Zero has added to the range again with an all new SR/S. This is their sports tourer. Earlier this year we took a break from the who’s who of winter storms to take a day out in Nice on the Mediterranean coast and took the new bike for a spin.
From humble beginnings a little over 15 years ago Zero, the Californian based company, has grown to have a stable of nine machines in their range. Earlier this year we rode the SR/F for the first time. For comparison purposes this bike has a similar profile to something like an MT-10 from Yamaha. The bike is powered by a battery that’s big enough to not need charging on a daily basis when used as commuter and has the option for a quick charge on one of the many, many charging points that are scattered about the country.
There are a number of features that become obvious at first glance on the Zero SR/S. The pegs are lowered slightly in comparison to the R model and the handle bars are raised slightly higher. Both the rider and pillion seats are deep and wide, offering all day touring comfort and the screen is tall enough to offer substantial weather protection. The optional extras include a full three pieces of luggage made by, Spanish pannier experts, Shad.
Because the bike has direct drive, this isn’t a hybrid, there is no gear box or clutch. Using the associated smartphone App the rider can ‘dial in’ the amount of engine breaking as well as a number of other features. This goes someway to negating the lack of a gearbox to downshift through when entering a corner at a pace. What’s quite remarkable is the power of the direct acceleration both from a stand still and while rolling on. The Zero SR/S is one very quick bike. There are a number of power modes and when you’ve been busy ragging it to the point that the battery drops to 20% the bike will put itself in eco mode in order to get you to a charging point or back home.
