Gen2/Calex Charger/Operation

Mainly, the charger is the most routine bike maintenance and you just plug it in and can forget about it.

When to Charge

Per Zero's recommendation, the battery state of charge is ideally kept between 30% and 70%.

• Always plug in when the SoC is below 30%.
• Leave it plugged in to reach 100% and improve cel balance if you are planning to ride the bike in the next few days.
• You can unplug the bike when it reaches 70% if the bike will not be ridden sooner than a few days, or if your next ride will not require more charge.

  This keeps the battery in a healthier state and improves battery lifetime beyond the warranty.

What to Watch For

When plugging in, expect:

• The contactor to close with a click or remain closed.
• The dash charging indicator to begin blinking green.
• After a few seconds, (2014+ models) the charge time indicator should display a number of hours and minutes until fully charged.

  This indicator helps predict when a desired SoC can be anticipated, with a little math.

Trouble Indications

• Spark at the plug when connecting.
• Heat from the plug.
• No charging dash indicator.
• Circuit breaker trips.

Reliability Tips

There is a growing consensus that the Calex charger's limited cooling capacity can lead to damage over time if it's operated repeatedly at the high end of its rated band.

To minimize risk of a charger fault or component burnout, avoid operating it while the battery is hot and still cooling, and address any heating or sparking at the plug.

Check the Common Charging Problems section regarding the plug and cord.

Basic suggestions:

• After an intense ride in the heat with the battery temperature high, wait for a couple of hours until the temperature is lower.
• Keep the inlet covered when not in use.
• Use contact cleaner on the inlet periodically (once per month) or whenever the charging cord plug warms up significantly during charging.
• Minimize strain and load on the charging cord.
• Unplug the cord and cover the inlet when not in use.

GFCI

Ground fault circuit isolation (GFCI or GFI) enabled outlets often trip when using the Zero onboard charger, relating to how AC phases are wired to a single or multiple outlets.

If this happens regularly, it is reasonable to break off the grounding pin from your charging cord, or, better yet, get a cheater (three prong to two prong) "cheater" plug.