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[DesignerDan]

I've been having all kinds of problems with my Zero.

Clicking noises from the chargers.
Random termination of charge half way through.
High pitch noises coming from chargers. (a noise that didn't used to be there). 
The main contactor randomly opening while riding.
All kinds of error codes.

 I've let Zero know about all these issues and their response was "We are aware of the issues but the engineers haven't found them to be detrimental" (not an exact quote but something to that effect)

Well today the Zero refused to go. There was no main contactor click upon power up and I got the error code "---- -" or in other words "Board Temperature Sensor Out of Range" "Problem sensing temperature of board. Contact
your dealer."

I cycled the key switch several times and got the error every single time.


NNNIIIIIIIIICCCCCEEEEEE.


I feel bad for Zero because they are going to be embarrassed when all their bikes start breaking down. I know they have a military order and hong kong order.

Well as customer, this is 2 out of 2 Zero's that failed. 100% fail rate. It's a little more concerning that Zero's engineers spent extra time with the bike and they still couldn't get it right.

Such a shame. Such a great product but poor execution.

Anyone have any comforting words? lol I'm pretty upset right now.

[alphawave]

I empathize. I have felt let down by them too.  Never had the depth of problem you have had, but the bike just didn't live up to the hype.  I let go of them three years ago.  A friend was telling me that they are looking a lot better this year.  What year is your bike?

[DesignerDan]

I empathize. I have felt let down by them too.  Never had the depth of problem you have had, but the bike just didn't live up to the hype.  I let go of them three years ago.  A friend was telling me that they are looking a lot better this year.  What year is your bike?

2013. These models looked so promising. So many improvements! Maybe it was TOO many improvements though and not enough testing.

[DesignerDan]

I took the seat off FOR THE FIRST TIME since I got the bike. Look what I found! A stray temp sensor! Does anyone know where this goes!? I'm assuming somewhere on the MBB?

[dkw12002]

Dang. I went back and read some of your previous posts. You certainly have had problems. Maybe they can give you a loaner while they sort it out.

[DesignerDan]

It says "charger temp" on that sensor. But the sensor wire isn't long enough to go all the way to the chargers. I find it hard to believe that sensor is just supposed to be flopping around in there. Maybe that's a completely separate issue though as the error code is saying "Board temp sensor out of range".  I don't know. I'm just so sick of this.

[DesignerDan]

Maybe it's not a thermistor. I found another loose wire in the same area and that wire goes down to the chargers. Both wires you see in the picture contain four black wires and then they appear to be capped off with heat shrink. It's almost as if someone cut the temp sensor wires between the charge controller and charges and then capped them off with heat shrink. What is Zero trying to pull here!?

[DesignerDan]

Well apparently Zero thought temp sensors for the chargers were over rated. Why else would they cut the wires!? I think that is a seperate issue though. The error code I'm getting is "Board Temperature Sensor Out of Range". I'm assuming they are talking about the MMB. If so... that sucks because the temp sensor is probably inside the MMB.

[vchampain]

Do you think these issues might have a relation with you charging experiments ?

[DesignerDan]

Do you think these issues might have a relation with you charging experiments ?

I honestly don't know. I'm still really annoyed that Zero knew my bike was having problems and didn't do anything about it.

[dkw12002]

If they are open to a loaner again while they work on yours, try the Ninja 300. They may be the best ice commuter bike around. 60 mpg, and I would just head over into the passing lane at an indicated 80-82 mph and stay there. That 6th gear is tall, almost like an overdrive. Money-wise, the Zero could never even come close to the economy of that bike, if that's at all a concern. I paid $5300 out the door...tax, title, license, inspection, transportation and everything else they tack on. The resale value is excellent and they are very dependable and easily turned over if you decide to sell. I see Florida Motorsport sells Honda too (if that is your dealer).  The Grom is due out so maybe they will have a loaner Grom. I'd love to ride one of those too, although highway speeds might be problematic at 65 mph or so. Off the subject I know, but maybe not really if you can't get this sorted out. There's always a plan B. 

[DesignerDan]

If they are open to a loaner again while they work on yours, try the Ninja 300. They may be the best ice commuter bike around. 60 mpg, and I would just head over into the passing lane at an indicated 80-82 mph and stay there. That 6th gear is tall, almost like an overdrive. Money-wise, the Zero could never even come close to the economy of that bike, if that's at all a concern. I paid $5300 out the door...tax, title, license, inspection, transportation and everything else they tack on. The resale value is excellent and they are very dependable and easily turned over if you decide to sell. I see Florida Motorsport sells Honda too (if that is your dealer).  The Grom is due out so maybe they will have a loaner Grom. I'd love to ride one of those too, although highway speeds might be problematic at 65 mph or so. Off the subject I know, but maybe not really if you can't get this sorted out. There's always a plan B.

