Is that really a Wisper Works 905e ?

[daniel.weck]

I don't recognize the frame:

Wisper 905e Electric Bike on eBay (end time 16-May-10 18:11:44 BST)

 

[eddieo]

No charger and unused for 3 years......I dont know but have never seen a wisper with a silver battery

 

[Mussels]

It looks like a 905e, not sure about the forks though.

 

[flecc]

Yes, it's the old Works 905e from years ago. The 905se was gradually developed from that, starting mid 2007, and after the intervening years and numerous changes is now a very different bike, only the general frame style similar.
.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Blast from the past!

Wow there were only a few of these made before we streamlined the frame, as Flecc quite correctly says this really is one of the first Wispers, not certain where the white battery came from, we only saw one or two like this as samples.

I will have to get bidding!

Anyone (other than me) who buys the bike can rest assured that even though this bike was built four years ago, the charger, a replacement battery (black) and all service components are still available from our service department.

All the best

David

 

[geostorm]

905e

I have been looking at this, would require battery and charger and the rest is a gamble would i be be right at about £300

 

[Stumpi]

Wow there were only a few of these made before we streamlined the frame, as Flecc quite correctly says this really is one of the first Wispers, not certain where the white battery came from, we only saw one or two like this as samples.

I will have to get bidding!

Anyone (other than me) who buys the bike can rest assured that even though this bike was built four years ago, the charger, a replacement battery (black) and all service components are still available from our service department.

All the best

David

One for the Wisper Museum that

 

[Wisper Bikes]

I have been looking at this, would require battery and charger and the rest is a gamble would i be be right at about £300

I think this bike was sold at about £850.00 due to the equipment level being much lower than on a later Wisper so I would say £300 as an absolute max. you will need a new charger and maybe a new battery.

Regards

David

 

[Mike63]

unused in last 3 years

...reckon the likelyhood of it needing a new battery is a given.....

 

[Mussels]

I have been looking at this, would require battery and charger and the rest is a gamble would i be be right at about £300

There will be a much better spec 905SE on eBay soon* with a charger and working battery.
* Whenever I pull my finger out and service it.

 

[timidtom]

One for the Wisper Museum that

"Even though this bike was built FOUR YEARS AGO" Wow! How long are these things meant to last? Whatever happened to durability as a virtue? What should we expect for our money - two or three months and then splodge out another wodge?
Anybody running an even older bike? Could there be a museum-worthy electric bike even older, perhaps 60 months old and still running? If there is its manufacturer must be hounded out of business. Remember, folks, only buy the bike with genuine built-in obsolescence! Ideally, buy your bike and scrap it before you ride it home - then buy another ... Batteries for only £500? Come on guys - you must try harder - go for the £1000 model with added bling!
Sorry - something must have disagreed with me!
May the electric wind be ever at your back!

 

[Mussels]

"Even though this bike was built FOUR YEARS AGO" Wow! How long are these things meant to last? Whatever happened to durability as a virtue? What should we expect for our money - two or three months and then splodge out another wodge?
Anybody running an even older bike? Could there be a museum-worthy electric bike even older, perhaps 60 months old and still running? If there is its manufacturer must be hounded out of business. Remember, folks, only buy the bike with genuine built-in obsolescence! Ideally, buy your bike and scrap it before you ride it home - then buy another ... Batteries for only £500? Come on guys - you must try harder - go for the £1000 model with added bling!
Sorry - something must have disagreed with me!
May the electric wind be ever at your back!

Things don't have to be broken to go in a museum, they just need to be noteworthy.

 

[HarryB]

"Even though this bike was built FOUR YEARS AGO" Wow! How long are these things meant to last? Whatever happened to durability as a virtue? What should we expect for our money - two or three months and then splodge out another wodge?
Anybody running an even older bike? Could there be a museum-worthy electric bike even older, perhaps 60 months old and still running? If there is its manufacturer must be hounded out of business. Remember, folks, only buy the bike with genuine built-in obsolescence! Ideally, buy your bike and scrap it before you ride it home - then buy another ... Batteries for only £500? Come on guys - you must try harder - go for the £1000 model with added bling!
Sorry - something must have disagreed with me!
May the electric wind be ever at your back!

I know this is tongue in cheek but there are a fair few Giant Lafree riders out there and they have been out of production for 4 years now. I think support is getting quite difficult for them now particularly the batteries (I suppose that is to be expected).

Whenever I get a bike I always hope that it will last for many years but so far have been disappointed as I have changed at around 18 months each time. Various reasons for changing - but unreliability is usually the killer. They are allowed to break down once or twice but any more and they are sold. I only sold one bike because I didn't like it and that was an Agattu.

