Latest issue of Watt Bike is out inside Twist and Go magazine

Kudoscycles

Official Trade Member
Apr 15, 2011
5,566
5,048
www.kudoscycles.com
The latest issue of Watt Bike inside Twist and Go magazine is now on WH Smiths shelves.
The issue has tests on the following...
Haibike sDuro Hard Seven SL,mountain style nike
Piaggio Wi-Bike Comfort,step thru
Wisper 705 Torque,step thru
Eco Voltz Terrain,mountain style bike
Green Edge Bikes CS2/16
I emphasise I have no involvement in this magazine other than a desire to see it succeed because I think such a mag is needed in this country to further the e-bike market.
KudosDave
 

craiggor

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 9, 2015
498
171
Piaggio wi looks nice,available in step through or with crossbar.9 speed chain or auto belt drive.
I love watt bike's linage.Back in the 80's Back Street Heroes the custom motorcycle mag had just been released.Pretty soon a few Lambretta's and vespa's where featured,in the readers rides section.The rockers weren't happy the letters started,get your own mag.So with the help of some B.H.S staff Scootering was born.After some time Scootering included Twist and go as a pull out.The mods weren't happy,Twist and go went alone.This begs the question when watt bike can stand on its own feet,what will be inside down the line.Watt hoverbike ?
 

Crockers

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 19, 2014
821
689
71
Sorry does nothing for me. I dislike battery behind rear post. Looks very old fashioned. It's why I'm thinking of getting a new bike. Nothing wrong with my Wisper just looks old fashioned.....just like me :D
 

MRMAC9

Pedelecer
May 24, 2015
62
55
74
The latest issue of Watt Bike inside Twist and Go magazine is now on WH Smiths shelves.
The issue has tests on the following...
Haibike sDuro Hard Seven SL,mountain style nike
Piaggio Wi-Bike Comfort,step thru
Wisper 705 Torque,step thru
Eco Voltz Terrain,mountain style bike
Green Edge Bikes CS2/16
I emphasise I have no involvement in this magazine other than a desire to see it succeed because I think such a mag is needed in this country to further the e-bike market.
KudosDave
There are about 20 different cycling magazines in my local Eason shop but no dedicated ebike magazine. Such a pity.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: LeighPing

Highside43

Pedelecer
Jul 26, 2016
108
163
52
Aberdovey
www.cubeengineering.co.uk
Sorry does nothing for me. I dislike battery behind rear post. Looks very old fashioned. It's why I'm thinking of getting a new bike. Nothing wrong with my Wisper just looks old fashioned.....just like me :D
For me that's the appeal - a MK1 Ford Escort Mexico looks old fashioned next to a new Ford Focus, but I know which one I'd take any day....
 

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,286
2,252
69
Sevenoaks Kent
Sorry does nothing for me. I dislike battery behind rear post. Looks very old fashioned. It's why I'm thinking of getting a new bike. Nothing wrong with my Wisper just looks old fashioned.....just like me :D
There was nothing wrong with behind the seat batteries, it was a good place to put them especially when you needed such a huge amount of volume and weight to house what we would now consider to be a small battery in terms of Wh capacity.

Modern batteries are smaller and lighter, so they can happily be mounted in the rack or on the down tube. The major benefit is that more modern bikes can now have a shorter wheel base making them more nimble and controllable. However as cells become more and more efficient and batteries become smaller and smaller I think there will be a move towards re positioning behind the seat post again. It does make perfect sense to have the battery weight under the rider.
 

Crockers

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 19, 2014
821
689
71
There was nothing wrong with behind the seat batteries, it was a good place to put them especially when you needed such a huge amount of volume and weight to house what we would now consider to be a small battery in terms of Wh capacity.

Modern batteries are smaller and lighter, so they can happily be mounted in the rack or on the down tube. The major benefit is that more modern bikes can now have a shorter wheel base making them more nimble and controllable. However as cells become more and more efficient and batteries become smaller and smaller I think there will be a move towards re positioning behind the seat post again. It does make perfect sense to have the battery weight under the rider.
I agree Dave. In its time behind the seat was fine. But tines and design move on. I personally like an ebike to be "stealthy". So my next bike must have an integrated battery. All IMHO of course. From what I'm reading your Wisper Torque is a great bike with a silent motor. Make it with a more integrated battery and maybe colours and im inclined to stay with the brand.
 

