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Pics and Vids / Sneaky sneaky
« on: November 01, 2016, 12:51:31 AM »
So on the way home this past weekend... . Funny, this never happened with my Vulcan. 
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Parts, Mods And Hacks / Quad Lock cell phone mount
« on: August 15, 2016, 04:20:11 AM »
I have heard from a couple different Zero riders of their dissatisfaction with the RAM cell phone mount. The last gentleman I talked to had his cell phone go bouncing down the street, thankfully saved from destruction by his Otterbox case. Trying to learn from others, I went looking for another solution.
A Harley rider I know suggested this: Quad Lock Bike Mount Pro. It is designed to keep your cell phone secure on mountain bikes. So I figure for a street bike it would be more than enough.
The quad lock system is essentially a spring loaded plastic cam that attaches to a cam socket on the back of your phone. In this picture, the mounting point is bright blue and the cam socket has been glued to the back of my phone case. There are a handful of specialty cases if you have one of the more popular models. It glues with a pad of 3M tape, so it's not coming off the case without a solvent or a crowbar. Mounting the cam to the handlebars is very easy. It uses a couple of rubber o-rings to loop around the bar and attaches to hooks on the base of the cam. It comes with zip ties if you want the extra security, but the o-rings have been rock solid for me.
To mount the phone, you push it down onto the cam and rotate 45o. The phone will click into place and you won't be able to pull it off or rotate it until you press down on the bright blue ring around the mounting cam (see product link for better view of the ring).
Edit: Or, check out this other photo I took for the windscreen stuff.
Additionally, you can rotate the phone 45o in either direction before it locks. So you can mount your phone in either landscape or portrait mode.
On my Zero, the mounting cam doesn't raise the phone up high enough to clear the touring windscreen mounting bars. So I had to mount the cam on the left handlebar where the left mirror used to go. If you don't have one of the stock windscreens, you can probably mount it in the center of the handlebars quite comfortably.
In my case, portait mode is a no-brainer. Mounting it in landscape mode looks like it would interfere with the controls but there actually is enough clearance under the phone to get to the turn signal, high beam & horn with no issue. I haven't tried the hazards yet.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
A Harley rider I know suggested this: Quad Lock Bike Mount Pro. It is designed to keep your cell phone secure on mountain bikes. So I figure for a street bike it would be more than enough.
The quad lock system is essentially a spring loaded plastic cam that attaches to a cam socket on the back of your phone. In this picture, the mounting point is bright blue and the cam socket has been glued to the back of my phone case. There are a handful of specialty cases if you have one of the more popular models. It glues with a pad of 3M tape, so it's not coming off the case without a solvent or a crowbar. Mounting the cam to the handlebars is very easy. It uses a couple of rubber o-rings to loop around the bar and attaches to hooks on the base of the cam. It comes with zip ties if you want the extra security, but the o-rings have been rock solid for me.
To mount the phone, you push it down onto the cam and rotate 45o. The phone will click into place and you won't be able to pull it off or rotate it until you press down on the bright blue ring around the mounting cam (see product link for better view of the ring).
Edit: Or, check out this other photo I took for the windscreen stuff.
Additionally, you can rotate the phone 45o in either direction before it locks. So you can mount your phone in either landscape or portrait mode.
On my Zero, the mounting cam doesn't raise the phone up high enough to clear the touring windscreen mounting bars. So I had to mount the cam on the left handlebar where the left mirror used to go. If you don't have one of the stock windscreens, you can probably mount it in the center of the handlebars quite comfortably.
In my case, portait mode is a no-brainer. Mounting it in landscape mode looks like it would interfere with the controls but there actually is enough clearance under the phone to get to the turn signal, high beam & horn with no issue. I haven't tried the hazards yet.
Advantages:
- Physical, not a magnetic mount.
- Landscape or portrait is equally secure
- Quick detach
- Suction mounts available for car windows so you can quick-detach in other vehicles
Disadvantages:
- Fairly pricey
- Cell phone case is a necessity
- Can't use a phone case with a built-in kickstand
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Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Bar End Mirrors Installation
« on: August 08, 2016, 03:10:21 AM »
Like many here, I have been less than pleased with the view offered by the stock mirrors. I picked up some cheap bar end mirrors off of Amazon and installed 'em. The results were... well, good & bad. I hope this helps the community. This is for a 2016 S.
I bought these: Astra Depot 7/8" Universal Oval Handlebar End Side Mirror Rearview Light Brown Anti Glare. I picked these because the price was right and they looked angular enough that I thought they would go with the aesthetic of an electric bike.
First step: pull out the plugs on the end of the handlebars.
Next, select the proper expansion sleeve. In this photo, you can see both sleeves. Ignore the larger one, you want to use the smaller.
The trick is to tighten the nut to the point where it is held tightly against the expansion sleeve and starts to expand. But not so much that it expands more than the interior of the handlebar. Stick the bar mirror end, expansion sleeve first, into the bar end and then tighten with a 5mm allen wrench. A wrench is provided for you, but it's small and sucks so I used the one out of my toolset. I also had to hold the black portion of the end cap still in order for it to expand properly.
At some point, the allen wrench will stop turning and you have a black ring sticking out of the end of your handlebars. Tighten it up a little more. Quite naturally, the mirrors will attach onto these rings. Use a 3mm allen wrench to mount the rings, position the mirrors and tighten everything up. Everything on the mirror assembly itself takes a 3mm allen wrench.
When you're done, you can take the old mirrors off to get rid of that bug antenna look:
So... neat and all, but the mirrors are tiny. Here are the new mirrors up next to the old mirror.
