Failed BMS Board Update #2

Failed BMS Board Update #2

I called the "local" dealership yesterday (16-May) inquiring about an update. They received the replacement BMS board from Zero. However, they don't have the cable required to connect their computer to the bike (BMS board, MBB?) to reprogram/synch them. Zero didn't ship one with the replacement board. I imagine it will be another week or two before the cable arrives and the BMS can be repaired.

To those thinking of purchasing a Zero, definitely have another bike or you might waste a month of prime riding season without one while waiting for your Zero to get repaired.

Failed BMS Board Update #1

Failed BMS Board Update #1

The new BMS shipped out from Zero HQ in California on 1-May-2013. I called the dealership Moto-Gatineau on 10-May-2013 (or was it 11th) to find out if they had received it, but they replied that it hadn't but it should arrive shortly.

Would I recommend a Zero? Who knows... this isn't the first 2012 with a failed BMS, the 2012 S/DS had an infamous "glitch" best described through threads on Electric Motorcycle Forum and there seems to be some issues/problems appearing with the 2013's. Maybe wait for a 2014 and the issues to be resolved? I guess I'd recommend one, so long as you don't have to rely on it being your primary ride...

Failed BMS Board

Failed BMS Board

Tried to get the XU out on the road this week since it appeared winter was over. Installed the battery power pack in the chassis, connected all of the cables, keyed the bike on and it began displaying an error code via the flashing exclamation warning indicator on the dash: 2 flashes followed by 4 flashes. Looked up the code in the manual, and it stated:

Cause: Battery Management System (BMS) Throttle Disable
Solution: Contact Zero or your dealer.

I emailed Zero and waited a couple of days for a response, then decided to call them this afternoon. My email got mixed up, and the CSR stated it was likely a failed BMS board and that they would ship out a replacement to the nearest Zero dealer. This is my 5th bike since 2004, and the first failure/no-start/major problem other than the OEM battery failing on the first bike after 2 years   Maybe should've stayed with gas-powered bikes. First one I'll have to get flat-bedded to the dealership for a repair.

Colder Weather Riding

Colder Weather Riding

September mornings here are cooler, so about 4-5*C. The effect of the cooler temperature is  decreased range, noticeable on a KM per bar level, and my hands are cold.

It seems like the KM per bar used to be above 5 KM during the 20-30*C weather, this morning it was about 4.7 KM per bar. The return commute was at about 15*C, so the KM per bar was back up to near-normal levels.

For the hands I'll have to use heavier riding gloves. Zero has two accessories for heated grips (had them on my last bike and would like them on the XU), a 12V DC outlet and a set of heated grips, but up here it'll cost close to $250 for them in total...

On another note the replacement Cheng Shin rear tube is holding air much better than the OEM tube; after a week of commuting the tire pressure no longer drops.

Ouch... Flat Tire

Ouch... Flat Tire

The return leg of Tuesday's commute resulted in a flat tire. Riding along, then I hear a rapid succession of "tap-tap-tap-tap" noises. One nice thing about electric motorcycles is there is no noise from the engine/exhaust to drown out background noises. Pulled over when it was safe to, put the sidestand down and looked at the rear tire, it was pretty deflated.

Saw one of these:

only all mangled up.

I left it in, with limited hopes that it would hold enough air to try a gas station to gas station commute home. Pushed the bike while actuating the throttle slightly to the closest gas station, in the time it took to inflate the rear tire, remove the air dispenser and return it to its holder the tire had deflated. No such luck.

I resigned myself to being flat bedded home, so I pushed the bike to my wife's workplace (it was nearby the scene of the crime), asked her to put my hot sweaty riding gear in the car, broke out the Yellow Pages and called a towing operator that advertised motorcycle towing. Over $100 later and we're home.

I removed the rear wheel from the XU, and demounted the tire. The tire is a 110/90-16 Shinko "front" tire used on the back, I wasn't sure what the tube size would be. Some sites list "front" 110/90 as requiring a different sized tube than a "rear" 110/90. The replacement tube size you want is a 4.0/4.6-16.

The local dealer didn't have any tubes of that size in stock, they never offered to order one either; just a "we don't have any" and then they ignored me like the proverbial plague. I gave up on local dealerships and decided to try online. Some of the dealerships with an online presence now have their e-stores up and running with searchable catalogs, one can order anything. I ordered two replacement tubes from http://www.gpbikes.com/ and they should arrive next week.

Now that I think about it I probably should have ordered two front tubes too...

17-Jul-2012 Update

17-Jul-2012 Update

• Received the quick charge cable/harness on 10-Jul-2012
• Commuting when I want, i.e. when it's not raining
• The front and rear tire pressures dropped quite a bit, not sure if it's cheap tubes or something else (didn't observe any foreign object punctures) so will keep an eye on it. Round-trip distance for my commute was off by about .6 to .8 KM

First Commute

Posted this on www.brammoforum.com

Yet another update: I did not receive the quick charge harness with the quick charge option to allow two inputs into the battery pack from two chargers, so I've been putting off riding the XU to work. My plan was to quick charge at an intermediate location on the return portion of my commute. Zero is working out where it is and getting it shipped to me. Today I decided to do it anyways, and I was resigned to the fact that I might have to "slow charge" at the intermediate point.

When I arrived at work there was 5 bars showing on the "fuel gauge", and I thought "maybe I'll make it home" . The ride in was at about 13*C.

When I turned on the bike in the afternoon, temperature now 28*C, there were 6 bars showing on the gauge. I managed about 1.7 KM before the gauge dropped back down to 5 bars. Then I managed to make it home, the last 1 KM or so with the two bars flashing warning. The commute home was slower, traffic congestion is a bit higher, so I'm guessing that's a good thing

Google Maps shows the round-trip as 46.6 KM, the XU odometer shows it as 48.6 KM, either way I got home Hopefully the battery pack is okay with the two bars flashing. I also have to verify with a GPS about the distance, and see about reconfiguring the wheel diameter setting on the instrument cluster to try to get the odometer a bit more accurate (protomech, a user active on most of the e-moto forums, posted the cluster manual, thanks!).