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[DonTom]

Since I own both, I will try to compare them, but in most ways, they do not compare all that well but I will try here  anyway.

We all here know the biggest differences, such as the CCS charging on the Experia, faster AC charging on the DSR/X and the chain drive on the Experia and the belt on the DSR/X so I won't cover the obvious differences, such as more power in the Experia. I am not the best to ask about that type of performance as I have not yet even selected the sport mode (or Canyon mode) in either bike. In fact, I am often in the eco mode. My entire trip of 205 miles (330 km) yesterday, even when on the freeway, was in eco mode. But I often use the standard / urban modes.

But some things I can compare. Mostly little things.

The Experia is full of little bugs. Untrue or very delayed messages on the screen and even an occasional fault error in reverse that kills the motor. Messages such as "you may now disconnect the charging cable" or "bike is off, turn on to continue" as I am going down the freeway. And the very common "FOB not in range" message.

I have not seen a single bug of any type with the Zero DSR/X. No issues at all of any type.

The price of each bike is closer than you may think. For an example, I added 3K$ of options to the DSR/X that came with the Experia LE. Save for the centerstand which I was able to buy for the DSR/X but I have been waiting for more than a year for the centerstand for the Experia.


DSR/X is quieter than the Experia. Chain noise on the Experia, especially when behind it (my riding buddies told me). The belt noise is not as bad on the Zero DSR/X but you can still hear it nice and clear.


Both bikes handle great, IMO.  I cannot say one is better than the other. But again, since I am a rather slow rider, especially in curves, I am not the best to ask how they handle at higher speeds.

You do not want to try to use the cruise control at night on either bike. Switches are not lit up, as dark as can be, and right next to the kill switch on each bike.


The DSR/X has no Coast and Accel on the cruise control. The Experia does. But it is very simple and easy to set a new cruise speed on the DSR/X.


I find the menus easier to use on the DSR/X, but we still have to get used to it. Much of the menu is only available when the kill switch is activated (ie, motor off). And even reverse and slow forward parking modes require the kill switch to be on to select.  Switch it back off (to motor on) to the get reverse and slow forward. Even the trip odometers require the bike's kill switch to view.

But the Experia reverse and slow forward are easier to use than on the DSR/X.  Simply hold in the "run" button for a few seconds. Nothing to select on any menu.

We can see the trip odometer on the main screen on the Experia while riding, but not on the DSR/X.

A little more luggage capacity on the Experia. 22lbs weight limit on all the bags and travel trunk on either bike. But the Experia says the max speed with the bags and TT is 130 KM/80 MPH.   The DSR/X is 120 km/ 75 mph.

My full-size XL helmet (I have an extra-large head for all my brains--or is it rocks? )fits easily in either travel trunk.

But the DSR/X has a lot more space for things when the luggage is not being carried. As long as the extra charger or power tank is NOT installed in that space.

The DSR/X has two helmet locks under the seat. Seat has to be removed with the key to use them, takes ten seconds to remove & put back on, not a big deal. The Experia has no stock helmet locks. At least none that I yet discovered.

The Experia has a small section on each that can open for small items without opening the entire lid of any of its luggage. The DSR/X does not.

The Experia has more range than the Zero DSR/X charged to 110%. DSR/X is good for around 110 freeway miles when charged to a SOC of 110% . This can only be selected when starting a new charge. It will default back to 100% max charge. IOW, it will let us go past the normal useable capacity and a little into its max capacity. Should not be used too often. Figure one freeway mile per SOC%, which is handy. I do NOT keep the range left on the display. It is useless, IMO. I have the SOC % digital readout in the large numbers right above the battery bar which makes it easy to view. I am glad I don't need to have the lying "range left" on the display with the DSR/X. I do not like to look at such lies. Perhaps it could be useful if on level ground with no wind for a return trip, but too hilly and windy for useful info where I usually ride to. In reality, the DSR/X is just slightly better than 1 mile per soc, but in most cases can get that one mile per SOC%, MUCH more accurate than the stupid range guess-o-meter.

