text: My R-20 Timeline | V is for Voltage electric vehicle forum
  My R-20 Timeline
  Joined: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - 20:43
  Scooter arrives!
  Received new charger from Soneil
  Speedometer broken. Turbine gear stripped -- no grease.
  Circuit breaker started to trip while riding. Attempted many "fixes" over the next
  Attempted many "fixes" for circuit breaker problem
  re-seating all connectors
  securing rear break wiring bundle to frame (the wires/connectors were dangling next to the shock absorber spring.)
  tightened the contacts inside the molex connectors
  Problem would come and go, so whenever i tried something i wasn't sure if it helped or not.
  Finally got so bad that i couldn't ride a mile without the breaker tripping.
  Circuit breaker problem resolved!
  Before taking anything apart, i can see that the connection going in to the circuit breaker has been very hot. The insulation of the two wires going in has actually melted together.
  The end of the wires are very corroded.
  The clamp in the circuit breaker is also corroded, and the contact is half-covered with melted insulation.
  i've cleaned off the wire, cleaned out the clamp in the breaker, and put everything back together and tightened the wires.
  i'll try riding to work again this morning and see if i can make it without the breaker tripping again.
  My guess (and it's only a guess) is that when it was assembled, the insulated portion of the wire was clamped into the breaker and because of that, there was too small of an area of wire making contact. That led to the higher temperature, causing the melting insulation and the corrosion. The overheating under load tripped the breaker.
  Received new speedometer turbine from EVT -- 8 months to get this part. :-(
  Rear tire started losing pressure, and then one day while i was riding the valve stem popped out.
  Front tire did the same thing -- valve stem popped out while riding. Both times, the rubber boot that fits into the rim is all cracked, and the metal valve stem isn't held in anymore. Looks like really substandard rubber for a tire.
  One day i hit a bump on a railraod crossing -- probably 2"-3". When i hit the bump, the throttle came off in my hand. i've also attached a photo of this. The plastic ring that holds the throttle on the handlebar shattered. Again... seems like poor-quality plastic.
  Pieced it together with superglue and electrical tape so i could keep riding, but it would still come off in my hand every time i hit a small bump.
  Range is getting shorter. 9 mile commute is taking 3/4 of a full charge. Time to start shopping.
  New batteries -- 5 x Werker WKA33-12C
  Nail in the tire. Finished the ride home on a flat. Plugged the hole, but after riding flat it leaked around the seal. Went to a cycle shop to get it re-mounted, and decided i really needed a new rear tire anyway.
  Received new throttle from EVT -- only a 2 month wait this time.
  DC/DC converter died.
  EVT replied to my 10/20 email. i had already bought a DC/DC converter from ThunderStruck-ev.com
  Controller died. Power transitors fried.
  i discover www.visforvoltage.com forum. Conclude that overall i have been pretty fortunate with my R-20, but there's no point in sending photos of the inside of my burned out controller to EVT because they have seen so many of them already.
  Rececived Kelly controller from EVT. Plug it in. Controller status is green. Scooter still doesn't work -- no response to throttle.
  Off and on troubleshooting. Simplified connections from throttle to controller. Potentiometer to controller's throttle input. Check controller programming through COM port. Still can't figure it out.
  Charger stops working.
  Oscilloscope on throttle and hall sensors from motor. All dead. The old controller apparently took out all of the other components with it. (The hall sensor in my old broken throttle works as expected.)
  Epiphany!!Another user on this forum has said "Think of the Z as a project, not a true option for transportation."
  i did get 1.5 years of daily commutes out of it, so i don't want to complain. But now i need a new motor and throttle. In the past four months i've already invested in new batteries, tire, dc-dc converter, and controller, so i don't want to give up now. Here i am with a "project" sitting in my garage for 3 months that is 60% complete, and EVT hasn't even replied to my question about buying a new motor. Can't rely on them for support going forward.
  Stay tuned... the R20++ is coming.
  Mon, 03/15/2010 - 01:56
  Re: My R-20 Timeline
  Thanks for posting this I'm going to follow it. I upgraded my front shocks with these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290320572134&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT and they are WAY better. Much smoother ride. I also upgraded my rear shocks from EVT and I am using battery balancers, but I'm having the same problem with the circuit shutting off, so I'll check out what you did. Thanks.
  Mon, 03/15/2010 - 07:47
  EVT hasn't even replied to my question about buying a new motor.
  You should be able to get a compatible motor for your controller from Kelly: http://www.newkellycontroller.com/index.php?cPath=21_62