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Messages - Daveruns

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1
Tech Help / Throttle Out of Range error message
« on: June 26, 2014, 10:42:46 PM »
Lots of issues with my 2011 Model S. Current problem is no power and flashing lights on screen that translate per the manual to "throttle out of range". I just installed a brand new throttle. It did not work before this either, but replaced at recommendation from Zero. So the error message is new, but the problem still the same. No power for the most part, but sometimes it works great. Must be a short or some other problem somewhere. Anyone out there with a similar problem? Located in St. Louis, MO, so no dealer within 300 miles, so I am on my own.

2
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: 2011 S Motor Problems
« on: March 02, 2014, 01:29:02 AM »
Dangerider,

When the bike stalls, look at the flashing lights on the dash. These are the key to diagnosing the problem. The manual has several pages dedicated to telling you what the flash patterns means. Once you figure this out, then the techs on the Zero help line can walk you through the repair. I have found them to be very helpful.

The 2011 Zeros have lots of issues and I would suggest that you really get to know the bike as it will require frequent repairs. I have put 7,500 miles on mine over a period of two years and have lots of problems with stalls in traffic. There is not a dealer anywhere near me, so I have really learned the bike and I feel confident in my ability to repair it and replace parts. I'm sure that I have brought on some of the problems myself as it usually takes a couple of goes to get things fixed correctly. But stalling really is a danger if it is in the wrong place and it always takes me awhile to get my nerve back up to have another go after a dangerous stall.

That being said, I really love my Zero and would only give it up for a new one. I plan on upgrading at some point, when I can spare the cash. I think the new motors will solve about 80% of the problems with the 2011 bikes. Too bad they are not reverse compatible.

3
Flashing triangle this morning on my ride in to work flash.flash,pause,flash,flash,flash, pause, repeat. Went out and checked at noon, no more flashes. Talked to Zero about what was happening and they tell me it is a connection problem. I asked about the warmer noon time temp explaining why the problem went away. They asked me about charging and temp. Upshot is that you are not to charge the bike if it is below 20 degrees. This is in the manual. I missed it and have been leaving it in the garage charging when it is down to 10 degrees. Hard to ride in the winter when you can't charge overnight.... I may build a ramp to move the bike into the basement during the winter.

I wonder it this is common knowledge and I was just out of the loop? If not, we need to get the word out.

4
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: Total Zero Miles
« on: November 03, 2012, 04:08:43 AM »
Impressed with 12 K miles. You must spend a lot of time riding to get that on a 2012.

I'm up to 5,800 now on my 2011 S. Would have more, but missed two months in the past year for motor replacements.

5
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: NYT on electric motorcycles
« on: October 16, 2012, 08:20:06 PM »
Although my Zero S is my favorite way to get anywhere, I think that the real problem is finding a market. My friends tend to fall into two categories, the Harley crowd who are convinced my Zero is a toy and those that think that motorcycles are the most dangerous thing on the planet and that I must have a secret death wish. Both groups are wrong, but trying to convince them otherwise has been a lost cause for me. After riding mine most days for almost 18 months and sharing my experience, not a single friend, relative or coworker has given Zero ownership any consideration. I do market research for a living and I use Zero motorcycles as an example of a potentially perfect product: its fun to ride, cuts fuel costs by 90%, quiet, fast, high tech, saves the planet, and despite the benefits-no one seems to want one. Can you imagine a world where 80% of commuters ride electric motorcycles: goodbye traffic jams, pollution, parking lots, highway noise....

Maybe we need a movie like Easy Rider with a nerdy Peter Fonda anti-hero type riding his Zero and introducing the world to new rebellious lifestyle off the grid and full of adventure. Sound exciting...no, and that is the problem.

6
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: Glitch 2011
« on: October 06, 2012, 01:27:37 AM »
Yes, I discovered this after trying a new motor with a defective sensor. First I messed with all the connections and it would not complete the start up process. You get the triangle blink-pause-blink-blink-blink message. Look that up in the trouble shooting guide in the back of the manual and it says, temperature sensor failure. SO then I just pulled the temp sensor connector and connected it to the old motor next to the bike and tried again. This time everything worked. So this a great test and it takes only a second. Zero sent me another new motor, and I tested this first before I did anything else. It worked, so I proceeded and no problems.

