De-restricting the Wisper ?

[tepol]

Hi Everyone,

I'm having a bit of headache trying to decide what bike I should choose to.

As Ezee seems no longer available - and perhaps too heavy - Ive noted the Wisper seems the next best option given it also runs pedal free ( I have chronic problems with pelvis / knees )

Given its not easy for me to fully extend legs without causing problems I tend to favour this kind of frame more ( Works 805fe ) as it gives me more leway with the seating , however Im not sure Im paying more for the folding as opposed the results or potential of something like this to be used off-road derestricted on forest paths etc.

Unfortuantely I live up in the Highlands so no local dealers I can think of nearby to try this.

thanks

matt

 

[keithhazel]

Hi Everyone,

I'm having a bit of headache trying to decide what bike I should choose to.

As Ezee seems no longer available - and perhaps too heavy - Ive noted the Wisper seems the next best option given it also runs pedal free ( I have chronic problems with pelvis / knees )

My question is whether its possible to de-restrict this for off road use ?

thanks

matt

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as far as ive read the wisper has a de-restrict button already....but i have asked around about being drag free from the motor to pedal like a normal bike and have not got a answer yet................

 

[fishingpaul]

tepol welcome i see you have chronic problems with knees pelvis,i would strongly suggest that you try an electric bike before purchase,all electric bikes require some assistance with pedalling,especially on hills although they are much easier to ride, they require a fair amount of assistance up steeper hills.

 

[gary Gadget]

I have a Wisper 905e (same frame and motor as the se) and the hub motor is not freewheeling when pedaling without power, It also had a big pause when in pedelec mode before the assist kicked in. I tended to use the throttle as I needed assistance more in the off than just riding. You also need to try before you buy as I found the Wisper frame and all other Ebikes for that matter a bit on the large side. This with the suspension seat post made it a bit of a hike to get on..


Gary

 

[UrbanPuma]

Hi Everyone,

Given its not easy for me to fully extend legs without causing problems I tend to favour this kind of frame more ( Works 805fe ) as it gives me more leway with the seating , however Im not sure Im paying more for the folding as opposed the results or potential of something like this to be used off-road derestricted on forest paths etc.

matt

Hi Matt,

This is the same bike as the one sold by powacycle PowaCycle - Electric Bikes - Quality UK Supplier and is cheaper.

I have this bike and have found it to be great for improving flexibility and the low gears mean you are not putting strain on your knee joints. The throttle is a blessing too Its great for leisure and getting about on generally flat terrain. Your legs spin fast due to low gearing giving a high cadence which is better for people with knee problems, but you would only manage to go about 8-9mph unless you used the throttle to go faster.

The downside is that the bike is not ideal for steep hills (not sure about moderate hills) as it is geared very low - it climbs hills slowly and on long inclines you would have to climb in top gear and even then that gear isnt high enough. You would find it very difficult to climb the hills and you would put your knees under a lot of strain.

ps..best to try to get test rides from somewhere before you buy.

 

[frank9755]

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as far as ive read the wisper has a de-restrict button already....but i have asked around about being drag free from the motor to pedal like a normal bike and have not got a answer yet................

It's not bad, Keith. There's more drag than, say, a Tongxin but it is rideable without power. It just feels a little bit heavy and high-geared.

 

[keithhazel]

its such a shame is the drag factor, i know it wont be as bad as the Quando as that feels like you are towing a bag of cement,a bit dissapointing as i thought i saw the advertiseing for the wisper saying "ride like a normal bike"....i dont understand motors i just figured when you turn off the engine in a car you dont get drag it free wheels so expected the same on a bike...shows how wrong or not enlightened i am..

 

[flecc]

There's still the orbital gears turning, Keith. As the wheel turns the hub shell has to of course, and it's toothed gear ring spins the three orbital gears. The motor is disconnected by a freewheel, but those gear wheels have to have some drag.

Orbital gears

Gear ring in hub
.

 

[frank9755]

Keith,
I am pretty sure the Wisper and Quando motors are the same - so there's your answer! Possibly the larger wheel has less drag..?

 

[keithhazel]

Keith,
I am pretty sure the Wisper and Quando motors are the same - so there's your answer! Possibly the larger wheel has less drag..?

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.............................................its one thing to run out of power on something you can stick in the back of a taxi but i aint dragging a bag of cement 10 miles..................some would say im being picky and looking for perfection..........some would be right..lol...but after making half a dozen errors up to now with e-bikes, and ive only had 7 e-bikes.(Quando no errors).....i aint making any more rash mistakes...im more likely to spend massive amounts of time weighing up the pro's and cons of every possibility..............and then making a non rash mistake.

 

[flecc]

Keith,
I am pretty sure the Wisper and Quando motors are the same - so there's your answer! Possibly the larger wheel has less drag..?

The Quando has 2.125" Kenda tyres Frank, and that fat profile and 20" diameter makes for loads of drag.

Once when I ran out of current I was only a hundred yards from home, but that was the most miserable 100 yards I've ever pedalled.

I never ran out again during it's Quando life!
.

 

[keithhazel]

There's still the orbital gears turning, Keith. As the wheel turns the hub shell has to of course, and it's toothed gear ring spins the three orbital gears. The motor is disconnected by a freewheel, but those gear wheels have to have some drag.

Orbital gears

Gear ring in hub
.

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thanks Tony.....that helps a bit, would be a lot with anyone with any mechanical sense i know..

 

[Mandy]

I have a Wisper 905e (same frame and motor as the se) and the hub motor is not freewheeling when pedaling without power, It also had a big pause when in pedelec mode before the assist kicked in. I tended to use the throttle as I needed assistance more in the off than just riding. You also need to try before you buy as I found the Wisper frame and all other Ebikes for that matter a bit on the large side. This with the suspension seat post made it a bit of a hike to get on..


