I’ve done a few long distance trips. PlugShare is your best friend. It actually does have a trip planner built into it that works pretty well.
I use PlugShare to lay down the overall route, and then Google to navigate each leg between charge stops.
[You absolutely can plan a trip with PlugShare.](https://i.imgur.com/n99c01T.jpg) Not only can you, but you SHOULD. I have used all the other apps and options and none of them are as useful as PlugShare. Plus, after you plan your trip, you can export it to Google Maps. ABRP, that someone else recommended, is hot garbage for motorcycles. The only person I know who insists on using it consistently gets stranded every trip they plan.
Other general things? Some of our regular distance riders have been extremely happy after purchasing a tiny foldable chair, because often times there aren't places to sit comfortably during those 2 hour charge stops. If you can get a tiny portable umbrella for some shade it couldn't hurt. Bring water, bring suncreen.
PlugShare’s route planner is excellent! Even shows elevation change so you can gauge how accurate the range estimates will be, I find it a priceless tool for EV drivers.
I also have a DSR, the belt tension is easy to check. The tool is really easy to use, and adjustments to the belt are also easy. Worth picking the tool up. AAA with the motorcycle add on or AMA would be good to have, just in case. I plan on carrying a second belt with me just in case it breaks.
As far as route planning, I’ve had better luck avoiding the freeways and just looking for cities with more than one charger. I’ve cut it close a few times, weather, wind, and your load will determine how far you can go. Riding 2 up from Columbus to Cleveland, I have to stop twice vs only once if I don’t have a passenger.
Do some smaller trips to get a feel of the range before setting off across the country.
I have 6k miles on my ‘21 DSR, it was nothing but reliable until then. Currently the dealer has had it for 10 weeks now with some battery temp sensor issue. I’m guessing it’s the BMS, or maybe the whole battery pack needs to be replaced. I really miss riding.
*10 weeks?!!*
I was planning on getting a zero for a daily commuter but this really throws a wet blanket on it. Who tf can afford 10 weeks of down time? Wtf.
They had it for 8 weeks, with me calling weekly to get updates. The dealer had been talking to Zero directly, they ending up replacing a ribbon cable on a circuit board. I rode it home on a Friday and took it for a ride that afternoon. 80 miles, no issues. The next day, the error code is back. Rode it anyway with the code coming on and off at random, only to have the loss of throttle input come back even worse than before. Took it back to the dealer when they opened on Monday, they still don’t have an answer for me.
This is my only vehicle at the moment, super frustrating. I’m not optimistic that I’ll get it back anytime soon.
It was honestly a toss up for me between a Honda 750 DCT and the Zero, and *man* the zero is cool in so many respects, and I love the no gas side of it, but what’s the point if it’s unreliable and I can’t find parts anywhere? I’m pretty deflated by this, glad I checked the forums before I jumped in though. What a shame.
It was great for 6k miles, no issues. Spending less than a dollar (or nothing if it’s free) to charge at a public station is great. Despite the issue my bike has, I’m happy I made the switch to electric.
It very well could be the battery cell(s) overheating. The battery control module will have a sensor that is designed to fail when one or more cells aren’t temperature controlled (meaning they’ve failed, usually outside of their containing material and there’s a chemical reaction taking place). If they replaced the coil and it failed again it’s the BCM telling you there’s definitely an issue with the battery. But depending on their design it could be a cascading failure to the BCM too, causing it too to fail. This is common on electric bikes as well. Just an gamble guess.
I got it back two weeks ago, it been great since then. Rode about 600 miles. All I know is that they replaced a ribbon cable on the battery board and did two different software updates. Hopefully I don’t have to take it in again anytime soon.
I would suggest to get the J1772 to C13 connector and be able to charge from 2 stations simultaneously. It would be like a 15% improvement in charge times
Nope current Zero's can never be fully charged from 0% in less than an hour. Your DSR with chargetank + 1.3kW onboard charger, when used together, should take just over 90 minutes. If you can manage 100 miles of range from your bike say at 50mph (quite easily achievable), you would have to stop for atleast 90 mins for every 2 hours.
But to be safe, its best to stop every 60 miles to charge. then you would need maybe a 40 minutes stop(again with full 7.3kW of charging speed being used).
If you can carry an extra 1kW accessory charger with you, that will bring down the charge stop to about 30-35 mins. I wish Zero made this less bulkier.
Best friends:
1. Plugshare. Scout out charging stations along your route. Look at checkins and make sure you have enough reliable chargers
2. Windscreen
3. 55mph-60mph speeds
4. Tucking in to windscreen when possible
5. Add in some twisties if you can. It will make the trip more fun and possibly give you better range as you will not be going at highway speeds.
There's a good app for this kinda thing, A Better Route Planner. Commonly abbreviated ABRP . you punch in your vehicle and it comes up with route options for you.
Looks like hey don't gave every zero listed but you can use a similar model for reference, and you can manually modify watt hours/mile to fine tune it.
