The Californian brand Zero Motorcyclese, specialized in electric motorcycles, renewed the Sr in 2022, a naked with a gritty and sporty appearance; we tried it to see if it can really represent an alternative to motorcycles with internal combustion engines
The latest addition to Zero Motorcycles, the Sr model year 2022, is a naked that incorporates lines and design choices that are very popular today among the so-called vitaminized naked: saddle split between rider and passenger, license plate holder fixed to the sturdy swingarm, trellis, Showa upside-down fork, led lights and direction indicators and instrumentation enclosed in a TFT screen that can be connected to the smartphone.
With the 14.4+ kWh battery as standard, the declared range is 251 km in the urban cycle which descends to 124 km on the motorway at a speed of 113 km / h. Through the Cypher Store website, however, it is possible (by paying) to unlock the greater capacity of the accumulator up to 17.3 kWh to obtain more autonomy (respectively, 301 km and 150 km) and increase the potential of the Zf 75 engine. -10 which, as standard, delivers 75 hp and 166 Nm, for a top speed of 167 km / h: with the upgrade, the numbers go up to 110 hp, 190 Nm and 200 km / h.
We tested the Sr for a couple of weeks to see if it is really capable of conquering motorcyclists. To recharge the battery from a domestic socket (the cable enters the compartment of the fake tank) it takes 7-8 hours, one night in the garage, at the end of which the display tells us that we can do 194 km.
There are four maps available with different values of maximum speed, power, maximum torque, neutral regeneration and braking regeneration: Rain, Eco, Standard e Sportmore Canyon which can be set at will via the app. Let’s start with the Standard to have a soft approach with the new driving: it offers 50% of the power and 43% of maximum torque, and only 50% of regeneration under braking. The driving position is comfortable, with the back quite straight, but with the knees a little bent. In this way the Sr is a normal automatic motorcycle and looks like a traditional motorcycle with a thermal engine. So let’s leave any delay and switch to the “Canyon” riding mode, setting all parameters to 100%. And here the SR surprises us: a few kilometers are enough to understand that it opens up a decidedly new panorama for motorcyclists. The Sr is in fact an incredible bike: as soon as you open the throttle you are pushed forward by an exceptional force that pushes a lot and without ever dropping. At the traffic lights, in the city, no vehicle can keep up with the Sr; then, upon departure from the toll booth, you reach 130 km / h in a matter of seconds. What struck us is the regenerative braking which, in fact, greatly limits the use of the brakes (well, because the rear has little bite). Then there are the advantages offered in general by the electric: noiselessness, no heat from the engine, no vibration and a lot of agility thanks to the low center of gravity due to the positioning of the battery pack. Among the defects of the SR we point out the reduced steering angle, the poor bite of the rear brake, and, yes, the autonomy, the main limit to the spread of electric motorcycles (in addition to the high price: almost 20 thousand euros).