One last fling for the Zero DSR/X sees Ali Silcox exploring Scotland from charger to charger

My time with the Zero DSR/X adventure bike is coming to an end and for my last hurrah I’m riding to Scotland, which will be a challenge for the electric machine’s mileage ability. 

The good news is that the fleet Zero DSR/X has been equipped with a fast charger so I should be able to get to Annan for my first night with just two stops. I plot a route to take in three-phase chargers that claim to kick out up to 22kWh of juice, meaning around 70 miles of charge in just over an hour. 

First stop, Doncaster – and my heart sinks as I hook up. The charger is delivering 3kWh when I’d expect it to be reading around 11kWh on the dash. My plan’s falling at the first hurdle. After two hours, there’s 50 miles of range showing. There are fast chargers at Wetherby, 35 miles up the road, so I move on.

Wetherby is successful – a higher rate pumps into the bike, but it’s another hour-long pit-stop, to be back on track for my final charge at Barnard Castle. 

I reach Annan feeling rather disillusioned. The overnight stop promised fast chargers, but the hotel’s device only delivers at 3kWh. Lucky I’m here for the night, eh?

My trip is to explore the Borders, where charge points are plentiful due to the Scottish government’s Charge Place Scotland scheme. There are points everywhere and they work with an RFID card I’d obtained from their website. 

I love Scotland. The roads are often quiet and the scenery is stunning. I head up to the highest village in Scotland, Wanlockhead, for a photo before dropping down to Abington. It’s a tiny village with a couple of chargers, plugging in and waving the RFID card is so much easier than faffing with apps. 

With the weather turning against me, my plan to cut a scenic route to my hotel near Darlington is scuppered. Visibility is poor and I opt to head south on the M74 to Carlisle, then cut across the A66. Stopping off to top up near Gretna Green, the bike fails to hook up to the charger. Luckily, I have enough miles to ride onwards to Carlisle. 

For my final day’s ride, the rain is biblical. I load the SW-Motech panniers for the final time, they’ve been fully watertight but don’t come with inner bags, which would help with loading and unloading.

I’ve got 160 miles to home and plan one stop. I top up at Ferrybridge, and after 1.5 hours I’ve got 90 miles on the dash for an 85-mile journey. I’ve ridden in ECO mode for the duration of the trip, to ensure max range and regen when off the throttle. It’s a gusty ride and range decreases far quicker than I’d anticipated. I’m playing ‘range roulette’ and get home with 1% left. 

I’ve ridden more than 3000 miles on the Zero and was full of enthusiasm at the start of the loan period. Electric is a whole new world, and one I was keen to explore. The bike has been fun to ride on daily commutes, but as soon as I need multiple charge stops, my tolerance is pushed to the limit. 

The infrastructure isn’t set up for bikes, it’s designed around cars. Charge points rarely have any cover, so there’s nowhere to shelter as the electrons flow. I’ve made a gallant attempt to embrace the future, but right now it’s not a viable option.

What does it cost to run a Zero DSR/X long-term?

Prices vary depending on where you charge and the length of time. Here’s some of the costs for charging on the move on this trip: 

• £3.50 for a two-hour charge, to give me 40 miles
• £6.73 for a 1 hour 10 mins charge, to give 75 miles
• £5.84 for an overnight charge, to achieve 100 miles
• £6.09 for a one-hour charge, to give 75 miles

Charges vary, and it’s hard to keep track with all the different methods of payment. At home, it usually takes up to eight hours at just over 1kW per hour and our rate is 36p per kWh, so on that rate, it’s about £3 a night to charge the bike.

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Ali spends the day as a pillion on her own bike

Published 13.03.2024

I’ve covered more than 3000 solo miles on the Zero DSR/X electric adventure bike, so thought it was time to take a back seat, literally, and spent the day at the mercy of Chief Road Tester, Michael Neeves, with him at the helm and me perched on the pillion.

I was curious to find out how comfortable the Zero is ridden two-up and if the extra load would make the battery run down faster. 

