Can you live with an electric bike? A year with the Zero DSR/X | Long-term test

#zero #electricbike
Our Office Manager, Alison has been living with the Zero DSR/X electric bike for a year. Find out what it's been like in our new video. Read more about her adventures here: www.motorcycle...
We'd love to hear your views so get them down in the comment section!
Find your next bike with the experts at MCN Bikes for Sale: www.motorcycle...
MCN Compare is your one-stop bike insurance shop: www.mcncompare...
Check us out on social media:
Facebook: @MotorcycleNews
Twitter: @MCNnews OR @MCNSport
Instagram: @motorcyclenews
Visit the MCN website for all the latest news, reviews, advice and bikes for sale:
www.motorcycle...
Subscribe to get MCN every week, in newspaper or digital format: bit.ly/3rEIjaP

[@nicksokolis6343]

Alison is excellent and very articulate. Please give her more screen time.

[@RocketMan_Moto]

Excellent insight into the reality of owning an electric bike. The infrastructure/technology just isn’t ready. Two hours to recharge every 90 miles? A top box just to carry the cables? I’ll come back in 5 years…🤦‍♂️

[@AntaresSQ01]

Yea but we were here 5 years ago too haha, I knew someone who had a 2020 Zero SR/F, this bike is NO step forwards 3 years down the line.

[@1990-t1j]

I won't bother then. Nick

[@Sprchkn]

Zero doesn't believe most buyers will want to travel on their Zeros, hence the lack of fast charging for the standard config. I don't get how they're able to compete with Energica with that attitude on their larger bikes like this one. Electric motorcycles are just going to be at a disadvantage until higher density battery technology exists, there's no getting past the physics. Realistically, I don't see this changing in another 5 years - though if we're talking 10 years...then maybe.

[@Waldo1122]

@@Sprchkn The main manufacturers such as Kawasaki and Ducati will be producing flagship electric bikes within 5 year so I see it changing within 5 years, but the future doesn't include Zero.

[@1990-t1j]

@@Sprchkn How do you know they don't?

[@raymondwright8963]

Poor Alison deserves a medal for putting up with it

[@brankog7]

😂🤡

[@thrallingFRglory]

What’s with all the hate for electric motorcycles? I get that Zero is POS company with anti consumer practices but there seems to be a general animosity towards everything electric.

[@brankog7]

its all the grumpy old farts mate. whingeing is there favorite thing @@thrallingFRglory

[@T3-RIDER]

@@thrallingFRglory did you even watch the video? 😅 the bike is good if you have a garage and only commute to work and back

[@ellistolchard4400]

​@thrallingFRglory Did you watch the video? Its blatantly obvious to (almost) anyone, that the negative points raised here far outweigh any positive points. Do you understand?

[@ColinCarFan]

I learnt 2 things in particular from this excellent review. The infrastructure is even worse for bikes than cars so makes it impractical for almost everyone. Also, women are obviously much tougher than men : T-shirt vs winter coat and woolly hat!

[@Simon_Mitchell]

Really well reviewed with all the pros and cons. This is how motorcycle reviews should be done.

[@glenra123]

Probably the best review of an electric motorcycle to date. Open, honest, transparent and really highlights the laughable infrastructure in place. How on earth you would be able to go on an "adventure" or "where ever the road may take you" with range anxiety at the forefront of your mind or limiting time constraints due to charge time, plus the other factors as mentioned by Alison. I so want it to work, but we are years away yet, and even further away in rural parts of the country! Hats off to Zero motorcycles for trying to lead the way & I wish them success in their pursuit to build their company, but twice the price & twice the journey time? Who really wants to invest in that?

[@TheChambersjc]

This video has been incredibly enlightening! Thank you for the in depth and honest analysis!

[@neilmackinnon3371]

Brilliant, honest review. I have no issue with electric bikes, I would love to own one but both Marc Travels and Teapotone showed just how woefully inadequate the charging infrastructure is in England... and how it's even worse in Wales. The supply companies have their business model all wrong, relying on companies taking out annual / business subscriptions rather than the 'filling station' idea where anyone needing a charge can use one of their chargers. As for the bike, I have read and watched enough about Zero to know it is a brand I would not touch; fast charging and performance facilities that you have to pay to have 'switched on' and presumably back off again the second the bike it traded back into a dealer.... is not a thing I wish to have any part of... although not unique to electric vehicles. Electric still has an awful long way to go..... if you'll excuse the pun.

