Wisper 905e or Powacycle Salisbury

[hawkwind]

Hi, i have spent a lot of time looking at electric bikes.
I was going to purchase some time back but unfortunately finances did not allow.

After a lot of deliberation i have come to the conclusion that these may be suited to my needs as i just cannot justify the price of the Ezee bikes.
My wife has a powabyke, but it is far too heavy and noisy with the motor running.

We trialed a Powacycle milan today and were suprised just how quite and smooth it was.
Both the whisper and Salisbury both look like bikes as well which is also a plus.

The only other thing i really need to know is what their pulling power is like up hills.
I will be travelling to work twice a day, 4 miles each way.
There are two short but sharp rises in either direction, and there is about a mile slope on my way to work, although this is not very steep.

Is there any gradient reference as to what these bikes are capable of actually being able to cope with without the rider having work too hard as i dont want to be dripping with sweat when i get to work.

One plus for the Powacycle is that there is a dealer very near so any problems can be handled locally.
Although from reading the forum, Wispers CS does seem to be excellent.

Another plus for the Powacycle is the price as i would really be paying more than i could really afford for the Wisper.

Thanks for any input.

 

[flecc]

As you say, the Powacycle is excellent value, but it's in a different league from the Wisper for power, really sitting in different classes.

The Wisper's higher output 36 volt motor will make it a better performer on hills, the Powacycle's lower output and 24 volt system being more suited to economy. That said, it can climb ok with moderate rider help, but the 905e will outperform it on the climbs.

It's not the voltage alone that makes the difference, but the peak power in watts that's available. That can vary widely, from below 300 watts on some bikes, to as high as 700 watts on others.
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[hawkwind]

Thanks for the input Flecc

Your comments are pretty much what i was assuming was what i thought the perfomance would have been from the bikes.

I was kinda hoping that Powacycle and Wisper may have jumped in with an honest opinion as to why i should consider their bikes??

I would now also like any advise on the Synergie Mistral that also seems to have some worthwhile reviews.

Money is really tight for me and my family so i really want to get this right first time and not make the same mistake we did with the Powabyke.

Thanks once again for any help or advise

 

[flecc]

I've no personal experience of the Mistral, but it is obviously another Chinese "parts bin" bike. By that I mean that there's a whole range of bikes on our market using the same parts in different mixes, most of them 24 volt bikes. Clearly there are fewer actual manufacturers than e-bike makes.

I've seen opinions in two extremes in this forum on the Mistral. Some have praised it, though that's usually been shortly after purchase, while others have condemned it as junk, usually after longer experience. Therefore there is a risk in buying so cheaply, especially as this will be a daily commuting bike, not just a weekend leisure job.

It's probably going to have a moderate middle of the range power judging by the parts it uses, probably around 350 to 400 watts gross. The Powacycle motor gives 276 watts on the NiMh version and about 310 watts on the Li-Polymer version. I don't have figures for the Wisper 905e, but it's probably in the 500 watt region judging from performance reports.

Have you looked at the eZee Liv? That's got a well established powerful 36 volt motor of something like 600 watts, and at under £600 seems near your price bracket.
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[Flying Kiwi]

Watts = power

It's not the voltage alone that makes the difference, but the peak power in watts that's available.

I think for the sake of clarity it's best not to even refer to voltage (unless with reference to overcomming resistance losses in long cable runs) as it's the power (in Watts) that matters (I would say entirely but things like design efficiency come into it as well). For those not familiar with electric motors, as power is dependant on both voltage across the motor and current flowing through it, its entirely feasable (and quite common) for lower voltage motors to actually offer greater power than higher voltage ones.

flecc, the reason why I think it's important to make this clear is it's an area where some manufacturers have tended to engage in spin in order to make their higher voltage machines appear more powerful to novices than the competition - warping the reality

 

[flecc]

That has been true in some areas Kiwi, but in today's mainstream bikes I don't know of any where a 24 volt version is more powerful than a 36 volt one. They seem to have settled into two distinct classes.

I prefer to answer in non technical terms wherever possible unless a tech answer has been specifically requested, in this case by qualifying the voltage as in saying "powerful 36 volt motor" for example.
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[Baboonking]

That has been true in some areas Kiwi, but in today's mainstream bikes I don't know of any where a 24 volt version is more powerful than a 36 volt one. They seem to have settled into two distinct classes.


.

I'd agree with that generally but for the purposes of pure pedanticism I should point out the 24 volt brushless currie has pretty much identical peak and continous power as the 36 volt powabyke

 

[richard]

Which bike ??

I understand your dillemma, we get great information from this forum(bless them) but without doubt the the only way is to try the the bikes yourself. I have an eZee chopper, great hill climber and a sedate and comfortable ride. This week I took delivery of an eZee Liv, not what I expected, not as good a hill climber as the chopper but still quite impressive and what a turn of speed ( 50cycles are you sure this is legal !!! ) But the standard of finish and fittings is excellent and what surprised me was it was supposed to have dynamo lighting but lo and behold was fitted with LED cluster lights powered from main battery. I went on a 28 mile ride and was still on green, so what I would say is try before you buy, I was lucky but with what I know now I wouldn't take the chance you cannot believe all the claims and in future I will try before I buy. Good luck

Richard

 

[flecc]

That hill climb difference is entirely a matter of gearing Richard. The Chopper uses the 26" wheel Sprint motor in a 20" wheel, which therefore improves the hill climbing by that ratio, 26 to 20, which is 23% better than standard. The downside is that the maximum speed also drops by 26% to around 12.5 mph.