7
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: Glitch 2011
« on: October 04, 2012, 02:23:23 AM »
Thanks for the advice as I would have been up a creek with out it. I had to remove the motor and replace it three times due to issues with the replacement motor.  But in the end with the correct motor, all worked out well. A couple of things that I discovered that weren't obvious. You need to remove the plastic shield on the back side of the motor (power connection side) before trying to remove the motor as otherwise there is not enough space. If you are also replacing the housing that secures the motor to the frame, it can be installed in four axis, but only one works. The one that works is the one that orients the positive terminal (the one with with the red dot) directly above the negative terminal and also has the indention for speedometer housing towards the front of the bike. Zero tends to ship the motors with the housing installed, but there are at least two different housing brackets and if you don't have the right one, you can't install the speedometer housing. Check this before you install the motor as it might save you a few hours work. Also, I recommend checking the motor temperature sensor on the new motor by simply plugging the sensor wire from the bike into the connector on the new motor before you begin. If you have a bad sensor and you don't test, you probably won't find out until you are done replacing the motor and ready for a test run, then you will need to get a new motor and start all over again.

On the third try, I was able to disassemble, replace, reassemble and test drive in three hours. I'm sure that next time, I will be able to do it in two hours.

8
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: 2013 Zero lineup
« on: October 03, 2012, 03:52:26 AM »
OK, I take back my negativity on the 2013 designs. I now understand that they moved to a passive cooling on the motor, that is a big change in my mind. Plus the addition of the cell phone app and I am assuming that zero to sixty is much faster with the more powerful motor, so I stand corrected. Letting my present problems get in the way of my wider vision.

Brammo does have the girls, too bad they can't seem to ship any bikes....

9
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: 2013 Zero lineup
« on: October 02, 2012, 11:52:17 PM »
Sorry to go against the grain, but I don't see much change here. They are providing a larger battery pack, but sacrificing some efficiency. Faster speed, but how many times do you really need to cruise at 95 mph. The bike weighs more, that is probably good on a windy day. Hopefully some improvements went into the electric motors and other problem areas, but there is no mention of that.  I worry about Zero having 3,000 bikes out there with 30 plus different configurations and parts lists and all electric one of a kind. Makes maintenance and reliability almost impossible. I love innovation as much as anyone does, but there are downsides here. I think there is a general consensus among manufacturing types that the learning curve on something this complex is at least 10,000 units. I recommend that Zero freeze their designs for awhile and concentrate on reliability. The coolest technology on the planet is worthless sitting in the garage or shop waiting for repairs.

10
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: Glitch 2011
« on: September 17, 2012, 09:39:11 PM »
Help-Need to replace the motor in my 2011-S and need to do it myself. Any recommendations on a bike stand or other way to stabilize the bike during dis-assembly and re-assembly?

11
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / Re: 2011 S Motor Problems
« on: September 17, 2012, 06:35:02 PM »
Not really sure of the cause, but the immediate fix is to replace the motor. Symptoms are surges and stalls that increase in frequency and duration and ultimately lead to grinding noise and total failure. Replace the motor and problems solved. Zero says brush failure and overheating.

12
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older / 2011 S Motor Problems
« on: September 16, 2012, 11:47:58 PM »
My 2011 S burned through its second motor three weeks ago. Still waiting for a replacement from Zero. The first motor lasted 3,500 miles and the second one 2,000 miles. The first time, I waited three weeks plus for a replacement and it looks like this time will be even longer. When you add in the repair time, my bike has been down more than 20% of the time in the first year. Although I love the Zero, I am getting really discouraged about this issue. Zero tells me that this should not be a problem with the 2012 bikes due to the brushless motor, but I am losing all confidence in them. Plus there are several posts on this board about problems with 2012 motors. I am also 300 miles from the nearest dealer, so I am on my own for repairs.

Am I the only one in this pickle or is everyone having these problems?

13
I would call or write Richard Kenton (Zero service manager directly)  richard@zeromotorcycles.com. I have dealt with him several times on my Zero S and he tends to make things happen. You may have already dealt with him and had a different experience. There is not a dealer in my market area and I am basically on my own for repairs, recalls, etc. I have had my bike for over a year and now have almost 6K miles on it. I have had a few service issues including a motor replacement that kept me off the road for three weeks. However, I see some of this as the cost for being on the leading edge (and sometimes bleeding edge) of new technology. I would encourage you to hang in there as when they are running well, there is nothing better than a Zero for my needs.

14
Just turned 5,000 electric miles on my 2011 Zero S. St. Louis, MO

15
Revived my recall in yesterday's mail 7/20/2012.

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