Review: Zero SR/S

Where the automotive market goes, the motorcycle market soon follows. It was only a matter of time before electrified power trains made their way into two wheels. There have, of course, been electric motorcycles for years, but back when battery technology was more primitive. They never really threatened the dominant gasoline-powered bikes on the market. Nowadays that's becoming less true. Electric motorcycles like the Zero SR/S can wave their spec sheet in the faces of gas-powered competition without shame.

In the week I spent with the SR/S I found a few vices (more of which below), but spotted nothing to nitpick with its build quality or reliability. Everything—software and hardware—worked without a hiccup. It is different riding an electric motorcycle, though. And one thing that's unavoidable with EV batteries today—their heft—weighed down the experience.

Photograph: Zero Motorcycles

The SR/S serves up 110 horsepower, which is about on par with a middleweight, petrol-powered sport bike of 600-cc displacement. The big difference compared to a gas motor is that the SR/S puts out 140 foot-pounds of torque, which is several times the amount of a comparable ICE sport bike. And, yes, because it's an electric motor, all that torque is available from a standstill.

There are four selectable driving modes, plus an antilock braking system and traction control, to rein in that power. Eco mode squeezes out all the range it can, and it's predictably tame. Rain mode tames things by lowering throttle responsiveness even further so you don't throw yourself off the bike on wet roads with all that available torque. 

Street mode is ostensibly the standard riding mode, but I found it unsatisfyingly docile. You're on a sport bike; you should feel like you're strapped to one of Wile E. Coyote's ACME rockets. Sport mode is the one that unleashes the bike's full power. Throttle responsiveness is turned way up, but it never feels too touchy. Acceleration is very strong, and Zero says the SR/S will carry you up to 124 miles per hour.

One of the more immediately, and glaringly, obvious differences with riding an electric motorcycle is the lack of a need to shift a transmission. On the SR/S, you just twist the throttle and go. Although automatic transmissions have become slightly more common on gas bikes over the past few years, the vast majority of motorcycles still have manual transmissions that involve juggling a clutch lever and foot shifter along with rev-matching shifts to the engine's powerband.

Zero says the SR/S in the Standard trim level has an estimated 156 miles of range in the city, which is about what I experienced during my week with the bike. Like with any electric vehicle, I got better mileage in low-speed city traffic than I did on the highways. The remaining range estimator on the dashboard was helpful, although I noticed that the range would hardly drop until I reached about 50 percent battery charge, at which point it finally dipped under 100 estimated remaining miles.

Charging at a commercial fast charger from 35 percent capacity to 70 percent got me a steady 1 percent of charge per minute. Because most gas-powered motorcycles have a range similar to the SR/S, I didn't feel hemmed in by range anxiety with the SR/S. Yes, it takes longer to charge than an ICE ride, but with a small battery my trips to the charging station were fairly short.

Photograph: Zero Motorcycles

Once a battery reaches about 80 percent, it'll take longer to eke out those last few percentages up to 100, but you shouldn't be routinely brimming any EV's batteries anyway. It ages the cells faster, which leads to degraded performance over time. The test bike I rode had the outgoing 14.4-kWh battery, which is being replaced by a 17.3-kWh version. Otherwise, performance is the same.

Photograph: Zero Motorcycles

The dashboard was clean and intuitive, although visually unremarkable. All driving information (speed, battery level, estimated remaining range, current driving mode) is shown on a rectangular screen, and all functions, from selecting driving modes to setting preferences, are done through a small, unobtrusive cluster of three buttons on the left handlebar grip. The last thing you want to do when driving a vehicle is take your eyes off the road and train them on the dashboard for any longer than you have to—the SR/S's simple dash makes finding the info you need effortless.

Most gas-powered sport bikes weigh about 400 to 450 pounds, depending on engine capacity. At 518 pounds, the SR/S is significantly heavier than even a large-capacity liter bike (a sport bike with a 1,000-cc displacement engine). You can really feel the extra 70 pounds as you maneuver the bike into parking or hustle it through twisty turns. The bike carries that weight differently compared to a gas-powered machine, too, since it's packing its batteries—which account for much of that weight difference—down lower in the frame, versus a conventional bike carrying its fuel weight higher up in the gas tank.

That lower center of gravity affects the rider's ability to throw the bike into corners. A higher center of gravity makes the bike feel more agile, so the SR/S's bottom-heavy stance meant I had to force the bike to lean over in tight corners more than I'm accustomed to on a sport bike. Sometimes when I'd see a juicy bend approaching, I couldn't help but feel a little frustrated that I'd have to muscle the bike into a lean rather than deftly flick it over.

At low-speed turns, and when walking the bike into and out of parking spaces, you’ll feel the additional weight, too. As an average-size guy at 5’ 10”, it wasn’t a problem for me. Whether it’ll aggravate another rider depends on their weight, height, and how often they skip leg day at the gym. Braking performance is acceptable, but not spectacular. But again, this comes down to stopping such a heavy bike.

Back in town, cruising through Brooklyn's wrinkled, scarred roads was surprisingly relaxed because of the SR/S's relatively pillowy suspension. Blasting down the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, I'd often hit an unexpected bump or road fissure mid-corner, which is enough to make any rider's palms sweat. But the SR/S's suspension soaked them up with little drama.

Likewise, I could spend a few hours in the saddle easily. The riding position is more aggressive and forward-leaning than most types of motorcycle, but compared to other sport bikes it's more upright, and the foot pegs aren't too far rearward. I had plenty of space to find a comfortable seating position.

Sport bikes tend to be short-distance machines. Their leaned-over, doggy-style riding position puts stress on your wrists and can cramp up your legs if you don’t take regular breaks to hop off and stretch. Three hours on the SR/S, though, and I still felt fresh as a daisy. That's the kind of thing I expect from sitting upright on a standard- or cruiser-style motorcycle, not a sport bike.

The SR/S feels less like a match for the razor-sharp, corner-carver Suzuki GSX-R750 and Kawasaki ZX-6R sport bikes, and rides more like a sport bike-cruiser. Surprisingly, however, the SR/S left me feeling emotionally flat. The weight—and all the consequences of that—dulls its handling and braking performance. But while the riding position is more aggressive than a standard-, touring-, or cruiser-style bike, it's a little more upright and comfortable than most sport bikes.

Riding a sport bike is about drama, even if you're just diving into highway on-ramps with extra speed on your way to work. With all its power, the SR/S is very quick to accelerate, but it loses feeling in the corners. 

Few people buy sport bikes for comfort or sensibility, although I could see the case for the SR/S as a ride for someone who's looking for sport bike style, and is willing to trade away some performance for not getting physically beat up by riding it. But this feels like a niche audience.

Lastly, although looks are admittedly entirely subjective, I think the SR/S is a handsome machine. One of the prettiest sport bikes on the market, gas or electric, in fact. If you want an electric sport bike, your options are still limited in 2022. The SR/S won't be the ultimate corner carver, but it will rocket you down the straightaways and get you there in style—all while going easier on your body and the environment.