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[oobflyer]

My SR is headed back to the factory.

The dealership actually sent a truck/trailer to pick the bike up so I did't have to make another 70 mile trip back to Concord. I was told that Zero will pick the bike up from the dealership this week, bring it to the factory to try to find out what is causing the front to shake when I brake, then return it to the dealership. I'm not sure if they will deliver it back to my house or not, but they said i won't get it back for a couple of weeks.

Luckily I still have my Vectrix :-)

[m0t0-ryder]

I'm not one to whine and complain usually, but I spent a lot of money on this thing. I'll call the dealership again tomorrow to see what the next step might be.

Have your dealer ask Zero support if there could be an issue with the Steering tube bearings on your 2015 Zero.

[oobflyer]

Have your dealer ask Zero support if there could be an issue with the Steering tube bearings on your 2015 Zero.

That's the first thing they did - tighten the steering head bolts. It didn't help.  But the symptoms correlate with a loose steering head bolt/bearings. Maybe they have a better way to tighten them at the factory.

[m0t0-ryder]

Have your dealer ask Zero support if there could be an issue with the Steering tube bearings on your 2015 Zero.

That's the first thing they did - tighten the steering head bolts. It didn't help.  But the symptoms correlate with a loose steering head bolt/bearings. Maybe they have a better way to tighten them at the factory.

I do not believe it is a matter of tightness of the steering headset assembly.
It sounds like an issue with the headset bearing fitment/installation.
I presume the factory will remove and replace the headset bearings.

[Richard230]

Have your dealer ask Zero support if there could be an issue with the Steering tube bearings on your 2015 Zero.

That's the first thing they did - tighten the steering head bolts. It didn't help.  But the symptoms correlate with a loose steering head bolt/bearings. Maybe they have a better way to tighten them at the factory.

I do not believe it is a matter of tightness of the steering headset assembly.
It sounds like an issue with the headset bearing fitment/installation.
I presume the factory will remove and replace the headset bearings.

I agree. The steering bearings could be defective.  It does happen, especially if they are not sourced from a name-brand supplier.  I had a set of steering bearings fail on my 1997 BMW Funduro after 8K miles and the BMW replacement bearings (they were replaced under warranty) only had a wholesale list price of $5 and were made in Bulgaria. 

[Farfle]

If the headtube has slop that comes back after tightening it   repeatedly, my bet is either someone did not press the bearing all the way in, the bearing seat in the frame is not properly machined/has a machining burr, Or that someone put a part is upside down and that part is crushing slowly. Either way, dissasembly and reassembly should find the culprit.

[CScalpeL]

Yup that is exactly what is happening with my bike, tightened it twice each time improved the vibration but only temporarily. I have seen a number of posts with others having the same problem, it seems more systematic than a random error by the guy on the assembly line...

I hope it won't require a factory fix, that would be a serious drag since the bike is my only mode of transport. I spoke to the importer about  replacing the bearings, hopefully that will be the end of it.

oobflyer - please update us when you hear back from zero/your dealer regarding the source of the problem. Thanks!!!

[CScalpeL]

So the head bearings were replaced after a few hours of downtime at the shop and after about a week of riding it looks like I can say problem solved!
Feels like a whole new bike, no vibration, no slop, smoother steering... 

Interesting, I took the dealer's SR to do some acceleration runs on it and interestingly the demo bike also has a loose steering head assembly! I let him know though I'm surprised no one complained about it yet...

[oobflyer]

I got my bike back from the factory at the end of April, but there was no improvement with the front wheel 'wobble'. I rode it for a few weeks, hoping that it still might be a brake embedding issue, despite having over 3,000 miles on it - but it never improved.
Meanwhile, one day a couple of weeks ago I pulled the bike out of the garage, turned the key on, twisted the throttle, and... nothing. I had to drive the 4-wheeled internal combustion engine gas guzzler (Toyota Prius) to work.
So back to the factory it went.
They had it for over a week - but I think they got it right this time.
They replaced the front brake disc (again) - which seems to have fixed the front wheel 'wobble' (finally!) I rode it for twenty miles this evening - testing the front brake - so far so good.
And - the bike logs showed a problem with the BMS board - so they replaced that. Hopefully I won't have to drive the 4-wheeler again.
One note of caution that may or may not have to do with my BMS problem: If you charge with the off-board Delta-Q Quic charger - you have to make sure that the onboard charger is plugged in FIRST before connecting the off board charger(s). This engages the 'contactor' so the bike 'knows' it's starting a charge. This is not in the owner's manual, apparently, but probably will be in future editions.
I'm doing a 60+ mile ride tomorrow - if I have any problems I'll let you know. Otherwise, no news is good news.   

[oobflyer]

I've put another 300 miles or so on my SR since I got it back from the factory - it's running perfectly - no vibrations, no glitch, just unplug and fly.

I'm planning to ride a 350 mile ride on the 4th of July weekend - should be fun.
Hopefully more Zero  riders can join the ride!


http://corbin.com/rally/vec.shtml

[kensiko]

I understand you, the Prius is sooooo boring to drive !