Zero DSR E-Tour | Tour Test

Electric bike tour
As electric bike long-distance rider Terry Hershner advised, touring on a Zero requires strategic planning to connect charging locations. (Photos by Phil Hawkins)

Ongoing improvements in range, reduced charging time and falling price tags are making electric bikes more appealing to riders seeking convenient and efficient personal transportation. But while it’s one thing to swish along enjoying the sound of silence on your daily commute, it’s quite another to do any serious mileage. Like making a week’s tour of Northern California, going from the Pacific Coast to over 8,000 feet in elevation visiting Yosemite National Park, more than 200 miles inland. Yet that’s just what I did aboard a 2016 Zero DSR built by California-based Zero Motorcycles, which celebrated its tenth birthday last year.

Read our Road Test Review of the 2016 Zero DSR.

Electric bike tour
Part of the author’s week-long, mid-May ride zigzagged through California’s Sierra Nevada, where at high elevations snow was still plentiful and some alpine lakes were partially frozen.

I’ve been riding each new Zero model for the past six years, so I’ve tracked the significant improvements in range and performance the bikes have received over time. For 2016, Zero boosted energy density, allowing its models with the stock 13.0 kWh main battery pack and 2.9 kWh PowerTank supplemental battery to offer a claimed 179-mile range in urban use, or 86 miles at 70 mph on the highway, and a combined city/highway range of 134 miles—the first time this has exceeded 100 miles on any Zero model. Coupled with a more potent powertrain delivering a claimed 56 percent more torque at 106 lb-ft and 25 percent more horsepower at 67 (116 lb-ft and 70 horsepower for 2017), this is a zero-emissions motorcycle you can go traveling on.

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Electric bike tour
The massive granite wall of El Capitan towers above the Yosemite Valley.

For my tour, Zero supplied a 2016 Zero DSR retailing at $15,995, rising to $18,690 fitted with the optional PowerTank. Remember, the higher costs of acquisition vs. a conventional motorcycle are offset by the absence of gasoline costs, and that they are very low maintenance vehicles. Replacing brake pads and tires and the Gates drive belt that’s now good for 25,000 miles are the only regular service items.

Electric bike tour
The author enjoys a clear, unobstructed view of the Merced River winding its way through Yosemite Valley. The overlook is on Big Oak Flat Road, a ribbon of which can be seen chiseled into the granite to the author’s left.

With a total battery capacity of 15.9 kWh, at this level the bike would have the range I needed for touring, but not the charging speed for the week I had allotted. With the Power Tank installed, the Zero DSR would need 11 hours to recharge its batteries from a 110-volt outlet, severely limiting daily range to a much more leisurely pace than I required. So Zero added a custom-made topbox containing two pricey Elcon 2.5 kWh chargers coupled together to deliver six times the charging speed of Zero’s 1.3 kWh standard onboard charger. Moreover, the topbox was fitted with a J1772 outlet for plugging in at Level 2 charging stations that are plentiful in northern California (and becoming more so throughout the U.S.), allowing the Zero to be recharged from 5 percent to 95 percent in less than two hours. Zero’s Charge Tank accessory ($1,995) integrates a J1772 hookup into the tank area on the bike, but it’s not compatible with the Power Tank.

Electric bike tour
While visiting Yosemite National Park, we stayed in a simple, rustic tent cabin at Half Dome Village, which also has one of the few EV charging stations in the park.

I’d need photos of my E-tour, so my photographer mate Phil Hawkins accompanied me on this trip riding his Triumph Tiger 800XC. This had the added benefit that he theoretically could push the Zero via a footpeg to the nearest charging station if I ever ran out of “gas”! But how to find these? That’s easy, just log on to plugshare.com. You tell it where you are, and it lists all available charging locations, from publicly available ChargePoints to outlets behind people’s houses they make available to EV travelers.

Electric bike tour
Snowmelt creates the majesty of Yosemite Falls.

Phil and I had company to start our ride after picking up the sinister-looking all-black DSR at the Zero factory. Terry Hershner is famous for his record-breaking long distance trips on his Zero—he was the first electric motorcyclist to ride 300 miles on a single charge, carrying 27 kWh of battery aboard his Zero. Terry advised, “You must plan your trips more strategically on an EV, in staging between charging points—try to plan ahead so you have lunch while you’re topping up, or maybe take in some sightseeing. And never miss a chance to top up the charge, even for a few minutes—you may regret it later if you don’t.”