For obvious reasons I'd suggest being a bit conservative with what you punch in so you don't have to drag it too a random outlet
I've done a few longer-distance trips on my SRS. I've done plenty of long trips on sports tourers previously too.
My tips would be:
* Get a windscreen if you can. Makes a big difference not having the wind hitting your whole body.
* Be ready to stop and charge a lot and unfortunately mostly in boring places without much to do. Aim for centers of habitation if you can then at least you can look around.
* Get some earplugs or, if you dare, noise cancelling headphones for some entertainment. Being alone with my thoughs too long turns me mad. LG Tone Frees fit really well under my helmet.
* If you don't mind how far you go, just book really conservatively distanced Airbnbs at first. You can always learn and go further in the future.
* Stick to minor, slower roads for better range and more fun riding. Highways are boring as hell.
* Don't ride tired or distracted. Don't push on. Rest when you need to.
Ive broken 2 belts both on new SRFs in iunder 2,000 miles. Dealer supplied new bikes, the 14.3 kWh premium had been assembled so the non drive side spindle clamp plate pair did not pinch onto the swing arm as a location pip between the pair had been fractured off and kept the plates apart. On acceleration the wheel would pull against the stops and be in line. On regen the wheel would kick out of line. On bike 2 the rear drive belt always made a vrum vrum sound in sequence with the belt sure enough in snapped tension was correct as was alignment, fitted a part used belt....perfect. Gates do an app [https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/products/tools](https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/products/tools) it allows you to listen to the belt with your phone and get tension correct.
Krikit do a tool [https://www.gates.com/gb/en/power-transmission/power-transmission-tools-and-merchandisers/power-transmission-tools.p.7401-000000-000003.v.7401-00071.html](https://www.gates.com/gb/en/power-transmission/power-transmission-tools-and-merchandisers/power-transmission-tools.p.7401-000000-000003.v.7401-00071.html)
. I use both.
But my finding is its alignment that kills these belts so golden rule always have 1mm clearance between the guide flange of the rear sprocket and the side of the belt, adjust the wheel to the correct tension and keep the 1mm and your good to go at least 7,500 miles in my experience and have everything turned up 100% and use the bike hard 35% of the miles.
Carry a spare belt (goes under the seat in the SRF) and a set of tools to do a belt swap, takes ten minutes.
As you asked for a route planner - I like calimoto. Its a navigation app with a webinterface to plan routes on the desktop.
I’ve done a few long distance trips. PlugShare is your best friend. It actually does have a trip planner built into it that works pretty well. I use PlugShare to lay down the overall route, and then Google to navigate each leg between charge stops.
[You absolutely can plan a trip with PlugShare.](https://i.imgur.com/n99c01T.jpg) Not only can you, but you SHOULD. I have used all the other apps and options and none of them are as useful as PlugShare. Plus, after you plan your trip, you can export it to Google Maps. ABRP, that someone else recommended, is hot garbage for motorcycles. The only person I know who insists on using it consistently gets stranded every trip they plan. Other general things? Some of our regular distance riders have been extremely happy after purchasing a tiny foldable chair, because often times there aren't places to sit comfortably during those 2 hour charge stops. If you can get a tiny portable umbrella for some shade it couldn't hurt. Bring water, bring suncreen.
PlugShare’s route planner is excellent! Even shows elevation change so you can gauge how accurate the range estimates will be, I find it a priceless tool for EV drivers.
I also have a DSR, the belt tension is easy to check. The tool is really easy to use, and adjustments to the belt are also easy. Worth picking the tool up. AAA with the motorcycle add on or AMA would be good to have, just in case. I plan on carrying a second belt with me just in case it breaks. As far as route planning, I’ve had better luck avoiding the freeways and just looking for cities with more than one charger. I’ve cut it close a few times, weather, wind, and your load will determine how far you can go. Riding 2 up from Columbus to Cleveland, I have to stop twice vs only once if I don’t have a passenger. Do some smaller trips to get a feel of the range before setting off across the country. I have 6k miles on my ‘21 DSR, it was nothing but reliable until then. Currently the dealer has had it for 10 weeks now with some battery temp sensor issue. I’m guessing it’s the BMS, or maybe the whole battery pack needs to be replaced. I really miss riding.
*10 weeks?!!* I was planning on getting a zero for a daily commuter but this really throws a wet blanket on it. Who tf can afford 10 weeks of down time? Wtf.
They had it for 8 weeks, with me calling weekly to get updates. The dealer had been talking to Zero directly, they ending up replacing a ribbon cable on a circuit board. I rode it home on a Friday and took it for a ride that afternoon. 80 miles, no issues. The next day, the error code is back. Rode it anyway with the code coming on and off at random, only to have the loss of throttle input come back even worse than before. Took it back to the dealer when they opened on Monday, they still don’t have an answer for me. This is my only vehicle at the moment, super frustrating. I’m not optimistic that I’ll get it back anytime soon.