Thanks for the recommendation. Only problem is where I live, motorcycles aren't allowed. That's part of the reason why I traded in my ICE bike and got the Zero. I can drive the Zero right up through the front door and store it inside. Zero's website is very misleading. They call themselves a premium brand and they really portray the idea of these bikes bring reliable commuter bikes.


These are not reliable commuter bikes. These are novelty toys with a premium price tag. I find it hard to believe that they did any testing on these bikes before releasing them.

What is happening to my bike is just not excusable. They were supposed to spend extra time with this bike to make sure that this didn't happen since my first bike broke down and Zero couldn't fix it.

That's just sad that Zero can't make a bike that lasts more than 2000 miles without breaking down. Especially when they spent extra time checking it.

I'm the real loser at the end of the day because I'm currently letting my sister borrow my car for summer semester at her college. I thought for sure the Zero could make it through the summer without issues but I guess in just a fool. Now I have no transportation.

[dkw12002]

I own e-bikes too and maybe something like that would work out. The one I like best is a Trek with an Ampedbike kit 36volts/750watts which is the max allowable by Texas law to call it an ebike rather than a motorcycle, hence no licensing. I think you mentioned only using 1 bar before on your commute. Heck, the Li Battery that came with my kit would get you 10 miles with very little or no pedaling and you can take the bike or just the battery inside to recharge for the return trip. The downside? It only goes 25 mph and so you couldn't take major roads or stay in traffic much of the time. Still I love my ebikes. They are also not great hill climbers, at least not mine with a non-geared front hub motor. You are never stranded with an e-bike either cause you can pedal. Endless Sphere is the forum all the e-bikers frequent if you are interested. I think you probably already know about all this though with your knowledge of electric motors, controllers, batteries and chargers. Some folks are using solar for recharging ebikes too.

[DesignerDan]

I own e-bikes too and maybe something like that would work out. The one I like best is a Trek with an Ampedbike kit 36volts/750watts which is the max allowable by Texas law to call it an ebike rather than a motorcycle, hence no licensing. I think you mentioned only using 1 bar before on your commute. Heck, the Li Battery that came with my kit would get you 10 miles with very little or no pedaling and you can take the bike or just the battery inside to recharge for the return trip. The downside? It only goes 25 mph and so you couldn't take major roads or stay in traffic much of the time. Still I love my ebikes. They are also not great hill climbers, at least not mine with a non-geared front hub motor. You are never stranded with an e-bike either cause you can pedal. Endless Sphere is the forum all the e-bikers frequent if you are interested. I think you probably already know about all this though with your knowledge of electric motors, controllers, batteries and chargers. Some folks are using solar for recharging ebikes too.

On average I'd say I use one bar but I'm at different locations every few days for work (painter) and sometimes it can be as far as 35 miles away. I used to take my ebike to work when a job site was within range.



Since that video it has been upgraded to a 4kw motor.







E-bikes are what got me into electric vehicles. I enjoyed the reliability, lack of maintenance, no gas, and their performance!

I wanted something that was more than just an e-bike because I kept getting pulled over for riding it on public roads at 45 mph (Which is completely understandable)

I really entertained the idea of converting an ICE bike to electric. I figured it just wouldn't compare to a Zero because an ICE frame is just not electric friendly. People usually forget the fact that the engine in an ICE frame is a stressed member and removing it compromises rigidity. Also, insuring it would be nearly impossible. I wouldn't want someone to steal it and then I would just be thousands in the hole.

So I concluded that buying a Zero would be the best path. Well, I have never had the displeasure of owning such a poorly tested product. I'm just one customer and so far 2 out of 2 bikes have had catastrophic failures. Either I'm just unlucky or these bikes are junk. I'll let you decide.

It's a shame though because you can tell Zero tried. They used high quality components and waterproof electrical connectors. The design of the bike is very nice and the bike runs great when it's working properly. Zero just didn't do enough testing before releasing these bikes. Then they also failed to have adequate quality control of the components. It doesn't surprise me that Zero had to halt production.

This purchase has honestly been a nightmare. I don't like the way Zero does business. They knew my bike was having charging issues and they just refused to do anything about it because "the engineers didn't think it was detrimental". Well it turned out it was and we will see how Zero will handle this problem on monday. I am a very unhappy customer at this point and I will be seeking compensation or a full refund because this has just gone past the point of excusability.

[dkw12002]

Yes, that's how I first learned about Zeros too.  I stopped by on an e-bike a couple years ago at af1 Racing to let the owner, Ed Cook take a spin cause at that time they had an Aprilia e-bike at the dealership...that has since been stolen... He mentioned they were about to become a dealer for Zero. The rest is history.