With that in mind I devised a 30-mile loop which mixed motorway, A-roads and country lanes. The idea was for us to do a two-up lap first, then for Neevesy to ride the same route solo. The electric bike was in Eco mode at all times and we stuck to speed limits. And the first finding? The bike only used five percent more charge two-up than it did on the solo lap.

But what about comfort? My impressions of the rear seat weren’t overly favourable as with the full luggage system fitted I was wedged between Michael and the topbox. The panniers meant I couldn’t get my feet properly on the pegs, and it’s not as if I’m Sideshow Bob, I’ve only got size seven bike boots! 

Michael wasn’t that keen, either. “The motor is extremely smooth and there are no vibrations through the bike. It handles pretty well and has neutral steering, plus the brakes are good – but that’s where the positives stop,” he said.

“It’s not a great two-up choice because I’m hemmed in by the pillion. The riding position is such that I’m sat low down, with the tank high in front and the bars really high. After a short time my hands began to hurt and I needed the cruise control on the motorway.

“This led to another problem – the only way to turn cruise control off is to flick the cruise control switch, which, if like us you are in Eco mode, causes the regen to kick in. Or touch the brakes, which again doesn’t make for a smooth ride. 

“The worst thing about the bike is the wind noise; the buffeting is offensive. This was even an issue at relatively low speeds and started at about 45-50mph; I’d expect a bike to be at 70mph before it gets noisy.

“With a pillion on board, I couldn’t move around to avoid it, so I was stuck getting bashed on the head. I don’t think the ride quality is very sophisticated or plush either.

“I rode the same loop solo and found the bike a little better. The suspension is quite soft, so it doesn’t handle as well two-up, but riding solo it was an improvement. I found the bike to be more agile but the riding position still wasn’t great. I also think the info on the dash is small, I might not have thought that 20 years ago but I found the finer details to be illegible.”

So all in all, not a great experience for either of us, other than the cake at our pit stop in Corby Glen.

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Ali’s husband gets hold of Zero DSR/X keys and doesn’t want to give it back

Published 25.01.24

With the battery-powered Zero DSR/X adventure bike in the garage and a husband who needs a bike without gears, I had no choice but to hand over the keys for a few days – and it seems that the Zero has reignited Mark’s passion for riding. 

Bikes are in Mark’s DNA, he’s been riding since he was a kid and ridden thousands of miles on all manner of two-wheelers. After a racing mishap he has minimal use of his left foot and in recent years his Ducati 998S has been adapted to a hand gearshift, he also rides a Yamaha XMAX 400. So what does he think of electric living?

“This is my first experience of riding an electric bike and I’ve also never ridden an adventure style bike,” Mark reports. “So I was keen to give the Zero DSR/X a try. My first impression is how big and heavy the bike feels as you push it out of the garage. On the move the weight disappears and it’s an easy ride.

“With the lack of clutch, as soon as you touch the throttle the acceleration is instant. It’s not too fierce but I’m tentative when I set off from the garage, which leads directly onto a rutted lane.

“It’s an upright riding position and feels comfortable, and the seat height is good. I’m 5ft 8in and can almost flat foot it when I’m stationary at junctions, which is great for my confidence. 

“When approaching junctions and through corners the regen engine braking is great, it feels similar to my twin-cylinder Ducati 998S. I find the motor a little too sensitive on the open road, it’s as if there is no idle speed to soften the deceleration, so the minute I roll my wrist from an open or neutral throttle position it feels like I’ve put the brakes on.

“The fact it has cruise control is great, because the engine braking is more fierce than my petrol bike, I find the throttle needs to be maintained in the same position, as the DSR/X doesn’t coast at all. This makes my arm ache if I don’t click the cruise control on.

There’s a button on the right switchgear – one click to turn cruise control on, and then a second click to set the speed. It’s slightly annoying that once I touch the brakes and turn the cruise control off, there’s no memory of the pre-set speed, so you can’t ‘resume’ and have to start again from scratch.

“At over £20,000, it is expensive to buy and the finish doesn’t feel as plush as it could; that said, I do appreciate that the technology would have cost a lot to develop.

