The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

The brute strong electric motorcycle Zero SR / F in the test

2019-10-30T03:37:49.977Z


E-bikes were laughed at by hardcore bikers for a long time. With the brute model SR / F, industry pioneer Zero Motorcycles is now ringing the death knell for classic motorcycles: that's even the case with Verbrenner.



The first impression: compact and elegant.

The manufacturer says: "We can do even better". This sentence broke out in March 2011 from the young development engineer Abe Askenazi. Askenazi had worked for the traditional brand Buell before his involvement with the American electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles, where he had dealt with heavy V2 engines from Harley-Davidson. Now he attended the presentation of the model Zero DS in California's Santa Cruz - the first serious and in Germany admissible electric motorcycle of the brand. At that time, Askenazi did not seem particularly convinced of his product.

Today Abe Askenazi is the Chief Technology Officer at Zero. He is also responsible for the SR / F and has kept his promise from 2011. The current electric street fighter for the model year 2020 is not only the strongest and fastest bike that has put the Californians on the wheels until today. It's also a beautiful motorcycle that even e-bike haters turn around. Abe Askenazi says to SR / F: "This is the bike we wanted to build for 13 years."

We noticed that before the start, the Zero SR / F is small. You're squatting behind the wide Streetfighter handlebar; With a seat height of only 787 mm, the machine is optimized for rather smaller drivers. For larger pilots from about 1.80 m, the knee angle becomes permanently uncomfortable.

Except for the missing clutch lever, the SR / F is a fully equipped naked bike: a deep, lurking eye for lighting, unlined front panels, a narrow waist and an almost naked rear end. You can find your way around immediately, and off you go the wild ride: The 190 Nm of torque pushing the 220 kilograms total weight so vehemently against the 200 km / h limit that the breath hangs.

photo gallery


13 pictures

Electric motorcycle Zero SR / F in test: thrust without end

The Zero SR / F proves once again: The acceleration of a released electric motor without switching interruption can not follow a series burner. Good that Zero has donated the SR / F to tame the power of a new, very stable track frame, good brakes and a fine-looking Showa fork.

The control electronics of the SR / F are also up to date: In order to keep brute force under control - which was difficult in the past with some Zero models - the Californians installed the Bosch motorcycle stability control for the first time in an electric motorcycle ,

In addition, the electric power is regulated by several driving modes: The Sport mode brings full battery power, but in a Streetfighter without aerodynamic fairing the top speed of 200 km / h is a rather theoretical value. With acceleration from zero to one hundred in just over three seconds, the winding country road is the domain of the Zero. In street mode, the speed is 175, in rain mode 160 km / h, in eco mode at 120 km / h. In Eco mode, the strongest recuperation is preset: Here, the electric motor acts as an engine brake and feeds the braking energy into the battery.

The latest version of the zero control electronics called "Cypher III" also fires the TFT display in the vehicle cockpit. The bright display with all the necessary information is dominated by a colored ring that framing the tempo display. The ring indicates the "SoC", the state of charge, and thus the remaining distance. Depending on the driving mode, the ring changes the color: Eco is green, Street turquoise, Rain and Custom (freely configurable) share dark blue, sport orange.

You have to know that: Compared to the models of 2011, which despite the electronic throttling to 110 km / h to 140 city-kilometers limped, drive current zero-bikes like the SR / F in a different league.

Zero promises the SR / F - with a lithium-ion battery and the maximum capacity of 14.4 kWh - within a normal stop-and-go a range of 259 kilometers, on the highway are realistic up to 160 kilometers in it. Before the end of the year 2019, an additional battery pack, the "Powertank", should be available. This should then be 320 km away in town; on the highway - and the weekend trip - would be then 200 kilometers with a load in it.

vehicle registration

Manufacturer: Zero Motorcycles
Type: Zero SR / F standard
Body: motorcycle
Engine: electric motor
Transmission: direct translation
Power (electric motor): 110 hp (82 kW)
Torque (electric motor): 190 Nm
Top speed .: 200 km / h
Weight: 220 kg
Price: 21 EUR

The service life has also shortened. Previously, the zero models were charged exclusively with a standard mains plug and hung up to eight hours on the tin. Now, under an additional flap in the storage compartment camouflaged as a tank, a quick charge socket is installed. The standard version comes standard with a 3.0 kW unit; The premium version of the SR / F already has a 6.0 kW charger in addition to a wild sign and heating grips. Both versions can be extended by 6.0 kW. This means in practice that the Zero SR / F, depending on the version between one and 4.5 hours for a full charge to the outlet must.

A bargain is the Zero - in red or powder blue - in no case: Between 20,790 and 26,485 euros cost SR / F, depending on the version. The current models from Energica, such as the EsseEsse9, are moving in the same price segment. The new Harley-Davidson LiveWire costs even from 32,995 euros.

We will not forget that: what development electric motorcycles have made in the past ten years. There is no better example than the Zero SR / F. When Zero presented the first prototypes in a locked Hamburg parking lot in the summer of 2010, the disappointment was great. The announced "world sensation" turned out to be poorly processed mountain bike with flanged e-motor and cheap components. Approval for the German market: Nil. Range and load time: unclear.

Today, the Zero SR / F is the undisputed e-bike champion in terms of value for money. Here is the future.

Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2019-10-30

You may like

News/Politics 2024-02-01T16:22:09.827Z

Trends 24h

Tech/Game 2024-03-27T18:05:36.686Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.