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[Erasmo]

When charging in public it isn't handy that the cable for the on-board charger cannot lock.

The chances of running into a cleptomanic that collects power cables are of course super slim but it always happens just when need it the most.

I'm not talking about unstealable but enough of a hassle to keep an oppertunistic  junky or a bored troublemaker from just taking it away. So perhaps run the cable through a small padlock and mount that on the frame.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

[GambitDash]

More trouble than its worth. Those cables are only worth 5-10$ bucks,  and I don't want to motivate anyone to think otherwise.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[Justin Andrews]

I'd want locking on the Charge Tank, a kettle lead may only be a couple of quid, but a decent charging cable can easily hit a hundred or so quid.

[Erasmo]

It's not the cost that makes me think about this, it's coming back to a bike that hasn't charged and cannot charge any more just after all the shops have closed down.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I leave things in my "tank bag" all the time and no one has touched it in approaching 3 years. No one who's looking for easy items to steal is going to bother with a motorcycle they don't understand. Even if they did understand the opportunity, they'd probably be afraid of getting shocked.

Security is an economic/opportunity tradeoff. If you want a place to lock the cable, install a locking top case and put the cable there (or a backup cheaply acquired from Monoprice).

[protomech]

It's not the cost that makes me think about this, it's coming back to a bike that hasn't charged and cannot charge any more just after all the shops have closed down.

Someone who might steal your cable also might:
- unplug you
- cut the cable (hopefully not while charging)
- tip your bike over

Adding a backup cable in the lockbox as Brian suggests is not a bad idea - gives you an extra length of extension that you might need - but if I was in an area where I didn't feel safe leaving a dirty $5 power cable around, I wouldn't leave my bike there either. Just MHO, but I wouldn't worry about it unduly.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Oops. I realize I misread the original post, and the concern is about cable security while in use in public. I don't think you'll be able to tether the cable securely at all (no lock can really hold down a "big string" without attracting exactly the attention you don't want or tying the cable in an undesirable knot). [I think I'm getting over-sensitive to negative posts around here, and will try to ease off the criticism.]

I regularly use an Elcon in public and anyone could unplug it and walk off with it. At least some chargers will send an alert to my phone that charging ended early?

Strangely, I think my first suggestion is accidentally right: just put a spare in a lockable case.

[NEW2elec]

Now that would be something for the Zero App to do.  Tell you if you bike is charging and at what rate and SOC is like some of the high end charging stations do.  It would need better range than Bluetooth though.  I think I could rig up something to lock the plug into the bike but not the plug into the wall outlet.  Well not public outlets anyway.

[Electric Terry]

I carry an extra 25' charging cable I got from monoprice in a lockable top case.  Not cause I ever worry about someone stealing it, just if I need extra length.  But it does act as a backup.

On the other topic, I don't forsee Zero having a cellular connection any time soon like most electric cars do, just because of additional cost to the base price of the bike, and the cost of development.

However, if you always use ChargePoint stations as do 98% of the time by choice, it will send me an alert if the bike stops charging for any reason, and it has come in useful many times.  A few times there was a charger error and I was able to go back and restart it.  Most times I use it to tell me when to leave my lunch or dinner table and return to the bike as it's done charging.

When many of you either get the Zero charge tank, the Hollywood Electrics Elcons, or the DigiNow supercharger and a J1772 plug, you will see this is even more handy.

[kingcharles]

The mennekes plug gets locked in the charging post when you start charging.
In the beginning I carried a small padlock to secure the plug that goes into the bike but I trust the mennekes lock now.

If its the IEC plug you mean than a small enough padlock will do the trick too. Just try locking the cable to something on the bike like the passenger footpeg support.

[KrazyEd]

There is an out of the way outlet at my work that I use for charging my vehicles while on shift. I leave a generic cord there. In 3 years, it has only gone missing once.
I keep a spare in my backpack. I thought about just picking up a small padlock to just put over the cable. Just to keep the cable ends from pulling through. Not expensive
to replace, but, as mentioned inconvenient if not there when needed.