After 18 days and 805Km i would like to say that i am completely satisfied with the product that i have bought, although i know im still not in the position to really comment until i have at least around 5.000km and 6 months of ownership.
I have started this topic because i think its time for ,really, telling other people what we feel about having the Vectrix Vx-1 (because there are alot of doubts out there!!Apart from bad press and threads speaking about bankruptcy and other negative points)
Im not saying there is no negtive things, im just saying that i think we should also clearly comment if we are satisfied as owners.
People who read into these forums looking to clear out all their doubts might not understand if the overall satisfaction is positive or negative unless we clearly give them an answer.(whatever it is positive or negative)
For example after reading about all the topics of one owner (Mik), we could get different impressions, but my personal impression is that he is happy with the Vectrix but not too happy about the misguide and service from the dealer or Company. Which is normal when a new company sets up, but should then be overcome by the dealer with an extra amount of attention and even doing exceptions in doing extra services to those who bought the bikes first.(they are probably some of the best clients of Vectrix, buying when there was no real world experience of the bikes or the Company!!!!
I keep getting asked all types of questions from people who stop by and are intrested in the Vectrix and there is one that really is always there ,its the one reffering to reliability. I think there are 2 points that worry people:
1. Is the Motorbike reliable?
2. Is the company reliable and the quality of the bike to world manufacturer standards?
and i add:
3. Are you satisfied in overall, of owing the Vectrix?
I am going to answer these questions and think that all of you that are owners should also answer them to help others and maybe the Company itself.
So, i am going to answer the questions:
1. In my experience it is very reliable (but i should answer this in a few months)
2. The company/Dealers dont have the best of the setups here in Spain but i think that being an American Company with a Factory in Europe and getting supplies from World recognised auto components companies, gives a good sensation.
3. I am very happy of having the Vectrix
I second your opinion. My experience is not too much longer than yours, I am at 1200miles ~2000km; bought the bike in December. Nice commuter ride; reliable, fun, quiet, sophisticated. Despite all the discussion accross this forum, this is not vaporware or development, this is a production cycle available now! As a former biker rider I would add as a disclaimer that anyone looking for a replacemnt for their motorcycle for fun weekend rides should not buy the vectrix unless its a second ride. It has a limited application. If you need to go more than 30 miles between charges this is not for you. I ride 15 miels to work each day, charge her up and ride back. I don't have to worry about range at all. For anyone who is into technology, the Vectrix is a marvel. The charging process appears very well thought through and the regen braking is really cool. It alone sold me on the bike. Basically one hand operation does 99% of the driving. You'll hardly use your brakes. They will probably last a lifetime. Although I spend over $9000 and I undertand that at some point I'll be paying another $3000 for a battery, I am entirely happy with the purchase. Finally, anyone in doubt, call Vectrix headquaters. They are the nicest people ever. You always get a friendly helpful person on the phone and they are in the US, not a callcenter in India. If you still are on the fnece, as I was ask yourself this: Who is going to buy a Vectrix if its not you? If everyone waits until the best technology is around, companies like Vectrix will go under and we will never see this technology on the road! Had I waited for the best computer to hit the market back in 1980, It would have been 25 more years unti I would have bought the first PC. Instead, I bought the year the PC came out. Same here. Be a leader not a follower!
Yep!
Apart from some minor details, but generally that's why I bought when I bought: trailblazing, doing something, and maybe still getting to that job each day (which pays for the bills whilst trail-blazing)...
But unfortunately the scooter was not reliable, and the "Trailblazer program" was vapor-ware! (Well, almost... they replaced the first scooter with a new one which was worse in most respects!
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
Hi guys,
I'm really glad any time I see a happy EV rider - regardless of brand. I hope you continue to ride many miles and sing the praises of your bikes to all who will listen. The more that happens the better it is for all of us.
Personally, when I post stuff that points out differences between approaches and implementations I'm looking to either (a) educate the readers as to the fact that there is not "one right solution" (despite what any one company's marketing might try and persuade you) or (b) just for "friendly rivalry" between brands - a bit like GM vs Ford - some friendly banter. We all have our preferences and there should be room in the market for all of us.
Vectrix was "vaporware" for a long time as folks patiently waited for them to get to market. Allegedly it spent around 10 years in development. It would be nice if Vectrix fans would cut those of us still coming to market a little slack before deriding us. Even if you see it as in "retaliation" to other posters - remember what your mama said - two wrongs don't make a right.