The Experia is good for around 150 average freeway miles. This is a realistic range to expect.

I like the watt hours per mile display on the DSR/X. That can tell you what speed to go for the best range. Very handy, IMO. The lower number means you're getting better range.

The Experia has a KWH per 100 miles on the next screen, hold "mode" one time to the right.  Not the screen I normally use, but perhaps should.

Which bike do I like best? It's a tossup, I enjoy them both a lot.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[DonTom]

I will add to this thread as I think about other things or discover new things.


The DSR/X has a hill hold that is handy at times, but only works in the run mode. If the sidestand is down, it disables the hill hold. It gives warnings on the screen when the hill hold is engaged or disengaged. It is easily engaged by putting a lot of pressure on either brake, the front or rear, when stopped.  It disengages when you do just about anything, such as press in on either brake again or try to take off.


The Experia has no hill hold. But I have a bullet brake on the Experia that can be used as a hill hold. And that works as a parking brake as well. But you must remember to put in the front brake to disengage it.


On the DSR/X, I simply carry a little thingy to hold in the front brake in when I want to park it. I keep a small one in the charge door, along with a Chargepoint card. So both are unlocked and very easy to get to when needed. No need for a Bullet Brake on the Zero DSR/X as long as the front brake can be held in.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[ADVENTURESonZERO]

Thanks for the comparison! When you say 'freeway' miles, what speeds are you going?

[BigPoppa]

Thanks for the comparison review. I was waiting for someone to compare the two. Since the Energica cases are just Givi Trekkers, any possibility of fitting them to the DSR/X? I loved the Trekkers when I had a Stelvio, the ability to flip open the “top” lid on the side cases was extremely convenient compared to traditional cases which require the whole clamshell to be opened up.

When reading individual reviews, I definitely get the impression the Experia is primarily an on-road tourer where as the DSR/X does have some light off-road capability. Is that accurate?

[DonTom]

Thanks for the comparison! When you say 'freeway' miles, what speeds are you going?

The normal speed of the USA freeway traffic in most cases, perhaps an average of just below 70 mph or 110 kph.


Of course,  it is not possible to be all that accurate, but it is the range I expect when on the freeways.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

Thanks for the comparison review. I was waiting for someone to compare the two. Since the Energica cases are just Givi Trekkers, any possibility of fitting them to the DSR/X? I loved the Trekkers when I had a Stelvio, the ability to flip open the “top” lid on the side cases was extremely convenient compared to traditional cases which require the whole clamshell to be opened up.

When reading individual reviews, I definitely get the impression the Experia is primarily an on-road tourer where as the DSR/X does have some light off-road capability. Is that accurate?

I would say the DSR/X is for the same type of use as the Stelvio. I traded in my 2016 Stelvio on the DSR/X. I didn't really want to, but 11 motorcycles are about all I have room for with my EV cars in the garages as well.


IOW, not really for off road, but fine for most unpaved roads.


Yeah, the Experia is more like the Zero SR, more for the pavement. 


Lately, I find myself riding the DSR/X the most. Main reason is new J1772 charge stations are getting a lot more common and a lot more reliable than CCS.


-Don- Auburn, CA

[TheRan]

Thanks for the comparison! When you say 'freeway' miles, what speeds are you going?

The normal speed of the USA freeway traffic in most cases, perhaps an average of just below 70 mph or 110 kph.

First time I've ever heard that from an American. Usually they tell me that absolutely everyone does at least 10 over the limit and that's why electric and small bikes aren't suitable, you need something that will comfortably sit at at least 90 just to be safe.

[DonTom]

First time I've ever heard that from an American. Usually they tell me that absolutely everyone does at least 10 over the limit and that's why electric and small bikes aren't suitable, you need something that will comfortably sit at at least 90 just to be safe.

Many do go more than 10 MPH over the speed limit. Especially motorcycles. But I normally stay around the speed limits if not below when there is no traffic behind me.


