ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Yon on July 05, 2014, 05:02:38 PM
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Have close to 4000 miles on my SR. Looking for any and all aftermarket accessories and tuning. Top of my list are footpegs, grips, windscreen and any passive liquid cooling system for the motor like that use on Pikes Peak. Any and all recommendations appreciated!
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anybody? I can't believe all here are riding stock or making such mods themselves.
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I've installed the R&G Tail Tidy and removed the rear pegs.
No liquid cooling yet - it's winter in Australia so not needed - maybe for summer track days.
Others have added Zero windscreens with posts on this forum covering that. Not sure there are many people racing these bikes yet so doubt there will be many changing pegs, bars, grips etc. In any case these are fairly standard items that could be readily replaced with whatever you wish.
There are some mods you can probably do to improve performance - some obvious such a throwing out the IRC rubber and replace with some Pirelli Diablo Rosso's or Supercorsa's, others not so obvious such as removing the onboard charger to save weight.
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I did a lot of modding myself.
The motor cooling is not water it is oil (inside). You need to get the heat out of the motor-windings. The heatsink "motor housing" is not bad to get ride off the heat!
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So far Harlan at Hollywood Electrics is the man to go to with all these questions. He has been working with most or all of the guys who race and will work with you long distance. Great guy!
Which bike do you have?
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Hollywood Electrics is successful at racing Pikes Peak with air cooled Zeros so liquid cooling is not a requisite feature.
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When we talk about adding water cooling to a Zero, we're not talking about somehow water-jacketing the motor and adding a pump and a radiator, are we? Are we just talking about spritzing a little water on the cooling fins of the motor? Since the coils are mounted to the outside housing of the motor, not on the rotor, I'd think that would be a pretty effective way of cooling it down. A windshield-washer pump, a one-quart reservoir, a switch on the handlebar and you're there. Water has a tremendously high heat capacity and latent heat of vaporization, which makes it a great coolant.
Also, I've wondered if anybody knows why Zero oriented the cooling fins laterally (across the bike). It seems to me that if they were oriented front-to-back on the bike, it would be much easier to direct air between the fins to cool the motor more effectively. Look at the fins on the motor controller -- that seems like a much more natural and effective orientation to me. Would it just be more difficult to fabricate that way?
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I have the same question about the Zero motor fins. It reminds me of the very early years of motorcycle cylinder cooling. Originally most motorcycle fins were parallel to the cylinder and a few years later the manufacturers started making the fins radial. Perhaps it does have something to do with the manufacturing process or the strength of the casing. But it does look odd to someone who has owned many air-cooled IC motorcycles in the past.
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I think it's partly due to limited airflow behind the battery - any air motion is likely to be somewhat turbulent. Either fin orientation would probably work about as well, but IMO the fin arrangement they are using can be packaged more easily and probably cools more evenly than fins mounted perpendicular to the motor shaft.
Doug S: Jeff Clark's Zero FX raced at Pikes Peak (the only Zero this year) did indeed have a water pump and radiator.
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I think it's partly due to limited airflow behind the battery - any air motion is likely to be somewhat turbulent. Either fin orientation would probably work about as well, but IMO the fin arrangement they are using can be packaged more easily and probably cools more evenly than fins mounted perpendicular to the motor shaft.
Doug S: Jeff Clark's Zero FX raced at Pikes Peak (the only Zero this year) did indeed have a water pump and radiator.
I have to admit that I'm "baffled" (sorry) by the lack of air ducts to direct cooling air at the motor. Why wouldn't you manage the airflow to provide maximum cooling to the motor?
So how did Jeff pull heat out of the motor? Did he make a custom water jacket or what?
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The motor fins are arranged axially because the casing is likely extruded aluminum and, like a heat-sink for electronic equipment, the cooling fins are a result of the extrusion die cross- section shape. The emissivity (ability to radiate heat) would be improved if the casing fins where dyed black during the anodization process. Even more emissivity could be achieved if a rough texture could have been placed on each heat-sink fin during the extrusion process, increasing the surface area. The best cooling is achieved by moving air across the fins. I will be experimenting with mounting a 12 volt "muffin" fan to assure moving air over the motor for slower off-highway riding. Buell did this to cool the rear cylinder on their later bikes however it was quite loud running when the bike was at a stop or parked until the temperature was reduced below the temperature set-point. I would have a handlebar switch to control the fan after monitoring the motor temperature or use a thermal switch on the motor.
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I have a friend with a Buell CityX-9 and that thing sounds like it is going to take off when its fan is on high (one of three fan speeds). If a Buell fan can cool down a Sportster rear cylinder, it ought to be able to handle the Zero motor. ;)