I bought these: Astra Depot 7/8" Universal Oval Handlebar End Side Mirror Rearview Light Brown Anti Glare. I picked these because the price was right and they looked angular enough that I thought they would go with the aesthetic of an electric bike.
First step: pull out the plugs on the end of the handlebars.
Next, select the proper expansion sleeve. In this photo, you can see both sleeves. Ignore the larger one, you want to use the smaller.
The trick is to tighten the nut to the point where it is held tightly against the expansion sleeve and starts to expand. But not so much that it expands more than the interior of the handlebar. Stick the bar mirror end, expansion sleeve first, into the bar end and then tighten with a 5mm allen wrench. A wrench is provided for you, but it's small and sucks so I used the one out of my toolset. I also had to hold the black portion of the end cap still in order for it to expand properly.
At some point, the allen wrench will stop turning and you have a black ring sticking out of the end of your handlebars. Tighten it up a little more. Quite naturally, the mirrors will attach onto these rings. Use a 3mm allen wrench to mount the rings, position the mirrors and tighten everything up. Everything on the mirror assembly itself takes a 3mm allen wrench.
When you're done, you can take the old mirrors off to get rid of that bug antenna look:
So... neat and all, but the mirrors are tiny. Here are the new mirrors up next to the old mirror.
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Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / I'm not sure this sounds right
« on: April 16, 2016, 11:06:23 PM »
Hey guys, my paranoia is acting up.
I love my Zero S but it sounds... off. Perhaps I was just too distracted by the new bike experience, but I don't remember the demo I rode having this pulsing nature to the sound of the motor. My bike sounds like something is out of true, rubbing one section of the wheel or... something. This pulsing nature to the sound of the bike is making me nervous. I don't know enough to be able to identify it.
I've uploaded a brief clip of my commute from a camera mounted above the rear wheel. Does this sound like your bikes? Or is mine sporting a rhythm section?
I love my Zero S but it sounds... off. Perhaps I was just too distracted by the new bike experience, but I don't remember the demo I rode having this pulsing nature to the sound of the motor. My bike sounds like something is out of true, rubbing one section of the wheel or... something. This pulsing nature to the sound of the bike is making me nervous. I don't know enough to be able to identify it.
I've uploaded a brief clip of my commute from a camera mounted above the rear wheel. Does this sound like your bikes? Or is mine sporting a rhythm section?
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Parts, Mods And Hacks / J1772 Adapter from TusconEV
« on: March 25, 2016, 09:09:56 AM »
Greetings, Earthlings! I don't have the electrical engineering chops of some of the other members. So I'm afraid I can't comment on the more advanced charging solutions. Being an electrical idiot, I can comment on some of the more plug-and-play solutions.
Problem: My office building has forbidden me from charging my Zero S via the extremely convenient 120v plugs outside the rear entrance. They claim it "looks bad", like they're the head of some sort of corporate homeowners association. They also told me the reason they had the EV charging stations installed in the nearby parking garage was to encourage electric vehicles (and the fees they charge doesn't hurt). The Zero doesn't come with a J1772 socket and the Charge Tank is not yet released. The J1772 adapter from Zero is not sold direct to customers, costs $300 and the nearest dealership is outside the range of the motorcycle.
Solution: Rather than pay Zero money to buy the adapter and the dealership money to ship it to my address, I ordered up the J1772 to Zero adapter from Tuscon EV. For a third of the price, you get the ability to charge via the Chargepoint station. Does it work? Yes! Is it slow? Yes! But I'm stuck at work for 8 hours minimum every day. So it's not like I'm trying to find ways to kill time whilst my bike charges.
So that's my review. Until the Charge Tank is released and my dealership can install it, this is my solution. For those of you who don't want to solder things, this may help.
Problem: My office building has forbidden me from charging my Zero S via the extremely convenient 120v plugs outside the rear entrance. They claim it "looks bad", like they're the head of some sort of corporate homeowners association. They also told me the reason they had the EV charging stations installed in the nearby parking garage was to encourage electric vehicles (and the fees they charge doesn't hurt). The Zero doesn't come with a J1772 socket and the Charge Tank is not yet released. The J1772 adapter from Zero is not sold direct to customers, costs $300 and the nearest dealership is outside the range of the motorcycle.
Solution: Rather than pay Zero money to buy the adapter and the dealership money to ship it to my address, I ordered up the J1772 to Zero adapter from Tuscon EV. For a third of the price, you get the ability to charge via the Chargepoint station. Does it work? Yes! Is it slow? Yes! But I'm stuck at work for 8 hours minimum every day. So it's not like I'm trying to find ways to kill time whilst my bike charges.
So that's my review. Until the Charge Tank is released and my dealership can install it, this is my solution. For those of you who don't want to solder things, this may help.
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Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / It's here! It's here! Woohoo!
« on: March 04, 2016, 03:35:59 AM »
Look what the Easter Bunny delivered to me today!
Just in time for the snow storm this evening. But it's here!
Just in time for the snow storm this evening. But it's here!
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General Discussion / Greetings! My Zero dealership is no longer... what now?
« on: January 18, 2016, 02:32:58 AM »
Hey guys. I've been lurking a bit for a week or so. I finally took a 2014 Zero S for a test ride and I'm sold on it. I want to order a 2016, but Coleman Powersports is dropping Zero from their inventory. They will no longer be a Zero dealership.
I can still grab one from Richmond, 90 minutes away on the highway. But how important is having a local dealership for these bikes? Can I just hook 'em up to my cell phone and let Zero do it remotely?
I can still grab one from Richmond, 90 minutes away on the highway. But how important is having a local dealership for these bikes? Can I just hook 'em up to my cell phone and let Zero do it remotely?
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