miles covered if the bike was being ridden for the other 14 hours each day, which at average 40mph would be 200k miles per year. At these sorts of mileages the electric bike would absolutely blow away a CB500X or anything else in terms of economy and environmental impact. Much less maintenance too.

[@Thirsty_Fox]

@@Sankara561 In what world could it be ridden for 14 hours a day? 10 hour charge gets 80 miles... so 20 hours charging for about 2-4 hours of riding max, ~160 miles -- when new only. Wouldn't be long before it needs a very expensive new battery pack when the range dips below 50 or 60 miles per charge.

[@garycampbell7891]

Every time I watch an electric bike or car review I get this overwhelming feeling of sadness and depression. I snap out of it by reassuring myself my 1250 GS and 3 litre 6 cylinder diesel will be with me to the end. Amen.

[@Ritte13]

Amen

[@austinmatthews347]

Me too pal my gsa and my 2.0tdci focus tit x they will need to prise these out of my cold dead hands. Imo tho electric vehicles are a spoof they dont add up more fool anyone taken in by them

[@shaunstewart4064]

Abolutely agree with you. My GSA and my pickup aren't going anywhere any time soon. 😀

[@steveburns4543]

Great review, electric adventure bikes don't make any sense unless your idea of adventure is range anxiety. Teapotone was broken after that trip you talked about

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Exactly….

[@brianperry]

The whole idea of a motorcycle powered by batteries is a flawed idea.... promoted by the the Greta Thumbergs of this world.

[@otablott7779]

Awesome review as usual! Another huge issue with electric bikes is the degradation of battery capacity over time. Lithium batteries charged to 100% instead of 80% and especially if fast charged causes capacity to virtually fall off a cliff within the space of 2 to 3 years, and its permanent. So if youre fast charging to 100% have £8,500 laying around for a new battery every few years if you want to hold onto that sweet 64 mile (80%) range.

[@borisdraceana]

From experience manufacturers often provide more capacity than advertised. With tesla and bmw I have not seen those levels of degradation over about 150k miles. Weather is often the biggest issue with 30% less range on cold days.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Good points....

[@ianjames3078]

That was an issue a few years ago, no longer is. I’ve had full EVs since 2012, and over 150k miles. Google Hyundai Ioniq state of health, with a relatively small top buffer they are still showing full capacity after 80k miles. Density, cooling etc are now so much better and the BMS prevents damage by throttling rapid charging. My current Jan 2020 Ioniq is at 44k miles and often does 900 mile weekend with multiple rapid charges…..and zero range change from new. In saying all this……I don’t want a battery motorbike as they stand. I only use a bike for fun/touring, if I was commuting I’d consider it. I want to get on a bike and know I’ve got 200 miles range and I can fill up where I want, Wales here is the Sahara of charging infrastructure.

[@Sankara561]

That's not correct, it was a problem 15+ years ago but modern batteries will outlive any vehicle they are fitted to.

[@Zee216]

It doesn't have any fast charging, and the battery protects itself these days, this is actually a non issue

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

27 grand! You'd have to be bonkers to choose this over a traditional touring bike. Great review thx Andy!

[@chrishart8548]

Maybe if someone had solar panels and used it to get to work everyday it would be closer to making sense.

[@cp4512]

As a fashionable ‘green’ bike to ride on a Sunday morning it’s fine. As an adventure bike it still falls way short. But at that price there are many many better petrol bikes to buy!

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Agreed 100%

[@hebehall]

Great bike but laughable range for my needs. If you’re up for a 40 mile “adventure” perhaps it’d work 😅 super review as always.

[@chrishart8548]

40mile adventure in a circle at that

[@reidspeed77]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@intipunku8281]

Adventure bike😂 85 mile range 😂 10 hour charge 😂 24k GBP 😂 I'm surprised they would sell a motorcycle like this. It doesn't offer anything. My Honda crf300l does approx 100mpg. Fill it up in 3 minutes. Simple to service. Light weight. 5.7k plus quality mods. Good spare part availability world wide. Fuel available in very remote places. There's no comparison. Thanks for the video. It is still very interesting especially 225Nm torque. I would like to have a go.

[@kevint3845]

You forgot to mention its called zero, about as much interest I have in it. Your comments certainly match my views.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

he he....

[@MrBiggles]

Thank you TMF for your unrivalled honesty, good and bad. All the best.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Much appreciated! ...and good to hear from you again!

