Zero Brings Its Most Adventure-Ready Electric Dual Sport to US
The Zero DSR Black Forest electric bike comes to America for 2020.

Zero Motorcycles has announced its updated 2020 electric bike lineup, featuring new colors, graphics and a revamped next-gen App. But the bigger news for 2020 is the introduction of the DSR Black Forest model to America – a bike the company proudly calls “the most capable adventure-ready electric motorcycle on the planet.”
The previous Europe-only model enters the U.S. market as the flagship dual sport motorcycle in the Zero 2020 lineup. Deriving from the DSR 14.4 kWh platform, the Black Forest Edition silently churns out 70 horsepower and a whopping 116 ft-lb of torque available from a standstill for instantaneous throttle response. Acceleration is delivered through a carbon-fiber belt that directly connects the motor to the rear wheel.

At the heart of Zero motorcycles is the Z-Force motor, which requires no liquid or forced-air cooling and no routine maintenance. The flagship bike is further equipped with three lockable cases for ample storage, a touring seat, hand guards plus crash bars, LED auxiliary lights and a headlight protector for off-road use.
But what about the most common concern with electric motorcycles?…Range. The DSR Black Forest comes with an exclusive 14.4 kWh power pack (double the range of the base DS model), good for a claimed range of 157 miles in the city and 88 miles on the highway. Battery capacity can be boosted further with an optional Power Tank that increases range to a claimed 196 miles in the city or 110 miles on the highway.

Like the other Zero dual sport models, the Black Forest Edition can be easily charged overnight from any standard household outlet without any additional installations. Adding the Charge Tank option allows you to charge the battery up to 95% capacity in just 2 hours, by making the bike compatible with faster Level 2 charging stations.
“With the year-over-year growth of fast charge stations around the United States, riding has become more accessible than ever,” said Sam Paschel, CEO. “The 2020 line ensures riders can experience their adventures and push for new places with the effortless experience of taking their motorcycle wherever they would like to go.”

Complementing the powerful Cypher operating systems, every 2020 Zero Motorcycle features updated Next Gen smartphone integration via a dedicated app. With a few toggles, riders can customize performance profiles such as top speed, torque and max regenerative braking. Charging status, updates and diagnostics can also be easily accessed through the Android and Apple compatible app.

The DSR Black Forest Edition starts at $18,995 and is available with various accessories and upgrades. If that sticker price is a bit hard to digest, the standard DSR model retails at $15,495. It is not kitted-out like the Black Forest model but it comes with the higher capacity 14.4 kwh battery. Also, keep in mind there are several states that offer attractive electric vehicle tax incentives to make it more affordable. Add to that the elimination of costs such as regular motor maintenance, oil changes, spark plugs, clutches, filters, fuel or chain maintenance and the price may begin to sound like a good value.


