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Messages - Chocula

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
1
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: A new style of motor
« on: July 21, 2018, 06:26:36 AM »
I am not sure I read the same article as you.  All of the images Google showed me for direct drive washing machine motors appeared to be radial flux, not the axial flux described in article.  I also read the statement from the article below to mean that designs that use more copper an bigger magnets cost more money.
Quote
Large machines also require rare-earth permanent magnets and copper for the coils. (According to to Öko-institut e.V, RF DD generators require 600- to 700-kg magnet material per megawatt.) The use of rare and valuable resources has a big impact on the cost and lifecycle analysis of RF DD machines.

This looks like an interesting design and will hopefully help reduce the weight on future motorcycles.

2
General Discussion / Re: Trailers for towing a motorcycle
« on: June 26, 2018, 12:57:16 AM »
I had a 2006 Stinger single bike trailer, and now have a 2012 Kendon dual bike stand up trailer.  I tow these with my 2002 Honda CR-V with its 2.4L 4 cylinder engine.

The Stinger flexed a little bit, especially with a heavier bike such as a Honda ST1300, and while a little unsettling at first, that is just the nature of how it is designed and not a problem in any way.  When towed empty, it rattles a lot and is difficulty to see from the drivers seat, but fits in the back of most larger vehicles and inside my CR-V if I unbolted the axle (only 6 bolts and I would do this if going more than a few miles empty).  The trailer is very light at around 150 lbs, must be unfolded to tow, and has a funky receiver instead of a ball mount, but it worked perfectly at the CR-V receiver height.  Towed wonderfully when loaded, an aside for a motorcycle in your rear view mirror, you hardly notice the bike is there.  Super easy to load, even solo, due to the low ride height and well designed wheel chock.  The Stinger is narrow and has a low ride height so be mindful when straddling debris in the road and potholes as the trailer wheels are not going to be right behind your cars wheels.  Bought used for $700, sold a couple years later for the same.  Would scrape from the dip at the end of my driveway, so I always loaded and and unloaded the bikes from the street.  Only sold when I needed a dual bike trailer, I would have kept this if I had more garage space as it is much easier to deal with for a single bike.  Several trips in the 400 mile range each way, as well as local usage.

The Kendon dual bike trailer is heavier, at around 450lbs, than the Stinger was but the CR-V still tows it well with either 1 or 2 bikes loaded.  Hitch height us much higher and I had to get a 4" rise ball mount to level the trailer.  Tows well empty in the folded position.  Spare tire mount is intended for storage only.  Ramp storage is easily accessible when the tail is folded up, but awkward when unfolded.  More difficult than the Stinger to move around on the ground and while I can bring it down from the stood up position by myself, my wife cannot, but she could unfold and hook up the Stinger with no problems.  The higher ride height makes loading the bikes more cumbersome than the Stinger but not unreasonably so, even by myself.  Wheel chocks are OK, but I don't trust them to hold the bike up while I attach the straps like I did with the Stinger.  Trailer is wider than my CR-V.  The Kendon's increased ride height handles the dip at the end my driveway without scraping.

I have towed my Brammo Empulse R with a rental U-Haul motorcycle trailer before I got the Stinger.  The U-Haul is HEAVY and rattles like crazy when loaded and even more when empty.  I did not like using the U-Haul, especially with my CR-V.  Two bikes on the Kendon towed much better than one on the U-Haul.

If I only had a need for a single bike trailer, I would definitely prefer the Stinger over the Kendon.  A friend who sometimes borrows my trailers prefers the Kendon, but he is towing with a full sized Chevy pickup.

3
General Discussion / Re: Equipment to charge more than one EV from one EVSE - does this exist?
« on: July 05, 2017, 10:07:35 AM »
There is/was and open source project called the Hydra that does what you are asking.


https://code.google.com/archive/p/open-evse/wikis/Hydra.wiki
https://hackaday.io/project/3939-j1772-hydra

4
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Unfair Alternative Georgia Fuel Fee
« on: March 14, 2017, 05:27:48 AM »
Quote from: Low On Cash on March 14, 2017, 04:36:17 AM
I'm paying more tax ($200) on my little bike than almost any other electric car owner in the US.
Thanks for being an "Out and Proud" republican and voting for those fine Georgia state officials that created the laws to help you pay your and all those Tesla owners fair share.  Please have them send a portion of your fee to the California Department of Transportation as to improve the roads those Tesla's are driving on.

