I have owned my DSR for nearly 2 years and I will not go back to an ice bike. Adding a charge tank to mine to do more miles. Heard rumours about a possible DSR/X, hope that sorts the size issue as I am also 6foot 2 inches tall (1.85m) My previous two bikes, both Triumphs.

I ride an FXS and can assure you I hear no rattling and my brakes are excellent. I also don't get cramps probably because I stay in shape. Please don't blame the bike for too much mcdonalds.

I bought a Zero DSR last year (2021). I did not get the Black Forest, but I did get the crash bars and hand guards. It cost about the same as the Triumph, $15,500 MSRP - 10% US federal tax credit, or about $14,000. I am extremely happy with it, with instant torque and silent riding on forest roads. Gas bikes will always have their appeal, but I will stick with electric for sure.

My main complaint about e-bike right now is that due to the high battery cost, they're skimping on the brakes and suspension to keep the price down.

An interesting video, and great to see the comparison. While I agree the Triumph is a beauty, I could certainly learn to love the Zero as well, especially if it's fun to ride. And it doesn't look bad at all in my eyes either. Electric bikes are indeed the future, and there are already a number of people riding them to all kinds of out-of-the-way places. Now if they could just get the prices down and the range up, I'd go get one.

I have a 2020 Zero S 7.2kwh with charge tank. The range is the limit, but the torque makes a smile every time I ride it.

Electric motos can be great urban commuting as long as the infrastructure is available in your area to save our fun bikes for the weekend or trips. Will need the prices to come down to an affordable price from larger manufacturer. But both of these are quite expensive, so I keep it under 8-10k.

That Zero is undoubtedly a nice bike. But $21K... gulp.

SR/F is a head turner. I took it for a short demo ride and I had people staring and one old dude rolled down the window to tell me he liked it. But, I had same things happening on cb500x and super tenere. All bikes are conversation pieces.

I've owned a Black Forest for 4 years now and have 5 other 'art' bikes for posing on when the muse strikes. It's a whole different experience and, frankly, there's no going back...

Gr8 video guys! I decided to try yet another extreme and traded in for an electric mountain bike the Sur ron LB - these are not for touring but are great off road fun bikes and could also be a viable commuter for city folks who don't have far to travel - I've had traditional motorcycles for many years but in Europe due to fuel prices rocketing - i wouldn't go back to a petrol bike again - unless it's a 125cc super economic - Choice of electric bikes in Uk is currently either Harley or Zero or there's various smaller Korean / Chinese scooters which are perfect for commuting in cities, and they have removable batteries so that you can charge up at home whether you have a garage or not

Guys don't forget with the Zero, no tuneups, no gas, no oil changes, no clutch replacements, and no waiting for parts to be mailed to your mechanic.

Back in the 80's can-am and KTM both used Marzocchi forks, but testers in California preferred the KTM spec.. The can-am would hydraulic mid-stroke on faster events.

Interesting comment about the riding position. I'm 6'3" and it's way more comfortable than my Triumph Tiger 660 Sport. In fact, it's one of the most comfortable bikes I've owned (out of 100 or so).

I think the 2 main criticisms through the comparisons is quite unfair. Firstly, yes on the electric bike you’re going to hear a lot more rattling but that’s because it’s not being drowned out by an engine. The scrambler would likely also make loads of noise if it had lots of boxes attached and was rolled down hill without the engine running. Secondly, yes it’s nearly double the price BUT that’s just the purchase price, how much is the scrambler going to cost you in fuel and general servicing like oil changes over the next 10 years? Over here in the UK, our petrol prices have skyrocketed to the point where electric vehicles cost a third of price per mile to run compared to a petrol car, I know this because I have one of each.

