The development of the brand new 2020 Wispers... in Pictures!

[anotherkiwi]

Frame strength rules apply to steel, aluminium, carbon fibre, toothpaste, whatever you make a frame from... Has the Brompton frame had to be over engineered over the years? It is steel IIRC and is sold with an EU marking.

What your chap really meant to say is that steel frames are often made by small companies that can't afford to have the EU testing done. It doesn't stop Dutch or Danish bike makers making steel frames, has the UK been singled out again by that nasty EU?

Also aluminium frames are made by machines, not by women with welding equipment...

 

[Laser Man]

Doesn't quite add up somehow - if you know that you won't be getting a frame tested, them it can be as light as you like.

And no - it's not just EU bureaucrats - it's all of them!
We have a journalist Prime Minister, most MPs have never done anything else in their lives and the bulk of senior civil servants have an arts or humanities background. The fact that they have no interest in or knowledge of anything scientific or technical doesn't stop them ruling on such matters - and very often getting it wrong.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

I wish more MPs had a better understanding of higher level science and engineering principles to help them make important strategic decisions but I don't expect them to be properly qualified in being able to evaluate frame strength rules. They rely on expert bodies to do so.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

The use of Aluminium in modern eBikes has much to do with the fact it can easily be extruded and moulded. Our battery tube, wheel rims and mudguards have complicated sections designed in for strength, stiffness and to manage cables. The more complicated areas on our bikes i.e. the head tube and BB are moulded. Aluminium performs exceptionally well in both areas and can be welded together to create a strong, stiff and complex construction.

All the best, David

 

[Audio2]

Can you tell me the approximate weight of the hub step through bike & is the battery removable? I will want to put it on the rear rack of a vw camper and lifting them is starting to become more difficult. Also will the smaller frame fit someone who is 5' 3"?

 

[Teejay]

Was the centre drive version of this the bike the one that was touted a year or so ago as possibly having the option of having a hub gear? IIRC the new version of the Sturmey 5, which is advertised as being suitable for e-bikes, was mentioned. If so, why was the idea dropped in favour of derailleurs?

 

[soundwave]

The use of Aluminium in modern eBikes has much to do with the fact it can easily be extruded and moulded. Our battery tube, wheel rims and mudguards have complicated sections designed in for strength, stiffness and to manage cables. The more complicated areas on our bikes i.e. the head tube and BB are moulded. Aluminium performs exceptionally well in both areas and can be welded together to create a strong, stiff and complex construction.

All the best, David

get a bigger one of these

 

[Philip Copley]

I love the idea of hybrid with mtb tyres and a huge battery. The mudguards do look a little short so maybe a mudflap to stop your feet getting soaked when you turn corners when out in the wet/rain etc. 700 wh battery sounds awesome! Could I get another to extend range, not sure if I'd need it but how much would it cost, what would the dimensions be and what is the weight? Lots of questions sorry but just weighing up options, cheers, Phil.

 

[al.b]

Hi david,I have asked couple of times but when will pricing be ready? I noticed your taking early orders but would be helpful to know how much models are. These look exceptional bikes bt i can only dream
alex

 

[Crockers]

David will you be offering hub gears ?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi guys, sorry I’ve been off the forum for a while, it’s all been a little manic here.

Prices are as follows. Both crossbar and step through versions are the same price.

With mid drive, City Pack and 43V 450Wh battery... £2,299.00

With hub drive, City Pack and 43V 450Wh battery... £1,599.00

Supplement for 43V 700Wh battery £250.00
Supplement for Adventure Pack £100.00
Supplement for Mountain Pack £70.00

Front rack with bamboo base and net £90.00

Extra 700Wh battery £649.00
Extra 43V 450Wh battery £399.00

Supplement for blue tooth colour display with heart monitor capabilities £110.00

All the best, David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Sorry we currently are not offering a hub gear version.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

I will look into extending the mudguards.

 

[al.b]

Hi guys, sorry I’ve been off the forum for a while, it’s all been a little manic here.

Prices are as follows. Both crossbar and step through versions are the same price.

