Adding a reserve battery in the helmet compartment

triangletom

Active member
Since getting my CE-04, I've thought a lot about the challenge associated with longer-distance touring and dealing with the possibility of arriving at a broken charger. While I've opted for the BMWMOA towing plan, I'm not the sort of person who asks for help often.

After being impressed with the size of the helmet compartment, I realized that the https://www.jackery.com/products/explorer-1000-portable-power-station should fit in the helmet compartment if you remove the handle (which happens to be hollow plastic).

There are some caveats with the Jackery 1000 and the CE-02 to be aware of though:

- Max sustained AC output is 1000W (with 2000W peaks). On paper, the CE-04 will draw 1100W. If this is a problem, the workaround would be to set the CE-04 to use a 7A draw (770W).
- Max helmet compartment weight is 18lbs (8.16kg). The Jackery is 22lbs (10kg). I suspect if the load is evenly distributed, it shouldn't be a problem.

Given that I use the helmet compartment for stowing a helmet on most days, I'd only use this reserve battery for longer tours, like a fuel reserve switch on pre-FI petrol motorbikes.

I suspect that such a device could conceivably charge a CE-04 from 0 to 9% (~0.8kw of the 8.5kw usable) in about 25 minutes. In Eco mode, this would yield an extra 6-7 miles to head to another charger

Has anyone else tried something similarly insane?
 

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triangletom

Active member
I received a Jackery 1000, but so far no luck: both the BMW charger and the Tesla charger detect a fault, even before I plug it into the scoot.

After reading through the manuals, I think this is because, unknown to me at ordering time, the Jackery 1000 does not have an actual grounding pin. I'll reach out to support to see if there are any recommendations from them. The Jackery 1500 has a different ground slot, so maybe it's better for this use -- but it won't fit in the helmet compartment without serious modifications.

I suspect there is a way to fake out the ground fault check. I've ordered a portable GFCI outlet, as well as contacted Jackery support, to see what if anything I can do next.
 

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wspollack

Active member
@triangletom:

As temporary alternatives, until you get the extra battery situation worked out, to cover eventualities such as broken charging stations you might try one of these solutions:

1) Pull a generator, e.g.:

motorcycle pulling generator on trailer.jpg

2) Install a generator on the scoot itself, e.g.:

 

triangletom

Active member
Just as an update here: I've yet to make this work. The Jackery 1000 has an empty plastic slot where the grounding pin of a 120V power plug would normally go. Both the Tesla and BMW mobile charging adapters detect the lack of ground and refuse to do anything. I've tried using a portable GFCI adapter to no effect.

I imagine if I was using a https://www.openevse.com/ system where you can disconnect ground monitoring that this idea could work.
 

triangletom

Active member
I found an interesting video where someone worked around the same issue, albeit with an inverter and a Nissan Leaf charger cable:

My current thought is taking apart a portable GFCI outlet and running a ground clip to wherever BMW says the grounded location on the BMW CE 04 is. I'll run the idea past some folks who know more about electricity than I do first. :)


Screenshot 2023-01-08 at 5.44.22 PM.png
 

lt_fukai

New member
Hello. I came across this forum searching for this exact question. Have you looked at the options from EcoFlow?
I thought of a different solution to this which is to put it inside or in place of the top box, which would allow for a larger generator. The one you have is so small that doesn't justify; I get the contingency but you could probably just save the range it would give you with the way you ride. The only way it makes sense is larger. Of course that does change the weight balance a little bit.
Secondarily, you could also bring solar panels to charge the generator which charges the battery (if slowly). It reminds me a little bit of how the i3 had a range extender, but DIYed
 

triangletom

Active member
@lt_fukai - I steered away from top-case options as the manual lists a maximum of 5kg (11 lbs), whereas the helmet compartment is 8 kg (18 lbs). I see that the EcoFlow has an interesting-looking option in the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro, which is a little smaller (20% less battery) and cheaper than the Jackery 1000.

I took a second refreshed look at this idea this week, as I'm planning a 1600 km (1000 mi) trip with the BMW CE04, with most of those miles being in remote locations in Western North Carolina. I expect the Jackery 1000 battery to charge a BMW CE04 an additional 10% in about 45 minutes at 8A/110V. That's slow enough to be useful only in emergency situations. but I've also had to roll into a charger station at 1% before when the closest charger to me was full of abandoned EVs.