 

[flecc]

"Even though this bike was built FOUR YEARS AGO" Wow! How long are these things meant to last? Whatever happened to durability as a virtue? What should we expect for our money - two or three months and then splodge out another wodge?
Anybody running an even older bike? Could there be a museum-worthy electric bike even older, perhaps 60 months old and still running? If there is its manufacturer must be hounded out of business. Remember, folks, only buy the bike with genuine built-in obsolescence! Ideally, buy your bike and scrap it before you ride it home - then buy another ... Batteries for only £500? Come on guys - you must try harder - go for the £1000 model with added bling!
Sorry - something must have disagreed with me!
May the electric wind be ever at your back!

There are Powabykes out there in regular use that are ten years old, and the SLA battery replacement costs for the entire ten years have been no more than the cost of a single £500 lithium one.

Some Giant Lafree bikes have been on the road for eight years old now and in the cases of lighter used ones have only used two batteries, either new or recelled for a total of £500 or less. I've known some cases of their NiMh batteries in use still at over five years, albeit with much reduced range.

The price of lithium batteries is the price of convenience, they are ideally suited to e-bike use, low weight and bulk and charge at any time.
.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

"Even though this bike was built FOUR YEARS AGO" Wow! How long are these things meant to last? Whatever happened to durability as a virtue? What should we expect for our money - two or three months and then splodge out another wodge?
Anybody running an even older bike? Could there be a museum-worthy electric bike even older, perhaps 60 months old and still running? If there is its manufacturer must be hounded out of business. Remember, folks, only buy the bike with genuine built-in obsolescence! Ideally, buy your bike and scrap it before you ride it home - then buy another ... Batteries for only £500? Come on guys - you must try harder - go for the £1000 model with added bling!
Sorry - something must have disagreed with me!
May the electric wind be ever at your back!

Hi Tim sorry I was not clear.

Of course our bikes will last for much longer than 4 years!

My point is that all electric bikes have changed massively in that time, most manufacturers will not have spares for older models easily available.

Electric bike technology has changed an awful lot over the last 4 years do you suggest the industry is wrong to improve and update along with those improvements?

Best regards

David

 

[Old Timer]

No charger might be stolen. Cameras and things that need chargers should have them (even if they don`t work) beware!!

 

[timidtom]

Hi Tim sorry I was not clear.

Of course our bikes will last for much longer than 4 years!

My point is that all electric bikes have changed massively in that time, most manufacturers will not have spares for older models easily available.

Electric bike technology has changed an awful lot over the last 4 years do you suggest the industry is wrong to improve and update along with those improvements?

Best regards

David

Hi, David.
Change quite often is for the better, I'll not deny that. I really would like to see research being done on the lines of the MIT Green Wheel - a fully self contained motorised wheel which could be slotted into any one of a stable of bikes, using wireless controls and providing economical power with a range of, say, forty miles. But I must be an old fogey to also desire durability and reliability. Sadly these elements are not included in any manufacturers PR releases (to be fair they are also absent from any sort of advertising!)
So, I'll lumber on with my 15 year old car and 8 year old Powabyke!
I'm impressed by reports of Wisper bikes - maybe one day I'll make the change!
Best wishes,
T.

 

[averhamdave]

"Even though this bike was built FOUR YEARS AGO" Wow! How long are these things meant to last? Whatever happened to durability as a virtue? What should we expect for our money - two or three months and then splodge out another wodge?
Anybody running an even older bike? Could there be a museum-worthy electric bike even older, perhaps 60 months old and still running? If there is its manufacturer must be hounded out of business. Remember, folks, only buy the bike with genuine built-in obsolescence! Ideally, buy your bike and scrap it before you ride it home - then buy another ... Batteries for only £500? Come on guys - you must try harder - go for the £1000 model with added bling!
Sorry - something must have disagreed with me!
May the electric wind be ever at your back!

There are plenty of bikes more than 4 years old and in regular use.

My Powabyke Euro (style) is 8 years old, there are as Flecc says, plenty that are 10 years old.

I think the 905 could be a sensible purchase for someone. Depends on the price it goes for really but I wouldn't be put off by the age if it were cheap enough.

 

[alanwarwic]

Not sure if it is me but I cannot create a post at the moment so this seemed a suitable thread to tag onto.

I have just bought the Whisper works listed on the classifieds here. (14AH 36V battery)
On charging after a 2nd test run tonight(just maybe 25% battery left) I noticed the standard 2A charger was initially using 48 watts and is now down to 18 watts after 2.5 hours.
Also it showed green as it did yesterday with a reseating of the co-ax style power connector getting it to charge. (corrosion on the contacts?)

I expected 100 watts plus considering there is a loss going from AC to DC for the 47V(guess) 2A 94 watts supply.


Any ideas?

 

[flecc]

That is low Alan, it's normally a bit over 100 watts from the start.

However, it's difficult to be definitive with lithium battery charging when the batery already has a fair amount of charge, since the BMS (internal Battery Management System) can attend to any cells in arrears separately to bring them up level, so at those times the input can be low, even very much lower. Normally that levelling takes place in the last hour or so of charging, but a larger mismatch in cell content could cause it to occur earlier.

Probably best to just leave it charging until complete and see what the range is like then. With the battery quite empty the full 100 watts plus input could appear then.
.