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Topics - CliC

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Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / 2012 DS end of the road -- would like some advice

« on: March 27, 2017, 09:25:44 AM »

In April of last year, on my 4th or 5th ride after finally moving close enough to my job to ride my Zero to work, the BMS board failed. It took 8 months and ~$1000 to get that fixed; mostly due to waiting on Zero to ship a replacement. (It would have been $1600, but Zero misquoted the price to my dealer, and to the dealer's credit they stood their ground when Zero tried to backtrack.)

While unloading the bike after that episode, the bike had an unplanned dismount that caused what appeared to be cosmetic damage to the bars, mirrors, a few lights, etc. Around $500 to fix but can't complain because it was my fault.

After retrieving it from the dealer for getting that mishap fixed, I got it home and it didn't feel quite right on my initial ride, sort of hesitant it seemed. A later ride confirmed problems; I had no throttle response at all at a few stops. No error lights on the dash, but either pushing the bike forward or turning the key off and back on would get it going again (until the next stop). Got it back home, loaded it on the truck again and took it back to the dealer.

The latest word from Zero, via the dealer, is that the motor is bad, and they can't time it. They want $1600 for the part, and I'm sure it will take another 8 months or more to get here.

So I now have a bike with <3000 miles on it, which I've been able to ride once in the last year (only to find out it was still broken). It does not run, and I don't want to put any more significant money into it. I've thought of the following options:

1. Find a used motor. It would have to be pretty cheap and available in a month or two; I don't really have the patience with this thing anymore to pay a lot or wait a long time.

2. Sell it for scrap, or as a project bike. I'd have to find someone who was interested, and I suspect I wouldn't get much for it (though enough to cover the last one or two repairs would be enough, as I've already written this thing off as my worst purchase ever).

3. Part it out. This would probably be the most lucrative thing to do, but I'd have to disassemble it (I have the skills, but not really the time or work area), and I'd have to worry about hazmat shipping and all that for the batteries if it wasn't local**.

Any thoughts/ideas/other options? I'll take sympathy too

(** Variant that kinda intrigues me: keep the batteries and charger, toss the Zero BMS and build my own, and buy a big-a$$ inverter so I'd have a semi-portable power source to run A/C tools anywhere for hours. At least I would be using the one part that Zero had enough confidence in to make claims about; i.e., the "300,000-mile" batteries. Ha!)

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Sustained high-speed operation and thermal cutout

« on: June 04, 2014, 11:16:16 AM »

So...I'm curious if any Zero (or Brammo, too, for that matter) owners have a commute of, say, 15-20 miles or more that they have to cover at 70+ mph (on an Interstate, for example).

I thought about this because I just got my 2012 DS back from the Glitch 2.0 recall flash (never experienced G2.0 personally, fortunately). To test everything out, I got on the highway near my house and opened her up. Was running about 80 for a minute or so before I got the dreaded blinking thermometer, and, not long after of course, the merciless cut in power

. I got off to come back home, and when I got back on, I couldn't even maintain 70 at that point, the thermometer blinking and the controller cutting power until I dropped back to around 65. Ambient was cloudy and low 80s at the time.

Where I live presently, this isn't a big problem, but from where I'm looking to move to where I now work, the best route by far will be 20-30 miles of toll road (the Houston beltway, for those familiar with the area). When traffic isn't bad, speeds can average 70-80 mph on it, and sometimes you have to get up to that speed for a half mile or so even to get around spitting gravel trucks, people with transient cell-phone lobotomies, etc. in the right lane. I'm thinking I'm going to have to investigate some sort of air ducting from the front of the battery around to the dead air where the motor is, because I'm not going to be pleased getting the power cut on this road with a gravel truck driver on his cell phone behind me. And I'll be potentially riding when it could be high-90s and sunny.

Anyway, has anyone come up with a good solution to this? Are the 2013/2014 Zeros (maybe not the Brammo Empulse, as it is liquid cooled) affected by this as well?

