FOREST NOT SO TREE-MENDOUS
I was sitting in the sun in the Black Forest the other day, tucking into a particularly tasty bratwurst, when the silence was broken by even more silence.
The occasion, you see, was the launch of the DSR Black Forest, the latest machine from Californian electric bike pioneers Zero.
It produces nothing more than an enthusiastic whirr – like a giant sewing machine. Not to mention being so state of the art that you can connect your mobile phone to it, presumably so it can phone other bikes and arrange to go to an AC/DC tribute band gig.
After a stern warning from the Zero chaps that we might black out because of the G-forces in Sport mode, I dutifully set off in Eco. I got bored after about five seconds of progress as dead as a cremated slug and switched to Sport – then got unbored again when I noticed after the first two corners that the battery indicator was already down to 99%.
After half an hour of city riding that became 90%, and out on the open road I finally decided the answer was to juggle the two. Eco gives the acceleration of a 125-250cc petrolpowered bike and Sport a 1000cc machine – so the first is fine for motorway cruising and the latter for overtaking and fun.
The unholy trinity of elephants in the room, however, remain price, range and charging. For 19 grand you could get a top-spec BMW R1200 GS Adventure with over a thousand to spare and a range up to 400 miles. And even the optional quick-charge kit on the Zero means hanging around two hours for the battery to charge from zero.
There’s no doubt the acceleration is impressive, particularly as you whizz silently past stunned car drivers and other bikers. And the weight is a mere 204kg compared to its 258kg, 136bhp and £24,999 rival the Energica Ego, but it’s languid around corners.
Braking is adequate, even with just a single disc up front and an effective if slightly wooden rear brake.
Hugely expensive and with limited range, it may be the bike of the future, but not yet. Just a word of warning if you buy one – the only colour is jungle camouflage, so don’t leave it in a jungle or you’ll never find it again.