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[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I'm just researching a Zero as a next commuter candidate (~20,000 miles / year) and the maintenance schedule from the Owners Manual is all pretty basic except for the very last item,  "Drive Motor commissioning and timing" every 8,000 miles or 12 months.

What is that?

It sounds to me like an alignment of the Sevcon controller programming for the motor with some tests - how to apply sine/cosine waves onto the M1, M2, M3 outputs to generate a perfect rotating stator field that applies torque evenly and precisely to the rotor.

I guess the motorcycle is just put on a stand and they use Sevcon's DVT app to calibrate the programming and then spin the wheel with the throttle to confirm calibration. I'm only just now learning to do this so I can get a reverse gear. Anyway, elapsed shop time should be a couple of hours to put the bike on a stand, get the seat off to plug the diagnostic cables in, and run the tests and adjust it, then close it up and do a test ride to confirm.

I'm not sure that anything changed in 2016, but they might have seen enough quality issues in that vein to recommend it. Maybe IPM motors require better calibration than before! It sounds analogous to valve alignment on a gas engine.

[Yon]

I saw the shop here do it a few weeks ago.  It took less than 30 minutes.

[Richard230]

When my faulty power tank was being replaced on my 2014 S by the Zero technician at my dealer's shop over two years ago, the tech told me that in addition to replacing the "tank" and fixing a bent wiring connector (that took a while to locate), he installed the latest computer firmware and also recalibrated the encoder to improve the efficiency of the motor.  All of the work that he did, start to finish, took 2 hours. So I doubt that the encoder timing took more than 30 minutes to perform.

[kensiko]

My 7 week old daughter, full time job, and side business agree... it sucks how I take time to fix and maintain things. Really eats into the staring at phone and tv time.

Yep, and I'm switching all to electric because of that !! What a shame, my father spent time with me to train the mechanical maintenance !

My motocross gas bike was replaced by the Zero, my Prius is close to being replaced fully by an EV and I have a leased Nissan Leaf. I replaced my LEHR propane trimmer by an EGO 56V (really powerful BTW) trimmer, only the Grasshopper tractor is left.

Once everything is replaced, there will be almost no maintenance to do, more time with family and fun. Only disk brakes on the car will require maintenance, and if I can get my hand on a Tesla, no more body greasing to do.

[kensiko]

I'm not sure that anything changed in 2016, but they might have seen enough quality issues in that vein to recommend it. Maybe IPM motors require better calibration than before! It sounds analogous to valve alignment on a gas engine.

Mine require motor calibration maybe twice a year, but I only did it once in 2014. The consequence is that the speed at constant speed is not stable, it tends to accelerate lightly and slow down lightly, really lightly, but enough to be perceived.

I would really love to do this calibration myself, I saw the technician do it, he was not an engineer, he was just following the procedure with the bike on a stand.

[rick]

The nearest dealer is a couple of hours away and, as my commuter, I'd prefer to do all the service at home and on my schedule. So, this is very much something I'd like to be able to do.

I'm out of my element here but, the first google hit turns up this PDF that covers some basics on Devcon's DVT software (for Windows) on Gen 4 controllers. There's also this $900 kit for the hardware and software.

Devcon shows a handheld calibrator on for their Gen 4 controllers on the spec sheets. Those seem to run about $450 to buy or $50/week to rent at thunderstruck-ev.com (Sevcon P/N 662/14050). Looks like you'd still need to build/buy a harness and the instruction manual doesn't clarify the calibration process for me on a first pass.

[Richard230]

I'm not sure that anything changed in 2016, but they might have seen enough quality issues in that vein to recommend it. Maybe IPM motors require better calibration than before! It sounds analogous to valve alignment on a gas engine.

Mine require motor calibration maybe twice a year, but I only did it once in 2014. The consequence is that the speed at constant speed is not stable, it tends to accelerate lightly and slow down lightly, really lightly, but enough to be perceived.

I would really love to do this calibration myself, I saw the technician do it, he was not an engineer, he was just following the procedure with the bike on a stand.

Now that you mention it, my 2014 S does the same thing.  But by now I am used to it so it doesn't bother me all that much.     Not nearly as much as an FI IC motorcycle that needs to meet the latest emission requirements.

[Shadow]

I stopped by my dealer (Reno Cycles & Gear) since I'm at 800mi+ ODO and not remembering if or when I should service the thing. It's the weekend so the Zero salesman is not in. Anyways he hasn't followed up on my last two inquiries so I'm not expecting much. Most of the parts sales people said it was an electric bike so it didn't need any maintenance, just remember to plug it in. I persisted and we pulled up the manual from the Zero website to read the maintenance schedule, and one fellow (whom was having a really rough morning it seemed) walked me through all of the points on the service schedule for 600mi - 4kmi. I thanked him, and did look a once-over on my own bike. I noticed the front brake reservoir has some radial stress cracks in the clear plastic. Going back in to the shop I mentioned I might have a warranty issue and could someone take a look? They called for someone from parts (Jessie? I think was her name) who was super helpful took a few pictures and promised to get back to me.

This really seems like I'm the first ever Zero customer at my dealer. I live 36mi over a mountain pass from the dealer location.

Are we customers seen as annoying or bothersome to these new dealers?  I don't know how far to push it before I'm just asking someone who's got an easy job to work hard and for not much benefit to themselves. What's in it for a dealer to do a good job developing a Zero customer relationship?

[Richard230]

I stopped by my dealer (Reno Cycles & Gear) since I'm at 800mi+ ODO and not remembering if or when I should service the thing. It's the weekend so the Zero salesman is not in. Anyways he hasn't followed up on my last two inquiries so I'm not expecting much. Most of the parts sales people said it was an electric bike so it didn't need any maintenance, just remember to plug it in. I persisted and we pulled up the manual from the Zero website to read the maintenance schedule, and one fellow (whom was having a really rough morning it seemed) walked me through all of the points on the service schedule for 600mi - 4kmi. I thanked him, and did look a once-over on my own bike. I noticed the front brake reservoir has some radial stress cracks in the clear plastic. Going back in to the shop I mentioned I might have a warranty issue and could someone take a look? They called for someone from parts (Jessie? I think was her name) who was super helpful took a few pictures and promised to get back to me.

This really seems like I'm the first ever Zero customer at my dealer. I live 36mi over a mountain pass from the dealer location.

Are we customers seen as annoying or bothersome to these new dealers?  I don't know how far to push it before I'm just asking someone who's got an easy job to work hard and for not much benefit to themselves. What's in it for a dealer to do a good job developing a Zero customer relationship?

I get the feeling that most Zero dealerships are not making a lot of money selling (due to low volume) and servicing (due to low maintenance needs) the bikes and therefore their after-sales customer interest is similar to their profit margin, compared with their IC brands.   

[rick]

Saw this thread on commissioning a new motor and controller that links to the video below where Burton is using the DVT software to set the "angle of offset"



Is that the Drive Motor commissioning and timing" every 8,000 miles or 12 months that I've been curious about? Seems easy enough ...although the software is twice as expensive as the hand held unit.