Agree with this. Service pack for a vehicle which is expected to work well and doesn’t require a lot of service was an expected one. For people who pre-ordered, the least they could have done is to offer the Connect Pack complimentary. A t-shirt and a subscription of service for a vehicle that shouldn’t require much servicing is not a great way to please your early adopters.
People can defend saying data costs and everything, but again people gave their hard earned money, inspite of Ather hiking the price and trusted them for a vehicle when they pre-booked. This could have been a way of giving it back to them.
Being a S1 owner myself, I can relate to a few issues.
Starting with the scratches I see on your panels, are you sure the scooter hasn’t fallen by mistake at your premises or when your side-kick was getting it home? Cause the scratches are so bad, that I wouldn’t even accept the vehicle from Ather in this condition. I wonder how was this missed by the person picking up the scooter on your behalf
Secondly, I too suffered from the rumble in my first week and it was shocking and strange, but after 45 odd kms, it disappeared. Ideally, it shouldn’t happen. Simple.
Now for the handlebar, I again suspect something has happened (in addition to the scratches on the side panel) otherwise this looks very bad on Ather to hand over a scooter in this condition. I would urge you to find the reason for the scratches!
Coming to the Bluetooth, I feel your anger. Trust me this communication has NOT been made anywhere else other than the forum. Which is wrong. I agree to you, that this should have been put out on a better channel of communication.
I don’t understand how come you missed reading the FAQ’s where its does says the following -
I truly believe before buying anything, its the duty of the buyer (Including me) to enquire everything. I’m sorry I can’t comment more on that part to keep the discussion healthy.
The connect pro plan generally gets activated within 48 hours. Please do check again by resetting your dashboard (LH brake + RH brake + ignition button simultaneously), else contact CS right away.
Dot charger - I don’t blame the supplier at all. There is a reason for the wire to be installed after the dot has been mounted (like its supposed to) and then the plug gets attached. This is to avoid accidental damage to the socket by yanking out the outer shell.
Regarding the seat not closing, the seat alignment is done by two nuts below the seat, on the frame. If they were loose from the beginning, the seat does not not close at all. I faced this issue twice -
One : when I got my seat cover, and the re-installation was done incorrectly.
Two : when I had an accident, and the seat got slightly mis-aligned
Could you kindly check the same (Again I vaguely suspect this happened when your scooter fell).
I’m positive that this didn’t happen at my premises. I instructed the kid to go to Ather, collect a scooter, sign and where specified and come back. It was not his remit to do a PDI. For what it’s worth, I trusted Ather enough that this was never even a thought in my head. Unless there is evidence from Ather in form of a pre delivery checklist where they verified that the scooter was unloaded in mint condition, I will lay this at their doorstep.
This is a very minor issue which I would have let slide if not for the fact that the handle was off kilter too. Both these issues together make me uneasy and want to take this matter up further.
Is memorizing the FAQ a prerequisite for purchasing the scooter? Let me illustrate my PoV with a cringeworthy example:
Having grown up eating garbage, I learn about a new joint that makes great food at a price that seems justifiable for the ingredients and the effort. I eat there and absolutely love it. I recommend this place to anyone who will put up with me, and they love it too. Things are good. Then I learn about a dish that is even better - albeit more expensive. There are a couple of variants of said dish, and I choose the priciest variant expecting to be blown away. The dish arrives, and I dig in with great anticipation to find that it tastes a bit bland. Upon further enquiry, I am told that because some health conscious patrons had been asking, they added only half of the usual salt to this dish and I had to pay a couple of bucks more for the remaining half of the salt, in a separate order. This stipulation could be found in small print at the end of the menu and I should have read the menu in its entirety before placing an order. When I make a noise about this and ask why they couldn’t have simply created a third, loaded-to-the-gills option of said dish, or added a small option to the main order, I receive ridiculous justifications for this oversight from the rest of the patrons.
If you’re done facepalming after reading the above, I’ll summarize very simply: I have no problem with the 2 tier structure or the price. What I do have a problem with is the presentation of this information or lack thereof in an easy to understand fashion. If you choose to spend time going through minute details, I’m happy for you. But don’t try to tell me that I should be doing the same thing. A few hours spent adding a single line to the order completion page would have gone a LONG way in saving every potential customer many hours in research.
