2025 Zero Motorcycles SR/S Review | MC Commute - video Dailymotion

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Take a ride on the Zero SR/S, an all-electric sportbike that redefines performance with instant torque and zero emissions. In this review, we cover the range, charging, and real-world ride experience to see what it’s like to live with Zero’s flagship motorcycle.  Become a Channel Partner: https://octanemedia.co/home/become-an-advertiser/ Looking to buy? Get prequalified https://octane.co/vehicle-selection/?partner=jAYmx9P&a=303&flow=long-prequal&appTheme=3a49337c5724d18079602a4ca5a91626  Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/  Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motorcyclistonline/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motorcyclistmag/

Transcript

00:00Hey, what's up everyone? Welcome to MC Commute. Today we're riding Zero Motorcycles SRS electric sport bike.

00:07This is an all-electric sport bike out of Zero Motorcycles out of Scotts Valley, California.

00:12Let's go for a ride. This motorcycle is a full-faring electric sport bike from Zero Motorcycles out of Scotts Valley, California.

00:19This motorcycle is powered by a giant 17.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery with an air-cooled motor that's nestled between the frame and the swing arm right there.

00:34This motor is good for upwards of 100 pound-feet of torque from this business into that 17-inch rear wheel.

00:39That's more torque than six-cylinder gas bikes like Honda's Goldwing and the K1600 GTL.

00:47This motorcycle is wrapped in really nice body work that gives it really stealthy looks and great aerodynamics when you're riding with a full tank of ions.

00:56This bike weighs in at 518 pounds. Not the lightest bike on the road, but we're going to talk about how it handles in a minute.

01:03What do you think of the looks of this thing? We really like it in its thermal red paint job that makes it look like an Italian motorcycle, only it's built here in America.

01:13All right, folks, enough talking about this motorcycle. Let's hop aboard it and see what it's like to ride.

01:18Right away, sitting on this motorcycle, geez, this is one comfortable motorcycle.

01:22Really like the ergonomics package on this bike.

01:25As you can see here, it has a handlebar-style upright set of bars, which is kind of strange because usually a sport bike, you think clip-ons, low-sung, forward mount,

01:36where this thing has a handlebar instead of clip-ons, and it works really nice.

01:40The bend's very nice and upright, and it's very, very pleasing to ride for extended periods.

01:46This seat is nice and wide, and it's low, too.

01:50So if you're someone who's height challenged, you're still going to be able to place both feet on the pavement at stop.

01:56It's worth mentioning that Zero Motorcycles offers different seat height options for all of you riders, big and tall,

02:02but in stock configuration, it is nice and low, and it's still fairly comfortable.

02:08You can log 50, 60 miles on this bike, and definitely the battery is going to run out of juice before your posterior is.

02:16It's actually a very comfortable seat.

02:18Now, the foot pegs on this motorcycle in typical sport bike fashion, we have rear sets that are tucked up a little bit high.

02:26I wouldn't say it's oddly high for a sport bike.

02:29I wouldn't say it's really low either.

02:32I think it's a good package for sport riding, yet a little bit more upright bend with the handlebar,

02:39which just lets miles melt away with ease.

02:41I really like the ergonomics on this motorcycle.

02:43It's also worth mentioning that this vehicle has a very wide-body type design, something that Ducati started doing,

02:52I believe, I think, for the 2020 model years when they started going wide-body with these motorcycles.

02:56And what that means is it's got a nice, wide front fairing, which not only does a good job of blocking wind,

03:04but it gives this motorcycle a nice, substantial feel.

03:07It feels like a real nice, premium, thick, for lack of better words, motorcycle.

03:14Now, this vehicle is powered by Zero Motorcycles electric air-cooled motor,

03:19which is positioned right in front of the swingarm.

03:23This motor is good for upwards of 100 pound-feet of torque.

03:27That's a ton of torque.

03:29The cool thing about these motorcycles, these electric motorcycles, is they make that torque instantaneously.

03:35This propels the SRS to a top speed of over 120 miles per hour.

03:39How cool is that?

03:41We haven't tested that speed because we'd be breaking the law.

03:44We never break the law.

03:45No way, Jose.

03:46Back to the motor.

03:47The motor is nice and smooth.

03:49It's got a nice, pleasing hum to it.

03:52Sometimes people who have never ridden an electric vehicle might think,

03:56oh, well, it's totally quiet.

03:57There's no noise.

03:58There definitely is some noise to this vehicle, but it's pretty pleasing.

04:03Obviously, because it is an electric powertrain, we don't have a clutch.

04:08There's no clutch.

04:08It's twist and go, very much like a scooter.

04:12There's also no gears to shift.

04:14Power is transferred back to the 17-inch rear wheel via a belt.

04:19That belt final drive.

04:20That belt final drive not only cleans up the back of the motorcycle, you don't have to worry about any grease or oil spraying everywhere from a chain,

04:28but it also makes for a nice, quiet ride.

