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Can you take a picture of where it plugs into the charger so i can see what plug looks like?   The more I think on that, the more I am getting a real uneazy queazy about the condition of the plug and wires inside your charger if you put that much heat into it already.  I really don't want to see you starting the thing on fire.

Aaron

https://photos.app.goo.gl/U2aKnkrDmrQUqFwv9

The bike's C13 plug is not connected on its normal place on the bike frame.  It was like that when I bought it.  I tried reattaching it a while back but I recall it it was so compact in there that I found it difficult to maneuver it into place where it wouldn't be physically stressing the cable.

Efrem

Hello all, I figure someone will have expertise on this issue I'm dealing with.  I have a 2016 Zero SR 14.4 with power tank that I bought used in 2021 and keep covered outside of my residence.  I have a standard 125V outlet outside my garage that I've been using to charge the bike.  For the last several months I've been regularly running the bike down to about 20-30% and charging overnight.  In order to reach where I park it, I use a 50ft heavy duty (14 AWG) extension cord before connecting to the NEMA 5-15P to IEC-60320 C13 with appropriate  C13 jack for connecting to the bike.   I have gone through a few of this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AK9T6JG, as well as some others I bought online.   They are all 14 awg so they should have no problem with the ~1000W or so that goes through them for 6-9 hours at a time.  For some reason they only seem to last one or two months before the C13 connector starts burning up.   I recently looked at the 50' extension cable and it appears to have some charring on it as well now, and this took about a year.

I have a couple of questions.  First, is this normal?  Should I expect cable connections to degrade like this when charging 2-3 times per week?  I see no charing at the outlet itself.  Only at the extension joint and on the C13 plug where it connects to the bike.  I have cleaned the connection with contact cleaner thinking that would help, but it doesn't. 

Second question is about if this is normal wear and tear.  If connector degradation is to be expected, can I minimize the amount of wasted material by just replacing the connectors?  I'd hate to throw away 50ft of good 14awg cable just because a connector is bad.   If so, would it make sense to cut the existing burnt out (female) connector on the extension cord and attach a new one?  If so, how might I go about doing it so that the connection is super robust?  The cable itself seems to be ok.  It's only the connections that burn up.   What are some beefy 5-15P connectors that can handle this kind of use?  What kind of solder would I want to use, etc?  I have some experience with electronics but not a ton.

I will post a follow-up message with some photos from my phone.

I had the same experience when replacing my DC-DC converter. My son-in-law had to help me and it was a miserable job. While we were able to remove the defective part, we could never get the converter back the way it originally was. I still have about 8 bolts sitting around that we could not get screwed in again. Eventually, we just hooked up the new converter and jammed it into the rat's next of wiring. So far that is still working and I figure that the converter is secure and cushioned in the middle of the nest. 

Here is my write-up regarding my struggle replacing the DC-DC converter. It is a mystery to me why it could not have been installed under the seat at the rear of the chassis, instead of where the sun don't shine.    https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=11689.0

Richard, thanks! I checked out your thread.   I guess I'll go ahead and order a new converter. I just found this too, btw. 

@mvetter it looks like the converter you are looking for is one of these: https://www.dmcde.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=35&Itemid=62

It's in the video I linked above.  The caveat is that you have to swap some connector pin locations.

 

The problem is back.   The 12V circuit randomly turns on and off while I'm riding now.  Last night it cut out as I was riding home along Skyline Blvd where there are almost no street lights.   I know the road well and went slow but I'm gonna need to figure this out.   Could it be the DC-DC inverter itself?  Has anyone experienced this?

Not sure if it is the case, but might it be a DC-DC converter problem?

That's what I think too.  But as a follow up, I replaced the crappy noisy and failing LED headlight bulb with a fanless one I got on Amazon,  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHD78DQ

I checked all the high-voltage fuses with a meter and they were all fine so I figured it was the convertor itself.  I went for a ride today since the motor still works, and on my way back it all the 12 DC stuff works again!  Headlights, LCD backlight, turn signals,  Rear light. 

 What are the odds this is a permanent fix? I hope it is not intermittent.
 

 

I have exactly this rear rack, still in the packaging and unopened.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Hollow-Core-Tube-M3-M5-Motorcycle-Rear-Luggage-Rack-Tail-Cargo-Carrier-/223734510745

I ordered it because I thought I would need to install a rack, but the bike I bought already had a rack on it.

Looks like I'm the new owner of this bike.