Covering nearly 1,000 km in just four days. With a combustion engine, no one will doubt whether this will work. But what about doing it with an electric Zero SR/S in Ostfriesland, where charging stations are scarce*? Spoiler alert: I can confirm that it works perfectly fine.

As soon as you enter Ostfriesland, you can’t help but notice the vast number of wind turbines dotting the flat landscape, reminiscent of the Netherlands. The blades on all of them are spinning gracefully in the wind. While I wasn’t concerned about finding enough electricity to charge my SR/S, I did have reservations about the availability of charging stations. According to various charging apps, many of the places we planned to visit lacked nearby charging options.

The first part of the weekend trip was approximately 250 km from my hometown Havelte. I noticed a strong breeze, so I made a pit stop in Winschoten to refuel and meet up with my friend on his Moto Guzzi V7 Stone. Our other friend on a Honda CB1100 couldn’t join us due to a work-related injury the previous week, but he kept us informed from afar by providing weather updates. The forecast predicted strong winds, as mentioned earlier.

After a stop for lunch and to charge the electric motorcycle in Winschoten, we arrived at our overnight destination in Aurich with over 40% battery life. On the way, we took an old ferry across the Ems River and drove on what turned out to be the bumpiest road I have ever ridden on. Just to be safe, I had brought a “granny charger” with me, not knowing what to expect from the 22 kW charging stations near our accommodations in Aurich. As expected, the charging station did not deliver the promised power as listed in the app. However, since it consistently provided some charge, I was content to use it. The day ended with a surprisingly tasty schnitzel and glasses of Jever beer at the “Alteste Kneipe von Aurich,” a place that felt like time had stood still and we had been transported back to an era where electric motorcycles didn’t exist.

The second day of our trip was dedicated to a visit to Bremerhaven, specifically the ‘Wilhelm Bauer Type XXI U-boat’ which was over 200 km away. In the morning, my SR/S showed 225 km on the dashboard, based on my riding behavior from the previous day. However, we received a message from home warning us about strong winds (which turned out to be 4/5 Beaufort). The SR/S is sensitive to wind, so I decided to plan for a charging stop in Bremerhaven. When I arrived, I had 48% SoC remaining, which was cutting it close for making it back without charging. We searched for a charging station, but after accidentally taking a wrong turn and getting scolded by a ‘Bremer Haven official,’ we finally found open spots in a parking garage across from the U-boat. After fully charging and enjoying an impressive tour inside the U-boat as well as a delicious lunch by the harbor, I had more than enough power to ride back to Aurich without any worries. I arrived with just under 50% SoC once.

Charging in Bremerhaven

The following morning, we stopped at a street-side charging station so I could recharge my bike while we grabbed breakfast at a local bakery. Day three of our trip was focused on touristy spots, with around 200 km to cover as we explored the northern, eastern, and southern corners of Ostfriesland. Our first stop was the ‘Opstalsboom,’ a significant location in Frisian history. We then rode through forests and past groups of Germans playing klootschieten (street bowling), passing by areas that were once popular tourist destinations but now seemed to be fading away. The roads along the rivers Leda and Jumme were breathtaking, with dikes stretching out on either side. Our day ended with a crossing of the ‘narrowest car bridge in Europe,’ the Armdorfer Brucke. Surprisingly, there was no wind, which greatly improved the performance of my SR/S. Despite the many 100 km/h roads, I didn’t need to recharge at all. I also discovered that day that the SR/S offers excellent riding comfort; its slightly lower footpegs and higher handlebar position make it perfect for multi-day trips compared to its sibling, the SR/F.

On our journey, we made a stop in Jever with the intention of touring the local brewery. However, it was closed when we arrived. So instead, we settled for a non-alcoholic Jever-Fun at a nearby café. Surprisingly, the half-liter of beer did not taste completely alcohol-free to me. To play it safe, I decided to take a break and recharge my electric bike as well. Fortunately, one of the few available charging stations in Jever worked perfectly, even though I probably paid extra for the extended charging time. The last leg of our trip was effortless for the SR/S, and I reached our destination – a hotel and event venue – with over 50% battery remaining. However, upon arrival, we were met with some challenges as there was a large group of 80 cyclists having a barbecue at our overnight spot. Luckily, I managed to find an e-bike charging point where my SR/S could quietly charge using the ‘granny charger’ I brought along. We were even invited to join in on the barbecue, where we enjoyed bratwursts, fries, and Bitburger beers. One slightly intoxicated cyclist showed great interest in the SR/S and took many photos with it. Later on, he confessed that he had been riding motorcycles without a license for years and asked me not to tell anyone.

The next morning, my alarm went off earlier than usual, and I rode the final stretch back to Havelte through dense fog. Despite the challenging weather conditions, I managed to make it home without needing to stop and recharge. My first multi-day trip abroad on an electric motorcycle was a success in many ways. Most importantly, I was relieved to find that riding an electric motorcycle in a different country didn’t come with the fear of running out of range or having to constantly search for charging stations. In the end, our planned routes were actually shorter than the SR/S’s impressive range allowed, with only a couple stops for charging along the way. So, even day trips of around 300 km are easily achievable with some preparation beforehand. The only obstacle we faced was the strong wind, but overall it was a great experience.

* Editor’s note from THE PACK: “Flip has no use for DC chargers with his Zero, and for the Zero he needs at least 11kW 3-phase chargers. And there just aren’t many of them. In a city like Aurich (45,000 inhabitants) there are only 6 (!). Compared to the Netherlands, he found that quite scarce. So there may well be quite a few charging stations, but that doesn’t mean he can use them all.”