A fault: me or the Wisper?

[allen-uk]

Riding along, flattish road (slightly DOWNHILL if anything), top gear, 'low' power mode.

Felt as if I had the back brake on. BIG dragging sensation. Switched off power, same thing. Switched back on, went to middle mode, fine.

So is it me, something I'm doing/not doing, or has this sort of problem been reported before on rear hub drives?


Thanks.

Allen.

 

[Vikki]

The low power setting probably wasn't doing anything for you and these heavy bikes do feel like they drag. Try riding it without power and you'll see that it feels like it weighs a ton (at least to me it does). I find the Wisper freewheels quite nicely. I also find 20% (low setting) to be next to useless.

Mind you, you might want to lift your back wheel and turn it forward (should be easy) and then turn it backward (should be harder as you'll be turning the motor). If it is the same both ways you may have a stuck freewheel mech.

Vikki.

 

[onmebike]

Could be a combination of things. Top gear pedalling to slow to activate pedelec, hence no drive or speed exceeding limits of low power mode may have a braking effect on motor.

 

[allen-uk]

Can you expand on that lot, onmebike?

a) Top gear pedalling too slow to activate pedelec - is this possible? On mine (Wisper) it seems that as soon as I put PRESSURE on the pedals, whatever the speed, I get power, and I was certainly putting pressure on the pedals in the above scenario.

b) Speed exceeding limits of low power mode - again, didn't realise this was possible. I thought you just got low power assistance from zero mph up to 15 mph.

Ta.

Allen.

 

[eddieo]

I find the low power mode near to useless anyway. it should be 40%/80% split, not the 20%/80%

anyway why faf around in low power mode the bike will easily get you 40 miles on full power. these are heavy bikes and not at all nice to ride unpowered

 

[Vikki]

I was a bit confused as well.

As soon as my pedals start turning I get power.

The motor doesn't brake. It has no need to since the thing is fitted with a freewheel mech.

20% is practically unfelt. I think that is why Wisper added a 50% and a 100% setting (not absolutely sure about that though, very vague memory of that discussed).

A slight downhill and you would exceed the 20% assist very easily so you wouldn't feel any assistance at all. You'd be riding a regular (heavy) bike effectively. I find the 20% setting useless and never use it.

Best regards.

Vikki.

 

[Vikki]

I tried riding mine unpowered once - for about 30 seconds

 

[allen-uk]

I suppose I thought I was starting as I meant to go on, i.e. conserving battery power, by using low mode. And even at my great weight and general unfitness, I was finding that 20% gave me a bit of a boost on flattish roads.

I will do that wheel-turning test later, Vikki, thanks.


A.

 

[onmebike]

Can you expand on that lot, onmebike?

a) Top gear pedalling too slow to activate pedelec - is this possible? On mine (Wisper) it seems that as soon as I put PRESSURE on the pedals, whatever the speed, I get power, and I was certainly putting pressure on the pedals in the above scenario.

b) Speed exceeding limits of low power mode - again, didn't realise this was possible. I thought you just got low power assistance from zero mph up to 15 mph.

Ta.

Allen.

They're only suggestions with little ebike experience to support them. What little I do know is, its not pressure that activate's the pedelec, it's cadence or speed of pedalling[On my bike anyway] I believe the wisper works the same way.
Most of my experience with brushless motor's is in flying model aircraft, the motor's acts as a brake stopping the motor almost instantly power is reduced. Controllers for model flight are far more elaborate than ebike controllers in that they are fully programmable for brakes on/off, battery type's and cell counts. I thought it may be the case that low power mode on your bike may limit speed by applying a motor brake when that speed is reached. David of Wisper is the guy you really need to talk to.

 

[Mussels]

I found on the 905 that if you exceed the design speed of the motor then the drag was quite noticable, I couldn't ride it above the motor speed for long. The difference on the 906 is marked as I can achieve bursts of 25mph uphill, on the 905 that was a struggle on the flat.

 

[allen-uk]

Thanks onmebike, I'll digest that lot (and let us all remember The Flight of the Phoenix, when the much-ridiculed model aircraft engineer saved all their bacons).

Vikki: lifted the rear wheel. Forward: turns easily. Backwards: doesn't turn freely, i.e. the PEDALS also turn, and holding the pedals steady meant that the back wheel wouldn't turn at all.

Does this mean a fault, or is this what it's supposed to do?

Thanks.


Allen.

 

[Mussels]

Thanks onmebike, I'll digest that lot (and let us all remember The Flight of the Phoenix, when the much-ridiculed model aircraft engineer saved all their bacons).

Vikki: lifted the rear wheel. Forward: turns easily. Backwards: doesn't turn freely, i.e. the PEDALS also turn, and holding the pedals steady meant that the back wheel wouldn't turn at all.

Does this mean a fault, or is this what it's supposed to do?

Thanks.


Allen.

If it freewheeled in both directions the pedals would be useless.

 

[Vikki]

That's fine. That's as it should be. I think you've just gone past assist speed and suddenly said hello to Mr Full Weight resisting you

I know if I drop the throttle on mine it feels like someone's hanging on the back. It just goes to demonstrate just what an electric bike does for you.

Best regards.

Vikki.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Allen

I agree with Vicki, the low power is really only for use in icy conditions or riding slowly in pedestrian areas. For normal cycling you should be set to medium or high.

All the best

David

 

[Alex728]

do you have three way switches now (instead of low/medium) and can they be retrofitted to 2009 905SE models?

 

[allen-uk]

A report on 'the fault'.

I chose a local stretch of very quiet road, about 200 yards long, down which I used to freewheel on my non-electric bike.

First, I pedalled the Wisper up to about 10 mph, then (in low power mode), freewheeled. No problem

Second, I pedalled instead. And it drags.

So, the solution seems to be not to pedal!

I'm happy enough knowing that the low mode is for snow and ice (you really think I'd go out in the snow and ice, David?) or for pedestrian precincts (possible, but I try and avoid mixing wheels and feet).

Allen.

 

[Vikki]

I'm wondering if it's just a perceptual illusion. Like an optical one but more about how you percieve something. Your senses could be fooling you.

What happens to your speed? Do you have a bike computer?

 

[onmebike]

A report on 'the fault'.

I chose a local stretch of very quiet road, about 200 yards long, down which I used to freewheel on my non-electric bike.

First, I pedalled the Wisper up to about 10 mph, then (in low power mode), freewheeled. No problem

Second, I pedalled instead. And it drags.

So, the solution seems to be not to pedal!

I'm happy enough knowing that the low mode is for snow and ice (you really think I'd go out in the snow and ice, David?) or for pedestrian precincts (possible, but I try and avoid mixing wheels and feet).

Allen.

It appears that low power mode does have a speed restriction and wont allow to to pedal beyond that.

 

[allen-uk]

I'm wondering if it's just a perceptual illusion. Like an optical one but more about how you percieve something. Your senses could be fooling you.

What happens to your speed? Do you have a bike computer?

Hello Vikki.

Don't think so. Freewheeling, whizzing along. Pedalling, slowing down. Nah, don't have a bike computer. The ones I looked at about ten years ago seemed very fiddly to fit. I like plugging them in and turning them on!


Allen.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Allen

This is all very strange!

Does this phenomenon only happen in low?

All the best

David