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I bought the new US KTM FreeRide E; charging issue resolved!

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Adventure:
I love electric motorcycles.  I rode the 2016 Zero FXS and loved it.  Rode the 2017 DSR and it was fun.  I've always wanted an electric dirt bike since KTM announced their FreeRide E.  It took a few years but they're finally here!
I jumped on the chance to reserve mine

Things I wish I knew before putting a deposit down.

Even though KTM listed it as street legal on the US website, it was taken down.  This was  a cut and copy mistake from their main site.  They did not go through the hoops to make them US street legal (not a deal breaker)
These are "play" or "toy" bikes for big kids or skinny adults.  You will not race these in any class except against other FreeRide E  (not a deal breaker)

These are meant for a slim rider...
The slim forks and soft rear spring along with the very small brakes make this thing only set up for 100-170 lb riders.
I'm a hefty 250 and I had asked this question a week before I picked it up, was told my weight shouldn't be a problem...
had I known I wouldn't have ordered one.  Now I need to re-spring the bike for my weight... not too big of an issue, just wanted more info up front.

The charger is the euro version with a US L6-20 plug adapter.
My dealer charged theirs on 2 legs of a 3 phase running at 208volts.
I was told I could setup a 2 pole 250v which is single phase 220 like you'd have the breakers for your dryer/electric stove.
...
I had an electrician install the breaker and L6-20 receptacle 3 foot away from the box in my garage.  Unfortunately my charger gives an error code 13 to check cables at every attempt. (retries after 15 seconds of un plugged)  I followed all the KTM guidance.
I've connected to my other known good appliance breakers and bought replacement receptacles + 600v wiring and still cannot get the charger to connect.
Charger gets power but throws code 13 (check cables) every time.

Now at the shop I saw the bike was already charged and had 1.2 miles on it.  We went through all the how to's and such to operate and charge.  We tested my charger on another bike on their 3 phase and it worked.  We did not test it on my bike or on a single phase 220. 

I rode the bike for 30 minutes at the shop and dealer had to do the 1st service and check or errors on the battery.  They said it had an error they couldn't translate but said I should be good to go anyway...

When I got home I drained the rest of the battery with a quick ride like KTM expressed and found out my charger basically doesn't see the bike.

I've been left with a paperweight since last Saturday.  I'll be returning to the shop tomorrow to see if I can get a resolution. 

I'll be returning to this thread to update, incase someone runs into similar issues.

odedmaz:
Very interesting. Please keep us updated.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Richard230:
Isn't it fun to be an early adopter?    ;)  At least you have a large, well funded and established company behind your product.  And one that is likely very motivated to do whatever is necessary to get your FreeRide E working properly.  Unlike my early adopter experience with my 2009 Electric Motorsport GPR-S.  When its charger failed, it caught fire and melted down in my garage with only 300 miles on the clock.  >:(

Ireek:
Sorry to hear about your troubles, I'm sure KTM will get it sorted but man, it really sucks having a new bike that can't be ridden.  When I saw availability on this bike, I almost was willing to make a 1,000+ mile round trip to buy one since no dealers in my area were gonna carry it, can you imagine if I had bought it and had to go back to the dealer the same week for repairs, not good, not good at all... 

Richard230:
A similar situation with BMW would likely result in BMW's 3-year free breakdown recovery plan picking up the bike and returning it to your dealer for repairs.  Perhaps KTM has the same sort of service.

When my 2012 Zero S was recalled for the "glitch" Zero picked up the bike from my home, took it to their factory located about 70 miles away, fixed the problem, rode it around over the weekend and returned it to me the following Monday. Now that was service - of the type they don't provide anymore.   :(

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