# ZERO SR Race Mods



## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

A friend of mine has asked me to do a few mods to his 2014 Zero SR as he intends to join in the fun of electric motorcycle racing in our eFXC series. To start with this bike is quite impressive. Its very smooth, efficient, quiet and has enough power to have fun on a race track.
The list of mods goes like this...
Make rear set brackets for the R1 after market foot pegs.
Fit CBR1000RR seat and tank cover.
Fit clipon handlebars.
Make a new dash mount bracket.
Fit an E Stop safety switch and capacitor discharge relay and resistor.
Fit led flasher to the brake light.







Branching off the ignition switch harness to go to the E Stop switch in the tail.


Cap discharge wiring and high voltage relay.












http://s37.photobucket.com/user/ripperton_2008/media/K T M/REARTANK_zps2a5fb91d.jpg.html

http://s37.photobucket.com/user/ripperton_2008/media/K T M/FRONTTANK_zps8bf14ca8.jpg.html


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Inside the tank cover.


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## klamus (Sep 9, 2014)

what is hes max speed?


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

160kmh with the stock belt and pulley set.
There is an optional set that will give 190kmh.


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## dgh853 (Sep 9, 2014)

Actually the High Speed Gearing Option will take the SR to 215kph (if the straight is long enough)! Having some fairings to get to that speed would help too but the bike looks pretty mean naked!


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Heres a problem with the Zero dash. Even though it has a rubber oring around the facia it still leaks water in possibly because there is too much distance between 2 screws. These water droplets reach up and touch the circuit board and the dash dims and switches off.
Get some silicon onto the seal.







Here is a wiring diagram showing the mods made for eFXC.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

David was doing 1.20 laps at Wakefield and then handed it over to one of the 300cc Ninja series contenders Craig White who could manage a 1.15.
Craig said the brake pads were crap and gave David a set of after market pads that had to be surfaced down to fit inside the calipers, they were too thick but they worked a lot better.
The new low bars felt a lot more racey but we will now make a new top triple clamp which will lower the whole bike 20mm, get rid of the ignition key lock and remount the dash readout a lot lower out of they way of any crash damage.
Also got an Aprilia RSV fiberglass fairing which will need a few brackets.
There are a few combinations of pully sets based around 2 different belts (220t 200T). We can aim for a top speed of around 200kmh that will do us for SMP in 8 weeks.
At a ride day at SMP yesterday David got hit by another rider in T8 right in the sprocket and broke it. They guy crashed into the gravel and totalled his bike and David ran off into the grass but managed to stay upright.



http://s37.photobucket.com/user/ripperton_2008/media/K T M/REARPULLY1_zpsed107d2b.jpg.html


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Heres a couple vids from Burton.
We are going to try the motor ventilation mod too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNYRGa4n39c&feature=youtu.be&list=PL9QUUIIdnTqkWeDNdGdTneDyNmxo9tGBZ

http://youtu.be/WiDIgl3wxe8?list=PL9QUUIIdnTqkWeDNdGdTneDyNmxo9tGBZ


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## DanGT86 (Jan 1, 2011)

Might be a dumb question but what was the tank cover mod for? Does that help rider position or aero dynamics or just look cool? Also, does the cap discharge relay just unload all capacitors in the bike so there is no residual charge anywhere when the kill switch is engaged?

I have no racing experience but find it interesting.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

DanGT86 said:


> Might be a dumb question but what was the tank cover mod for? Does that help rider position or aero dynamics or just look cool? Also, does the cap discharge relay just unload all capacitors in the bike so there is no residual charge anywhere when the kill switch is engaged?


 Tank cover is something for the rider to grip with his legs.
Yes caps are to kill any high voltage so marshals don't get zapped.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Heres some more stuff we have made.
Version 2 of the rear set. We have put a Vectrix rear brake master cylinder up on the left hbar so no longer need the foot operated pedal.



Wooden test piece for new triple clamp. This bike is half metric and half imperial so had to make sure if I had the measurements right.



Heres the real thing in 20mm 5083


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

And of course the motor must be modded for better cooling.
Lets take it apart.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

After much discussion we decided to go a little at a time so no actual fan at first, just a couple of ducts to move air through the motor.



Air out


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## kennybobby (Aug 10, 2012)

Painting that external heatsink black would get more heat out of the motor windings.


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## jonescg (Nov 3, 2010)

Why the new top triple clamp? Trying to get some more height on the clip-ons?


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

jonescg said:


> Why the new top triple clamp? Trying to get some more height on the clip-ons?


 the original clamp was massive, it had motoX style bar clamps up on top, an ignition key, 30mm vertical offset ie it dropped down to the forks.
The new clamp is lighter, lowers the whole bike by 20mm, raises the clipon bars 20mm.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Well the cooling mods worked at least for the standard gearing.
Even without any ducting at all there was no overheating warning on Davids bike during any of the 6 20 minute session of SMP's GP circuit.

I also recently had a test ride of a Zero FX and was very impressed.
This bike is like parkour on wheels. A weapon in traffic and would also make a great stunt bike.
Would love to ride to work on one.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

David on track with the new RSV fairing


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## jonescg (Nov 3, 2010)

Looks great now!