[@roseysnapper]

Priceless insights; another excellent video in this first class series.

[@yellow6ird]

Alison is an excellent reviewer!

[@branthurley2285]

Reaffirms my faith in MCN's honesty and balance. Well done & thanks, Ali & MN.

[@stevepearce2053]

Fantastic review, Alison needs to do more of these!

[@johnmatchett3548]

What a cracking interview. Well done. Nice clear audio, well shot and edited. I am in my 60s now and like a lot of blokes, I spent my youth on a range of bikes. I skipped the mid-life crisis shift back to bikes, but frequently suffer that lust for biking when driving up the Fossway etc. As a diesel Estate-car and SUV driver, I have always thought bikes must be the ideal application of the hopeless electric dream. This has really surprised me: sounds totally pants! It now seems that most of the car manufacturers are pushing back about the switch to electrification of vehicles. Interestingly, Skoda just announced the new Superb with a choice of 5 engines: 2 diesel, 2 petrol and a hybrid. In that order. Oh dear! Some really interesting points about charging on bikes that would never have occurred to me. It sounds like the moronic team organising the chargers have given this absolutely no thought at all. Frankly, the thing that surprised me most was the crap range... JM

[@sunshowerpainting1]

This is, by far, the best argument to keep my petrol bike yet. I thank you for it.

[@petercarr6599]

Never apologise for speaking the truth, people need to know this. Well done on a Great video mcn.

[@c_kemper]

I use my SR/F to commute every day, 24 miles return, charge once a week using my granny charger, don’t miss my petrol bike at all. Electric is fine, zero needs to up their game though…

[@sharagan]

This is an admirable review, it is not often these days that one finds an honest review. Thanks!

[@antonoat]

Thoroughly excellent and honest review, thanks! Really enjoying MCN content, it’s superb! 👏👍😀🏍 Give me a petrol bike every day of the week and weekend!

[@woodywood3388]

I ran a Zero DSR Black Forest for a year and as nice a bike as it was to ride, the range and recharging made it unworkable. Even with a charge tank, my dream of touring on the Zero was more trouble than it was worth. My vision of riding two hundred km, charging during a nice leisurely lunch to do another 200km after lunch happened precisely once. Zero don‘t help the situation by refusing to offer DC charging. These electric bikes would be great as a second bike, but that will never happen at these prices.

[@mariotorchio4075]

Gasoline for touring. Electric for shorter rides. How many people only own one motorcycle ;)

[@chrisgibbs1615]

Great review and well done for persevering, I would have given up and been begging for a petrol bike. Trying to plan your life around using this bike all the time to me would be a nightmare

[@haxan6663]

Good point about the location of the points. There are 3 points near where I live. It is in an area that riding through is the maximum amount of time that I would spend there.

[@terryjoslin2660]

Brilliant Interview, road test, well done Alison🙂

[@jeffreyarvik5936]

I really like the way Alison explained her experience. Great episode

[@ivanhoe4766]

A very truthful review of this, or any, electric bike. The negatives greatly surpass the positive. Short commuting works, but who would spend this kind of money just to commute. The cost of charging is also a strong negative. Easy call, No Way!!

[@Rob6020]

I spend a lot of time in Asia, electric bikes are more common and in cities these seem like a great option. The use case is key. Perfect for commuting, not so for longer distances.

[@cloudbasenirvana]

Mostly small bikes and scooters with very small batteries - with bigger bikes it means bigger batteries. Would you ever want to ride an EV Motorcycle - If an EV Motorcycle expoldes (as so very many EV batteries are) do the riders not realise their legs are wrapped around the battery so both of their legs will/could/maybe be blown off.

[@stinkerdoodle1737]

I really like these reviews thanks for all the content you guys put out.

