Zero Motorcycles DSR Black Forest Edition, the first electric crossover [ROAD TEST]

Among the road DS and motard FXS models, purely road with 17" wheels and the FX with 21"/18" wheels, expressly dedicated to off road, we include the DSR model, intended for those who love to travel and don't want to stop in front of the dirt roads. The engine is the known one, already mounted on the DS, in its most powerful version, with 52 kW (equivalent to 69 horsepower) and 146 Nm of torque, which allow a maximum speed of over 160 km/h (limited) and a acceleration equal to that of a large-displacement super sports car. Our model was also equipped with the optional fast charger, which drastically shortens charging times, being able to take advantage of the charging stations for electric vehicles. Obviously, charging with the normal home network is also possible. As already mentioned, the Black Forest inaugurates the trend of electric travel bikes, with a set-up that includes a triptych of aluminum bags (branded Givi), a fairing with deflector, not excessively high, but rather effective, a high mudguard in perfect style dual sport and Pirelli MT60 tires which, although they penalize driving on asphalt a bit, allow some excursions on easy dirt roads, in complete safety.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Sporty and elegant without excess

At first glance, the Black Forest is not a motorcycle that surprises or leaves you speechless. What is a little surprising is the presence, where we are used to seeing the shapes of an engine, of the large black parallelepiped of the battery. The general appearance is that of a serious and staid naked bike, but when you look at it better, several truly valuable details catch your eye. The footrests are small pieces of jewellery, with removable teeth machined from solid material. They could look great on an aggressive rally bike, the same goes for the rear brake pedal (the only pedal, since there is no gearbox), with the interchangeable head. On the handlebars we find a nice micrometrically adjustable brake lever and a pair of hand guards, which also wouldn't look out of place on a specialist off-road vehicle, equipped with a sturdy aluminum arch and an extensive plastic protection, replaceable in case of breakage. The windshield, not excessively high, protects the entire torso and shoulders from the air well, leaves the helmet uncovered, but just adjust the small deflector to travel without any turbulence. The high mudguard and the grille protecting the headlight add an off-road touch and the robust engine guard bars, together with the aforementioned hand guards, offer excellent protection in the unfortunate event of placing the motorbike on the ground.

The frame and swingarm have a beautiful matt black paint finish and show excellent workmanship. In the suspension compartment, supplied by Showa, we find a 41 mm up side down fork and a mono with 40 mm piston, both adjustable in preload and hydraulics. both in compression and extension. The aluminum alloy wheels, 19" at the front and 17" at the rear, are fitted with Pirelli MT60 tyres, 100/90 and 130/80 respectively. Quoting the famous Harry Ford "choose any color, as long as it's black", the only graphics available for the Love or Hate Black Forest features the (fake) black tank with a wide band with a motif known as " let's dig” with large camouflage pixels. It's definitely not a combination we're used to, but overall it doesn't clash with the adventure aspect of the bike. The electrical blocks are a little subdued, functional and practical, but not shining with originality.

Engine and performance:

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Anyone who thinks that an electric motor is good for scooters and city commuters is wrong!

When it comes to electric motors in the motorcycling world, the criticism we hear raised most often is "how boring with no gearbox and no noise", often in much more colorful terms. Finding the roar of an engine pleasant or not is an absolutely subjective factor and therefore we will not dwell on this, but if we talk about emotions the data relating to the torque value of this engine should be enough to make the hairs on the arms of anyone who understands it . 147 Nm is a higher value than that of a Ducati Panigale, a 1 Yamaha R2018 has around 25% less and, above all, the torque value of an electric motor is constant, that is to say "everything at once". During the first contact with the DSR I was surprised by a violent downpour, forgetting that I was in "Sport" mode, I exited a roundabout a little too cheerfully and by opening the throttle, the rear wheel tried to overcome the front without too many compliments. Opening the throttle on the DSR is an experience that can reserve some surprises, thanks to the absence of any anti-skid system, not necessarily pleasant but certainly exciting.

The engine has three modes: Eco, Sport and Custom. The first, as the name suggests, is used to save energy and increase autonomy, as well as being excellent on surfaces with poor grip. The second offers maximum performance, all 147 Nm of torque and the maximum reachable speed: just above the 170 km/h indicated, limited. Finally, the Custom mode is totally customizable via a free app for Android and iPhone. This allows, among other things, to set the value of power and maximum torque that can be delivered, the maximum speed and even the engine braking (which also helps to recharge the battery when released). If the maximum speed doesn't seem like a miracle, what is surprising is the acceleration, which is impressive at any speed, and the power output, even if talking about power delivery is incorrect for an electric motor, which even allows you to perform choreographic surges of power.

