I think this was always the way it was going to go - just a question of when. The challenge for the manufacturers and resellers now is to justify to the consumer why they would want to pay such a premium for a high end bike when it doesn't go any faster. Is a 15mph Torq or Ezee Forte really worth almost twice as much as an Ezee Liv, which with its brushed motor will be a bit noisier but probably have lower rolling resistance so actually go faster if you pedal a bit?
Wisper 905se
- Thread starter jimmyengland1000
- Start date
I suspect the performance of the SE will be the same in terms of speed but the extra AH of the battery will give longer range (correct me if I'm wrong, someone...)
One thing I noticed re the Wisper is that, when pedalling at well over 16mph, when the throttle was turned on and twisted to full power, the motor still assisted. It wasn't restricted by the speed of the bike. So, when pedalling with full throttle on, it was very fast. The pedelec mode (ie without the throttle on) would cut out at 16mph and kick in again once the speed of the bike was less than that. But, with throttle, no speed limit.
On my Heinzmann bike, even though controlled by a throttle only, the motor would just stop once 15mph or so was reached. So, it was NOT possible to pedal with the throttle on and get high speeds. After the Wisper, I found this disappointing.
One thing I noticed re the Wisper is that, when pedalling at well over 16mph, when the throttle was turned on and twisted to full power, the motor still assisted. It wasn't restricted by the speed of the bike. So, when pedalling with full throttle on, it was very fast. The pedelec mode (ie without the throttle on) would cut out at 16mph and kick in again once the speed of the bike was less than that. But, with throttle, no speed limit.
On my Heinzmann bike, even though controlled by a throttle only, the motor would just stop once 15mph or so was reached. So, it was NOT possible to pedal with the throttle on and get high speeds. After the Wisper, I found this disappointing.
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I did collaborate with David Miall of Wisper on some details during the 905se development, and it was intended as a better challenger for the high speed e-bikes than the 905e, though not necessarily the same as them. The emphasis was on making it a good cycling experience at the same time, hence the motor smoothly continuing to contribute through the higher speeds, working with the rider to give a feeling of continuous acceleration.
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905 14a
Hi Flecc and Jimmy
Jimmy you are absolutely correct, the 14a battery will have no effect on the speed of the bike except that you will be able to keep up the high end of the speed range for longer.
Our mission is to build a bike that will climb hills with ease and have a pedelec range of more than 40 miles on the flat. This has been achieved now in China although the controller guys have been working with the battery factory as between them that are confident that they can increase that by 20%, we will see.
Best regards David
Hi Flecc and Jimmy
Jimmy you are absolutely correct, the 14a battery will have no effect on the speed of the bike except that you will be able to keep up the high end of the speed range for longer.
Our mission is to build a bike that will climb hills with ease and have a pedelec range of more than 40 miles on the flat. This has been achieved now in China although the controller guys have been working with the battery factory as between them that are confident that they can increase that by 20%, we will see.
Best regards David
That sounds quite clever & useful on a faster bike flecc 
.
Seems to work perfectly too, from Frank & Jimmy's experiences!
Sorry guys, but I knew there must be some electrical wizardry at work .
Stuart.
.Seems to work perfectly too, from Frank & Jimmy's experiences!
Sorry guys, but I knew there must be some electrical wizardry at work
.Stuart.
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All being well, I'll be getting the German Wisper tomorrow (fog permitting) and will post my impressions of the bike here. Actually, I'm looking forward to having a Wisper again. Personally, I do feel that it's a very attractive bike and I know my 905e attracted a lot of interest when I had it. I'm 6'2" and I found the Wisper size to be fine.... slightly on the small size for me but not enough to make things difficult at all. In fact, I suppose if it keeps the weight down, then a smaller bike is better...
I'd be interested to know what the differences, if any, between the 'German' 905se and the 'English' one is though... other than the relative new prices at present.
Also, as David Miall mentioned, there have been improvements and I'm keen to see those (especially the forks...) and to see how it performs. I was happy with the range of my 905e.... although I live in Lincolnshire, there are still hills, and I still regularly rode 26 miles on a charge. There was little throttle power after that but still a decent amount of pedelec assistance for another two or three miles, I'd say. Also, the bike is absolutely pedal-able on a dead battery. also, the battery could easily be detached and hidden in a hedge or whatever if you wanted to make cycling home easier and retrieve the battery later.
In my own case, I wouldn't expect a warranty on a used machine however little used. I'm still not sure re the warranty issue on the German ones though (there are still some left) and I do wish that Wisper UK would make a statement here stating their final position on this.... over to you David..... (by the way, what is the new price now for a UK Wisper?)
I'd be interested to know what the differences, if any, between the 'German' 905se and the 'English' one is though... other than the relative new prices at present.
Also, as David Miall mentioned, there have been improvements and I'm keen to see those (especially the forks...) and to see how it performs. I was happy with the range of my 905e.... although I live in Lincolnshire, there are still hills, and I still regularly rode 26 miles on a charge. There was little throttle power after that but still a decent amount of pedelec assistance for another two or three miles, I'd say. Also, the bike is absolutely pedal-able on a dead battery. also, the battery could easily be detached and hidden in a hedge or whatever if you wanted to make cycling home easier and retrieve the battery later.