[@Love4boost]

I’m happy this is out there for people considering electric motorcycles. I personally think electric bicycles are better at the moment. I have an electric car that I lease. I don’t have range anxiety at all because I wouldn’t road trip my car just as I wouldn’t road trip any car I’ve leased. I just rent a car from anywhere that doesn’t have mileage limits. I ride an MT-09 so yeah I like having fun. I just don’t see myself getting an electric motorcycle no matter how close they get to electric cars because I like to hoon around. I don’t think they should stop though. Definitely keep pushing the limits of what’s possible. I think the BMW CE04 is awesome. It’s only overlooked because they have the C400GT that is way cheaper and way better. I personally would take a maxi scooter for a second bike, but I don’t tour. I look for reasonable in day to day and maxi scooters fit that bill more than electric bikes/motorcycles because of price to capability. Again.. great review, and I definitely look forward to the future of electric motorcycles, or even hybrid.

[@964tractorboy]

Alison deserves the King's Award for Enterprise for putting up with this nag. She should get her pick of all the 20k+ bikes for her next long-termer!

[@cameronrobb591]

Love this series, keep em coming

[@nickrider5220]

Alison is very honest in all of her tests reports, but I felt sorry for her this year. EV companies must use the same charging plug design, the cables must be on the charging machines themselves and finally the machines do need to be able to do 200 miles, because of the length of time it takes to charge....even to 80 % ! For my scenic rides I'd like an ev, but at their current price and quality, they're just not viable. If I were rich I would buy one, but I'd have some 'normal' bikes too 🙂

[@Cartsp70]

Don’t bother! £100 of charge you’ll get about 200 miles. In a diesel you’ll get 600 miles! 👍🏾

[@SimonElliott-e5p]

Guys thanks for this format of review very insightful 👍

[@brucerossonthetube]

She is excellent. Great review.

[@robotBabylon]

I look forward to electric motorcycles with big batteries and the right infrastructure, but we’re not there yet. Thanks for the great review that pointed out the differences between bike shortcomings and shortcomings in the world.

[@chrishart8548]

I still think we need 2x slide out batteries with a handle on the top and exchange them at vending machines and all bikes and scooter use the same batteries. Most of the time just have one to save money and reduce weight and grab a second for a longer journey. Maybe someone could even give you one of their batteries and sign it over to you in an app by scanning a QR code

[@fabiena1787]

Excellent review. So insightful! Very educative, and I thank you very much.

[@mmistermusic]

We need more bikes with DC-charging. It is not only faster but it is also more reliable and easier to use. Less problems with cards, less problems with reliability, no worrying about the speed of the charger (1phase, 3 phase,...), typically at places where you can go inside (shopping malls, gas stations) Charging in 20min. That makes the energica's and harley davidson livewire's more interesting for people who don't always charge at home. It would be interesting to do the same test with a DC-charging capable bike. Like the Harley-Davison or the Energica's. In general I think this review is too negative. I have a zero myself, and I am very happy with it. A lot of people do not use the bikes to do multi-day journeys. Electric has also many advantages not mentioned here: free solar charging, no noise, no maintenance, easy to operate.

[@D.i.n.i.c.h.t.h.y.s]

absolutely agree, would love to see a similar review with the mentioned dc charge bikes

[@UrbanoModa]

having a different mind-set is one thing, but 100 mile range with complications is the reason no ones friends like electric bikes. this bike would put anyone off considering switching to electric. sticking with petrol. Great videos as always.

[@ozmonaut1]

This is a real eye-opener, I think anyone considering an electric bike who's seen this would reconsider their options

[@cliveomahoney4096]

The personal safety thing might be the most important reason not to buy one of these things. Especially at night. Excellent vid

[@andytoff8024]

Excellent review. Very informative and insightful !

[@oliverlotus]

Good video. I'll keep my VFR750 and CBF600 thanks!

[@barryrose4850]

City scooters yes Touring bike no And can’t see it changing any time soon. Good review guys

[@jarlesagheim9710]

This was an excellent review.

[@bunberrier]

Likely the top box can be adjusted rearward for more passenger room. How to make the charging cable take less room is mod it so the thick cable is very short, and it has instead an typical extension cord that coila more compactly for emergency level one situations.

[@everydaybiker]

Fantastic video, thanks... also, can just exclame, GASH!?... brilliant, not heard that as a description for a very long time. Keep up the good work, guys.