[@MrBiggles]

@@TheMissendenFlyer no probs, and if you’re ever flying with VA do let me know and I’ll see what I can do 👍🏻

[@mark.e.p]

As someone who greenlanes, l totally understand how a full electric bike with its lightweight and torque would be awesome. Range wouldn't be an issue, but the pricepoint needs to be in the right ball park.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Agreed

[@msims1250]

I like the looks of the bike. Multiple seat height options appeals to me and my 28” inseam. Ten hours of charge time for 80 miles of riding is just not going to cut it, for me. Thanks for the review.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Thanks for watching!

[@oliverwhitby4778]

Usual excellent quality video so thanks is the first comment and it's pleasing to see many intelligent comments. Hopefully most bikers won't fall for the marketing rubbish coming from the car industry. For me one of the main points of having a bike is the lack of queuing compared to a car. The thought of having to queue to charge up is totally beyond me. I would probably leave it there and walk.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yes wouldn't that be grim!

[@BibtheBoulder]

Yep, it's a motorcycle, but Olive from 'On the Buses' was a woman, and I wouldn't want to ride either of them...

[@GreenString]

😂🤣👍🏼

[@EJK1965]

How dare you, I married olive... admittedly she ran off with motoBlob due to his huge mic. Naughty Olive......tusk.

[@Grahamvfr]

A lot of steam loving guys may well have said that about that new fangled internal combustion engine. Haha.

[@paullacey2999]

🤣🤣🤣But lets not be too hasty,any port in a storm and all that😉

[@Grahamvfr]

@@paullacey2999 yes and I'm 66 now, and olive is better looking every yr I get older haha

[@Andy.H.H.]

Great review Andy. And I completely agree with the issues; price, range and charging hassles. I'd love to get an electric bike but, there's just too many downsides..

[@sdpicturecard6858]

Nice review. I think you hit the nail on the head: Electric motorcycles are good for daily riding, commuting, and maybe fun weekend rides. Touring? I just don’t see it. I don’t think e-motorcycle makers should position their bikes as anything other than short-distance vehicles, because that’s where e-transportation provides the most value. Charge it up, ride to work (or shopping, etc.), ride it home, charge it up again and be ready for tomorrow’s ride. Skip the petrol station altogether until you need to drive the car to buy a load of groceries or drive across the country to visit grandma, etc. Daily short-distance commuting seems to me to be the niche that electric motorcycles fill very nicely, with the longer weekend rides thrown in for fun. Out and back on one charge. That’s where it’s at for me regarding e-motorcycles, especially if the prices come down to where they compete favorably with ICE motorcycles.

[@stevebolton8471]

What would be the range of this bike with panniers and bags on for a tour, with a pillion? 60 miles?

[@piotrb6410]

Great review, 100% agree with you. I currently own the 2021 Tracer 9GT and had a go on Zero DSRX. Can't say I loved it or hated it. The looks is subjective, it's not the best looking bike out there but it's not ugly either. I personally don't mind the looks. It was easy and fun to ride, the torque was great coming out of roundabout and accelerating to national speed limits. The one which I've ridden has a lowered seat and it was too low for my 185cm. It also had a touring screen which was alright. I found the switchgear to feel very cheap (didn't scream £24k to me). Again, with the range, charging times and the infrastructure in the UK, it wouldn't work as a touring bike (I watched teapots video and agree with him). However, if I owned a few motorcycles, I could use this one as a commuter bike and would probably get 2-3 days of riding on one charge. However, if I had £24k for another bike, I would probably get a nice R1250RT and go on a nice holiday ;)

[@piotrb6410]

Also, imagine fitting two side cases, a topbox and with the wife at the back seat... Trying to maintain motorway speeds, the range would probably drop to 40-50 miles :D

[@SteveSmith-hw7kb]

Agree with your conclusion. Aside from cost, electric vehicles stand up as commuter transport but fall over outside of that role. I couldn't enjoy a ride with range anxiety always there. The other thing that never gets mentioned is the long term environmental impact of all these batteries at the end of their life. There will also be a major problem with available electricity to recharge these vehicles if everyone gets forced to have one. Answers will be found out of necessity, but we are a little way from achieving that at present. Good review; thanks!

