As it becomes more apparent that Current Motor Company (CuMoCo) may no longer be providing support, not to mention service for the C-series - I think it is important to try to determine how many owners are affected by this. My general impression is that there were less than 50 of the C-Series sold - but maybe I'm way off. If anyone has any ideas how this might be determined (via VIN databases or such) please chime in.
Otherwise, if you are reading this, if you could provide info on your model (C124 or C130), whether the scooter is running or not, and your location. Other useful information that might be helpful is whether you have Current's BCU Access and Win AVR software and associated hardware for configuring and/or loading the programming BCU. If you have experience/skill in AVR micro-controller programming, and/or electronic skills, mention that too.
Thanks in advance!
Paul D.
Hi All,
I live in Los Angeles and have a C130 with 4,000 miles on it.
I believe it was the 35th one made.
No problems at this time.
I have no BCU Program but I do have an old BCU and dc/dc converter that are wonky.
I think we should try and generate our own parts and service referral site.
Maybe, bit by bit, sort out the wiring and other systems and pool any and all knowledge of where the components come from and how repairs are made.
Paul has done a fair amount of pointing people in the right direction and though I am more of an I.C.E. guy I have good troubleshooting skills.
I have a number of explicit emails from Current on some specific repairs and I have to believe other people do too.
It would be good to share them.
LCJUTILA
Forgot to give information on myself:
C124
Pittsburgh, PA
Running fine - but there is always something to fix every 6-12 months or so - even if it is that the rear tire lasts no more than 5000 miles or so. I have one or two high-resistance cells (cell no. 19 being the worst) that will need replacement before the colder fall riding season.
Mileage unknown, as I've had to replace the speedo twice, and even the mileage stored on the BCU has gotten reset a couple times when I upgraded the firmware. My best guess is about 18,000 miles.
I seem to be a lucky one who manged to be given the software, USB-6-pin serial cable, and "USB Tiny" programmer from CuMoCo. For a while they had a owner accessible FTP site where you could download all sorts of useful stuff. That all came to an end when "Belle Capital" took over CuMoCo and John Harding was ousted.
I posted a comment asking if they will continue to support our scooters on their Facebook page. We'll see what happens....
Edit: What happened? They deleted the comment...
My C130 died 4 months ago. The batteries are charged but when I turn on the key and accelerate from a stop it accelerates for a couple of seconds and then goes to "limp home" mode. According to the LED (3 short, one long) the battery is dead, but the battery indicator shows that it is fully charged. Terry replied to my first email in early March but he has not replied to any since.
I don't trust this scooter anymore since it has left me stranded a few times, which is an especially bad thing in the southern Arizona desert. I'd like to get it out of my garage and I will give it away free to anyone who wants to drive to Tucson and pick it up. It has just under 10,000 "miles" on it according to the odometer which reads 16% high. Reply in this forum if you are interested and I will send you my contact information.
Just post it again and make known that you feel poorly treated as their customer with them deleting your question unanswered. They should be very careful of what they do as social media sh1tstorms can kill companies within days...
My rides:
2017 Zero S ZF6.5 11kW, erider Thunder 5kW
Current Motor seems to have evolved into a project of "feminist-entrepeneurs" - tech-capitalist-class types. They even get "liked" by Elon Musk! The main target for their new "green" product is, ironically, largely the oil and mining industries (useful for exploratory activities in remote areas). They could not care less about the very small numbers of generally working class chumps who bought their abandoned early product. Additionally, I suspect that they may have also dropped us owners on the advice of their lawyers - perhaps by denying having any connection with the scooters still in service, they can avoid liability if the Chinese frame breaks in two or something.
So, of course they deleted my post.
It is a different culture here than in Europe.
Edit: Another comment, perfectly polite and civil, has ben removed from their FB page.
Can you also "unlike" on FB? :-)
My rides:
2017 Zero S ZF6.5 11kW, erider Thunder 5kW
I avoid Facebook like the plague and I still dont know how to navigate about it - I only created an inactive Facebook page with minimal information about myself becasue it is often the only way to post comments to news stories on many newspaper websites.
Yes, this is ironic!
I don't have Facebook either but my wife does and I use it to occasionally check out FB sites of interest.
Fowler, Indiana (about 30 miles NW of Lafayette).
C-124 with VIN xxx39
About 1500 miles.
None of the tools, software, cables, etc., and no knowledge for using them.