With mid drive, City Pack and 43V 450Wh battery... £2,299.00

With hub drive, City Pack and 43V 450Wh battery... £1,599.00

Supplement for 43V 700Wh battery £250.00
Supplement for Adventure Pack £100.00
Supplement for Mountain Pack £70.00

Front rack with bamboo base and net £90.00

Extra 700Wh battery £649.00
Extra 43V 450Wh battery £399.00

Supplement for blue tooth colour display with heart monitor capabilities £110.00

All the best, David

Sorry it seems a late response David but are those prices inc VAT or Ex? I am aiming to buy one in 2020 when released so price is important, cheers. also excuse me for mentioning the dreaded "B" word but if your manufacturing in Belgium will importing not have a tariff added also?

 

[Crockers]

David

why did you decide against hub gears? Who supplies the centre motor ?

thanks

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Mike,

1 Is a throttle available? Yes it will be standard on both Hub and Mid Drive versions up to 4mph without pedaling and up to 15.5mph when the pedals are turning forward.
The inclusion of cadence sensing is a good idea for us geriatrics! Having reached the grand old age of 64 I am in full agreement with you!
2 The front mudguard would benefit from a mud flap. Yes I agree, we are arranging.
3 What size is the battery? 43V 450 or 700Wh
Anyway, congrats, it is a very nice looking bike. Thanks!

All the best, David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Sorry it seems a late response David but are those prices inc VAT or Ex? I am aiming to buy one in 2020 when released so price is important, cheers. also excuse me for mentioning the dreaded "B" word but if your manufacturing in Belgium will importing not have a tariff added also?

Hi Al.B,

Yes prices are including VAT.

They will be built in China, Taiwan and Portugal depending on their final destination. For instance we are currently building 700 bikes in China for delivery to New Zealand in January. Brexit is screwing everything up as you can imagine. I hope we have all bases covered!

All the best, David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

David

why did you decide against hub gears? Who supplies the centre motor ?

thanks

Hi Crockers, we may introduce a hub drive after we have done extensive testing. There are a few 5 speed ebike hubs available now that are sold as being strong enough to take 100Nm, in the mean time deraileure gears seem to be the best bet on the Mid Drive bikes. We have discovered with our less powerful Shimano 8000 eMTBs the sprockets will wear out and are a lot cheaper to replace than a hub gears! The price point on the Hub drive bikes is one of the drivers for the deraileure choice.

The motor is a fantastic new model from Truck Run. We have been working with the motor manufacturer for a few years now, they are the design team from BAFANG who developed the MAX motor several years ago. They will be branded Wisper HT.

Interestingly, we are currently demonstrating the bikes to our dealer network and taking advance orders. They all seem to be more interested in the Mid Drive, it's difficult to even get them to test the Hub Drive version. HOWEVER.... Once they have ridden the hub drive they have a ALL so far placed an order for both Hub and Mid drive versions. So far we have taken more advance orders for Hub than Mid.

These are exactly the same bikes, apart from the position of the motor. They both perform in very similar ways, the advantage of the Hub drive, apart from the cost, silent running and being more efficient is the running costs are a lot lower. The only advantage I can see to the Mid Drive motor is climbing steep hills and changing a rear wheel puncture is marginally easier.

I do question whether Mid Drive motors are preferred due to the hype and marketing driven by the big European motor manufacturers such as Bosch? In actual use there are advantages and disadvantages to both systems and in my opinion the hub drive is the better choice in most cases.

All the best, David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

A quick update for those interested in our Wisper Wayfarer project.

We are almost there, bikes have been tested and certified, the software has been upgraded giving the smooth powerful ride we were aiming for and we have made our final tweaks...

We have added a 700C model with 21" frame...



We've inverted the battery so it now pops out at the top of the tube when the key is turned...



We've branded the two motor options...






Improved the cable management...



And added bamboo shelves to the carriers...





It is now confirmed that we will be building bikes in March for delivery in April, two years well spent I hope!

All the best, David

 

[Deleted member 25121]

We are almost there, bikes have been tested and certified, the soft wear has been upgraded giving the smooth powerful ride we were aiming for and we have made our final tweaks...

Looking good.

How long will the "soft wear" last for?