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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: DBLJMP on December 16, 2017, 04:11:03 AM

Title: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: DBLJMP on December 16, 2017, 04:11:03 AM
My first winter not riding my 2017 Zero SR. Ugh. Suggested storage is 60%. But it's already at 100% and now too cold to ride. Avg temp in my garage will be 10-30 F. I leave it plugged in when not riding. Does anyone know why the 60% and not plugged in is recommended? Thanks
Title: Re: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: Erasmo on December 16, 2017, 04:44:00 AM
My first winter not riding my 2017 Zero SR. Ugh. Suggested storage is 60%. But it's already at 100% and now too cold to ride. Avg temp in my garage will be 10-30 F. I leave it plugged in when not riding. Does anyone know why the 60% and not plugged in is recommended? Thanks
Lithium batteries like to be stored at about half capacity.

too cold to ride.
Wait for a sunny day, put on some thermos and just go.
Title: Re: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on December 18, 2017, 06:36:34 AM
My first winter not riding my 2017 Zero SR. Ugh. Suggested storage is 60%. But it's already at 100% and now too cold to ride. Avg temp in my garage will be 10-30 F. I leave it plugged in when not riding. Does anyone know why the 60% and not plugged in is recommended? Thanks

If your garage is unheated, as your temperature range indicates, keeping the battery temperature above freezing temperatures is more important than the optimal advice of storing it at 60%.

So, I would focus on what you're going to do to keep the battery above freezing, and then work out how to discharge it into the ~60% zone where the chemistry will be most "at rest".

I would recommend offhand to wrap it in a thermal-reflective blanket and place a very low-wattage heating element underneath that.
Title: Re: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on December 18, 2017, 06:39:02 AM
For reference, the official Cold and Hot Weather operations guide has stronger language regarding below-freezing temperatures than the charging recommendations guide:

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/owner-resources/Cold-and-Hot-Weather-Operation.pdf

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/owner-resources/charging-recommendations/

And yet, people have more anxiety about the latter than the former. Pay attention to how cold the battery is first, and then work out how to keep the chemistry "happy".
Title: Re: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: clay.leihy on December 18, 2017, 08:33:16 AM
"Cold weather operation has no permanent impact..." That's what I care about. And that it won't run below -4F. So I'll bring the packs in on cold nights.

Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: Scotchman on June 19, 2018, 04:26:04 AM
Zero's guidelines say storage between -4 and 95 F.  So what is the risk of storing at 10-30 as the OP asked?
Title: Re: Winter storage of Zero SR
Post by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on July 12, 2018, 10:23:01 PM
Zero's guidelines say storage between -4 and 95 F.  So what is the risk of storing at 10-30 as the OP asked?

Good point. If the temperature is maintained there, there’d be no risk. My reasoning is that it’s better to have a margin ensured when leaving a battery unattended for a while. Seems like a dip in temperature is exactly when you might forget to attend to a battery in a barn (say).