Gary

Hi Gary

Welcome to the forum . I have the SE bought from Germany and have to agree with you on the frame sizes. I am 5ft 2 inch and had a hell of a job getting my leg over the frame at first and it made me feel a little unsafe for a short while.
I mastered the alighting by leaning the bike towards me and now I could not see myself on a smaller framed bike
So I would therefore say to anyone worried about buying the larger frames then you would need to try it but don't be put off?
I wouldn't have bought mine if I had tried it first for a test drive. However, now I have gained all the confidence in handling the bike safely I would not swap it for the world!
I have an inside leg of around 32/33inches so I clear the cross bar on emergency breaking,
I also got rid of the suspension seat post and swapped it for a standard one which helped.
Regards
Mandy

 

[tepol]

Hello,

Admittedly I was hoping to maybe attempt soome hills round here or mountain trails if I could given the roads are not that flat.

One other thing I thought about that might give me more of saftey margin was the Bionx kit on regular bike or even a recumbent but Im not sure how difficult it would be to set up without finding someone who familiar with the quirks of it.

I tried to contact the company in US but had no response yet , as I dont have bike at all I was hoping I could get some pointers on what I should be aiming for to make the kit easier to install.

Ideally if it can produce 20 - 30 mph off road - esp if its pedal free - it would seem the idela solution along with the benefits of using a lighter frame i.e. from reg bike.

From what I hear though , most ebikes are rubbish ,which is a pity given I basically looking for something that could possibly double up as a scooter but with the options of pedals too.

Thanks for the replies

Matt

 

[coops]

Hi Matt,

I think that Ezee bikes are available through cyclepoint? What sort of range would you want & in how hilly terrain? With less pedalling unfortunately the range of ebikes will be reduced, and and as fishingpaul said they are usually intended to be pedalled on hills, though the odd one or two might work largely ok without - Quando or Forza/Forte maybe, for example (with a good battery)? At 20mph plus without pedalling & in hills though range on a standard battery will be very short, maybe less than 10miles and carrying a 2nd might be pricey, aswell as adding some weight.

If I recall, the Wisper 905SE (as standard) can do 19mph in off-road mode, but only in pedelec mode and with speed proportional to pedal input (905SE owners should know more), and a 905E modified for higher speed was recently for sale in the classifieds.

Hub motor ebikes are not recommended for use on bumpy uneven tracks though since the hollow spindle/axle can be damaged that way.

Stuart.

 

[gary Gadget]

Ahh that was me, I had to replace a shorted hall sensor when the Wisper let some water into the controller compartment. I did not trust the water logged controller so I brought a new one that was not Pedelec but did have an on road/off road capability. I then fitted a set of more sensitive hall sensors to increase the firing of the phase pulse and re assembled. This is a halfway solution as the bike now cruses faster but is a bit weak on the take off. But I think the only way to sort that is with a higher wattage motor and I wanted the Wisper to still be legal on the roads with the added power for steep hills and off road bike paths but still have the range in normal mode. It works but could do with a bit more tweaking maybe. I have since gone to a Cyclone kit on a smaller framed bike and have found this better for me as I only have a 29" inside leg and emergency stops on the Wisper can be painful...

 

[tepol]

Hi Matt,

I think that Ezee bikes are available through cyclepoint? What sort of range would you want & in how hilly terrain? With less pedalling unfortunately the range of ebikes will be reduced, and and as fishingpaul said they are usually intended to be pedalled on hills, though the odd one or two might work largely ok without - Quando or Forza/Forte maybe, for example (with a good battery)? At 20mph plus without pedalling & in hills though range on a standard battery will be very short, maybe less than 10miles and carrying a 2nd might be pricey, aswell as adding some weight.

If I recall, the Wisper 905SE (as standard) can do 19mph in off-road mode, but only in pedelec mode and with speed proportional to pedal input (905SE owners should know more), and a 905E modified for higher speed was recently for sale in the classifieds.

Hub motor ebikes are not recommended for use on bumpy uneven tracks though since the hollow spindle/axle can be damaged that way.

Stuart.

Probably 10 - 15 as far as miles go

It wouldnt be that hilly really just small hills not moutains or anything - trust me I struggle even on that.

In fact because I cant handle vibrations from reg scooters on my joints I was also at one point thinking of getting an electric moped ( Sakura s50 )
which at least would get me out and take away the risk factor with the terrain vs my health.

I noticed that 50c was sellign the liv at 599 or so but I they upgraded to the kalkhoff otherwise I might of gone for that.

 

[flecc]

In fact because I cant handle vibrations from reg scooters on my joints I was also at one point thinking of getting an electric moped ( Sakura s50 )
which at least would get me out and take away the risk factor with the terrain vs my health.

In that case you should be wary of front hub motors without trying first, since some can cause quite a lot of hammering vibration up though to the handlebars, this originating from the weight reacting to road surface imperfections.
.

 

[tepol]

In that case you should be wary of front hub motors without trying first, since some can cause quite a lot of hammering vibration up though to the handlebars, this originating from the weight reacting to road surface imperfections.
.

Hi Flecc,

Does this tend to happen with most models , and does it make any difference if its at the rear ?

thanks

matt

 

[flecc]

Hi Matt

It's front hub motors with rigid forks that are the worst, the heavier the motor, the worse it can be, though the fork design has an influence. The original Torq 1 was notorious for this problem and many owners fitted heavily padded hand grips to solve it. Suspension forks alleviate this, and the softer ones the most, though those are not so good for safe handling.

Rear motors I've never found to be a problem since the combined weights of rider, motor, battery and bike tame the bouncing, and I converted my Torq from front to rear motor to improve that and some other aspects.
.