In my own case, I wouldn't expect a warranty on a used machine however little used. I'm still not sure re the warranty issue on the German ones though (there are still some left) and I do wish that Wisper UK would make a statement here stating their final position on this.... over to you David..... (by the way, what is the new price now for a UK Wisper?)
Warantee on German Wisper Bikes
Hi Jimmy
Anyone with problems on their German Wisper bikes bought through ebay are more than welcome to call us on 01425 627 641 or email me at miall@aol.com or david@wisperbike.com. We would only be to pleased to help you. But please bear in mind that you have not bought the 2008 UK spec model and there are a lot of differences, so please don't ask us to turn your bike into the very latest 905 under warranty!
Also bear in mind that the German model does not come with the de-restrict button or throttle fitted. Furthermore by fitting the throttle you negate the warranty. However if you bring the bike to us we will fit it for you for £70.00 and your warranty will still be intact.
Best regards David
P.S. If you have already fitted the throttle and have a problem, don't worry too much, give us a call anyway, we will find a way of sorting any problems out between us.
Hi Jimmy
Anyone with problems on their German Wisper bikes bought through ebay are more than welcome to call us on 01425 627 641 or email me at miall@aol.com or david@wisperbike.com. We would only be to pleased to help you. But please bear in mind that you have not bought the 2008 UK spec model and there are a lot of differences, so please don't ask us to turn your bike into the very latest 905 under warranty!
Also bear in mind that the German model does not come with the de-restrict button or throttle fitted. Furthermore by fitting the throttle you negate the warranty. However if you bring the bike to us we will fit it for you for £70.00 and your warranty will still be intact.
Best regards David
P.S. If you have already fitted the throttle and have a problem, don't worry too much, give us a call anyway, we will find a way of sorting any problems out between us.
That sopunds good David. I'm curious to know the differences between the German 905SE and the UK spec one?
I bought the Wisper used anyway (albeit 2 miles use), so warranty isn't an issue. Caveat emptor on that score, I reckon.
My bike came ready fitted with the throttle. I've noticed two things so far... firstly, the throttle does not appear to be as powerful as it was on the 905e. Also, the power delivery when in pedelec mode is more noticeably jerky than it was on the 905e. In fact, I was struck by how smooth the power was on the 905e. On this 905se, the motor cuts in and out at a lower speed than it did on the 905e and kicks in and out frequently.. and noticeably. Is this normal?
I bought the Wisper used anyway (albeit 2 miles use), so warranty isn't an issue. Caveat emptor on that score, I reckon.
My bike came ready fitted with the throttle. I've noticed two things so far... firstly, the throttle does not appear to be as powerful as it was on the 905e. Also, the power delivery when in pedelec mode is more noticeably jerky than it was on the 905e. In fact, I was struck by how smooth the power was on the 905e. On this 905se, the motor cuts in and out at a lower speed than it did on the 905e and kicks in and out frequently.. and noticeably. Is this normal?
On my Wisper 905SE, bought used but unused (if you see what I mean!), I am in the process of writing up what I think of it and will post here later
In the meantime, I have a couple of questions for the experts on the forum..... don't know if you can help... I assume the green button on the left handlebar is for OFF, the red on the left is for ON and a push of the right red button is to activate the throttle... right?
I find that the throttle is less powerful than it was on my old 905e! And the power delivery when in pedelec mode is quite jerky.. it cuts in and out (no hills near me...) at a lower speed than my old 905e and isn't what I would describe as a smooth delivery of power. One minute it's helping, then, at quite a low speed, it cuts off completely until the bike slows down a bit and then kicks in again.
The bike is mint and quite obviously unused. So, people... am I doing something wrong, do you know?
In the meantime, I have a couple of questions for the experts on the forum..... don't know if you can help... I assume the green button on the left handlebar is for OFF, the red on the left is for ON and a push of the right red button is to activate the throttle... right?
I find that the throttle is less powerful than it was on my old 905e! And the power delivery when in pedelec mode is quite jerky.. it cuts in and out (no hills near me...) at a lower speed than my old 905e and isn't what I would describe as a smooth delivery of power. One minute it's helping, then, at quite a low speed, it cuts off completely until the bike slows down a bit and then kicks in again.
The bike is mint and quite obviously unused. So, people... am I doing something wrong, do you know?
So fitting a throttle is a 2 or three hour job then, i suppose it must be if you are charging £70,it must be be a very complex job only to be undertaken by fully trained wisper technicians,is this service available now as i would need bike for the weekend, or is there a waiting list lol.
Even the chap that cleans my windows charges about £40 an hour, so I can't see how you'd calculate that a trained bike technician's time could be charged out at only £23 to £35 an hour. Last time I checked my local village mechanic was charging about £65 an hour.
If Wisper are going to do a proper job, and give a warranty on their work, then I would expect that they would want to make sure that the installation was both done properly and fully tested, to reduce the possibility of the customer having a later problem. £70 seems a very reasonable charge to me.