“I’m not one for long distances these days and an average ride would be around an 150-mile trip, so with me getting about 100 miles to a ‘full tank’ I would need to charge away from home at least once. My favourite charging set up is the Gridserve Electric Forecourt in Braintree, their chargers are operated by credit card and you don’t need any silly apps.

“With my disability I can see electric being a viable option, but for me the charging time, range and cost of the bike are limiting factors.”

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Plug into the grid! Alison and the Zero DSR X charge into the future

Published 29.11.23

I’m a huge fan of The Archers, there I’ve admitted it, every night I tune in to find out what’s occurring in Ambridge. What on earth has this got to do with riding the Zero DSR/X? Actually, quite a lot. There’s plans in place for an Electric Forecourt in the fictitious enclave of middle England, exactly like the one in the not so picturesque Braintree.

Gridserve have created a few of these forecourts and more are planned around the UK. They are exactly what’s needed if electric travel is going to be a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

It’s an excuse to take the Zero for a spin, it’s 90 miles from home, so I opt for ECO mode, to maximise my range. It’s dual carriageway for the duration of the trip, so I click cruise control to 65mph and settle in for the ride. Off the A120, the forecourt, with its 36 chargers of varying capacity, is near empty. I roll up to an AC charger, with tethered charge cable, so it’s a case of hooking up, a flash of my credit card against the reader and we’re away. I need to fully charge, so I’ll be here for at least two hours. 

The facility is powered by renewable energy, which makes it net zero. I can also do my bit to replace some of the energy used, there’s a bank of static cycles, I can’t resist a quick five-minute spin, before I settle in with my Costa coffee and M&S sausage roll.

I arrive with 26% charge on the dash and have charged to 110% extended range; it’s a feature that still baffles me but does mean the battery life should be preserved. If I charge to 100% on the dash, this actually means I’m around 90% full. Clicking through the modes and opting for the extended range will ‘brim’ the battery and mean I should get home in one hit.

To reach the 110% charge it costs £5.96 and adds 84 miles to the anticipated range, which works out to be around 7p per mile. Compare this to last year’s Honda NT1100 that used to average around 55mpg, making it around 11p a mile. So on fuel costs alone, the Zero wins – but factor in my coffee and snacks at over a fiver, and I’m not so sure.

I’m impressed with whole set up but there’s a catch. Chargers are available 24-hours a day, all year round, but the building shuts at 9pm. So no loo or coffee out of hours. This isn’t so much of a problem in a car but on the bike would mean I’d be standing around outside, in a rather isolated industrial estate, should I need to charge at night. That said, it’s a minor problem but one Gridserve do need to take into consideration. 

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Update six: Will Ali’s mini break with the Zero DSR/X quell range fears?

Published 13.09.23

It’s time for a quick pitstop at the Oily Rag Café and, along with my cuppa, I’ve scrounged a quick charge for the Zero DSR/X. I’ve not got the cheek to ask but I’m out for a two-day jaunt with Dale Robinson, boss of Zero Motorcycles in the UK, and he’s keen to show me some top tips on how to get the best from the electric motorbike world. Tip one: rob a few extra miles where you can, so carry the granny cable and cheekily ask to plug in if the chance arises.

We’ve opted to travel from MCN HQ in Peterborough to Bristol, through the Cotswolds and back home via Cheddar Gorge and Stonehenge. We’re part-way through our first day’s ride and, after an early lunch in Brackley, we’re in Gloucester. 

We’re on identical machines, except for the fast charger that’s fitted to Dale’s bike. At £2579 it’s an expensive option – but it makes all the difference on this trip: provided we’re at higher-powered chargers, it cuts the charge time for each stop.

I’ve mentioned in previous reports that I suffer from range anxiety, a new condition brought on by riding electric motorcycles. Dale’s second tip helps increase range: switch to Eco mode.

Eco limits top speed to about 70mph; but with our route mainly comprising minor roads this doesn’t affect the enjoyment of the ride. Eco also increases the amount of regenerative force, when off-the-throttle power is sent straight back into the battery to give you a precious few extra miles. 

As we plan the next part of the journey, Dale tells me: “Don’t panic about chargers. Don’t let it obsess you – there are plenty out there. Do a cursory glance on ZAP map and pick a place that has a lot of chargers. Opt for 22kw chargers, which are three-phase and much faster. Pick your route, pick your chargers and enjoy the ride.” 

