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General Category => Electric Motorcycle News => Topic started by: benswing on June 15, 2016, 08:43:44 PM
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Well, here goes nothin'!
My 2016 ElMoto 4Corners Road Trip launches on June 16th! Updates will be posted at http://www.benswing.com/#!2016-road-trip-blog/o9zcc (http://www.benswing.com/#)
Check it out to keep up to date with where I am and how the new motorcycle supercharger! Lots of videos! Please like and share. Cheers!
Also, thanks so much for your support. This is an awesome community to be a part of!
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Good luck Ben! Stay safe. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of shenanigans you get into this year.
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Here's a quick update for those of you not on Facebook. My daily average distance traveled is 429 miles.
June 16 - NJ to Cleveland - 460 mi
June 17-19 - swing dance with beautiful women
June 20 - Cleveland to Chicago
June 21 - Chicago to Minneapolis
June 22 - Minneapolis to Sioux Falls via Fairmount, ND
June 23 - Sioux Falls, ND to McCook, NE via Sioux City, IA
June 24 - McCoy, NE to Denver via Colby, KS and Colorado Springs, CO
I go about 72-80mi per leg at 60-65 mi/HR and keep my power consumption around 100Wh/mi. Lots of tucking.
Supercharger works like a champ! Charging typically is done in 45 minutes.
3 days straight of 7am-10pm riding wears on the body and mind.
Meeting lots of people interested in my Zero wherever I go. Mostly RV Parks.
Going to hang out with the Hollywood Electrics crew in Colorado Springs before meeting a friend in Denver.
Cheers!
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Ben I thought you were putting in some long hard days of riding even for such an ambitious cross country trip. But popping up at the Pikes Peak race was a really nice touch. Good luck to you and the Hollywood race team.
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Thanks for the encouragement NEW2Elec! I met some road trippers riding Yamahas and they said they go about 300mi/day. They couldn't believe I was going 425 miles per day!
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Wow, that's amazing!
As a Zero owner and concerned citizen; Thank you for putting in the long/hard days that drum up excitement about the technology.
I am curious; How much charge do you have left after each leg (of 70-80mi @ 60-65mph)? Do you charge so frequently just in case you aren't able to get access to a planned charging spot?
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Wow, that's amazing!
As a Zero owner and concerned citizen; Thank you for putting in the long/hard days that drum up excitement about the technology.
I am curious; How much charge do you have left after each leg (of 70-80mi @ 60-65mph)? Do you charge so frequently just in case you aren't able to get access to a planned charging spot?
Yes, I always try to leave a few miles of range just in case. On the way from Cleveland to Chicago his saved me from hours of slow charging. The video is on my blog at www.Benswing.com.
I also try to call ahead before going to an RV campground so that helps take the uncertainty out of it.
Subscribe to Benswing on YouTube to follow my summer journeys.
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Yes, I always try to leave a few miles of range just in case. On the way from Cleveland to Chicago his saved me from hours of slow charging. The video is on my blog at www.Benswing.com (http://www.Benswing.com).
This is a great practice. Charging stations or even just 220V plugs can be offline or broken for any reason that Plugshare or other charging info trackers are not updated for. I'm trying to keep 15 miles of range in mind as a buffer, personally.
I also try to call ahead before going to an Arab campground so that helps take the uncertainty out of it.
I'm sure that you mean something like "new" instead of "Arab" but I can't guess what autocorrect mangled to get that. :)
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I'm sure that you mean something like "new" instead of "Arab" but I can't guess what autocorrect mangled to get that. :)
I meant to say RV Campground. However some are hot enough to feel like an Arab campground.
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528 miles in one day! Traveled from Denver, CO to Park City, UT in 18 hours through the amazing Rocky Mountains! What an incredible ride. Got pretty wet, and it was a chilly day at high altitudes, but the High West whiskey at the end was worth it!
More details on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/BenRidesElectric/posts/822546507878704 (https://www.facebook.com/BenRidesElectric/posts/822546507878704)
(https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13575843_822544511212237_3496909362562078999_o.jpg)
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Keep it up Ben! This is great! So jealous.... ride safe brother.
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Just got a big dose of adventure yesterday. A rock got caught up in my sprocket and snapped my drive belt while accelerating up a mountain. Pulled a hamstring while steadying the bike. Got AAA to pick up the bike and bring it to the Park City Hostel where I'm staying. Looks like I'll be here a while since all the motorcycle dealers are closed until Tuesday. Ah well, part of the adventure!
I need a 14mm Gates Polychain GT Carbon 8mm pitch belt with 220 teeth. Hoping the Zero dealer nearby in Orem will have one in stock.
Anyone in the Salt Lake City area who would like to visit me at the Park City Hostel today is welcome. Just send me a private message and we'll figure out a time.
(https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/q83/p720x720/13603625_823194877813867_8133811696753386586_o.jpg)
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They have a belt! I should be back on the road tomorrow thanks to Monarch Powersports in Orem. Fingers crossed!
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Adventure huh.. well, you don't want it to be boring :)
Hope the belt works out. If it was the original it was probably due for replacement anyhow..
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That sucks, hopefully it doesn't mess up your planning too much.
