The press likes to call Zero the motorcycle equivalent of Tesla in cars. The parallels are unmistakable: electric vehicles, financed by investors, produced in California, very nice concepts in places implemented a bit ugly in the details. The concept is the whole point. Although Zero has existed since 2006, i.e. very early on to offer electric motorcycles, their products are still interesting today Art independent.

The concept of the SR / S is immediately apparent at first glance on the chassis and drive. The 12, 4 kWh battery hangs partially in a tubular steel frame. The electric motor and the swing arm are mounted coaxially. There are therefore no spring deflection reactions to the toothed belt final drive (beyond the angle of rotation). The otherwise necessary toothed belt tensioner is no longer necessary. Instead of a gearbox, there is a large toothed belt pulley on the rear wheel. And both the engine and the battery system are only cooled by air. Zero saves any cooling circuit, the associated complexity, the weight.

The art of omission In general, Zero’s strength lies in leaving out things that nobody misses. 229 kg minimum empty weight would be rather heavy for a comparable combustion engine, but in an E-comparison it is downright slim. Harleys Livewire weighs 229 kg, Energica’s Eva (test) even weighed on the scales of the motorcycle magazine fat 301 kg. Now these are both motorcycles with DC charging via CCS plugs and larger batteries, but here, too, Zero has gone its own way: An AC charger with up to 12 kW power loads the motorcycle quickly enough on the much more numerous AC columns. And here’s a good turning point to look at the downside of Zero’s idiosyncratic ideas.

Load up Customers can buy the basic version of the Zero SR / F and SR / S with a storage compartment in the dummy fuel tank. Then the motorcycle only charges with 3 kW. The “Premium” version charges with 6 kW (and already weighs 5 kg more). For kW charging power, the customer must sacrifice the storage compartment, in which further Chargers are accommodated (“Charge Tank”), which bring additional weight into play.

If you wonder about the graduation: Zero has designed its own charger, which is very flat and can be installed modularly leaves, in 3 kW slices. Sounds good, but unfortunately, Zero’s chargers are known to break quickly. Instead of a “Charge Tank” you can also take a “Power Tank” with you, which is an additional battery of 3.6 kWh gross. Those who want to drive longer distances are always better off with the Charge Tank: The much shorter downtimes easily beat the few additional kilometers in the daily average.

Zero SR / S (3 pictures) Decarbonised motorcycling: Very nice, but quite short

(Image: Clemens Gleich) Now there are hardly any AC chargers with a fixed charging cable. And taking the heavy type 2 cable with you on the motorcycle is not so exciting, because (we remember) the storage compartment is already the 12 kW charging power sacrificed. I carried it in my rucksack for photos and transfer, as the owner I would use a tail bag and be annoyed that I can no longer use my tail bag properly for my luggage. Tried it at the charging station: The kW reached the SR / S both reliable with both warm and cold batteries.

Sport is grueling If you want to understand why someone would want to drive Zero at all, there is no other way than to sit on it and drive. Very important: Set the “Sport” mode. What is slightly counterproductive with many internal combustion engines (with overbend throttle characteristics) is an essential part of understanding the concept. On sport, the Zero produces so much boost power that it can keep up with superbikes and power nakeds on country roads, and if their drivers are wrong with the speed selection, it shoots past like a rocket and ignited. I am firmly convinced that anyone who says the Zero is boring cannot have driven it, at least not for sport and with the intention of 50 at the exit of the town this G