Wisper Clone on eBay

This is almost certainly a clone which looks very much like a 905e, but here are several differences when you look more closely ELECTRIC BIKE 37V 8A LITHIUM ION BATTERY 22KG GROSS ALY on eBay, also, Bikes, Cycling, Sporting Goods (end time 27-Apr-08 14:03:37 BST)

It looks like they have just come on to the UK market as a 'one off' batch.

Wonder if they will sell? Personally I would be very wary.

John

Clone

Hi John

Thanks for that, we hadn't spotted it.

This bike is made by a chap called Mark Rao who used to work as a sales rep for C and U Engineering, the company we employed to develope the bike with us. When Mark was "made redundant" from C and U he thought he would take our concept and make a cheap version.

Unfortunately there is little we can do to stop him as the frame design is sufficiently different to ours to stop us going for him on copyright. If he tries to pass it off as a Wisper then that is a different matter.

I don't believe in knocking competition so I will leave it to people who buy one to report on it. Suffice to say it is not a Wisper and does not share any of the same components.

I have just had a very interesting chat with Simon Hopkinson of e-bikes UK who bought them from Mark and has now put them on e-bay to get rid of them. Simon told me he certainly will not be buying any more from Mark and is now considering become a Wisper retailer.

Every cloud has a silver lining!

Best regards David

Edited April 15, 200917 yr by Wisper Bikes

Asbestos

I have just spoken to our Autralian Partner who informs me that there has been a terrible problem with the asbestos in the brake pads on this bike.

Best regards David

I have just spoken to our Autralian Partner who informs me that there has been a terrible problem with the asbestos in the brake pads on this bike.

 

Best regards David

Eeeerm, I didn't think anywhere used Asbestos anymore? My son is an asbestos surveyor (Not a removal man) He has had to go through many exams to get where he is and I worry because he will run out of work, but he assures me he won't

I had asbestos in my house that I was not aware of, in my electric meter housing

I guess it is only dangerous in it's airborne particle state though, best not brake too hard, lol Just think it is a bit bizarre to use this material

LOL Mandy

I have just spoken to our Autralian Partner who informs me that there has been a terrible problem with the asbestos in the brake pads on this bike.

 

Best regards David

I find that very hard to beleive David, the use of asbestos in highly controled these days and it would not be licenced for use in a product that is well known to produce dust.

Could be chinese wispers Get it:)

Dufus

I find that very hard to beleive David, the use of asbestos in highly controled these days and it would not be licenced for use in a product that is well known to produce dust.

 

Could be chinese wispers Get it:)

 

Dufus

I don't imagine David would have gone into print unless he was sure of the facts!

It's a good job that replacing brake pads is one of the easier bits of bike DIY

Maybe not and i am not calling him a liar. Not all asbestos is dangerous though so it may be slightly misleading.

All meant in good houmour.

people really are negatative in here. All my research is informing me that elecric bike are owned by really arsey types who love to pick fault in others. your not happy unless your all having a go. Every time I have posted in this forum someone has had a go back. Keith Hazel being the latest last night 'not wanting to start an argument with me' when quoting from the cyclepoint website. And Flecc telling me I cant read!

What a bunch of bollox this place is. Think i'll put my £1200 towards a conventional bike.

How do you delist from this dump. I see others have left and its not surprising.

Dufus

 

people really are negatative in here. - - - - - - -

 

And Flecc telling me I cant read!

 

Dufus

I would never do such a thing. This is what I said:

"misreading I think, that is the same Torq II with disc front brake."

Note the words "I think", indicating that I was open to correction, which you duly did when informing me that the site page had been changed in between our readings. If I'd said that you had definitely misread and it subsequently turned out that you hadn't, I would have immediately apologised.

.

Having spent 15 years in IT I know that misunderstandings are really common in blogs, discussions, emails, texts etc.

Its the lack of face to face visual contact that causes most of the trouble, particularly where postings are intended as humourous; in the on-line world there are no facial expressions or body language to help interpret the message.

When things go badly wrong the results are known as "Flame Wars", and a quick Google will provide info on some really spectacular ones.

The only real solution is to excercise more patience, restraint and tolerance on-line than you might face to face.

Here are a few suggestions I've come across that might help:

Misunderstandings abound in discussion forums. Many times simply due to one side not taking the time to ensure that their message and intent is clear, while the other side reads into the posting things that may not be there.

 

That is why it is always so important if you read a posting that upsets you to:

 

* First, take the words at face value and don't assume anything. If you are not sure of intent or the tone relayed, ask for clarification before you spend the energy being upset and snapping back with an emotional response.

 

* Then, take a deep breath. If you are sure the other side is purposefully trying to be upsetting or rude, wait until the next day, if at all, to reply. Many times rude and malicious poster do not deserve a response. Just leave those who can only communicate by being nasty wallowing in their wait for a response from you that will never come.

