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[trikester]

I installed a double pole momentary (spring return) switch to do two functions. When riding in SPORT mode actuating the switch with my left index finger puts the bike into ECO mode and it also lights the stop light which puts it into the highest regen deceleration mode (25%).The stop light also warns someone behind me that I am slowing rapidly.

It works great and will be especially useful in dirt riding where there are frequent accelerations and decelerations.

Check out the two photos.

Trikester

[Electric Terry]

Awesome! I love it!  I want to redo mine with the brake light circuit switch also.

[trikester]

I made the bat handle extension by drilling and tapping an aluminum bar for 6mmx1. The metal bat handle was perfect size to thread 6mm. A little tricky alining the die to start the thread but carefully eye balling it did the trick. The switch is a waterproof toggle switch DPDT. I would like to have found a DPST instead, but this was as close as I could get. I cut off the unused contacts.

It is really sweet the way it works

BTW - That nice handlebar mount was in my junk box, I made it for another project many years ago. It's nice to have machine tools but a switch mounting bracket could be made from an "L" bracket and a small "U" bolt - it doesn't have to be very strong.

When I can get Harlan to reprogram the software to remove all regen from the SPORT mode, so I can coast more freely, then everything will be perfect.

Trikester

[trikester]

I didn't do a lot of test riding yesterday - I'm at my desert cabin and it was 102*F. However, what riding I did do I found it was very good to coast downhill and then throw it into full regen slow down at the bottom or approaching a sharp turn. Most of the time I didn't touch the brakes. This has got to translate into more range when dirt riding with frequent changes in speed. In sand the ECO deceleration is good because it only affects the rear wheel, thereby avoiding the dreaded front wheel slide or wash-out.

Trikester

[wainair]

I was just thinking about your slick set up here and I was wondering a couple of things when you toggle the switch does the regen come on immediately as if you were pulling a brake lever or is there a lag time? With my car if I shift into L where there is high regen braking it takes about a second to engage and the more you are off the accelerator the more regen you get. I'm not wholly familiar with how the Zero uses it's regen but when in regen mode do you modulate it's intensity with the throttle? The more you roll off the throttle the more regen you get?

Thanks Trikester! That looks like a great mod for when I get a 2013!

[trikester]

I was just thinking about your slick set up here and I was wondering a couple of things when you toggle the switch does the regen come on immediately as if you were pulling a brake lever or is there a lag time? With my car if I shift into L where there is high regen braking it takes about a second to engage and the more you are off the accelerator the more regen you get. I'm not wholly familiar with how the Zero uses it's regen but when in regen mode do you modulate it's intensity with the throttle? The more you roll off the throttle the more regen you get?

Thanks Trikester! That looks like a great mod for when I get a 2013!
   

I'm glad you asked because it was time for me to update my report.

I am now using the handlebar switch as though it was a rear brake lever to slow or even stop (with a light tap on the front brake if the bike is still rolling a little). The action is without noticeable delay, upon release of the throttle, if the throttle is released after the switch is activated.

It is important to know that the SPORT/ECO modes do not change state if the throttle is at rest (off). Therefore, in order to effect regen braking the switch has to be pulled just before rolling off the throttle or if the throttle is already off, when the Switch is pulled, then it has to be "bliped" on to activate the ECO mode regen. While holding the switch activated, the throttle can still be used to extend the distance if it is coming up too short (like at a light). That's easier than going on and off the switch but with a slight loss in efficiency. However, on a steep descent I will be going on and off the switch and "blipping" the throttle to activate the mode changes from sport to eco and from eco back to sport, when I want coasting to speed up.

Ever since I got my first ZERO DS I've thought about rigging up a rear brake lever on the left handlebar (like a bicycle) since there isn't a clutch lever there. However, since I'm used to riding gas bikes there is always the concern that in a panic stop I would instinctively grab that lever as a "clutch" while pulling the front brake lever on the other handlebar. If it was a brake lever, then that response would lock up my rear wheel into a skid and a possible "high-side" fall. The regen with ECO mode is not enough braking action to do that, even on dirt. It's also nice to use as a "drag brake" on sandy descents.

BTW - Even though by activating the brake light with the switch I do get the full 25% regen, it feels like it is reduced at high coasting speeds. When I pull the switch at highway speeds the braking feels like it is not as strong until the bike has slowed to a certain speed where the regen braking seems to increase. This is probably the controller preventing the regen current that's going to the battery from going over some preset max limit. Maybe someone in the know at ZERO can provide some details on this characteristic.  