It was probably on "Faux" News that it was Obama's fault for not taking away the State of Georgia's right to impose new taxes on its citizens.  They seem pretty "fair and balanced" as long as your only need to hear one side of the story and don't independently fact check anything.

5
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Whiter - Brighter & Safer Headlights For Your Zero - Mike Mas
« on: March 06, 2017, 05:01:58 AM »
Quote from: Low On Cash on March 05, 2017, 09:14:53 PM

Doug without being redundant - I suggest you study Halogen ZXE technology - There is no comparison to the Zero's stock halogen to the ZXE bulb they are worlds apart and use totally different technology. I''m not making anything up here - Please Google Xenon headlight and you'll see I was 100% accurate in my post.

Secondly, the "expensive" LED lamp in your Zero will not even begin to provide the distance of the Xenon Halogen simply from the stand point of its design. Please re-read my original post were I explain. 

Facts are Facts -  Take a second look at these images the ZXE is clearly showing the road 250+ yards - go out tonight with your stock headlight or replacement Led - you'll be lucky to see less than half that distance. 

I left these images large so they can be easily viewed - the first two photos are on the road - look at the unbelievable distance and the level of light even past the mailbox. If you look closely you'll even see a pole off the left shoulder. I have two bikes with Led's one stock from the factory and they have no where near this performance.

...


These two images show the performance without any reflected light since the blacktop is totally black - look at the field across the street!

...


Having driven home in the dark on numerous occasions, I can assure you the stock Zero lamp was absolutely terrible and unsafe. Unlike Led's, the Sylvania Xenon lamps provide a low cost simple installation that does not alter or change the stock wiring on the Zero and offers excelled performance unmatched by Led lamps costing up to $800.

Best Regards - Mike

I think the area we disagree on is whether or not Sylvania ZXE bulbs are HID.  They are NOT, as Sylania clearly identities them as Halogen in their literature, therefore all of the information relating to Xenon HID lamps does not apply to the ZXE bulbs.

I appreciate the sample photos provided.  It is important to control as many variables as possible when doing comparisons.  The make, model, and settings of the camera should be posted with the images.  Allowing the camera to automatically select its shutter speed, aperture, ISO, or even white balance can inadvertently provide very misleading results.  Allowing a couple of extra stops of light into the camera can make a significantly dimmer bulb appear to perform much better, hence these variables need to be controlled when possible and always published.  I would love to see a controlled comparison between these and the various other bulbs available. 


Chocula

Quote
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...

Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?

Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.

Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?

Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?

Marty DiBergi: I don't know.

Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?

Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.

Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.

Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?

Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.

6
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Whiter - Brighter & Safer Headlights For Your Zero - Mike Mas
« on: March 05, 2017, 09:19:23 AM »
Quote from: Low On Cash on March 05, 2017, 06:59:06 AM
Doug thanks for your reply - but you’re incorrect in your assessment of the Sylvania lamps. The ZXE bulbs are totally different technology than a basic halogen lamp you mention. Its not just the tungsten on the element producing the light, its the Xenon gas in the bulb glowing because its charged and energized between two electrodes which causes the gas to create light which accounts for the extra 50-100% increase in brightness plus the whiter temperature.

The "HID Attitude" is only reference as to the brightness of the lamp. The ZXE is not a HID lamp because they require a ballast and much higher voltage of up to 20,000 volts to ignite then 80-100 volts to continue. The ZXE uses 12-14 volts.

Also the blue tint on the bulb has nothing to do with the color temperature of the light, you can’t just color a bulb blue and make yellow light turn white, it just won’t happen.  Sylvania clearly states the blue tint color is added only for cosmetic reasons since car owners like the appearance of a blue bulbs in the headlamp fixture.

Many Thanks

From Syvanias automotive website http://www.osram-americas.com/en-us/products/automotive/Pages/silverstar-zxe.aspx with BOLD used to highlight parts of the text.
Quote
SilverStar® zXe
Looking to add the style and attitude of an HID headlight to your vehicle? Pick up a pair of SilverStar® zXe halogen headlights from SYLVANIA. SilverStar zXe is made to turn heads, with a crisp white light that transforms and completes the look of your vehicle. On the road or at the show, zXe is the first thing they’ll notice.

