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[Craig]

Demo bike laws. I have questions and can’t figure out where to ask about the legality of demo bike rules.

Does it say on the title that it was sold as a demo ?

I recently bought a new 2020 SR/S. It was sold as a demo but it was never ridden. It had 1 mile on the odometer. They cut the warranty from 2/5 to 1/4 years.

I paid in full for the motorcycle and just received the title. It states it was sold as new with one mile on the odo. I didn’t get anything in writing about my warranty.

I inquired with Zero and they said this is correct.

Who do I contact to find out the legality of this situation??? I’m in the USA. Are the laws the same in every state?

[JaimeC]

Nothing in writing?  Didn't you read your owner's manual?

Reference https://is.gd/Tg6yoX

Pages 9.1 through 9.8.  Information regarding demonstrators is on Page 9.3:

B. WHAT IS THE COVERAGE PERIOD FOR DEMONSTRATORS?
The duration of this Limited Warranty for demonstrator 2020 Zero Motorcycles, not including the Power Packs, is a period of two (2) years and 90 days from the original “shipment date.”Note: The “shipment date” is the date that Zero ships the demonstrator 2020 Zero Motorcycle to the authorized dealer.The duration of this Limited Warranty for the Power Packs (not including the Power Pack’s outer case) is:

Five (5) years and 90 days from the “shipment date” for the Z-Force® ZF14.4 Power Packs on the 2020 Zero SR/S Motorcycle.
Five (5) years and 90 days from the “shipment date” of the host 2020 Zero SR/S Motorcycle for the Z-Force® Power Tank accessory. If purchased after the host Power Pack warranty has expired, the Power Tank will receive the standard parts warranty of one (1) year from date of purchase.

The Power Pack’s outer case is not covered under the Power Pack Limited Warranty duration terms above. Instead, the Power Pack’s outer case is covered for a period of two (2) years and 90 days from its “shipment date."

[Fran K]

This comes up from time to time. Perhaps using key words and search you might see similar.

I would write a letter to consumer protection in your state. 

Apparently it is up to the consumer to contact Zero with the serial number to verify?  Zero is probably a minor % of a dealership's sales,


I think the business model is to make the bike as specified and shipped billed singly.

I have commented in similar threads.  I went for a test ride and the bikes were trucked in.  The demo fleet and the demo for warranty may not correlate.

[Craig]

Nothing in writing?  Didn't you read your owners manual ?

This is exactly what I expected from a forum 👍
Yes I read that in the owners manual.

I’m talking about pertaining to my motorcycle. If they have it documented somewhere that it’s a demo shouldn’t it say that in my paperwork???

[NEW2elec]

So the long and short of it is, if it was on the dealer's floor it's a demo.  That's in the manual.
It won't matter if someone rode it or not.  They "could" have used it so it's a demo.

To get the full 2/5 warranty you have to "order" a new bike from the dealer.

Now you know.

[Craig]

The dealership didn’t explain that. They did say all the bikes were demo’s.
It all seems very shiesty to me.

[travbee]

You can find the original delivery date to the dealership, by asking the dealership or working with Zero.

From that point, you have 90 days + 2 years "bumper to bumper" and 5 years + 90 days on battery. This should have been made clear to you when you purchased it.

When I purchased my demo from my dealer here in Ohio, I was told this via email before buying (since I asked)

Q: What is the ship date for warranty purposes?
A: I have that shown on the Bill of Sale.  Ship date - 7/14/2020. 

So for me, my warranty is 2/5 years from 10/14/2020. Simple enough.

[Auriga]

So the long and short of it is, if it was on the dealer's floor it's a demo.  That's in the manual.
It won't matter if someone rode it or not.  They "could" have used it so it's a demo.

To get the full 2/5 warranty you have to "order" a new bike from the dealer.

Now you know.

I remember when they didn't do the whole demo bike thing. You could buy a bike as a dealer, sit on it for as long as you wanted, ride it however much you wanted, and then sell it with full warranty. I heard about one dealer selling a 2014 in 2019 with full warranty and 5000 miles on it.

I can imagine why Zero didn't like dealers who did that 

Yes, dealers are required to let owners know the terms of the warranty/status of the bike. Usually its listed in the contract. If they didn't, its on them, and you probably have a case. We order bikes as demos or non-demos from Zero, so from their perspective they're in the clear.