[@simonbarry1971]

I have a touring machine and for me it needs to do 250 miles a day minimum, with no fuss. I did over 80 miles on my small klx250 yesterday without stopping., this zero is not a tourer, if a klx comes higher in the tanking.Yes after a few hours in the saddle a coffee break is welcome but it’s not currently enforced. These bikes have one purpose, for city commuting. Where you need to get through heavy traffic, congestion management routes and need a cheap transport to work. However they fail here, due to the cost, even the small trail like bikes are expensive. So in the cities the scooter remains king, and on the open road I’ll continue to pass anyone venturing into this type of biking. I’m not a petrol head, I’d love to try and have an electric bike but they have to work. Great honest review as ever, pity no one seems to listen in the industry.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

I agree with you 100%

[@Marc.S.78]

As a owner of 2 electric cars I am quite sure that I never want to go back to an ICE car in the future. BUT that does not count for motorbikes (yet). The thing with cars is that it does not really matter how heavy they are, but it does matter A LOT when it comes to bikes. My trips on a bike are usually at least 150+ miles, sometimes more than 250 miles. With a bike a trip is different to a car, I want to enjoy the ride and not look constantly for a charger. In a car you have loads of range and it charges really fast. The day will come where a affordable high power, high capacity battery will be available, so our beloved hobby will have a future. But that days is not there yet. (German here, please ignore mistakes, thanks)

[@garyhope0103]

Great review as usual Mr Flyer. Taking away the purchase price, which makes it a very expensive 'toy' in my mind, the concept of an electric bike for urban use would be ok. But as for longer touring it just doesn't make economic sense. With the extra weight and wind resistance of panniers etc, surely your mileage between recharging would be reduced also.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Good point!

[@davidz8]

A very interesting review, honest as ever, hopefully as battery technology moves on and prices drop, electric bikes will make more sense, but a 70 mile range makes for a very short adventure.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

It does indeed! Thanks for watching....

[@stuartmoles843]

If I won Euromillions I’d have one for the commute, of course if I won Euromillions I wouldn’t be doing the commute! Unfortunately at the cost it really makes no sense when the Honda Transalp is about a third of the price. The extra 15 or so thousand buys an awful lot of petrol.

[@chrishales]

I'm afraid its a no from me Andy. The cost is the main factor but even if I had the money there is nothing about the bike that floats my boat. Being old school, a bike makes a great noise and vibrates to let you know you are on it and enjoying it. 👍Great video, keep em coming.

[@caroljones3252]

I have an idea Andy, perhaps someone should design a pannier that is a generator so it could be charged when stopped or on the go. It would look and sound good with a nice chrome pipe out the back. It could even be a twin😂

[@terrellgarren7125]

Thumbs up on the review. I fear for Zero's business future if this is what they are betting on. I suspect that bike will depreciate faster than a Christmas tree on December 26th.

[@ianmccurley2806]

Wow, 80 mile range. That’s going to work so well here in Australia.

[@Banditmanuk]

A while ago I would say it's ridiculous having an electric 'adventure' bike due to the lack of charging infrastructure in many places that you would want to have an adventure. The KZbin channel Marc Travels is currently riding his Zero around the world and has dipped into Africa. Definitely worth a watch. Cost against ICE is still a big problem

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Defo…

[@gvybin]

I watch Marc Travels video's and although he is a nice guy, the only thing I always see in those travel video's is Marc searching for a way to charge his bike. I really wouldn't want to travel that way. It is just silly. Watching his video's actually convinced me not to buy an electric motorcycle. This year I will travel form Belgium to Saint Raphael with some friends. It would be impossible to go on that trip with this Zero or with an energica experia, without annoying my friends so much , that they would just leave me behind. Not fun. And even on a simple weekends day ride I would do well over a 250km and I a do not want to leave my bike charging 2 or 3 times for how long does it take? Travelling a highway at speeds around 130km/u would drain that battery in no time. I just don't get who is willing to pay that money for a bike that is nothing more then a boring commuter bike. Also, it is not on par with something like a GS , an XR1000S, a Multistrada. I recently did testride a Energica Experia and tbh, even my 2016 Triumph Tiger Sport 1050 had more soul and grunt in it.

[@timhaynes6628]

Great Review Andy. As you suggest totally impractical in the real world. I ride regularly to our flat in Cologne from the UK and the GS does it easily in two fills. With this bike on your estimation it would take 6 or more likely 7/8 charges and a few days!!

[@graememoss4305]

Hi Great vid as ever. "Marc Travels" takes his Zero around the UK which gives an incite into the recharge situation here. Now he and his girlfriend are heading to New Zealand via the desert!! Travel channel rather than pure biking but good stuff. Take care.

