Hi,
I can probably get a New 2007 Vectrix with a Warranty for $3,200 USD.
I have the following concerns:
1. Battery pack. I live near San Francisco and the climate is normally pretty moderate but we normally have two or three weeks of 30C to 40C weather.
2. Other problems:
The information in this thread won't charge and a similar thread shocked me three times!.
It's shocking that the battery can get into a state where its still good but charging it requires jumping through hoops.
It's shocking that the battery pack get into that state and potentially be damaged by leaving the lights on.
It's shocking that the battery pack get into that state and potentially be damaged by a current drain when its turned off.
How many other issues are there?
3. Service (proprietary parts). The closest dealer went bankrupt, the next two closest dealers (22 and 30 miles) currently both say that the intend to continue as Vectrix dealers but they are also both trying to sell scooters at their cost which isn't a viable long term business plan.
When someone who approves CA State rebates tried to verify if a scooter purchased from a particular dealer was covered by warranty at first he had trouble getting a response (what are my chances of timely problem resolution?) and then the information he was given was not entirely correct.
What are the odds of having a relatively problem free ownership with an occasional problem being fixed in a timely fashion vs having a lot of problems or a hard time getting service?
Hi,
I should have mentioned that there are seven available (six if I take one) at that price or slightly less to CA residents, after the CA $1,500 rebate. I'm in the process of confirming the rebate now. Right now it is about 90% definite.
Best Wishes!
Mitch
In 2007 payed over 11.000 euros for my V. Some may say that it was an expensive price for an electric scooter. They might be right. But for me, it was the best electric motorbike I've ever tried, a really enjoyable mean of transport... It was really worth that price.
Come on, 3200 usd with warranty?!! It's a bargain!
Closest dealer at 22 miles? During 2007-2008 my closest dealer was 300 miles away!
I'm sure a test drive will clear your doubts. Open full throttle and feel how 22.000 watts of power propels you to the XXI century.
Buy it
Ride it
Enjoy it
JUST DO IT.
;-)
pd: A pair of suggestions.
Update the main fuse from 125A to 200A.
Accept that your battery will not be in right condition. It may not be a problem. Just avoid full discharges. My brother has a 1500 unit from 2007. He bought it 2nd hand, and it had short range (predamaged battery). By avoiding full discharges, the battery has been stable for over 1 year. He payed 5000 euros for the bike and he's also very happy with it.
I'm sure you won't regret owning this bike.
Sounds good, but CALL and E-mail VECTRIX to confirm warranty details and terms! There was a sum of $2,000,000 set aside to cover warranty claims on old bikes. See if your purchase is under that,or covered under the standard new bike, 2year warranty. (If under the old coverage, when funds are gone,your warranty may be too!)---I recently took my bike to the factory,in New Bedford,MA. to be sureof getting it serviced before coverage ceased. All went very well, the staff was friendly and efficient in resolving my problems. They replaced the seat and battery, did the latest software upgradefor 68 MPH, andchecked the vehicle in general. Operation and accelleration ismuch better now, as is the accuracy of the "miles remaining" indicator for the battery charge.--Bob Curry
Robert M. Curry
If there are six more at that price let us know where they are. I am also in the Bay Area and if it is hard to get warranty done on my bike having a spare might be the trick. Down from $14,000 when first I heard of them $3,200 is great!
BTW... WHAT $1500 CA rebate? There was one back in the day. It was long gone last summer when I bought mine.
Your concerns about electric seem to be general electric concerns, but the advantages of electric over ICE are so great it's well worth it. No problems with oil leaks, no problems with hard starts, no regular maintenance, no smell, drive it inside w/o issue.
[I still can't figure out how to get it past the turnstiles so I can ride BART with it, but it has no gasoline on-board so they can't say it's a safety issue bringing it on the train. Boy that would make the range PERFECT if they let us do that. Subway doesn't go to a friends house, but riding there is too long, combine them and you have the perfect commute option. Especially if they let us plug in on the train to charge up.]
I would think the only reason to be concerned about the electric issues you mentioned is if it is hard for you to plug-in. If you have a garage or plug outside the house just plug in when you get home. It is ready to ride the next time you are. If you take the key out the thing stops running the battery down, you would have to leave it alone for a month after running it down for it to discharge to the point where you need to hand charge it to get it running again. As long as you charge it and check in on it in storage you should never see the problems you mention. There may be others, fans not running, trouble getting the wheel off to change a tire, powering on with the throttle slightly turned, but the battery charging issue should not be a major concern.
