[motorcycle.com] - 2018 Zero DSR First Ride Review

[Ninjette Newsbot]

2018 Zero DSR

Editor Score: 86.0%Engine 18.75/20Suspension/Handling 13.5/15 Transmission/Clutch 10.0/10Brakes 7.75/10 Instruments/Controls3.75/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 8.5/10 Appearance/Quality 7.75/10Desirability 8.25/10Value 7.75/10Overall Score86/100Riding the Zero DSR quickly turned me into a child. Laughing hysterically as I sneaked through traffic and by unsuspecting pedestrians, getting a kick out of the shocked faces on these innocent bystanders was one of the first reasons I enjoyed the Zero DSR, the second involved the R part of its model designation. I came for the ninja-like stealth, but stayed for the claimed 116 lb-ft of torque. Any time there was dirt in sight, a patch of gravel, an unbordered planter in a parking lot, I would bee-line for it, lighting up that rear tire quicker than the aforementioned innocent bystander could shield themselves from the dust. I’d like to say I’m sorry to the man in that car at the Rose Bowl parking lot who endured a large cloud of dust blowing into his open car windows.

2016 Zero DSR First Ride Review

Yeah, I didn’t do anything to elevate the public’s view of motorcycling that day, but I did realize I needed to get the DSR off of the pavement and away from the throngs of pedestrians that so densely populate the LA basin. Somewhere where I could no longer be a threat to clean car interiors and honest Starbucks-going civilians. Why? Because the performance of the 2018 Zero DSR is the little red electric motorcycle on my shoulder telling me to go for it, to do it, and the little responsible white one is nowhere to be found.

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The Future of Motorcycling gets… Future-er

The 2018 Zero DSR retails for $16,495, and with the accessory Charge Tank fitted to the model we tested, you’re looking at $18,790. Before any federal or state rebates and incentives.


The 2018 Zero DSR has a higher output 775-amp motor controller (compared to the non-R model’s 550-amp controller), paired with an upgraded Z-Force motor with higher temperature magnets (again, compared to the non-R model without the high-temp magnets) which, if you hadn’t already put it together, is fast. Real fast. The claim is 70 hp which is respectable, but the 116 lb-ft of torque is the ringer. While somewhat soft on the initial twist even in Sport mode – programmed this way to prevent loopage – once you get into the meat and potatoes of the throttle and the torque starts building, it does so quick and unapologetically, as if saying, you asked for this, now hold on.

With Sport mode giving you everything the motor has to offer, you can also tone down the performance and boost your mileage by using Eco mode, limiting top speed to 70 mph and reducing torque. Of course, if you find those two modes too far apart and are looking for your own goldilocks setting, there’s an app for that! The third and final mode is the Custom setting which allows you to set your own preferences of max torque, top speed, max regen, and max regen brake via the Zero Motorcycles app on your smartphone. Once connected to the motorcycle, the bike collects the data and changes the Custom mode to the parameters you’ve set. If you switch off the motorcycle and turn it back on and your phone doesn’t connect, the motorcycle will retain the last settings it had for the Custom mode.

Zero expects the battery to last for the life of the motorcycle, claiming the ZF14.4 in our test mule can travel over 200,000 miles with the batteries retaining 80% of their original maximum capacity. Zero’s 5-year, unlimited mile warranty is also a nice touch.


The DSR only comes with one battery option, which is the 102 V, 14.4kWh (12.6kWh nominal), ZF14.4. You do have the option of adding the accessory Power Tank for a paltry $2,895 to increase capacity by 3.6 kWh. The ZF14.4’s range is claimed at 163 city miles and 78 highway miles (if you maintain a constant 70 mph). Though recently, after leaving the house with a full charge, a 16-mile round trip that included almost entirely freeway miles, saw an 82% battery level upon my return home. That mileage equates to over 80 miles of range at speeds well above 70 mph, assuming the gauge works consistently. As usual, your mileage may vary.

The small rubber dust cover hide the DSR’s charge port away from the elements.


When it comes time to charge up, the Zero includes a charging cable tucked away into a nice round hole in the swingarm, allowing for easy charging from your typical U.S. 120 V outlets. Charge time from a household outlet is rated at 9.3 hours for a 0-95% charge and 9.8 hours for 0-100%.

Level up to Level 2 charging capability for an extra $2,295.


Of course, why spend all that time waiting when you have the option of purchasing the accessory Charge Tank? For $2,295 this upgrade will allow you to use Level 2 (220 V) charging stations while you’re out and about or if you own an electric automobile and have had the system installed. Zero claims the charge is up to 6x faster with the Charge Tank allowing for a full charge in 2.5 hours and a 0-95% charge in 2 hours. It should be noted however, you will have to choose whether you want faster charge capability or more range since you can’t outfit both the Charge Tank and Power Tank to the same motorcycle. Of the two, we’d choose the Charge Tank option. Mainly because the Power Tank adds a nearly 50-lb battery far away from the bike’s center of mass, and also because the Charge Tank is more useful in everyday situations.

A Zero for any (mostly smooth) road



Riding the Zero is a different experience for sure, but it’s not so different from a typical ICE bike. It doesn’t take long before you’ve forgotten all about the lack of shifting and clutching, though I still find myself reaching for ghost levers now and then. The DSR offers a neutral riding position and a 31.8-inch tall wide seat that is all day (or 70-163 miles) comfortable. Since this is the “dual-sport” model, you get large footpegs that look like they should be on my adventure bike. While the footpegs offer ample grip and surface size, the DSR doesn’t have much ground clearance and could benefit from bar risers if you plan on standing for any amount of time. Keep the off-roading limited to smooth fire roads and you’re in for a treat as the Pirelli MT 60s offer pretty good grip in dusty, gravelly conditions and the torque will have you breaking the rear end loose and looking like Jared Mees around every corner.

