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Zero Motorcycles issues recall of SR/F and SR/S over braking defect

Zero Motorcycles has just issued a recall notice through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) related to the front brake lever on Zero SR/F and Zero SR/S electric motorcycles.

Zero recalls certain SR/F and SR/S bikes

The recall covers 2020 SR/F and 2020 SR/S motorcycles that were produced between February 14 and June 19, 2020. A total of 659 motorcycles are expected to be included in the recall.

At issue is the brake switch, a mechanical switch that determines the position of the handlebar-mounted brake lever controlling the front brakes.

Zero reports that the bikes involved in the recall were assembled with an improperly glued front brake switch. The improper assembly can result in water ingress that affects the switch’s resistance and can cause premature failure of the switch.

The switch has two primary functions: 1) engaging the rear brake lights, and 2) disengaging cruise control.

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If the switch were to fail, the brake lights may not illuminate. That could potentially lead to a rear-end collision if following motorists fail to notice the bike is slowing.

Additionally, if the bike is operating under cruise control and the brake lever does not disengage the cruise control, the bike could surprise the rider by accelerating once the brake is released.

This could potentially lead to an accident.

The issue appears to only affect the front brake lever. The brake lights engagement and cruise control disengagement would presumably still function if the rear brake lever at the right foot peg is also applied.

The recall, which is number SV-ZMC-021-020, officially begins on November 30. Zero will begin contacting owners of affected motorcycles and will replace the switch at local Zero dealerships. For more information on the recall, visit the NHTSA site here. Riders can also contact Zero customer service at 1-888-841-8085.

The recall follows shortly after another recall for an electric motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson. H-D recalled approximately 1,000 LiveWires produced during a six-month period that may have had a faulty charger component, though the company estimated that just 1% of the bikes involved in the recall actually suffered from the issue.

Both bikes represent the flagship platforms for the two largest American electric motorcycle manufacturers.

We recently reviewed both to see how they stack up against each other.

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Source: NHTSA via Rideapart

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Avatar for Micah Toll Micah Toll

Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries, DIY Solar Power, The Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide and The Electric Bike Manifesto.

The e-bikes that make up Micah’s current daily drivers are the $999 Lectric XP 2.0, the $1,095 Ride1Up Roadster V2, the $1,199 Rad Power Bikes RadMission, and the $3,299 Priority Current. But it’s a pretty evolving list these days.

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