Thanks, Corey

P.S. on a rather sad side note, the Houston Zero dealer is probably going to drop the line. In over a year they sold one bike and gave one away - didn't even get any 2014s in

Even here in the oil capital it still would make a great get-around-town vehicle - and there are evidently charging stations aplenty near the center of town (who woulda thought?)

General Discussion / Cross-country bike shipping

« on: March 16, 2013, 09:03:57 AM »

Need some advice from you fine folks.

I need to ship a motorcycle from Texas to California (no, I'm not returning my DS

). It's a cruiser, though an entry-level model, 500cc. Has anyone used a motorcycle shipping company? Any advice on who/what to look for, who/what to avoid, and questions to ask? Thanks.

(P.S. as a side note, I spent an hour today cranking said cruiser with one hand and spraying starting fluid in it with the other, having drained old gas and replaced with new, hooked up a portable jump-start battery, and, and, etc. just to see if it would run. As my standing-idly-by-and-smirking-instead-of-helping girlfriend looked on, I thought, "this is why I ride electric"

)

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / (Another) Fork question - 2012 DS

« on: February 25, 2013, 06:30:53 AM »

As an old thread on here somewhere details, my DS developed a bad fork seal leak in the right fork within a month after I got it. I took it in for repair once, the seals were replaced, and it was improved, but still leaking. I took it in a second time, and the seals were replaced again. The bike doctor told me there were metal shavings in the fork oil (I was all warm and fuzzy then), but he cleaned it all up and told me that if the leaking persisted, he would order a new fork.

Well, since then I changed jobs and I now have to drive too far to commute on the bike as I was doing before. Further, I've had little time to ride on the weekends (I probably have the record for lowest mileage/time-owned for a Zero). But the last two weekends I've managed to get some 5-10 mile rides in. I'm still getting little oil rings on the right fork, and now even some faint ones on the left fork. It doesn't seem to be getting worse, but then again I'm not riding all that much.

Which brings me to my question. What would be considered "normal" oil deposits on a fork tube after, say, a 10-mile street ride? The Harley I used to have had none. But the DS is more akin to a dirt bike than a Road King, so maybe I am getting worried over "normal" behavior. And if this is normal, how do I know when to add oil? There is no dipstick that I can tell

. I'm trying to get this resolved as I'm trying to move closer to my new job, and will be commuting 20-30 miles each way in the 4th largest city in the US.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / High handlebar option for DS/X/MX

« on: July 15, 2012, 09:10:16 AM »

Anyone tried one of these?

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=147

Just wondering the other day whether it would make my DS more comfortable, if less aerodynamic. (hmm, maybe some ape hangers

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Daily commute on your Zero?

« on: July 14, 2012, 02:30:09 AM »

Hi all,

I'm looking at changing jobs, and evaluating my commute and where to live as part of the process (with the intent of being able to ride the Zero to work).

I currently live in a relatively small town and ride about 5 miles to work on 50 mph roads with a few traffic lights. Where I would likely end up working is the 4th largest city in the US (Houston), and if I take the job I'd eventually try to move to a location where my commute would involve largely uninterrupted highway at 70-75 mph, duking it out with a variety of other vehicles. I'd try to get within 30 miles if I can charge at work, 15-20 if not. I'm unlikely to live within 5 or 10 miles, as the office is located in a largely industrial area.

I've gone that fast for that long on my 2012 DS a couple of times, and it was manageable. But that's not the same as doing it 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. So I was wondering if anyone made a similar commute on their Zeros, and what they thought about it. The Zero is certainly capable of going that fast for that long. But it's lightweight & susceptible to wind gusts (natural and man-made), doesn't have loud pipes, etc. etc.

P.S the thought of riding my e-bike to work in Oiltown USA does make me laugh

Pics and Vids / Brammo Empulse RR taking on some 600cc superbikes

« on: July 03, 2012, 05:34:07 AM »

Just a warmup session, but the Brammo is holding its own.

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/07/watch-the-brammo-empulse-rr-take-on-600cc-supersports/

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Suspension stiffness?