Here we have an upskirt shot of the Zero DSR’s 40mm Showa piggy-back shock and Z-Force® 75-7R passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent hi-temp magnet, brushless motor.


The Zero DSR offers 7-inches of travel from its fully adjustable Showa suspension both front and rear, though with roughly 8-inches of ground clearance, you’ll want to select the curbs you jump off of carefully. Speaking of jumping, I was also told there is a specific technique to jumping the DSR because you can easily break the Poly Chain HTD Carbon belt that drives the rear wheel. As if you needed another reason to stay tame during your off-pavement excursions, those gorgeous 19-inch front/17-inch rear gold- anodized cast wheels probably won’t be up to the kind of hits high-speed off-road riding dishes out. We’ve been unable to weigh the 2018 model, but it should fall in somewhere around the 452-pound mark of the similarly equipped 2016 model we weighed a few years ago.

2016 Zero DSR 10th-Anniversary Edition Review

Braking components are provided by the Spanish company J.Juan. J.Juan components have been used and tested in Moto2, however, these units don’t quite perform to that caliber. On the front, the DSR uses a single 320mm disc with a dual-piston floating caliper with Bosch Gen 9 ABS tech. Despite having a steel-braided line, brake feel at the lever was fairly squishy, but still got the bike slowed after a firm squeeze. A single 240mm rotor is used on the rear with a single-piston floating caliper. Though they didn’t feel overly strong on the street, the Spanish braking bits were just fine off-road once we disabled the ABS.

Loud pipes save lives! While the verdict may be out on that one, I did notice while lane-splitting, the last second swerving away from me happened less frequently than when I would come up beside cars on an ICE bike.


On canyon roads, I was told the Pirelli MT 60s provided a surprising amount of grip for sport riding. Of course any tire you put on this torque-beast likely won’t last long whether you’re carving your favorite canyon roads or blasting down the trails, 116 lb-ft of oomph is serious business. But hey! Maybe you’re not as ham-fisted as some of us and you’ll be just fine.

Living With A Zero SR

As tested, our 2018 Zero DSR rings up for $18,790 which includes the $2,295 accessory Charge Tank. That’s a pretty penny, but considering the time and money you save on gas and maintenance, maybe it’s worth it? Many states offer incentive programs to help lessen the financial blow and the U.S. also has a federal tax credit up to $2,500, though 2018 models are not yet eligible. It took me two days with the DSR to start having visions of ownership. Get out and ride one and let us know what you think.

2018 Zero DSR+ Highs</p>

• ALL THE TORQUE!
• Sneaky AF
• Range and performance keep getting better

– Sighs</p>

• Still kind of pricey
• Pricey accessories
• MT 60s are about all the dirt cred the DSR has

In Gear

Helmet: AGV*Sportmodular Tricolore $849.95
Jacket: Alpinestars Hyper Drystar Jacket $269.95
Gloves: REV’IT! Sand 3 Gloves $109.99
Pants:*Alpinestars Crank Denim Pants $249.95
Boots: Dainese R Axial Pro $519.95
Pack: Kriega R25 Backpack $189.002018 Zero DSR SpecificationsMSRP$16,495
with Charge Tank: $18,790Motor TypeZ-Force 75-7R passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent hi-temp magnet, brushless motorControllerHigh efficiency, 775 amp, 3-phase brushless controller with regenerative decelerationCity163 miles
with Power Tank: 204 milesHighway, 55 mph98 miles
with Power Tank: 122 miles» Combined122 miles
with Power Tank: 153 milesHighway, 70 mph78 miles
with Power Tank: 97 miles» Combined105 miles
with Power Tank: 132 milesPeak torque116 ft-lb (claimed)Peak power70 hp at 3500 rpm (claimed)Top speed (max)adjustable to 110 mph (claimed)Top speed (sustained)90 mph (claimed)Power packZ-Force Li-Ion intelligent integratedMax capacity14.4 kWh
with Power Tank: 18.0 kWhNominal capacity12.6 kWh
with Power Tank:15.8 kWhCharger type1.3 kW, integratedCharge time (standard)9.8 hours (100% charged) / 9.3 hours (95% charged)
with Power Tank:12.1 hours (100% charged) / 11.6 hours (95% charged)» With Charge Tank option2.5 hours (100% charged) / 2.0 hours (95% charged)» With one accessory charger5.7 hours (100% charged) / 5.2 hours (95% charged)
with Power Tank: 7.0 hours (100% charged) / 6.5 hours (95% charged)» With max accessory chargers2.8 hours (100% charged) / 2.3 hours (95% charged)
with Power Tank: 3.3 hours (100% charged) / 2.8 hours (95% charged)InputStandard 110 V or 220 VTransmissionClutchless direct driveFinal drive90T / 20T, Poly Chain HTD Carbon beltFront suspensionShowa 41 mm inverted cartridge forks, with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound dampingRear suspensionShowa 40 mm piston, piggy-back reservoir shock with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound dampingFront suspension travel7.00 inchesRear suspension travel7.03 inchesFront brakesBosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan asymmetric dual piston floating caliper, 320 x 5 mm discRear brakesBosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan single piston floating caliper, 240 x 4.5 mm discFront tirePirelli MT-60 100/90-19Rear tirePirelli MT-60 130/80-17Front wheel2.50 x 19Rear wheel3.50 x 17Wheelbase56.2 in (1,427 mm)Seat height33.2 in (843 mm)Rake26.5°Trail4.6 in (117 mm)Curb weight419 lb (claimed)
with Power Tank: 463 lb (claimed)Equivalent fuel economy (city)433 MPGeEquivalent fuel economy (highway)206 MPGeStandard motorcycle warranty2 yearsPower pack warranty5 years/unlimited miles

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