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[tommi]

I had an interesting experience today.  I left my Zero (S 2013) in a parking garage in a shady neighborhood for about 20 minutes and when I came back someone had tried to steal it and failed.  There was a carwash about 10 meters away from where I parked my bike and several guys there working, but when I asked if they'd seen anything suspicious, they just shook their head. (there's no way they wouldn't have noticed)  Anyway, I digress.

The damage done was:
- Ignition switch bust. They tried to use a screwdriver to force switch it on.
- Lock cylinder split in half, so the upper part where the key goes in, wasn't connected to anything.  As it turned out that was actually a good thing since it allowed me to drive away later.
- Steering lock forcefully broken (I could turn even though the lock was on).
- One mirror possibly bent out of shape since the thief(s) applied force on the brakes, throttle and mirror to break the steering lock.
- Brake handle bent out of shape after removing a lock I had on the throttle and front brake.

I walked the bike out of the garage and called the police to file a report.  As I was doing that, I was examining the damage and try to start the bike.  The key doesn't work anymore but after about 15mins into the call, by luck I was able to use the upper part of the cylinder to twist the lower part that was still connected, to "on".  As I did that, I noticed a group of guys outside the carwash standing there and watching what I was doing.  So, I put the phone in my pocket, put on my helmet (where I have bluetooth), switched the conversation over to the helmet and drove off.

Has anyone replaced a lock cylinder on a Zero 2013?  I wonder if this could be an excuse to install a keyless lock system (no idea how I'd do that though).

Aside that and the steering lock, I think the bike is OK.  Fixing the brake handle and mirror won't be a problem.

[Burton]

I need to install a steering lock and ignition on my bike. I think they fell out during shipping of my extra parts.

I don't even want to wire them up to anything, just be there as a decoy. I want to go keyless as well and have been looking into an inline RFID tag reader attached to a relay with another switch inline with it. You would use the RFID tag in conjunction with the switch to start.

[Richard230]

I need to install a steering lock and ignition on my bike. I think they fell out during shipping of my extra parts.

I don't even want to wire them up to anything, just be there as a decoy. I want to go keyless as well and have been looking into an inline RFID tag reader attached to a relay with another switch inline with it. You would use the RFID tag in conjunction with the switch to start.

But don't you still need a way to manually lock the forks so that the bike can not be rolled away easily?  I am not sure that a disc lock would be the way to go, and anyone trying to push the bike off would likely break the disc or caliper. 

[tommi]

Burton - what you want to do is what I want to do   If you don't mind posting updates, I'll be watching intently.  For now, I've tried to contact Zero about getting a replacement set of locks (ignition + helmet lock).

Would it make sense for the 'decoy' lock to still lock the forks, but if it's actually switched to the 'on' position, it could set off an alarm?

BTW - The more I think about it, I think that the thieves actually managed to turn on the bike, but probably just didn't realize it was on (or didn't wait for it to boot) and ran away as I was approaching.

[Burton]

Let me know what you hear from zero about the lock set. I don't need the helmet lock since I am streamlining the bike. I do wish to lock the forks though. I would still use the key just to unlock the forks ... or maybe keep it wired up in series with the hidden switch and the RFID relay lol
They can try to jump it that way and think they failed.

Ultimately if they really want it they will just lift it up and put it in a van. Streamlining the bike will make it a little harder for them to do it given the extra bulk from the fairings.

[Burton]

This looks promising but it is expensive for what it does. http://www.digitalguarddawg.com/motorcycles/rfid-smart-relays/dgd-m1/product

[Doug S]

Keep in mind that any keyless solution you want to rig up is going to need an "always-on" source of 12V. Burton can tell you that it's possible, he's done it, but it doesn't exist on a stock Zero. And I don't know if Burton's solution will work -- firing up the standard 12V bus will probably turn on the headlights, the dash board, and probably the BMS, the motor controller, and other things as well...it might even pull the master relay.

It wouldn't be terribly tricky for one of us EE or tinkerer types to rig up an auxiliary battery, which powers the keyless system only (and/or an alarm), and which charges when the ignition key is switched on, but it wouldn't be trivial either. I think you'd have to resort to something like that for an accessory that needs always-on power.

[Burton]

The best way is to just get another small DC / DC converter and put a switch inline so it is only on when you want it on. This keeps it separate from your default circuit to.

I actually found a great solution for this, better than the one linked since it is cheaper, I am going to implement and do a write up about. Stay tuned for an RFID keyless ignition write up when parts come in.

