Many problems, but I want to love it

As noted on X-Treme's web site, their bikes come with a very limited warranty. You say you purchased the bike in December, but didn't put it on the road until April. Did you report these problems to X-Treme during their stated warranty period? If so, what was their response?

If you waited until after the warranty period was over before bringing these problems to their attention, I'd say you're out of luck. If I bought a new car and didn't complain about any problems until after the warranty expired, then expected them to honor it because "I had these problems from the beginning", they'd laugh me out of the dealership or give me an estimate for what it will cost me for repairs.

I agree with Buzzer, if this is the first thing you've said to X-treme it's past the warranty period and..uh..what he said.

Anyway a couple points:-

2. The charge meter is highly inaccurate. Several times, I have been driving along with the gauge registering half full and had the motor die on me. Lately, the gauge falls to half way after the first mile or two of a trip, leading me to believe it could give out at any time.

3. The scooter no longer achieves a top speed above 40mpg. If it can't go 45, it can't be registered as a motorcycle. In many states, including MA, this means it can't be registered at all, as mopeds must be mechanically limited to 25mph.

This sounds like a failing battery pack, maybe.

You have a 3500li? Lithium batteries hold their voltage really well until they're almost out of juice at which point the voltage dives quickly. This sounds a bit like the behavior on point #2. The behavior on point #3 could be a weak pack that isn't delivering electricity reliably.

You had it parked from December-April. Okay, you live in Massachusetts and I've heard stories of the winter weather there and perhaps that explains why it was parked. Did you charge the pack during that time? Okay it's a lithium pack and they're more resilient to being left discharged and maybe this isn't an issue, but maybe it is.

Do you have any ability to make voltage readings while it is in operation? Maybe not while riding but put the bike up on a stand, twist the throttle, and measure voltages. I'm not talking about the battery gauge, I'm talking about a volt meter and seeing how many volts the pack reads, and the individual cells.

Wow! You sound just like someone who bought a cheap chinese gas motorscooter.

I'm getting a Yamaha Zuma 125 and putting a micro-mini Tow-pac kit on it. I thinking that with high blood pressure, I don't need the aggravation of the cheap chinese junk flooding into this country. I need something that will do the job, not a stress inducing hobby. My Schwinn 750 is just a toy, and I suspect that at this point al of the cheap electric scoots are just projects to be worked on.

I see a three wheel scooter advertised all over the net that looks perfect for me, but it is wrong from the start. Chinese junk, that won't go as fast as they say and won't last. Some won't even run out of the box, or break in a hundred miles....or less.

I'm convinced that electric scoots are a hobby, and that if you want a really good one, that actually works and does work, you have to build it yourself.

I won't argue with you on the points you've made, but a lot depends upon what people are looking for and what their expectations are. If people read the product descriptions, warranty information and disclaimers and then try to turn the product into something grander in their mind, they're going to be disappointed. Obviously, I think it's reasonable for a customer to expect their product to work properly when they get it, but they should also have read and understood the product warranty before they bought it. For myself, I was looking for cheap motorized transportation for using within town, that I could repair myself, if necessary. I had two rules when I bought the bike: 1. Accept the electric scooter for what it is, and don't try to make it into something else. 2. Don't ride it any further than I'm willing to walk.

The result: 1. Two parts on my bike were replaced under warranty without any hassle whatsoever because I did it within their limited warranty restrictions and followed their procedures. 2. The bike has been very reliable and hasn't left me stranded anywhere. 3. The only problems I've had were the same I've had on every other motor vehicle I've owned: a burned out turn signal bulb, sticky brake lever (on my cars, it was sticky door handles), and a flat tire, all of which I was able to fix myself without paying a single penny to a mechanic, and I'm a mechanical and electronic klutz.

I also haven't spent a penny on gas, oil or highway taxes, and the cost of the entire bike (including delivery) is cheaper than the last exhaust system I had to put onto my Honda Accord. Would I recommend one of these "cheap Chinese junk" bikes to everyone? Certainly not. Most people need greater range, want more speed, greater reliability, a better service warranty or need protection from the weather (like a car). But for what my wife and I got it for (short errands around town, instead of using a car or bicycle), it has exceeded our expectations and is saving us a great deal of money, even in the short term. Plus it's a ton of fun to ride around on!

We'll see how happy I am with it in a year or two, so you may have the last laugh. Of course, my brother-in-law is still driving his Ford Pinto...