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[Richard230]

I just received a copy of the (11.9 MB PDF) 2014 Zero owner's manual (covering all of their 2014 models) and am currently reading every one of the 128 pages so that I know as much as possible before I finally pick up my new bike.   

[NoiseBoy]

Make sure you let us know if it reveals anything interesting!

[firepower]

Can you share, I like to learn everything too :-)

[Richard230]

Can you share, I like to learn everything too :-)

If you want to learn everything, send me a PM with your email address.   

[Richard230]

I just finished proofreading the new Zero owners manual and the following things that have been discussed in the past caught my eye:

The 54 peak HP motor is rated at 16kW or 22HP, "net".  Which I assume is its constant power output.

The manual tells you to plug in the bike when storing for more than 30 days.  If stored fully charged the charger needs to be plugged in after 90 days. The battery will not accept a charge if the battery pack's internal temperature is above 131 degrees F. Storage temperature should not be less than -31 degrees F (-35 degrees C) and the charger should be connected.  But first top off the battery pack at a temperature above 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) before placing the bike into cold storage.

No break-in is needed for the battery pack.

The "kill" switch should be in the off position when backing up or when the bike is being pushed forward.

Frequent "top off" charging is good for the power pack's lifespan.

The maximum temperature of the battery pack should not exceed 160 degrees F.  Storing the motorcycle in direct sunlight at a temperature above 105 degrees F may cause permanent decay of the battery performance.

This statement confuses me:  "The 2014 Zero leverages the 2013 battery cell chemistry, configuration, and enhanced reliability."  I guess that is bureaucratic-speak for the 2014 Zero uses the same battery pack as last year's model.   

The maintenance schedule covers a number of things but does not advise the owner to replace the brake fluid every couple of years.  My feeling is that this should be mentioned in the schedule.

There is an error in the fastener torque table on page 5.5.  The torque for the rear axle nut is incorrect for the metric value.  The torque is 75 pound-feet and the metric value should be 102 Nm, not 20 Nm, as listed in the table.

[protomech]

Comparing the 2014 manual to the 2013 manual.

The SR has a specifications block, but isn't mentioned much beyond that.

There's a large section detailing the new dash, which is a HUGE improvement over 2013. The dash reports time to charge, Wh/mile efficiency metrics, range estimates, motor battery and controller temperatures, and has a clock. The dash directly reports 4 digit error codes, but it appears the bike still uses a sequence of long/short blinks for error statues. Like the pre-2014 dash, the bike supports two trip odometers, but Trip 1 is automatically reset each time the bike is charged to 100%. Pretty cool!

The performance switch is now located on the right, by the motor kill switch. Makes sense. It now supports 3 modes: perfomance, eco, and custom. The modes can be toggled at any time, but the new mapping will not be loaded until the "throttle" is returned to the closed position.

The manual now states that the power pack can be charged with internal temperatures up to 131F / 55C, up from 125F / 52C 2013. This may be a typo in the 2013 manual, as later in the 2013 manual (p. 6.9) it states that the BMS disables charging above 131F / 55C.

The suspension setup has different factory values vs 2013 - but the configuration process for the larger forks is the same as 2013.

Zero appears to have removed the drive chain option for the DS bike, as the chain is not mentioned anywhere in the manual.

The warranty section is updated to cover the 5 year power pack warranty. The 2014 warranty also explicitly covers degradation beyond 20% of nominal capacity .. this is pretty huge. As far as I know, the Nissan LEAF is the only other EV that explicitly covers battery degradation in its warranty, and its warranty period is > 30% capacity loss over five years.

Richard230: you mentioned that the power pack is basically the same as 2013. Lessons learned from 2013 and experience in the field is why Zero can offer the 5 year warranty on the 2014 bikes.

[GNU]

I couldn't anything about the "P" mode on the tripple tree lock.
Is this a feature that came printed on the lock but was never implemented?

It should still be mentioned in there I think: "Don't break your key trying to turn the key to 'P' it's not possible"

[vfkf]

I couldn't anything about the "P" mode on the tripple tree lock.
Is this a feature that came printed on the lock but was never implemented?

It should still be mentioned in there I think: "Don't break your key trying to turn the key to 'P' it's not possible"

I also have this 'Park' mode on my 1984 Interceptor 1000. It lights up the rear light . But on the S 2013, it does not seem to do much.

[protomech]

The P position is indicated in a diagram in the owners manual but is not listed as an available switch position.

[Richard230]

The P position is indicated in a diagram in the owners manual but is not listed as an available switch position.

So that likely makes it an "off-the-shelf" switch that was developed for some other bike that uses a "park" position to activate the tail light and the little front parking light.  Or - that feature will be available for use on European bikes where it is required by local laws. 

[teddillard]

Git yer 2014 Zero Manual here, while they're hot! 

http://evmc2.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/zero-2014-owners-manual-download/

 

[trikester]

So that likely makes it an "off-the-shelf" switch that was developed for some other bike that uses a "park" position to activate the tail light and the little front parking light.  Or - that feature will be available for use on European bikes where it is required by local laws.

My guess is that Zero would not want to keep the battery solenoid connected to have power on the system while parked, in order to have parking lights, so that's why they don't use this feature.

I have sometimes wished I could have my DC/DC 12V converter running to have 12V available (for mobile device charging, etc.) when the bike is turned off, but that requires the main pack be connected.

Trikester

[GNU]

I agree with the off the shelf theory but it would have been nice if they hadn't blocked it. It would be relatively  easy to install a tiny 12V battery that would be charged from the built in 12V system when running the bike. That way you could power the 12V outlet and the back turn signals through the separate battery when in "p".

[NoiseBoy]

You could very easily add a 12V battery if you wanted.  I explained the circuit in one of Laurent's posts about an alarm installation.  In 9 years of riding daily I have never needed parking lights so the extra weight wouldnt be worth it to me.

[trikester]

You could very easily add a 12V battery if you wanted.  I explained the circuit in one of Laurent's posts about an alarm installation.  In 9 years of riding daily I have never needed parking lights so the extra weight wouldn't be worth it to me.

Adding a small auxiliary 12V battery would also require a small current limited DC-DC step-up converter in order to charge the battery to a nominal 14V from the 12V supply, in order to have good capacity in a small battery. These are available on the internet.

Trikester