« on: June 02, 2012, 08:58:42 AM »

OK, so I rode my g/f's Kawi EN500 cruiser today to get it inspected and registered. I literally got off my Zero and onto her bike, and immediately I noticed the suspension is much more compliant (and, frankly, the on-road ride nicer) than my DS. (Oh yeah, and I have to SHIFT it

Now, it's a cruiser (and has a big, poofy, cushy seat), and weighs probably 100-150 lbs more than my Zero, so some of that is to be expected. But is this typical? Do others tweak the suspension to give a more comfortable street ride? Is this only a problem on DS models (because the suspension is perhaps a compromise to allow for some dirt riding)? For reference, I'm 165 lbs, and I think the manual says the rear shock preload is set for a 170- or 175-lb rider.

I guess I never really thought about the Zero's ride until I had something to compare it to.

Sorry if these are ridiculous questions, but my Road King had rear air shocks. That's about all the suspension adjustability I've ever had on a bike prior to the Zero.

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Got her home :)

« on: May 28, 2012, 01:00:35 AM »

Got my DS back from AF1 Racing in Austin with new front fork seals. Spent the night in New Braunfels (on the river

, and to celebrate I unloaded the bike and decided to brave the holiday traffic on River Road. Turned out the traffic wasn't too bad (it seemed most of the campers had already arrived), and the ride was quite nice. Glad to have my bike back!

Only one downside: I had a slight mishap unloading it, and I now have a small crack in the front right-side fairing

, and a broken plastic pop rivet fastener. The crack is not too noticeable, though, and the local Lowe's had a replacement fastener (for a Nissan car) that worked perfectly and looks decent.

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Front fork oil leak on 2012 DS

« on: May 04, 2012, 05:21:32 AM »

Well, I was leaving work today, and while removing the bike cover I noticed a grease spot on the lowest part of the front rim. As I pulled the cover off, I saw a lot of dirt/oil residue on the right fork slider, and the whole bottom bracket was covered in it. I wiped it all off and rode the bike home.

Once home I loosened the air bleed Allens on the top of the forks, for whatever help that might have been. The manual only talks about those when transporting the bike, and they were loosened when I carted it home from Austin in my truck; I tightened them again once I got the bike off the truck.

Anyway, looks like I'll be calling the dealer tomorrow. I hope I don't have to take it up there, but if I do, I guess I'll get them to do the 600 mile maintenance early and flash the firmware to fix "the glitch" while I'm at it.

I'm assuming no one else has had this issue, since I didn;t see anything on here about it. I also hope this is merely an anomaly, because I do like the bike.

Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / My Zero "idled" today, and other niggles

« on: May 01, 2012, 01:08:46 AM »

Turned the key on on my DS today, and one of the the motor's magnets must've been right in between two Hall sensors or something, because the controller kept putting a small amount of juice to the motor, like it was "hunting". It made the motor growl a bit, the same noise it makes when you push the bike forward or back, but constant. Not exactly potato-potato-potato, but made me laugh nonetheless

Now, on to slightly more irritating topics. It's developed a rear brake squeal right before the bike comes to a stop. I was going to just spray some Disc Brake Quiet on it, but if there's a better way to fix it, I'm all ears.

Something also is being excited by a vibration from the knobbies or the motor at about 25 mph, and is lightly buzzing. Still need to pinpoint that.

Oh well, small stuff. I'm still riding it a lot.

Enduro | Adventure | Dual Sport / Not too many return waves - typical for dualsport riders?

« on: April 08, 2012, 10:42:40 AM »

Been riding my Zero DS (my first electric as well as my first dualsport) for a couple days now, and noticed that of all the other riders I wave at, I'm only getting about 50% returned. With my Road King, and even the old Suzuki standard I used to have, that number was >90%. Not a big deal to me, but it piqued my curiosity. Are dualsport riders, or at least those astride dirt-derived machines like the DS or a KLR650, not respected by the rest of the biker population? Oh the shame

Maybe it's the lack of engine noise, but I doubt that's the problem across a divided highway with 50 feet of median. Curious...

C