Sad news. The past couple of days my 2012 S ZF9 has been making some unpleasant clunking noises and i was feeling a light kicking through the pegs with each noise.. It continued to get worse until on the way home today it was making the most horrendous sounds I have ever heard from a machine. Going on my basic troubleshooting skills it seems the main motor bearing has collapsed. As it did for Terry on his cross country attempt.
P.s. Mileage is 7500 miles. I ride in all weather every day which probably doesn't help.
Sorry to hear this. I was able to dissect my motor and the noise I heard turned out not to be the bearing, but the fiber composite cooling fan in the back that had come loose. On my trip I had a tire burst a belt from being way too overloaded (look at my pictures on FB to see the huge bulge in the tire.) But late at night there was no where to replace it and I had to go. Normally no one would ride in these conditions. After 500 or so miles the vibration was so intense it vibrated one of my phase leads that was weakened loose at the motor. One of my upgraded phase leads for my size 6 controller literally broke at the crimped terminal end. The copper inside I could see was green and had disintegrated from corrosion. The heat shrink had been cut due to not being careful when I was routing the oversized double zero gauge cables 14 months prior, allowing water in the terminal end. I was surprised corrosion could literally turn copper into a brittle dust like powder like that. (keep dissimilar metals that have exposure to high voltages away from water!) With 1 of the 3 phase leads disconnected, the motor vibrated so intensely the cooling fan clip popped off. That is what made the noise that sounded like a Harley.
The other time I had a motor issue is when my sprocket bolt backed out, (due to my improper use of Loctite or lack there of should I say) and the bolt contacted the swingarm nut. As soon as this contact occurred it spun out more putting pressure on the motor shaft also popping off the cooling fan. That time the cooling fan exploded into shards of composite fiber all into the charger skid plate.
Both of these issues would not have happened if I hadn't modified the motorcycle. So the stock motor is very robust.
However not to say there couldn't be a bearing issue as you say, but both times I was quick to assume bearing problems, it turned out to be something else that was my fault. Being twice as heavy as the bike was designed for, and well over 50,000 miles (You might say 100,000 miles of work moving the weight of a stock motorcycle) I am very impressed by how strong they are. Without my screw-ups, there's a good chance I could be on the original motor still.
I'm waiting to see one of you guys do this. Please put 100,000 miles on a stock motorcycle to show it can be done. I realize that might take 2 years or so of riding, but it will happen soon I'm sure.
NoiseBoy, let me know your status on this. I'm sure Zero will have your dealer just replace the motor, even if its a simple fix like the fan.
That's the beauty of the new design of the motors in the 2013 and 2014. They don't even have a cooling fan and run more efficient. That new motor is so impressive. How cool would it be if one day you could perhaps for a premium price, upgrade and install that new design motor into a 2012 Zero??? I know, highly unlikely.
But there's no harm in wishful thinking right? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Author
Topic: My motor has eaten itself. (Read 1695 times)