[@Stevebarker66]

'£50,000 for a bike with just over 100 miles of tank range?' I am of course talking about the Kawasaki H2R - a bike many of us would LOVE to own. Isn't it strange how we can justify low range when it suits us? I see this as an adventure-styled commuter bike, and I wonder how many GSs do lees than 80 miles a day on the daily commute? An excellent review as ever, and one that points to the future: electric bikes badly need more range and more charging infrastructure. I'm sure Zero don't expect GS-tyoe sales volumes, but for a (very) small number of users this bike actually makes sense as it is: Virtually zero(!) fuel & running costs, excellent performance, comfort, handling and (in my opinion) looks. On the urban commute, I'd say the Zero outperforms the GS in many key areas. Away from the commute - nah...🤣

[@richiew3184]

Great review as always. I usually only ride for pleasure on a Sunday and the odd bike tour. Sunday is always over 100 miles and I can’t see how you’d do a tour on one of these. Looks pretty good though. The tech really needs to advance a lot before these bikes become an option. I’d still miss the sound of my Harley though. It’s one of the main reasons I bought it.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

I'm with you on that!

[@MisterPolak]

It's an adventure bike by style. It's an awesome bike for large urban areas, where you can have all the concrete jungle adventure you want. I was surprised how many chargers there are around Atlanta area.

[@reidspeed77]

Good coverage, as always. No gearbox.....it's a scooter...I see a world where me and you need a permit for non urban/city use and we get our fuel at halfords...speed triple please

[@simonchilli2088]

The engine lump loox not dissimilar to the old BMW lumps but obviously minus the cylinders. Body wise it's not too angular like the Suzuki V-strom amongst others. I did think it looked a bit like a canoe tho up front! Possibly because it's quite rounded at the front. Not unlikeable tho. When it comes down to it this technology isn't going to go away. It's progressing faster and faster. The infrastructure will follow demand I would say. P.S well done you for riding in that bloody cold.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Cheers!

[@blackskunk54]

Reminds me of a jet ski thingy. I must have a go on one one day. Need to fit some loud pipes. Looks very well made (as are the videos)

[@tomhan]

it's nice looking , very fast , has a nice polished finish. It will be a very important step between now and viable electric bikes , but I'll never hand over car money for a bike with the range of a scooter

[@chrisboddie6512]

Cheers mate. Awesome review. Love the idea of having something like this as a commuter. I’ve got my rocket for the weekend but I think it would be nice to get out of the tin can and on something like this to go to work. I’m 25km from work. Gravel and bitumen road. Sounds like fun to me.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Could work for you then!

[@michaeldwyer870]

Hi Andy, great video as ever. We rode an SR/F - great fun and amazing experience... but twice the price relative to combustion alternatives and at least twice as expensive to ensure. Ouch. They need to rethink the financing and insurance to make these more affordable putting aside costs to recharge. Keep up the great work. M

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Agreed 100% Michael - thanks for watching....

[@lauriebloggs8391]

Thanks for the review, always interesting, but I agree with las Smith below. And you......🙂

[@Grahamvfr]

Nice one Andy. A lot of romance about gearboxes, clutch, engine noise etc (including me sometimes), but their only purpose is to turn a wheel powerfully.. And that's all an electric motor is doing also... Still 2 wheels, still a frame, you still need skill to put it on its ear around a bend etc etc.

[@ianpotter5840]

The only realistic market I can think of for these is as hire bikes. Maybe if there was an Electric Bike hire company somewhere like the Lake District or Scottish Borders. You could then make your way there on a environmentally friendly train, pick up your electric bike and do day tour loops within its range whilst recharging overnight. Apart from that these are sadly just very expensive toys at the moment (outside of urban areas anyway). Thanks for review Andy and being brave enough to get back on one!

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Thanks for that - glad you spotted my bravery!!

[@ianpotter5840]

Deffo - you’re taking one for the team🙂

[@Stevebarker66]

"You'll own nothing - and you'll be happy" as the World Economic Forum would have us believe... I think you're right: the immediate future for eMCs is the rental market: cities, national parks etc. 👍

[@thinkingimpaired5663]

Would be nice if it was equipped with a good diesel generator either on the bike or in tow, just so you can actually adventure bike. I don't think managing a crisis each time you go out on an adventure is wise.

[@stephennewell6628]

Charlie and Ewan did this on Live-wires in the long way up, had a large diesel generator truck following them through South America.