Crockers

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 19, 2014
821
689
71
For me that's the appeal - a MK1 Ford Escort Mexico looks old fashioned next to a new Ford Focus, but I know which one I'd take any day....
All depends if you derive your motoring pleasure mending and replacing bits or just driving and getting to your destination. I had an old Mexico and have driven a Focus. The Focus would leave the Mexico for dead.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: LeighPing

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,262
30,649
I agree Dave. In its time behind the seat was fine. But tines and design move on. I personally like an ebike to be "stealthy". So my next bike must have an integrated battery.
But with a crank motor a rear of seatpost battery like that Piaggio design is integrated, coupled to the motor unit and nicely protecting connections etc from the weather and road spray.

This is my favourite Piaggio model, the P180 Avanti: :)

Piaggio P180 Avanti, twin P&W turboprop engines, 460 mph.jpg
 

Kudoscycles

Official Trade Member
Apr 15, 2011
5,566
5,048
www.kudoscycles.com
All depends if you derive your motoring pleasure mending and replacing bits or just driving and getting to your destination. I had an old Mexico and have driven a Focus. The Focus would leave the Mexico for dead.
Our parent company is Rally Design Ltd,been keeping Escort Mexicos and their siblings on the road for 44 years,still the most popular rally vehicles in the world...fun to drive,cheap and easy to maintain,but no longer cheap to buy.
We are about to manufacture the first brand new Escort Mk1 bodyshell since 1978,from all new panels,will be released at the Classic Car Show,NEC,November....cost about £12k,hehe
KudosDave
 

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,286
2,252
69
Sevenoaks Kent
I agree Dave. In its time behind the seat was fine. But tines and design move on. I personally like an ebike to be "stealthy". So my next bike must have an integrated battery. All IMHO of course. From what I'm reading your Wisper Torque is a great bike with a silent motor. Make it with a more integrated battery and maybe colours and im inclined to stay with the brand.
We have two new bikes for 2017, a step through with a new crank drive motor from the same motor manufacturer as we currently use, it's all but silent, very small and light. On this bike the 400Wh battery is completely integrated into the frame, it's completely invisible.

The second bike is a mountain style bike with a semi integrated battery from Reenton, the same case a lot of others use. This bike will use the current 2017 Wisper Torque system.

For the future we are exploring integrated seat post batteries, but that's for the future and still very much on the drawing board.

Oh almost forgot we will also have a 24" version of the 705Torque.

All good!

Best regards, David
 

JuicyBike

Trade Member
Jan 26, 2009
1,671
527
Derbyshire
I agree Dave. In its time behind the seat was fine. But tines and design move on. I personally like an ebike to be "stealthy". So my next bike must have an integrated battery. All IMHO of course. From what I'm reading your Wisper Torque is a great bike with a silent motor. Make it with a more integrated battery and maybe colours and im inclined to stay with the brand.
Before you decide you might like this... (unashamed plug)
 

Highside43

Pedelecer
Jul 26, 2016
108
163
52
Aberdovey
www.cubeengineering.co.uk
All depends if you derive your motoring pleasure mending and replacing bits or just driving and getting to your destination. I had an old Mexico and have driven a Focus. The Focus would leave the Mexico for dead.
Some of my newer cars have been the most unreliable piles of junk I have had the displeasure of ownership - one being a Focus, the other an Audi. Others who have owned the same car have had many a thousand trouble free miles. One of my cars is 24 years old and had been up there with reliability and pleasure of ownership.

Often the heart rules the head even if we kid ourselves for practicality and reliability / running costs, but I'd still take the MK1 Mexico or the e-bike above over a modern car.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: LeighPing

JuicyBike

Trade Member
Jan 26, 2009
1,671
527
Derbyshire
Looks majestic! No, that's a Daimler. Graceful? No, that's a Jaguar ... Quietly impressive? Right, that's a Roller! The personification of good taste!
Ha ha! You have a great future in marketing Tom.
Unfortunately Watt Bike haven't seen Roller yet. I'm just off to collect one back from Cycling Weekly who have been looking at electric bikes in recent editions. Hope they like it...
(trepidation emoticon...)