Electric bike tour
Zero added a custom-made topbox containing two Elcon 2.5 kWh chargers coupled together to deliver six times the charging speed of the DSR’s 1.3 kWh standard onboard charger.

I took Terry’s advice and plugged in for a free top-up after the first 50 miles of snaking silently up through the redwood forest to Skyline Drive, the Bay Area’s racer road leading to Alice’s Restaurant. The only sound the Zero makes at lower speeds comes from muted tire roar and a subdued whine from the transmission. There are three different riding modes, and while limiting top speed to 70 mph, Eco mode provides gentle acceleration and quite heavy regenerative braking when you back off the “throttle.” Sport mode is what it promises, with vivid acceleration and zero regen. It lets you keep up turn speed to flow through a series of bends climbing a winding hillside road where you don’t want to lose momentum via what amounts to engine braking. The Custom mode can be tailored to suit your tastes via the Zero app on your smartphone, and the one on the DSR had maxed-out drive that would lift the front wheel slightly with the power wide open, coupled with full regen, so it was fine for descending winding roads. The Zero’s J.Juan brakes and standard Bosch ABS worked well in stopping the 463-pound (stock, claimed) motorcycle without locking the front wheel.

Electric bike tour
The author chats up one of the guards at Folsom State Prison, which opened in 1880.

Bidding farewell to Terry, we dropped down to the scenic Pacific Coast with a full battery and headed north to San Francisco, where we stopped for lunch at the Presidio, a former Spanish military base established in 1776 as the northernmost outpost of the colony known as New Spain. Captured by the U.S. in 1846, it was the garrison defending San Francisco Bay until it was decommissioned in 1994. Today, there’s been some tasteful redevelopment of the old barracks, with great views of the Golden Gate Bridge. I hooked up the Zero at the EV Center for a one-time $1.50 charge while we ate.

Electric bike tour
The author tried his luck with the slot machines at Harrah’s Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He won $3.15, which more than paid for the cost of recharging the Zero for the duration of the tour.

We had a dinner reservation at a sought-after restaurant in Napa Valley, the wine-growing area across the Golden Gate Bridge whose Mediterranean climate first produced wine in 1858. Cindy Pawlcyn’s Mustards Grill is an ideal place to sample local produce at reasonable cost, as well as her Tour of Zinfandel, which lets you taste three different varieties of California’s best-known grape. After covering 182 miles that first day we felt we’d earned it. Just five minutes from Mustards was our first overnight stop, the Harvest Inn in St.
Helena—chosen because it had two free EV hook-ups to recharge the Zero’s batteries.

Electric bike tour
“Electric” Terry Hershner and his dog Charger accompanied the author on the ride from Zero Motorcycles’ headquarters in Scotts Valley to Alice’s Restaurant, a popular motorcyclist hangout on Skyline Drive.

The next morning, it was time to head to Sacramento, a 70-mile ride along the hilly, twisting State Route 128, a wonderful riders’ road that had me appreciating the Zero DSR’s improbably good handling in spite of being weighed down by batteries and chargers—but also equipped with fully adjustable Showa suspension, as well as good grip from its stock semi-knobby Pirelli MT-01 tires. PlugShare led us to a parking garage a short walk from the California State Railroad Museum, and after plugging in for a free top-up, we spent an enthralling couple of hours in the museum, marvelling at the fabulous collection of monstrous steam engines.

Electric bike tour
Taking a respite from the ride to enjoy a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Presidio.

Back in the garage to collect the bikes, we discovered that rush hour begins early in California. But lane splitting is a cinch on any electric bike, because you just twist, go or brake—no fiddling with the clutch lever and the gearshift to shift back and forth. Twenty miles east of Sacramento, we turned off to visit Folsom State Prison, California’s second-oldest after San Quentin. Opened back in 1880, it witnessed the execution of 93 condemned prisoners over a 42-year period. If you’re a Johnny Cash fan you’ll know about the concert The Man in Black performed there in 1968, featuring the memorable “Folsom Prison Blues.”

Electric bike tour
Touring through Napa Valley.

Before heading up the mountain pass to overnight at Lake Tahoe, we needed to top up the charge for the steep climb that’d quickly drain the batteries. Locating a ChargePoint in the town of Placerville, I stopped to hook up. But on one of my frequent checks on the recharge, I saw the station had cut the charge off—and the bike was only at 84 percent! The sun was going down, and we had to get going, so selecting Evo mode I set off behind Phil, who was now leading the way so that I could slipstream him. We were now on U.S. Route 50—the legendary transcontinental highway built in 1926, linking California with Maryland—and had to crest Echo Summit, U.S. 50’s highest point in California at 7,382 feet, before dropping down to Lake Tahoe.