[@joeblow5037]

"stop for a wee"

[@flexywing]

It means a bit rubbish

[@paulhope3401]

​@@flexywing Ah... thanks, I thought it was another word for a vagina. 😊

[@everydaybiker]

@flexywing hey. Thanks. As a 90s child, I did know that, it was a massive blast from the past . Love it

[@witchdoctor6502]

Thanks very nice review and pretty much what I expected to be honest - great for commuting, but for road trips you need 1/2 charging time and 2x range (and ofc charging points, but that will vary in countries). Hopefully couple of years will help move the technology so it is cheaper and batteries have higher density and lower weight. Could the noise from tires and windscreen be the same as for petrol bikes, we just don't notice it because of the engine sound?

[@Cartsp70]

Trust me DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! It’s an absolute nightmare 😢 ill sum it up like this “ Imagine riding your normal bike but when the petrol light comes on you’re gonna have a 2 hour wait before you can go anywhere “ AND that’s IF you can find a free charger because 90% of the time someone will be using it so you could be waiting even longer!

[@Cartsp70]

The WORST thing is ( I’ve had an electric scooter) that if you’re on a journey and need to charge and the charger doesn’t work and your battery’s low you’re screwed because you won’t have enough energy to ride to another one !! Absolute nightmare!

[@Cartsp70]

Note to UBITRICITY your chargers are absolutely useless!

[@markbuck4]

Great review was going to invest in a zero sr but have decided to invest in a kawasaki hybrid i think is best bet you have save me around £5000 mark cheers

[@ErgonBill]

This information is gold, right down to the point that tea and cake is more expensive than a recharge. Cafe owners must have shares in EVs, especially those within close proximity to charging stations.

[@geoffsmith1616]

Kudos to you Alison , well done for enduring that ….. what a massive insight into what’s it like living with that bike , I had no idea what you have had to endure , I am sure you will be pleased to out that riding year behind you (mainly). Nice interview neevsey 👍 another great enjoyable watch Thankyou all 🙏🏼

[@basmca1]

The barrier to entry is just so big. You need atleast a half million house because you need a garage, you need to fit a 1500 topbox for the chargers, 2500 for a charger and the bike itself also costs a fortune. I wouldn't mind an electric bike as my daily and a petrol bike for this weekends, but my bike budget is 4000 and i don't have a garage.

[@GodspeedChris]

Love your boots Alison 👍

[@alisonsilcox]

HEAVENLY FEET..... Love them, got a pair of shoes too😊

[@GodspeedChris]

@@alisonsilcoxyou’re a brilliant presenter. Eloquent and funny. Love to see you doing more 👍

[@PhotoTenderline]

Thank you for this, excellent review.

[@saschasauerzapf7393]

Brilliant review

[@wanderlpnw]

I still don't understand why they don't have DC. FYI about the price, they're much cheaper in the US. I don't know if it's tariffs or what.

[@PCERules]

Alison makes some excellent points and really feel it's quite sad that MPs or anyone with influence doesn't take on what she's saying. Fantastic video though!

[@allanmason7544]

good honest reveiw

[@adyero]

The way she speaks...I liked her very much

[@glenndubicki4099]

Great review, guys, & a fantastic insight into why I'll not buy an electric bike anytime soon.

[@larsmenken2679]

It’s the perfect bike for me. I commute 90 to 120 miles a week on a 30 mile round trip. As soon as I win the Euromillions I get one. … but then I stop commuting….

[@IHZ3185]

I have the BMW C evolution. It's perfect for me, never fast charge, because it will reduce the life of the battery, being a 17 plate the zero VED will soon end, can't be any EV that's zero emissions. BtW the first front tyre lasted 2.5K. Good point you don't use your brakes & 0 to 60 is mental..

[@CoasterRob]

Im considering getting a electric bike and i too would have range anxiety but In terms of planning a trip I found octopus electroverse that picks the charge points how long to charge for in order to reach your destination seems very good which I've found very useful and has reduced range anxiety the European trips topic was very interesting i plan to do European trips and the odd trip in Ireland if the octopus app tells me which charge points are working then it should get me from A to B and hopefully back home again

[@johnnybloodshoes7401]

A microwave is quicker than a oven but I'd still rather have oven made chips then the microwave ones!