HID Attitude.  Xenon Fueled – 100% Street Legal.
SYLVANIA SilverStar zXe lights are made to compete with HID headlights in style and appearance. Our special mirror tip and cobalt blue coating gives these headlights a remarkable jewel-like shimmer for head-turning style. But it’s more than just attitude with these bulbs. You also get crisp illumination from a headlight that’s noticeably whiter than BASIC bulbs. (Check out our photo gallery.) On the road you’ll notice an immediate difference. SilverStar zXe headlights use a proprietary cobalt blue coating combined with xenon halogen gas technology to generate a color temperature that rivals HID. 100% street legal, they meet all DOT requirements.
Notice that Sylvania identifies this as a halogen bulb, and does not claim it to be brighter an a basic halogen bulb, only whiter and they do claim this is in part due to the blue coating.  Also, if it actually illuminated the gas the whole bulb would become the light source and it would not focus properly as the reflector housing designed for a halogen bulb with both high and low beam focus the beam based on the physical location of the filament (light source for a halogen bulb) which is why many LED lights don't focus when used as drop in replacements.  Everything I can find supports exactly what Doug S stated.

If you like the whiter light and the appearance of this bulb, then this is probably an excellent choice.  Since it is still a halogen bulb, it should work great in the existing housing and you won't have any of the focus issues associated with HID or LED lights when used with reflectors designed for halogen.

Chocula




7
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Whiter - Brighter & Safer Headlights For Your Zero - Mike Mas
« on: February 28, 2017, 11:30:48 AM »
Consumer Reports has a brief write-up on premium bulbs.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/01/halogen-headlight-bulbs/index.htm
Quote
Bottom line. Premium bulbs might be a good choice if you prefer a more intense or whiter light, but don’t expect big changes in the distance you can see compared with standard or new OE bulbs. For the premium bulbs we tested, shop by price.

8
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Advanced BMS Self Discharging Feature & Zero Cell Storage
« on: February 03, 2017, 06:18:16 AM »
Quote from: Low On Cash on February 01, 2017, 06:02:31 AM
...
In closing, I have included an image of my close Dave's home totally engulfed in flames. He too is in the modeling industry and recently lost everything he owned from a lithium fire which started in his garage which then consumed his home.

I again urge all Zero owners to take what ever precautions you can when charging your bike and disregard any comments with regard to leaving your bike on charge for days, weeks and months, unattended.  There is nothing to debate - lithium cells are dangerous.


Regards - Mike
To be fair, there are many, many different types of lithium batteries and they are not all created equally.  You mentioned your friend Dave is in the modeling industry.  In my personal experience, I select batteries for my model aircraft based on energy capacity, discharge rate, and weight.  They have no BMS, are prone to physical damage, intolerant of over charge or discharge, temperature sensitive, etc., and there is no way I would leave them charging unattended.  Every bit of caution you described is completely appropriate when dealing with this type of battery.

At times, manufactures have made some poor selections in battery chemistry trying to squeeze more energy into less space and weight.  Dell had laptop batteries recalled, Samsung Galaxy 7 phones, Boeing 787 Dreamliners are some notorious examples.  The manufactures have taken steps to correct these issues and they are not the same type of cells that are used by Zero.

A123 popularized a type of cylindrical Li-Fe cells which are significantly less volatile than the type typically used in model aircraft because of weight, cost, and slower recharge rates.  A123 batteries are what my car (not a model) uses, and my motorcycle utilizes Farasis NMC batteries.  My cell phone uses yet another type of Lithium ion battery, as does my camera, laptop, tablet, rechargeable headset, video cameras, etc.  Additionally, all of these have some type of BMS and I sleep quite well while all of these get recharged overnight.

Some level of caution is warranted with any battery, but I don't think it is reasonable to lump all lithium batteries into the same category as the ones commonly used for model aircraft.  I consider most of the lithium batteries I use to be far safer than a regular lead acid battery and far safer than liquid fuels such as gasoline.

Stay safe,
Chocula

9
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Could The Now Affordable Empulse Become Your Second Bike?
« on: January 20, 2017, 05:58:10 AM »
Quote from: Low On Cash on January 20, 2017, 12:39:52 AM
Now that the Victory Empulse has a $10,000 cash back from the factory and remaining bikes are selling for as little as $7,000, I know a lot of riders to include a few Zero guys are looking at them was a second bike, so I thought I would briefly share my findings on the Impulses weakness compared to the Zero.

While the Victory Empulse is an attractive bike with some good features, its falls way short regarding its drive train and electronics when compared to the new generation Zero's - My Victory dealer in Virginia has been dying to sell me one since they were released. Regretfully, even now with $10-12,000 off retail, a rider would be better off looking a low end Zero demo bike at nearly the the same price.