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## SplinterOz (Apr 13, 2011)

Ok now I want a production one like that!... it looks like a bike I would ride now.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Gone to a 428 oring chain drive.
Pulled a sneaky trick with the taper lock as normally the sprocket is offset to the back side of the unit and access to the grub screws is at the front side.
It simply wouldn't fit like this as the chain would run up against the casing of the motor so I cut a small groove in the bush that would allow the allen key to access the grub screw from the back side so I could mount the unit backwards.
The grub screws were inserted backwards allen key side in and the rim of the grub screw would then push against the bush and tighten the unit when I "undid" the screws with the allen key inserted from the sprocket side. Worked a charm


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Heres the arse end...I mean the other end 
Sprocket made from 8.2mm 5083 and mounted on a 3mm recess offset.
Got to keep the chain adjustment close to tight as the chain comes very close to the large tube in the swingarm


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## electro wrks (Mar 5, 2012)

Neat trick. You could do the same with the third, extraction groove by instead adding a groove to the sprocket for allen wrench access and a grub to float (or lightly locktited in ) until needed to loosen the taper. A regular gear puller might work just as well to pop it off.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Cooling ducting went in today. Blowing compressed air in the front air scoop, it actually came out of the other side of the motor.
So fiberglass inner scoop to a 60mm flexible and expandable aluminium duct down beside the battery into 2x 40mm flexible expandable aluminium ducts into the 2 54mm holes I previously cnc'd into the right side motor frame.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Heres something that Zero don't even know, the location of the charge fuse.
Its in behind the right rear lip of the battery box concealed under 3mm of heat shrink. It just looks like heatshrink that you put over a crimped lug but there is a 100A ceramic fuse with 2 M6 bolts.
There are 2 charging plugs, 1 high current and 1 low. The fuse is after the 2 positive cables join and go to the main battery terminal bolts.
The fuse blew when David tried to run both chargers at once and now after replacing the fuse neither charger runs. Think some electronics need resetting. Fuses are $50 each.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

New gearing has a top speed of 185kmh on the main straight of SMP but that was on 50% charge as we still haven't got the charger working.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Aprilia fairing finally finished.


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## SplinterOz (Apr 13, 2011)

Looking really good. Cya there next weekend.


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## jonescg (Nov 3, 2010)

Looks plenty horn! Now why couldn't Zero make a bike look half that good?  Shame about the wart of a flashing light, but hey, rules is rules


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

David suffered the cruellest of disappointments on Saturday morning.
After running fine in Fridays practice the bike refused to boot up for race one just as he was going to line up in pit lane.
There was no 12v supply inside the battery pack for the BMS.
David was on the phone to Ryan in the US trying to sort the problem.
Ryan was great in helping us to figure it out but in the end David had to go home.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Davids Zero now has fully variable regen via a lever on the left handlebar.
Its the same ZX14 clutch master cylinder and 150psi transducer that I use on my R1. We added a wire in the Sevcon plug for the variable signal and powered the transducer from the throttle 12v and through a 12v-5v dcdc.







and of course removed the rear disc brake completely.



you might also see the extra large 80tooth rear sprocket which makes the gearing now even shorter than standard and yes it does wheelies .
15-80 = 5.33:1. Standard was about 4.6:1
Get it up to about 40kmh on an uphill slope, sit as far back as you can and crack the throttle and up it comes.


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## jonescg (Nov 3, 2010)

I still don't like the idea of not having a friction brake on the rear, but it is allowed. If the controller throws a fault and shuts down, there goes your regen and rear braking.

I gather the Zero BMS was repaired since SMP?


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

jonescg said:


> I still don't like the idea of not having a friction brake on the rear, but it is allowed. If the controller throws a fault and shuts down, there goes your regen and rear braking.
> I gather the Zero BMS was repaired since SMP?



A rear disc would be a must in traffic but not really on the track.
Zero could incorporate a transducer into the rear disc brake line.
The Sevcon puts out powerful regen so its a no brainer for range maximization.
David got a new dash and BMS board and Sevcon config interface.


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## jonescg (Nov 3, 2010)

Great to hear it's running again! 

I've already booked my flights to Mallala!


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## DanGT86 (Jan 1, 2011)

Is the regen setup like a brake where more lever=more brake force or does it simulate engine braking and freewheeel with the "clutch" lever depressed?

Does the variable regen offer the same precise modulation as a friction brake?


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## dgh853 (Sep 9, 2014)

DanGT86 said:


> Is the regen setup like a brake where more lever=more brake force or does it simulate engine braking and freewheeel with the "clutch" lever depressed?
> 
> Does the variable regen offer the same precise modulation as a friction brake?


The regen setup is like a normal brake where more lever equals more force. The transducer provides a linear increase in voltage in line with the fluid pressure in the lever/master cylinder (from 0.5V 0psi to 5V 150psi). The sevcon controller can be set to take the input as linear (i.e. apply a linear amount of reverse amps up to the allowed maximum) or it can be set to different curves i.e. sharper initially but tapering off, or dull response initially then sharpening.