Equally, folks who ride other lower cost bikes should be prepared to realize that the Vectrix is a far superior bike in terms of build quality and complete package. When folks ask me (or, more often, folks don't ask me and I volunteer the info!) the Vectrix is the Cadillac of the two wheel EV world and the XM-3500 is the Datsun. Before you decry the XM brand remember what the Datsun grew into. Personally, with our bike (the REV-1 - website coming at the end of the month) we're aiming somewhere in the middle of the two.
Why am I posting this? I'm just hoping that we can all support each other and the nascent two wheel EV market. We should be planning to be here for decades - and even the Vectrix (the longest lived bike in this segment) only went on sale in the US in fall of 2007. This is a marathon not a sprint. The more we support each other the more we will encourage the potential new rider. That support does include airing both the negative and the positive - knowledge is power.
Enjoy your rides - you bought the best (the current best that is). Enjoy! Sing the praises of all types of EVs...
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
I bought my vectrix as an alternative to buying another car to get me to work and back each day. It was a big risk for me as I had no bike experience and actually had to get a licence before I could ride the vectrix that was delivered in my shed. I have had it for over 6 months now and traveled about 4550km in that time, using it most weekdays. It is very easy to ride for one new to motorcycles and has great acceleration for my trip to work which includes 80-100km/hr freeway sections.
My bike was firmware updated and conditioned before delivery by the staff at vectrix Australia and I have to this date had NO ISSUES AT ALL with the bike. It has been serviced twice, the second time with the latest firmware update and each time the tech was fantastic explaining everything. So to this point in time for me the Vectrix has lived upto eveything I thought it could be. My next door neigbours also like my bike being silent in the moring when I leave for work. I especially love driving straight past the huge lineups at the petrol stations during "discount tuesday (Adeliade weekly discount cycle)", I just can't help but smile.
There is a better way, we all just need to be brave enough to take it.
Summary
* 6 months use 4550km, used almost daily
* exp 40-65km range at speeds 65-100km
* NO ISSUES AT ALL
* Great staff & support during post delivery & servicing
* Great to ride and experience
* Very Happy with purchase to date
Good to hear. Must have been the same guy who broke my motor controller when he was still quite inexperienced with Vectrix servicing.
Unfortunately, he appears to have left Vectrix Australia. I wish you good luck with the next person "learning on the job" without much supervision or support from Vectrix Corp.
You might need it!
But you might also have a perfectly working Vectrix, with a battery pack that was balanced before delivery, so that the S-BMS had a chance. And you would have been given advice to NOT deeply discharge the batteries, right?
To keep it going for a long time, just make sure you never take it to the limit on really hot days (both range and acceleration / mountain climbing). Best to leave it parked in the garage or shade on hot days.
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
1. Is the Motorbike reliable?
For me, I have had a main fuse failure at 2000miles, and a encoder failure after that was fixed. In terms of reliability, it is not a great start in my honest opinion, however this is overidden by question 2...
2. Is the company reliable and the quality of the bike to world manufacturer standards?
The company so far has been exceptional. When the main fuse failed, I had the bike within a week (I did tell them to take as long as they needed as I have two other vehicles), and when the encoder error messages came up, they had a loan bike dropped off at my office the following day, and will be dropping mine off again tomorrow. They have always been polite and friendly and answer quickly, and have been honest in what the problem was.
I have had various brand new vehicles from other larger manufactures, and have had teething problems and I have to say that their responses every time have been rude, never called back and seemed to be more interested in covering their own arses and charging stupid money for small faults rather than customer satisfaction.
So to Vectrix, OK, had a couple of problems with the bike, all have been sorted within a very acceptable timescale, and I am a very happy vectrix owner as a result. Please keep up this amazing level of customer service - it is the backbone of what businesses are missing these days.
3. Are you satisfied in overall, of owing the Vectrix?
Overall - Yes. That day the fuse went, I lost a lot of money in not being able to attend several clients, but that was not vectrix's fault - it was the AA, who despite the fact we have resolved the issue I will be leaving as soon as possible for a breakdown company who is more competent. I have passed on my concerns to Vectrix about that day, and they are hopefully still looking into it. The AA will be the downfall of Vectrix's reputation otherwise, being that they still acknowledge that they know nothing about the bike, despite answering the phone "AA Vectrix" and owning several....
I must jump in here and sing praises to the Vectrix as well.
