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Author Topic: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX  (Read 2126 times)

BenS

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In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« on: January 03, 2016, 02:09:46 PM »

If you'd like to wire in an in-line, on/off switch for your tail and/or brake light, the tail light power wire is "brown", and the brake light power wire is "White with a red trace". You can gain access to the wiring harness by removing the seat. I tapped in just a bit forward of where the two battery packs meet, where the "rear brake switch wire" meets the front one(both white with red trace), but if you pull on one of them, and observe the single wire further back, like just above the rear shock, you can work out which one goes to the light. I've mounted rocker switches into the fairing, just behind the headstem.

I'll try to post some pics later.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2016, 07:56:38 PM by BenS »
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2015 FX 5.7, DIY Electric "Jesse James" chopper bicycle, and DIY Electric 26" Lowrider bicycle. ('10 KTM 530exc, '06 GasGas EC250, '06 YZ450F, '06 GSXR1000.)

KrazyEd

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2016, 12:14:35 PM »

Have you tried putting power to the brake light switch without activating the brakes.
I was thinking of hooking it up to the passing light switch to use the regen. Just
wondered if it would work.
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BenS

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2016, 06:14:37 PM »

EDIT: I just did some testing with my bike, and braking regen still works, even with the light circuit not completing(lights switched off), so you won't be able to use your switch for regen.

evtricity has done it, so if you want to do it, check out his thread http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4357.0 I must warn you though, it's pretty complicated!

No, I haven't tried that, I s'pose it should work if braking regen is activated by the brake switches. Where I tapped in(white with red trace wire) is on the "non-live" side of the front and rear brake switches, so if you tap into the live wire(you can see that the live wire is "blue with black trace" at the connector just above the rear brake switch), and then to the non-live wire(white with red trace), I s'pose your switch should work then.

Oh no, I just thought of something, if braking regen is activated by the completion of the light circuit, that would mean I'm disabling it when I turn the lights off! Hmm, I didn't realize it would do that! In that case, I would need to wire in a switch(preferably a two in one, if that's possible), so that the circuit does complete when the brake switch is activated!
« Last Edit: January 04, 2016, 08:08:57 PM by BenS »
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2015 FX 5.7, DIY Electric "Jesse James" chopper bicycle, and DIY Electric 26" Lowrider bicycle. ('10 KTM 530exc, '06 GasGas EC250, '06 YZ450F, '06 GSXR1000.)

MrDude_1

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2016, 07:56:19 PM »

No, I haven't tried that, I s'pose it should work if braking regen is activated by the brake switches. Where I tapped in(white with red trace wire) is on the "non-live" side of the front and rear brake switches, so if you tap into the live wire(you can see that the live wire is "blue with black trace" at the connector just above the rear brake switch), and then to the non-live wire(white with red trace), I s'pose your switch should work then.

Oh no, I just thought of something, if braking regen is activated by the completion of the light circuit, that would mean I'm disabling it when I turn the lights off! Hmm, I didn't realize it would do that! In that case, I would need to wire in a switch(preferably a two in one, if that's possible), so that the circuit does complete when the brake switch is activated!

In the UNLIKELY case this is true, you still only need one switch... Just a double throw one.
Connect the bike to the middle, Light to one side, and a resistor to the other side.
Flipped one way, the bike connects to the lights like normal.
flipped the other way, the bike connects to the resistor and it thinks the lights are connected.


That said, it probably does not work that way, as that would mean a brake light being out would stop regen.
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BenS

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2016, 08:05:48 PM »

No, I haven't tried that, I s'pose it should work if braking regen is activated by the brake switches. Where I tapped in(white with red trace wire) is on the "non-live" side of the front and rear brake switches, so if you tap into the live wire(you can see that the live wire is "blue with black trace" at the connector just above the rear brake switch), and then to the non-live wire(white with red trace), I s'pose your switch should work then.

Oh no, I just thought of something, if braking regen is activated by the completion of the light circuit, that would mean I'm disabling it when I turn the lights off! Hmm, I didn't realize it would do that! In that case, I would need to wire in a switch(preferably a two in one, if that's possible), so that the circuit does complete when the brake switch is activated!

In the UNLIKELY case this is true, you still only need one switch... Just a double throw one.
Connect the bike to the middle, Light to one side, and a resistor to the other side.
Flipped one way, the bike connects to the lights like normal.
flipped the other way, the bike connects to the resistor and it thinks the lights are connected.


That said, it probably does not work that way, as that would mean a brake light being out would stop regen.
Good point about the bulb being blown.

Thanks Dude, but I've just gone and checked to see if braking regen still works, and my mod only affects the lights, so braking regen must be pressure sensitive, using a hydraulic pressure switch, and not just on/off, which makes sense.

I found this article by evtricity, he explains how he put a regen lever on his bike http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4357.0
« Last Edit: January 04, 2016, 08:14:46 PM by BenS »
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2015 FX 5.7, DIY Electric "Jesse James" chopper bicycle, and DIY Electric 26" Lowrider bicycle. ('10 KTM 530exc, '06 GasGas EC250, '06 YZ450F, '06 GSXR1000.)

KrazyEd

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2016, 10:58:07 PM »

It may be a combination of pressure and light. Early on, a wire frayed on the rear master, no light, and, rear regen stopped.
Once replaced, rear regen worked again. I have my front adjusted to engage regen with minimal travel. It does not
feel like it has reached any pressure on master before regen begins. I seldom use friction brakes above 10 mph. If I hit
a fair sized dip or bump, I can feel it catch regen for a second.
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BenS

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2016, 11:20:53 PM »

That sounds strange, my front and rear braking regen still works separately with the rear lights off.

I didn't know that we could adjust when regen kicks in.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2016, 11:23:21 PM by BenS »
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2015 FX 5.7, DIY Electric "Jesse James" chopper bicycle, and DIY Electric 26" Lowrider bicycle. ('10 KTM 530exc, '06 GasGas EC250, '06 YZ450F, '06 GSXR1000.)

KrazyEd

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Re: In-line on/off switch for tail and brake light, 2015 Zero FX
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2016, 04:21:49 PM »

The Adjustment isn't really when it kicks in, it is just adjusting when the switch on the brake lever causes the light to engage.
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