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[scottwstevenson]

I wanted to post my charging solution (and intro what I've modded on my 2020 DSR).  (I used this board a great bit to figure some some of the details here, so hopefully this sparks some ideas for others in the future.)

I've posted a couple vids and more pics here on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/zmcowners/?multi_permalinks=4128153293920514&notif_id=1626572269632822&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

A few noteworthy thoughts:

-BrianTRice's Unofficial Zero Manual is awesome (!) and helped me so much in figuring this all out (from knowing about these chargers in the first place to wiring it all up).

-EVTricity Chargers are no longer made as is well known here.

-The chargers are contained within waterproof Nanuk 915 cases, mounted to Kriega mounting pieces (for side bags) that I've mounted to the DSR drop bars (installed aftermarket).

-Yes I do lose some charge economy here for sure with these set-up, but from what I've seen, I lose maybe 10mi on a full charge at highway speeds and can now charge close to 1C if I've got 2 x J1772's available.  Today I was using 2 x 6.3kW Chargepoint chargers and it was running >11kW.  (There was some overheating that I think was mainly the bike BMS, but ... see next note.)

-As I note in the second video, I can avert charger overheat a bit by rotating among the chargers, totalling 5 x 3.3kW plus the onboard OEM (~1.5kW).

-I'm not 100% happy with how I've set things up with the accessory port (see vid), but it does the job so far and a worst case scenario is think is I lose power to the motor. (You'll see what I mean in the video). I can pull Anderson SB75 connector entitirely out, and it stays in place (d/t the zipties and that the wire isn't long enough for it to hang anywhere), so I'm happy with this so far. (I'm tempted to 1. Either run the cord out more posteriorly for even more safety or 2. Simply add an extension using Anderson plugs and leave that plugged in at the bikes port (sans the enable signal pin) and essentially reposition the Accessory charging port in doing so.

-All of this aftermarket was <$1K (I got some good deals on the chargers), so not even half the cost of the ChargeTank + Install.

-Scott

[Shadow]

Those bolts for the drop bars are so soft (by design), oooh. Sketch-y putting that kind of mass on them hmm!   Although looking really good for a proof of concept.

If you fancy a revision, there's just enough mounting holes on the frame that you can securely mount uh... things? in place of where the plastics go outside and around near the monolith on either-hand side. I'd prototyped something for 3d-printer and posted elsewhere ... some 1/8-in or even 1/16-in aluminum plate would be more than sufficient for a bracket plate (or pair of bracket plates) but that is surely more complex than what you've got working there.

The HV cabling wedged in a pinch point between the cowl area and frame makes me nervous lookin' at it. It's probably fine. 

Next incremental suggestion might be some clever power inlet mounts, and keeping one of your charging modules wired up ready to plug in. You can get a surprising time efficiency bonus from riding right up the the charge station, grabbing a charging handle and starting a charge before you ever dismount the bike. It's a 5-15 minutes advantage each stop, and over a long day of 6+ recharging sessions there's an hour's worth of charging time saved. Especially where you're seeing some over-run scenarios either with heat or energy rate limitations it's important to get that monolith voltage up to the sweet spot if you've run it down under 20% or so (which I would expect!) And it's kind of great if you land on a station that is not operating correctly you will know and can reposition the bike to try another nearby station, again saving the time of dismounting and setting up the whole charging rig etc.

Happy trails!

[scottwstevenson]

Shadow!  THANK YOU for the input - just what I was looking for.

Those bolts for the drop bars are so soft (by design), oooh. Sketch-y putting that kind of mass on them hmm!   Although looking really good for a proof of concept.

The chargers weigh about 13lb so with the case and mounting bracket, I'm guessing <20lb on each side, but that's good to know that the bolts are soft by design.  (I took a look and I think you're referring to this where the bars are mounted on the bottom horizontal bar of the bike frame?...)

This is the 2 x 3.3kW charger set up I have on both sides, FYI:
https://web.archive.org/web/20171011102723/http://evtricity.com.au/product/double-fast-charging-kit/

I mounted the drop bars some time ago now, so that install wasn't fresh in my head, but replacing those bolts with some alloy steel bolts would make sense. 

If you fancy a revision, there's just enough mounting holes on the frame that you can securely mount uh... things? in place of where the plastics go outside and around near the monolith on either-hand side. I'd prototyped something for 3d-printer and posted elsewhere ... some 1/8-in or even 1/16-in aluminum plate would be more than sufficient for a bracket plate (or pair of bracket plates) but that is surely more complex than what you've got working there.

