Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/464773
2015 ZERO SR, S, DS AND FX FIRST RIDE P56 throttle control in riding around town. Because it's so well bal- anced, you rarely need to bother putting a foot down until after you come to a halt. Riding such a bike at walking pace round the busy streets of Santa Cruz was incredibly easy, with such a generous steering lock and so direct connection between your right hand and the rear tire contact patch. There's a choice of three different riding modes that are definitely well thought out. In Eco mode, especially the Zero, is very docile and usable, just swooshing silently through city streets, while paying special attention to pedestrians step- ping off the curb in front of you, because they hadn't heard you coming. It does happen! Eco mode has gentle acceleration and quite heavy regenerative braking, as displayed on the dash when you back off the throttle. This can be altered via an app on your iPhone. Sport is what it says on the label, with vivid acceleration that allows you to keep up turn-speed while flowing through a series of bends. Climbing a winding hillside road, you don't want to lose momentum via what amounts to engine braking. Then the Custom map can be tailored to suit your tastes, and the one they gave me on the SR had maxed-out drive that would lift the front wheel slightly wide open, coupled with full regen, so it was fine for descending that winding road, or swinging from side to side through a level series of esses. But cranking the SR wide open in more open stretches riding along the Pacific Coast Highway alongside the rolling surf produces sparkling accel- eration and so much grunt that you're glad Zero went up a size to a 140/70-17-inch rear tire on the SR. They opted for a smaller 130/80-17 Pirelli Scorpion trailie tire on the DS, coupled with a 19-inch front. Though these are much quieter than the noisy Taiwanese-made Kenda tires Zero used before, the more compliant Showa suspension means you get a harsher ride from the knobbly rubber rolling across the tarmac. While the DS offers immediate off-road riding capability for even the unskilled, I reckon many customers will opt to buy it because of its taller stance that offers better for- ward vision and a more relaxed riding position. This is precisely the same way as people buy a BMW R1200GS rather than an R1200R. That being the case, I believe Zero should make a 100 percent street version of the DS fitted with 17-inch wheels front and rear, Pirelli Sport Demon tires and a slightly lower seat height, though they could rely on the smaller front tire to do the job for them. It'd be their best- (Above) With the help of an app, all you need to know is right here on this small dash. (Above center) The front brake disc is bolted directly to the spokes; ABS is new this year. (Above right) There is handy storage area. (Right) Three riding modes are available—Eco, Sport and Custom. (Far right) The Showa suspension is much improved.