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[Eccelerate]

I purchased a 2020 FX with two removable battery modules in October 2019.  I have driven 2450 miles on it, and have had the following issues:
The motor replaced 3 times under warranty, and one time "recalibrated" after being stranded each time
I upgraded to the chain kit after the belt broke (long tow from a KTM back to staging area)
The drive sprocket that came with the chain kit "shattered", according to the dealership mechanic, which necessitated one of the motor replacements due to spline damage.  It happened after driving over a small pothole on a dirt road at 50 mph.
9 spokes broke on the rear wheel, then a week after replacing them, 3 more spokes broke.  A full set of spokes are on order (not a warranty item).
One of my batteries stopped working, and dealership was unable to "login" to the battery and obtain fault information.  Currently waiting for Zero to respond to multiple phone calls placed by my dealership.
Both my mirrors became loose and won't tighten, so i removed them (one of them I damaged when I dropped the bike).
The battery retainer piece that has a lock on it fell off 3 times while riding, and 3 times I recovered it the next day.  The latch frequently needs to be adjusted and monitored.
I've lost my license plate twice, due to rear tire contacting the license plate when suspension is compressed.
I dropped the bike once attempting a hill climb on a rocky trail, so forward speed was almost zero, and this caused:
  All six screw fasteners broke on the hole side of the fasteners that hold the upper and lower rear fender together and attached to the frame
  The rear upper/outer fender broke in half
  Rear turn signal broke off
  License plate snapped off
  Horn bent and disconnected
  Seat bolt on one side stripped the nut part that is welded to the frame
  Speedometer sensor wire cut to front wheel
For the 9 months I've had the bike, over half of the days the bike was at the dealership waiting for parts and service (including 1 1/2 months waiting for dealership to reopen after COVID-19 outbreak).  Does this sound excessive?  I'm hoping a reasonable person would agree so that I can return it for a refund.  I love the acceleration, the stealth, the attention, the lack of oil changes and gas station stops.  But for nearly $15,000 for a dual sport dirt bike, it is not living up to expectations, and I cannot put faith that the sprocket will not fail again causing another motor replacement, or some other part to fail.  I ride it about 50/50 offroad every day it is not in the shop, including in the desert like today when it was 109 degrees.  I know it's only a matter of a short time before my next stranding experience.  I carry extra drinks, an emergency locator beacon (never used), and try to ride with friends when venturing farther into the desert than I am prepared to walk.  I miss my KTM 500EXC that was stolen after 3rd catastrophic engine failure in 3 years left me stranded on side of freeway 2 miles from home.  The KTM's reliability looks quite superior to Zero FX in retrospect.  Hopefully Zero works out the bugs by the time I've worn out my future 790 Adventure R into the dust.

[Crissa]

This doesn't sound like a lemon, this sounds like you beat the poor thing to pieces.

-Crissa

[Richard230]

I agree. I don't think the FX is the bike for you.  Perhaps a cheap used ICE motorcycle that is designed primarily for off-road riding would be a better choice.

[Fifty3]

Good grief!  I'm pretty sure I would be in the hospital long before I could do this much damage to my FXS. 

[Crissa]

Like, spokes, I've broken mountain bike spokes, and once you start breaking more than one at a time, you start breaking them all.  And if you're bottoming out the suspension, you're doing massive damage to the bike, it doesn't matter which bike it is, that's when you're going outside its capabilities.

I'm surprised with that much damage the frame is intact.

And the FX isn't a dual-sport.  The swappable batteries are meant to be used from a base camp.  If the clips are breaking, yeah, that's no good, but...

Ouch.

And I've put that much mileage on my S since I got it, and I got it just before the 20s came into the local shop.

-Crissa

[TheRan]

I think you guys are being a bit harsh in some regards. Yes the damage from the drop is definitely to be expected, no bike is designed to be dropped and cages and other crash protection exist for a reason. However, the FX is a dual sport and is designed for some harsh off road use. Light bottoming of the suspension shouldn't cause any damage (they have bottoming bumpers for this reason) and parts definitely shouldn't be contacting on full compression. To pop 9 spokes in one hit I'd expect it to be a big enough pothole that the rim is also totalled, if it wasn't then it's more likely to be a tension issue and the fault of whoever built the wheel. Sprockets also shouldn't be shattering no matter what you do, but that could either be a manufacturing defect or improper installation (either causing damage to it or it coming loose).

[Crissa]

Breaking the plate off when bottoming out doesn't sound light to me, that sounds like kicking it full force.

And mirrors have always been a bit of a consumable for offroading.