Another minor difference is in the stock windshields. The Experia has very little adjustment range. To adjust pull out on it, can easily be done while riding, but do not expect to notice any difference in that two or so inches of its full adjustment. The DSR/X has a lot more range of adjustment, but that is not saying much. But at least there is a noticeable difference. The knobs on the Zero DSR/X to adjust the windshield I find a little more difficult to do while riding, but it can still be done. But I would not try to adjust it in heavy traffic.


-Don- (now charging up for free here.)

[Oilcan]

Don I like your comparison of the two bikes and I would think you may be the only person that owns both.

I have had my DSR/X for two months and have already put 3,500 miles on it. This is my first electric motorcycle and I am really enjoying it. After 55 years of riding a lot of miles all over the world I have retired to shorter more relaxed day rides.

I have not had any issues with the bike so far. I think I have discovered all the features of the bike and the phone app. I like how you can customize the dash to show the information that is important to you as a rider. I have the four customizable dashboard set to show battery % because it is easier to see than the small green battery at the bottom, range guess o meter, range left, and ambient temperature. I have determined the ambient temperature is about 5 degrees higher than actual.

I have used the app to design a couple of custom ride modes. This is a work in progress. I have created one that I am fine tuning to my liking. I to as you have been riding primarily in ECO mode. So I start from those settings. I increased the max speed to 85 mph, gave it a little more power and torque, and reduced the regenerative braking to zero so it would coast. Didn’t like that so I am working my way back up 10% at a time to find the sweet spot for me.

As far as range goes I am not seeing the same range as you but as we all know a lot of things can affect that. Since I got the bike the temperature has been between 95 and 102 degrees . The terrain here is mostly flat with a few small rolling hills so not much regen is happening . I have been seeing about 120 miles of range riding country back roads, and about 100 miles or one mile per % at a constant 55 mph. On the interstate at a constant 70 mph I am getting about 85 miles of range. This is all starting at a 100% charge. I have changed it to 110% a couple of times when making a longer trip but most days I don’t do that.

I don’t have any side cases but do have a Shad top box. It’s a little larger than the one  Zero sells and it holds everything I need. I did install a small Givi wind deflector to the top lip of the stock windshield and  like it.  I will be adding the rapid charger as soon as it gets to my dealer.

Bottom line I really like the bike.

[DonTom]

Don I like your comparison of the two bikes and I would think you may be the only person that owns both.

I have had my DSR/X for two months and have already put 3,500 miles on it. This is my first electric motorcycle and I am really enjoying it. After 55 years of riding a lot of miles all over the world I have retired to shorter more relaxed day rides.

I have not had any issues with the bike so far. I think I have discovered all the features of the bike and the phone app. I like how you can customize the dash to show the information that is important to you as a rider. I have the four customizable dashboard set to show battery % because it is easier to see than the small green battery at the bottom, range guess o meter, range left, and ambient temperature. I have determined the ambient temperature is about 5 degrees higher than actual.

I have used the app to design a couple of custom ride modes. This is a work in progress. I have created one that I am fine tuning to my liking. I to as you have been riding primarily in ECO mode. So I start from those settings. I increased the max speed to 85 mph, gave it a little more power and torque, and reduced the regenerative braking to zero so it would coast. Didn’t like that so I am working my way back up 10% at a time to find the sweet spot for me.

As far as range goes I am not seeing the same range as you but as we all know a lot of things can affect that. Since I got the bike the temperature has been between 95 and 102 degrees . The terrain here is mostly flat with a few small rolling hills so not much regen is happening . I have been seeing about 120 miles of range riding country back roads, and about 100 miles or one mile per % at a constant 55 mph. On the interstate at a constant 70 mph I am getting about 85 miles of range. This is all starting at a 100% charge. I have changed it to 110% a couple of times when making a longer trip but most days I don’t do that.

I don’t have any side cases but do have a Shad top box. It’s a little larger than the one  Zero sells and it holds everything I need. I did install a small Givi wind deflector to the top lip of the stock windshield and  like it.  I will be adding the rapid charger as soon as it gets to my dealer.