[@dcfarmers6068]

Please was there any significant heat coming from the battery?? 🏍️✌🏼🏍️

[@peterwootten2752]

Good review, one small point, re pillion comfort, would have liked to know what it was like without the boxes fitted, as comments re seat and footrests seem to be caused by the luggage.

[@martinkeefe7107]

Fantastic and honest review The UK isn’t ready for the electric revolution And £24,000 for a bike with a £5,000 Budget bike equipment Thank you for the honest review

[@donaldmoore2958]

Whats the weight ? how may miles b4 a charge? Regular outlet to charge ?

[@ianrobertson3736]

Great review!

[@garethfenn2356]

Can you tell us the costs for 'fueling' up over the year - compare petrol Vs electric for the mileage covered

[@bhencho5256]

I remember hearing a couple of years ago that all the manufacturers were going to use same battery so you could just swap them over instead of charging, not sure what happened to that idea.

[@davidherringgo]

Why the heavy coat and stocking cap and she has a t- 👕 on . I love my Zero DSR . Great for cruising around town. The BDR in USA has a super movie on the N.W. route where two DSR X s join other bikes and do quite well off road.

[@TwoHawksHunting]

In order to increase range, I wonder if additional batteries could be placed in a portion of those side cases? Of course that would just add more weight to an already heavy bike. I hope the battery technology improves substantially over the next few years. 29:03

[@derniederrheiner4518]

I can agree with most of the points. Especially the payment system with a deck of cards in your hand is annoying. However, I also ride an 1150GS in addition to the SR/S. You're used to the weight. I have a small rear bag for the 2.5 m charging cable. At most 1/2 the size of your top case. Speaking of No Noise, I have a bicycle bell on my SR/S. Otherwise cyclists fall off their bikes with the horn. Road cyclists look around with irritation when they hear a touring bike bell (we call it a Dutch bike!) at 30 km/h as a sign that someone wants to overtake them. It's quite funny!

[@aps-pictures9335]

Appreciate the insight into filling up - even as an ex-marine, ex-copper (or perhaps because) - I don’t like and actively avoid filling up my BMW at some motorway services. Sensible.

[@paulhope3401]

Not for me... at least not as a road bike . I do have an electric off road bike for the trails called a Surron which suits battery techs capabilities pretty much perfectly. Can do about 20-25 miles offroad riding hard on tight trails which is enough to have your fun. The best thing about it is the ability to take it just about anywhere without people getting upset with you because of the noise. Its relative silence has opened up a whole new range of possible off road trails to take it on.... and that is where its main advantage lies over IC bikes. It also keeps me riding all year round... while my MT09 is in winter hibernation.

[@orphanlush]

Great honest content. And a decent laugh at @neevesybikes wrapped up for a ski trip while Alison stands there in a t-shirt.😁

[@KalJoao]

Excellent excellent review. Can't wait until e bikes improve!

[@alanssnackbardailyrelaxati8155]

Watched a lot of these from mcn. Staff are super switched on with regards motorcycles.

[@mariotorchio4075]

You have to use the "friendly beep" around pedestrians. Great bike!

[@CS-pl8fc]

Energy density will always be the biggest challenge for electric bikes. If you want to double the range of one of these, you're going to have a 700lb bike. It's much easier to stick massive batteries in cars where the majority of people will overlook or not care about the ludicrous weight.

[@justcommenting4981]

Is noisy tires something you notice on an ICE bike?

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

He and Alison have nice accents, I love.

[@nickclarkuk]

I really hope a revolution in battery tech such as solid state makes capacity and charging speed 2x in both cases.

[@RobertPortman-l5d]

The recently completed Maudes Trophy ride, 1100 miles in terrifying conditions over 2 days, dismisses most of the comments made here about public charging, charging times, range, comfort, reliability, quality.

[@neevesybikes]

The same Maudes Trophy with seven riders on a pre-planned route?

[@tomcat7525]

Carry a large power bank in the topbox? Amazed at the range and charge times and at that purchase price. 👀 Double the range and better components and it still seems expensive.

