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[crankypants]

Hey everyone,

I just completed my last leg of a mid-life crisis by getting a motorcycle license and purchasing a used 2015 Zero SR. I have a couple questions about it (this is my first motorcycle). I don't have any buddies that own Zeros but I do have a dealer in my city which is fairly new (they just started in spring of this year). I asked them a few questions but their knowledge was limited and I wanted to ask the community here about a few things...

1) The back-light (blue light) on the display doesn't turn on. I'm not sure how to activate it. Everything on the display works, I see everything during the day. It's just that at night, you can't visibly see it since it's so dark. Is there a way to troubleshoot this problem or do I just go to the dealer and get a new display? Speaking of a new display, is it worth the extra money to upgrade to the newer TFT display?

2) I got the bike at 80% charge and decided to test the charging after a little bit of riding (got the bike a week ago, limited time to ride, and weather is now cold). The power cord it came with became extremely hot at both ends after about 15 minutes of charging. The charging receiver on the bike is also 'loose' so I have to hold the back of the receiver outlet on the bike as I plug the cord in. Otherwise, plugging the cord in just pushes it through the frame hole. Is there a piece broken off and is the early amount of excessive heat normal? I have posted a video of this here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YBzMbyM33yVpBuzA1YR4K9bG1KXZqxCf/view?usp=sharing

3) The bike makes a "Coffee Brewing" sound as I call it when duck walking it or using the throttle. Can you take a listen and let me know if this is normal or does it mean something? Here's the video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M8FgmjQT90siPXjQR4A4DBJxbMSwyD7d/view?usp=sharing

Edit: Forgot to add a 4th question
4) The seller described an issue with the bike called a 'nervous tick' where sometimes after accelerating the bike will kind of 'stall out' making a click noise and the green 'ready' icon flashes on and off. The one time I rode the bike around, I merged into traffic and this happened. The bike slows down and there's nothing I can do except let off the throttle and wait a few seconds for the bike to sort itself out and it's fine. I'm still trying to figure out how to replicate this as of right now, it's kind of random. The seller said it may be an ignition switch issue after some research he did. Has anyone ever experienced something similar? Will bring it to the service center/dealership soon and ask them about it.

Thanks!

Also, the app is telling me a firmware upgrade is available and I need to see the dealer. I plan on taking the motorcycle there in the next week since I'm due for inspection, too.

[Emtkopan]

Welcome!

1. The backlight should always be on so it's possible you have a bad display unit and it will need to be swapped out. Sorry, there is no on/off like in a car. You can buy a replacement and try to change it out yourself. It's plug-and-play but a bit of work to remove it.

2. The cord will always be a little hot. You can try getting another cord to see but it should be the same. It's the same type of cord used in many desktop computers. You'll see it gets hot while it charges because it is pulling so much voltage to charge the bike. As for the receiver plug, there are two screws holding it the top and bottom in. They are not easy to get to without moving some of the wires around and taking off a few things. It is plastic so the other possibility is that plastic is broken. If I can find my old one I'll post a picture so you can see what I'm talking about.

3. I couldn't hear the sound you were referring to very well. You will notice s small whine when barely giving it throttle because it is all electric so it is all torque. If you even play with it a little it will get out from under you. I learned that the hard way and crashed mine showing my co-workers about it. Don't even think you can "rev" it at all. Now because of the regenerative braking you make hear a little grinding or friction feeling as it tries to charge when the brakes are applied or you are letting go of the throttle. I'm sorry, my hearing is not what it used to be so I can't tell you anything more than that.

4. The "nervous tick" sounds like something is causing the bike to switch off. Just like when you put the kickstand down the bike won't start or on an ICE bike when you put the kickstand down it shuts off. It's possible a sensor has gone bad making it think it needs to shut off. I know your dealer is new but the kill switch is the same on that or other bikes. Check those kill switches in the kickstand and the right grip.

Firmware updates can do a world of wonders and even iron out some small issues. I would get that done first then see if any of it is corrected. Again, welcome to the world of electric motorcycles. I love my 2016 SR still and use it as my daily commuter. I'm still riding in the cool weather. In my younger years, I would ride down to the high teens. Also, you will notice the battery usage increase in colder weather so keep an eye on your range. You won't get as far.

[ESokoloff]

Sounds like you’ll need to replace the bikes socket as well as cut off the power cords ends & replace plug/socket.