-Crissa

[TheRan]

It's not the force of the plate hitting the tyre that breaks it, it gets caught in the tread as the wheel turns and pulled forward. I busted one of my L plates in the same way after fitting my tail tidy and had to bend it up to clear. Looking at this image it does look quite close, a metal yank plate would probably be fine (unless it's already bent forward) but if it's a larger and more flexible Euro style plastic one (like mine) I can imagine it flexing closer to the tyre. I'm really surprised Zero didn't fit it with a fender extension like the S/DS.

[valnar]

I miss my KTM 500EXC that was stolen after 3rd catastrophic engine failure in 3 years left me stranded

Between this quote and all the Zero stuff you posted, I have to ask, do you beat the sh*t out of your motorcycles? Just sayin'

[dittoalex]

If you want durability buy an Alta.

[MikeL]

I miss my KTM 500EXC that was stolen after 3rd catastrophic engine failure in 3 years left me stranded

Between this quote and all the Zero stuff you posted, I have to ask, do you beat the sh*t out of your motorcycles? Just sayin'

Yeah, averaging 1 catastrophic engine failure a year leads me to believe OP is unlike 99% of the population in terms of riding OR is the most unlucky person on the planet. A well maintained dirt bike can generally take a ton of abuse.

[Curt]

The FX is a great urban warrior, but not such a good choice for this type of hard riding. That was Alta's territory. The belt break was predictable and avoidable. The sprocket breaking is crazy. Three motor replacements and bad battery are crazy.

Zero does need to harden up some things. They can move the horn inward another 1" to 2". The battery bracket is pretty chintzy and exposed. There is minimal protection around the seat bolts. Spokes should not break on new bikes (mine broke too, 4 years ago). The license plate should not be able to hit the rear wheel. The wheel sensor wire should be better protected/routed.

Other issues are typical problems with dual sports. My KTM 350 EXC whole rear end was hanging loose after its first adventure. Turn signals and mirrors and floppy fenders with dangling license plates are a consequence of DOT rules. Dual sporters commonly have to deal with these or spend a lot on modifications: fender eliminators, skid plates, pipe guards, rotor guards, mini mirrors, etc. My KTM 500 EXC stranded me with a burned valve at 9,200 miles.

[Eccelerate]

Just an update after picking my bike up from the dealership today.  First, thanks for all the comments.  I'm glad at least a couple other owners agree on some areas for improvement.  And I agree, the mirrors, fenders, turn signals, and belt drive all could be considered consumable, and I'll take responsibility, because those are not my primary complaint.  Today I found out Zero denied my warranty claim to replace the battery which won't accept a charge.  Yes  the battery with the big yellow decal that says 5 year warranty on the side.  The only explanation provided was denied due to damage.  Nothing specific, and no option to service the battery.   According to Zero, my only option is to buy a new battery for $2895.   I tried to argue, that if there is damage to the battery, then without knowing any details about what specific damage they are referring to, then wouldn't the most likely cause of damage to the battery be related to the 3 motor failures that were replaced under warranty, as opposed to something that I could do to the battery as the operator?  The motor is the consumer of the battery output, and if the motor failed 3 times (one time it started to run the bike in reverse, and another time the temperature indicator would skyrocket as soon as the throttle was applied without power going to the wheels, so internal short with excessive battery drain to instantly overheat..) those correlate as related to the battery where failure of motor could cause damage to battery.,  How could I as user damage the battery?  Sure there are a few minor scratches on the case, but there are no cracks, and no specific damage cited by Zero.  I could swallow my anger and frustration, had they denied my claim because of something specific, such as had they found evidence I performed deep water crossings, or rode in the rain, or rode when it was 110 degrees, had any of those reasons be listed in the Owner's manual as abuse, and had there been evidence I committed those acts.  But there is nothing in the manual describing limitations that I exceeded.  I actually drive the bike pretty tame compared to the advertising videos.  I don't jump the bike, ride wheelies, or do burnouts.  I ride as fast as I can on trails, which is about half the speed of the marketing videos (I'm 56 years old and only been riding for 4 years.)  I haven't been injured on the Zero, and the only damage I did to the bike was cosmetic and those consumables.  I probably do ride it harder than most riders, and I can keep up with some of the riders half my age, but I don't think I deserve this treatment from Zero.   The Zero FX would be the perfect bike for me, if only it would live up to what it is marketed as.. a dual sport that kicks the pants off of the KTM E-XC.   And Alta went out of business, so not a viable option.  Zero might be heading towards the same fate unless they make some improvements, starting with building trust in their brand.  Right now, on a scale of 1 to 10, based on my experience... well a lot can be said in just a name, and maybe the name speaks for itself.  ha ha.. ok not funny.

[TheRan]

I would think to deny you a warranty claim they would need to provide specific details of the damage, prove it was caused by you and not a fault with the machine, and prove that it is the cause of the battery failure.

[Crissa]

Depends upon the state, but yes, in California they have to exactly show what is damaged and why.

-Crissa