With that in mind we find a great spot on the outskirts of Cirencester, in a pretty country park with a great café – much better than a traditional petrol station. Okay, it’s a beautiful sunny afternoon, not a dark winter’s night; but I’m looking to take the positives from this trip. I arrive in Bristol with 12 miles of range left. Dale has more than 60 – a big benefit of the fast charger.

Our route home takes in Cheddar Gorge and Stonehenge. I filter along the A303, which is easy – with no gears to consider it’s just a case of covering the back brake. But with my new-found Eco off-throttle braking, I use throttle control more than brakes to temper my speed.

We head off the main route for lunch; there are a couple of chargers at Thruxton circuit and the café is open. We plug in for an hour.  

We stop for what should be our final charging session. It’s unusual for town centres to have banks of chargers but our pre-trip planning revealed that Bicester has two large car parks with numerous chargers – commendable forward-thinking from the local council, which others would do well to emulate. 

At every charge stop, Dale gains far more miles than I do in the same period of time, so again we set off with mismatched range.

Our last hop is mainly on dual carriageways. We make decent progress – until I realise that my range has dropped far quicker than earlier in the day. I draught lorries and reduce speed to eke out the miles but, as I get nearer home, I realise I’m going to have to do one final pitstop – annoyingly, I need about 10 miles of charge to avoid being stranded on the A1. Dale’s battery is still well loaded. 

I’ve learned a lot from the trip – and with a trip to Scotland planned with a mate, I definitely need to get a fast charger and develop an aptitude for finding 22kw chargers.

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Update five: An electric dream? Half way into the test period, Ali weighs up the pros and cons

Published 13.09.23

Six months down the line, how am I adapting to my planet-friendly life on an electric? 

It’s quiet…

Earplugs have always been a vital part of my kit and still are. Even though there’s no engine noise from the battery-powered Zero DSR/X, it’s a surprise how much wind noise there is and the noise of rubber on tarmac is disconcerting. But being able to hear birds in the trees, on slower country rides, and surrounding traffic, makes your senses feel more heightened and alert. 

…or is it too quiet?

While the quiet life can be nice, there’s also a serious negative – people don’t hear me coming. My Ducati Monster, has a set of Termis that give off a lovely rumble which definitely gets me noticed. Not so the Zero, I’ve had people step out in front of me and they’ve only realised I’m there when I’ve shouted or tooted the horn. (Note to self, don’t swear on the Zero, you can be heard!).

Stacks of torque…

With 166lb.ft torque, it’s one of the most grunty bikes I’ve ridden and, while the throttle response is instant, the power delivery is smooth. The bike is well balanced and easy to manoeuvre. Without gears to manage, it’s great for filtering and riding round town. 

…and it goes backwards

This is the first bike where I have a reverse gear and it makes me wonder why on earth aren’t they included on all machines of a similar size. At over 240kg, the DSR/X is heavy to push around; weight’s not an issue on the move but as soon as I park, it’s a lump. Operated via the left switchgear, it’s selected when the kill switch is off and once engaged, flick the kill switch on and twist the throttle. It makes parking so much easier, particularly at home, where I have limited space in our garage and it’s slightly uphill.

Don’t let it roll away…

Other automatics have a parking brake, either lever operated or via the sidestand but this isn’t the case with the Zero. It’s not a massive issue but one that’s a little disconcerting when parking on slopes. Without gears or a parking brake I have to be mindful when parking. Kerbs are definitely my new best friend.

…turn it off and on again

Cruise control is basic but functional. Operated by a button on the right switchgear, it’s easy to set but, once it’s engaged, speed can’t be altered. To adjust the speed, it’s a bit like a call to the IT Department, you need to turn it off and on again. 

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Update four: From Zero to hero – Ali meets with the converted for an electric love-in

Published 11.08.23

I’ve ridden the Zero DSR/X electric motorbike for the last few months, slowly getting to grips with the whole process of ‘owning’ an electric vehicle. The bike’s great to ride, comfortable, easy to handle, quick and efficient power delivery but I’ve found it a struggle to change my mindset towards the limitations of this new technology. 