I'm a e-bike convert, although I still have an ICE bike as a backup but I can't say I ride it much. I went with a Surron Storm Bee (Enduro) which suits my situation perfectly. I live in the mountains of Mongolia far from petrol stations but I do have cheap electricity. So recharging at home is a breeze. It's a street legal off-road bike, so I can ride it legally on roads but I generally don't. I live off-road and therefore my rides are 95% off-road. Range is not an issue because I'm using it for fun not A to B transportation. More typically, I'll just ride around my mountain and forest territory and return when I've had enough. The Surron only cost me $8000 so it's far more affordable than most US/EU brands of electric motorcycles. The Zero is trying to be an adventure bike but it doesn't have the range to compete in that category. If I were interested in a Zero, I'd choose it happily as a commuter or sport bike. For adventure it's a tough category where it fails immediately due to range limitations. I see electric bikes succeeding as pure commuters or pure off-road bikes but not much in between. Maybe sport too but they are too pricey for that. What you lose in sexy noise and high-end top speed over an ICE bike, you gain in blissful quiet and arm-ripping torque. I don't need my bike to be a work-of-art. I'm looking for function over form. Also, low-maintenance and stealth are huge plusses.

"Art and Transportation" are the correct words to describe these two motorcycles. Me, I grew up with seeing and some riding Triumph 'bikes, so it's 'in my blood' so to speak. I do think, however, that the electric powered motorcycles are the future,.. now all that the Manufacturers have to do is get the ride and handle 'up there' with the 'liquid fueled' bikes of yesterday.

You can also charge the Zero on house current. They have an adapter...just plug in.

Yo guys & gals, I purchased a sur- ron / Segway x260 ebike and gave it a few upgrades. It satisfies my off road needs and is just a blast to burst silently through the forest and mountains. I am a fan of Zeros and I have yet to ride one but if I were to upgrade from my sur-ron I would get the zero fx for the same reasons I ride the sur-ron. With that said. I would also need a standard gas bike. In triumphs line up I would choose the offroad version of their Scrambler. I love motorcycles and motorcycle culture.

Electric vehicles are the future for sure but an “adventure/touring bike” with 90 miles of range, few charging options and long charge times for that price is ridiculous.

Off road bikes with cast wheels always get my back up.

How much range would you loose on your EV using electricity heated grips, vest, and gps/phone charger?

Ok but unless your trailering it is 90 miles really enough range for a dual-sport bike? Add another 100 or 2 probably but the whole point of these bikes is to drive anywhere and when driving anywhere I don't see a lot of gas stations nevermind chargers. If you have a lot of interesting places to go near home I think it could be fun but otherwise, I'd only street bike it with the much better range on the pavement. Never mind at that price I could afford to own a dedicated street and dirt bike. lol

What is your body size guys? I did not testride the DSR yet, but I am 1.91m tall, so the knee angle is really important!

The aesthetics of these bikes are usually age-dependent. Older riders will of course prefer the more traditional look. It's what they've seen since they were kids and then probably wanted one and the moment you want something, that will ingrain in your mind that the styling looks good. For younger riders, they will probably think the Zero and other electric motorcycles look fantastic. It looks more modern, more sleek, minimal etc. However, I don't think all those addons help. They make the Zero bikes look bulky.

I mean like config? That zero had 5k in accessories. I mean your technical points are all still valid. Though you did leave of maintenance. Which if you like the bike and aren't just chasing flash could be many many years till you replace the battery. But tires and brakes maybe that plastic belt but other wise bike would or could last 50 years

Hello all, Time to remake this with the Zero DSRX (or Energica Experia)?

I like the idea of electric motorbikes but I think that “future” is still 20 years out and I don’t think anyone will ever really be satisfied with the range or charging speed of Li-ion batteries. Some other battery breakthrough needs to happen for the masses to consider the switch.

yall need to try a surron x

Zero doesn't have a CCS port. Wish it did. Because if it did I would own one. But alas it's limited to L2 with the J1772 port.

At $21 and $14 k they’re both way overpriced. A Kawi, Honda or Suzuki dual purpose is a better deal for half the price. On the Zero, try finding a CCS charger where you’re going to be riding that.

The price, unrealistic range with extreme charging time required just makes the zero hokey, a novelty at best. Shorter charging time or at least a real 200 mi range would make it more doable. Has to be very frustrating constantly looking at the charge meter, that’s how I felt with a cx500 and only about 80 mi per tank. Ran out of fuel many times, afraid to go riding anywhere that wasn’t just around town.