I am on my second Vectrix, and have been nothing short of completely satisfied with both bikes. The reason I'm on a second bike is because of the outstanding customer service and determination to succeed of the Vectrix USA company itself.
My 07 would not pass local registration codes due to a bad VIN number, and all I asked the company for was a new MSO sheet and an ingraved plated that I could permanently attach to the bike, which my local DMV said would be sufficient. Instead, they sent me a brand new bike, at no cost to me, even though mine had over 1300 miles of wear and tear on it. I was astounded, to say the least.
My overall satisfaction with both bikes has been over the top, but I attribute much of that to my lifelong familiarity with motorcycles and the fact that my needs for this bike fall well within the limits of its range, power and speed capabilities.
My dealer has been nothing short of courteous and enthusiastic about the Vectrix bikes, and has also gone out of his way to make sure that I was pleased.
That being said, I do believe I will be assessing the service department end of the system in fairly short order. Although the cold weather may have masked any potential problems from it, I believe I only have one side of the cooling system working with the new bike. When I fire up the charger, only one fan starts up, and I only get airflow from the right side of the bike (just in front of the rear shock. Both air inlets up front are drawing air, but I'm not sure if those are the fans that exhaust out the back or not, and if so, some ductwork may be pinched somewhere. So I will be contacting my dealer for some advice on that issue shortly. I definately had two sided air and two seperate fans starting on the 07 model, so I don't know if the 08s work differently or if there's an issue here that will get ugly when the summer temps come back.
I also have a larger windshield on order, which is the only thing about either of these bikes that I've ever had a problem with, as the wind noise is most annoying behind the stock shield.
In short, I only have one answer to all three of your questions: ABSOLUTELY!
A local dealer has some clearance pricing on some still-brand-new '07s. What are the differences between the 07 and the newer 08/09/10 VX-1 if any?
That happened to my Vectrix. One fan wasn't working and the air was blowing out only at one rear shock absorber. The air was still sucking from both front inlets. Get it fixed ASAP or one of your battery packs will be overheating when charging (especially at the CC and EC parts of charing). Mine went as high as 50'C so I got BATHOT telltale at the end of charging. Until it's fixed, try to charge it only until the end of CP charging.
Maybe just a lower seat, but other then that, none. Get it if you can :-)
They started a new paint scheme in 09. Other than that, they are all the same bikes. Nice thing about a computer driven vehicle is that they can all be "the latest model" with nothing more than a software update.
The only "issues" with 07 models were a recall for battery connections (automatically fixed on unsold units) and an out of compliance VIN number, making them unregisterable in Alabama and Colorado, and perhaps other places too, but in Florida, you're good to go.
Incidentally, the lower seat is an option on all models and I don't think it comes standard on any of them.
Are you near Tallahassee? That's where I bought mine.
Called this morning. I have an appointment next Tuesday (it's a ten hour round trip for me so I have to schedule those on my time off). The cool temps we've had since I got this bike have most certainly kept the battery temps well into the safe range, but I AM concerned about the fan issue for later on when we're dealing with 90 to 100 degree days. Currently, my bike charges overnight and nighttime temps are running in the low to mid 30s (farenheit), and most riding days are less than 60 with short trips, so I have yet to see a bathot indicator, exept for the first time I did a deep discharge, and that was only momentary. I just want to know that I won't be blindly harming my pack when the hot summer gets here.
Don't worry. If you have time, try to charge it only until the end of CP charging (aprox. 10 minutes of charging per battery bar) and the battery is perfectly safe - within 5'C of start temperature. It really start to cook the battery at the end of EC charging, if the battery pack is not properly cooled.
Especially take care if you've just done the complete battery discharge - red battery telltale.
I reached BATHOT at charging when I did a 2nd full discharge with red battery telltale and BALPOR (range reset) and with the full recharge that followed. The starting battery temperature was 24'C, garage temperature was 15'C and it's still reached 50+'C (BATHOT is 50+'C. You can't know how much 50+, because you can't see the actual temperature because of the BATHOT message).
Just do as I said above and you're safe. Oh yeah, and don't do any more complete discharges ;-)
I got my bike back today after a week of repair for an encoder error, they supplied me with a loan bike. I have been nothing but honest on these forums, and will continue to do so.
The bike was returned on time, the engineer gave me plenty of warning. The bike however was returned with a small scratch on the rear panel (fresh as the dust could still be brushed off it), and a scuff on the rear plate at the bike.