Thanks for that thought!

I actually had an Elcon charger (returned it) and had cut an aluminum mounting bracket along the lines of what is typically done there.  (Lots of solutions I've seen and I'm pretty sure I've seen yours...)

I was wanting to go that route generally but the EVtricity chargers are not IP rated so even with the plastics off the bike the box was running up against my knees just getting it in place when oriented vertically up against the bike frame / monolith. Also, with a vertical orientation, sans doing what you've noted below, opening the box to access the plugs would mean the charger would threaten to fall out if I kept it vertical or be totally open if I let it come down when opening the top. I think, too, it was a bit awkward accessing the box latches when up flush with the frame. Still, it was a size issue b/c these chargers a decently large, but with the need to cover them up, are quite big in the boxes. (These Nanuk cases were just about the smallest I could find that would allow some padding in the box and room for the plugs, which come out at 90 degree angles requiring more room inside the box... but more on the below, as we're on the same page there!)

The HV cabling wedged in a pinch point between the cowl area and frame makes me nervous lookin' at it. It's probably fine. 

LOL  Yes, def, not aesthetically pleasing, but the seat is quite pliable there as it turns out and it's actually just the right amount of pressure to hold the plug securely and not pinch from what I could tell. It looks even worse bc of the extra electrical tape I added for extra wire protection. 

Next incremental suggestion might be some clever power inlet mounts, and keeping one of your charging modules wired up ready to plug in. You can get a surprising time efficiency bonus from riding right up the the charge station, grabbing a charging handle and starting a charge before you ever dismount the bike. It's a 5-15 minutes advantage each stop, and over a long day of 6+ recharging sessions there's an hour's worth of charging time saved. Especially where you're seeing some over-run scenarios either with heat or energy rate limitations it's important to get that monolith voltage up to the sweet spot if you've run it down under 20% or so (which I would expect!) And it's kind of great if you land on a station that is not operating correctly you will know and can reposition the bike to try another nearby station, again saving the time of dismounting and setting up the whole charging rig etc.

THIS(!) is what I really wanted to and may still do. I  have a grommet set I purchased with this in mind.   I was juggling a few things here in doing this:

-Packing the J1772 receptacle in the box was going to be a very tight fit, but doable,

-I already had some pre-wired connectors (the blue SBH120 anderson plugs) that came with the purchase of these chargers (two different individuals), but could have gone the route of using some surface mounts like these (different plugs than I already have): https://www.etsy.com/listing/778078502/120a-premium-black-anderson-sb120?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-electronics_and_accessories-car_parts_and_accessories-car_accessories&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwxdSHBhCdARIsAG6zhlXRZdwuzSXYo-8orvQTaYBIFSCtXRgW4BOIUZXn-3mYa1DVd9QRCHEaAhk1EALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12563205313_128063644548_507137457081_aud-1184785539738:pla-354955384985_c__778078502_12768591&utm_custom2=12563205313&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxdSHBhCdARIsAG6zhlXRZdwuzSXYo-8orvQTaYBIFSCtXRgW4BOIUZXn-3mYa1DVd9QRCHEaAhk1EALw_wcB

-OTOH, I'd need to open the boxes anyway for venting for these chargers, sort of defeating the purpose of the mounted plugs on the box.  I would love to just be able to plug in and walk way, everything locked up, but it' not really an option with these chargers, unless I were to additionally put in weather-proofed vent in the boxes I could open, too... <sigh> An issue here would then be rain coming in when charging, as the fans are on the top now the way the chargers lay in the boxes, to allow heat to be blown of upwardly, of course.  I plan on just stuffing some heavy duty plastic in there that I can use as a cover from the sun / rain but that also allows air flow. Again, not pretty. ( I think I can  probably cut an secure a piece of vinyl cloth with some velcro in a V shape that would fan open when I open the boxes and tuck way when the boxes are closed.

-I timed myself and it was just about 4 min to hook up both J1772's as I have them in the pics, but I do like the time-saving form factor!!!  It would definitely cooler, too!  LOL

-WIth the three chargers I now I have (i've got another 3.3kW in the tank plastic area), I can do what I showed in the shorter video on the FB link I posted above - move between / among chargers  as needed if I suspect  charge heating is slowing charging.  I've literally got:

Left: 2 x 3.3kW (can plug in one or both from a single J1772)
Right: 2 x 3.3kW (as above)
Tank: 1 x 3.3kW
Onboard OEM: 1 x 1.5kW or whatever... LOL

So, if one or both of the larger (2x 3.3kW) EVtricity are overheating, I can unplug one 3.3kW, plug into the (fresh) middle charger a/o the (fresh) onboard OEM without causing the EVSE to sense i've stopped charging, and then disconnect the other 1x3.3kW and run that J1772 though and charge with  just the middle 3.3kW or the OEM.  I ended up doing this on both sides last time I charged - gong from 2 x (2x3.3kw) (both sides) down to  the onboard on the left and the middle 3.3kW on the right without having to restart both EVSE's.

