Just thinking out loud here, but has anyone besides me wished there were a charge port on the Vectrix?
The onboard cord is fine, but is a bit of a hassle for routing charging. I do 99% of my charging at one spot, and most of the time, the storage area under the seat is at least half full of stuff. I'd love to have a port on the bike and a cord hanging on the wall, so I could just pull up, grab the wall cord off its hanger and plug it into the bike, leaving the Vectrix cord nicely tucked away under the seat for other times when I need it, and not having to pull the stuff out to get to the cord or remove my travel pack that often stays strapped on top of the seat.
I'm thinking about taking an old gas tank neck, with a nice chrome cap and installing it somewhere on a body panel, then epoxying a male plug down in the neck. Unscrew or flip open the "gas" cap, plug the wall cord into the gas filler neck, and walk away. Anybody (MIK ?) got any pictures of a naked bike or any idea where I can find a sturdy panel spot with 2 or 3 inches of hollow space behind to allow for the neck piece? How difficult would it be to remove the fairing to gain access to the charger lugs, and will they accomodate a second cord?
You'd make the pins on the original plug 'live' though - right?
My Lectra has a socket, you have to use your own 'kettle' lead and plug into a Euro style socket under the seat - not as convenient as I'd like. I must admit to thinking about taking the 'spring return cable drum' off of an old vacuum cleaner - replacing the original long thin 'cord' with some 2.5mm2 cable - that would be neat. :)
....'course you'd need space for it.
Yes. What I'd ultimately like to end up with is a charge port for home charging, while maintaining the ability to use the underseat cord for off premises charging when necessary.
I have not had the fairing off, but I have been able to see that the charge cord runs along the right side of the battery box to the up front charger, where I believe I've seen pics showing that it is just screwed to lugs on the charger. I'd like to run a shorter, second cord from those same lugs to the same kind of connector that the original cord has, and just embed that connector inside a gas filler neck. I have an old rusty auxilary truck gas tank up a scrap pile with a salvagable neck piece. Just gotta figure how to firmly attach it to the bike and where I might have the space to do so without it looking totally out of place.
That does not seem safe to me. If you connect it the way you say, then you would have a live male plug at the other end of the scooter whenever you plu one of them in. Just a matter of time until your boot contents catch fire or someone gets a nasty shock!
You could replace the boot chord with the connector you are suggesting, but watch your warranty...
You can also fix the problem for zero cost and with zero work:
Just let the end of the original cable hang out permanently!
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
This might be a silly idea but as I read your post this is what came to mind. Put a socket inside the storage compartment where you store your charge cord, connect the socket to an external plug, like you were talking about under a gas cap. Plug the on board charge cord into the socket inside the storage compartment. When you are at home just plug an additional cord in, hanging from the wall as you said, under the gas cap and you are charging. When you are out and about unplug the on board cord from the socket in the storage compartment and plug it in. This allows you to have both setups without changing the stock configuration.
Just a thought,
Grandpa Chas S.
Excellent point, and one I had not thought of! However, that's an easy fix with a sealed dummy female connector over the original. I'll put that on my must do or die list. :-)
Thanks Chas. I actually had already thought of that, as it would be an easier project. however, I am concerned about:
1.) Charging through a coiled cord in the compartment, which would normally be under stuff. Could there be a heat problem caused by this?
2.) When it comes to electricity, the fewer plugs used, the better, and an "adapter" system such as you suggest would add another connection to the string.
I am actually more concerned about number one than number two.
3.)
If you're already modifying it, why not shorten the fitted power cord to avoid it being coiled. That way all the excess is removed and you have your permanent external connector port.
-Avron
I don't want to upset the onboard cord. I want to keep it as is, for the occasional off site charging, and would need it for that. Of course, it would be just as effective, if not better, to pack a 20 foot extension cord instead. ;-)