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[trikester]

Here are the data from my week of riding (2013 FX) the dirt forest roads in the Klamath National Forest in N Calif. One very scary off-camber, rocky, descent with a lot of exposure, otherwise rocks and ruts and some very steep pitches. The bike ran trouble free and handled the terrain very well. I had a lot of fun!

The data are in rtf format and when clicked open in MS WORD on PC's. It should also open in whatever program other Op systems use for rtf since rtf is universal. If this becomes a problem I'll convert it to a PDF or JPEG.

Trikester

[Doctorbass]

Excellent!

That's interesting data.

Thanks for sharing!

Doc

[trikester]

Another thing I observed, which I didn't write down, was motor and controller temps. The reason I didn't try to document these numbers was that they would cool so fast when I stopped.

As an ex power supply designer, getting rid of unwanted heat was always a design concern.

So you can imagine my pleasure at seeing how fast the motor heat would dissipate when I stopped at the top of a steep climb. On one particularly steep and long section I saw the highest motor temp (controller was always much less) was 170* just before topping the climb. That was the only time that week where I saw that high temp. Air temp was in the upper 70's. Needless to say I was going easy on the throttle since the climb was strewn with rocks, ruts, and tree debris.

Trikester

[Marshm]

Interesting data.  Thanks for posting this.  48 miles with a big elevation gain sounds like it could be a tough ride.  5300 feet elevation gain is pretty good. 

[trikester]

Interesting data.  Thanks for posting this.  48 miles with a big elevation gain sounds like it could be a tough ride.  5300 feet elevation gain is pretty good. 

Yes and considering that there were ups and downs along the way meant that the total elevation gain was more than the start to the top difference.

I'm personally very impressed with the FX. Remember that I did some of these same rides on my 2012 DS last year and posted the data that I had then. Although, without the iPod Bluetooth on the 2012 it isn't as complete as the 2013 data but still an interesting comparison. Last year the Eddy Gulch Lookout ride was somewhat different because I trucked the bike up 10.5 miles and started there but still rode all the way back to Otter Bar. I also got lost on that ride last year so the miles added up to 42.1 but not the 48.2 of this years EGL ride. The two rides where a direct comparison could be made, between the 2012 DS rides and the 2013 FX rides, are the 10N04 and Yellow Jacket Ridge rides. I haven't yet looked closely at those two rides and the two different bikes.

Trikester

[trikester]

BTW - I forgot to mention that after every ride the bike was recharged by a high velocity water wheel driven from a spring 600 feet above Otter Bar Lodge. The FX charger draws about 650 watts and the waterwheel was producing 750 watts.

Lead acid batteries @ 24 V DC store the energy and drive a 4800 W 24V DC to 120 V AC converter to power the lodge (mostly used in the evenings) so if I returned from my rides at 3:00 to 4:00 pm I would be getting the first 2 or 3 hours of my charge directly from the waterwheel through the inverter and then again after bedtime.

I'm quite sure the way these rides were done was a first for this region. Last year the 1100 W charger on the DS was powered by a Diesel generator. Last year was most likely a first for an electric motorcycle riding these Klamath Forest roads and then this year for one being recharged each ride by local small hydro power. 

Trikester

[BSDThw]

the bike was recharged by a high velocity water wheel driven from a spring 600 feet above Otter Bar Lodge

Thumps Up this is the way it should be done

My domestic current is "balanced" with 100% hydropower  I see often that e-mobility has two classes one are looking to save money the other look for cleaner environment

[WindRider]

Hey Trikester,

Do you find the FX to have the same range as your 12 DS6 ?

Nice post, looks like some great riding. 

[trikester]

Hey Trikester,

Do you find the FX to have the same range as your 12 DS6 ?

I have yet to closely compare the data from last year with this year but it seems like I did get a similar range even though the 2013 FX battery is smaller than the 2012 DS6. I would attribute this to Zero's new motor having more efficiency than the 2012 motor. The larger diameter wheels may have helped some also.

I need to get "on the ball" and look at the two years rides side by side in detail. I sure wish the 2012 DS had been equipped with the Bluetooth and App so that I would have had the same kind of data throughout all the rides.

I'm pleased to hear that Zero has found my ride data to be useful to them. I haven't seen much other mountain dirt ride data posted. In May I posted data on my FX mountain ride in Utah. Most of my desert dirt rides do not involve much total climbing although there can be some steep pitches along the way. Also, soft sand, with changing conditions, can make it difficult to compare desert rides performance.

Trikester

[WindRider]

Thanks for the reply.   I was curious about how much more efficient the new motor actually is in the real world. 

For my own experiences on a 12 DS9 I find that it goes a long way in dirt riding as the speeds are lower, even with a lot of climbing.    Yesterday I went for a spin that lasted 90 miles and included about 25 highway miles.   

I think that Zero should come up with a way to add more battery capacity to the FX so that you could choose from 1 to 4 battery modules giving range options from 3-12KW.    I would like an FX but I am not going to give up potential 100 mile range.   

[BSDThw]

I think that Zero should come up with a way to add more battery capacity to the FX so that you could choose from 1 to 4 battery modules giving range options from 3-12KW.    I would like an FX but I am not going to give up potential 100 mile range.

I agree 100% with you!

[trikester]

For my own experiences on a 12 DS9 I find that it goes a long way in dirt riding as the speeds are lower, even with a lot of climbing.

I have stated many times in these forums that the dirt mileage is greater than the highway mileage and for the same reason you have stated. It's all about speed! Another less important factor may be that dirt riding is usually not steady throttle and therefore the copper losses may be reduced due to less heating and therefore lower resistance ( copper resistance rises with temperature). That throttle up/down factor may be debatable but the speed effect is certain. Lower speed = more miles.

Trikester

[mehve]

I would like to compliment you on the lovely photo, Trikester.  It bespeaks of adventure more than words alone can say.

Cheers!
+m

[trikester]

I would like to compliment you on the lovely photo, Trikester.  It bespeaks of adventure more than words alone can say.

Thank you! 

Trikester