ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

Hi,
As previously mentioned in some other threads, I've had a number of intermittent issues with my 2015 SR. 

(I also had a couple of non-intermittent issues, a failed DC-DC converter, and a failed instrument cluster, but those were fairly straight-forward, even if the converter did take about three weeks to get replaced.)

The intermittent issues were things like "Monolith not connected", "BMS Internal Disable", "Contactor Error", plus a few instances of the bike not fully charging despite being plugged in for sufficient time.  On a few occasions, the bike wouldn't go, leaving me stranded, or forcing me to choose another ride.

In late August (prompted by an email about this), AF1 Racing asked me to bring the bike back over to them for deeper investigation.  I dropped it off on Saturday, Aug 29.  Just a few days later, they got back to me stating that they had noticed that my 2015 SR had a 2014 Power Tank installed, and that Zero had just recently concluded that this combination was not a good one.  Zero was recommending a switch to a 2015 Power Tank, and they would ship one out.  It would take five business days to arrive. 

It hadn't arrived by the following week, or even early the week after that, so pressure was applied by AF1.  As you'll guess, Zero had never shipped it.  They shipped it at that time.

Last week (Sep 23rd), I received word that the Power Tank was installed, and the bike was ready to pick up.  Somewhat dubious, I asked them to go ahead and continue testing it and checking the logs until I could get there to pick it up (the dealer is about 175 miles from my house) that Saturday.  By Saturday, there were still no issues seen, so I picked it up.

Since buying the bike in late January, it has spent a total of seven weeks at the dealer.  It would have been more like six weeks if they were close enough that I didn't have to wait for a weekend to get the bike back from them.  It would have been more like three to four weeks if Zero would pull their thumbs out of their bums with regard to shipping replacement parts in a timely manner.

I've taken it for a few short test rides, and rode it to work today, and so far it has behaved. 

Of course, with the problems being intermittent, I won't really be confident all is well until I've had a couple months of glitch-free riding, but here's hoping...

So, if you're riding a 2015 model with a power tank, and having weird, intermittent issues, it might be worth verifying that your power tank is also a 2015 model.  This can be seen in the logs, if you're set up to retrieve your own logs.

Hi,

A new development in the ongoing saga of early-adopter-hood.  Ok, that may be a bit over the top, but hey!  I'm seeing a string of niggles here.

Oh, and by early adopter, I mean it in both senses - EV, and brand new model year.  I know I wouldn't have much cred going on the EV claim alone...

This last Friday I got caught in rain slightly worse than usual.  How much worse?  My clothes got a bit wet.  Even through my Aerostich.

The bike seemed to handle it fine at the time. 

However, the next day (about 18 hours later, roughly) it had only picked up about a 10% charge (from ~35% to ~45%).  That was odd.  Never had that happen before.  Glad I didn't have to go to work that morning.  I'da had to ride the BMW instead!  Even odder, when I unplugged it, it dropped from showing ~45% to about ~35%.  Hm... Ok.  Maybe I didn't plug it in fully.  Or some moisture was in the plug.  Or in the bike's brain.  Or something. 

I moved the bike to the other side of my garage so I could get on with the steering head bearing adjustment I wanted to do.  Bike turned on Ok, powered up the drive ok, etc.

...wrench wrench, jack jack, screw screw...

When I went to move the bike back, it wouldn't fully power on.  Was throwing codes 25 & 49  (Contactor Open Warning, and Contactor Open Disable).   Great. 

Rolled it back the hard way, and plugged it in.  (Dunno if I posted it, but about a month or so ago, I had a similar problem. More below.)  Maybe tomorrow (i.e., Sunday) will be a better day.

Sunday, it was fully charged, and ready to play again.  No codes.

Monday it was fine all day - I rode to work and back.

Tuesday (today) I rode it to work as usual, but...

When it came time to come home, the bike worked fine, but THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS NON-INFORMATIVE.   It lit up (nice blue backlight) but no information was being displayed.  The little indicators just below the LCD were fine, but the LCD? Zip, squat, nada.  Just a painted-on icon resembling a battery (an empty one at that), an empty box, and a flat line...  I hope THAT's not a clue...  It was working this AM... I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing you guys and gals ALSO compulsively check your state-of-charge before you even grab your helmet... And it's not just the bike's fault - twice I've forgotten to plug it in, once I plugged it in, but it wasn't fully seated, or I kicked the cord out. Or something.

Anyway, I'd have noticed right away if the panel didn't work.  As I did tonight.  Crap.  Well, let's see... 12v system appears to be good.   Yep.  Lights, blinkers.  Let's try traction.. Yep, it's rideable. 

So, I rode home with NO idea how much power I had left, and no idea how fast I was going.  The former was actually kinda liberating.  I was confident I could make it home with no issues (as long as nothing new went wrong), and I didn't spend the whole trip calculating how many miles per 1% of batter charge I was getting (always less than 1 on the highway).   C'mon, you do it too... At least if you're decent at math, you do!  The latter (speed) was really no big deal - traffic always decides that for me anyway.

Well, now, how to fix it - I don't think any of the fuses control that.  I know that panel isn't powered by 12V (except the backlight) because when my DC-DC converter when kaput, that panel still worked (minus the backlight).  So, those fuses are ruled out.  And the other fuses on the bike... None seem likely.

Some folks make a connection between water and panel failure, but that doesn't strike me as likely in this case, only slightly more likely than some random 'MTBF exceeded.'  I mean, yes, I got a good rain Friday, and possibly some fallout from it, but the panel seemed fine, right up until it didn't.  Not the normal sequence of panel failure (sometimes being unique isn't a good thing!)

Any ideas?  So far turning off and back on hasn't done any good.  Resetting the monolith didn't do any good (not that I expected it to).  Sadly coming to suspect that I may have to haul it back to Austin.  I hope it doesn't mean doing without for another three weeks.

Oh. Here's "below" from above:
About a month or so ago - I need to dig up an actual date or mileage - I got stranded at work when the bike decided to throw the Monolith Not Connected code. 

After getting a ride home, letting the bike charge in work's garage overnight, several calls with Zero customer support, and several attempts at resetting the monolith (the big battery pack), it finally came back to life.  Since then the problem hasn't come up.  The last thing I tried was simultaneously pushing and holding both buttons on the monolith for about five or ten seconds (bike must be switched off and unplugged, if you ever try it, per customer support - though they only had me try one.  The design apparently changed recently, and the guy I spoke with didn't even know there were two buttons accessible.  That's what I mean by early adopter, yo!)

(Oh, and the friend who gave me the ride home? He had the misfortune to do $1,800 in damage to his car by backing into a pole in the parking garage while helping me.  Doh and double-Doh!)

Haven't seen the 56 (monolith not connected) code since then, but my 25&49 codes may be cousins to it.

Feeling a bit sad about the bike at the moment.