04:31And there's virtually no maintenance.

04:34Big fan of the belt.

04:35Final drive.

04:36Works really good.

04:37This particular vehicle has adjustable combined global ride modes.

04:42Right now, we're riding in sport, but we can also ride in a street mode, canyon mode, rain mode, eco mode, and standard.

04:52Standard is a good all-around riding mode.

04:55It's not that much slower than sport.

04:58Sport for sure unleashes full power from the motor.

05:01But even in standard, the thing has still pretty good get-up-and-go, as you can see here.

05:07Now, it's worth mentioning that this vehicle is charged by conventional J1772 power port,

05:13which is located underneath, beneath this Fox fuel tank,

05:18which actually opens up and swallows right around five gallons of storage.

05:24It's a little bit smaller than the DSR-X, which we recently evaluated a few months ago.

05:32So, you can store some goodies in here.

05:34That's why these motorcycles, these ZERO motorcycles, are so awesome with this faux trunk,

05:40because you can actually use them to carry things.

05:43They actually become very usable motorcycles for running errands around town.

05:48And that's why I like this vehicle so much.

05:52Back to the charging.

05:54Now, ZERO motorcycles is fitted an up-spec 6.6-kilowatt-hour inverter.

05:59So, this vehicle can be charged from zero to upwards of 80% in just over two hours with the J1772 port.

06:09And that is if you have a level two charger at your business or residence, which we do.

06:16That's a 240-volt power supply.

06:19So, that's big boy power, which really charges this vehicle up in just over two hours.

06:23If you don't have a 240-volt charger and you have to use a normal, or normal for a residential use,

06:30120-volt three-prong AC adapter, charge time is going to be right around eight hours.

06:37So, it's pretty easy to install a 240-volt charger in your business or residence.

06:42So, we would definitely recommend that way.

06:44And that way, you're up and running in just over two hours, which makes this vehicle very, very usable for day-to-day use.

06:55In terms of range, ZERO motorcycles, of course, claims upwards of 100 miles on a range.

07:02170 for city, but in our use, we've only gotten around 50 to 65, 50 to 65, maybe 70, if we're going real slow.

07:13If you're riding this motorcycle in a sport-type fashion, which you would because it's a sport bike, you're going to get around 50 miles.

07:21But it's going to be a fun 50 miles.

07:22We really like the handling of this vehicle.

07:26Now, of course, the spec chart says it weighs over 500 pounds, 516 pounds, but this motorcycle is extremely agile.

07:33It carries its weight really low.

07:35You're definitely going to feel the weight when you lift it off the kickstand.

07:39But, in motion, this motorcycle is nice and agile.

07:44The show-a-source suspension has good road-holding and damping.

07:48We've got a separate function, show a big piston fork up front.

07:52With spring preload duties handled by the left-fort leg and damping duties handled by the right-fort leg.

08:00We have a three-way adjustable shock that mounts directly between the swing arm and the frame without a linkage.

08:09Usually, linkage-less street bikes, it just depends who manufactured them, but we always tend to prefer a linkage.

08:17But on this motorcycle, the Zero Motorcycles really has done a nice job with engineering the rear suspension of this motorcycle.

08:25It has good action.

08:27It rides really nicely over the bumps.

08:29Typically, sport bikes, in theory, deliver a more rough ride.

08:34But this SRS bucks that trend.

08:36It's actually a really comfy ride.

08:37Now, when you're getting some around the corners at speed, at speed equals triple this speed, not 26 miles per hour.

08:46The handling on this motorcycle is definitely interesting.

08:50It's still an agile motorcycle.

08:52It doesn't take a lot of input into the handlebar.

08:56If you want the motorcycle to e-steer even sharper,

08:59one nice tip would be to elevate the spring preload of the shock.

09:03That's what we did on this vehicle.

09:05We elevated the spring preload, and that put a little bit more weight on the nose,

09:09gave it a little bit more nimble handling.

09:12But the one thing you'll notice is just the mass of this motorcycle.

09:17The suspension definitely has a lot of work to do controlling the movement of the motorcycle.

09:24I think it does a good job, but you're definitely going to feel the weight.

09:27The suspension definitely has to do a lot of work just controlling the movement of the motorcycle,

09:32both when you're going down in the stroke and back up on the rebound stroke.

09:36But still, very nice motorcycle, and elevating the rear preloads really can do wonders

09:41for the sharpness of the handling of this motorcycle.

09:45Still, again, really like the ergonomics of this.

09:47I like this tall fairing.

09:48Yes, it doesn't have any adjustment, but it's actually pretty tall for a sport bike.

09:53Keeping tabs on everything is this 5-inch color TFT display.

09:58This TFT display is nice and sharp.

10:00The fonts are a little bit small.

10:03I wish it was a little bit larger.