As others have mentioned, Zero can provide all that info if you ask.

[Crissa]

Yeah, my bike sat at the dealer for years, apparently, and was only sold when they closed the location.

-Crissa

[JaimeC]

As far as I'm aware, only Zero does this.  With every other manufacturer with which I'm familiar, the warranty on a demo bike begins the day the titled owner takes the bike home, not the day the dealer receives the bike.  I remember when I first saw that stipulation in the owners manual of my 2016 Zero and I was SO glad I decided to by my bike new instead of buying the dealer demonstrator. (a 2015 SR).  By the way, that SR was still on the floor when I was last there so the poor sucker who buys that will discover he has NO warranty of any kind whatsoever...

[Crissa]

Any vehicle used for hire would have a limited warranty.  That part is pretty normal.

-Crissa

[NEW2elec]

So the long and short of it is, if it was on the dealer's floor it's a demo.  That's in the manual.
It won't matter if someone rode it or not.  They "could" have used it so it's a demo.

To get the full 2/5 warranty you have to "order" a new bike from the dealer.

Now you know.

I remember when they didn't do the whole demo bike thing. You could buy a bike as a dealer, sit on it for as long as you wanted, ride it however much you wanted, and then sell it with full warranty. I heard about one dealer selling a 2014 in 2019 with full warranty and 5000 miles on it.

I can imagine why Zero didn't like dealers who did that 

Yes, dealers are required to let owners know the terms of the warranty/status of the bike. Usually its listed in the contract. If they didn't, its on them, and you probably have a case. We order bikes as demos or non-demos from Zero, so from their perspective they're in the clear.

As others have mentioned, Zero can provide all that info if you ask.

Yep that is why it changed.  There is always someone who ruins it for everybody.

Craig if you got that 2020 SRS recently then you paid a lot less than MSRP.  That is the deal you have to pay full MSRP on an order to get the full warranty.

The good news is you likely saved more money than you would need to spend on most any out of warranty repairs.

IOW your still ahead.

EDIT:
I thought I remembered this issue.
Craig you posted this back in March: 

I could not pass it up. I bought a new leftover 2020 Zero SR/S regular model. I had to go for a cut warranty. $4000 off list price. I don’t really understand why they have to cut the warranty on a brand new bike. They call it a demo but it has four miles on it. I’m not complaining. I think I got a great deal.

End quote.

Why are you now claiming the dealer didn't tell you?
Not too cool man.  We take our time to help people enjoy these bikes and answer lots of questions for nothing.
You got a great deal, enjoy the bike, but please drop this issue.

[Craig]

The bike I purchased was a great deal. It was not advertised as a demo. It was advertised ‘On Sale’.  I didn’t speak to the dealership about it till I was there in person. They waited till the last minute to spring the cut warranty on me. Yes they explained everything to me then and when I picked up the bike. I have put 1570 miles on it in the last six weeks and the motorcycle has been flawless.

I didn’t get anything in writing about MY warranty.  I didn’t get a Zip drive owners manual. I paid in full and my title says it was sold as new with one mile on the odometer.

I called the DCP today and they steered me to the DMV. They said I should fill out a K-35 form and send my documentation with it and they will look into my situation.

[Craig]

NEW2elec. 

Where did I say the dealership didn’t tell me ?

[NEW2elec]

The dealership didn’t explain that. They did say all the bikes were demo’s.
It all seems very shiesty to me.

Right there where you said the dealer didn't explain it to you.

The bike I purchased was a great deal. It was not advertised as a demo. It was advertised ‘On Sale’.  I didn’t speak to the dealership about it till I was there in person. They waited till the last minute to spring the cut warranty on me. Yes they explained everything to me then and when I picked up the bike. I have put 1570 miles on it in the last six weeks and the motorcycle has been flawless.

I didn’t get anything in writing about MY warranty.  I didn’t get a Zip drive owners manual. I paid in full and my title says it was sold as new with one mile on the odometer.

I called the DCP today and they steered me to the DMV. They said I should fill out a K-35 form and send my documentation with it and they will look into my situation.

In here you say they did explain everything to you before you sealed the deal.

You got a good deal, enjoy the bike.