[@robreed2999]

Yet another quality honest review but wouldn't touch an electric bike with a barge pole 😡 250 miles to the tank on my XT1200Z and all the comfort at a reasonable price 👍 thanks Andy 👍😊

[@ragerider6283]

Nice review & a very interesting proposition TMF. It actually looks very nice imo although as an adventure bike seems to be the antithesis of what an adventure bike should be with the way the power's delivered & it's weight etc. It would make me nervous on an uneven slippery muddy track with that instant go & the bulk. Looks like a heavily stylised road bike with a bit of school run SUV car about it as in all show & no go when it comes to off roading but of course I could be completely wrong as haven't ridden it obviously.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yes good point!

[@whiskysailing8529]

I own a 2022 SR/F which is an amazing bike to ride. The moral is be honest with yourself as to the type of riding you do. If just want a 105 mile blast around the twisties then there is nothing I would rather be on. If you really are an iron butt tourer then buy a GS. My view is that you must test ride electric before you can have any opinion about it. Simply awesome! 😊

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Agreed 100% - goes for any bike really....

[@shaunlayton9814]

A good truthful review 👍

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Glad you think so!

[@cport955]

I think 70 miles between stops for a tourer just isn’t practical, especially when you factor in the charging time. I’m pretty happy to do double that especially at the beginning and end of a tour

[@MisterFishfinger]

Interesting review, as always. One point though - you can't directly compare the torque with that of an ICE engined bike (like a GS) because conventional bikes have gearboxes, which are torque multipliers. The electric bike has just one gear to do everything so it needs a lot of torque to make it accelerate (although it does seem to do that very effectively).

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yes fair point!

[@FreddieDobbs]

Very interesting video👌🏻 It’s the range that unfortunately becomes the complete deal breaker for a bike like this. It unfortunately just doesn’t work and the ranges of electric bikes just aren’t improving (which is worrying)

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yes - there has to be some radical new battery tech to make these things properly viable....personally I'd rather we went alternative fuels and kept our internal combustion engines (with the exception of riding in the city where electric scooters make great sense)....

[@Mikey9R]

Excellent review as usual. I think the bike looks superb, and Zero are obviously pretty passionate about getting us on electric bikes, but you have nailed pretty much every disadvantage of an electric motorcycle. For the extra price, there are very few advantages, and a hell of a lot of disadvantages over petrol power. It's simply not worth it at the moment. I'll be keeping my Honda 1200 Crossdresser for the time being. I've been watching MarcTravels on the tube, as he's in the process of riding his older Zero from Germany to New Zealand, and as fun as it looks, electric bikes aren't really there yet.

[@shadowred1980]

To use a tech analogy, the currant (giggle) car and bike battery tech is like an 80's mobile phone, that weighted 10kg and needed a briefcase to cart the battery round. It will improve of course, however the rate of that progress isn't what the manufactures have hoped it would be. It's interesting that Ducati, Triumph, Yamaha and Kawasaki have all said recently that they are looking at hydrogen even going as far as making prototypes. Maybe another avenue to keep a watch on. Great review as always, plus a very balanced view with you owning the gs for so many years. All the best. John

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Cheers John - thanks for watching!

[@carleddison7479]

Interestingly, something like 95% of commercial hydrogen is derived from fossil fuel, usually natural gas. So, energy is consumed to produce a fuel that is less useful than the product you begin with. Go figure!

[@johnmacdonald1878]

A friend of mine rides a zero it works for him. As a commuter. Looks like a lovely bike which would work for me about 80% of the time. So I would ither be limited to the 80% or would still need my GS for the other 20%. I would like to know about the charging when out and about, 10hrs at home is one thing but if I rode somewhere how long does it take while I have coffee and cake to charge up to ride home. Reality it’s still to expensive to by and limited by range.

[@williamjones6478]

I don’t think it was a harsh review your analogy of the bike was very true we have a very long way to go.

[@robertroberts8648]

Interesting. Can't beat a proper engine and noise 😁 all the issues with the charging you pointed out, will go and check that vid out, if they want to push it, then it should all be a universal system weather bike, car or makes.

[@barryjmarling]

Not a bad looking bike,but if I had that sort of money would definitely get the bike I’ve wanted for many years,dare I say it (a GS). Great video as always.👍🏻

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Thank you....