Jeremy
If Wisper are going to do a proper job, and give a warranty on their work, then I would expect that they would want to make sure that the installation was both done properly and fully tested, to reduce the possibility of the customer having a later problem. £70 seems a very reasonable charge to me.
Jeremy
Do you not think maybe they are offering a warranty, but indirrectly charging £50 for it.i was having a laugh i would have thought 15 mins tops to connect a throttle,note if you already have connected your own throttle they are still willing to discuss,probably they would want £50 for warranty.if anybody contacts them regarding this it would be of great interest.
I would clean your windows for £30 an hour,if your rottweillers dont bite too hard,and your cheques dont bounce.
I don't know what's involved in fitting the new throttle to the Wisper, but do know that it took me well over an hour to fit the throttle and hide all the wiring to it neatly when I built my bike.
Small businesses, providing specialised, very low volume, services need to charge rates that are appropriate. It's not in our interest to see any ebike supplier go bust, all that will do is allow the others in the market to charge more, or worse still, pull out all together.
If Wisper were the size of Halfords, with the much lower overheads per employee that result from a big operation, then I'd expect their fitting prices to be a bit lower. After all, I can get a wiper blade fitted to my car in Halfords for free, but the village mechanic will probably charge me £5 to £10 for his time.
I'd probably fit a throttle myself and forego the warranty, but I'll bet that a lot of ebike owners might prefer to pay to have it done professionally.
Thankfully we still have a choice.
Jeremy
Small businesses, providing specialised, very low volume, services need to charge rates that are appropriate. It's not in our interest to see any ebike supplier go bust, all that will do is allow the others in the market to charge more, or worse still, pull out all together.
If Wisper were the size of Halfords, with the much lower overheads per employee that result from a big operation, then I'd expect their fitting prices to be a bit lower. After all, I can get a wiper blade fitted to my car in Halfords for free, but the village mechanic will probably charge me £5 to £10 for his time.
I'd probably fit a throttle myself and forego the warranty, but I'll bet that a lot of ebike owners might prefer to pay to have it done professionally.
Thankfully we still have a choice.
Jeremy
Hi Jimmy,
Not quite. I think that was one of my first guesses too!
The right hand button turns the throttle on
The green one on the left is the de-restrict button
The red one on the left turns pedelec on and off.
It's not the best interface ever designed! David did say in this post, when I was trying to crack the code, that they were going to streamline things for the 2008 UK version - which is a good idea!
When you think you've got it right it's very easy to accidentally press a button which leaves you having to guess again. What I do in practice is always use the bike de-restricted with throttle and pedelec on. I then rotate the buttons so they point downwards where I won't press them by accident. Confusing at first but it's ok when you get the hang of it.
Frank
Not quite. I think that was one of my first guesses too!
The right hand button turns the throttle on
The green one on the left is the de-restrict button
The red one on the left turns pedelec on and off.
It's not the best interface ever designed! David did say in this post, when I was trying to crack the code, that they were going to streamline things for the 2008 UK version - which is a good idea!
When you think you've got it right it's very easy to accidentally press a button which leaves you having to guess again. What I do in practice is always use the bike de-restricted with throttle and pedelec on. I then rotate the buttons so they point downwards where I won't press them by accident. Confusing at first but it's ok when you get the hang of it.
Frank
I think £70 for fitting the throttle and associated buttons is a fair price, particularly if it includes being taught how the buttons work - which is not straightforward.
Having done it, it's a fiddly job and not everyone would want to take it on. It's nice to have the option to get help.
Frank
Having done it, it's a fiddly job and not everyone would want to take it on. It's nice to have the option to get help.
Frank
No - mine is just the same. I think of it as being an e-bike and that the pedelec mode isn't really practical to use. I assumed it was because the controller was managing the high powered motor in quite a clumsy way to ensure average delivered power was 250W - but maybe the pedelec aspect of the controller is just not very good! Interesting that it was better on your 905e. Also interesting that your throttle is less powerful. Mine gives a fair response - but I can't compare it to a 905e. I look forward to hearing what you think when you've had a chance to give it a proper run out.
Frank
Thanks David for clarifying your position. Good to know that you are keen to stay in touch with people who wanted a Wisper so much they just couldn't wait any longer!
Frank
Hi Guys
I am confused as when I first tried out the bike it was going a lot faster and after playing with the buttons I have not managed to get it to go back to that and go so fast?
I thought the green button was for pedal assist as thats what I seem to get?
Yes sussed out the red button on throttle as turning on and off, lol!
However guys, I now have a bigger problem which can hopefully be sorted by someone on here?
I was unloading a little shopping from my pannier bag yesterday eve which unbalanced the bike away from where the stand was and the throttle hit a wall, not very hard just jabbed it.
Well the throttle today stuck on and had to physically turn it off which was a little alarming at times
I had a scooter once with this problem and rode it for months like it as would have cost loads to fix but that was somewhat more dangerous than this.
I know it is somwhat stuck in but have tried to pull it out gently to no avail.
Help Please!!
Also my light flew off this morning on way to work and broke but can live with that, not a good day, lol!!!
Regards
Mandy
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