Still want to put a fake / decoy on front and have a handlebar lock -_-

[tommi]

Thanks for the tip Burton.
Well, while waiting for parts I've taken off the ignition switch and here's the damage. The lock on the frame has been scraped off for the most part and I'm holding the two parts of the cylinder in my hands. You can see the lock bolt sticking out bent from the bottom of the upper half.
Zero has been super helpful in all of this btw!

[Burton]

Wow that is some serious damage!

Makes me want to forgo locking my handlebars and going with a cheap wheel lock with annoying sound alarm >_<

Parts are coming in for my new "ignition" solution but I suspect it could be a week before they all get here ... :/

Might want to go to your local pepboys and see if you can find a push / twist emergency stop button and wire it to your ignition if you want to ride your bike for now. You can remove it when you leave your bike alone and hide the wires / connector as needed.

Do you weld? Are you going to build up the aluminum which was scraped off? I have a nice welder but I have no clue what type of aluminum that is.

Oh while you have that off can you tell me all the wires connected to your ignition switch so I can update my wire diagram if it is wrong? Picture would be nice to

[tommi]

Here's a picture of the connector from the ignition.
Don't weld but now I wish I did of course
 

[Doug S]

I actually found a great solution for this, better than the one linked since it is cheaper, I am going to implement and do a write up about. Stay tuned for an RFID keyless ignition write up when parts come in.

Looking forward to seeing your solution, Burton. I've looked for an affordable 102-12V stepdown switching converter and haven't found anything.

[Burton]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Volt-5-Amp-12V-5A-DC-Supply-AC-Power-Adapter-LCD-/200774923425

Doc Says these work http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=3766.msg22457#msg22457

Thanks Tommi. As expected they are only using two wires (which show the batteries voltage btw) and not all four.

[Doug S]

Doc Says these work http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=3766.msg22457#msg22457

I'll certainly defer to Doc's understanding, and I think his explanation of why it works on DC is exactly right -- the first thing in the circuit is probably a rectifier bridge; with DC power you'll only use two of the four diodes, but you'll still wind up with rectified DC after the bridge, and the rest of the circuitry will work normally.

I'd make sure to check how much current it draws from the battery with and without the load of the device(s) you want to power. It's probably not much, and would take days if not weeks to drain your battery significantly, but I'd want to check it.

[NanoMech]

Another possible option is to duty-cycle the alarm/tracking unit and have a discreet electronic switch.

My proposed key replacement unit may comprise an RFID token reader with an integrated small rechargeable battery, and an external small water-proof momentary contact switch that is accessible to the owner (mine may be attached to the black steering well tank fairing pieces).  Push and hold for integrated battery power and the reader, mounted against the inside of the tank top, becomes active. The owner is authenticated via their card, and a relay/electronic switch enables bike power via the switch wiring (switch now removed). This bike power is now available to charge the integrated battery and a latching relay prevents reader or power failure-induced state changes. A cool decal would advertise the alarm and power switch are now “in the personal cloud”, or similar.

I would require the RFID card be held in proximity for a few seconds to enable bike power systems AND to disable the bike power systems. Of course, this alarm will not function if the bike is lifted into a vehicle, but it may discourage potential theft.

The advantage of this system is that it adds an authenticated electronic switch to the bike without tapping directly into the warrantied power system, and only replacing the original switch wires with the unit control unpowered wires. The entire system is powered by the integrated on-demand small power cell, or via the standard fused Zero accessory socket. Of course, I would carry the appropriate hex key to remove the tank and bypass the system in the event the reader fails in one of the 2 modes.

I’ll research low-power low duty-cycle satellite beacons. I have one on my boat and a Greek ship-tracking facility keeps me advised of where she is located any given minute. This can cycle on every few minutes for a few seconds, or remain on if the bike is powered. Theft is not the concern for the boat, but geo-positioning, tracking, and localized speed of a sailing day is of interest (photo). I can also transmit various ship’s systems data via simple programmable ports on the unit. My iPhone is always in touch with her, and a redundant cellular telemetry system allows me to manually interrogate systems upon demand.

An alternate and cheap method may be to just install a hall-effect sensor behind the tank. You place your new key-magnet to the known area and a solid state switch, or relay, latches the system power "on" (initial power supplied by integrated battery). Pressing again could latch it "off". This may be sufficient for general bike thieves that smash the main switch to power the bike, and would also probably preserve the warranty.

I believe the costs of the RFID authentication switch would be around $100-300, the hall effect/magnetic switch around $50.