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[DonTom]

I don't know about the 2017 models, but if your screen says that it can find no new updates, I guess it did update.    One way to tell is that the firmware update that I got was for the BMS and when I turned it on for the first time it showed a much greater range estimate than it had before.  I am sure that there is someway to check your firmware updates via the Zero app, but I just can't recall how it is done. Perhaps someone else can advise us how to check them.  I might add that when the firmware is updating, it causes the instrument display to flash all of its symbols in rapid succession.

I saw Shadow here in Reno tonight and he figured it out with a few updates to my phone. It never did update the bike. It now says:

"NEW FIRMWARE UPDATE

Motorcycle firmware is out of date. Please see your dealer as soon as possible.

Main Bike Board
Current Version:12
New Version:26

This version requires an update from your dealer."


Shadow explained AFTER this dealer update is done, then I can update from the cell phone. Only this first firmware update needs to be done at the dealer.

This is WRT my 2017 Zero DS ZF 6.5.

I will check my 2017 Zero SR when I get to Auburn in about a week.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Richard230]

I don't know about the 2017 models, but if your screen says that it can find no new updates, I guess it did update.    One way to tell is that the firmware update that I got was for the BMS and when I turned it on for the first time it showed a much greater range estimate than it had before.  I am sure that there is someway to check your firmware updates via the Zero app, but I just can't recall how it is done. Perhaps someone else can advise us how to check them.  I might add that when the firmware is updating, it causes the instrument display to flash all of its symbols in rapid succession.

I saw Shadow here in Reno tonight and he figured it out with a few updates to my phone. It never did update the bike. It now says:

"NEW FIRMWARE UPDATE

Motorcycle firmware is out of date. Please see your dealer as soon as possible.

Main Bike Board
Current Version:12
New Version:26

This version requires an update from your dealer."


Shadow explained AFTER this dealer update is done, then I can update from the cell phone. Only this first firmware update needs to be done at the dealer.

This is WRT my 2017 Zero DS ZF 6.5.

I will check my 2017 Zero SR when I get to Auburn in about a week.

-Don-  Reno, NV

Not exactly something that Zero goes out of its way to tell its customers, unfortunately.    Good luck with your dealer-installed update and I hope it works to get you updating at home without a visit to your dealer.

[DonTom]

Not exactly something that Zero goes out of its way to tell its customers, unfortunately.    Good luck with your dealer-installed update and I hope it works to get you updating at home without a visit to your dealer.

I will have to wait at least a month for Euro-Cycles to start doing Zeros here in Reno. Mine will probably be the first Zero they do, so my bike will probably be the guinea pig. Or perhaps Shadow's bike. We also both need our commissioning done. I have 5,100 miles on my bike and nothing has been done to it via the dealer since new, but it still runs perfectly.

I wonder what the new firmware will do. I really don't see anything that needs improvement.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Richard230]

Not exactly something that Zero goes out of its way to tell its customers, unfortunately.    Good luck with your dealer-installed update and I hope it works to get you updating at home without a visit to your dealer.

I will have to wait at least a month for Euro-Cycles to start doing Zeros here in Reno. Mine will probably be the first Zero they do, so my bike will probably be the guinea pig. Or perhaps Shadow's bike. We also both need our commissioning done. I have 5,100 miles on my bike and nothing has been done to it via the dealer since new, but it still runs perfectly.

I wonder what the new firmware will do. I really don't see anything that needs improvement.

-Don-  Reno, NV

The only thing I have really noticed with all of my firmware updates is that they start off showing a very high estimated range and they seem to wipe out the computer's memory regarding how many kWh have been used, the distance traveled in the past, how many watts per hour you average and maybe a few other things. It is almost as if you just picked up your new bike from the dealer, except for total mileage ridden as shown on the instrument display. 

One thing that caught me off guard is that the Zero app showed that I used only 11.8 kWh during my trip yesterday.  It should have said about 14 kWh used.  I have a suspicion that the MBB is using a calculation designed for the base 13.0 kWh Zero S and that particular display is not picking up on the power tank installation.  I think it is just guessing instead of actually measuring kWh used. 

[JaimeC]

The last update I got on my 2016 earlier this year also wiped out my "Custom" settings.  I had to redo those.

[Richard230]

The last update I got on my 2016 earlier this year also wiped out my "Custom" settings.  I had to redo those.

The firmware update that I received the other day had no effect on my custom settings, or anything else that I noticed. I sure wish that Zero would let their customers know what changes that their firmware updates are supposed to do. At least that way we could decide if we wanted the update and would be able to tell if it actually performed the claimed improvement. But Zero has never done this and it doesn't look like they ever plan to do so. 

[JaimeC]

Not true.  The big update earlier this year (or was it late last year) that changed the charging algorithm was also accompanied by information on what the update did.  Once the battery reached 100%, it stopped charging until the battery fell below 90%.  The recommendation was to only charge it up right before you planned on riding.  If you planned on letting it sit for a spell, don't leave it plugged in.  This was the exact opposite of the instructions I got when I first bought the bike.  At that time, I was told to always leave it plugged in if I wasn't riding it.

That was the update that screwed up my estimated range until I ran the battery all the way down to zero.  It also messed up the "remaining charge" display, as it appeared as though I had the 9.6 kWh battery instead of the 13 kWh battery.  Again, when I ran the charge all the way down to zero it seemed to reset itself and it was behaving properly (at least, up until that MORON hit me this past June and totaled the bike).  That was the same update that reset my custom settings too.  At least that I caught right away.

[Auriga]

If anyone's wondering what the latest firmware contains, you could look here: https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/owner-resources/firmware/
It looks like they're giving some details about the latest firmware

[Richard230]

If anyone's wondering what the latest firmware contains, you could look here: https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/owner-resources/firmware/
It looks like they're giving some details about the latest firmware

Thanks! That was news to me.  (I will admit to not going out of my way to visit the Zero website.) Of course, thinking about those descriptions makes me wonder if trying to solve one year's problem might result in an unintended issue for another year's model programming.    Such as: how does improving the performance of a MY17 battery MBS affect the performance of a MY15 MBS?

It looks like none of the firmware updates that I received for my 2018 Zero make any changes to the way I ride and use my bike.

Regarding JamieC's comment about Zero's recommendation not to leave the charger plugged in all of the time: I heard about that in a letter from Zero over two years ago and started following their advice on my 2014 S. Oddly, it was shortly after I started unplugging my charger every time it finished charging that my charger stopped charging the battery pack to 100% and would stop at 98% and then finally 92%. 

[Shadow]

If anyone's wondering what the latest firmware contains, you could look here: https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/owner-resources/firmware/
It looks like they're giving some details about the latest firmware

Added this link to the Unofficial Zero Manual reference and for good measure requested Internet Archive Wayback Machine service to add a copy of it.

[GeneralSP]

I just updated my bike's BMS from version No. 31 to No. 34 on my 2018 Zero. The process took about 30 minutes and at the end of that time period, my phone said that the update had "timed out", that the firmware update had failed and to try updating again. When I turned the bike back on, it said that my firmware was up to date and no new firmware updates were available. And so it goes.   

If I notice anything strange when I ride my bike again I will let you know. 

Yesterday I maked update for my 2018 SR, I've had exactly the same message like you at the end (Android). About failed firmware update. I updated BMS and Main Dash. My bike seem work great.