Last weekend, Andrew Thijssen from BMS E-Motorrijder – and one of THE PACK’s test riders – took a Zero DSR/X 2024 with a 17.4 kWh battery and a 6.7 kW charger for a spin (thx to Electric Motorbikes & Zero Motorcycles Europe), accompanied by seven other motorcycles— all fueled by gasoline. Let’s see if the stubborn prejudices hold true. Can an electric motorcycle handle a weekend trip to the Eifel? And can it keep up with gas-powered motorbikes?

Andrew Thijssen:

“We’ve reached our destination after 275 km, a mix of winding routes and main roads. We made sure to take every twist and turn, which naturally took most of the day. One advantage of all those curves is the regeneration of (braking) energy. We were a group of four sidecars and four solo motorcycles. The Zero indicated a range of 244 km at 110% battery charge, thanks to an extra setting available with Zero.”

Day 1: hitting the road

“Our journey began this morning. After 130 km, the sidecars needed to refuel. I still had over 53% battery and 140 km range left, so I skipped the refueling stop and waited patiently for the others. We continued our ride, and after another 30 km, we stopped for lunch. Since the motorcycle was idle, I decided to plug it into a nearby charging station listed on the app. I had 40% battery and 120 km range left, not really in need of a charge, but why not? After lunch, the Zero was at 95% with a range of nearly 200 km. Just as we were about to leave, a fellow (German) Zero rider appeared on the scene, and we had a quick chat, bonding over our shared choice of bike. After another 30 km, we stopped again—this time for the solo riders to refuel. More waiting ensued.”

“The last hour and a half to our overnight stay was a bit wet, but we’ll dry off tonight. After 275 km, we arrived at our destination, having had to stop twice extra today—not for charging, but for refueling. At the guesthouse, I could plug the Zero into a socket for the night, which was quite convenient. Now, we’re settling in for dinner and a beer. Cheers! Tomorrow, we’ll explore the Eifel some more. Hopefully, we’ll stay dry.”

Day 2: touring the Eifel with the Zero DSR/X

“We planned a day of touring the Eifel with the Zero DSR/X and the gasoline motorcycles. It rained quite a bit, and the forecast wasn’t promising. Nevertheless, we donned our brave and still-dry shoes and set off. We decided to head towards Luxembourg. The Zero charged to 100% overnight, which should be more than enough for today.

The wet weather suits the incredibly smooth Zero DSRX. The powerful and adjustable motor can be configured to your liking: traction control, ABS, rain mode, ECO mode, and the more powerful street, canyon, and sport modes. While the last three modes are useful under these conditions, the first two aren’t just for show.

After lunch in Vianden, we visited some well-known Luxembourg sights like Mullerthal, Beaufort Castle, and the Schiessentümpel waterfall, or at least drove by them since it was too wet to stop. The DSR/X handled Luxembourg’s drenched roads with ease. Naturally, my travel companions needed to refuel with “cheap” Luxembourg fuel. It was busy at the pump, taking quite a while for everyone to refuel and pay. Luckily, I’m a patient person.

For the last stretch back to the Eifel, we took the fastest route. Back at the guesthouse, we had clocked 135 km of soaking wet roads. The Zero still had 44% battery and a 90 km range left. All our clothes are now hanging to dry, hoping they’ll be somewhat wearable tomorrow. And the DSR/X? It’s plugged in again, charging up to 110%.”

Day 3: heading Home

“We left Metterich (Germany) around 10 AM this morning. The sun was shining, a pleasant change after yesterday’s rain. Everything had dried out enough to continue drying in the breeze. For the return trip, I charged the Zero to 110% overnight at the guesthouse. Naturally, you do this in the evening while having dinner and chatting over a beer.

We headed north, combining winding routes and main roads through the Eifel towards the Netherlands. The Zero DSR/X is fantastic in the mountains. The adventure seating, continuous torque, highly adjustable suspension, and Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 tires on beautiful spoked wheels make riding a pleasure. We took a terrace break, soaking up the sun—lovely.

Shortly after noon, we stopped for lunch in Monschau. I had 71% battery left and an impressive 213 km range. No need to charge. The winding routes had regenerated plenty of energy while consuming little. If there had been a charging station at the restaurant, I’d have plugged in, as the bike was idle anyway. We had a delicious meal with a refreshing alcohol-free Weissen beer.

Monschau was very busy and closed to traffic. Maneuvering through the access roads was tricky, but the DSR/X’s small turning radius came in handy. After lunch, we continued as before. Naturally, we needed to refuel “cheaply” in Germany. Those sidecars are quite thirsty. Refueling with a group takes time, so I waited patiently for everyone to finish. I’m getting used to it.

Then we continued and picked up a 10 km stretch of German highway as a connector. At Kessel (Limburg), we crossed the river by ferry, and from there, we went our separate ways towards home.

At that point, we had covered 243 km for the day. The Zero’s State Of Charge (SOC) was 20%, with a 50 km range left. I still had 43 km to go to get home, which was a bit risky, so I plugged in while we took a break. We had a snack and chatted about the fantastic weekend. Now I’m home, with 277 km on the day’s odometer. Over the weekend, we covered 677 km of winding and secondary roads, creating another wonderful memory. And the weekend trip to the Eifel with gasoline motorcycles? Relaxed touring and avoiding highways was no problem at all. After all, your motorcycle vacation starts at home.”

Thx to Electric Motorbikes Nederland & Zero Motorcycles Europe!