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[manlytom]

FOX news! I wouldnt talkto them. They are srewing reality living in the stoneage supporting oil companies. So make up ur mind here.

[Richard230]

I decided to give Zero 24 hours before I made any decisions on what to do about this.  This way I had time to sit back and thing, but also to give both companies a chance to redeam themselves. So far, Carter Power sports has made an offer of some free services, but not a word from Zero.  I hated doing this, but I filed with the Better Business Bureau of Nevada, and about to with the BBB of Southern California.  It was surprising, and a bit scary, how fast the local Fox news channel contacted me about doing a negitive report on a "green" company.

No such thing as bad publicity. Go for it.

I think there are some politicians that might disagree with that statement.   

[Keith_Greensboro_NC]

Stay away from fox news. They are part of the corporate machine and they will kill anything Green!

[dkw12002]

It's a Democrat/Republican thing. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that most people with electric motorcycles are liberals, independents, and libertarians. Most of the people in big trucks that try to run you off the road would be Republican. Amazing how the service thread turned into politics at the mention of Faux News huh? It's downright electrifying and politically charged.

[CliC]

It's a Democrat/Republican thing. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that most people with electric motorcycles are liberals, independents, and libertarians.

Perhaps, but a few of us are just motorcycle-enthusiast techies who believe, from an engineering basis, that electric is the drivetrain of the future. Even if they're more conservative/libertarian than liberal

Most of the people in big trucks that try to run you off the road would be Republican. Amazing how the service thread turned into politics at the mention of Faux News huh? It's downright electrifying and politically charged.

Threads have a way of doing that. I have the aforementioned big truck, too, but  usually I'm merely holding my ground against soccer moms on cell phones in just-as-big SUVs.

As for Fox News, they're no worse than the other outlets. One must get reporting from several sources these days and try to extract the truth from it. At least Fox provides some contrast

[Daveruns]

I would call or write Richard Kenton (Zero service manager directly)  richard@zeromotorcycles.com. I have dealt with him several times on my Zero S and he tends to make things happen. You may have already dealt with him and had a different experience. There is not a dealer in my market area and I am basically on my own for repairs, recalls, etc. I have had my bike for over a year and now have almost 6K miles on it. I have had a few service issues including a motor replacement that kept me off the road for three weeks. However, I see some of this as the cost for being on the leading edge (and sometimes bleeding edge) of new technology. I would encourage you to hang in there as when they are running well, there is nothing better than a Zero for my needs.

[dkw12002]

Dang. Motor replacements? That's a couple now I've heard of. That's a big deal. I mean if you have to replace a motor outside of warranty, that is going to be about $2,000 with labor. I would expect the motor at least to be bulletproof. I remember an old fan motor that my parents had in their store. It was used all summer long. I remember asking about it once and my dad said all he ever did was oil the thing and it was over 30 years old. Different application, but really a motor should not be going bad.

[Marshm]

Are these motors completely sealed off from outside rain, sand, dirt, or whatever?

[dkw12002]

Not on my 2011. It is not only readily visible, but has holes in it, presumably to allow cooling, but perhaps to allow water to drain and natural drying. I'm sure everything inside is insulated, but no it is not sealed from the elements. The 2012 has a different motor though. Generally, it is almost impossible to keep moisture outside of motors so it is best to allow them to drain and try to protect against corrosion. At least that is the case with e-bike motors. Best to never get them wet I think, but that can be a little difficult and they can still get condensation even if you never ride in the rain or wash your bike. It is a problem. 

[Richard230]

Here is a photo of the motor powering my 2012 Zero S.  As you can see, water can flow in and water can flow out - along with air and anything else attached to it.  I assume it needs all of those holes to keep the motor cooled. I understand that there is a fan inside the motor that provides forced cooling.

[CliC]

The 2011 motors were Agnis, right? Enclosing them may have been necessary to protect the brushes from the elements. The 2012 are permanent magnet AC motors and therefore have no brushes. That and the increased power (and concomitant need for more cooling) may have influenced the decision to make them open and ventilated.

That said, the glitch-related motor issues are with the position encoder, not the power parts of the motor itself. My motor shaft is rusting, but the bike still runs fine.

[dkw12002]

The 2011 agni motor isn't enclosed. It is almost entirely exposed with holes all around the housing. Here's a photo of the motor with the holes.  http://agnimotors.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=60

[Bdavis]

Update....
No one has contacted at all from zero or cater powersports, so i called both today. Zero finally sent out the computer to the dealership so they can log in and test it. Of course the computer doesn't work, and now NOTHING is being done.  I am not sure what is worse, lame excuses after lame excuse, or being ignored. 
Will I recommend either company to a friend? No.
Will I talk a friend out of giving either company business? Yes.
As I said before, this is not about the glitch. This is about how I am being treated as a customer. I enjoy riding the zero a lot, but excuses and ignoring are not proper customer service techniques. I am starting to hope the glitch continues so I can return under the lemon law.

[protomech]

I would call or write Richard Kenton (Zero service manager directly)  richard@zeromotorcycles.com. I have dealt with him several times on my Zero S and he tends to make things happen.

Have you contacted Richard Kenton?

If the computer they sent doesn't work they'll have to send a new computer out.. but they should be keeping you clued in with what's going on so you don't feel like you've been dropped.

[Richard230]

Well, I just returned from getting a $600 $oaking from my BMW dealer for the 24K mile service on my F650GS.  They had the bike in the service department for just under 3 hours and charged me $400 in labor and $200 in parts.   

The service manager mentioned that the shop had tried out two Brammo Enertias (I assume) before they went on sale at Best Buy and both bikes refused to run while they were there and the Brammo rep couldn't get them to run either.  Apparently, that gave the shop a bad impression about electric motorcycles and they decided not to sell them.  This subject came up because when I arrived there was a Vectrix scooter in front of the service department plugged into their exterior wall outlet. Guerrilla charging I guess.