Not happy with that, Admittedly Vectrix did offer to take the bike back and replace the panels, but I really dont have the time to be messing about more and more with this, plus it seems that whenever the bike goes back, it comes back with another problem (main fuse lead to encoder failure, encoder failure lead to scratches on bike)
Luckily I have a friend who is into body repair and can polish the marks out, as they have not gone through the paint layer totally.
I am sorry to say that today, I am not a happy vectrix owner. That has really ruined it for me that they would return me with a bike in damaged condition, no matter how slight.
I will take this one on the chin as they have been excellent so far, if the bike goes wrong again in a short amount of time, I will start to be having serious words with Vectrix UK head office.
I have emailed Vectrix with my concerns.
I hope the company learns from this and treats the bikes better in transit. If there is another problem with the bike in the short term, I will be considering taking this further.
I will never do a "complete" discharge intentionally. My definition of "deep discharge" is when I run out of battery bars, I'm done. I much prefer "progressive discharges" where I ride a little further each day for a while until my route home takes up all my bars but the bike still gets me there. The book says no bars, zero range and battery indicator, but I live UP a half mile hill, so I won't take it so far down I have to walk it home. I don't need maximum range, as I rarely run the bike more than 20 miles a day, so aside from a couple of initial "progressive" rundowns to get her up to full working capacity, I prefer to keep my battery from getting below 80%, and it rarely gets below 50%.
I have had my 2007 Vectrix since late July 2008. After initial problems with the Motor Controller, which took several months to sort out, the bike is running great now and I am happy with it. I ride 11 miles each way to work every day and have about 3000 miles on the bike. Since the initial problems with the motor controller I have had the taller windshield installed and the seat hold spring needed replacement as well.
I can't say 'completely satisfied' because of the 3 months I didn't have use of the bike right after I bought it. But now that everything is working fine, I love the performance, acceleration, and feel of the bike. It is ideal for my commute and around town shopping. I can fit 2 full grocery bags in the under seat storage compartment. I ride over a small mountain both to and from work and the bike holds 64 MPH the entire drive.
The throttle response and regen braking is excellent. The Brembo disc brakes front and rear rarely get used. I get plenty of torque right off the line and right up to 64 MPH. I would love to have a 70 or 80 mph top end, but for my commute that isn't necessary and I realize that would severely affect range in this setup.
Overall I love the bike.
For grocery hauling, I pack along a large collapsable gym bag under the seat, with a couple of bungie cords. That way I can pack the storage area itself full and then pack the gym bag full and secure it to the rear seat with the bungie cords. That's a lot of groceries! But even still I don't hitting the grocery store every couple of days or everyday when I'm on the Vectrix, because my daily range requirements can afford the short side trip, so I'm not spending gas money getting groceries.
Today, i took the bike for its, 1 month or first 1.000km, check up. It took hardly 45 minuites, so i was there all the time. Basically the Technician plugged in the laptop and had a look at specific parts of the bike. Everything was fine. He even told me that my battery pack was at a 95-96% utilization, when the normal that they were getting so far was between 80% to 90% and that Vectrix considers that, the normal.I paid 51€ and told that all revisions will cost that much.
Next revision is in 6months or 5.000km, he told me. Although in the service booklet i have only seen the 6months,no 5.000km??
I am a happy rider.
Did he explain what that is supposed to mean?
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
yes, i asked him to specify.
He said that i was using phisically 95% of the battery, (in other words 95% was opened up for use).
He told me that the normal (acceptable value) would be between 80% and 90%. If less, then the battery wasnt getting used properly and could be having some problems.
I had to have the battery replaced and when I got it back they had installed the plastic panels wrong on one side (the upper painted panel was on top of the lower black plastic panel). This I fixed myself easily by removing 6 screws and adjusting the panels and replacing the screws. But on the other side they over-tightened the bolts and actually broke the plastic at the point where the bolts go through. I sent pictures to Vectrix and they offered to fix it and assured me that it was only cosmetic damage. Since it's underneath the foot-mat I decided to live with it. Besides - it may come back from the shop with more damage!
Overall I'm happy with my bike and still have the "EV grin" every time I ride. :)
I think it means that the cells with lower capacity in your pack have an average 95% of the specified capacity.
The electronics need to shut your Vectrix down a little earlier than if it had a perfect battery.
That's why you get good range.
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I certainly love my Vectrix, and while I only have 500 miles on mine so far, I have no complaints!
My local dealer (Montgomeryville Cycle Center in Hatfield, PA) has been great to work with, and has addressed all my concerns in a timely, professional, friendly manner.