10:04But still, it's nice and crisp and easy to read even in direct sunlight day or night.

10:11This motorcycle has cruise control.

10:13Let's enable it.

10:13You push the starter button.

10:14Some of the switchgear is Piaggio Group source switchgear from Piaggio Group's old RSV4 and Tuano naked bikes.

10:25So if you've ever ridden those motorcycles, you might be familiar with this switchgear.

10:30We have enabled cruise control by pushing this button.

10:32We can also adjust the combined global motor power modes with this switchgear.

10:40This motorcycle also comes with Bosch sourced traction control and ABS,

10:45which completely mitigates any spins or slips when you're riding.

10:51This bike also has heated grips.

10:54How cool is that?

10:55Heated grips, 3D level adjustment.

10:59And these heated grips work really well and they get nice and toasty.

11:02Now, the rearview mirrors on this motorcycle are nicely tucked into the bodywork here.

11:08Kind of an odd design, but they work okay.

11:12I wouldn't say they're the most functional rearview mirrors.

11:15It's kind of hard to see.

11:16Once you get them set up right, it's better.

11:20But they're not quite as good as conventional stalks that run off the top of the fairing.

11:26But again, the position of the rearview mirrors here really adds the aesthetic of this motorcycle.

11:32This is a good-looking motorcycle.

11:34Zero Motorcycle's done a nice job.

11:35It's got a nice wide-body appearance, which we talked about.

11:39This motorcycle also benefits from LED lighting hardware front and back so you can stand out on the road.

11:47It's actually a really pleasing ride to not hear any engine or exhaust noise.

11:52It's just quiet and peaceful.

11:53You hear a little bit of hum from the motor, but there's not a lot of noise from the Pirelli tires or the belt final drive.

12:04You do hear noise from the brakes when you're actuating the brakes.

12:08Let's give this thing the berries.

12:12Yeah, baby.

12:14Love the acceleration of these electric motorcycles.

12:19Definitely, their strong point is 0 to 60, 0 to 80.

12:24That's where they're really fast.

12:25Not that we would know, but 80 to 120.

12:27That's where they're not as fast as an internal combustion engine-equipped vehicle.

12:33Not that we would know, but 0 to 60 is really where these motorcycles really zoom around town.

12:41Now, it's worth mentioning that this particular SRS, like many electric vehicles, has regenerative braking.

12:47So, when you let off the throttle, a teensy-weensy amount of power goes back into that 17.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery cell,

12:59which helps give you a little bit more range.

13:03I wouldn't say regen braking is the most effective way to generate power, but it's still nice that it has it.

13:11In this standard mode, it's kind of nice because the regenerative braking isn't overly powerful.

13:18We've ridden other electric motorcycles that, when you let off the throttle, the regenerative braking is very high.

13:27It's almost like you're actuating the brakes, but you're not.

13:30So, this vehicle has a little bit more freewheel effect when you let off the throttle.

13:35Speaking of brakes, we have triple-disc hydraulic brakes with JayJuan.

13:40It's a Brembo subsidiary out of Spain.

13:44Radio-mount calipers up front through high-quality braided brake lines.

13:50The brakes on this motorcycle, of course, you have a motorcycle that weighs over 500 pounds.

13:54You're going to want some good stopping power.

13:57And the brakes on this vehicle work really well.

14:00We would actuate the brakes right now, but we have a vehicle following us at a close proximity behind us, so we're not going to brake jackups.

14:11You have to take our word for it.

14:12The braking package on this vehicle is nice and strong.

14:16We really like the feel.

14:16It's also nice that this vehicle has brake lever adjustment, so you can adjust the brake lever position fore or aft based on rider hand size.

14:27Fixed always on ABS is also another feature of this vehicle, which completely mitigates rear wheel or front wheel lockup while riding.

14:36Realistically, around town, this Zero Motorcycles SRS, that's where this vehicle really shines.

14:43Even though this bike is freeway capable, we wouldn't necessarily ride this motorcycle long distance on the freeway.

14:49Gosh, this bike is so awesome.

14:51Super comfortable, really fun to ride.

14:53If this is the future of electric motorcycles, we like it, and we're big advocates of it.

14:57Well, everyone, that was a really fun ride on Zero Motorcycles SRS, all-electric, full-faring sport bike.

15:03This motorcycle is awesome.

15:04It looks cool.

15:05It's got good motor performance.

15:07Yeah, the range isn't the best at 50 to 70 miles, depending on how fast or slow you ride this vehicle, but still, 50 miles for around town use totally works, and it's a really nice ride.

15:17Which brings us to the price, $21,000 for this vehicle.

15:21Is it worth it?

15:22I'll let you guys decide, but it's worth noting that this vehicle carries a two-year warranty with a five-year warranty.

15:27Warranty on the battery, and it's made in America.

15:31We'll see you in the next episode.

2025 Zero Motorcycles SR/S Review | MC Commute

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