Of course, carrying an extra 20 lbs of gear impacts the range.

I contacted "The EV Doctor" for advice, and he hinted that the best direction might be to buy a cheap J1772 EVSE that works with two-prong outlets, as they lack a ground. I did some research and found some cheap options that might fit the bill:

- Southking SK-EV16
- Honda Clarity cable
- Toyota Prius cable

I also found a cheap ($90 with coupon) Sankaba J1772 charger on Amazon that allows ground monitoring to be disabled on the fly, which is exactly what I wanted. I'll let you know how it works!
 
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triangletom

Active member
I'm happy to report that my most recent Project: Electric Jerrycan experiment was a wild success!

PXL_20230428_152321643.jpg

The Jackery 1000, effectively an oversized USB power bank, was able to add 0.75Kwh (9%) of charge to the CE-04 over 44 minutes. My average range is 62.8 miles (101km), so that's enough juice to push the bike forward another 5.6 miles (9km) to get to a real charger.

The Sankaba J1772 L2 charger worked out of the box: it had no problem with ground detection or the lack of a third-prong ground contact at all. Most EVSE cables monitor the ground and turn off if the ground isn't found. Like many cheap EVSEs, the Sankaba does require a small NEMA 6-20 to 5-15 adapter.

The first time I plugged it in, the BMW tried to pull 16A, which tripped the internal breaker in the Jackery 1000. Using the Charger Settings dialog on the CE-04 screen, I was able to dial the charging rate down to 10A (suitable for 5-15 110V), and everything just worked. While this particular EVSE is particularly svelte (4.8lbs, 16ft) and easily fits into the top-case or helmet case:

PXL_20230428_162042077.jpg

The Jackery 1000 itself is far chunkier. Due to the weight limits of the CE-04 top case mount, the plan is to store it in the helmet compartment, but that will require some modifications as it just barely does not fit:

PXL_20230428_162116743.jpg

Next week I will try taking the Jackery 1000 apart to see what options I have: I may either dremel the handle off or place the innards in a more compact casing. Stay tuned!
 
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triangletom

Active member
I did a second, more controlled experiment today and was able to add 10% (7 miles or 11 km) of charge at 10A from the Jackery 1000. The EVSE charging brick did stop charging twice: once at 20% and once at 47%. I theorized that it might be getting too hot in the sun, so I put it in the shade and was able to complete the rest of the charge.

The next step will be some case modding so that it fits into the helmet compartment. There is a sizeable gap at the bottom, and a lot of empty space in the handle area. My plan is to lop the handle off with a rotary tool, and instead use a strap to carry the battery around.


battery.jpg
 

triangletom

Active member
After removing most of the handle with a hacksaw, the Jackery 1000 now fits in the BMW CE-04's helmet compartment. The compartment lid is just barely able to shut properly in this position.

battery.jpg

Next steps:
- screw it back together
- sand down the rough edges
- install a lower profile carrying handle
 

wspollack

Active member
After removing most of the handle with a hacksaw, the Jackery 1000 now fits in the BMW CE-04's helmet compartment. The compartment lid is just barely able to shut properly in this position.

Next steps:
- screw it back together
- sand down the rough edges
- install a lower profile carrying handle
And get a topcase, and add another Jackery or two?

I mean, presumably you're can potentially get more mileage of this than it consumes by virtue of its added weight, so if one's good, two are better?
 

triangletom

Active member
Here's what the final version looks like in the helmet compartment:
bat1.jpg

The Jackery 1000 without the handle just barely fits, so I need to be mindful that it's pushed in all the way so that the lid closes properly. Today, I took it for a 70-mile (112 km) ride, and it stayed put without any issue. This was a ride I'd been wanting to make but had been putting off as there was the potential to be stuck if the charger at the destination wasn't working.

