2012 Zero X with no battery

[mcintyretj]

Earlier this summer I pulled off the front sprocket and went on line to order a 15t and 16t sprocket. Sprockets with the correct size keyway were around $150, so, I decided to order a 15 and 16 tooth sprocket with a 3/32 keyway and file them to the correct size. These were about $15 each.


Original 13t sprocket



16t, 15t and original 13t sprockets


Filing the keyway. took about 45 minutes each to get to size.

I kept the controller settings the same: 250 amps max from the battery, 300 max amps to the wheel, throttle at 55%.

With the 15t sprocket on a full battery, I was able to hit 60.9 mph, however , the bike was noticeably slower off the line. After 20 miles or so, top speed dropped to 55-57 mph.


top speed after 5 miles with 15t sprocket.

After 2 weeks, I installed the 16t sprocket. I was able to hit 62 mph top speed with this sprocket. I kept the controller settings the same. The bike was slightly more sluggish off the line and it took a while to hit top speed. It still pulled nicely in the mid RPMs (20 to 50mph.) I bumped up the max amps on the controller 20% and the throttle to 65%, but the bike was still too sluggish. I plan to go back to the 15t.


16t front sprocket


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Been solar charging my bike in a common area at my condo complex and have yet to receive a violation notice.




Also, I snagged a free 2012 Nissan Leaf a few years back. I can use the zero's battery pack to charge the leaf with a 2500-5000w 48v converter. The closest reliable charging station is about 2 miles away, so I only need about 1KW when I run out of power. For the converter to work, you need to run a wire from neutral to ground on the open 120v port.





I do not think you can do this with a new Zero, but I could be wrong.

Still looking to build a 18 or 20s battery this winter. Ordered some Samsung (21700) 50s batteries to test.

 

[amberwolf]

Might be interesting to play around with the seized motor; I have an old curtis brushed controller that could drive it if it can be fixed.

Regarding cell sources, have you considered repurposing ex-EV packs from places like Batteryhookup and the like? Greentecauto sometimes has sales with free shipping, which on a battery as big as you need could save a lot. (and some of their stuff has warranties!)

 

[mcintyretj]

Ok, it looks like I accidentally deleted my post from the spring. Here is a recap:

Last October, I went for a long ride on the highway (60+mph) and after 25 miles, the motor started making a loud clacking noise. The motor was warm and there was definitely some scraping going forward. Also, the motor locked up when backing up. I was able to limp home and pull the motor.



I think some of the magnets came loose. It still rotates forward and there was no burnt smell or wires. I anyone wants it I still have it. I think it can be repaired. I do not recommend running this motor over 13KW for long periods.


I know there are a lot of motors that can fit this space, however, the Montenergy ME1907 looked like it would bolt right in. I ordered this motor and installed it.










This motor fit right in using all the same hardware.

I have been riding with this motor and a 15 tooth front sprocket for the last 9 months. I can hit 63mph+ with a tail wind but struggle to hit 55mph into a good headwind. Also, it is slow from a stop so it is not safe to split lanes. Here are my controller settings:



The Zero is a blast to ride. It pulls great at 30-60mph and just 35 minutes on a public charger will get almost 20 miles.

 

[mcintyretj]

Finally assembled a 72v pack! 20s18p Samsung 50s cells (?) I had to swap in a new 72v contactor, make some new rails to hold the pack on the bike and raise the voltage setting on the controller. I also installed a 14 tooth front sprocket. One of my 60v chargers topped out at 82v, so, I charged up and went to the beach and back. Hit 74mph on the way back. Still slow off the line but you need to hold on tight 30-65mph. The BMS showed the temperature at 30 degrees C





The pack sticks out 1/2 inch on each side and you notice when straddling the bike






74 mph is a little fast, so I installed a 13 tooth front sprocket, lowered my max amps 5% and did a 35 mile highway run (long stretches of 60 mph speed limit). Still hit 72 mph top speed and my pack temp hit 35C.

I have a 2.7kw charger on the way and a 12 tooth sprocket and will post later.


For anyone interested, here is the pack build:

I tested several 21700 cells and was not impressed, however, on paper the Samsung 50s looked like it would work for me.