 

A great majority of misunderstandings are because one side didn't realize how the words they chose and how they chose to write them (formatting, bolding, red text, caps, etc.) may be taken based on the relationship dynamics with the person on the other side of the screen.

 

The best rule of thumb is to take time to cool off. Typing out an emotional reply never solves anything. You may be surprised how you will have a different point of view when you review the posting the next day to determine even if it is worth a response.

Regards,

Elephants

Having spent 15 years in IT I know that misunderstandings are really common in blogs, discussions, emails, texts etc.

 

Its the lack of face to face visual contact that causes most of the trouble, particularly where postings are intended as humourous; in the on-line world there are no facial expressions or body language to help interpret the message.

 

When things go badly wrong the results are known as "Flame Wars", and a quick Google will provide info on some really spectacular ones.

 

The only real solution is to excercise more patience, restraint and tolerance on-line than you might face to face.

 

Here are a few suggestions I've come across that might help:

 

 

Regards,

 

Elephants

Excellent advice Elephants

bw

musicbooks

All meant in good houmour.

How do you delist from this dump. I see others have left and its not surprising.

Dufus

unfortunatly you didnt research enough as if you read the very very small print you will see you can NEVER leave this "dump"..you are obligated to log in ever morning and evening for the next 25 years, unless the day does not have a "y" in it... and after this period if you are sure you want to leave....just turn your computer off at the mains

all meant in good humour Dufus,this is a place of information and merryment

Well I bought one and its ace!

Well I bought one and it is excellent. I am commuting 20 miles per day in Scotland including some very steep hills. It is very well put together and the components are of good quality. The motor is powerful and the battery is still showing a green light when I get home from work. I have covered several hundred miles on it and I am a very satisfied customer.

Having spent 15 years in IT I know that misunderstandings are really common in blogs, discussions, emails, texts etc.

 

Its the lack of face to face visual contact that causes most of the trouble, particularly where postings are intended as humourous; in the on-line world there are no facial expressions or body language to help interpret the message.

 

When things go badly wrong the results are known as "Flame Wars", and a quick Google will provide info on some really spectacular ones.

 

The only real solution is to excercise more patience, restraint and tolerance on-line than you might face to face.

 

Here are a few suggestions I've come across that might help:

 

 

Regards,

 

Elephants

Wise words indeed Elephants (ps. love the name:D !)

whats the differnce

whats the main differences between one of these and a wisper 905SE?

It looks like it has a powerful battery...will it be the same as the wisper?

may be worth a punt if they are still going to be around. will I be able to get a replacement battery in say a year or two thats the rub

The price seems fair, I still think these electric bikes are generally overpriced and need to be around 700 - 900 squids to attract average users.

PS just back from month trip to Italy and it seems like the electric bike is a developing market, with quite a few new models coming out....But what do I know! lol

Eddieo

Have a look at what Wisper said here Eddie.

One member, Poppy in Spain, has one of these clones and has not been very happy with it. Cheapness often comes at a different price, frequently more unpleasant that a few extra pounds in the first instance.

You're right that the electric bike market is healthily expanding in Italy, and we have several members of the Italian forum also as members here. If you speak Italian, here's the link for the forum there:

Italian E-bike forum

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I don't see why it will necessarily be that bad. You could easily put together a bike like the Wisper 905 SE Sport/City for around £500 using the exact same components where available, or in the case of the frame which is probably proprietory, equivalent items. A volume manufacturer would no doubt be able to put one together for much less than this.

Ebay and chinese sellers often will sell at very slim profit margins. I expect Wisper's margins per bike are very high. I'm not saying they are making a huge profit, they may not be because their non-manufacturing related costs maybe very high too. You would almost certainly get better customer service from them.

Just going back to the clone issue - I had noticed that the bikes e-bikes UK were marketing were very similar to a genuine wisper and had been for some time with the inducement of travelling a set distance for a potential buyer to try out.

I note on e-bay that the Strongman e-bike that's selling for £660 or so ( and featured in a recent thread) appears to be similar as well - well at least framewise although the motor on offer is only 200 watts - is this from the same source or from a pirate copy made in China?

Personally I wouldn't touch one and would rather have the genuine article and a reliable backup than buy from a here today gone tomorrow outfit.

I don't see why it will necessarily be that bad. You could easily put together a bike like the Wisper 905 SE Sport/City for around £500 using the exact same components where available, or in the case of the frame which is probably proprietory, equivalent items.

I doubt it, the battery is the crucial thing on these bikes and a very large expense if it has a short life. Wisper have changed manufacturer to ensure they have a reliable 37 volt 14 Ah unit, and at it's price of just under £300 it's heavily subsidised to be competitive, £100 less than the smaller 10 Ah one on the eZee bikes and only the same price as the 26 volt one on the Panasonic unit.

You certainly wouldn't be able to buy the same battery or quality equivalent the same size for less, so the battery alone would eat up most of your proposed £500. Add at least £50 for a charger and there's little left for the bicycle, hub motor, controller and other electrics. Prices from the Far East have increased substantially in recent months, and that's why the price of so many bike makes has increased so much.