I thought it would be an idea to chat to a couple of owners and met up with Rick and Andrew to find out what sparked their interest in all things electric.

Rick Forbes has owned his Zero SR/F for two years. He said: “I’d been watching Zero for years and bought it during lockdown without being able to test ride it but wanted to have a play.

“It’s a motorbike, a computer, and a gadget. The power and regen (like engine braking) is customisable from my phone. It’s cool and a novelty.

“I’ve been doing local speed/range testing from home but now I’m doing further distances, testing to see how far I can go in different directions. The furthest so far is about 150 miles to Cambridge to test a few chargers then back home a longer way.

“I had a few panics when I first got it and ran it down to 0%. I’ve learnt to judge distances better and that slowing down gives more range.

“I wouldn’t go out with no plan of where I was going like I do on the petrol bikes, and I use Calimoto to work out twisty routes. It counts down the number of miles left so I can compare with the bike’s range and slow down if I’m rinsing the battery too much. Finding new places to charge and going to test them is a novelty. I work 2 miles from home. Riding to work and back is nearly free. It’s not usually worth firing up a petrol engine.

“Electric bikes have their place as a short-range commuter or plaything. Mine costs 2p per mile in electric. Or have one as a second or third bike. I don’t think they are good enough to replace petrol bikes due to range.

“I’ve had one issue caused by rain. On a recent ride to Oxford I got caught in a downpour. I got home ok but when I turned on the bike to charge it produced one error after another. It wouldn’t drive or charge. It’s booked in to be collected by the local dealer to investigate.

“I really like mine and will keep it, but I wouldn’t buy another one yet. They are too expensive and when they crack the problem of battery capacity and charging times the old models will be worthless.”

Andrew Roddham rides a Zero SR/S that he bought two years ago. He bought the bike for his commute during the fuel issues in 2021 and thought he wouldn’t have the problem with an electric bike.

“I cover the 50 miles to work and have found the Zero capable,” he said. “My longest trip has been to Inverness, it takes 16 hours over two days. Charging on the journey was ok but physically finding the chargers proves difficult.“I have been stranded because my bike has had a lot of trouble with water in the battery, it is an issue with earlier models. I’ve never run out of charge, there’s plenty of chargers around with the bike using AC chargers, they are plentiful.

“I have the fast charger, so have a 3KW on phase one, 3KW charger on phase two and a 6KW charger on phase three. If I connect to a single-phase charger, it only charges on phase one, so if you adapt your lead, so the input is phase one and two, you can get 6KW charge from a single phase 7KW charger.

“If I want to charge to my fast charger, I will hook up to a three-phase charger and use the three phase cable, it then splits three ways. The adaptation to the cable improves the charging rate and speeds up the process, it would for Rick too, even though he only has a phase one and phase two charger.

“If I charge at a fast charger, it takes around 45 minutes. Only drawback is I’ve lost my tank storage space, as the fast charger is in there. I tend to carry just one cable now, but I used to carry my adapted cable, standard cable, and granny cable.

“I always start journeys slow and only speed up when I know I am near the charger. I’ve found the optimum speed to travel is around 60mph, or you spend more time charging than you do riding.

“I use the bike for everything, it’s superb to ride, A and B roads, overtaking, there’s no messing about changing gears, it takes off like a rocket. My top tip would be to buy from a dealer who specialises in electric bikes.”

What are RFID Cards and how do they work?

As we’ve already established, charging is a complete minefield, anything to simplify the process has to be a benefit. Both Rick and Andrew recommend the use of Radio Frequency Identification cards (RFID Cards). Obtained via the various charging companies, an RFID card is used to pay for charging at public charge points. 

Tap the card against the reader, to initiate the charging process, the unique data held on the card identifies the user. Only snag is, it’s not a case of one card fits all, cards are needed for all the suppliers. Best thing is to get a selection and stow them on the bike, rather than clogging up your wallet.