Next mod will be the belt guard I guess? ;)
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Monarch Honda fixed me up bright and early and I got on my way. Currently in Idaho heading to Driggs for the night before enjoying Yellowstone tomorrow.
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It's great to hear that you were able to get back on the road quickly Ben.
My son is quite happy watching the occasional bit of footage about bikes; Isle of Man TT, YouTube reviews and of course your road trip. I thought you'd like to see a little of his reaction to one of your episodes we were watching the other day:
https://youtu.be/enZyltueZao
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Thanks Bonkers!
Who was riding their yellow Zero S on Alaskan Way in Seattle around 2pm today? You rode right by me as I was walking to Elliot's Oyster House!
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Any chance that your trip will bring you through Vegas?
Too hot here for comfortable riding this time of year.
If you do, though, it would be nice to say hello.
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Thanks Bonkers!
Who was riding their yellow Zero S on Alaskan Way in Seattle around 2pm today? You rode right by me as I was walking to Elliot's Oyster House!
Ah, I've met this person once but they weren't on the forum! I miss Seattle.
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Any chance that your trip will bring you through Vegas?
Too hot here for comfortable riding this time of year.
If you do, though, it would be nice to say hello.
Not this year, I'm afraid. Going through Texas after heading straight down the coast.
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Mission accomplished!!! First to ride all the lower 48 states on my Zero electric motorcycle. What an incredible journey!!! Thank for the support from Hollywood Electrics, Electric Terry, Brandon Nozaki-Miller and the swing dance community for places to stay. Cheers!
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160712/14062de03ab3c72039796bdab23ed73f.jpg)
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Way to go man. That may be the most exiting thing to ever happen in Oregon :)
Be safe and keep riding!
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Way to go man. That may be the most exiting thing to ever happen in Oregon :)
Be safe and keep riding!
The Brammo team is still in Oregon, I believe. Any chance to look them up?
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Way to go man. That may be the most exiting thing to ever happen in Oregon :)
Be safe and keep riding!
The Brammo team is still in Oregon, I believe. Any chance to look them up?
I wanted to visit them in Talent Oregon put simply didn't have time that day. Wish I could have.
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More video! Here is the story from Park City, UT to Driggs, ID (near the Grand Teton Mountains) and the resolution to my drive belt issue thanks to Monarch Powersports.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRx8mQAgRL0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRx8mQAgRL0)
Now that I have been in Austin for the weekend I had a chance to put another video together. Will be in Florida next weekend. Cheers!
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Hey Ben!
I am loving the vids! I have even gotten my father watching your videos with me. It's really inspiring, thanks for doing them!
We were wondering if you could spend 5 seconds or so to show a little more about your charging setup or even just a quick look at your dash or phone while charging. As a DSR owner with a supercharger on the way, I can't help get a little annoyed when you cut away from the charging aspect or telling us how fast or how long you are charging at your stops. Haha!
I think other Zero riders might feel same and even ICE riders would like just a wee bit more info on the charging aspect(how fast and how long). Just a thought :)
Again outstanding vids we are rooting for you, be safe!
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Note that Ben is actually less coy about charging with the Supercharger than I was. :)
The time numbers are not really critical info beyond "this many kilowatts". At that point, you just have an exercise in how to spend your time and plan it throughout the day around these charging periods. Ben covered some of that last year in his 6.6kW dual-Elcon run, which was interesting. I'm getting some insight, too, now that I can use it.
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Thanks for the feedback electricZen. I included that information in my most recent filming, and they will be up a little later the summer. [emoji2]
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As long as you're taking suggestions...more cow bell! Haha Sorry I was just watching one of your videos when you were singing and couldn't resist. 😀
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I'll be at Bethesda Row tomorrow (Sunday, Aug 7th) to meet EV drivers at 1pm in front of Barnes & Noble. It would be fun to see some Zero owners!
Message me on Facebook if you are coming.
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Tomorrow, August 9th, is the last day of my summer ride. Left NJ on June 16th, finished traveling to all the lower 48 states, had adventures, and now I return home after about 8,000 miles of riding my Zero SR.
Looking forward to meeting up with a few more people on my way home. Can't wait to sleep in my own bed again! Updates forthcoming.
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So after 8000 miles what is your overall plan for charging, are you keeping the elcons and the super charger or just the super charger exclusively, is there a need for the elcons now? Just wanted a professional travelers opinion!
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When my actual production supercharger comes in I will make sure it works at Nissan dealers (the beta tester I have doesn't), then hopefully I can sell my Elcons. They have been amazing and saved my ass more than once on this trip, but I think the production superchargers should be reliable.
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I'm inclined to keep my one Elcon for dual J plug usage and as a backup for a little while, but only for long trips. The current version is a lot more reliable, and particularly the failure modes have all been reduced to controllable modes that still deliver power so you're not stranded.
Long trips deserve reasonable backup solutions. For a Zero, a spare belt is the main concern, and a backup charger seems like a close follow-up. Both types of failure are hard to recover from quickly if a dealer or experienced technician are not nearby. Chargers are more costly to ship, too.
The only concern with a charger is mounting it in a convenient and secure way. Right now my best option for the Elcon is to set it upright against the front of my top case and use straps to secure it inside a waterproof duffle that opens up to charge. But I don't have a Power Tank, either, so my Supercharger goes there...