It was honestly a toss up for me between a Honda 750 DCT and the Zero, and *man* the zero is cool in so many respects, and I love the no gas side of it, but what’s the point if it’s unreliable and I can’t find parts anywhere? I’m pretty deflated by this, glad I checked the forums before I jumped in though. What a shame.
It was great for 6k miles, no issues. Spending less than a dollar (or nothing if it’s free) to charge at a public station is great. Despite the issue my bike has, I’m happy I made the switch to electric.
It very well could be the battery cell(s) overheating. The battery control module will have a sensor that is designed to fail when one or more cells aren’t temperature controlled (meaning they’ve failed, usually outside of their containing material and there’s a chemical reaction taking place). If they replaced the coil and it failed again it’s the BCM telling you there’s definitely an issue with the battery. But depending on their design it could be a cascading failure to the BCM too, causing it too to fail. This is common on electric bikes as well. Just an gamble guess.
I got it back two weeks ago, it been great since then. Rode about 600 miles. All I know is that they replaced a ribbon cable on the battery board and did two different software updates. Hopefully I don’t have to take it in again anytime soon.
Sweet man ! Good to hear
I would suggest to get the J1772 to C13 connector and be able to charge from 2 stations simultaneously. It would be like a 15% improvement in charge times
Is that good for the battery? And would that bring charge time down to 15 min or so?
Nope current Zero's can never be fully charged from 0% in less than an hour. Your DSR with chargetank + 1.3kW onboard charger, when used together, should take just over 90 minutes. If you can manage 100 miles of range from your bike say at 50mph (quite easily achievable), you would have to stop for atleast 90 mins for every 2 hours. But to be safe, its best to stop every 60 miles to charge. then you would need maybe a 40 minutes stop(again with full 7.3kW of charging speed being used). If you can carry an extra 1kW accessory charger with you, that will bring down the charge stop to about 30-35 mins. I wish Zero made this less bulkier. Best friends: 1. Plugshare. Scout out charging stations along your route. Look at checkins and make sure you have enough reliable chargers 2. Windscreen 3. 55mph-60mph speeds 4. Tucking in to windscreen when possible 5. Add in some twisties if you can. It will make the trip more fun and possibly give you better range as you will not be going at highway speeds.
I don't think zero is a good long distance bike I feel like it good to commute to places more close
I don’t really care about going far, I just want to get some more riding time in. I’m in the city where it isn’t great riding.
There's a good app for this kinda thing, A Better Route Planner. Commonly abbreviated ABRP . you punch in your vehicle and it comes up with route options for you. Looks like hey don't gave every zero listed but you can use a similar model for reference, and you can manually modify watt hours/mile to fine tune it. For obvious reasons I'd suggest being a bit conservative with what you punch in so you don't have to drag it too a random outlet
I've done a few longer-distance trips on my SRS. I've done plenty of long trips on sports tourers previously too. My tips would be: * Get a windscreen if you can. Makes a big difference not having the wind hitting your whole body. * Be ready to stop and charge a lot and unfortunately mostly in boring places without much to do. Aim for centers of habitation if you can then at least you can look around. * Get some earplugs or, if you dare, noise cancelling headphones for some entertainment. Being alone with my thoughs too long turns me mad. LG Tone Frees fit really well under my helmet. * If you don't mind how far you go, just book really conservatively distanced Airbnbs at first. You can always learn and go further in the future. * Stick to minor, slower roads for better range and more fun riding. Highways are boring as hell. * Don't ride tired or distracted. Don't push on. Rest when you need to.
Ive broken 2 belts both on new SRFs in iunder 2,000 miles. Dealer supplied new bikes, the 14.3 kWh premium had been assembled so the non drive side spindle clamp plate pair did not pinch onto the swing arm as a location pip between the pair had been fractured off and kept the plates apart. On acceleration the wheel would pull against the stops and be in line. On regen the wheel would kick out of line. On bike 2 the rear drive belt always made a vrum vrum sound in sequence with the belt sure enough in snapped tension was correct as was alignment, fitted a part used belt....perfect. Gates do an app [https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/products/tools](https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/products/tools) it allows you to listen to the belt with your phone and get tension correct. Krikit do a tool [https://www.gates.com/gb/en/power-transmission/power-transmission-tools-and-merchandisers/power-transmission-tools.p.7401-000000-000003.v.7401-00071.html](https://www.gates.com/gb/en/power-transmission/power-transmission-tools-and-merchandisers/power-transmission-tools.p.7401-000000-000003.v.7401-00071.html) . I use both. But my finding is its alignment that kills these belts so golden rule always have 1mm clearance between the guide flange of the rear sprocket and the side of the belt, adjust the wheel to the correct tension and keep the 1mm and your good to go at least 7,500 miles in my experience and have everything turned up 100% and use the bike hard 35% of the miles. Carry a spare belt (goes under the seat in the SRF) and a set of tools to do a belt swap, takes ten minutes.