Wisper 905SE City 5 month - 3500 mile review

[Wisper Bikes]

Loud

Personally i find the black battery a bit loud in an otherwise not obvious electric bike,i think white would look better,also the brown saddle just looks very out of place and also looks uncomfortable, maybe a black or even white comfortable sprung saddle would look better.

Thanks for your comments Paul.

I agree the battery may look better white but after having looked at photoshop versions we are staying with the black case. The introduction of a white battery would also necessitate increased stock holding for all our dealers in a product with a shelf life. By keeping black batteries only we speed up the turnover of all batteries making sure our customers always get the newest cells available.

There is also an argument that the mat black battery case helps to keep the cells warm and efficient as the surface absorbs heat faster than white.

Regarding the saddle and colour, I agree the saddle does not look very comfortable but I am assured that for male cyclists its a good one. Saddles are a very personal choice and with the introduction of a new shape our dealers can swap them about to suit the customer's wants. I thought brown looked quite snazzy!!

All the best David

 

[Straylight]

Has anyone thought of experimenting with a small thermostaticaly controlled heating circuit within the battery case, to negate the effects of winter battery syndrome? I'm aware the downside would be an additional drain on the battery itself, so it may not be viable, I just wondered if any research had been done in this area.

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

I think it is a rather handsome machine.

I had wondered if the black battery in the white frame was a deliberate design decision to emphasise the ‘big battery’ approach adopted by Wisper. Having said this, I think Paul’s comment is an interesting one.

Perhaps Wisper might consider offering a small battery option, with the top of the battery curved to be flush with the frame?

This would be less visually intrusive and make it look less like an electric bike. It would arguably be more consistent with the sporty look of the machine. (I’m all for sporty-looking saddles, by the way!)

Before a smaller battery is immediately rejected on grounds of efficiency, durability and range, I think there are some extra benefits besides the aesthetic.

It would be lighter – not much on the top of the overall machine, but better nonetheless.

More importantly, it would be cheaper, perhaps much so. I don’t know how cheap proportionately it could be, but it would be several hundred pounds less than the presently offered one.

I have vague recollection that David said that the present smaller battery did not sell particularly well. If so, that is indeed evidence against the smaller battery option, but not necessarily a knockout. It may be that the price difference between the batteries is not big enough and the current smaller battery is still visually intrusive. Also, the proposed smaller battery would add value by looking better.

Two or three hundred pounds off the price of an expensive new bike may not be decisive to a sale, but it may be useful. However, the biggest benefit would be to cheaper models and to the second hand market. The prospect of having to buy a £500ish battery must be pretty daunting at this stage. Whatever, the value for money arguments for a big battery, these might not overrule the deterrent effect of a large outlay.

A further use for the cheaper/smaller/lighter battery might be as an extra one for owners who want to carry a spare.

Or to change the appearance of the bike, which is where this suggestion originated.

 

[Mussels]

Has anyone thought of experimenting with a small thermostaticaly controlled heating circuit within the battery case, to negate the effects of winter battery syndrome? I'm aware the downside would be an additional drain on the battery itself, so it may not be viable, I just wondered if any research had been done in this area.

I didn't notice much performance loss last winter even in sub zero temperatures, probably no more loss than it would take to power a heating system anyway.

 

[Straylight]

Well, this is what I was wondering - just a thought, as I noticed the thread about the panasonic batteries suffering in the cold, though probably not by enough to make such a thing worth bothering with, and I've yet to see any Siberian e-bikers posting here .

 

[rustic]

I too think the bike looks rather snazzy. I'm interested to know exactly how much bigger the frame size is? I know the wheels are bigger, but how much larger is the frame? Does anyone have this info?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Bigger frame

Hi Rustic

The new Alpino frame is 490mm against the 905 which is 465mm.

Best regards

David