Bottom line I really like the bike.

Same here, I find my DSR/x addicting to ride. I have been riding it every day lately, ignoring my ten other bikes. But I will get on the Experia soon and start riding it when I get back to Reno.

On my DSR/X display, I have the SOC% right above the battery indicator for the same reasons as you. A lot easier to see. On top of that, I have the ambient temperature. To the upper right of the screen, I have the battery temperature.  Below that, I have the WH/MI.  I find the range meter totally useless, and I do not want to even look at it. The Wh/Mi gives important information on your range as you're riding. IOW, a reading of "80" will give double the range of a "160" reading in real time. That in itself explains how useless the range guessometer is. "Range" cannot do anything in real time and often gives opposite info on a return trip. If you go downhill for many miles and it shows you have 50 miles left, do you think you can go uphill for 50 miles to get back home? Not a chance. While SOC % isn't perfect for a return trip either, it will be a lot closer than the range estimate.

Yeah, there is no way to get an accurate range, but one mile per SOC has been my average with a lot of freeways driving, but not all of it. And even on the freeways there can be various speeds. Especially when I need to slow down for all the road construction that has been going on around here.

IIRC, The Expira's top speed in ECO is 60 MPH (~100 kpm) which makes it useless on the freeway. Same with my SS9. OTOH, the DSR/X does 70.0 MPH (113 kmh) in ECO (will show as 73 MPH on the display) and that works for me. And instant cruise control at 70 MPH. Just go WOT at almost any time on the CA freeways that have a 65 MPH speed limit. Cops normally won't bust people for 5 MPH over the posted speed limit. So IMO, ECO mode is more useful on the DSR/x.

I have not set any custom speeds yet on either bike. But I have on my 2017 Zero DS and SR, so someday when I am bored, I will check into setting custom modes. I am normally in ECO or Standard (Urban on the Experia) modes and that works well enough for me. I am not all that picky. But it is more important to switch modes on the Energicas when getting on the freeways. 60 MPH max can even be dangerous at times. To need to release the throttle to change modes when a car is tailgating. I once forgot to switch modes before getting on the freeway and exactly that happened to me one time.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

Today, I took a 300-mile ride on my Energica Experia. I first went to Lake Lahontan, NV and from there to Bridgeport, CA to have my favorite Baja Fish Tacos at the Burger Barn.


While having my late lunch, I charged up here. Battery was warm (in the yellow at the start of the charge), and only charged at around 15 to 16 KW on my Experia.


I was thinking if I had the Zero DSR/X there, with the extra charger, I could charge it at 13.2 KW at a couple of different places for free that are just a couple of blocks away. So then no big difference in charging speed between the Experia and the DSR/X.


Not a big deal, but it cost me more than five bucks for the CCS charge. I would not notice the difference if I was charging at 13.2KW which can be done on the 80-amp AC charge station here, a block away from where I was using the CCS. And free to use.


The bike prices do compare. Add the extra AC charger to the Zero DSR/X for 3K$ & several hundred more to install at the dealer, add the bags and travel trunk, you now added around 7K$ to the price of the DSR/X to match the charging and bags of the Experia. But AC charging is MUCH more reliable than CCS and there are more of them. So that is also something to consider.


Now here is a small thing, that is also usually NBD, but I like better on the DSR/X.  On the DSR/X, the Eco mode is very useful, and is good for 75 mph on the freeway and even has reasonable acceleration.  I have done entire trips in the eco mode on the DSR/X.


I would never do that on the Experia.


The Experica in the Eco mode is dangerous to use, IMO. It will only go 53 MPH max (as shown on my GPS) , very weak acceleration. Get on the freeway with it (say you forget to select a better mode) and then to select a faster mode, you have to figure out the menu, release the throttle to get it to change. This can be very dangerous when a car is already on your tail.


I realize this is usually NBD, but I find the menus easier to use on the DSR/X than the Experia. And I find the menus on my SS9 to be easier to use than the Experia as well.