You can effect the engine braking equivalent of a gas bike by setting up regen on throttle neutral. This is set independently of the regen brake lever and can be as strong or weak as you wish (think 1st gear engine braking to freewheeling).

The regen provides similar modulation to a friction brake but as it requires a small amount of lever movement and we have set it initially to high regen it's very responsive at the moment i.e. fairly easy to lock the back wheel if you're not subtle with squeezing the lever. The great thing about the Zero is you have a mode switch with three modes that can be customised via the Sevcon software and changed on the fly (have to have a neutral throttle but no need to stop). In each of these profiles you could have different neutral throttle regen and different lever regen/braking (latter is called foot braking in the Sevcon controller). This would allow you to set up a mode for dry riding with more maximum regen and another mode for wet riding with less max regen to avoid locking the wheel in wet weather.

Having 3 modes came in handy for a test ride today as I was able to compare multiple braking levels at different speeds in order to assess what is suitable. Cuts testing time by 2/3!


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## kingr (Dec 5, 2014)

Very good build! I see you are not scared getting your hands dirty and dismantling parts , respect.

Any new updates or status ?


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## dgh853 (Sep 9, 2014)

No major changes recently, mostly just changing regen settings.

Have been testing out various throttles. I now have a Domino throttle on rather than the stock Magura and it's a much smoother, higher quality throttle that requires a less rotation to full throttle.

I also have a throttle from my old Vectrix that I'm looking to try on it as well. As it's bidirectional so you can use it for regen as well. Done well, I think a bi-directional throttle is an excellent, intuitive way to implement regen.

Unfortunately the Vectrix throttle uses a PWM signal so I will be sending it through the CANBUS rather than via the analog input to the Sevcon controller to ensure I get an accurate reading to the Sevcon.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

The Kinetic RamAir cooling system for the motor wasn't quite handling the track day abuse when using a lot of regen so went for a single 40mm EDF
with aluminium housing on a 12v 10A ESC and a test pot for a throttle.
Fitted snugly into an acetal frame with a M4 lock screw. Plus an acetal stopper for the second vent hole. The ESC was mounted upstream of the fan in the air flow so the 3 phase wires had to go around the fan through holes in the alu housing. Bloody noisy but should improve cooling so David can go back to the variable regen lever.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

The EDF improved cooling but only slightly so we decided to open up the drive side vent holes as there was strong jets of air coming out of them
David is also swapping the 10A ESC for a 20 amp unit.


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## __Tango (Sep 10, 2009)

RIPPERTON said:


> Aprilia fairing finally finished.
> [\QUOTE]
> 
> This is awesome. Can you take a side profile shot to get a good look at the side?


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## SplinterOz (Apr 13, 2011)

eFXC Wakefield 2015 by Tony Castley, on Flickr


IMGP8122 by Tony Castley, on Flickr


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## __Tango (Sep 10, 2009)

Damn. That's cool. I know i'm not racing, but I really want a Zero in street clothes, so this looks really good. Maybe I'll get one and do the mods on it like this.


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## dgh853 (Sep 9, 2014)

I've create a web site with news and details on racing the modified Zero SR in Australia.

You can check it out at http://evtricity.com.au .


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Another Regen lever installed, this time to Mikes DS for $350AUD fitted.
Im almost into production with these, I made 2 lever/harnes's at the same time. pricey but indispensable in traffic situations.



Green wire goes to the same pin as Davids SR



Powered the transducer with this dcdc from EBay.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141732340729?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


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## jonescg (Nov 3, 2010)

I'm surprised you couldn't use one of the 5 V outputs from the controller, particularly since it's looking for an analogue input.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

jonescg said:


> I'm surprised you couldn't use one of the 5 V outputs from the controller, particularly since it's looking for an analogue input.


Well the throttle uses 10v-12v. didnt know there were any 5v outputs.
Ryan said use the throttle supply.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Dave charging at 12kW with a few Elteks


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

jonescg said:


> I'm surprised you couldn't use one of the 5 V outputs from the controller, particularly since it's looking for an analogue input.


Well actually I ended up using pin 14 for the 5v pos and the battery negative on the controller for the neg ! Now we should be able to see some variation in pin 23.
The Sevcon manual says pins 12 13 and 14 should have a 5v. 
Pin 12 was battery voltage 108v and pin 13 was 2.5v.
Still putting it back together but will let you know how it goes.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

RIPPERTON said:


> Well actually I ended up using pin 14


Correction not pin 14 as Ryan says, thats a digital input and wont supply anything with a load.
Anyway I officially hate Sevcons as they are too hard basket and my friend is moving north out of Sydney and doesnt have time so I put the DS back to stock.
Zero really should have regen and reverse fitted to the bike when it leaves the factory.


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## dgh853 (Sep 9, 2014)

Probably too late but I believe that you can use pin 28 on the Sevcon Gen4 controller which provides a 24v supply for external CANBUS devices. If you stepped that down to 5v that should work as well as splitting the throttle input we did previously and without having to recalibrate the throttle voltage limits.

http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4357.msg29277#msg29277


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