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[kensiko]

If you happen to start a zero S 2013 in cold temp (0 degrees C) and try to spin the wheel while maintaining the bike with the front brake and your leg, you might get into this mode, pretty funny !

I turned off the key and turned it on again and it went to normal. Strange feeling to go backward with a bike ! I didn't try to go fast, I was a little worried.

[evdjerome]

There was a glitch reported by several people in the 2012 forum related to reverse.  I wonder if you have the same glitch on your 2013.
http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=2845.msg13172#msg13172

[trikester]

I hooked up a connection, that Zero engineering told me about, and a switch, to actually get reverse on my e-trike conversion. However, I had to have Harlan do the reprogramming before the Sevcon would recognize the command. Your experience probably has something to do with the motor direction sensors, the Sevcon, and cold temps.

Trikester

[DesignerDan]

I was surprised to see that the 2014 models didn't have a reverse switch! It's fairly easy to back the bike up when it's on pavement but when the bike is off road it can be very difficult to push it backwards.

[DesignerDan]

Adding a reverse switch would add very little cost to the Zero but add a lot of utility/luxury. It seems like a no brainer to me.

[LiveandLetDrive]

Agreed, it's one of those little advantages of electric power that they should be capitalizing on.  I test rode a coworker's Vectrix and the reverse was very handy.  Having dropped the FX on dirt during a steep black-diamond hillclimb my poor physical condition would have benefited greatly from reverse to get in position to reattempt!  Like programmable torque limits and top speed which they have, and traction control which they don't, there are many opportunities to not just make a bike electric, but to re-imagine what an electric bike can be!  I know it's all a matter of man-hours and hopefully they'll get all of these things in with time.

[NoiseBoy]

I have been scouring the web for some information on whether or not the Sevcon can do traction control out of the box, but it would appear not.  Maybe a new MBB could handle that task though and just modulate the throttle input to the Sevcon to control traction.

[BSDThw]

I would agree the Sevcon can't do a traction control.
The Sevcon can do a lot e.g. a speed control in relation to the throttle...
But most of this is more dangerous than helpful.
E.q. If you use some settings and you make a brake situation at 80km/h while your rear wheel stops full => the Sevcon calculate the "speed" towards 0km/h but you actually have ~70km/h now you release the brake but your Sevcon use as much Regen as possible to hold ~ 0km/h. Shit happens
 
What do you like the traction control to do?

Preventing the rear tire to slip when accelerating - How should this work you would need the front wheel rotation in ratio to rear or an other sensor to find out if a wheel slips or not. (you can calculate back from acceleration to speed but I guess it wouldn't be accurate enough).
If it is the front wheel you would brake if the bike is lifting the front wheel (slightly) maybe this is good but a lot would blame Zero for doing this.
If the ABS comes to the Bike it has all the necessary sensors!
 
To make a revers mode is one wire + a switch and activation one Input-Port at the Sevcon that's easy-peasy for Zero. I don't know if there are some rules having a revers (Zero is selling to different countries)

[trikester]

I'm getting spoiled by using the reverse switch on my e-trike conversion (I'm glad I followed Biff's suggestion to do the mod when I was wiring the trike). I may re-wire/program the FX for it. I've had to push it up hill several times in the dirt while turning around in a narrow space - ugg!

Trikester

[NoiseBoy]

It would make sense now that the 2014 bikes with power pack are so heavy.  I don't think its necessary for anything below an 11.4 though. (Trike excepted!)

[BSDThw]

For a heavy bike it is convenient but I had to turn my 2012DS once on a narrow dead-end forest trail and it was 15cm mud - this was the time I decided to do a reverse when starting with other mods.
Now I use my bike 100% on paved roads and it is more a gadget.