I respectfully disagree. The company is responsible for verifying every minute detail of their product, and in case of deficiencies, being up front to the customer about them. Not every customer has the time or energy to play Twenty Questions with the company. When I buid a car in my little 1500 sqft hole, I make it a point to triple check everything before sending it out. While I like answering customers’ questions, I don’t expect every single customer to be a greasemonkey. The onus is still on me to make sure that all my i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed when I declare a car ready to go. I assume no responsiblilty for the dust settled on the exterior of cars once I’m done with them, and make that bit amply clear to everyone before starting work.
If I can do all this being a part time one man operation, I don’t see why a full fledged company with teams dedicated to the job cannot.
The subscription activated after a day, BTW.
I don’t care. According to the manual, the only reason you need to take the cover off is to run screws through the back panel into a wall. Even then, it mentions absolutely nothing about a 3 pin connector that is disconnected by default and needs to be connected by the user. Like I mentioned above, if I chose not to screw the charger to a wall, I have no reason to be fiddling with that cover. Maybe Ather should spend some time making this cover translucent. It’ll be a helluva lot more useful than a translucent side panel on the scooter.
Also, I have it on good authority that the LED is supposed to be connected by default.
At the risk of tooting my own horn once again, I take cars apart and put them back together for fun. I am very well aware of what the problem is. I can fix and perhaps even improve upon every single mechanical problem listed here if I chose to. My point is that it’s Ather’s job, not mine, and am extremely annoyed that they aren’t doing their jobs.
The scooter never fell on its side on my watch. If it did, there would be signs of damage much higher above the line where the scratches are present. I’ve had a bunch of monkeys drop my old 450 on its left side when it was parked by a road, and am well aware of all the telltale signs of a fall. There are none of those present here. The side panel, end of the handlebar, and the tip of the mirror are all mint. There’s no way the scooter could have fallen and left all of these surfaces intact.
Agreed. This reminds me of the old times when you were expected to “run in” your engine to account for imperfect cylinder boring techniques. Honda and the like changed the game by improving manufacturing processes and if required, running engines in as soon as they were assembled.
Expecting a customer to drive or ride a certain way to let imperfections magically sort themselves out is asking for trouble. If they’re confident that the drivetrain noise will disappear in 50 or 500 km, they should run the entire assembly on a test bench for that long and then deliver the scooter.
If that’s not possible, claims like these have no business being made:
PS: @hemanth.anand, thanks for merging and formatting my posts. I was being a bit lazy there. I’ll do my best to not create more work for you on that front.
Unless there is evidence from Ather in form of a pre delivery checklist where they verified that the scooter was unloaded in mint condition, I will lay this at their doorstep.
Man ! I wish they do take this request and show the proof that the scooter’s PDI was done. Do keep us updated.
Is memorizing the FAQ a prerequisite for purchasing the scooter
Agreed, need not be memorized. I understand your POV. Maybe the reason I’m putting up with these niggles since its my first Ather and I love to read every bit before I purchase something expensive. I should also consider that you have owned the 450, and now the 450x thus giving you a better picture what has Ather given you. Apologies from my end.
I don’t care.
Well, ok. There is no end to it right ?
I take cars apart and put them back together for fun.
Yup! Avid Teambhp surfer.
If they’re confident that the drivetrain noise will disappear in 50 or 500 km, they should run the entire assembly on a test bench for that long and then deliver the scooter.
Strongly agreed, A lot of flaws on getting out information like this to the customer.
All in all, I do hope Ather rectifies all your concerns and lives up to its name and the image you had with your 450 !
None required. We are simply expressing opinions, and you are entitled to yours as I am to mine.
There is, if the documentation is correctly updated and / or there is better QA / QC in place. Having read that there are a bunch of such disconnected chargers floating around, I would lean towards the QA / QC side. Try to understand that unless the electrician is from Ather, a random person would not be comfortable opening up the cover - no matter how trivial it is -, and even if they do, may not be aware of the purpose of the separate white connectors or whether they have been left disconnected on purpose or by accident. It’s a waste of time, that can be avoided very easily with a little bit of common sense on Ather’s part.
To give credit where it is due, I like how they’ve shrunk the entire unit and made it extremely easy to get it up and running. It’s the definition of plug and play - unlike the old Pod charger. It’s minor omissions like the LED and activation that spoil what is otherwise a stellar experience.
Speaking of manuals, the 450X dashboard still links to a manual for the 450. How retarded is this?