Electric bike tour
Wine tasting is tough when you’re on two wheels! The author made use of the spittoon.

By now it was dark, and the road was so steep I couldn’t always use Eco mode, because it reduced torque so much that the fully loaded bike just lost momentum. Hoping I’d at least reach the summit before running out of charge, and could then coast down to Tahoe, I selected Sport but backed off the throttle, and crouched down behind the DSR’s narrow screen and drafted Phil to try to minimize wind resistance. Even so, the charge needle plummeted as we climbed ever higher, and I was down to just 7 percent when we crested the summit to see the lights of Lake Tahoe beneath us—itself 6,225 feet in altitude where it straddles the border between California and Nevada. But we still had another 15 miles to go before we reached the lakeside hotel, which the instrument panel told me I wasn’t going to make.  Better get your foot ready to push me, Phil!

Electric bike tour
Wine casks in Napa Valley.

But…regen to the rescue. The regenerative braking built into the Zero’s controller has two different modes—one comes into play when you simply back off the throttle, and you can indeed feel some residual “engine braking” and watch the dash recording it. But there’s also a sensor that monitors using either brake lever (foot or hand), which dials in additional regen, and this also helps the Zero stop very well. Coasting down U.S. 50’s steep, 1,100-foot descent, I watched the available charge on the DSR’s dash start to rise, and by the time I was down on the valley floor and had to start using the throttle again it had a 13 percent charge, sufficient to make the hotel. We rolled in there after a 191-mile day with just 7 percent of remaining charge.

Electric bike tour
Lake Tahoe, which straddles the border between California and Nevada, is more than a mile above sea level and more than 1,600 feet deep.

We’d chosen a hotel that offered free recharging hookups in its basement garage, and though still in California it was a short five-minute walk across the state line to Nevada, home of the 24-hour Harrah’s Casino where we could eat late. I then set to work on the slot machines, aiming to earn back the $1.50 it had cost me in “fuel” getting this far. Five minutes later, I was $3.15 ahead and had more than earned the cost of recharging the Zero during our entire trip—the Presidio was the only time I paid to do so.

Electric bike tour
One of the special benefits of riding an electric motorcycle is the near-silence, just the sound of the wind passing by. It makes for a unique experience when riding in the high country where traffic is minimal.

We sampled Lake Tahoe’s scenic southern end, then headed south toward California’s Gold Country. Stopping for lunch on the eastern edge of spectacular Hope Valley to recharge both bike and body at Sorensen’s Resort made a great break before descending into Calaveras County, where the California Gold Rush took root in 1848. After a 168-mile day we stopped for the night in Sonora, its main street lined with 120-year old shopfronts.

Electric bike tour
No dinosaur juice required! Fossil fuels and emissions are limited to whatever fuel source is used to generate electricity at the power plant. If you recharge using solar power, then the Zero becomes truly emissions-free.

To recharge the Zero that night, I plugged it into the motel room socket, and ran the extension lead through the window to the bike outside. Next morning the 24 percent charge remaining had been transformed into a full “tank.” We covered the next 80 miles into the Sierra Nevada at a sporting pace along winding State Route 120—another great biking road that invited exploiting the Zero’s beautifully mapped digital throttle that delivers thrilling performance in a liquid-smooth manner. I was impressed how responsive the 2016 Zero was with the reduced inertia in its new motor, delivering great roll-on acceleration from 50 mph upward to licence-losing levels. On the downgrade into Yosemite, I saw the charge reading rise again, this time from 25 percent to 34 percent right in front of me. With 19 percent charge remaining as we rode into Half Dome Village after covering exactly 80 miles, I’d expect the dash’s claimed 33 miles of remaining range to be attainable—giving an overall range of 113 miles from a single charge at a good pace. Hooking up for a free recharge at one of Yosemite’s surprisingly few EV recharging points restored that to 100 percent in 90 minutes.

Electric bike tour
The author and photographer Phil Hawkins enjoying a clear, beautiful day in Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite National Park covers more than 1,000 square miles, though the majority of its four million visitors each year spend most of their time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley. It’s one of the world’s must-see places, rightly famed for the grandeur of its mountains with their steep granite cliffs, and the many waterfalls, giant sequoia groves and glaciers. Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley, the monolithic Half Dome is the iconic feature of Yosemite, and you’ll never forget it once you see it.