Ride and handling:

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High center of gravity and excellent suspension

Due to the battery, the DSR's center of gravity is inevitably a little high. Unlike its sister with 17" wheels, on the Black Forest the sensation of falling and center of curve almost completely disappears, in favor of fairly neutral behaviour. Thanks to a different suspension calibration and the 19" front wheel, the weight distribution seemed more homogeneous. This, accompanied by an excellent quality suspension package, a wide and rather straight handlebar and a response to the throttle that only an electric motor can have, means that our Zero is decidedly pleasant to ride on mixed terrain. The only thing you have to get used to is the almost total absence of engine braking, even when set to maximum, which makes intense use of the brakes necessary. The braking system, for its part, is sufficiently sized, the only drawbacks are a slight sensation of twisting on the fork, due to the single disc and the ABS at the rear, which is too invasive.

However, no fading or overheating phenomena occurred, even under stress. What limits road performance the most are the tyres, designed as dual sport and with a rather high tread, which triggers a certain uncertainty when cornering and braking. However, we are talking about a ride that is not exactly appropriate for a tourer. We wanted to satisfy our curiosity about taking the DSR off-road too, nothing extreme obviously, but country roads and mountain roads, even steep ones. Here some limitations emerge, mostly due to the saddle-footpeg-handlebar triangulation which makes standing riding tiring and uncomfortable and to the high center of gravity, which makes the DSR a little "woody" when, still riding standing, you want it lean to face a hairpin bend. However, we are talking about conditions for which the bike was not designed. As long as we limit ourselves to country roads, our electric bike is very enjoyable, the suspension absorbs very well and the MT60 tires reveal their true dual vocation, providing the necessary safety. In this case the only flaw is the aforementioned ABS on the rear brake, which intervenes too early, making the brake almost ineffective. However, the front is quite modular and allows it to be used even in conditions of poor grip.

Price and consumption:

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Innovation and quality come at a price

Electric motorbikes are still niche products, there is no doubt, therefore amortising the technology with extremely low sales numbers has an impact on prices. In the case of the Black Forest, we are talking about 25.295 euros. A certainly notable figure, partially justified by the exclusivity and the set-up which includes the Givi triptych, Charge Tank, engine protection bars, additional spotlights and fairing. Comparing the price of the DSR to that of a "normal" motorbike makes little sense, in its field our electric motor more or less represents the state of the art of technology.

The standard 14,4 kW battery, with which you can comfortably travel over 200 km in real use, can be increased by 3,6 kW with the installation of the Power Tank, which guarantees an autonomy of over 350 kilometers in extra-urban use and over 150 on the motorway (which we remember is the most demanding situation for an electric motor). The Charge tank installed on our bike does not provide this "plus" of autonomy but allows a 95% recharge in just over an hour at the appropriate second level charging columns. Recharging with the domestic electrical network, however, requires from 9 to 11 hours if the battery is completely empty, therefore practically overnight. It is still difficult to think of being able to do long-range tourism with an electric motorbike, even if by planning the stops well, based on the charging stations, you can think of going well beyond "commuter" use.

The motorbike was delivered to us at HP Motorrad, perhaps the largest motorbike rental structure in Italy, with over 15 shops in the main cities and tourist spots. We appreciated and find it interesting that users who were intrigued by products like the one we tried can take advantage of the rental for a first contact with a "new world", going beyond the classic short tour that a dealer can offer them. make available. All with an overall acceptable cost, in proportion to the list price of the Zero Motorcycles DSR or other models. In fact, it starts from 130 euros per day, but for longer periods the cost of a single day is lower (235 euros for a weekend, or 7 days at 530 euros, so around 75 euros per day). An "electrifying" experience, without excessive financial commitment, which we recommend you try.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Dynamic balance, torque and output of the electric motor, versatility, finishes
We do not like it:
High center of gravity, autonomy and charging times remain important constraints

Zero DSR Black Forest Edition: the Motorionline Report Card

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Article and photos by Stefano Pelati
Matteo Pozzi collaborated

Testers' clothing:
Alpinestars jacket, trousers, gloves and shoes,
Suomy MX Tourer helmet