Went to the local electric car dealer as the place I bought the bike is a Mitsubishi dealer. Asked them what people do for maintenance on electric bikes. They said you want to change the oil in the fork as that way you remove the burrs that were from production that are now suspended in the oil. Removing the burrs keeps them from wearing out the fork over time.
Since they had NEVER heard of the Vectrix I just thought I would ask here before having them work on the bike. They did have lots of other electric vehicles including scooters.
What do people do to maintain their bikes besides keeping it correctly charged?
-Randy
If your forks ain't broke, don't fix them. Fork oil changes are NEVER recommended unless fork performance is suffering, and even then, it's more often a spring issue than an oil issue. There are no "burrs" in your forks.
Your Vectrix needs no servicing other than tire pressure, checking the lights for operation, and if you use much brakes, you should occasionally check the brake pads. Also occasionally look up under the front fairing to insure that the fan intakes are clear of any leaves, paper or other obstructions.
Ride it, enjoy it, and stay the heck away from shops that make a living fixing stuff that ain't broke! ;-)
Moccasin is correct with the basic things he has mentioned and those items should be checked on a regular basis by the rider but, there are a few other bits and bobs that need to be looked at during a service. I'm not going to go into it all or post the 'official' service check list as I could get a slap on the wrist from the people from New Vectrix for releasing intellectual property or something just as ridiculous!
A few items that would be checked on any bike would be all previously mentioned plus -
It all is common sense stuff but there are a few things a qualified Vectrix Technician is required to check from technical bulletins, recalls, advisories et al; which any manufacturer would have applicable to their vehicles. Software updates and history for any problems which rider is not aware of comes to mind!
Front fork oil change???? Come on, that's just a money grab. The forks should be checked at the seals for leaks and that's about it.
Doug Townley
info.DTES [at] gmail.com
(Formerly Vectrix Europe Technical Supervisor)
One door closes, another door opens
Well that would worry me if they are dealing in other 2 wheeled electric vehicles.
I've never been contacted about any servicing work on my Vectrix, now 14 months old. Apart from regular cleaning, I've only had to purchase a new rear tyre.
I wonder if at least one gear box oil change is adviseable.
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There is always a way if there is no other way!
Just to add to the thread - Service is to be done every 6 months regardless of mileage and is the owners responsibility to arrange it. Vectrix itself did not contact owners as there was just too much to do with the staff avaialable. It would have been a dealer customer service thing though if they chose to do it.
Mik _ you raise a good point about the gearbox oil. According to Vectrix, the oil is supposedly good for life (who's I don't know!) but as we all know fresh lubricants are always a good thing as they do break down over time/use. It's just like the gearbox or differential in your car, how often do we worry about their oil? I can picture a few puzzled looks thinking 'They have oil in them?' LOL Recommended change schedule ?????? As a guess I would say every 20,000 miles??? I'm sure this will open a whole new line of discussion.
Cheers,
Doug Townley
info.DTES [at] gmail.com
(Formerly Vectrix Europe Technical Supervisor)
One door closes, another door opens