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Update three: We celebrate making a 60-mile journey on the Zero DSR/X

Published 25.07.23

I can’t believe the sense of relief and joy at making it to Hunstanton on the Zero DSR/X electric motorbike a whole 65 miles from home but feel the same sense of glee as when I made a solo 1000-mile trip to Venice a few years back.

Why the exuberance? I managed to get the bike to charge, in a completely fuss free manner, enabling me to reach sunny Norfolk, sounds ridiculous but it’s the truth.

To charge the Zero DSR/X is a complete minefield and one that’s causing too many sleepless nights to be healthy. Fuelling up a petrol bike is simple and pretty much the same process, irrespective of which brand of fuel you use.

Not so simple with the world of electric, I’m open minded and embracing the change, after all, change keeps you young! (Currently I’ve aged ten years and covered a mere 250 miles!)

I had issues on a trip to Rushden Lakes, where the Pod Point chargers wouldn’t work. Before I felt brave enough to venture to the exotic East Anglia and to establish if it’s the bike that has a fault or if it’s the Pod Point chargers I’ve spent a day testing as many different chargers as I can. Keeping within easy reach of home to avoid being stranded.

To plot my route I use Zap Map, an App that indicates charger locations, who the supplier is and what type of chargers are at each location. Idea was to ride from home to Peterborough, around fifteen miles, then top up at locations around the city.  

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Pod Point is more successful than the 100% fail rate I had on my first attempt to use them. This time, from eight different chargers, six worked, still not a great hit rate. Their app is simple to use and once hooked up, it’s an easy enough process.

Shell chargers at the local Aldi store were a complete fail. All offline, but it still took me ten minutes of faffing, as I try all four chargers just to be sure. 

Zap Map shows charging points in Asda’s car park. After a five minute ride round the car park (often charging points aren’t easily located, being badly signed or shoved away in the corner of a car park) chargers are decommissioned.

A trip to the local Dobbies Garden Centre ends up another fail, two operational charging points but cars hooked up to both. At least I manage to get a cracking cheese scone in their cafe, only to find the cars still hooked up when I return to my bike.

Final stop of the day is MCN Towers and the EV Online chargers are great, easy to use and charge first time. 

Moral of the story seems to be is that you need to make sure there’s plenty of charge left in the battery when you attempt to charge up, as it’s not necessarily the easiest of jobs. And I need to recalibrate my thirst for going on a big trip, to be satisfied with travelling just over 100 miles in a day.

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Update two: From Positive to Negative in less than 100 miles on the Zero DSR/X

Published 31.05.23

What an interesting week with the Zero DSR X electric motorbike, actually I’m lying. Rather than interesting, it’s been downright annoying.

A couple of short trips, have meant I charge overnight at home and my first attempt to use public chargers is in the safety net of the work car-park. A fifteen minute commute and I use 20% charge, an ideal opportunity to test the charging units.

Instructions on the chargers are easy to follow, the only bug bear is the rain, it’s a damp job hooking up the cable and setting the charger going, via the EV Charge website.

Planning is a big part of running the electric bike, as chargers aren’t as plentiful as petrol stations. With a visit to Sunny Hunny (Hunstanton) in the diary, I want to do a longer journey before I venture on what would normally be a ride I’d do with zero forethought.

My ‘dry run’ is a whole thirty miles to a local shopping centre, there’s a dozen Pod Point chargers and coffee shops are abundant. My aim is to ride there, charge the bike, while I consume copious quantities of caffeine and pretend to answer work emails.

The Zero DSR X is not the most attractive bike and weighs in at over 240kg, so it’s quite a lump but on the move, none of this matters. Open the throttle and it immediately responds, not in a threatening way but in a way where overtakes feel confident. The OE Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres aren’t great, I feel every lump in the road and, with no engine noise, road noise appears loud.

There’s a method my madness, should I have any issues with the chargers, I have enough juice to get home. To put this into perspective, last year, I took delivery of a Honda NT1100, with twenty miles on the clock. I immediately rode to Le Touquet. This year, I’m planning a sixty mile round-trip as my first ‘big trip’ and I’m more apprehensive. My riding has already changed to suit the bike, something I didn’t want to happen.

