Hopefully going to buy a wisper 905 torque

Malcolm Stephenson

Pedelecer
Apr 12, 2016
97
39
48
After a serious injury last year i have now finally decided to nip down and buy a wisper 905 torque with the upgraded battery pack

Now i have not met these guys before and I don't want to be walking in completely blind not saying they will deceive me but I would like an honest opinion please

Price is £1799 which seems consistent everywhere

My commute will be approximately 20 miles round trip 4 days a week with 2 days towing a burley bee bike trailer

80% tarmac with the remainder being compacted tow path like surface

One decent hill on the return leg as it's a gradual rise on the way to work

Now they don't have the 905 torque to test but have offered a 905se and 705 torque model to give me a feel for the frame of one and the motor setup of another

Would this be a suitable bike for my use ??? Or would you recommend something else for equivalent money

And how heavy is the bike should the battery lose its charge mid run

And last question what life should i expect out of the battery pack is how many charge cycles is the average

Thank you in advance
 

Mac_user82

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 16, 2014
317
122
41
I have tried the whisper and to be honest with you I don't want to put a downer on your purchase but the truth is they are heavy and clunky for what they

If you were to run out of power which could happen they are hard work to pedal i have tried this because i was looking in to buying one a couple of years a go and when i got on it and tried it without the power on it was very hard work

I also tow a trailer behind me regularly and just to give you a example now if i was going 20 miles it could cost me a battery and a half to do the trip fully i am using 11ah batteries which are good batteries which are Bosch ones

The thing is you might find that other battery might be required to do your commute

Just becareful when you towing you are using a lot more battery then you are thinking the most important thing i can just suggest is make sure you have a good ratio of gears because for me i have had to change my ratio completely for towing so i am hoping to get
Get a better mileage after changing my ratio

I would strongly look in to something that you can buy a spare battery for just in case you do run out of battery some where and need to change battery so you can carry on with your commute

If i am towing the first thing i pack with me is a spare battery so if i do run out i do have one to hand ready to use of coarse if you have no battery you are going to have pedal home with no power at all




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,521
16,460
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Hello Malcolm,

I would recommend you look at the Woosh Big Bear LS if you weigh more than 16 stone, Woosh Santana2 if less. They are both suitable for your requirements. They are equipped with larger motors suitable for towing.
We can supply the Santana2 with 15AH battery (both bikes share the same rack batteries).

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbear-ls

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?santana2
 
  • :D
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Malcolm Stephenson

Pedelecer
Apr 12, 2016
97
39
48
thank for the replies
i am aware if towing that the life will deminish but my plan is to pedal as much as possible with assistance only for the few small hills

coming into the e bike world blind i am assuming you can alter the level of assist from none to some to full ???
.

do woosh have any stockists as i like the big bear even though im not 16 stone but would like to try one of these prior
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,521
16,460
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
i am aware if towing that the life will deminish but my plan is to pedal as much as possible with assistance only for the few small hills
Malcolm, don't worry about towing and pedaling. Both those bikes have larger motors, they can pull 20 stoners. Even if you pedal hard, most people produce between 100W and 200W while those motors can deliver 500W to 600W at peak. Both have throttles.
You need big motors and strong controllers to haul weight.
 

Emo Rider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 10, 2014
659
414
Malcolm, don't worry about towing and pedaling. Both those bikes have larger motors, they can pull 20 stoners. Even if you pedal hard, most people produce between 100W and 200W while those motors can deliver 500W to 600W at peak. Both have throttles.
You need big motors and strong controllers to haul weight.
Maybe this question has been asked before, but how can a bike that delivers 500 to 600 watts of power be legal for what he needs it for?
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,521
16,460
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
ER, it is peak power output, comparable to a Bosch CX motor when climbing.
250W is enough for towing on flat roads at legal speed.
 

RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
4,732
2,311
Mmm, rear hub motor, towing, big battery on the rack.

There will be quite a lot going on at the back of the wisper.

Neither is it particularly cheap for a Chinese hub motor bike.

On the plus side the motor is, er, whisper quiet, and you won't get better customer service.

I would still be inclined to look at a crank drive bike with a down tube mounted battery - weight and stresses will be spread more evenly.