.

I doubt it, the battery is the crucial thing on these bikes and a very large expense if it has a short life. Wisper have changed manufacturer to ensure they have a reliable 37 volt 14 Ah unit, and at it's price of just under £300 it's heavily subsidised to be competitive, £100 less than the smaller 10 Ah one on the eZee bikes and only the same price as the 26 volt one on the Panasonic unit.

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I'm certainly NOT an expert on battery quality and can differentiate only on specs really. I think you can easily get a battery with better specs for less than 300 but obviously taking a risk on quality. I did some research on Alibaba trying to cadge a free sample off someone and found firms supplying 36V 20AH for around 150 in small multiple orders. Again, I don't know about quality. You can certainly get a battery with good reviews on ebay with better specs for much less than 300 though.

My reckoning was basically: battery 200, motor 100, bike 200 (generous). Controller and peripheral items are negigable, say 30 at most.

The best batteries are costing manufacturers more than that £150 in China, so with transport, import duty, profit margin and VAT the price is substantially more of course. One manufacturer faced an increase in the price they paid at source for a 36 volt 10 Ah battery of £40 for the right quality early this year. Wisper have made the choice not to add the usual profit margin to give them a marketing advantage, so their price is little different from an ebay one for that same battery if it were available through that route. As I've shown, the others who haven't done that have very much higher prices

However, my point was that you couldn't make the same bike for anything like £500, and your prices would make it more like a Synergie Mistral. To make a Wisper clone I think you'd be hard pushed to buy a controller of the right quality, twistgrip control, electric cutout brake levers, battery meter and wiring for £30 retail.

Someone who felt the same as you decided to go ahead earlier this year, but has now given up after learning some realities of just how difficult it is. He joins a long line who've vanished after a few months.

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The best batteries are costing manufacturers more than that £150 in China, so with transport, import duty, profit margin and VAT the price is substantially more of course. One manufacturer faced an increase in the price they paid at source for a 36 volt 10 Ah battery of £40 for the right quality early this year. Wisper have made the choice not to add the usual profit margin to give them a marketing advantage, so their price is little different from an ebay one for that same battery if it were available through that route. As I've shown, the others who haven't done that have very much higher prices

 

However, my point was that you couldn't make the same bike for anything like £500, and your prices would make it more like a Synergie Mistral. To make a Wisper clone I think you'd be hard pushed to buy a controller of the right quality, twistgrip control, electric cutout brake levers, battery meter and wiring for £30 retail.

 

Someone who felt the same as you decided to go ahead earlier this year, but has now given up after learning some realities of just how difficult it is. He joins a long line who've vanished after a few months.

.

Well I reckon my bikes better than a Wisper 905 SE City cost around 500 The bike itself is certainly miles better, the motor and everything else is more or less the same, the battery about 30% worse. If you took the full UK retail price I paid for the kit and the full original (6 years ago) highstreet retail price I paid for the bike it'd be about 800. I think that would be a reasonable price point for the Wisper SE City, I still wouldn't buy ome though, I'd buy their competitor. I luuuv Asbestos

calm down ! calm down !

Sorry everyone, no intention to start a war over wether or not you can build a bike for a certain price, someone wanted to know if the £595 bike was any good, and as a proud owner of several months, I can tell you it is excellent.

I can't afford to pay £1200 for a wisper , or £1500 for a Kalkhoff, and was looking at the powerbike Salisbury LPX or the 'Ebay Special' and I think i bought the right one!

Well I reckon my bikes better than a Wisper 905 SE City cost around 500 The bike itself is certainly miles better, the motor and everything else is more or less the same, the battery about 30% worse. If you took the full UK retail price I paid for the kit and the full original (6 years ago) highstreet retail price I paid for the bike it'd be about 800. I think that would be a reasonable price point for the Wisper SE City, I still wouldn't buy ome though, I'd buy their competitor. I luuuv Asbestos

Each to their own Maestro, and I support that, there should be the widest possible choice available to customers.

Don't mind asbestos either, I've used hard white asbestos sheet extensively in my younger years, sawing it dry and never using masks. In my seventies now, I've no lung problems despite that and nearly forty years of heavy smoking up to a few years ago. I think the most dangerous diseases these days are paranoia and fear.

.

Sorry everyone, no intention to start a war over wether or not you can build a bike for a certain price, someone wanted to know if the £595 bike was any good, and as a proud owner of several months, I can tell you it is excellent.

I can't afford to pay £1200 for a wisper , or £1500 for a Kalkhoff, and was looking at the powerbike Salisbury LPX or the 'Ebay Special' and I think i bought the right one!

No need to worry Timco, it's just a friendly disagreement, and we have plenty in here. As I said to Maestro, each to their own, and better you have that bike if you can't afford the £1200 one than have no bike at all.

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