The price, the rattling, the limited range, the time to recharge, the riding position all put that Zero name in the perfect # rank for chance I would buy it. Ugh. Good to see 2 different rider impressions on it.

0:41 dang, you had a chance to say; "I have a real motorcycle since I don't have an engine in my bike." Oh well next time.

For commuting around the city they are great the emotorcycle. But they are just so pricey

Really like the looks of the Triumph Scrabbler, if only BMW, Indian, and Harley Davidson would offer similar models?

I came to the same conclusion my self. Electric bikes are to expensive for what they are. If it where a thousand or two maybe but 5-7k in almost every comparison is to much for what you lose out on.

Cost, charge times, range, and lack of sound are reasons that keep me uninterested in electric bikes. living in a rural area, I enjoy the sounds of my bikes and being able to fuel them up in a couple of minutes to keep the ride going. E-bikes would be great for in and around town though, especially in the warmer months when engine heat can become unbearable in traffic. It'll be interesting to see the progress they make as internal combustion engines become more regulated.

21grand, OK suspension, just adequate brakes, 150 miles range, you need to joints of a teenager, dealer network(?), I mean what's not to like? BTW, I don't much care for a Triumph scrambler either, as far as scramblers go. Ducati scrambler is a different story. But is a Scrambler *really* an ADV bike? Also, he said he rode the Zero to Wyoming and it was comfortable, right? How long did THAT take? And how much of an Adventure is it to have to plan a route based on plug-in spots?

I can buy three 2022 KLR 650s for the price of one Zero DSR.

An electric adventure bike doesn’t make any sense. I live in the land of off-roading and most places you’d want to adventure at are atleast 20-30 miles away which doesn’t leave much range to adventure. Gas stations are sparse in those areas and charging stations are nonexistent. And at the price I could get 2 premium gas powered motorcycles.

interesting, comments with profile pics like the triumph and no-pic comments like the zero.

If I'm honest....I want them both. The Zero would be my daily while the Triumph would be my exploration rig. They're both quite a bit more money in Canada so it's one of the other unfortunately....... (Probably the Triumph)

Of course the scrambler is nicer but which one can I ride stealthily in areas where motorcycles are not allowed.

Hell no. No way is the zero a better off road bike. What with the 21 front and off-road suspension on the triumph.

Also by 2021 Zero had existed for 15 years, not ten sir.

I like the idea of electric bikes, but I wouldn't trade in my speedmaster for one.

once charging gets more dense in "adventure" areas, these will be more than capable. Zero cycles need faster charging too. its almost there. but even today there are tons of people out enjoying their zeros. yea, there are a small group of people who need to be able to go 250 miles then refill and go another 250 right after that, again and again, for thousands of miles. and yes, for those people, an electric absolutely would not work. but how many people actually do this? a few thousand? the vast majority of people just do a couple hundred miles and then come home. and for that, the tech is already there. just need the charger density.

No adventure bike will win style contests versus a throw back scrambler style bike. No electric bike will win on heritage vs a Triumph or a Harley. Not all petrol bikes sell on retro styling engine noise either. The side by side would make more sense vs a KTM of similar performance. Would still show the Zeros are not price competitive and too short range as an adventure bike especially in the US but at least on a similar set of expectations.

Die elektro fiets rammelt wel enorm

I have a gas bike and an electric trail bike. It is not really helpful to compare them, they are two different things. Both are capable of giving great experiences. Some people just want to argue.

I would have to go old school gas

That’s going to be quite the adventure when you can only go 45 miles from the nearest charger. Now if you stick to road touring with that ‘adventure’ bike you don’t have to worry about monkey butt - stopping for 2 hrs every 90 miles. That zero is just a total toy for rich boys - maybe make a good city commuter but so does a SuperCub for 1/3rd of the price

I’m not hanging my motorcycle on the wall - piece of art my a$$. Ripping thru the mountains with a DSR with a charge tank is pure bliss. The torque and ability to flick the bike all over the place is epic. So I ride for close to two hours on twisty mountain roads and dirt single track completely stealth with no one knowing I’m there - then head to town and charge up with the fast charger while I enjoy lunch and a brew. Oh - zero maintenance and next to nothing to charge. The charge points in my area are free. The choice is not even close. This bike is a torque beast.

