ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

After five and a half years of great riding on my 2017 SR, I screwed up and crashed it on my way to work four weeks ago.

I’m (mostly) fine. Bruised ankle, bruised ribs and bicep and re-injured rotator cuff, all on my right side. My gear did its job. I rode my bike home after the crash. So lucky.

The obvious damage to my bike is nuts and bolts type stuff. Bent front brake lever, ground up bar end, throttle tube and grip. The right chin fairing is scuffed. The right foot peg broke off and the clevis where it mounts is ground down to the pin. The rear brake pedal peg is ground off and the pedal is bent. The threads at the right end of the rear axle are garfed up. That’s it!

Hopefully.

This is where my question comes in: How tough are these things?

I have to think that the dual sport versions of these bikes get thrown down the road once in a while while being ridden in the dirt. Are the battery packs or electronic components susceptible to damage from the shock of impact with the road?

Should I be concerned about “hidden damage”?

I will appreciate any feedback from the collective experience here.

Two days shy of one month out of warranty, my SR failed to charge. I plugged it in at work last Tuesday, the contactor closed, and the green light started blinking as usual. When I returned at the end of my shift to unplug it, the green light was lit solid but I didn't notice the SOC. Once I climbed on to ride home I noticed the SOC at 71%, same as when I parked it in the morning. When I got home I plugged it in using a known good 20 amp outlet and got nothing. No green light, no contactor, nada, zip, Zero! 

I have since checked for codes on the instrument panel, it shows 0000, normal.

Does my description above sound like typical symptoms for an on board charger failure?

Greetings!

Since I bought my SR in July, 2017, I have used it mostly for commuting. I ride 20 miles to work, charge with onboard charger, ride 20 miles home. Repeat.

I always wait 2 to 3 hours before plugging it in to let the battery cool, as the last 3 miles to work are at 70-75 mph. I unplug at the end of my shift. I have been using a 20 foot extension cord with hospital grade ends to reach the nearest outlet where I park. I would guess the wire in the cord to be 10 gauge going by the girth of it, definitely at least 12 gauge.

Yesterday, for the first time in over a year, I checked on the state of charging at about 2:00 PM. I was surprised to find it still charging (showing 97%). I had plugged it in at about 9:15 AM, at which time the countdown clock showed under 4 hours charge time from about 46% SOC. I also found the extension cord to be very hot, especially at the end where the bike's cord was plugged in. The belly pan was also pretty warm.

I haven't had a chance to dissect the extension cord to figure out what if anything its problem is. My guess would be high resistance due to corrosion or a broken wire. I am concerned about possible damage to my bike as a result. The worst part is I have no clue how long that was going on. I bought a new 12/3 25' extension cord.

What do y'all think, did I hurt it? 

Finally getting around to filing for my 2017 tax returns, and filling out IRS form 8936 (Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit). Form 8936 looks very simple as tax forms go, however, I only got as far as line 4 where I got stumped. Line 4 reads as follows: If the vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle, enter the cost of the vehicle.

I even referred to the instructions for form 8936, but the wording there is exactly the same. Cost.

To me, cost is the amount I paid. The out of pocket expense. The amount I would have to finance, or the amount of the check I would sign. Literally "the bottom line" the last line of my sales contract, including freight, "handling", fees, and taxes.

When I took delivery, 7/15/17, the sales manager told me the federal tax credit is 10% of the MSRP, which for my 2017 SR was $15,995.

So which is it? Has anyone here gone through this recently with 2017 taxes?

Does anyone here have the Zero factory accessory rain guard on their bike?

If so what do you think of it? Is it effective? What do you think of how it looks on the bike? I've seen the photo on the Zero website, but it only shows it from one perspective.

I want to keep the road guk off of me, the shock, the controller, the belt, and the motor. The hugger needs to be extended rearward, as does the front fender. The rain guard could be one piece of the puzzle I'm trying to put together. Unfortunately Pyramid Plastics doesn't have anything for a Zero. Yet.

Thanks.