CHARGING OFF ON ZERO ADVENTURE
NAUGHT. Nada. Nowt. Nil. Zip. Zilch. Diddly. When you think about it, there are a lot of words which mean, well, nothing.
Zero is another. And that’s what we are looking at here – a Zero DS, in fact, with the DS meaning dual sport and the Zero referring to the fact that this is an electric machine.
It features zero emissions, zero clutch, zero gears (well, all right, technically one gear), zero spark plugs and zero filters.
Zero has been producing EVS – electric vehicles – at its California HQ for well over 10 years now and this DS ZF14.4 11KW is the latest addition.
It can be ridden on a provisional motorcycle licence and offers a maximum range of around 160 miles, boosted to just over
200 miles with the optional power tank.
Riding your entire journey at 70mph would bring the ranges down to 80 and 97 miles respectively. Standard charging to 95% takes just over nine hours.
However, with an optional charge tank, this is reduced to just two hours.
This model is Zero’s nod towards adventure bikes and it does look the part in its green and black livery, and knobbly Pirellis.
The bars are wide and upright, and the seating position comfortable and relaxed. Hit the start button, open the throttle and away you go.
Not needing to change gear makes riding a very relaxed and enjoyable experience, and the only noise is a gentle whine from the electric motor. I found this a slight worry as a couple of times I noticed car drivers seemed to be taken by surprise as I pulled up silently alongside them.
The bike is perfectly stable and predictable through bends thanks to a rigid aluminium chassis and adjustable Showa suspension. Braking, via Bosch ABS, is surprisingly good, despite the single disc up front.
The cool blue LCD dash is excellent, displaying speed, power output and amount of charge left.
There are three ride modes – Eco, Sport and a custom mode which you can set via an app on your phone. The torque delivery is instant and the acceleration breathtaking – quicker than a lot of top-of-the-range sports bikes. I loved it.
Whatever your opinion, electric is the future of motorcycling – and Zero seems to be leading the way. Electric blue dash Chunky styling Zero DS ZF14.4 11KW
Z-force brushless motor 80ft lb 59bhp @ 5,800rpm Green