Read here on what I did.

https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=10514.0

For the C13, I went with a Right/Left
https://www.google.com/search?q=IEC+Lock%2B+PA130100RBK+Right+or+Left+Angle+The+World%27s+First+Locking+Rewireable+IEC320-C13+Connectors+No+More+Accidental+Unplugging+or+Disconnections+(Left/Right)&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
& just leave it plugged in all the time.
I store the cord in the small round frame hole (note that I’ve put an ABS [modified to acomadate shock attachment boss] pipe inside)
NOTE This C13 has an anti pull out lock feature that makes it difficult to pull out.
I tied a string to both edges of the red pull bar to allow for a pull string solution.
You may choose the straight version if you don’t plan to leave permanently plugged in.

[ESokoloff]

#3 sounds normal to me but hard to be 100% sure over the internet.

#4 is something I’ve experienced many times in the 60k+ miles I’ve had my 2016 DSR.
Mostly happens backing the bike out of the garage with full right hand handlebar to its limit stop.

I had a similar problem with my 2003 BMW R1150 RT that turned out to be an intermittent open main power wire to the ignition switch.
Lots of movement back & forth plus up & down finally took its toll. 

What ever you find out about this issue please share. 

[Richard230]

Regarding the power cord, I would recommend buying a 12 gauge cord. They are kind of hard to come by, but I was able to find one on Amazon. Once you repair the male connector on your bike the ends of the cord will only get warm, but not hot when charging.

[Crissa]

Yes, the bike makes a 'coffee brewing' sound when you move it.  It's a pedestrian warning system.

-Crissa

[Moto7575]

For the cable ask the seller if it is the original, or if he bought something on the internet. The cord are the same used to power PC, but with for more amps needed - so there is a real risk if the cable is too small - it could even burn.

Go to a place such as AF1racing and you will find good quality parts.

[TheRan]

Yes, the bike makes a 'coffee brewing' sound when you move it.  It's a pedestrian warning system.

-Crissa

If you're being serious, the sound is caused by a small amount of power being applied to the motor so the encoder knows its position (or something like that, I don't know exactly how it works). You don't really need PWS on an electric bike when it's just being pushed about, a gas bike with its engine off is just as quiet and there's little chance of hitting someone and not much damage to be done at duck walking speeds.

[Crissa]

You don't need it, but it makes the sound anyhow.  The sound doesn't change based upon toque settings, but the difficulty to push it does.  No one else's bike does it.

-Crissa

[ESokoloff]

In regards to motor noise, see here (Sorry Crissa, your wrong).
https://zeromanual.com/wiki/Z-Force_Motor/Sounds

In regards to charge cord wire gauge:
14AWG is adequate after the ends are properly replaced with quality plug/socket.
12AWG will probably work better (less resistance at the factory plug/socket crimps) but is not
necessary. 
Note that if you need an EXTREMELY long cord, 12AWG will be the better choice but a typical cord (less then 20’), 14 should be fine (after proper modifications).

[crankypants]

Wow! Thanks everyone for replying! I’ve gained a lot from this thread and appreciate everyone sharing their expertise. Looking forward to learning more about my SR and keeping it in great shape!

[Shadow]

The display backlight for that Model-Year is part of the 12V fused circuit that includes license plate light. Replacing the fuse it would pop instantly, and the shop found a short in the license plate illumination light. Fixing the short and then replacing the fuse allowed the display backlight to function again.

Have a good time and consider having an authorized dealer look it over and perform a motor commissioning / firmware upgrade, request that they printout the old calibration settings and the new for comparison.

[crankypants]

The display backlight for that Model-Year is part of the 12V fused circuit that includes license plate light. Replacing the fuse it would pop instantly, and the shop found a short in the license plate illumination light. Fixing the short and then replacing the fuse allowed the display backlight to function again.

I just checked my license plate light and it is also out with the display back light! Which fuse is it? Is it 4 (Accessory) or 6 (Dash, Running Lights)? I plan on taking it to the dealer later this week after the rain lets up.

EDIT: Replaced Fuse 6 and I have the display backlight working again along with the license plate light! One step closer to passing state inspection, lol

[Crissa]

The white noise is not the same as the percolating noise.  If you just push the bike you only get the percolating noise, and even if the bike is off - but not if the bike has suffered an error or battery forced shutdown,

-Crissa

[princec]

The SR/F doesn't make the percolating noise, only the white noise. I did wonder what the white noise was for.

Cas