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[Snow4us]

I just moved to WI and am currently storing my 2017 DSR in a detached, unheated garage.  So far this winter the lowest temps have been in the high teens during the night, but in late Dec- mid-Feb temps as cold as -30 are possible.   Is there any chance I will do damage to my bike leaving it unheated during the winter?

I plan to keep it around 70% SOC.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Zero has a specific guidance document on their website for this under Owners Resources.

[Scotchman]

There doesn't seem to be a good answer.  Zero used to say leave it plugged in, because the risk of the battery getting very very low was too great, and holding the battery near 0 is one of the worst things you can do to it.  Then they said, ok, hold it at 60%, that's better.  Presumably someone thought that if you didn't keep up with it that was your fault and the warranty was voided.  My thought is if you might forget to check on it every few weeks, its probably still better to leave it plugged in.

Now the new models have long term storage mode so this is moot for new bikes.  I am hopeful they will push that in a software update to the rest of us.  In the meantime, I don't think any of the options available to us cold-weather dwellers are great, but the "best" thing is to hold it near 60%.

My concern is that charging the battery below freezing, and especially far below freezing, is supposed to not be too great for it, so do we come out ahead keeping it at 60% if that includes occasional charging in very cold conditions.

Ultimately, that is what I do.  From what I've read on the topic, as long as you don't keep it near 0 for a long time, nothing you do is going to be much worse for the battery than the natural aging with time anyway, so I don't worry about it.

[JaimeC]

Actually, it was "don't let it drop below 30%."  Dropping from 60% to 30% would take months, so I don't think it's anything to lose sleep over...

[Electric Cowboy]

Useful data for your consideration :

I was taught from people who designed the batteries in the Zero that the best way to make a battery last a long time it to put it between 30% and 60% in a giant bag of desicant inside of another giant bag of desicant and keep it COLD!

to translate a little : NO MOISTURE, 103-106 vdc, and cold is the best

to prevent misuse of this data : USING the battery at this temp will damage it. Moisture at this temp will damage it, going out of this voltage range for extended storage will probably damage it.

[Curt]

It sounds like leaving it in the cold air is fine. Cold winter air is usually very dry (hence the static electricity).

I wouldn't try to charge a frozen battery. If it dipped close to 30%, I'd wheel it into the house to warm up overnight, charge it to 60%-70%, and wheel it back out to the garage. (This is also assuming the inside air is also dry enough to avoid condensation.)

[Richard230]

Anyone happen to recall the Zero Below Zero experiment by Aerostitch, where they left a Zero FX out in the Duluth, Minnesota, winter and commuted on it every day?  They wrote a 135-page book with that title detailing each day's results of that experiment.  The book was handed out for free at Zero's 10-year anniversary party.  Somehow the FX made it though the entire winter, including being charged while sitting outside in sub-freezing temperatures all night, with nothing other than an electric blanket wrapped around its batteries.

Check this thread out:  http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=5420.0

[Electric Cowboy]

Thats very cool. The electric blanket does exactly what I was explaining.

It prevents the battery from being used while cold. USE WHILE COLD is the bad part of cold, that and frozen water bits which is why the desicant dual bagging for storage.

[Doug S]

USE WHILE COLD is the bad part of cold, that and frozen water bits which is why the desicant dual bagging for storage.

Just to be clear, EC, when you say "use", you're referring to either charging or discharging, right? I'd imagine charging at very low temps is just as damaging as discharging.

[Electric Cowboy]

100% correct Doug.

[nevetsyad]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the BMS won't allow the motorcycle to charge if the pack temp is too low. I seem to recall people trying to charge in the middle of the night when it was freezing out, and not being able to - but if they rode it and charged immediately, while the pack was still warm, it allowed it to charge.

[Scotchman]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the BMS won't allow the motorcycle to charge if the pack temp is too low. I seem to recall people trying to charge in the middle of the night when it was freezing out, and not being able to - but if they rode it and charged immediately, while the pack was still warm, it allowed it to charge.

I'd like an answer on this also; I have no option but to charge it in the garage at this point and it's quite cold.  Will the bike protect itself?

I have also ridden a couple times around freezing as I had thought that was ok, and now I'm worried that I shouldn't be.

[dennis-NL]

From what I experienced:
The Zero battery manager will not allow charging below freezing.
The Zero itself can ride below Freezing, but regeneration will not be 'on'.

From what I know:
The Diginow cannot start charging because of this.
The Diginow will charge more slowly if battery is still very cold or hot to protect battery even more. Even if setpoint is higher.