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[DynoMutt]

Hello, so my 2014 Zero SR is great for commuting into the city when it isn't below freezing out, but finding a place to charge that is nearby to my work and not going to charge an arm and a leg is nigh impossible.  I have the option of bringing the motorcycle into the building and taking it up the freight elevator, but the problem is turn clearances.  I have been thinking about how to deal with this a lot, but what I think could possibly work would be to reduce the outer tire diameter on the front and/or rear wheels.  I know there have to be range implications and possibly reconfiguration of the speedometer to deal with this change.  Does anyone have any advice on what options when it comes to tires and/or rims as well as what adjustments might need to be made to things like suspension travel for such a change to be made?  I think it's worth it to lose a little range if it means I have a reliable (and free!) place to charge.

I'll be looking forward to the freeze subsiding and having my living room to myself again...

Again, any advice is appreciated, thanks!

[Richard230]

Would it be possible to somehow balance your bike on its rear wheel to get it into the elevator? (It might take the help of a couple of friends to d that.) Terry used to take his Zero into hotel rooms (before it turned into a two-wheel road-going blimp) and up their elevators to charge it in his room when he was doing his first cross-country tour.  He even posted a photo either here or on his Facebook page a couple of years ago showing he and his bike in a hotel elevator and also charging in his room.  I am sure it can be done, but you might have to think out of the box a bit.   

[Chocula]

How much of a charge do you require when you are at work?  Would a powertank with removable battery pack that could be taken out to charge meet your needs?

Keep in mind that changing the tire diameter will impact how the bike handles.  A smaller front tire typically means a more responsive but less stable bike.  If one end is changed more than the other, it will shift more weight to the lower end as well as impact your rake, which again will impact how it handles.

I hope you find a workable solution.  You might be able to store something at your work to assist you.  If it fits in the elevator but you can't turn it, a motorcycle lift mounted on a furniture dolly might be just the ticket.  You could then spin and move as needed.

[rayivers]

Just a few thoughts, hopefully none seem too weird. 

Would it be acceptable to remove some metal from the fork-stop contact points?  A small amount can sometimes make quite a difference.

Would it help to be able to move the bike easily side-to-side in a cramped space, like the elevator?  I used to lay down a heavy-duty 45 gal. trash bag flat on my shop floor before I brought my bikes in through a 30" doorway; it allowed me to push the bike straight forward with the wheel at full lock, and also to move either end sideways once inside.  Be advised, it's real slippery.

I'm sure you've already investigated the outlet situation at your workplace, but a building large enough to have a freight elevator might conceivably have ones you're not aware of, along with workarounds to get power to very out-of-the-way places both inside and outside the building during emergencies (the maintenance guys or building manager might be the ones to ask, obviously).  Any accessible 120V lightbulb fixture can serve as an outlet with the right adaptor, convenience outlets can sometimes be found inside outdoor equipment & light poles, etc.

And lastly... I wonder if a high-power 120VAC sine-wave inverter/charger could be combined with a deep-discharge 12V marine battery in a small-ish (preferably wheeled) unit, basically allowing  transfer of one battery's charge to another?  The power requirements and weight would be significant if you wanted more than maybe 30% charge, but what an excellent rescue device for any EV with 120VAC in, especially in places a generator couldn't be used.

Ray

[firepower]

You have permission to use your works electricity, how about paying to have an outlet wired near to where you can park your bike.
if you have a onsite electrician maybe do a deal with him. (carton of beers)
A one of expense will pay for iteslf very quickly in terms of money saved and convienince.

[DynoMutt]

Thanks for all of your suggestions, I appreciate them.

The powertank wouldn't provide enough added range, I live 60 miles away, about 45 miles of the ride is highway.  I usually have 15-20% remaining when I arrive.

My workplace is a tenant in a large building with only part of a floor, if we had the full floor, I wouldn't have to worry so much about edge clearance.

There is no street-level parking, this is in downtown Manhattan.