-With the above, if I hooked into mounted J1772s and wanted to Rotate chargers, I'd have to  unplug and risk (I think) the EVSE shutting down. This way I can dance around charger overheating  and keep the EVSEs up and running.  Time saver, I think possible here in FL where it gets hot!

-I've also got on of my J1772s set up with a 3 x standard wall outlet so if I'm with some one / run into someone who needs to charge as well, I can buddy charge them via my J1772 while I'm charging too.

-Also, Dave who makes the Tesla Taps is putting together a custom Bike Buddy for me so I can plug a single Tesla Destination charger in into his device and route to 2 x J1772's (and then into my chargers of course).    This is a separate box so if I want to use this and have mounted J1772's in the charger boxes, I'd need duplicate wiring in come way (or perhaps just mount  the C19 to the box opening).

-Heck, if I want, as it is now,  I can pull one of the 2 x 3.3.kW chargers out (leaving me with 2 x 3.3kW + 1x 3.3kW + 1+kw from the onboard, so still >10kW total) and store something in there.  If no long trips are planned, I can pull them out on both sides and have even more storage, and still have what ends up being about 5.5kW from the middle charger plus the Onboard.

So, you can see - I figured it would end up be perhaps a bit of over engineering to mount outlets into the boxes... But, I'm STILL TEMPTED d/t the fun factor... LOL
 

Happy trails!

Likewise and thank you again for the input. Any more thoughts you have - like most here, I suspect you're more experienced than I am - I'm all ears.

-Scott

[NEW2elec]

I acknowledge you are creative and innovative but...
What you gain in charge speed is voided by riding such an unaerodynamic setup.
It's like pulling a parachute behind you.

It's of course your bike and you can do what you want with it, but I just feel like if you need to carry that much storage capacity an automotive EV would be better suited.

Ride safe.

[scottwstevenson]

I acknowledge you are creative and innovative but...
What you gain in charge speed is voided by riding such an unaerodynamic setup.
It's like pulling a parachute behind you.

It's of course your bike and you can do what you want with it, but I just feel like if you need to carry that much storage capacity an automotive EV would be better suited.

Ride safe.

Yes, I totally acknowledge that! 100% right as far as economy vs. speed trade-off.   (Totally conceded that in one of the bullet-points overly wordy OP... LOL).

I would just prefer to ride than drive and projects like these are fun for me.  (I consider this a newbie project.)     I can actually do nearly 60miles on a 80-90% highway trip with this set-up. (I did 52mile trip in about an hour with I think 12% remaining a few weeks ago, and I generally keep up with highway traffic at 70mph, but I'm going to keep following along to see how I fair on the highway. ) I have zero(!) doubt you're 100% correct in that I may even be losing some time overall on longer trips given the drag vs. having not bags and no chargers mounted on the bike.

(I wonder how much the drop bar boxes add to the energy loss with just having the GIVI side boxes, TBH, as they're lined up horizontally and the angle of the dropbar mounted charger boxes directs air flow downwardly... I don't even have a solid intuition as to what that would do as far as turbulence, although I suspect a more wing-like horizontal orientation would have been better...)

I could of course simply carried both chargers in the side boxes or rear box, but b/c I do my grocery shopping etc. with my Zero, this is more convenient vs. moving chargers around.

(I really am not doing a ton of really long drives, TBH - this was just b/c I like this sort of thing. Given this whole set-up was around $1k, it was a good deal, I think.  )

But - I'm GLAD YOU SAID what everyone (myself included) is thinking!  (One person posted on Facebook that this was "absurd" but he loved it, which sums up my thoughts, too... LOL)

-S

P.S.  My other vehicle for now is a 1999 F350 DRW running on Diesel, but that will change I hope in the next year when / if Atlis comes out with their XT Pickup. 

[victor6.7y]

Haha it does look really fun tho 

wondering if you can lift your front wheel using those wings if you drive fast enough 

Charing in 1 hour is can get you quite far I think. maybe putting the chargers in the back cases when you need them.