[@speedfinder1]

Excellent review. Clear and precise information. Until 2070, I can't see myself buying an electric motorcycle. Cost aside, it seems to be just about, as convenient as using a regular public bus. BTW I will be well over 100 years old in 2070!

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

Friday vid, nice. I do miss the Weekly wind-on

[@michaelcollins900]

The charge port location is a big no for me, the current electric motorcycle I own the port is on the kickstand side of the bike so when parked it’s got a natural cover over the port. As for charging infrastructure and all the companies and apps and adapters it’s the same here in America… I was in a pinch and came across a new set of chargers I didn’t have the app for, followed the QR code of the station which took me right to the stations app followed all the prompts on the app, got everything set up including CC information, one final step was where the charger is located and the only method was here’s a map select the charger you are located at… there was no beacon on map and it would not let me proceed to just charge the motorcycle… that was a bad day.

[@michaelcollins900]

I have run into a few charging areas where seating was unavailable so I bought a nifty retractable stool that fits perfectly into my back pack. If I’m in a safe area I’ve got music and movies downloaded on the phone. I did find a Jerry can equivalent of an EV level 1 charger it’s any battery inverter 2kW and above it won’t fully charge the bike but at least with the Ego Nexus 3kW inverter as an example the batteries are hot swappable so that opens up possibilities. In my case I rode to the lake that was out side the round trip range of the motorcycle, family was loaded up in their vehicles so a fully charged inverter with a few extra batteries I was able to put just enough charge to get back home.

[@trevorloveridge4387]

Nice honest review there it sounds like it’s great for commuting, but if you want to go for a ride then stick to something with an engine. So it’s expensive an a hassle with all the apps a cards, not worth it for what they are! On that note I’m never going electric 😁

[@lolzforthewinzor]

Only recognised the 787B, LFA & 458. Wouldve been nice with the murcielago

[@peter17042]

I did enjoy watching this, I’ve been a bike rider since I was able to ride my first moped I have always had loads of different motor bikes since then, I’m 60 years old now always been a lover for them, I have now at the moment a gsxr 1000 that I’ve owned for the last 10years, going electric I can’t imagine the hassle and stress that would put me under not worth thinking about, I can’t see me ever wanting these ridiculous ev motorcycles, boring, nothing like having an engine between your legs,

[@paulbarton7886]

I'm hearing more and more of similar comments about charging when on trips, cars and bikes. As Alison said , round town and commuting is fine, basically EV's are town vehicles.

[@JohnRushworth]

A honest and accurate test, which proves electric at this stage is only suitable for short range such as a MX bike, trials bike or small commuter. In those situations electric can match petrol in terms of performance if not initial cost, although running costs tend to be less. To me it’s about picking the right tool for the job - hence we need petrol for a long time to come in the two wheeled world.

[@dennisnl7125]

Yes, every Zero you can adjust the power settings and regenerating (engine braking) settings in Custom mode. Always a bit sad people riding a bike not reading the manual first.

[@robbikebob]

What it doesn't need is a rear brake where the clutch should be! When I test rode a zero I went for the clutch about 20 times. If it had a rear brake there I'd have locked the wheel up approaching every set of lights!

[@indiamelia639]

Great review. I really want to like electric bikes but having to change riding style/mindset, sub, a sub 100 mile range, faffing with carrying charging cables, 11hrs to do 220 miles.. All for the princely sum of 25 grand? Mental that this bike exits. It sounds terrible.

[@KnightRider1157]

Ps. Zero won't thank you but perspective buyers will for an honest appraisal

[@maarten194]

love to have one , looks nice aswell .

[@Rob6020]

Seems like electric bikes are still in their infancy. I drive a Tesla and charging is a dream, the number one advantage. When I got my motorbike, I couldn't face the inconvenience of going yo the petrol station. I try to keep a full petrol can at home that I've filled up at my convenience so that I can refuel easily at home after each ride.

[@GibbAsp]

Its a really good power bank for charging your phone though 😀

[@GodspeedChris]

😂😂

[@andyhorton1472]

Another great review and based on this alone I cant see me owning an electric bike.....

[@georgehatcher8867]

Hopefully Zero pay attention to this review, if they don’t, they won’t have much of a future.