Cube/Bosch bikes are available in your budget, although you might have to shop around a bit to get one with the 500wh battery.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
Go and ride the Wisper. I think that the 905 Torque is a particularly nice bike and the ride has a very refined feel - not "clunky" at all. I would agree with some of the comments above regarding other Wisper models, but I suspect that those making the comments haven't actually ridden the Torque version.

They're as easy to ride without power as any good electric bicycle. There's no drag from the motor because the freewheel clutch is between the motor gears and the hub, so only the hub turns when freewheeling or pedalling without power, just like a non-electric bike.

How long the battery lasts depends on how much you use it, but i'd expect that you'd get at least 3 years out of it with the riding that you've described. The problem with predicting battery life is that it's based on historical data. We can say that batteries from 3 years ago last three years, but they've improved a lot in that time. Through all we know, batteries bought today might last twice as long. We'll only know that in 6 years time.

Is it suitable for your needs? It's probably as good as anything. I'd be surprised if you found anything that you didn't like about it after riding one. It has good torque for towing, but hub-motors don't like to go too slow with maximum power. A crank drive would be better in that respect if you have a heavy load to tow or long or steep hills, but then the quality of your ride when not towing would be compromised a bit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,229
2,194
68
Sevenoaks Kent
Good luck Malcolm, I hope you enjoy! They have come on a long way since Rob tried one a few years ago.

Please let me know what you think.

All the best, David
 

Malcolm Stephenson

Pedelecer
Apr 12, 2016
97
39
48
Hi David thank you for coming into this conversation

Are the concerns with all the commotion on the back axle something i should be concerned about
In the interest of honesty of the 20 mile commute hopefully only 6 will be with the trailer
I'm hoping the nursery will allow me to leave it there during the day and collect it at night

Occasionally it will be used more for a non commute reason ie leisure ride
 

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,229
2,194
68
Sevenoaks Kent
Hi Malcolm, I am delighted to read you are considering a Wisper.

In all the years that we have been selling this bike we have not to my knowledge had a single problem with the back axle. The bikes are built for heavier riders and all the components are matched to accommodate the heavier rider (I am 19 stone) the extra few KG the battery and a trailer would add are pretty insignificant.

My advice would be to give it a go and try other bikes at the same time, find a good ebike dealer who will not only allow you to try out several bikes but more importantly will be available to service your bike regularly. This is something a lot of people forget in the excitement of buying an ebike. They are after all motor vehicle and need to be regularly serviced.

All the best, David
 

IR772

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2016
931
1,044
Leominster
You can't go wrong buying an ebike from one of the regular contributors to this site, AMPS, Woosh, KTM etc as they are on here to add to their exposure in a positive way.

I don't think you can go wrong with your choice.

There are sooooo many ebikes just like cars, if you find one you like buy it.

Then smile each time you ride it, my advice is leave the 2.0 litre diesels as they are sooo last year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Malcolm Stephenson

Pedelecer
Apr 12, 2016
97
39
48
After speaking to Liam at ebikes Leicester we have decided to wait until I have the bracket for the child trailer just to ensure fitment

Bracket is due Tuesday and Thursday will be going to test and hopefully place order
Also works well as I am off work the following week so taking into account a potential 2 day order it should arrive when I'm off work
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Crockers

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 19, 2014
821
689
70
My Wisper is a few years old now and still uber reliable and a great battery. I rode a Wisper Torque and it's a great improvement over mine. You can't go wrong with one. IMHO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Clara

Pedelecer
Apr 20, 2016
113
68
68
I have a wisper 806 torque that i bought with Davids help last year. Beautiful bike. Fantastic ride. All ebikes are heavier than non electric bikes of course.

I love my wisper. Very stylish, gets a lot of admiring looks and comments and is fantastic to ride. Not clunky at all. I would recommend them any day
 

Malcolm Stephenson

Pedelecer
Apr 12, 2016
97
39
48
Thursday can't come quick enough

Had a look round the internet and one or two places are saying 2016 model and others 2017
Any idea what the difference is
Leicester ebikes said they would have to order one in so I'm guessing that will be 2017 model
 
  • Agree
Reactions: fredtop

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,229
2,194
68
Sevenoaks Kent
Hi Malcolm, there's not a lot of difference, mainly the rack and the way the bikes are boxed. We now send our bikes to dealers 99% built. Just install the pedals and turn and lock the handlebars. It saves dreamers 45 minutes and we don't get any damage.

All the best, David