I arrive at Rushden Lakes on the look out for chargers, the first vacant one is in a disabled bay, does my need to charge Top Trump a Blue Badge Holder? Yes, desire to charge outweighs morality and I park up. Remove lid, remove rucksack, dig about in rucksack to find phone, unpack charging cable. Read the three step instructions on the charging unit, plug bike in and log on to the pre-paid app.

A smug grin on my face disappears, about a minute after Charge Confirmed appeared on my phone, the charging unit flashes a fault and the bike dash shows it’s stopped charging. Great! Start the process again, it fails. I move to another bank of chargers and repeat to fail.

I’ve now been at this for half an hour, patience is wearing thin, temper frays. There’s a help line on the charging unit. a wonderfully helpful lady answers my SOS! Helpful and useless in equal measures. Fifteen minutes of remotely resetting the unit, it continually fails, she gives it up as a bad job.

I’m parched, fuming and ready to throw in the towel. My ride home is subdued, conservative and fearful I may end up stranded.

What now? I’ll try different charging companies, to see if the fault is with PodPoint and Zero are looking into whether there’s a fault with the bike. Firstly though, as I arrive home I take my trustworthy, sixteen year old Ducati Monster 695, Daisy, out for a spin, she’s never let me down! Bring back petrol, all is forgiven!

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Update one: Taking Charge of the MCN Fleet Zero DSR/X

Published 19.04.23

Like a kid at Christmas, I’m nervously excited as I take delivery of the Zero DSR/X. It’s my first proper venture into the brave new world of electric bikes and I’m looking forward to the journey ahead.

Recently, I’ve had the chance to ride smaller capacity electric machines and some years back rode a previous evolution of the Zero. So, with limited knowledge, I know it’s going to be a steep learning curve, but I want to embrace it.

My riding year needs to emulate what I’d do on a petrol bike. I’m an electric sceptic and want to prove to myself that I can live a greener life and do my bit to save the planet in the process.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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A quick run through of the bike, I learn the basics around the most crucial part of an ownership, how to charge it. The mock tank holds two cables, the ‘granny charger’ mainly for use at home, which is fitted with a three-pin plug and a cable to hook up to public chargers.

I soon glaze over as I’m told about the difference between AC and DC power, Type 2 or Rapid Charger, note to self – I’m a Type 2. For someone who got a Grade D ‘O’ level in physics and is quickly following in my mother’s footsteps regards technology (Mum regularly used to try to programme the video recorder using the telephone handset), I’m aware I’m not necessarily the best person for the job but love a challenge.

At £24150, it’s the most expensive bike I’ve had on test and while I know the money is in the technology, my first impressions are how simplistic and basic the bike looks. After last year’s over complicated controls on the Honda NT1100, it’s refreshing to have just the one MODE button, to operate riding modes, heated grips and other, still to be explored, settings. I cock a leg over the bike, seat height is low, at 5’10” with a 33” inside leg, my feet are firmly planted on the floor with knees slightly bent.

From the numerous riding modes, I opt for Standard, after all, it feels like the right place to start for my first ride. I head north on the A1, I’ve got around eighty miles of charge in the tank, (is this actually the right phrase??), so don’t want to venture too far afield on the first jaunt.

With the equivalent of 100bhp it is less than the bikes I’ve ridden of late, but has a whopping claimed 166ft-lb torque. It makes for an instant throttle response and power delivery is incredibly smooth.

I’ve got so many plans buzzing around my head. A big trip to Europe with my other half, visits to mates dotted around the UK, a leisurely day on the pillion perch as my mate takes charge of the controls plus my commutes to the office.

For now, as I arrive at home, I get the bike hooked up to the National Grid via the socket in my garage. I head into the house to research numerous apps and websites, to start plotting my routes and charging spots. I’ve got a broad grin on my face and have an air of expectation for a fun-filled year of riding ahead. 

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About the tester

Going electric is going to be a massive learning curve. I don’t want to compromise my passion for touring, so am planning weekends away on the Zero DSR X and a trip to Europe, but will start with local hops and a lot of plug-in testing.

Contact: alison.silcox@motorcyclenews.com