Anyway; Cool build

[scottwstevenson]

Haha it does look really fun tho 

wondering if you can lift your front wheel using those wings if you drive fast enough 

Charing in 1 hour is can get you quite far I think. maybe putting the chargers in the back cases when you need them.

Anyway; Cool build

LOL!!!  There has got to be some major lift and highway speeds and I was concerned about that, TBH - losing contact when needed...

Yes, I can reconfigure the chargers in all sorts of ways - lots of redundancy here.

THanks, man - Just fun doing it.  (I  have been asked before I even had the chargers mounted things like "what state I'm from" b/c folks just figure naturally I'm on some major long distance trip... )

-S

[Kill3rT0fu]

Why not just get a car?

[Shadow]

Why not just get a car?

The same kind of additional L2 charging add-ons were DIY'ed for the Nissan Leaf (citation: I can't find it at the moment sorry! search results are flooded with Tesla these days) when its onboard charger was 3.3kW only and DC fast charging had very few options available "in the wild" to use.

Energica bikes are really gaining in ownership and practicality as more DC fast charging stations are available, however the same issues of finding available electric charging points do persist in at least the N. Americas.

If you ride a Zero S/DS it can be a whole new experience modding and to "hot-rod" an enthusiast charging add-on. When done with reasonable care there is no increase in danger to the rider or others, so, maybe then "Why not?" 

[DonTom]

Energica bikes are really gaining in ownership and practicality as more DC fast charging stations are available, however the same issues of finding available electric charging points do persist in at least the N. Americas.

And finding one that works is sometimes a hassle. Nobody seems to fix them as they break and they break often.


For a few examples, the CCS charger has been out of service for MONTHS at Silver Springs, NV (EV-Connect)   East Bound Summit Rest Stop, CA (Cal-Trans)  and Cisco Grove, CA (ChargePoint).


So it's not just one company. All of the above have been informed that their CCS Fast Chargers are not working, and they were informed months ago.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[scottwstevenson]

Why not just get a car?

The same kind of additional L2 charging add-ons were DIY'ed for the Nissan Leaf (citation: I can't find it at the moment sorry! search results are flooded with Tesla these days) when its onboard charger was 3.3kW only and DC fast charging had very few options available "in the wild" to use.

Energica bikes are really gaining in ownership and practicality as more DC fast charging stations are available, however the same issues of finding available electric charging points do persist in at least the N. Americas.

If you ride a Zero S/DS it can be a whole new experience modding and to "hot-rod" an enthusiast charging add-on. When done with reasonable care there is no increase in danger to the rider or others, so, maybe then "Why not?" 

Thanks for that, Shadow!

Yes, there's kind of a spectrum at work here when to modding stuff.  I've had RV's (modded solar systems, fridges, etc., beds, etc.) and a Jeep (modding everything! LOL!), and for me the hot rodding is just in and of itself intrinsically valuable (i.e. fun!)...

For some, the challenge is to make a truly economical solution that improves on existing technology.  At the level at which I'm working here, just getting the tech. (charging) to work in a way that isn't *dys*functional is a challenge. 

You're right too there is an historical perspective at work here.  With the faster charging now available on the newest Zero's this isn't such a nifty mod, but if I'd posted this (I think?) a few years ago when the Evtricity chargers were just coming out and folks were trying to figure out how to put them to best use, reception might have been different. (Just guessing here.)

As an aside, I get the sense there's some doubt as to whether it will truly manifest as advertised, the the Damon Hypersport line claims to be coming out with L1, L2 and DC fast ("Level 3") charging in the next year or so, on top of the pretty incredible claims of 200mi range, 200HP and 200mph top speed.

-S

[scottwstevenson]

Energica bikes are really gaining in ownership and practicality as more DC fast charging stations are available, however the same issues of finding available electric charging points do persist in at least the N. Americas.

And finding one that works is sometimes a hassle. Nobody seems to fix them as they break and they break often.


For a few examples, the CCS charger has been out of service for MONTHS at Silver Springs, NV (EV-Connect)   East Bound Summit Rest Stop, CA (Cal-Trans)  and Cisco Grove, CA (ChargePoint).


So it's not just one company. All of the above have been informed that their CCS Fast Chargers are not working, and they were informed months ago.


-Don-  Reno, NV

You've got more experience than me here, for sure, Don, but it also seems that getting this info. reported and in the respective apps is another weak link in finding charging on the fly.  Not to mention of course that you need several different charging apps / maps to approach the full scope of the chargers that might actually be available in your current location.

-S