Italian electric bike

[ngoodson]

Hi,

Does anybody know anything about these, whether they're good or bad? Thanks.

Italian Electric Bike - 250W,36V, throttle & pedal ast on eBay (end time 06-Jan-11 17:29:12 GMT)

Regards
Nick

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I'm not sure why they call it Italian because most of this sort of thing comes from China. The motor looks like a Suzhou Bafang SWXB, which is highly rated by those that have them. To confirm, you could ask the seller to check the markings on the motor. If you are handy with the spanners, it should make a good buy, but you should be prepared to make a few adjustments, or you might be lucky and not have to do anything. Buying something like this from Ebay has the normal risks that if something goes wrong, it can be complicated to get it sorted unless you live near the seller (Bath). BTW, if you do live near him/her, I would pay a visit and offer cash because you should get a discount of at least £20 and save the postage. Other ones I've seen were not particularly waterproof, but this one has a sealed pedal sensor and the controller appears to be housed in the battery box, so should be OK. Another guy on the forum bought a very similar one, which he seemed to like, but he couldn't get insurance for it, so, if that's important to you, check it out first. Other than that, it looks a good buy.

 

[Blew it]

Hi,

Does anybody know anything about these, whether they're good or bad? Thanks.

Italian Electric Bike - 250W,36V, throttle & pedal ast on eBay (end time 06-Jan-11 17:29:12 GMT)

Regards
Nick

I would think that's worth a punt considering the reasonable price. Reminds me of the 2005 KnightRider, forerunner of the wisper 905. I have no personal knowledge of this machine or the supplier, my comments are based purely on the sellers description and photos.

It appears to be well specified with threadless head-set, the usual Bafang motor/ 10ah lithium battery combo. I also notice it has three levels of assist selectable on the handlebar console. The one thing that sets it above similar priced machines is the 52 tooth chain-wheel. In the right conditions it would be possible to hold a steady twenty mph at a comfortable cadence. So many machines currently available are fitted with 46 or 48 tooth chain-wheels which means an immediate and costly up-grade.

Range on a charge, at least when it's new, would be around 25 miles. The front light may not be too powerful, so extra lights will be needed for the South Downs sections. I would also opt for the throttle for an extra tenner. Weld-on hardpoints for bottle cage and pump are useful. Substantial BB mounted prop-stand, rear carrier rack and Shimano Tournay rear mech. Not a bad specification at all for the price.

There is always the possibility the seller may not be around in the future, but, as you will know from reading this forum, replacement batteries and other electrical components can usually be sourced elsewhere. The non-electrical components, brakes, derailleurs etc are the same as conventional bicycles.

Yep!, a nicely equipped bike for a very reasonable outlay.

Regards
Bob

 

[ngoodson]

Thanks for the speedy replies guys.

Nick

 

[Old Timer]

Hi,

Does anybody know anything about these, whether they're good or bad? Thanks.

Italian Electric Bike - 250W,36V, throttle & pedal ast on eBay (end time 06-Jan-11 17:29:12 GMT)

Regards
Nick

Nick

52T chainring is a plus for sure( I had to upgrade mine)

The frame looks very much like my bike(in fact there are lots about this bike that`s like mine) mine is a powertrek which I`m assured by the man that knows is a rebadged early Oxygen bike which to all intent and purpose aint far off of Wisper.
Ihave a number of E bikes now so have had a bit of experience in servicing and repairing them and if I were in the market for a bike I wouldn`t hesitate mate. The motor looks like the Barfang that`s on mine and is very quiet and powerful. I suppose the main thing that might be a bit suspect could be either the quality or age of the battery. Mine wasn`t the best battery in the world but to be honest now I know more about these bikes then replacing the battery up to 15Amp for under £200 is easy so don`t be frightened off by the over inflated battery prices that are banded about.

A decent spec at the right price IMHO

Dave

 

[ngoodson]

Hi Dave,

Thanks very much for the info, cheers.

Nick

 

[dmcgoldrick]

replacing the battery up to 15Amp for under £200 is easy so don`t be frightened off by the over inflated battery prices that are banded about.



very interesting..........could you perhaps give some detail on this subject....most 14ah 36 watt battery replacements appear to be around the £500 mark for the big name bikes....

regards

 

[fishingpaul]

replacing the battery up to 15Amp for under £200 is easy so don`t be frightened off by the over inflated battery prices that are banded about.



very interesting..........could you perhaps give some detail on this subject....most 14ah 36 watt battery replacements appear to be around the £500 mark for the big name bikes....

regards

This refers to buying a lifepo4 battery as a replacement, and with a little diy reconnecting of the terminals,mounting it on a rear rack on the bike.

 

[ngoodson]

Nick

52T chainring is a plus for sure( I had to upgrade mine)

The frame looks very much like my bike(in fact there are lots about this bike that`s like mine) mine is a powertrek which I`m assured by the man that knows is a rebadged early Oxygen bike which to all intent and purpose aint far off of Wisper.
Ihave a number of E bikes now so have had a bit of experience in servicing and repairing them and if I were in the market for a bike I wouldn`t hesitate mate. The motor looks like the Barfang that`s on mine and is very quiet and powerful. I suppose the main thing that might be a bit suspect could be either the quality or age of the battery. Mine wasn`t the best battery in the world but to be honest now I know more about these bikes then replacing the battery up to 15Amp for under £200 is easy so don`t be frightened off by the over inflated battery prices that are banded about.

