ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: SebfromBE on February 20, 2018, 04:15:40 PM
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Hi all,
I just become the proud owner of a 2017 Zero S ;D Reading this forum helps making the jump :-)
I am located in Belgium, where weather goes from nice sun to cold snow and also... Rain.
I noticed that actually a lot of the electrical connection are relatively apparent (in the sense, water could get close to them when riding in wet weather). I am thinking for instance at the cabling behind the front light spot (what is the name of this in English ?). Or also at the front of the battery brick, seems like a lot of connection where some droplets coming from front wheel could easily go in.
Does it make sense to try to better insulate them (simple methods such as insulation tape maybe, or more advanced, putting some kind of rigid water deflector here and there?).
What's your opinion?
Aside from that. Quite a lot of fun so far :-) Even-though I am coming from a speed triple with decent torque as well ;-)
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Liquid Tape (https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-LTB-400-Electrical-Waterproof/dp/B000FPAN2K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519139585&sr=8-3&keywords=liquid+tape&dpID=41esvwh2mFL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch) works well for me.
Ray
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Looks nice. Didn't no such liquids things existed :-)
I will have a careful look at where protection could be added and will do! I was thinking about standard silicone grease at other places where non permanent solution might be better.
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Dielectric grease is good, I've used Liquid Tape before and I liked it, but lately I've been using self-fusing silicone tape: https://www.amazon.com/X-Treme-Tape-TPE-XR1510ZLB-Silicone-Rectangular/dp/B00HWROO7E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519146482&sr=8-3&keywords=silicone+tape
I don't know if it's really "waterproof", but I'm sure it helps with splashing. After it fuses with itself, you have to cut it off, so it's single-use just like the liquid tape.
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The above comments are all good.
In maintaining https://zeromanual.com I am looking at the long-term possibilities here:
The 12V and Dash circuitry at the steering head definitely seem worth deflecting water from, which is one reason owners have asked Zero or a vendor to provide a fairing. Hollywood Electrics seems poised to release a well-fitted front fairing so hopefully that's a good default answer for most people.
Regarding the bike's central systems, there's a cover over the top of the Sevcon controller under the seat, but largely the shielding amounts to:
- Above, just the seat, with two rubber pieces stuck to the front sides of the frame to reduce splash entry. The seat has a certain amount of side gap worth addressing.
- To the sides, the trailing edge of the battery casing and the frame's vertical stanchions. The DC-DC converter is nearly exposed there on the left side and deserves some kind of basic deflecting shielding, I'd say. Its connector as delivered is well-greased but after 27k miles, mine has grime on the outside and I'm trying to diagnose converter issues before I do more touring in the rain.
- Below and behind, the motor and the rear tire guard provide some basic deflection from rain splashed up while riding, but any hose can easily bypass those and directly impact the connectors including the Accessory Charging Port which has a rubber boot that needs to stay in place but can just as easily contain and hold moisture as deflect it.
All of the boards have an IP67 rating, but the connectors being in the elements including the onboard charger inlet deserve better guards. Maybe we should just make some stencils for sheets of the same plastic covering the Sevcon controller, and run a sheet along each side of that compartment, one additional sheet over the front cabling to tuck into/under the frame sides, and some kind of deflection for the rear.
The main concern with grease is to apply the grease to a clean, dry piece of equipment to avoid containing moisture or contaminants like dirt; for deflection sheets, the general design is to stay in place and direct water down and out of the area without channeling it to some vulnerable piece of equipment or letting it pool.
Who'd be interested in helping design such a thing? Can any professional or other semi-professional think of specifics worth improving on?
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Hi Brian,
Thanks for maintaining the zeromanual first of all. Best and almost single ressource for Zero tweaks :-)
You have a good point. I will look at these in details and see if I can come up with an nice/interesting solution that could be shared with the bigger community (this might take some time since obviously I should make it nice!). I'll keep you posted.
Cheers,
Seb
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I should clarify that I’ve ridden both of my Zeros to 25000 miles each and not had many problems with them in the wet, and I ride year round and used to live in rainy Seattle.
But I generally store my bikes indoors so long term stationary risks are not accounted for.
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Dielectric grease is good, I've used Liquid Tape before and I liked it, but lately I've been using self-fusing silicone tape: https://www.amazon.com/X-Treme-Tape-TPE-XR1510ZLB-Silicone-Rectangular/dp/B00HWROO7E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519146482&sr=8-3&keywords=silicone+tape
I don't know if it's really "waterproof", but I'm sure it helps with splashing. After it fuses with itself, you have to cut it off, so it's single-use just like the liquid tape.
In weatherproofing some mission-critical radio equipment for a glass fab facility, I found success following this recipe I got from some old hand radio amateur types:
> 1. clean with electrical cleaner, dry, and reconnect.
> 2. add a layer of good electrical tape, like Scotch 33+.
> 3. add a layer of rubber compound- Some of the guys like the rubber
> tape they use to splice AC motor leads with, and others like to use
> Coax-Seal, or Dux-Seal; both are putty-like compounds that don't
> harden.
> 4. finish it off with another wrap of good weatherproof
> electrical tape, like Scotch 33+.
> Alterntatives:
> Liquid Tape, Plasti-Dip, Krylon spray, or the 3M
> stuff that comes in a can with a brush.
> Whatever you use, start with a layer of good quality
> electrical tape. It makes it much easier to undo the
> goop when you have to go back and repair the connection,
> or move the unit.
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Thanks!
It is actually good to know that an all-weather does not meet significant issue with this. I'll see what I will do and post it if it is owrth sharing.
Cheers,
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On my previous DS2014 I wrapped all connections in heat-shrink after having trouble with wet connections. See pic below:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/s/2b25rt48agd01dk/DS_ShrinkCon.jpg?raw=1)
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I made a little wiki entry for this, to grow on: https://zeromanual.com/index.php/Skills#Weatherproofing
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On my previous DS2014 I wrapped all connections in heat-shrink after having trouble with wet connections. See pic below:
...
I would add that adhesive-lined double-layer heat-shrink tape is the way to go.
It's lined with hot glue, so it seals up the ends. If you have more than one wire going in the end, I'd add some rubbery stuff or hot glue to seal up the ends too. Pinholes can be significant.