Trikester

[wainair]

Thanks Trikester. That's interesting! I find it funny that you have to have the throttle on to change between modes. I wonder why they did that? It's too bad you couldn't modulate the amount of regenerative braking with the throttle as you reduce throttle like on my car. It becomes very instinctive in the car where I can drive with one foot in L were I only have to use the breaks to stop at the very end, like under 3mph.(I'm always watching my rear view mirror to make sure those behind me are paying attention) I would guess there is probably a lot of programing code behind that feature in my car and possibly some hardware that the Zero doesn't have. 

[trikester]

Yes it would be great if I could modulate the amount of regen with the throttle. It sounds like a good feature on your car. I think the regen feature here, as you say, is a simple version that doesn't require a lot of sophisticated software to implement. It must look for throttle going from on to off to tell the system that the mode is changing and start the required software to control regen. Remember, as these bikes come from the factory there is some regen in SPORT mode also (10% & 15%). So the system is always reacting to a programmed level of regen every time the throttle is rolled off and also looking for the brake light in that programming, to set the lower or higher level.

Harlan reprogrammed my bike to eliminate all regen in SPORT mode so I could free coast on long downhills but that didn't change the requirement to have the throttle go from on to off to execute the mode changes. He also gave me the same faster acceleration in ECO as in Sport.

Trikester

[kingcharles]

It sounds like I will really miss the Vectrix multi function throttle when I switch to a Brammo or Zero next year...
Too bad they patented it because to me it is perfect.

[amahoser]

Im surpised that electric Motorcycle manufacturers do not use a clutch handle as a variable regen brake. Scooters use the left lever as a brake so many people (including me) would be used to it. You could probably do most of your rear wheel braking with a variable regen lever and still use your front brake for most of the stopping power. Then again, I have very little electric motorcycle experience so maybe I am missing something..

Jose Soriano

[trikester]

I agree that what I would really like to have would be a variable regen lever instead of an on/off switch but that was not an option with the ZERO setup. If I had a momentary switch (spring return) that was off-on-on I could go with brake light off = 15% regen in second position and then the third position would be brake light on = 25% regen. I don't recall ever seeing such an animal in my lifetime career of electronic design. Of course I could build a switch function like that - hmmm............

Trikester

[wainair]

Im surpised that electric Motorcycle manufacturers do not use a clutch handle as a variable regen brake. Scooters use the left lever as a brake so many people (including me) would be used to it. You could probably do most of your rear wheel braking with a variable regen lever and still use your front brake for most of the stopping power. Then again, I have very little electric motorcycle experience so maybe I am missing something..

Jose Soriano

That's a real good idea too!

[NoiseBoy]

I agree that what I would really like to have would be a variable regen lever instead of an on/off switch but that was not an option with the ZERO setup. If I had a momentary switch (spring return) that was off-on-on I could go with brake light off = 15% regen in second position and then the third position would be brake light on = 25% regen. I don't recall ever seeing such an animal in my lifetime career of electronic design. Of course I could build a switch function like that - hmmm............

Trikester

Why not just use a pair of microswitches with different length levers so one engages before the other.

[trikester]

Why not just use a pair of microswitches with different length levers so one engages before the other.

That is exactly what I originally intended to do but the single waterproof momentary switch was a lot less messy mechanically so I decided to go with that. It gave me the opportunity to see if this was really something that I would like and use from a riding standpoint. It is a starting point from which I can decide if I want to go further into a more sophisticated system or not. Right now, having an instant choice of max regen (25%) or free coasting is working well for me. It is especially good for dirt riding where there are always a lot of speed changes. Actually, dirt riding was my main incentive for doing it, but I have found it useful in city traffic as well and knowing the stop light is on, as I'm slowing, is especially good there.

Trikester

[trikester]

Since the switch I used is spring return to center off position I have discovered that with my index finger I can push the lever forward as well as pulling it back. Therefore I have wired the ECO side of the unused contact in the forward position to the other contact on that side to select ECO without lighting the brake light. This now gives me the ability to select either ECO with 15% regen (no brake light, lever forward) or ECO with 25% regen (brake light, lever back). Every thing I needed to get the percent regen choice was already there I just needed to add another wire connection at the switch. I've attached a photo of the switch wiring schematic.

Trikester