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[flattetyre]

OK I have a 2017 FXS with the standard chain kit. I almost entirely use the bike for commuting and city riding but lately decided to try riding it on the highway. And of course, my chain is adjusted within spec and lubed frequently with maxima chain wax.

With the reduction on the chain kit, the bike tops out at 71 mph on GPS. What I found is that the highway range is absolutely TERRIBLE, around 25 miles for full charge, which is a little confusing since I understand the bike normally goes around 40 miles at 70 mph.

Last night I did a test run and got 28 miles. 3 of those were riding slow to get to / from the highway. I rode topped out on the way out, turned around at 50%, rode about 65 on the way back and finished with 0% charge and 1 mile range remaining. So, the extrapolated range for riding the entire pack at 70 mph is about 25 miles.

The bike is a little unusual in that Zero replaced one of my battery packs (not both) about a year ago. The new battery is the 32 Ah version used in the 7.2 packs, old one is from the 6.5 packs. When the bike is ridden hard or on the highway the new battery gets a lot hotter. Temperature was about 75*F outside, so batteries are not suffering reduced range from cold weather.

Anyway I am trying to figure out if my highway range at 70 mph with chain kit is reasonable or if my older battery needs to be warrantied.

[Curt]

Interesting, I didn't know the bike could handle two batteries with different capacities. But it's a pretty minor difference, you having 6.85 vs 6.5, should be able to go 3-4 miles further.

I get about 30 miles going 65 on the highway with FX 6.5 + belt. Gear reduction, chain friction and higher speeds could easily account for 25 mile range. It would be best to compare the range in the same riding style you used pre-new-battery.

Besides the range being terrible at highway speeds, the FX(S) is a small bike and not the best platform for that kind of travel. It's less safe, and its longevity could be impacted.

[princec]

I'd say chain friction was almost noise in the grand scheme of things vs. wind resistance. I think maybe the gear reduction is what's cost you, as it's put the motor into the low efficiency end of its torque output, right at the top. The belt drive is geared for 85mph ish and I believe that's actually restricted (it should manage about 110mph with 45bhp), probably still in the phat part of the engine torque/efficiency curve.

Just a theory anyway. I bet it goes like a greased weasel with the gear reduction.

Cas

[flattetyre]

Yes, I was wondering how much efficiency drops with the higher RPM. Does anyone have data on that? Or I can simulate if anyone knows the following parameters:

Rmotor: Room-temperature phase-to-phase winding resistance (mOhm)
Lmotor: Phase-to-phase winding inductance (mH)
poles: pole pairs
a0: Hysteresis torque of the motor in Nm. You can derive it from the no-load current at low speeds
a1: Eddie current torque of the motor, (N-m/(Rad/sec)).
           You can derive it from the slope of the no-load current vs. rpm

Anyway, if other users are only getting 30 miles stock @ 65 that makes me feel much better.

[princec]

Lamb Chop was getting about 50 miles in ordinary riding from the 7.2 I think.

Cas

[flattetyre]

Anyone else have range figures?

[domingo3]

I can make 41 miles on the highway.  In the wintertime, i have to stick to the speed limit (55-65 mph).   One cold morning, I had to push the last two miles because I was riding on fast lane coming in.  In the summer, I have no range anxiety.  Total trip is 44 miles.  1 mile at the beginning and 2 miles at the end of city then the rest is highway.  Of course, the slower I go, the more battery I have left when I get there.

[Ireek]

Man, if the FX/FXS had 1/3 more range, I'd be all over one, even at the expense of added weight and price, where I live, I just couldn't get anywhere I needed to go and having any kind of fun.

[domingo3]

Man, if the FX/FXS had 1/3 more range, I'd be all over one, even at the expense of added weight and price, where I live, I just couldn't get anywhere I needed to go and having any kind of fun.

Isn't FX(S) with added weight and price a DSR?  I'd love to have more range on my FXS, but when you start adding heavy batteries, the rest of the bike has to grow.  At least that's the way it is now.  Maybe some day we'll have light batteries with excellent energy density, so tradeoffs will be minimized or different.

[TheRan]

An FX and DS are actually quite different, with the FX being more off road oriented with its longer suspension travel and larger front wheel. Geometry is also slightly different with a slightly longer wheelbase and a bit less rake and trail. The FXS actually has the same suspension travel as the DS but again different geometry and road wheels, the DS might possibly come close if you swapped out the front wheel for one off an S.

Outside of America you can get the FX/S with the larger 7.2 battery for more range, and it's still a bit lighter than a 7.2 S/DS. Actually, looking at Zero's site it seems like the 7.2 might be available in America now too.

[Crissa]

The 7.2 (or similar) has always been available in the US.

But if you want 14.4 you've added a passenger or half of weight and bulk to the center of the bike, which is why the DS doesn't have that longer travel and lighter weight the X series has.

-Crissa

[TheRan]

Yeah my mistake, I was getting it mixed up with the lack of a non-R 14.4 in America, I knew there was a model you guys didn't have for some reason.

Is the 3.6 the modular version with a single brick, and then you add a second brick to get 7.2? Or is each brick 1.8? They list the 7.2 as being non-modular, although strangely they still give you the option of purchasing an extra module.

You can't view the weight of the 7.2 FX/S on the site anymore but if I remember correctly it was only about 10kg lighter than a 7.2 S/DS, well within the adjustability of the suspension were they to fit the FX fork and shock to the DS (it wouldn't surprise me if the DS stuff is identical to the FXS just with different settings). If I did more off road riding and had longer legs I'd like to try out the swap along with the spoked wheels.

[Crissa]

(The bricks are 3.6 each.  A 7.2 non-modular is slightly lighter than the modular (and much cheaper).)

But that X-platform is maxed out while an S-platform can double that and then put more on top.

If you want to keep that travel, and have the S-platform capacity, the X-platform would basically need to be bigger.  Wider, taller.  Like a big Africa Twin.

-Crissa