A decent spec at the right price IMHO

Dave

Hi Dave,

Maybe a silly question but why is 52 teeth better than 46 or 48, I know gear ratio is 'driven over driver' so more teeth would decrease GR, is that good?

Cheers
Nick

 

[IOM]

Hi Nick,

The opposite in fact.

More teeth on the chain ring equals higher gear ratio.

eg Gear ratio = (Chain ring teeth / sprocket teeth) x wheel diameter.

 

[ngoodson]

Hi Nick,

The opposite in fact.

More teeth on the chain ring equals higher gear ratio.

eg Gear ratio = (Chain ring teeth / sprocket teeth) x wheel diameter.

Is it different then for a motor vehicle gear ratio, which is deffo driven/driver?

 

[Old Timer]

Basically gears on E bikes from China tend to be a bit on the low side(you have to pedal a bit too fast) by increasing the size of the front chain ring it`s like like selecting a smaller rear cog(if you know what I mean) My Aurora has been changed for a 55T front ring simply because on full power your feet can`t keep up with the fast spinning.

 

[Andrew harvey]

Italian my ***
Looks like anoughter Whisper copy.


High spec... I very much doubt it. This motor would happilly take an 8 maybe a 9 speed block then you get Deore or at least Alivio mechs and rapid-fire shifters.
You'll get what you pay for here, at this price you cann't buy a high spec none assisted bike, why should you get more quality with extra bits fitted.
If the electric bits are worth £4/500 ie the cheapest add on kit you can get, thats wroth having, it doesn't leave much over for the rest of the bike.
Still if the electrics last you can always bin the frame and cycle components.
The 52 tooth chain ring will give decently high gearing. With a 14 tooth rear sprocket you should be able topedal to 30mph given a steep enough down hill run, but 1 in 7 will be a chore on the climbs.

 

[Old Timer]

Italian my ***
Looks like anoughter Whisper copy.


High spec... I very much doubt it. This motor would happilly take an 8 maybe a 9 speed block then you get Deore or at least Alivio mechs and rapid-fire shifters.
You'll get what you pay for here, at this price you cann't buy a high spec none assisted bike, why should you get more quality with extra bits fitted.
If the electric bits are worth £4/500 ie the cheapest add on kit you can get, thats wroth having, it doesn't leave much over for the rest of the bike.
Still if the electrics last you can always bin the frame and cycle components.
The 52 tooth chain ring will give decently high gearing. With a 14 tooth rear sprocket you should be able topedal to 30mph given a steep enough down hill run, but 1 in 7 will be a chore on the climbs.

Perhaps what I should have said was compared to bikes twice or three times the price it`s a good spec cos with a bit of maintenance it will last for years.
My clone wisper that was supposed to be rubbish (so I was told on this forum) has now been running since Nov 2009 almost everyday use with the basic Shimano gears, brakes, BB,front forks etc etc
No! sorry, most people don`t need to spend fortunes for a bit of fun unless they intend to take a trip around the world Just like cars, it`s very nice to drive a top of the range car with all the latest top knotch gear but the basic models still get from A_B.

 

[ngoodson]

Have just spoken to the dealers for this bike and no, the motor is not a bafang, it's just a generic 250W brushless. By the way, what does BB stand for?

Nick

 

[Old Timer]

Have just spoken to the dealers for this bike and no, the motor is not a bafang, it's just a generic 250W brushless. By the way, what does BB stand for?

Nick

Bottom Bracket ( the main spindle that the pedals and chain ring revolve on.)

Dave

 

[NRG]

Have just spoken to the dealers for this bike and no, the motor is not a bafang, it's just a generic 250W brushless. By the way, what does BB stand for?

Nick

I thought Bafang (8Fun) was the generic Chinese motor!

CHEAPBUTGOOD——swxb series -Suzhou Bafang Electric Motor Science-Technology Co.,Ltd

Could be a Golden Motor but I've not seen them other than in all silver....same for the Ananda (Cute) motors...

 

[Scimitar]

{Gear ratios}

Is it different then for a motor vehicle gear ratio, which is deffo driven/driver?

No, still the same terminology. A gear ratio is nothing more than expressing the number of times a turn of the smaller gear would 'go into' the larger gear.
What's misleading is that people speak of 'higher' and 'lower' gears, but that's just a numerical habit instilled over the years. In other words, a 'higher' gear is actually a lower ratio and vice-versa.
To avoid this confusion it's easier to speak of high-ratio and low-ratio gears, as it's much clearer, but nobody can be arsed with that

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's possible that the dealer doesn't know what a Bafang motor is! I have a Golden Motor front hub in black, but the scheme for the black and silver bits is different and it has screws around the periphery, which I can't see on this motor. I still think it's a Bafang SWXB, unless the Chinese have started copying themselves. You could ask the seller whether the back wheel freewheels when you spin it in the forward direction, then you will have the answer to whether it has a clutch in it, which is important.

 

[Old Timer]

I took my Powertrek out today for a 15mile warm up anyway, the rear hub that looks identical to the one on the so called Italian bike in this article, doesn`t have the Word Barfang on it or the normal Barfang letters so maybe it`s not a Barfang! who knows! all I can say is that it is powerful and very quiet so don`t care really. It has 8 wires from it to the controller. Freewheels down hill and runs away with me so no complaints here.