ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

  • September 01, 2026, 10:09:46 PM
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Electric Motorcycle Forum is live!

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Messages - RightRudder

Pages: [1]
1
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: SRF OBD connector
« on: May 18, 2022, 10:50:30 AM »
Is this also true for other bikes 2020 and newer in the zero lineup or just the SRF?

[/quote]

This is no longer true for 2020 models. For EU regulations, they had to add an OBD compliant port that works with standard readers. There are now two OBD ports on 2020 non FST bikes. It also has 12V supplied where you expect it. The FST platform bikes have one port but it works just fine with readers :)
[/quote]

2
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Hot Power Cord
« on: May 18, 2022, 10:44:06 AM »
If the line voltage is low for any reason the switching converter in the charger will happily just draw more current to get the same input power.  This could make all the difference for a light cord which is borderline at 120v.

3
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Zero FX Rapid Charger Question
« on: May 18, 2022, 10:36:48 AM »
That's a nice setup

4
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: ITALIAN ZERO OWNERS
« on: May 18, 2022, 10:34:57 AM »
Is this only for people in Italy or anyone anywhere who is Italian?

5
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Zero riders in the Bahamas?
« on: May 18, 2022, 10:33:40 AM »
Nice place to go riding!

6
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Torque vs weight?
« on: May 13, 2022, 12:33:53 AM »
Rayivers,

I had the same experience as you with one vs two batteries.  The bike is definitely livelier with one and I'm only a 60kg rider so the extra battery is quite a change in overall weight, but one question though, you said weight farther back, I am running with single battery up front which I figured would help with keeping the front end planted.  I had not tried with a single battery in the rear.  Have you tried both ways?

7
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Torque vs weight?
« on: May 06, 2022, 01:22:54 AM »
Another thing is that torque is power. So torque to weight ratio is power to weight ratio.
SNIP

Actually that's not correct.  Torque is force at a radial distance in a rotating system.  Power results when that force does some work by rotating that system and energy is consumed over a period of time.  Torque can be applied and if the there is an equal resistance there will be zero rotation and therefore zero power and energy consumed.  So torque does not equal power.

But torque is the thing that applies the force where the rubber meets the road and that is what determines, given an amount of friction, whether the tire will grip or there will be slippage.

All I was trying to suggest in this thread is that traditionally motorcycles and other performance machines have been evaluated by a power/weight specification (among other things) and when comparing internal combustion powered bikes it's an apples to apples comparison, which will give you a sense of its performance.  Electric bikes can certainly be evaluated that way too, but since the character and the way an IC engine develops torque is drastically different than an electric motor,  I just felt that perhaps in this case a torque/weight spec might be more meaningful.  I think in the absence of traction control, a number for torque/weight gives a more intuitive sense of what the rider is holding in the right hand, but just my opinion.

8
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Torque vs weight?
« on: April 26, 2022, 08:06:25 PM »
Yes that's very true and the wheel radius also comes into it, but I think the two are pretty similar between the motor and rear wheel aren't they?  Maybe a few percent difference but I think the main point I was trying to make still stands, that a light rider on an FX with a single battery has quite a lot of potential for surprises if they are unfamiliar with the character of it.  Given that the FX looks very small and light the potential to grossly underestimate its ability to break loose is even greater.  I've heard some stories that tend to support this.  Even at the dealer where I got mine two people sepatately tried to warn me to go easy on the throttle because when they got their first bike which was an FX, a very experienced rider from their staff went down in the parking lot within a few seconds the first time they took it outside for this very reason.

9
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Torque vs weight?
« on: April 26, 2022, 04:02:28 AM »
As a new FX owner I enjoyed reading the Too Much Torque thread.  I also was surprised on my first few rides how different the throttle response can be on an electric bike compared to an ICE engine even though having owned a Ducati years back I thought I understood about low end torque.  Not that I have had a mishap yet but certainly felt the edge of that boundary where a fun ride can turn into a bad day real fast.  Going uphill and encountering wet mud along a forest service road on the stock tires certainly gave me reason to consider turning around when I found the next dry spot.  It is common to talk about power to weight ratio but reading that thread prompted me to think with electric motors maybe it makes sense to think in terms of torque to weight? 

