Wisper 705se or Torque

rolyk

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 9, 2017
11
5
82
Bristol
I have narrowed down my choice to one or the other of these bikes, but am unsure which one would be best for me.

My legs are almost 76 years old and, whilst I am a reasonably fit 145 lbs weight, my legs definitely don't like hills. The reason in buying the bike is to improve my fitness level and extend my range without huffing and puffing at the sight of a hill. I'm not suggesting that I don't want to put any effort into it as this wouldn't achieve my purpose.

My local dealer has suggested that the Torque would be best for me, but reading through a load of posts on here I am wondering whether the se would be the more suitable. I realise that the Torque has a cadence setting to ease the pain but presumably it just puts full power into the motor as there don't seem to be any lower settings. As the Torque setting has 4 power levels would the higher settings work in a similar manner to cadence in reducing the pedal pressure?

I intend to take both bikes for test rides but would appreciate your thoughts in advance.

Thanks, Roly
 

Emo Rider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 10, 2014
659
414
I have narrowed down my choice to one or the other of these bikes, but am unsure which one would be best for me.

My legs are almost 76 years old and, whilst I am a reasonably fit 145 lbs weight, my legs definitely don't like hills. The reason in buying the bike is to improve my fitness level and extend my range without huffing and puffing at the sight of a hill. I'm not suggesting that I don't want to put any effort into it as this wouldn't achieve my purpose.

My local dealer has suggested that the Torque would be best for me, but reading through a load of posts on here I am wondering whether the se would be the more suitable. I realise that the Torque has a cadence setting to ease the pain but presumably it just puts full power into the motor as there don't seem to be any lower settings. As the Torque setting has 4 power levels would the higher settings work in a similar manner to cadence in reducing the pedal pressure?

I intend to take both bikes for test rides but would appreciate your thoughts in advance.

Thanks, Roly
You will immediately see the difference once you test ride. They are both good bikes in their own right but the Torque really stands out with respect to quiet operation, power and smoothness. You will also appreciate the difference between the mechanic disc brakes on the SE and the hydraulics on the Torque. For me, I like the Torque. Although pricier than the SE you won't regret the Torque in my opinion :)
 
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Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,211
2,174
68
Sevenoaks Kent
Hi Roly, if I could be of assistance.

There are a lot of differences between the se and Torque bikes.

Please see below an excerpt from our Website FAQs.

What is the difference between SE and Torque bikes?
Our SE and Torque models share exactly the same, Frame, Rack, Batteries, Chain guard, Disc rotors, Stand and Grips

All other parts are different, the main differences are as follows…

705/905se 705/905 Torque

Cadence/Speed Sensor Torque and Cadence/Speed Sensor
Cable Disc Brakes Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Generic Lighting Spaninga High Power Lighting
Wisper Comfort Saddle Selle Royal eBike Saddle
LCD Display Large LCD Centre Display and Large Control Buttons (great when wearing gloves)
High Torque Motor Ultra High Torque Motor
Quiet Running Silent Running
7 Speed freewheel gears 8 Speed cassette gears
Wisper Light Weight Blade forks Suntour NEX SR suspension forks

What’s the difference between cadence/speed and torque sensors?
In Brief

Wisper SE bikes have a cadence (otherwise known as speed) sensor

Wisper Torque bikes have both cadence and torque sensors

Cadence/Speed Sensors

Cadence sensors turn the power on when pedals are turned forward and turn the power off when pedaling stops.

It will take between ¼ and ½ of a complete revolution of the pedals before the power is turned on.

Torque Sensors

Torque sensors recognise when and how much pressure is being put onto either pedal. Power will increase as the pressure on the pedals increases.

Power is available immediately pressure is put onto either pedal.

On Wisper Torque bikes the torque sensor will be deactivated and the cadence sensor will activate when the bike is put into F power mode on the LCD.

The Operation of Wisper SE (Cadence sensor) and Wisper Torque sensor Bikes

Wisper SE

The magnetic disc can be seen on the SE bike, it is a part of the cadence sensor and sits on the inside of the right hand crank by the bottom bracket axle. It simply tells the bike when the pedals are being turned forward at which point the power switches on. When a rider stops pedaling, the magnets stop passing the sensor and the power turns off.

Wisper SE bikes require three magnets to pass the sensor in the correct order (pedals turning forward) before the power is switched on, it then needs magnets to pass by the sensor in quick succession or the power will turn off again. If the pedals stop turning, the bike will recognise this in a small fraction of a second and the power will turn off, hence the reason we do not need vulnerable brake cut outs.

Wisper Torque

On Wisper Torque bikes the torque and cadence sensors are housed inside the bottom bracket where the pedals are connected through the bike frame.

The Wisper Torque system works in a completely different manner to the Wisper SE. Through the torque sensor the system measures the pressure a rider is putting onto the pedals. Pressure on the pedals turns the power on and the torque sensor reads the amount of pressure being exerted. The more pressure a rider puts onto the pedals the more power will be demanded from the motor.

So… if the bike is starting from standstill, encounters a hill, a strong headwind or if the bike is heavily laden, the torque sensor will recognise that more pressure is being put onto the pedals and the bike will offer more powered assistance. It’s very simple and very clever!

Either the left or right pedal will activate the torque sensor.

The torque sensor works in levels 1 – 4 on the handlebar LCD. If you turn the bike onto F, the torque sensor is deactivated and the bike works on cadence sensor alone. The F setting should only used when a rider is on a flat road and needs extra assistance. On a flat road, the rider puts very little pressure onto the pedals, the “torque” sensor recognises this and the bike conserves energy, hence the longer range by up to 40%. So on the flat, should the rider need more assistance they can turn off the torque sensor buy switching to F for FLAT.

I hope this helps!

All the best, David
 

rolyk

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 9, 2017
11
5
82
Bristol
Thanks for all the replies. All very interesting. Shortly after posting I had a call from Neil at Westerleigh, my local stockist, to say he just received a Torque that I might like to try. After a brief test on a local hill we did the deal, so I'm now the owner of a 705 Torque! Can't wait for tomorrow to give it a blast.
Lucky Neil, it was the 3rd Wisper that he'd sold today.
Roly
 

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,211
2,174
68
Sevenoaks Kent
Excellent news Roly! Neil's a great guy and will certainly look after you and your bike. He used to sell a lot of FreeGos but is now majoring on Wispers which is great news.

Thanks for investing in a Wisper, have fun and be safe!

All the best, David