On paper a 20s18p 50s pack would be 5.8KW as tested, a 5.2 KW pack.
I ordered 390 Samsung 50s cells at $2.25 each. With shipping it came to $1250.00.

I wanted to use commercial spacers but just could not make it fit, so, I used tape (2 layers around each end) and hot glue.





I have been using the same $35 amazon welder for a few years. It works great for .15 nickel strips if you go slow. It does heat up so I have a fan.









I hate soldering so I tack the strips to a nickel plated copper strap, then bolt a copper sheet to hold everything together.













to be continued..

 

[mcintyretj]

Here are the 2 10s sections stacked.












The balancing wires were soldered on to strips, then welded. Not sure I can get this Daly BMS to work correctly so the balance wires are just twisted and heat shrunk. I run the pack through a 300 amp fuse and only solar charge through the BMS. I should be able to set it to shut off at 84 volts.



I plan to keep an eye on the pack temperature since I am running them slightly over 50% of the rated max amps and they may not be official Samsung cells. The pack weighs 65 pounds.

 

[amberwolf]

I think you can undelete it; if not, I can do that for you.

Ok, it looks like I accidentally deleted my post from the spring. Here is a recap:

 

[mcintyretj]

4/17/26 update:

Been riding the zero a lot these last 5 months. I have set the peak amps on the Altrax controller as low as 150 amps (12KW), and as high as 500 amps (40KW). For a motor that's only rated for 48v, 4.8KW continuous and15KW peak, I am impressed with the performance so far. Currently, I have the peak amps set at 210 amps (16.8KW) and went down to an 11 tooth front sprocket. I think the back sprocket has 62 teeth so the ratio is 5.6 to 1. Also, I had to shorten the chain a link. This setup gives me good acceleration for lane splitting and a top speed of slightly over 65 MPH. On short rides, less than 5 miles, the motor does get warm, but nothing to be concerned about. However, on longer rides out on the highway, (60mph+) this motor gets almost too hot to touch. I ordered a temperature gauge and might try a scoop, cooling fins, or a fan to help cool the motor. This is a small space (8.5"x 6") so there are not a lot of cheap options when this motor fails.

My new charger from AliExpress works on both 120v and 240v and tops off at 3KW. You can easily adjust the volts and amps.








I attached this charger under the back fender with some zip ties. The fans are noisy but it puts out 3KW and weights about 4 pounds.

Also, the Daly BMS stopped working so I am looking for a replacement.

 

[jkrienert]

Nice update.
I've seen several Orion Jr. Come up on eBay the last few months. For example...

Pardon Our Interruption...

Granted that one you'd have to contact the manufacturer for harnesses. Cool thing is you might be able to utilize one of the thermistors for that unit to monitor your motor temps !

I keep hoping to see a similar listing locally here in the Midwest as I'd love to embark on getting a up to canter... I'm working on a scooter, buts it's running a rather light hearted ~2kw hub motor compared to the Zero drive systems

The scoop idea for your motor sounds cool. Would you make the intake on the sides or center belly?

 

[mcintyretj]

7/19/26 update:

Purchased a digital thermometer and attached it to the motor with a hose clamp. Temperatures reach about 46 degrees C while riding, then, when stopped, rise to 51 degrees C (on an 80 degree F day). I do not think this is too high but I start taking it easy when the thermometer starts showing 45 C. Also, when I park just right in the sun, it will read up to 40 C.






Had some time so I made an air scoop with some scrap ABS. This setup made no difference on my 3 mile stretch, at 60 mph, on PCH. I plan to take of the bottom/front fairing and maybe add some cooling fins if this setup last the summer.






Also did some testing with the peak amps set to: 12kw, 15kw and 18kw. There was barely any temperature difference. Currently have the peak amps set to 220 amps (about 18kw). I will post a video later with 0 to 60 times and top speed.

 

[jkrienert]

Interesting idea with the forced air intake, and some serious experimenting with various power supply and battery design methods!

Do you still have the original Agni 95R motor? If so, and the carbon brush assembly is in okay shape, I'd happily pay you for it (+ship) since - as it stands I can find no source for those assemblies and I have a bike with around 1500 km on it. I'm doing a bit of preemptive parts gathering, for when that part eventually wears out.