If I take the 274lb empty weight of a modular FX divided into its 78ftlb of torque it comes out at 0.315.  For comparison the SR/S with 140ftlb and 518lb empty weight comes in significantly lower at 0.217 so the lowly FX has considerably more torque available for its weight than the SR/S.  However to be more meaningful the rider weight needs to be included which brings the numbers for a 180lb rider to 0.200 for the SR/S and 0.182 for the FX illustratingthat the SR/S throttle demands more respect for the average rider than the FX.  With a lighter rider such as myself at 150lb the gap narrows to 0.209 for the SR/S and 0.196 for the FX.  A 110lb woman riding each of these machines would result in 0.222 (SR/S) and 0.218 (FX) which is almost equal.  But consider a small woman on an FX compared to a 180lb male on a SR/S.  She would actually face more potential for loss of traction on the FX than the heavier rider on an SR/S, and when you consider normal force on the rear wheel which is the main factor in traction, the lghter rider on an FX definitely has a handful (no pun intended) to deal with.

10
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: River crossing with FX?
« on: March 09, 2022, 05:06:38 AM »
Forgive my ignorance but by isolation faults do you mean the firmware in the bike checks for faults between the battery and the bike chassis?

11
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: River crossing with FX?
« on: March 09, 2022, 02:31:57 AM »
@mdjak1  Thanks, this is really good information which I didn't find with search terms like "deep water" or "river crossing".  I found some info about an early militarized version of the FX which claimed 1m deep water could be forded.  I don't think I would even attempt something like that even if there was no significant river current but now that I have read that thread about the fuse I will be very hesitant about crossing any water deep enough to reach the belly of the bike.  It seems there are also concerns about bearing seals not being up to the task of keeping water and dirt out.  That's a little disappointing for a product aimed at off road use.

This reminds me of my toyota tacoma with their claimed off road package.  They brought a breather line for the front differential up high in the engine compartment and then left the rear differential without anything.  Go figure.

12
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / River crossing with FX?
« on: March 09, 2022, 01:19:57 AM »
I did some searches of the forum but came up with nothing.  I've seen some comments about potential bearing seal concerns but other than that nothing specific about how deep of water I can expect the FX to safely handle when crossing creeks and rivers?  Given all the electronics and high voltage of the battery I am concerned about taking it into water of any significant depth.  Anybody with first hand experience can comment on this?

13
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: New FX owner
« on: February 24, 2022, 01:58:47 AM »
Thanks for the welcomes and advice you two!

To answer the question my daily commute for each direction involves 15km logging road and 20km highway. I will be able to charge at work while I'm there.  According to the manufacturer's claims I should be able to do that round trip without charging at work but it is mountainous here and gets cold so I think I will plan for charging at work.  I may add another 10km for quick grocery stop or beer run on the way home.  After returning from work in the evening if there is enough juice in the bike I may opt for exploring the area around the cabin which has a hydro cut and some foot paths between local lakes.  This is why I was considering a fast charger to add back some charge while I make dinner, clean up and exercise my dogs, although, if I can teach them not to bite the wheels, the dog run could be included in an occasional low speed evening trail ride, probably no more than 5km or so.  I had the local dealership quote me Zero's quick charger but I am also open to buying an alternative charger even one from China, I have had good luck so far with electronics I have bought from there.  Still looking into options for that.  Any recommendations from the list are appreciated....so any of you 150 or so who read this thread and didn't post...hello to you, and I'd like to hear from you if you have a favourite aftermaket charger that would work with the FX.

14
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / New FX owner
« on: February 19, 2022, 04:16:41 AM »
Hello to the list members!

I just put a deposit on a brand new FX with modular batteries.  This is exciting because I havent done any riding in a couple of decades other than an occasional borrowed ride on a friend's V-Strom.  This forum looks like a great place as I love to tinker with electronics and see there is some of that going on here.  I'm still trying to decide on what other items I might add to my purchase such as extra batteries chargers etc. but I see from a little reading here that I don't have to limit myself to what Zero has to offer for an off-bike charger.  I still have some time to decide as the bike had to be ordered from the factory which could take 6-8 weeks.  I thought I'd throw it out to the list to see what others recommend me to consider.  I'm also on the fence about a chain kit.  I'd prefer the silence of the belt but my commute will involve 25km of logging roads each day and on weekends I'll be able to go off road and I'm wondering about the possibility of snapping a belt.  I guess it isn't that big a deal to change one in the field with simple tools, I saw a video online of a guy doing that without even removing his gloves.  But again any experience from the list members is very welcome on that question or other things to consider too.

Best regards to all.

Pages: [1]