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[pennjon]

Has anyone else had a problem with excessive play with the front sprocket Key?  I noticed this condition after my sprocket cooling wheel /guard fell off during a ride.   
I brought this up with  Zero .......they sent replacement keys to fix.  I tryed the new  keys looking for the perfect  size .   None seemed to fit to my liking and I decided to order Key stock from Grainger.  I custom filed/sanded for the exact size that was needed.  I will keep a careful eye to see if this becomes a problem area.

Jon
2009 Zero X Owner

[picasso]

Keys tend to be made of soft metals. Id have to guess the key is what got smaller. But the fact the Zero provided keys dont fit so great I'd tend to think the keyway got damaged.

WOW I havent had to make my own key from stock since I was 10 and playing with lawn mower powered mini-bikes.

[pennjon]

My bike was a Dealer Demo Unit..........Hard hours for sure.   I'm looking over every inch of it before I start turning up my riding.
Any thing I should be aware of that you know of?

[picasso]

Check swing arm bolts, look good at the pads front and rear. And since it has a good amount of hours Id check out the sprocket teeth. The rear should be the first to show signs of use, aka sharp teeth. I'd remove and inspect front axial as well. I've broken mine. Rock bike up and down back and forth to check for play in headset.

You might want to call Zero and check out the $1000 upgrade to the MX frame. I was told I can keep my old X frame after the upgrade and plan to build that back up.

[pennjon]

The original chain was stretched out and had to be replaced.  The upper chain buffer also was cracked.
Sprockets look good though
Zero has been very good about replacement parts.   

I just started riding mine in July and have been working out the little bugs you find when buying a used machine.
Zero tells me my warranty is good to june 2011.   
Haven't decided yet to keep or sell.........promised my wife to liquidate
some Gas powered stuff  if I decide to keep it. 

The stock frame should be  fine for my light duty needs.  My suspension needs to be adjusted, the forks seem soft.  I will be buying
a shock pump to change pressures.  Also noticed my seals are leaking aswell,  WB sells kits for $20.00.   This could be a Winter project
for me.

Do you have yours very long and  are you planning on keeping it?

[picasso]

I've had my Zero X for over a year now. My guess is I'm at about 500 and change charge counts. Wish the bike would keep track of hours used or how many charges have been done. And Yes I plan to keep my Zero X.

[pennjon]

I've been looking around for aftermarket stuff.   Did you see the device called  The Cycle Analyst (formerly called DrainBrain)
this looks cool...... wonder if it's adaptable to the zero?

Yesterday, I purchased a shock pump  and increased my fork pressure to 100 psi with better results.
I wish the rear shock had compression adj,  so far the White Bros Fork seems top notch  not so sure for the rear setup.
This lack of feature was a cost cutting measure on the shock for sure.
My  lower chain guide is taking a beating here on the rocky terrain because  that larger rear sprocket limits the ground clearance  :-
How's yours been holding out?

[picasso]

I have broken the lower chain guard 2X now. You need to watch the two bolts that hold it on. The first time I lost a bolt and the thing rotated around and got torn up. I don't have many rocks out here just trees. But I do find the large rear sprocket attempting to eat sticks and such.

Cycle Analyst - would need a bigger shunt for it. I don't know the specs off hand but I think the zero would draw to many amps for it. I was going to install a PakTrakr but its going to be a real pain to tap mid pack as the zero batt is built with a hot glue gun. The Zero does have a some what dumb BMS on board that you can disconnect and us it's tap points. But since your under warranty I'd not open the pack just yet.

FOX has an aftermarket shock that fits the rear. But it feels the same to me as the stock Manitou.


The one aftermarket item I want is a good rear street tire.

[pennjon]

I looked over  some of your past posts and noticed you had a problem with the chain rubbing on the inside swingarm.   I inspected
mine and saw the same condition aswell.   Did it get any worse ?  It appears to be a clearance issue, not a chain tension issue as I see it.
I spoke to Zero about this and they said if it becomes a problem let them know.
Jeff Jolin is my point of contact there.  He has been very good to deal with on the small problems I've had to date. 

Jon

[picasso]

Nope the rear has been good and has not got any worse from the chain rub. I was worried about it but from watching it over time it seems to have stopped attempting to eat the rear swing arm. And you are correct a clearance problem. My guess the welds just stick out a little to far.

[bentoronto]

  I will be buying
a shock pump to change pressures.  Also noticed my seals are leaking aswell,  WB sells kits for $20.00.   This could be a Winter project
for me.

If you are referring to the seals on the telescopic stanchions, one trick is to add automatic transmission fluid, maybe 25% of fork oil - it has chemicals that expand seals but increases stiction.

Sounds like the trail riders are the natural customers of Zero, not the highway riders.

[picasso]

One thing I forgot to add that it's a good idea to check every 5-6 rides. After a nice hard ride take your hand and feel each cable connection. The two on the motor and also at the controller. If these connections start to come undone large amounts of heat will build at them because of resistance.

[pennjon]

The fork seals appear to be good after adding some air .......they were  30 psi at first check.    Increased to 120 psi,  action is greatly improved, more balanced.
I noticed Picasso has a fox shock installed?   My biggest complaint to this point is my suspension or lack of..........
I'm not sure about investing any money to upgrade my current setup or sell  and buy the MX model.   I started doing some harder riding
and can bottom my suspension at will.   I'm a little disappointed because the PMG Motor  is  sweet and  the machine is very light and begs
to jump.  What's your opinion on your setup  are you satisfied?

I never checked the cables   I did notice swingarm pivot bolts were loose.....thanks for the tip

[picasso]

My rear shock is fox.....Don't even get me started on my front shock. I have the "RST" front shock. AKA the default zero X shock. Its so bad I don't even like to talk about it. I'm waiting for it to fail on me during hard braking on the street. Be happy you have the white brothers.  When I fail the seals or bust the lower front axle again I will change the front fork.

[pennjon]

Wow,  I see what you mean with flex on those forks.  Mine seems to be a little better , still have some flex too.
The Zero X is more  trail machine then a street bike or a hard core off-road tool.  
You and I are expecting too much from our X's.........the parts and pieces weren't designed for either of these tasks.
All  the bikes that I ever rode or owned were a compromise,  this one is no different.  We can customize them to meet our needs or
personal preferences to  make it better.  How perfect we can make them depends on how much $$$ we are willing to spend.
I feel the stronger suit of the machine lies in more technical terrain where I ride that allows the lighter weight and  throttle
control of the electric motor shine.  I'm going to see how much I really ride this bike before I would even consider upgrading  to
the MX extreme which would be a better fit for my offroad needs.