About a year after buying the scooter I twisted my ankle in a strange way while bowling. I could no longer bowl and felt less safe on the scooter. I did continue to ride the scooter but not very much.
The status LED has slipped out of position and is no longer visible. About 2 months ago I was riding to town (12 mile round trip) when the bike stopped for no apparent reason. Brought it home on a trailer. I believe there is a loose (or otherwise bad) connection at one of the cutout points, i.e., kick stand or ?? I am in the process of moving into a new (new to my wife and I) house which needed a LOT of renovation do to lack of maintenance. This has kept me too busy to check it out. If I am right on the source of the problem, it is something I can likely fix. If it has to do with the electronics, not so much!
The gauge shows adequate charge. I have the bike in storage mode and have not even removed it from the trailer.
Defects in the kick stand or brake light (and regen) switches either side will, of course, stop the scooter. Taking the front fairing off and getting access to the LED would help troubleshooting.
Thanks, Paul.
When time permits I'll try that.
Derby
It's been a couple weeks and still nothing from Current Motor in spite of that nice e-mail from their CEO. Of course, Vectrix owners experienced something similar too. I only wish that private corporations provided the sort responsive service that the US government agency I work for does - I would never think of not promptly returning a phone call or e-mail inquiry from someone my agency regulates.
Here is Currents reply:
"Sorry for the extremely long response time.
Let me give you the information that I can about batteries and the new bike:
Our price for new GBS cells is $108 per cell. [They can be obtained for about $91-93 per cell from other sources - pjd] This does not include shipping. I would have to do a little research to find which carrier is willing and able to ship lithium iron phosphate cells.
There is not a price break for 24 cells over simply one cell that I am aware of.
The cost (roughly) of the new Nb motorcycle is $11,000.
As far as wiring diagram information, I believe that this is proprietary information which we do not give out. If I find that I am being too restrictive in my information sharing, I will let you know.
If you need to call me, the number is 734-622-9550, extension 706."
-------------------------------------
The item in bold is the important one. If they are going to consider basic service information like a wiring diagram, on a vehicle that they no longer even manufacture, to be "propriety information" how do they expect us to repair our scooters?
There have been laws proposed at the US Federal and state level protecting vehicle owners from such abuse, but with the exception of a limited "right to repair" law in Massachusetts (which unfortunately does not apply to motorcycles), they have all been shelved due to manufacturer "lobbying". However, noticing which way the wind was blowing, all vehicle manufacturers have continued to disseminate service through electronic publishers like Chiltons and AllData. It seems that Current has chosen to not even follow customary industry practice.
- Paul D.
I left an irate voicemail on Mr. Prices phone, and saw this e-mail a little later. This is good news:
"Just after my last email to you, I had a talk with our upper management and we agreed that I should freely make available these wiring diagrams. I am getting a package together for you and would be happy to include others if you have questions.
Thanks for keeping up the communication"
Best Regards,
Stephen Price
Great work Paul!
LCJUTILA
LCJutila,
De nada. (I know "Jutila" is Finnish not Spanish, but "de nada" is better than anything equivalent in English)
how many Current scooter owners are still actively riding and maintaining their scooters and would benefit from this information remains an interesting question we still have not resolved.
Paul D.
I have a C124 near Seattle, and was using it for daily commuting for two years, but my commute became too long for its range. Now I have a Brammo Empulse and the C124 has become inoperable due to neglect: the BCM blinks a red light when attempting to charge it (even though the dashboard reports 100% SOC), the rear brake calipers stick in the closed position, and probably related to this, the hub motor doesn't spin when given throttle.
If anyone in the area would like to restore it or use it for parts, let me know. I could use the extra space in my garage.
This has been sold to another Current Motor rider in Seattle. Thank you for your interest.
Thanks for this thread. I've got a C124 in Waltham, MA (Boston area) with about 11,800 miles on it. It works, although has a similar problem to the one that MythicalBeast describes. It is just too unreliable and I don't have the time or will to try some of the suggestions that especially PJD offered (but thanks!). So, I'm going to see if Craigslist attracts any interest in it. Still seems to have great battery life - when it feels like working. If I can't sell it for something, then I'll likely just give it to someone who has an interest in tinkering with these things. I prefer other hobbies and there is only so much time in the day.
It is too bad that Current didn't/doesn't communicate with its customers better. A strange way to do business, but all too common, I guess.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in it, let me know.
Cheers,
Jeff
Jeff Holmes
Wheels: Current Motor Co C124
Work: Encyclopedia of Life www.eol.org