The tires just barely clear the elevator when put in diagonally, but the floor that my office is on is at the other side of the building and I have to get it through the hallway which is about 5' wide with several right angles.  I've done it before, but I've made dents and marks in the hallway and in doors, so having even an inch more clearance would be a world of help.

Because of the nature of the building, there are no alternative locations I can find nearby inside the building.  I've explored using dollies, but they're heavy, I have no place convenient to store them, and the wheels don't really lock.

I figured reducing tire diameter would make navigating the elevator and hallway easier.

[firepower]

Is there any on street charging stations near by? Use plug Share app to find them.

[Burton]

My 2013 has the DS shocks on it and they are about 1-1.5" above the triple tree. I would suggest seeing if you can lower the front of the bike which should shorten your wheelbase.

[Electric Terry]

Agree with Burton, loosen the triple clamps for the forks and let the bike slide down as far as it can then retighten the allen bolts.  Go slow and stand on the pegs and jump when going over speed bumps or potholes, as your ground clearance will be reduced, but this the easiest way to fix this.

The other is to do as was stated above and grind a little off each steering stop on the lower triple clamp.

If it was me I'd do both.

Actually there is a third fix.  Get a Vetter fairing and double your highway range so you don't need to charge at work. 

But don't plan on going in elevators anymore if you do that.  I used to take mine in elevators a lot, almost every day.   I used to go hang out with friends in the UCF dorms late at night and we would ride the Zero all over the 3rd and 4th floor dorm hallways at 2-3 am and not wake anyone up.  Got tons of students who were awake get interested in electric vehicles those nights.  That was a lot of fun.  But I'd rather have 200 miles highway range instead of being able to use an elevator.

[rayivers]

Oops, I was thinking more about elevators and not at all about NY hallways... reminds me of the place I used to work on 33rd St, behind the post office...

So it's all about width and maneuverability?  Do they make 'holeshot devices' for street bikes (maybe for stunting or drag racing?) that hold the front forks compressed until the first front-brake application? This would shorten the bike a bit and quicken up the steering  too.  Tie-downs would also work, if you don't mind lugging them around.

Are the bar end plugs a problem?  Looks like they stick out pretty far (the ones on my FX only protrude 1/16" or so).  Narrowing the widest point on the bike an inch or two might help, especially if you have to lean the thing over to clear walls.  FWIW, I converted an Emgo brake lever to a shorty last week, it could look a little better but has a ball end & works fine.

Do the pegs snag at all?  If there was a way to hold them in the full-up position (bungee cords? tie-wraps? no springs?) that might be helpful in tight corners too. 

Looks like a number of tire makers have 120/60-17 fronts.

Ray

[DynoMutt]

Thanks for the further replies.  The fairing is something I have been looking at for a while.  My concern would be the overall dimensions of the bike when parked on the street as well as the potential for vandalism.

As to plugshare, I have one location, but it's quite far away from where I work.  The vast majority of plugshare locations in Manhattan are:
1. in parking garages
2. do not allow motorcycles at all due to parking garage policies

[togo]

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[PhreaK]

What about a workshop dolly (eg these). Much simpler than modifying the bike.

[Manzanita]

I put a Shinko Podium 006 tire 140/60-17 in an attempt to lower the rear of the bike. It really does mess with the speedometer, which now reads maybe 5% optimistic over stock (just guessing), and also impacts the true top speed, as the 95mph cutoff kicks in early. By paper calculation it gives you about 1/2" reduced tire height. The tire itself has been fine as far as performance, and with my rear preload set to zero, I definitely scrape pegs earlier (because the bike is lower).

[grmarks]

Can you get something to depress the front suspension and hold it down while you move the bike into your office?
I am thinking something to hook on the bottom of the fork and onto the handlebar that can be wound to squash the forks down like a winch action. I am sure I have seen trailer tie downs with a winch type action on them, then just get something made up to fit on the bike forks etc.