I’ve driven the Empulse possibly a dozen times on different occasions, and each time came back disappointed on its performance, mechanical design and range. The biggest hold back for me from buying one was the “Dreaded Transmission” attempting to sync the motor to the next gear is a real trick with the quick reving motor. You can just forget all your ICE shifting experience, since this is totally different. The tach with all its flashing lights to help you shift, is confusing and in direct sunlight is almost impossible to see. I’m not saying you can’t shift it with some practice, just saying it's not anything like a conventional transmission. My self I could not deal with the clunking every time I moved the throttle, there is no way I’m going listen to that noise.

Making matters worse, the transmission has other problems, the mechanical back lash is totally un-acceptable, by simply adding or letting off the throttle, if felt the transmission was falling apart. This combined with the problems shifting, is why during test drives, the dealer instructs you to just leave it in third gear and drive it like an automatic - its clear that when Brammo designed the gear box (which was not needed) they fell short regarding tolerances. Regretfully, Victory just chose to just re-badge the bike with almost no changes and put her out there.

Another major difference is power and range, for the most part, if you're using your bike to commute, the power is fine. Regarding range which I've seen advertised from 130-140 miles - this is not going to happen. Most of the time as I rode different bikes, the dealers were telling me 50-60 miles, I drove one fully charged 32 miles and used up over half the charge.

Other than the shortcomings of power, range and the transmission, the bike looks good, has decent suspension, rides good and handles well.

I can buy one now for around $8K out the door, but with the fact that Victory has disappeared with the possibility of scarce parts combined with no “Educated” Empulse techs and no real Victory dealers and no trade in value on the back end, raises all the red flags this could be major mistake.

Regards - Mike
As an owner of a 2014 Empulse R and now a 2016 Empulse TT, my experience has been quite contrary to yours.  Shifting took a few hours use to get used to, after that it has been as smooth as shifting on my ICE bikes.  The drive train lash is no worse than on my ICE bikes, it is just more noticeable as you are not slipping the clutch and having everything else rattling as you do on an ICE.  With some experience, your throttle hand learns to smooth things out, and rocking back a tiny bit when you stop takes all the slack out so no lash off the line.

The transmission issue has been beat to death already, if you don't like them, don't get a bike with one.  I have only ridden the 2014 zero, and I found the Empulse to be much more enjoyable, hence my purchase of the Empulse, which surprised me as I went in expecting to like the Zero better.  Acceleration in 3rd is not that exciting, but you DO have a transmission, should you enjoy more spirited starts.  I like the transmission, shifting almost as often as on my ICE and I use the gearing to control regen braking in a similar manner to engine braking in the canyons.  A 2nd gear down grade for me on my ICE is usually a 2nd gear down grade for me on the Empulse, etc.

As for support, that will be a big question.  Probably no worse off than pre-2013 zeros, but that still stinks.  I can't say I would recommend one at this point if you are not comfortable taking electrical things apart, and the current pricing reflects that.

10
Tech Help / Re: Low tire pressure troubles
« on: October 15, 2016, 12:20:55 AM »
Tire pressure is one of my pre-ride checks.  While a bit tedious, it has helped me identify a couple problems with the tire much quicker than I would have otherwise.  TPM systems are nice, I will probably get one at some point.

11
General Discussion / Re: Chevy Bolt
« on: September 14, 2016, 10:57:15 PM »
Quote from: KrazyEd on September 14, 2016, 10:48:34 AM
If I recall, the Bolt battery pack is approximately 3x that of the Spark with weight increase of around 50%.
The Bolt also has a notoriously bad C/D. If people are seeing 98.7 miles at 62 miles per hour on the Spark EV in real life, then 238
should not be much of a stretch for the Bolt. The 238 number appears to be what the "official" numbers, so
probably what is listed by government, not wish list numbers from manufacturer. My Focus electric has a
usable capacity or 20KW. I can easily get 80~100 miles on a charge with 140~150 if I am in "grandpa" mode.
Again, 238 sounds very reasonable.
Red sections added to clarify.

