TWO COMPONENTS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE, THE DRIVE MOTOR AND THE THROTTLE CONTROL ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. BOTH HAVE FAILED TWICE ON MY MOTORCYCLE, THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 1800 MILES ON IT TODAY. MOTOR FAILURES WERE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD AND CAUSED AN INSTANT AND IRRECOVERABLE LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY, IN BOTH CASES IT WAS IN A 30 OR 35 MPH SPEED ZONE WITHOUT MUCH TRAFFIC, SO I COULD SAFELY RETIRE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WITH MORE TRAFFIC, THIS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS EASY TO ACCOMPLISH. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE MANUFACTURER REPAIRED THE MOTOR, SAYING THAT THE BRUSHES HAD FAILED. THEY TOLD ME THAT UPGRADED MOTOR BRUSHES HAD BEEN PUT INTO THE REBUILT MOTOR. THESE NEW BRUSHES LASTED PERHAPS ANOTHER 1000 MILES OF TRAVEL BEFORE THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE OCCURRED. THROTTLE CONTROL, IN BOTH CASES, SEEM TO HAVE FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT REST, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POTENTIAL IS FOR THIS TO OCCUR WHILE IN MOTION. THE THROTTLE CONTROLS, UPON TURNING ON THE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE, DID NOT RESPOND TO INPUT, I.E. THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE FIRST TIME, THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS YESTERDAY, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WILL BE RESOLVED. THIS LAST OCCURRENCE IS WHAT FINALLY PROMPTED ME TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT ABOUT THE REAL RISK OF SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10628246
- Incident
- Nov 15, 2010
- Mileage
- 200 mi