This time I charged the bike with the battery and EVSE charger in the shade to avoid overheating issues, and it successfully added 9% battery to the CE 04. It stopped with 2% battery left in the Jackery rather than 0, for reasons I'm not honestly sure of. I turned the plug back on and off again and it discharged the rest.

bat2.jpg

I'm going to consider this project a success! Here is the final bill of materials:

- Jackery 1000 (1002Wh portable battery): $827
- Shoulder Dolly HandyLifter Carrying Strap: $13
- 6-20P to 5-15 adapter: $8
- Cheap "Sankaba" EVSE L2 Charger (no grounding requirements): $96
- TOTAL: $942

Typical charge amount: 750 Wh, or +9.3% of charge on a CE-04
Typical charge time: 45 minutes

Probably best used as a "rescue" device that someone can bring to you if you are stuck somewhere, but also reasonable for long trips.

I did some digging around I discovered that the OEM of the EVSE appears to be "Ningbo Yiwei New Energy Technology Co., LTD" with a model number of EV-SAE-AC16-P. This EVSE is also sold under the name of Sunsky. Here are two forms of it:

- https://www.sunsky-online.com/p/EDA...ng-Gun-Home-Car-Charger-Plug-Type-1-6-20P.htm
- https://www.sunsky-online.com/p/EDA...ng-Gun-Home-Car-Charger-Plug-Type-1-5-15P.htm

As mentioned before, you can also grab a Toyota or Honda OEM PHEV cable, as they don't care about grounding either. I hope this helps inspire someone to do dumb things!
 
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wspollack

Active member
If you use the Jackery to get to a charging station, can you replenish it, as well as the bike, there? Just curious.
 

wspollack

Active member
@wspollack - with the right adapters, anything is possible! The Jackery 1000 does have a very slow recharge time though: 8 hours. It's best left for overnight charges. There is a newer 1000 Pro that recharges in 1.8 hours, but that's still a bit much.

In other news, I've made a blog post summarizing this thread: https://unfinished.bike/diy-electric-jerry-can
Thanks. And I just read your blog -- very clear and concise.
 

triangletom

Active member
@SeaE04 - difficult to say - finding an appropriate cable was by far the most difficult part of the project. The blog entry lists some alternatives that don't implement ground:

- Chargers for plug-in hybrids: Toyota, Honda, etc.
- Rebrandings of the Southking SK-EV16
- Rebrandings of the Zhejiang Yiyi EV-SAE-AC16-P (as in the Sankaba model I purchased)

If I was in your shoes, I'd buy the cheapest 100-240V charger that is 16ft or shorter on Amazon and return it if it doesn't work for the next cheapest model. I'd avoid ones that mention Grounding Detection unless it mentions settings for it. You can find clones of the one I purchased by looking for a 16A charger with a display like this, and often a double green circle power button:

shot.jpg

I haven't read into them a great deal, but here are some possibilities:

- Simmpatuu Level 2 EV Charger Up to 16A Portable Electric Vehicle - this appears to be nearly the same model I purchased, but with a NEMA 5-20 plug.
- AOLAR Portable EV Charger - 16AMP Electric Vehicle Charger 25ft Cable - this seems to be a different model of the same make
- AplysiaTech Level 1/2 EV Charger, 8/10/13/16A - seems like another clone of mine
- TwoBarrels Level 1+2 EV Charger 16Amp - another clone with a 26ft cable
- WEHYN Level 2 Portable EV Charger 110V-240V 16 Amp Electric Vehicle Charger 17ft Cable NEMA 6-20 Plug EV - seems like the same manufacturer & screen, but a different model
- GODIAG Level 2 & Level 1 Portable EV Charger - GODIAG 16Amp 110-240V Portable Electric Car Charger with 21ft Long Cable - seems cheap and doesn't mention a ground.

If it costs more than $150, I'd probably stay away.

The same model I purchased is also available on Sunsky.
 

triangletom

Active member
I apparently lost my Sankaba J1772 plug on a ride yesterday due to improperly securing it, so I'm going to buy two more cheap EVSEs from Amazon and see which ones work without ground.
 

Low On Cash

Active member
Really enjoyed looking thru your project congrats. I seen a really neat project like yours where where the guy used a 220 v lithium battery battery where he level 2 fast changed a Zero pack basically it just reduced his charge time to minutes.

Mike
 
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