Used to be a member there a long time ago. I’ve sworn off forums of late because they consume a lot of time that I don’t necessarily have to spend. This particular instance required to be brought to light, and made me jump right back in.
Been following up with the team on the issues you’ve flagged here. Have passed on some of the annoyances you’ve raised on communication as well and they’re looking into it. I believe the team has also reached out to you to schedule a service pickup to get some of the issues sorted.
Apologies for the experience you’ve had, not something that’s usual and definitely not the experience we try to ensure customers have.
I’ve been in touch with CS from the beginning @abhishek.balaji. the posts I’m making everywhere may make me look like a troublemaker, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m not posting here for help or visibility, but to spur or shame the powers that be into action - if they truly care.
I am merely voicing out loud what a lot of others say in private. The other day, a customer of mine who has a finger in the EV manufacturing pie sniggered and said NVH when I mentioned that I had an Ather, and I couldn’t disagree. The X seems to be more of the same.
As long as others continue to have similar experiences, even if they are few and far between, your words will be empty platitudes.
It would be a shame to see a fundamentally good company lose its reputation and fold because it got too high on its own supply
I turned the screen brightness all the way up this morning to be able to see better. Then in the evening when I was making a short run, thanks to the bright screen contrasting against ambient darkness, it truly hit me how crooked the handle was. Here’s a picture showing the same. This is on a scooter traveling dead straight on an empty road.
Update: I’ve been told to expect a technician who will pick up the scooter on Wednesday morning.
I’ve also made it clear that I will NOT be parting with the scooter unless a loaner is made available for the duration of the repair.
When I last spoke with CS and asked them about this, I was told that “company policy” only allows for loaners for work that runs for 2 weeks or longer.
I call BS on this. You cannot hide behind company policy after rolling out a grossly defective product and depriving a customer of its use within the first week of ownership.
Received a call from CS today. They will be issuing a loaner scooter for the duration of the work.
Thank you, Ather. I hope all the identified issues are fixed once and for all.
As mentioned in the call, I am not concerned about panel replacement. The scratches are minor and I can live with them.
That leaves the crooked handle and the rumbling chassis. While I doubt that the latter can be fixed at all, I hope they prove me wrong.
I think the vibrations cannot be fixed because the motor bolts rigidly to the chassis, which amplifies the vibrations from the motor. In certain situations, there is a resonance established that makes this even more severe.
@tarun, do let me know if I am mistaken.
The scooter got picked up today and I was issued a loaner. Although it has a damaged screen and doesn’t track straight (pulls quite noticeably to the left), the refinement on this thing is quite a revelation.
The loaner has run 6500 km and neither my 450 not the X were anywhere even close to this smooth when they were brand new.
There’s a very clear discrepancy between pre-production / internal units and those that are actually sold.
Yes what @blackworks said is true unless it is a general service. In your case I think 5-6 times is not general there is a issue in the vehicle itself which is not your fault so I don’t see any reason you should not ask for a loaner it is your right to ask.
First of all i feel sorry for everything u’ve been through now bro, and after reading ur post i too was initially worried about a brand new scooter being delivered in such a condition and man it isn’t cheap either, i literally sweated out reading ur posts about ur experience with ur S1 knowing that i would be taking delivery of one soon even though this being my first e-scooter i let go of my trusted SR-150 because of that leap of faith i took in this brand.
Coming back to ur issues, as far as i can see the pictures of the scratches they are on the entire left side of the scooter and the handle is aligned to the right by a few degrees, if something would’ve happened after delivery/the scooter had a fall (usually when accidents take place) the handle alignment issue and the scratches should be on the same side, but here in ur case they are in different places clearly a case that something went wrong pre delivery still thinking otherwise around i would suggest you to pls check what happened during that time as i hope Ather would’ve not delivered a brand new scooter with so many scratches all over.
and seeing ur latest post that u’ve given ur ride to get all the issues rectified, i only wish for the best but still this was not bound to happen in the first place with a brand new scooter, will look forward for ur future posts and wish u have a good time with ur 450X S1 for time to come.
Thank you. Things are being sorted out as we speak.
There is still some back and forth over how the scratches came to be, but that is the least of my worries. I don’t even want the panels replaced because I’m going to eventually scuff them myself.
The handle was the big problem, it it turns out that the nut attaching the handle to the fork was not torqued to specification.