And the DSR/X has no bugs. The Experia has several. Mostly the false or very delayed messages on the screen.


I assume the Experia is much faster than the Zero DSR/X in the sport mode. I still have not had either of the bikes in the sport mode and I am not going to try to compare that. I assume either would be scary fast, at least to me.


The very short range of the widescreen on the Experia is so small, you will notice no difference at all when all the way up or all the way down. No need to waste your time to adjust it. There is some noticeable difference with the DSR/X windscreen. Still not a big difference, but probably don't want much more than that on an electric bike to reduce the range when fully up anyway.


I still enjoy both bikes a lot, but I think I am finding more things I like better with the DSR/X. But the extra range of the Experia is a biggie.


I have decided to not buy the extra DSR/X charger, as I like the extra room for storage on the bike and I am at countless charge stations that cannot even do the full 6.6 KW as it is. But Bridgeport should be good for a lot more than the 13.2 KW AC charge.


So still, I would make the decision between the two bikes based on charging and range.


The Experia has better range for sure, and that is also something to consider. The Experia is good for at least fifty more miles than the DSR/X even when charged up to 110%.


I used that 2nd screen today on the Experia. All the info is way too small. Difficult to read at a fast glance, but very good info is there if you can read it before you crash into something.


The info. on the screen of the DSR/X is much larger and easier to read, but there is not nearly as much info. Not even the trip odometers (two of them)  can be shown on the screen of the DSR/X, but is on the main Experia screen.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[princec]

Really interesting comparisons... very lucky to have someone daft enough to own both to listen to on the subject

One or the other of these is likely to be my next bike.

I do wonder why Zero aren't filling out their battery pack with another two modules to give it the range it needs to compete with the Experia. Stuck out the side a bit like a boxer twin. It would even fill out that strangely slim middle of the DSRX and give it a bit more of that presence that the GS Adv has.

Cas

[willbrunner]

Thanks, Don.  I always appreciate your writeups on our bikes.

FYI, you can put the trip odo in one of the display quadrants- it's a bit further down in the menu.

[DonTom]

Thanks, Don.  I always appreciate your writeups on our bikes.

FYI, you can put the trip odo in one of the display quadrants- it's a bit further down in the menu.

OIC, thanks, I just now did such in place of the ambient temp after seeing your message.  I figure battery temp is all I really need to know. I wish the DSR/X had more room on the screen for a couple of more items on the main display.


I was hoping it could display the trip odometer just above the odometer in about the same size. It's not something I normally look at during a trip, but after to see how far the ride was. Yesterday's ride on my Experia was exactly 296.0 miles by the trip odometer.


What I have displayed now on the DSR/X:


upper left=trip oddometer   upper right=Batt temperature.
bottom left= SOC%               bottom right=instant WH per mile


I am glad I do not have to look at range left on the display. On the Experia, it's on every screen and no way to get rid of it.


But I like the way the range is shown on my Chevy Bolt. It shows max range, expected average range and minimum range all at the same time. They need to improve that on all motorcycles that show "range left" even on the ICE bikes.


While Tesla only shows one range, I think it is mostly based on SOC than the current driving conditions. It's within reason.


The problem with motorcycle range left is that on all bikes I have seen, it is based on the last few miles ridden, which is stupid, IMAO. If you used close to 50% you may not have enough juice to get home without a recharge if you were riding in the direction of the wind at first--or mostly downhill or whatever.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[Oilcan]

Don
Another great update and review of the bikes.
You are correct about selecting the range and changing that works for each of us. I really wanted the Experia but ended up buying the DSR/X because there are no DC chargers where I ride most of the time and even with the longer range of the Experia it was not enough for me to get home or to one of the very few DC chargers in my state. There is ac level 2 charging where I ride and the slow ac charging of the Experia made it clear for me I needed the DSR/X. I hope Zero ships my rapid charger soon. Some of my riding is from 80 to 100 miles between charging locations. This leaves me waiting two hours for a recharge and cutting that time is important to me.