When attending the premiere of theBlack Hills BDR-Xmovie atGet On! ADV Fest, I was surprised to see a pair ofZeroDSR/X electric adventure bikes featured in it. I’d always dismissed electric off-road bikes as fun toys that lacked the range or rapid recharge necessary for any serious adventure riding. But if aZero DSR/Xcan successfully tackle a BDR-X, I might have to rethink that opinion.
On stage at the Black Hills BDR-X reveal, Zero’s Jenny Lindquist, who was part of the BDR-X movie, made a rather compelling argument in favor of the future of electric adventure bikes. Most of her experience is with small two-stroke dirt bikes, yet she was quite impressed with how easy the bigger, heavier Zero DSR/X was to handle. Keeping it charged wasn’t an issue, as she could use Level 2 chargers or just plug it in overnight at hotels. Plus, the DSR/X has a 17.3-kilowatt battery, the biggest Zero has offered yet. Each section of the Black Hills BDR-X is shorter than its maximum 180-mile range. She definitely piqued my curiosity.
The following morning, I went to the Zero tent to check out the DSR/X and promptly met Jenny Lindquist herself. She booked me for a demo ride on the dirt course they’d set up nearby on the grounds of the Buffalo Chip.
Ludicrous Speed, Go!
Because it was the last day of Get On! ADV Fest, Zero was shortening the street portion of their demo rides to squeeze more people in to experience them on dirt, which is what we were all here for anyway. I rode an SR/F at IMS Outdoors two years ago, so I’m well acquainted with how a Zero handles on the pavement. I was mainly interested in the dirt experience.
We received a brief demonstration of how to turn on the bike and use its various modes. We left the Buffalo Chip in Eco mode. This significantly dulled the bike’s responsiveness, but made it easy to control as we left the populated area, and gave us a feel for the bike. Obviously, the biggest difference from a traditional motorcycle was how quiet it is, and completely silent when stopped. This let our ride leader guide us through switching from Eco to Sport or Canyon mode. As with most bikes, Sport mode enables full power and an aggressive throttle map. Canyon mode does this as well, but it also enables the strong regenerative braking of Eco mode as well. This provides a similar sensation as engine braking, as you might do to set your speed for a fast corner entry. I chose to try Canyon mode.
We were encouraged to give it the beans down the long flat straightaway to the off-road area, so I did. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a speedometer’s numbers climb so quickly and quietly at the same time. My SR/F demo ride did the same thing, but the DSR/X was even quicker with its more powerful battery. I was half expecting to go plaid likeSpaceball 1. While its range would suffer, it would have no problem maintaining the 80 mph speed limit on I-90 through Sturgis, or beyond. Trust me.
Well Grounded
Anyone can whack open the throttle on a straight paved road. It’s fun, but I was more interested in how this big heavy electric bike would do in the dirt. Upon pulling into the field where the course began, our ride leader guided us through switching from street to off-road mode. This disables traction control and rear ABS while reducing, but not eliminating, ABS on the front wheel. I left the bike in Canyon mode so I could put its regenerative braking to use.
我注意到的第一件事当我在D站了起来SR/X was that the handlebars were at exactly the right height for me. Many bikes, including my own V-Strom 650, need risers or taller bars to adapt them to comfortably ride while standing. This feature isn’t unique to the DSR/X. I experienced this on the Triumph Tiger 900 as well. But it’s always good when a bike that’s intended for riding off the pavement is already set up correctly for it from the factory.
我已经到达离合器杆entire ride, and this didn’t stop once we hit the dirt. As I trained myself out of this habit, though, I appreciated how much easier the bike was to ride without these controls. I’m not good at shifting while standing, but I didn’t have to on the DSR/X, since there are no gears to shift. I kept my hands on the grips, my feet on the pegs, and could just ride.
Canyon mode was definitely the correct choice for this dirt course. We descended a short hill through increasingly tight curves. I relied on rolling off the throttle and regenerative braking to control my speed, barely touching the actual brakes at all. Like a Gold Wing, its not insignificant weight is low in the frame, making it still easy to maneuver. Steering by putting weight on the foot pegs didn’t work as effectively as I’m used to, however, probably because of the bike’s weight versus my own in proportion to it. When it came to a short, steep hillclimb, the back wheel scrambled for traction, but the bike had no trouble at all getting through it. I might have struggled a bit on my V-Strom, especially if I wasn’t already in the correct gear with a good running start.
The Zero DSR/X made an off-road hero out of me, even at my relatively low skill level. Where I’d struggled with some of the more technical portions of Thursday’s “easy” route on my V-Strom, I probably would not have struggled nearly as much on the DSR/X. The bike is mechanically competent on its own, plus the highly customizable ride modes let me set it up perfectly for each situation I encountered.
Getting a Charge Out of Me
There are those who say that an electric dirt bike is little more than a toy, something you get your kid to ride around the yard without the sound of a gas engine annoying the neighbors. The Zero DSR/X is no toy. It goes from zero to Ludicrous Speed insanely fast, and it has the off-road chops to satisfy new and experienced riders alike. Its $19,995 MSRP is no toy, either. That’s even more than the BMW R 1250 GS and the Harley-Davidson Pan America, which you don’t need to worry about where you’re going to get your next charge. New dirt riders should probably start on something smaller anyway, with less power, less weight, and easier to pick up when (not if) you drop it. You can find a small used beater bike for one-tenth the price of a new Zero DSR/X.
The DSR/X’s claimed 180-mile range in the city is impressive. This low-speed, stop-and-go riding is comparable to what we experience on the trail. Yet Zero freely admits that range drops to 107 miles at 55 mph on the highway and a mere 85 miles at 75 mph. That would barely get me from Sturgis to Wall Drug and the Badlands, a straight shot down I-90, before having to charge up again. The gas-powered competition won’t even be down to half a tank of gas in the same trip and can do a quick splash and dash to get home.
最重要的是,零患有同样的空间站ue as any electric vehicle these days, the lack of a robust charging infrastructure. On the Black Hills BDR-X, the team had no issues asking coffee shops and hotels to plug in and recharge while they were stopped. Imagine if everybody was doing this, though. Businesses would have to draw the line somewhere and say no. Level 2 chargers are still extremely hit-and-miss when it comes to finding one that actually works like it’s supposed to. The biggest downside is for those of us who prefer to camp. Unless you pay extra for an RV campsite with electrical hookups, you’re not going to be able to charge your bike overnight while you sleep, especially if you prefer dispersed camping in the middle of nowhere.
The problem with the Zero DSR/X is not the motorcycle itself. It’s an amazing bike, particularly for less experienced riders. Its high price, which it’s certainly worth, does put it out of reach of many people, particularly those who just want to dip their boots in the dirt to see if off-road riding is something they enjoy. If they do like it, they’re going to want to ride farther and faster as they gain experience, which our charging infrastructure does not currently make easy. For that, riders will either have to switch to a traditional gas-powered bike or tow the Zero on a trailer, which defeats the purpose of saving gas and long-distance adventure riding. Zero’s technology is on point and creates a wonderful riding experience, one that a new rider can enjoy instantly, yet still grow into the bike’s extensive capabilities as they learn. The rest of the world, particularly its charging infrastructure, just needs to catch up for it to truly compete with traditional gas-powered adventure bikes.