After a day spent taking in Yosemite’s majestic scenery, it was time to head back to the Pacific Coast, heading downhill through scenic Bear Valley, then on to the gradually descending road leading to Merced, 90 miles away in the San Joaquin Valley, California’s huge market garden. There I was invited to hook up by the large Merced Toyota dealership which had no Prius models needing recharging, and also refused to accept any money. Thanks, guys. We needed 90 minutes to return the batteries to 100 percent while we had lunch at a nearby diner, then set off again  for our overnight stop in Hollister, 80 miles away, where after a 172-mile day I recharged the bike’s batteries at a free hook-up behind City Hall, just around the corner from my motel room.

Electric bike tour
No California tour is complete without seeing the Pacific Ocean.

We’d stopped for the night at this sleepy California farm town because in 1947, it was the scene of an alleged Fourth of July motorcycle gang riot, which helped give rise to a widespread negative opinion of bikers, an attitude which for many pertains even today. This was compounded by the making of the controversial 1953 movie “The Wild One” starring Marlon Brando, based on the events of that evening in Hollister. Today, you can visit Johnny’s Bar & Grill downtown, the actual café where the alleged riot started, which has numerous photos and memorabilia of the event and Brando’s movie, plus it serves an excellent steak.

Next day we headed over the hills to Monterey and nearby Carmel-By-The-Sea, before riding back up the coast to Santa Cruz and the Zero Motorcycles factory in Scotts Valley, where I arrived with 13 percent of charge remaining after a 98-mile ride. After covering a total of 891 miles in those six days with no electrical or other mishaps, no running out of charge (barely!), but the convenience of riding a twist-’n’-go machine with significant performance and much better handling than I was expecting, I needed no further convincing that—if you’re comfortable with the initial cost—Zero has succeeded in making electric motorcycles practical for the long haul as well as shorter trips. I also found riding 180-mile days on this DSR much less tiring than on a similar combustion-engined motorcycle. The lack of noise, vibration and heat really makes a difference over a long day in the saddle, especially with the convenience of not having to work the clutch and gear levers. And that’s before you think about the low, low cost of “tanking up.” You do have to plan your stops, but in a way that’s part of the fun of going touring with an E-bike, as well as the closest thing to free travel you’re ever going to get.

6 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve dream of doing this. I purchased a 2015 Zero SR, and a 2.5 and 3.3kW Elcon charger. Unfortunately, my Zero has been plagued with bad luck and spent almost 5 months in the shop so far with electrical problems over the last year and a half. I’m afraid to use my quick chargers because I don’t want to void the warranty.

    I can’t wait to have a working EV to road trip with!

  2. I have also ridden my Zero (2015 SR) to Lake Tahoe – as well as Hollister, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco – I remember cresting the summit above Lake Tahoe and coasting for miles without using electricity – I agree the bike is more than ready for long rides. I just did a 230-mile ride a couple of Saturdays ago.
    There are also aftermarket charging options that allow charging at faster rates than those that Alan experienced.

  3. Curious, I see you stated in your last paragraph “comfortable with initial cost” but I’m confused. I just went pricing a couple of mid range Japanese bikes, more specifically the Yamaha FZ6, and that bike out the door with all fees, taxes, and shipping was around $16K. Your bike was around $18 or 19K? That doesn’t seem significant in price difference…is there something I’m missing? My understanding is, the bike you were on is their flagship model whereas the FZ6 is more a middle level bike for Yamaha?

    • A Yamaha FZ6 selling for $16k? Yamaha discontinued the FZ6 in 2010, replacing it with the fully-faired FZ6R, which currently sells, brand new, at $7,800. How in the world would that bike end up – “with all fees, taxes, and shipping” – costing $16,000?!!

  4. Wow. 168 mile Day. 172 mile Day. You do realize that those are the distances that many of us cover between breakfast and an early lunch, right?

    Sorry; that is a technology that is nowhere near ready for prime time.

    • Did a 350 mile ride yesterday on my electric bike 🙂
      For me – that’s enough riding in one day – I was pretty tired when I got home last night.

      I do understand the extreme distance riding, however. I did the Sturgis run in 2011 on my Honda Shadow – 5,000 miles in 6 days – it was an adventure to say the least.

      My personal record is 840 miles in one day – probably won’t be doing that again any time soon.

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