I have been having trouble with my bike that I leave outside ALL THE TIME, poor dear. The issue started with the kill switch, if I ever flipped it, it took MANY a throw to get it back. So if after a ride I wanted to know the bikes temp I would pull the brake and flip the kill switch but then when I flipped it back I would still be staring at the temp on the dash, not the normal info.
Then about 3 months ago I started to get this situation where the GO indicator would not light up. After trying many times I started to realize it was the right hand brake that was the issue. The brake handle was loose and would require many tugs to get it to set the bike ready to GO. I went to the local Vectrix repair place and they had no idea but thought the bike might just need a brake fluid change. I didn't know what that was and they freaked. "You have to change the fluid every two years!" Hmmm... Don't know that I have EVER changed brake fluid, ever ever. Not in 30+ years of driving things that use brakes. So they changed the fluid and NOTHING changed. Still stopped when I pulled the brakes and still didn't always GO when I tried to trigger it after turning the key. I finally figured that if I PUSHED the brake away from be before I pulled it to me it would ALWAYS trigger, seemed to be that the switch was always being a little depressed unless I did the above.
This week it has been a month since I rode (February not a prime motorcycle riding month), and I got on to go to the store and the GO indicator would not light up. The bike shows a charge, I just cannot trigger the right brake enough to get it to come one. I looked at the handle and could not find the actual switch to flip, I thought maybe one of you have taken this apart and knew what the trick might be to get to the actual switch that the bike reads when it wants to turn on the GO indicator. Also, might be nice if I could get the brake handle tight again, is that adjustable somewhere?
Thanks for any help in advance.
-Randy
You probably have a severe safety problem which you have not realised:
The issue is that the brake light sensor switches are not working as they should. One or both of them are stuck in either the "on" or the "off" position, meaning that either your brake light is continuously on, or does not reliably light up when you brake.
Big risk of getting run over from behind.
Park close to a wall so that you can easily see the reflection of the rear light, then turn on and watch what goes on when you pull each brake lever.
The actual brake fluid has nothing to do with the electrical switches that sense if the brake lever is being pulled. The brake lights would work just fine even if you removed all brake fluid from the system.....
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I completely agree with Mik. It is an electric problem, nothing to do with hidraulic system. Check that the rear brake light turns on correctly when you press the brake lever. The brake light sensor switches are standard: very cheap, and easy to replace, I suggest you replace them both and forget about this problem for another 4 years.
I recognise this problem. My bike is also always outside and I have had exactly the same.
You have broken springs on you brake levers.
If you look at your brake levers you will see the black rubber which is pushing the plunger into the brake reservoir when you pull the lever.
Inside this rubber is a spring and a metal pushrod. I am betting that the springs inside the rubber have broken due to corrosion.
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
Hi I want to piggyback along here (I appear not to be allowed to create new posts)
I am looking for a brake cilinder (the part between the handle and the front brake) as it broke off. Anyone know where to go for parts?
I live in Auckland, New Zealand.
Cheers Philip
Ask brembo...
Asking Brembo is probably the best venue, I was looking around if there was anybody left in New Zealand doing any dealership, found out that I am probably the last Vectrix standing in Auckland :'(. Thanks for the advice R!
Asking Brembo is probably the best venue, I was looking around if there was anybody left in New Zealand doing any dealership, found out that I am probably the last Vectrix standing in Auckland :'(. Thanks for the advice R!
Now that Vectrix is no more, do we have access to the service manual yet? I know there was a link to it online in a dynamically loaded model that I tried to make a webarchive of (FAIL). Did anyone get it into a PDF?
-Randy
______________________
I also own a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiev
Hi all,
I have a service manual on the computer. The zipped version is about 19Mb. All files are .doc.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27611885/VX-1%20Service%20Manual.zip
Above is the public Dropbox link. I do not want to keep it there for a long time. So please, if there is someone else who wants to host this file, you are very welcome.
And maybe this is not about a broken brake anymore? Move the subject?
Regards,
Charan
Phiro
Never fear you are not alone, there are at least 3 of us still enjoying our decreasing mileage on Vectrii in Auckland (though I am about to do the Lithium thing). Send me a Pm and we can at least commiserate and maybe help. One assumes the master cylinder is available or if not there must be any number of alternatives.
Cheers
Michael T
Dude thanks, I've been trying to track this down for a while. Much appreciated!!
OK, THANKS for the upload of the manual, turns out I had it, but it was called VX-1, not Vectrix, so my computer search didn't turn it up, in a folder with a bunch of publicity pictures of Vectrixies. Vectri? Hmmm.. This is like the plural of Prius conundrum all over again.
I saw in the manual that the wires go straight from the brake handle to the logic board, so nothing tricky, just a switch. I unplugged the switch and shorted the connectors together and the bike DID start, so I am only suffering with a corroded switch. It is on the same side where I had that brake fluid spill, probably related. So I contacted Brembo, sadly after I tried to contact Brammo. Never realized they were separate companies. But neither were helpful.
Went to the two ex-NewVectrix dealers near me. Both had to give me an earful about how Vectrix screwed them and they were not surprised that the US operations were shut down. But the one in Berkeley actually took the old switch and searched their stock at my insistence, and found a switch with the same leads and the same barrel. From a Vespa. Less than $10.
While I was driving the bike w/o brake switches I realized that I don't use the brakes to stop, so no real fear that my brake lights were not lighting. Perhaps on a hill, to keep me from rolling. But I'll put the new switch in today.
This is what I thought was going to be the future of the bike, no support from the company, but I was sold a working bike and what can go wrong with an electric vehicle? I continue to be tempted to buy one of these $2000 used VX-1s, keep it at the vacation house, but the battery pack might die from lack of use. Just be nice to have a place to go to compare when one bike isn't working, to what a working bike is like. Always kind of shocked none of my friends bought a Vectrix.
-Randy
______________________
I also own a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiev
Any idea about the Vespa part number?
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!