The zeros range is horrendous

What about the Metacycle by Sondors? Its cheaper But i agree the scrambler wins all day in this one

Please get a Livewire. I am gas biased but curious about electric.

Just a question, but : Why the Triumph over the Ducati Scrambler ??? Personnally I don't dislike Triumph ... Not at all ! But, I am just more leaning towards a Ducati (just personnal taste)

I've put 1000mi on my CT125 in rural West Virginia and have the strongest level of love-hate with it. Wish it could get up to 70mph, geometry is made for midgets, and suspension is adequate. But man... I can beat the living hell out of it and it loyally continues on while looking great. With a 29"-30" inseam, 140lb weight, what would you recommend as my next upgrade? - 2022 RE Himalayan? (650???) - VersysX 300? - ????

You know I bet you could make that Triumph pretty quiet if you wanted to. The problem is most riders want their bikes loud cause they think it makes them safer. Honestly, I think that mentality is based on a myth too cause in my modern vehicle I only ever hear a bike unless they are right next to me accelerating or they are doing something really stupid on a public road with the throttle down. IMO driving your bike defensively when dealing with cars is a much safer way to go. I haven't ridden anything in a while cause I have a paralyzed leg now but I've always felt riding and treating each average car driver as the inattentive insane people they usually are worked out much better for me. Expecting people to do the right thing is never a path to success given how many people in North America have licenses but shouldn't.

It’s just too expensive for what you get. The Zero is a pretty basic bike and if it had a ICE it would be a low priced bike. An 8k Honda cb500x is twice the bike.

One bikes got an aluminium top box and panniers, the other nought. Hardly a fair comparison lads.

I am really not sure why electric vehicles are so expensive. The complexity of an internal combustion engine compared to some batteries and an electric motor would suggest the opposite. Enjoyed the test but at $21,000 it’s not for me.

2 hour charge time for 150 miles? Not even remotely interested. I do 700 mile day rides. so 5 hours of charging to do it? in some cases it takes me 75 miles to even get to where my 'adventure starts'. For 21k I'll get a used GS1250 or a 2021 KTM 1290 super adventure R and pocket the rest. Fun comparison , Other than the Torque, the Zero just doesn't fit my needs at all.

That plastic on the zero rattles more than a early 90's Chevy! 🤣 🤮

You forgot to mention that if you take a roll of thin film photovoltaic panels, you can go forever on the zero. You also forgot to mention the zero maintenance no fluids of the zero. You also forgot to mention resale value. You also forgot to mention the value of stealth. You also forgot to mention that dual sport riders are more concerned with function than art. You also forgot to mention that as production increases, price decreases. You also forgot to mention that electric range can be increased with mods. You also forgot to mention that old world technology props up the criminal oil industry and has a much larger carbon footprint and the fluids are toxic to the environment. You also forgot to mention that, with the zero, you don't need a gas station or any third party service if you set up your own charging equipment. You also forgot to mention that even an untrained eye can distinguish the novelty of an electric motorcycle as opposed to millions of Petro bikes. If you like collecting antiques, that's one thing, but, if cutting edge technology is more appealing, well, it speaks for itself. Oh, you also forgot to mention that the zero can dust any Petro bike in the quarter mile.

Is it still considered a "motor"cycle

There is nothing about that bike that makes it an adventure bike. with that range, it's the OPPOSITE of an adventure bike.

i will never ride electric on long distance , no way!! i can use electric bike to go to walmart tho

Emotorcycles aren’t quiet there yet. Expensive and low range.Gas bikes bang for buck are still way ahead of the emotorcycle.

Get a $7500 tax credit on the electric bike purchase

Electric bikes are getting better, but when you look at the alternative they can't compete with the real thing, until the price comes down " I'll stick with burning dead Dinosaurs"

"No gas to worry about" Really? That's what you came up with?