12
General Discussion / Re: Chevy Bolt
« on: September 14, 2016, 02:58:48 AM »
The EPA estimated range is typically calculated by multiplying city/highway fuel economy and range values (as defined by SAE J1634) by 0.7 and dividing city/highway energy consumption and CO2 values by 0.7.  I don't know the speeds they use in the test cycle as SAE J1634 is pay to download.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/pdfs/EPA%20test%20procedure%20for%20EVs-PHEVs-7-5-2012.pdf

For reference, Tony Williams achieved 97.8 miles at 62 mph in his test of a Spark EV which has an EPA range of 82 miles.  Tony's test is consistent with what I have gotten out of my Spark EV over the past 2 years in a similar but slightly cooler climate than Tony's test.
http://insideevs.com/real-world-test-shows-chevy-spark-ev-has-substainally-more-range-than-nissan-leaf-62-mph-wvideo/


13
Brammo Forum / Re: Empulse TT vs Empulse R
« on: August 25, 2016, 02:15:43 AM »
California offers a $900 rebate for this bike.  They are currently out of funding and there is a risk that no additional funds will be allocated, but previous years have gotten additional funding when they ran out.  I believe the federal tax credit is for 10% of the purchase price, so probably about $1300 if you are getting the bike out the door for $14K.

14
Brammo Forum / Re: Empulse TT vs Empulse R
« on: August 24, 2016, 06:27:12 AM »
I had a 2014 Brammo Empulse R which was replaced under warranty with a 2016 Victory Empulse TT.

Internally, some of the connectors have changed which makes getting parts a little easier.  My first ride on the TT was 2 months after my last ride on the R so not quiet a back to back comparison.  The torque spec on the TT is slightly lower and it is definitely not faster than the R, but I can't say it is any slower either.  If there is an actual difference, it is subtle.  I reliably got 80 miles of range on the R, and I reliably get 80 miles of range on the TT.  This was a little less when the bike was new, and seemed to improve after the first oil change, so it could be the TT is just not fully broken in yet, or there might not be any actual difference in battery capacity.  The narrower rear tire on the TT definitely affects the handling and took me a few days to get used to the quicker turn in, but lower stability of the TT.  People notice and want to talk about the TT more, probably due to the name recognition of Victory over Brammo, or maybe just because the new one is Red.  The dash is physically the same but the green lights on top are used differently, the range estimator is substantially improved on the TT.  I still use the battery charge % as I had gotten used to the range estimator being almost worthless on the R.  Tail lights on the TT are not as bright from wider viewing angles as on the R, the TT may have LEDs instead of the incandescent found on the R.  The fully adjustable forks that came with the R are an upgrade on the TT, the TT comes with the same forks you get on the non R Brammo.  Rear suspension is the same on the TT and R.  The TT comes with right angle valve stems :) stock.  The batteries for the TT come as 2 different size units instead of the 7 same size ones on the R.  The bolts to adjust the drive chain are a slightly different style on the TT than the R.  The stickers say Victory instead of Brammo.

For the most part, they are the same bike, I have not seen a 10% increase in range, but that could change as things get worn in.  It would come down to price and available support as the differences between the bikes are pretty subtle except the narrower rear tire on the TT.

Chocula

15
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: DS/DSR truck bumper hauler
« on: August 16, 2016, 03:02:56 AM »
Quote from: Kocho on August 16, 2016, 01:15:50 AM
A bit off-topic, but what's the advice on using a hitch attachment that only lifts the front wheel and the rear is rolling? Basically, towing the bike? I would think some heat will get generated in the motor from this... on the plus side, if the battery is low, I suppose one can charge the bike-up through regen of it is turned on...

I have a small car so a hitch carrier is not an option, but a small trailer or jut a carrier for the front wheel would work great. On occasion I've rented a motorcycle trailer from UHaul, but that thing is heavier than the bike and affects the car's mileage and performance too much, so I don't want to do it regularly. I've been looking for one of these 2-wheel trailers that are just a rail for the bike (not a platform) so that they fold for storage and are very lightweight. Anyone using one of these? Advice?
Since the Zero has no way to disengage the motor such as a neutral, you would need to drop the chain or belt in order to safely tow the bike with the rear wheel on the ground.

I currently use a 2006(?) Stinger trailer that I found on Craigslist which works surprisingly well.  The Stinger rattles like crazy without a bike, but tows very nicely when loaded.  It weighs something like 150 lbs and will fit in the back of a larger SUV when folded.  I need to unbolt the tray from the axle (6 bolts) to get it inside my Honda CR-V so I can transport it without it rattling.

I have used a U-Haul before and it works well enough, but I really felt the weight when towing and they rattle pretty bad, especially when unloaded.

Kendon also makes some nice trailers that are in between the U-Haul and Stinger in size and weight.

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