[@mattnicholas9842]

I had an SRS for 7 months, I really liked it….. but…. Real range was 80 miles tops, it didn’t like water, and spent a lot of time back at Zero, they gave me my money back. Hope this one is better. I think the Energica Experia is the first to market and a nicer bike for similar money. I like electric bikes, but don’t hold your breath waiting for decent charge infrastructure or magic batteries with twice the range… still decades away.

[@drdoolittle5724]

Many apologies Sir, but only managed 7:29 before the yawning started but rest assured, Your input is still 101%, it is just your mount is so-so pointless etc etc! Keep up the good work please!

[@T3-RIDER]

I get 5 mins in and get bored lol 😂 very good reviews but it's a snooze fest, I like reviews where they really test the bikes not just ride on boring roads 😅

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

You’re right not to watch then - plenty of other channels out there….

[@drdoolittle5724]

@@TheMissendenFlyer You misunderstood perhaps, You I always follow and appreciate, it was just the particular machine involved! Keep up the excellent work!

[@wokeupandsmellthecoffee214]

Decent review Andy and as most comments say, the bike is flawed (should be floored!) mainly due to the lack of range. One of the many problems we and other countries have is no one has thought of installing hundreds of thousands of electric connectors throughout the country before they start to build cars or bikes. In addition how can you charge an adventure type bike in the middle of nowhere. Long live the conventional bike says me!

[@wokeupandsmellthecoffee214]

@@maxflight777 wow is that all.

[@chrispomphrett4283]

I'm amazed this reached production. It's just not fit for purpose except for little mini-adventures near to home...

[@davem3059]

You got this one spot on Andy. There's far too many elephants in the room. So much so, you can't even open the door 😉 🤣

[@johnDukemaster]

I saw one of these at my dealers. And I find it a bit too plastic. One problem with these battery bikes (and cars) is that they tell you the range at 100%. But to keep a longlife battery and live up to their warranty, charging must be between 20 and 80%. So what's the range at 80%? And in cold weather the range is even shorter. So in real life...well, needless to say more. Thank you mr Flyer!

[@otaupdate3151]

'But to keep a longlife battery and live up to their warranty, charging must be between 20 and 80%' Two words: Bull Shit

[@johnDukemaster]

@@otaupdate3151 Oh, you can count to 2!

[@otaupdate3151]

@@johnDukemaster Ha ha. Doesn't change the fact that your claim is nonsense.

[@johnDukemaster]

@@otaupdate3151 Ignoring facts doesn't make it a lie.

[@otaupdate3151]

@@johnDukemaster Yes, it does.

[@siberman2535]

Well done for braving the icy roads. I think that if we could see the fumes, if they were bright green or something, then we could get more of an idea about what we are breathing in. Then the cost of a petrol bike may become more apparent. I like the idea of clean air as I'm riding along but like many riders, I'm not able to part with that sort of cash so I suppose we are hooked on petrol. For me, I like the seat height and riding position, heated grips and acceleration. I think that the front mudguards should be much bigger, that half-arsed approach will get you a front end covered in crap, the rear isn't much better. Fashion over function as usual. Don't need the modes, cruise control or the 'sat-nav'. I don't like the idea of storage that you need a spanner to access. Bonkers. Just my opinion, of course, good review. Go to the top of the class. 9/10.

[@urgigrull4013]

Really nice review. I would love to get one, but there is, as you stated, two drawbacks. Price and range. And actually here is no arguing about that for me. I need a range of about 180 km ( around 112 miles ) to get me to my office at least twice a week, half of it being the motorway. So there is one fault for me, I could be able to charge it while being at work somehow, but why, would I do that if the power at home is for free ( solar ). Second is the initial price..... I bought a Honda Rebel 1100 DCT with some extras for roughly 15k € and there is no way the fuel cost in the whole life of that bike might sum up to the costs of the Zero. So still E-Bikes suffer from the two essential points at least for my use cases: money and range. I really really wish that was different !! I would really love those 200+ Nm !!

[@mark.e.p]

As an add. My mate has a 2012 Nissan Leaf with 150k miles on it and has only seen a 10% drop in battery capacity. Cold weather is more of an issue.

[@troopz4683]

If this is what future motorcyclists have to look forward to i am so glad i am an old sod!! (67)

[@allenjenkins289]

Excellent review as always I agree with everything you said the biggest no no for me is the cost 24000 or 2700 for a bike that only does 80miles per charge is just not good enough, I bought a fully speced gsa brand new last year for 22000 and range on that is 300 plus miles if you ride conservatively there's just no comparison And also like you said get to a charger there Could be a big queue befour you so could be couple of hrs befour you can even charge, then you got to wait how long for it to charge I'm afraid if everting goes electric ill hang up my leathers lol keep up the good work ride safe

[@WainwrightWalksWiaLocalLad]

I think the adventure will be the search for a recharge point!😂🤔

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

He he!! Now now!!