But my Scrambler with the Zard exhaust goes vroom vroom 🥸

Imagine a new component for electric vehicles. Let us call it an "e-sonator" (shortcut E.S.). It's purpose would be to generate sounds which change depending on the current speed of the vehicle. Various manufacturers could have their own specific sound pattern family (protected by copyrights), so you could recognize a car or a bike from certain manufacturer just by how they sound. And these sounds can even vary from model to model. Or the customer can choose some predefined sound pattern in the custom sound mode. These can imitate the sound of a V8 or the growl of a big bore shopper, or be just totally futuristic (something like the podracers in Star Wars). I mean, clearly, e-vehicles fall short of the nice sound of a strong petrol/diesel engine. E-sonator would not only solve that, but due to the possibility to generate any sound at various levels of loundness, would give them a benefit over the petrol/diesel engines.

1200 cc? What is it's purpose?

The king of 2 wheels is still the Hawk 250

The range is simply too low. Its why I won't buy one. I drive 80 miles back and forth to work in the country. And the only place to charge is at home. This bike would leave me on the edge of a dead battery EVERY day. When it can do 150 miles at HIGHWAY speeds (70+), then I'll buy one. Until then there's no point.

Electric motorcycle; these two words sort of contradict each other. The heart of a motorcycle is the engine. Suck, squeeze, bang, blow. The sound of a big twin four-stroke engine is reason itself for the machine to be made. I don't want to ride a motorcycle that sounds like a hairdryer. I like the smell of petroleum, oil and grease. I like the fact that I can tinker and modify my engine to suit my needs and I like the (literal) vibrancy of a proper mechanical process going on; I savour the element of risk that the bike might break down. Weirdly, I like changing gears, to feel that I am in control of the machine, even using a kick-start! No electric sham of a motorcycle will ever replace the real thing. Time is running out however, must get my old Bonneville out of the shed before it's too late. Love and peace.

The transition from gas to electric isn’t going to be smooth. There are to many factors at play and the idea that an EV is zero emissions is BS . I think there is definitely a place for electric cars & bikes , especially in urban and heavy stop & go traffic . Unfortunately it’s to expensive and out of reach for the people that need it the most , the middle class .

Ahahahaha 90 miles, and hard luggage, WTF. My ktm 690 adventure is about 10k with all the mods, about 500 km range, much much lighter, keep your electric toy. Oh and my wing exhaust is music to my ears. Did I told you to stick your toy....

These two riders gave ridiculously shallow reviews of both bikes. Firstly, they failed to comment on the entire value proposition of electric versus ICE vehicles: one is electric with all the great benefits related to that fuel source, and the other is ICE with all the negatives associated with its fuel source. Secondly, at today's level of technology, electric vehicles are intended for urban environments, not adventure riding. By the way, the Scrambler isn't suited to off-road riding either. My last bike was a Multistrada. The only time it saw a dirt road was because of a navigation error. I'm looking at a Zero SR/F as my next bike. Electric is the way to go. The sooner we all switch, the better off all of us will be.

I rode a Zero once about 10 years ago and it felt more like a bicycle with and electric motor on it than a motorcycle and that was comparing it to a TW200.

Electric "full on adventure bike". That must be the joke of the decade...

For my commute with gas prices what they are in Joe Biden’s America (40-50 miles per day), breakeven point is around 4 years, so the upfront cost difference is kind of whatever.

Over priced, horrible components, and in the bush there's no current bushes so you'd have to pack a generator. Electrics aren't all that or there just yet.

All the comments you see on videos of EVs (cars and bikes) are the same as back in the days when fans of typewriters said the pc was expensive and slow............

Using a Zero as any metric for the future of motorcycles is a little off...you need to look at the Livewire. It's 10 years ahead of zero, and is a REAL look at what Electric motorcycles can be. By the time Zero catches up to what the Livewire can do H-D will have likely dominated the market. Oh and it has Brembos, and doesn't rattle AT ALL lol