Zero DSR Black Forest Specs
ZF14.4 | ZF14.4 + POWER TANK | |
RANGE CITY: | 157 miles (253 km) | 196 miles (315 km) |
HIGHWAY, 55 MPH (89 KM/H): | 88 miles (142 km) | 110 miles (177 km) |
RANGE COMBINED: | 112 miles (180 km) | 141 miles (227 km) |
HIGHWAY, 70 MPH (113 KM/H): | 64 miles (103 km) | 80 miles (129 km) |
COMBINED: | 91 miles (146 km) | 114 miles (183 km) |
PEAK TORQUE: | 116 ft-lb (157 Nm) | 116 ft-lb (157 Nm) |
PEAK POWER: | 70 hp (52 kW) @ 3,500 rpm | 70 hp (52 kW) @ 3,500 rpm |
TOP SPEED (MAX): | 102 mph (164 km/h) | 102 mph (164 km/h) |
TOP SPEED (SUSTAINED): | 90 mph (145 km/h) | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
MOTOR TYPE: | Z-Force® 75-7R passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent hi-temp magnet, brushless motor | Z-Force® 75-7R passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent hi-temp magnet, brushless motor |
CONTROLLER: | High efficiency, 775 amp, 3-phase brushless controller with regenerative deceleration | High efficiency, 775 amp, 3-phase brushless controller with regenerative deceleration |
POWER PACK: | Z-Force® Li-Ion intelligent integrated | Z-Force® Li-Ion intelligent integrated |
MAX CAPACITY: | 14.4 kWh | 18.0 kWh |
NOMINAL CAPACITY: | 12.6 kWh | 15.8 kWh |
CHARGER TYPE: | 1.3 kW, integrated | 1.3 kW, integrated |
CHARGE TIME (STANDARD): | 9.8 hours (100% charged) / 9.3 hours (95% charged) | 12.1 hours (100% charged) / 11.6 hours (95% charged) |
WITH CHARGE TANK OPTION: | 2.5 hours (100% charged) / 2.0 hours (95% charged) | N/A |
WITH ONE ACCESSORY CHARGER: | 5.7 hours (100% charged) / 5.2 hours (95% charged) | 7.0 hours (100% charged) / 6.5 hours (95% charged) |
WITH MAX ACCESSORY CHARGERS: | 2.8 hours (100% charged) / 2.3 hours (95% charged) | 3.3 hours (100% charged) / 2.8 hours (95% charged) |
POWER INPUT: | Standard 110 V or 220 V | Standard 110 V or 220 V |
TRANSMISSION: | Clutchless direct drive | Clutchless direct drive |
FINAL DRIVE: | 90T / 20T, Poly Chain® HTD® Carbon™ belt | 90T / 20T, Poly Chain® HTD® Carbon™ belt |
FRONT SUSPENSION: | Showa 41 mm inverted cartridge forks, with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping | Showa 41 mm inverted cartridge forks, with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping |
REAR SUSPENSION: | Showa 40 mm piston, piggy-back reservoir shock with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping | Showa 40 mm piston, piggy-back reservoir shock with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping |
FRONT SUSPENSION TRAVEL: | 7.00 in (178 mm) | 7.00 in (178 mm) |
REAR SUSPENSION TRAVEL: | 7.03 in (179 mm) | 7.03 in (179 mm) |
FRONT BRAKES: | Bosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan asymmetric dual piston floating caliper, 320 x 5 mm disc | Bosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan asymmetric dual piston floating caliper, 320 x 5 mm disc |
REAR BRAKES: | Bosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan single piston floating caliper, 240 x 4.5 mm disc | Bosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan single piston floating caliper, 240 x 4.5 mm disc |
FRONT TIRE: | Pirelli MT-60 100/90-19 | Pirelli MT-60 100/90-19 |
REAR TIRE: | Pirelli MT-60 130/80-17 | Pirelli MT-60 130/80-17 |
FRONT WHEEL: | 2.50 x 19 | 2.50 x 19 |
REAR WHEEL: | 3.50 x 17 | 3.50 x 17 |
WHEELBASE: | 56.2 in (1,427 mm) | 56.2 in (1,427 mm) |
SEAT HEIGHT: | 33.2 in (843 mm) | 33.2 in (843 mm) |
RAKE: | 26.5° | 26.5° |
TRAIL: | 4.6 in (117 mm) | 4.6 in (117 mm) |
CURB WEIGHT: | 489 lb (222 kg) | 531 lb (241 kg) |
CARRYING CAPACITY: | 417 lb (189 kg) | 375 lb (170 kg) |
EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY (CITY): | 435 MPGe (0.54 l/100 km) | 435 MPGe (0.54 l/100 km) |
EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY (HIGHWAY): | 207 MPGe (1.13 l/100 km) | 207 MPGe (1.13 l/100 km) |
TYPICAL COST TO RECHARGE: | $1.61 | $2.02 |
MSRP PRICING: | $18,995 | $21,890 |
STANDARD MOTORCYCLE WARRANTY: | 5 years/unlimited miles | 5 years/unlimited miles |
For more information go to zeromotorcycles.com
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Can trailer hitch be mounted to pull a compact trailer loaded with a 2000 watt Honda generator ? Honda makes a pretty quiet genator runs a cup of gas for hour ?..
The bars are to low the , the rider is either hunched way over or his arms are locked while standing in all the pics.
I do not consider a 160ish mile ride that ends near a power outlet an “adventure”. Until I can recreate my 11,000 mile 7 week trip done on a KLR, an E-bike will remain in the realm of city bikes regardless of how it’s styled.
That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the tech, I’m looking forward to the day the above is possible. It’s just gonna be a while… a long while
Well said.
Im not a mile hog. I will only drive 600-700km a day. Thats from say 8am to about 5pm. Given my petrol based mileage/ time line vs an electric bike. 5 hours of the day would be added just to charge for my daily mileage….and would HAVE to find a site that has charge receptacle. So by the time I hit my very modest mileage target(compared to many other riders) i would hit site at 10pm…..not cool at all
You would have to really reduce your daily expectations and double your allocated time.
Maybe my maths wrong(not by alot) but electric still needs charging/mileage adjustments to match petrol standards.
Living the dream 88 miles at a time.
I could barely go to work and come back even with the ZF14.4 + Power Tank option. I have a 70 mile round trip daily commute on the freeway. Not much of an adventure unless I just want to go to the coffee shop like the BMW guys.
The true adventure starts at about mile 80.
Exactly
sounds great but for the short distance between charges. How about putting a side car on one so you can put more battery and side cars are fun and more room. Make the side car big enough for my 150 lb Kuvasz ( Dog )
DSR Black Forest model really looks cool with its features.
If you have the accurate list of ev charging stations for your short or long road trip then you might not to invest on battery back up.
According to plugshare there are the thousands of ev charging stations all over America. Here is the link – https://www.plugshare.com/directory/us/