[@StuartGiles-k7i]

Hi there, Ive not read all the comments, but one elephant in the room hasn't been noticed is carrying a pillion with all the luggage my better half 'needs'. My guess the range would be around fifty miles.

[@alchapman1052]

Laudable effort but the 24k-27 k price is a killer ,to think of what that would buy you motor cycle wise is a no-brainer for me . Still think synthetic fuels might be the answer and we will see you riding a new fuelled sort of bike . Honest review though.👍

[@Themotograndpa]

Very honest review and well said range still not good enough especially if you went on a tour with others on petrol bike !!!! Look nice though Andy 👍

[@onecookieboy]

If you went on a 500 mile 'tour' with friends on petrol bikes, they would get there at least day earlier.

[@jardarsundeolsen3123]

Took some play, stop, rewind, play, stop etc to read those disclaimers are the beginning. Worth it though.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Nice work - well done!

[@lifesjourneyat50]

Always a great review…I just don’t understand these electric manufacturers trying to do an Adventure bike. To expensive, no range - I mean how do you do an off-road adventure and no charging…makes no sense. They should focus on the urban traveler, get the range to 150miles and drive down the cost for the average person. If spending $20K+…stay with a GS….thanks again for the review.

[@flexywing]

Hi Andy, great review as ever. For me the jury is still out in EVs, I m not sure these are the "green" answer. To get batteries and motors are not really recyclable. The answer still might be "green" fuel or hydrogen power Only time will tell.

[@carleddison7479]

Consider that hydrogen is derived from fossil fuel. Why not just use the fossil fuel directly?

[@Ritalie]

Wow. So the Harley Livewire motorcycle definitely is the most beautiful electric bike for sure. The Harley battery and motor looks absolutely beautiful. The Zero 17.3 battery is very strange and industrial looking like it's not really part of the bike. But it's not ugly. Just very odd.

[@sergentcolon1]

Morning Andy. Until there is a big increase in the charging infrastructure, larger electric bikes don’t have the range to replace ice engined bikes. I think 50 and 125 equivalent electric bikes make far more sense for replacing ice bikes for commuting and shorter journeys at lower speeds. It will require a combination of standardisation of ev bike batteries and the type of battery swap technology that Chinese manufacturer Nio has developed for its electric cars or a massive rollout of high speed charging stations. I’m pretty sure this will happen but the government needs to take a more proactive roll than they currently are at present.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Morning! ...and agreed!

[@jonpeers7753]

Not sure where the cost saving would kick in. The 5K price difference between the Zero and a GS TE buys a lot of fuel before you've even plugged the Zero in. Great idea and definitely the future, but I wonder how much progress will happen on electric bikes in terms of competitiveness vs petrol pricing until the big manufacturers really start taking them seriously and investing in their development.

[@bikerjock2654]

I wonder why they can’t get screen design right. I had to change the screen on my, otherwise brilliant, Tiger 800. When I first had it, the vibrations gave me a headache, and I had to spend a chunk of folding money on an aftermarket screen (Madstad), which transformed the ride. I’m a very average 5’ 10”. I rode it for a while without a screen before I put the Madstad on, and it was way better than with the OEM screen.

[@paulliebenberg3410]

Not a bad looking bike but with that side storage in the fairing has me thinking "chipmunk"! Wish you could have showed us those compartments open... I guess Torx access is a cheap way of making them lockable? If you mentioned quick charge time I missed it. In the western USA where I do my "adventures" the range makes it a non-starter. Tidbit; I grew up within e-bike range of the Zero factory in California; know some peeps who have worked there.

