2024-on Zero DSR Review | Could it be the best-value electric bike yet?

Imagine if Honda took a Fireblade, restricted it to 150bhp, fitted a slightly smaller fuel tank, knocked £4000 off the price and called it a CBR750RR. That’s the easiest way to explain Zero’s new DSR. It’s a more affordable, reduced-spec version of the American firm’s range-topping DSR/X electric adventurer, trading 30% less power and 10% less range for a 20% lower pricetag.

It’s also A2-licence compliant, even though it makes almost 50% more power than the 47bhp limit petrol bikes have to meet. And on top of all that, Zero are launching it with an offer to let you add £4000 of performance-boosting extras for just £350. So, could this be one of the best-value electric bikes on sale in 2024?

It’s certainly great news to see an electric motorcycle manufacturer spin their premium flagship into a more affordable model, as prices desperately need to become more accessible. But it’s all relative – at £17,000 the DSR is hardly cheap. Even if it was half the price, many would still complain that it lacks the range, the recharge speed and the evocative exhaust note of petrol power.

Fair enough. Zero aren’t claiming the DSR is the single silver bullet that solves biking’s decarbonisation puzzle, but it does represent an important step along the way.

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The DSR is comfortable, spacious, smooth, effortless, and a genuine pleasure to ride. It’s not for touring Europe; it’s not for high-speed adrenaline-soaked thrills. But for tackling a daily hour-each-way commute with ease, with credible big-bike presence and while costing peanuts per mile, it is undeniably effective.

There’s very little difference between the chassis on the DSR and DSR/X. The two bikes share the same steel trellis frame, the same Showa fully adjustable suspension, the same J.Juan brakes and the same Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres.

Steering geometry and seat height figures are all identical too. The only obvious difference is when it comes to the wheels: the DSR uses cast wheels; the DSR/X now has spoked wheels. Curiously, at 242kg the DSR is 5kg lighter than the DSR/X – a difference which seems a lot for a set of wheels.

From onboard the DSR feels substantial, with decent wind protection from the height-adjustable screen. The riding position is spacious, with plenty of room for a larger rider to stretch out. The seat height is a claimed 828mm – tall, but not towering.

The saddle shape also feels like it’s been sculpted out in a deliberate attempt to help smaller or less-confident riders get their feet flat on the ground. For a fairly big bike, low-speed manners are very impressive, thanks to the hefty battery helping to keep the bike’s centre of gravity low.

In corners the DSR is well-balanced, steers accurately, and manages its mass with polite manners. Suspension offers a decent (if not exceptional) ride quality at both ends, while the brakes give a slightly soft initial bite but have good stopping power. One small downgrade from the flagship DSR/X is that the ABS on this DSR isn’t a lean-sensitive system as standard.

Physically, the DSR’s motor is exactly the same air-cooled part used in Zero’s flagship DSR/X. Output is restricted with a firmware-limited controller that drops peak power to 70bhp and torque to 125lb·ft (down from 100bhp & 169lb·ft in the DSR/X). Gearing is unchanged, while top speed is reduced to around 90mph. However, the peculiar way electric motors are rated for “continuous” power means a DSR is perfectly legal to ride with an A2 licence.

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On the road, acceleration feels brisk, linear and instant, especially in its spiciest Sport and Canyon riding modes, though on full throttle it doesn’t deliver the supernatural shove of the full-fat DSR/X. It’s pleasingly quick, rather than eye-poppingly bonkers.

The DSR’s battery is also identical to the DSR/X, with the same number and type of cells. However, the amount of energy it can store has been restricted to a nominal capacity of 13.6kWh (down from 15.1kWh in the DSR/X). Less energy means fewer miles between charges. Zero claim a 100-mile range in mixed use (ridden half at 70mph; half at stop-and-go city speeds).

That figure broadly tallies with our test ride experience – a smooth and steady 58-mile cruise along Suffolk backroads sees battery charge drop by 50%. Ride faster and range inevitably drops: experience suggests a 75-mile range at 70mph; a worst-case of about 55 miles if you’re really thrashing it.