-Randy
______________________
I also own a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiev
I too echo the comments above. $3200 is a terrific deal right now. Double check the warrantee stuff, but for that price you can afford for some minor things to fail! The bike truly is a blast. I got mine in May 2009 and nearly rode it every day there was not snow on the ground or pouring down rain. Mine was a 2007 bought second hand, but with only 240 miles which was bought directly from the Vectrix HQ originally in 2008. I've added a Zero DS to my electric collection, and that bike is occupying most of my riding/commuting, but come colder weather I'll be back on the V for the wind protection. And I'm still using it when I need to carry extra stuff with me (the underseat storage and the Givi box I have on the back add tons of cargo space) or taking my wife with me somewhere. True, there are other bikes available now with better battery/chemistry/components, but the Vectrix was designed truly ahead of its time. That being said, it will be VERY interesting what type of Vectrix upgrades come to the new bike with Lithium batteries and more modern charger/BMS. One fact for sure...you will NEVER be able to buy a new model anywhere close to $3200!
I'd say test drive it for a good drive. Assure it charges well. And buy it!
Adam - Denver, CO
2007 Vectrix VX-1 charged with the power of the sun = zero carbon footprint
Thanks Rodger. Your enthusiasm is making me lean towards doing it. The issue isn't 22 miles. The issue is that there used to be 8 Vectrix dealers within 300 miles. Five of them have stopped selling Vectrix Scooters, one has gone bankrupt and two are selling off thier existing stock at cost. The issue is how long will the remaining two be selling and servicing Vectrix Scooters.
BTW If I wanted a fast EV for $10k I think Matt would sell his very fast Etrike for $10k:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKAMus3oSdw
Thanks Bob, particularly for the warranty information! For servicing unfortunately I'm not close to MA.
They are out of state. $4,100 plus about $580 for shipping. The CA rebate requires a warranty. The current status is until NEW Vectrix gets certified in that state (which they are working on) the dealer isn't officially covered under warranty. It looks like its going to happen. If and when it does I'll definitely post it on the forum and send you a PM. As an incentive to help him sell more on any further sales I get a $100 price reduction which I will split. Also if we get more than one I think I could pick them up myself and save on shipping. So probably under $2,900.
The rebate information is here:
http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/clean-vehicle-rebate-project
BTW the following was posted in response to my inquiries:
Not general concerns. Good quality cells with crappy thermal management and BMS. How many Prius or RAV4 EV owners (same cell chemistry) have battery pack problems? Leave on the lights and kill a $5k pack?! Inexcusable! Lights and any parasitic loads could run off a separate 12V battery that could be charged from the main pack when the scooter is running and disconnected when its off. There would always be lights when the scooter is running and leaving the lights on when the scooter is not running could not damage the pack. And not being able to charge the pack when its low without jumping through hoops (service visit with a $5k special charger) is crazy!
For BART it sounds like you need an Ebike or folding Ebike (carry the folding Ebike on the Vectrix to BART and ride it when you get off BART). Something like this:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=12267
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVlOBXe4a5o&feature=player_embedded
Thanks everyone! I'm pretty much convinced if I can get the Warranty/Price I'm going to do it. BTW the dealer will also guarantee (in writing) when it beomes available to sell buyers the lithium kit for wholesale plus a modest ~$200 fee so it might be worth Randy's while for that fact alone.
Thanks Again Everyone!
Mitch
Best Wishes!
Mitch
If it hasn't been mentioned yet; make sure that it has the latest firmware installed. You can check it by turning on the bike, turning off the kill switch and pulling the left brake. The speedometer needle should show about 42-43km/h and the left LCD display should show the battery temperature and Voltage. The it doesn't the the last two things, than it's loaded with pre-october 2008 firmware, which will surely destroy you battery pack.
Latest firmware is a must!
I did a background check on this $2,000,000 warranty fund, and had talked to a few head people at Vectrix, and what they said was, if the company you are buying this scooter from has lost the franchise, gone under, or had not been given a new franchise agreement from them, the funds would not apply. In my case, I was told this on my 2008, and so know I have an expensive computer-on-wheels that came from a yard sale,...HA!(BEST THING I'VE EVER FOUND!!!!!!)
Hi MitchJi and others. Thanks for the great information. I'm also in the SF Bay Area and interested in buying. I'll follow this thread and see what develops.
whoops- double post
Hi Andy,
How effective is the new firmware? Would you post your response on this thread please?:
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/9675-how-improve-nimh-vectrix-battery-it-becomes-damaged
Best Wishes!
Mitch