[@keesverhagen9227]

Funny, The thought of buying a Zero for commuting came popping in my head. Selling the car and going on two wheels the whole year around. But it has to be better protected against salt on the road then a normal bike. That will rot away under your arse in les then 3 years. So for more then 35 years always had a special "winterbike". An old and lite bike that was good enough to be be trustie not to let me stand alongside the road when minus zero degrees Celsius. And hey !!!! , starting KZbin up to watch some DSR vids. And a new one comes on top just a few hours old. So what do you think about purelu using this electric bike for commuting ? And especcially in winter. Could you give me your thoughts about salt protection ? Any good or is it better never to buy an electric bike for that purpose ? Every day i have to drive 190 km'ters with it. And with a bike i am saving lots of time because i can go around cars. And also drive inbetween them when they stand still on the highway. Every day i loose atleadt one hour by that. And sometimes even 4 hours when i am unlucky. Getting really sick of that. So no matter what i will go motorcycle again. If not electric then a cheap secondhand CRF or a 250 cc suzuki or Kawa. And spray it with some protective stuff against salt. I would very like traction control because this can save you against sliding in winter. And that is something the CRF and the other light bikes do not have. So i am very curious about what you can tell about the possibility that salt will let it rott away very quickly.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Dunno about salt protection (use Acf50?) but as a commuter electric bikes make some sense…

[@JAF41972]

I like the idea of a electric bike but it's totally flawed for any sort of distance riding. Fab review 👌

[@Geshmaal]

Yeah I think commuter is the main use case really for these things. I can blast along the motorway for 15 miles each way for my commute, a Zero SR/S would be the perfect tool for the job...but not at £20k+!

[@htiek30120]

Thanks for the review. I wasn't aware that Zero was making an adventure bike. Perhaps I missed it, but did Zero finally go to liquid cooling for their motors. It would be nice if we didn't have to worry about the bike going into limp mode in the middle of a ride. Have you tested the Energica Experia yet? I would be interested to see what you think of that one.

[@kevinjones7732]

If we're all honest with ourselves electric bikes are a complete non starter on all fronts really. I do a 50 mile round trip on the motorway to work and certainly would get range anxiety on an electric bike.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

I wouldn’t say in all fronts - in the urban environment they make a lot of sense…not for touring though….

[@waynedilworth5706]

For the 5k difference between this and as you say a fully spec'd GS you could pay 2k for a 5yr service pack and do about 4500 miles per year with the 3k paying for fuel

[@florimondkrins9980]

Always enjoy your videos. Interesting review. Definitely not a proper touring bike but... regarding range things can be improve with a different riding style without removing too much of the adrenaline and excitement. I have a BMW C-Evolution with 11kWh of battery and if I ride on Eco mode most of the time and I can easily squeeze 70-80 miles of range. Of course it means no to little motorway, or just cruising around 60-65 mph. but when I do some touring I usually avoid motorway as they can be quite boring. So I guess with this bike you could get easily 110-120 miles of range, which would be about 2-3 hours of riding, and an hour of charging. It would be manageable but some preparation with the charging points would be needed. Have you had the chance to try the new Energica Experia?

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

No I haven’t….

[@gordanmoran4549]

Loving the comments somehow people think if they say they ride a GS then people will think they know what they are talking about 😊😊

[@overboost7667]

Kudos telling us about that incident - That was a big mistake they didn't fit TC back then. RyanF9 has a video decorated with high- and lowsiders of Zero-Riders ...

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

He does?

[@colmanmurphy963]

Where is one expected to go on a bike like this? Expensive short tripper. In the early experimental stage I think. Keep at it Zero.

[@JohnFromArlingtron]

Odd. The Zero site says the DSRX has a range of between 80 and 180 miles depending on riding situation. That would make trip planning a bit difficult. In-town riding does take greater advantage of the regen braking than sustained highway so your range going up whilst riding in town makes sense.

[@ticthedog6095]

I’m sat here with a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie looking forward to a tour video, disappointed to see a electric bike video. I was born and lived in Aylesbury, we thought parts of Wendover were posh and the whole of Great Missenden was posh.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Sorry to disappoint! There’ll be another tour video in due course….hang in there!!! …and compared to Aylesbury….😉

[@ahillvfr]

Looks an amazing bike but you are correct in every way, can’t work out why the range in not better, my car weighs several tons and only has a 64 kw battery but does 250 miles with luggage and 2 people on board. Can’t wait for your first electric Plane review, at least you won’t have to worry about Carb icing 🤣

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

True!

[@motorcyclemadness6006]

Mostly down to aerodynamics which are awful on bikes .. generally most ev cars are pretty slippery out of necessity energy density in battery’s is less it’s just physics kwh needs to be more but it’s coming..,

[@ponytrishpip]

The other issue I have with electric vehicles is the whole carrying your charging cable around. I would have thought that the charging points would of had cables you plug into your vehicle. I’m not sure what the cables weigh but they look heavy.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yes good point!