Electric motorcycle test: Zero Motorcycles SR / S Car News

Speaking of propulsion, the SR / S has a 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery paired with a compact electric motor. We’ll get to acceleration later, but in terms of range, Zero says the SR / S should be able to travel around 161 miles in the city, while cruising consistently at 70 mph will restore range of 82 miles. Combine the two and you get an actual range of 109 miles, which is roughly equivalent to that of the significantly more expensive Livewire.

In terms of charging speed, the Standard model (£ 19,590) gets a 3kW on-board charger, while the Premium model (£ 21,590) gets a 6kW fast charger. When plugged into a dedicated 3kW single-phase EV charger, the former will take about four hours to reach 95% flat charge, while the latter reduces it to two hours. It makes commuting realistic if you can plug in the bike at home and at work.

If you want to be able to travel longer distances without having to stop for hours to recharge, we will seriously consider the optional 6kW Power Tank accessory, which increases the total charging capacity to 12kW. On Premium bikes, this cuts charging times to just under an hour if you can find a charger that’s fast enough.

What does it look like?

With a colossal 140 lb-ft of torque (almost double that of the Fireblade), you’d be forgiven for thinking the SR / S would be intimidating to drive. It only takes a turn of the block to realize that the SR / S is actually not scarier to ride than a big scooter. With no clutches or gears to worry about and a silky smooth throttle response, it makes low-speed maneuvers such as filtering through stationary traffic or foot-up U-turns a breeze.

Unsurprisingly, a big part of its usability comes down to the way it’s been programmed. There are four different driving modes (Eco, Rain, Street and Sport), and each one controls a multitude of driving parameters.

Selecting Eco, for example, dampens throttle response, limits top speed to 75 mph, and speeds up engine braking (or regenerative braking) so much that you only need to touch the brakes. ‘occasionally. In the city, Eco feels ideal and always leaves you with enough oomph to keep Uber drivers away from the lights. Cared for.