Zero DSR/X Technical Details Emerge

[Hugh Janus]

The new DSR/X may bear some resemblance to Zero’s DSR Black Forest, shown here, but will be an all-new model. (Zero/)

It’s been common knowledge for quite a while that Zero has been developing a bike called the DSR/X, yet no technical information about the bike has appeared in public. That’s now changed, as the model has finally been type-approved for sale in Europe, with certification revealing key dimensions and details.

The DSR/X name sounds like it’s simply a revision of the existing DSR, which is the closest Zero has yet got to an adventure bike, particularly in the Black Forest spec that includes luggage and a screen. But it turns out that the DSR/X is more akin to a completely new model.

Plain view of the Black Forest; the DSR/X should be a little bigger, longer, and broader. (Zero/)

Zero initially planned to launch the DSR/X as a 2022 model year bike. We know that because it’s listed as such in vehicle identification number information filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) back in May 2021. There, it was revealed that a bike with the model code “M” as the 12th character in the VIN was a “DSR/X (22MY).” Even at that stage the cat was out of the bag, as Zero had already filed a trademark application for the DSR/X name back in August 2020. The bike disappeared from updated VIN decoding info filed with the NHTSA in August 2021, only to show up again in a third document published in December. This time it was listed as “DSR/X (23MY+),” to be denoted by the letter “N” as that 12th VIN character, and the new type-approval documents suggest it’s actually happening.

It would have been easy for Zero to warm over the existing DSR Black Forest for its next adventure bike exploits. But expectations in the electric bike field are advancing rapidly; the old Black Forest’s power and range would be dwarfed by the likes of Energica’s new Experia, which claims 102 hp and 138 miles of real-world use between charges. Zero appears to have returned to the drawing board for the DSR/X and spun together some of its latest componentry and technology to create a more viable machine.

Zero claims its base 14.4kW battery will allow 91 miles of range; specs go up from there. (Zero/)

The new type approvals show that the DSR/X will be offered in three versions, each with a different battery setup. The base model gets Zero’s ZF14.4 pack, as used in the existing DSR and the cheapest version of the SR/F. As the name suggests, it’s a 14.4kW battery, and according to the approvals it gives the bike a range of 147 kilometers (91 miles) between charges. That’s likely to be tested using ISO 13064-1:2012 standards that set a specific drive cycle, using the most energy-intensive motor setting.

The next option up the range is a DSR/X using the ZF15.6 battery pack, extending range to 161 kilometers (100 miles). At the top of the line is the ZF17.3 battery version, using the biggest of Zero’s battery options for a range of 172 kilometers (107 miles). Bear in mind that, as with any electric bike, range is likely to vary significantly depending on usage, and lower-speed running can offer many more miles between charges. The rated figures also won’t include options like Zero’s Power Tank, which adds an additional battery to stretch the range further.

When it comes to performance, the European type approval for the DSR/X is confusing, and appears to suffer from a typo regarding the bike’s power. It seems that the intention was to specify the figure as 40kW (53.6 hp), which would be the same as the SR/F. But additional digits have been added to the approval document, pushing the horsepower into the thousands. Let’s assume that’s incorrect. Also, bear in mind that the kilowatt figure used on type approvals is for “continuous” rated power; that’s power that can be sustained indefinitely without overheating, rather than an absolute peak. For briefer spells, the SR/F’s motor is good for a claimed 110 hp, so the same is likely to apply to the DSR/X. The existing DSR, by contrast, has Zero’s less powerful motor, rated at 22kW (30 hp) continuous with an absolute peak of 70 hp.

The DSR/X also appears to be substantially heavier than Zero’s other models. Once again, the numbers on the type approval are misleading, and appear to show the bike’s weight without a battery rather than in running order, but it’s listed as being 66 pounds heavier than the SR/F using the same measurement. With the same battery pack, that suggests we can expect a final running mass of around 566 pounds; fairly hefty, but not substantially more than many existing gas-powered adventure bikes. The bike’s maximum rated weight, including rider, passenger and luggage, is 1,102 pounds, around 100 pounds more than the SR/F is rated for.

That extra mass comes with larger dimensions than other models. The DSR/X’s wheelbase is 60 inches, up from 57.1 inches on the SR/F. Width is 36 inches, around 4 inches wider than the SR/F in its narrowest form, and can stretch to as much as 39 inches. This suggests there are options in terms of bar width or luggage that alter the overall breadth of the bike. Height is also variable, possibly indicating an adjustable screen, with the lowest setting of 55 inches and a high setting of 61 inches.

Altogether, despite a name that seems like a minor upgrade on the existing DSR, the DSR/X promises to be a completely new bike, one that will take Zero into a market where it currently doesn’t compete. Whether adventure bike buyers are ready to embrace an electric option just yet, and all the range and recharging hurdles that come with it, remains to be seen.

But with a growing number of governments proposing plans to ban the sale of new combustion-engined bikes around the world, Zero could be setting itself up to have a significant advantage over the establishment in years to come.

Source

[Buckster]

There is a DSR in Edinburgh, it looks like a great commuting bike.

[Catteeclan]

Still looks like a bike, without half a filing cabinet where the engine should be.

[XTreme]