Another significant difference is that the DSR’s maximum charging rate is capped at 3.3kW – half the speed of a DSR/X. In practical terms, that means you’re looking at around six hours for a flat-to-full recharge on a three-pin household socket, and around four hours on an AC public charger, which effectively rules out touring.

You can speed things up with an optional 6kW Rapid Charger unit, which cuts the recharge time to around 1.5 hours when plugged into a three-phase AC charger. Downsides are that the 6kW unit costs extra, adds weight and fills the DSR’s storage ‘frunk’.

Earlier Zero models did experience a few reliability issues. The first-generation SR/F and SR/S models in 2019/2020 suffered from water ingress, moisture in the TFT dash and, in a number of cases, with battery issues which required the entire unit to be replaced under warranty.

Zero, to their credit, appear to be doing the right thing when faults occur, swapping out many of those older "14.4" batteries for their newer, more reliable and more energy-dense modern equivalents.

The DSR/X (so far at least) appears to represent a substantial step forwards in quality and reliability over those earlier models, and the DSR is built to the same standard. We’re also told that quality has improved in some areas since production was recently shifted from Zero’s home in California to IMI (Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc) in the Philippines.

Peace of mind is reinforced by a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty covering both bike and battery. Any battery’s lifespan will depend on how it’s used, charged and cared for, but Zero claim this pack will hold 80% of its original capacity after 1350 full charge cycles – which should equate to well over 100,000 miles.

The 2024 Zero DSR costs £17,000. Rather gratingly, as with other Zeros this doesn’t include a three-pin domestic UK charger – that’s an extra £455, thank you very much. You also don’t get any government incentives or assistance when buying a DSR, as the UK’s Plug-In Motorcycle Grant only applies to new bikes costing less than £10,000.

Let’s put it in context thought: the DSR costs a whopping £3950 less than Zero’s range-topping DSR/X – a near-20% saving. If you choose to buy one on PCP, a typical quote (correct as of August 2024) starts with a £4000 deposit and leaves 36 monthly payments of £253.42. That still isn’t exactly budget, but bear in mind that the up-front expense is offset by lower running costs.

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Assuming you charge at home, the electricity cost is roughly 1-3p per mile, depending on your tariff, compared to around 10-15p a mile to fuel a petrol bike. Over a 4000-mile year, that’s a saving of around £500; another £100-ish is saved by not paying road tax; with further savings from the minimal servicing costs (claimed to be less than one hour’s workshop time per year).

As for rivals? Well, there simply aren’t any other electric bikes offering a comparable size, speed and range for the DSR’s money. Look to combustion equivalents and a DSR is broadly equivalent to something like Suzuki’s V-Strom 800RE, Triumph’s Tiger 850 Sport or BMW’s F800GS – all of which are a lot cheaper, costing around £10,000 new.

The DSR’s standard spec list is pretty solid, though some of the DSR/X’s functions have been electronically deactivated. As covered previously, the motor makes reduced power and torque, the battery has a restricted capacity, and the charging speed has been limited.

On top of all that, the DSR’s rider aids aren’t as sophisticated – there’s a basic Bosch ABS and traction control system, but they’re not lean-sensitive as they are on the DSR/X. Included within that, the DSR has also lost the X’s hill-hold control.

That’s the bad news. The good is that the DSR still has the same large, clear and customisable 5-inch TFT display, still has cruise control, still has a walking-speed reverse mode, and still offers the same five riding modes.

Handguards come as standard, as does the height-adjustable screen, but a centrestand is optional. Thankfully the low-maintenance belt drive means that’s less of an irritation.

As we write this in August 2024, the DSR is being launched alongside Zero’s limited-time "Maximise Your Ride" offer. Pay an extra £350 (on top of the bike’s £17,000 RRP) and you get a bundle of extras that Zero claim is worth more than £4000.

This includes a 6kW Rapid Charger, which nearly triples maximum charging speed. The bundle unlocks more performance too, boosting power to 80bhp, torque to 144lb·ft and top speed to 100mph. The standard ABS and traction control are also upgraded to lean-sensitive systems. Unless you’re on an A2 licence, it’s an absolute no-brainer for just £350.