Bottom line... if my Vectrix was stolen or totaled, my insurance company would need to be pretty quick to get me a check before I'd have charged a new Vectrix to my credit card! Because unless I was recovering from an accident and unable to ride, I'd be having my wife drop me at the dealer to pick up a new scooter ASAP.
- David Hunter
Making comments a bit early are'nt we RaDy??? your bike isn't even run in yet,Of course you love your NEW TOY
Hope you never experience what the first early buyers did,
I love my EV as well, but there's no denying some of us owners had a lot of grief, breakdowns, upgrades,modifications,stuffups,
replacements, and long service delays, adding to that in our neck of the woods, one tech use to service the whole of Aust. Vectrix got its bad and good points. Sale Hype in particular makes you expect more than what the bike is capable of
enjoy the good and fix the bad. Mines pretty reliable and the not so good will improve with future developement.
Peter
yes, Peter, you are right. I simply love my new toy and the good points overcome the bad ones.
Its true that i havent had any major problems with it, but there are small problems.
1. My bike still has an uneven Whine between 30Km/h and 40km/h (maybe an oval gear??)
2. When i pass a bump on the road my windcreen jolts over the left blinker.(horrible noise)
3. Sometimes i get the feeling that i get a "clunk" from the gears or engine. Nothing happens but 2 of the times i got the Orange Wrench signal, although the bike continued working perfectly.As i read about this happening to other people,for precaution i stopped, turned OFF and ON again and that was it.
4. The repair shop tecs are very lost and with the amount of bikes around, they dont get too much experience either. We are all Guinea Pigs for experimenting, and some of you have been more than others.
If this is what i have to live with to be able to enjoy the rest, then for me its clearly very very positive.
But anyway i will carry on experiencing and commenting because 1.268Kms are still not enough!!
I hope you fly that scooter more carefully than your hang glider! I've seen your footage, and I can only say that it's a blessing you don't have an electric engine on the glider yet, so that the poor people in Tassie can hear you - and know when to pull their heads in!
You can see all the scratches on the bottom of the battery box from those tough emergency landings...HAHA! Much better than me, just getting stuck in a creek!
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I've clocked up just over a 1000 miles on my VX-1 Vectrix now, so here is my impression:
Pros:
Excellent acceleration, speed and range.
Top quality components
self-cancelling indicators
-well, the V beeps to warn you to switch 'em off.
which is actually a lot safer if you think about it - you may not have forgotten them.
Pretty quiet scoot
Cool gadget
Very low maintenance
Very accurate speedometer
Has a low-speed reverse
Cons:
Speedo shows MPH in small font size, KPH in large.
Not easy to operate the front brake when applying regen (due to hand position)
Limited to 100 KPH
Motor rpm is limited to 5,000, about 1,000 rpm below its capability
DC-DC converter is only 1/2 an Amp (6 Watts)
Heavy Scooter: 500lb+
No 'hazard' indicator switch
Charger doesn't automatically delay charging if the battery is hot
(there is a timer you can set though)
No heated handelbar grips option
Range indicator is erratic when it is near zero celcius (new firmware)
Overall, I'm very pleased with the V :)
Of the 'cons' you listed - the only one I objected to was 'heated handgrips. How would these be powered? Propane gas canister? You're not surely suggesting they are powered from your VX1's battery? Apart from making a mockery of the range estimation, I see this as a useful accessory if it doesn't impact on the range. As it cannot, a warm pair of gloves seems a much better solution.
- Raymond
I think the "con" really is the fact that there's not enough spare capacity on the DC/DC converter for user added accessories such as these. A set of heated hand grips draw about 3 Amps at 12V - that's only 36 watts. A heated vest is around twice that at 77W. (Numbers from a quick internet search). Even adding both accessories (grips and vest) only adds an additional draw of around 115W. That wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to the range of the bike.
It's just one of those (maybe minor?) annoyances knowing that you're sitting on top of 3+ kWh of batteries but not being able to use that power how you want (i.e. if the user wants to sacrifice a few percentage points of range for warmth then it would be nice if they could choose to do that).
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
About the limited 100kph and motor rpm, maybe they will be solved with Li-Ion
and also a percentage of 500lb+ weight
no `hazard`lights (has been solved by Vectrix Australia... sorry, Mik)hahaha :D
You havnt mentioned in positive :
it doewsnt vibrate
it isnt noisy (this is specially nice in the night)
RaDy
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