The Liv, like most e-bikes, has it's motor geared to produce roughly the legal 15 mph limit when at maximum revs, but where one puts that point in relation to battery charge is up to the designer. If it was set at 15 mph on a battery just off the charger, it would drop to around 13 mph by the end of charge, so eZee have chosen to set it so that the bike will do 15 mph after much of the chrge has been used. Inevitably this means that speed can spin up to much faster when the battery is more fully charged. You probably experience 17 and even 18 mph at times, but declining as the charge is used up.

It's the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law that counts of course.
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[flecc]

I'd agree with that generally but for the purposes of pure pedanticism I should point out the 24 volt brushless currie has pretty much identical peak and continous power as the 36 volt powabyke

Yes. I actually had the Currie in mind when I said "today's" bikes , since I was aware of that power, but also aware it's now a very old design of a type disappearing from the scene, almost universally being internal hub motor now.

They all follow the norm of 36 volt being higher powered as well, simply for the weight and bulk advantages of designing for higher power with higher voltage. That's what I meant when implying that the need to specify on wattage alone is becoming no longer necessary. Just me keeping up with the trends, rather than just sticking with old practices where not necessary.
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[hawkwind]

Thanks once again for everyones input.
It looks like i will have to dismiss the Salisbury then.

I never considered the Ezee liv, but it does seem excellent value for money with some very good reviews.

So it is a choice between the Liv And the Wisper 905e.
The Wisper wins for looks and style and would appear to suit my needs from what details i have been able to find on it.
But the Liv wins on price and does seem to be an excellent build quality and also would appear to suit my needs perfectly.

I will have to try and arrange a test ride then if possible, although i dont know how easy this will be as i live i South Cumbria in the back of beyond.

 

[flecc]

Best contact both 50cycles for the Liv and Wisper for the 905e then Hawkwind. They often have owners within reach who are prepared to let you have a test ride. 50cycles have a form on this link that you can fill in to get a test ride, and you'll see the Loughborough phone number there as well.

Here's the Wisper contact details for that bike.

I hope that you get the rides you want, or that another member can oblige.
.

 

[scott]

wisper 905e

I bought a wisper 10 days ago and it does what it says on the tin. I went to Kent to test drive and bought it on the spot. I was interested in the Ezee Torq, but put off by the price. I've ridden the wisper every day since(good weather!) my longest, 25 miles round trip using constant pedal assist and there was some still left in the tank. Battaery gave up after one very long steep hill, but recovered on the flat. I got a good deal, gettting £100 off by taking the demonstrator that i had tried. They also threw in a helmet, lock lights, toolkit. Went for a ride yesterday and my son on his conventional bike couldn't keep up with me(he's 35 and I'm 57!) Hope this is useful to you, even though it's early days. Regards, Scott.

Hi, i have spent a lot of time looking at electric bikes.
I was going to purchase some time back but unfortunately finances did not allow.

After a lot of deliberation i have come to the conclusion that these may be suited to my needs as i just cannot justify the price of the Ezee bikes.
My wife has a powabyke, but it is far too heavy and noisy with the motor running.

We trialed a Powacycle milan today and were suprised just how quite and smooth it was.
Both the whisper and Salisbury both look like bikes as well which is also a plus.

The only other thing i really need to know is what their pulling power is like up hills.
I will be travelling to work twice a day, 4 miles each way.
There are two short but sharp rises in either direction, and there is about a mile slope on my way to work, although this is not very steep.

Is there any gradient reference as to what these bikes are capable of actually being able to cope with without the rider having work too hard as i dont want to be dripping with sweat when i get to work.

One plus for the Powacycle is that there is a dealer very near so any problems can be handled locally.
Although from reading the forum, Wispers CS does seem to be excellent.

Another plus for the Powacycle is the price as i would really be paying more than i could really afford for the Wisper.

Thanks for any input.

 

[flecc]

Battery gave up after one very long steep hill, but recovered on the flat.

That's very common when using Lithium batteries on powerful motors Scott. These batteries can suffer increasing chemical exhaustion when under sustained high loading, but as you found, resting them allows some recovery.
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[hawkwind]

Thanks for the links flecc .

Thanks for reporting your views on the 905e Scott.
The wisper does seem to be getting a lot of good reviews for a relative newcomer.

 

[Dick Lai]

905e is exactly a good ebike.

Wisper 905e is a fashion ebike with long rang 36V 10Ah lithium Manganese battery. As I know Wisper will launch his 905se in August. 36V 13Ah with perfect quality(puncture resist tyre/adjustable oil suspention/ front and rear disc brake etc). Expecting... If you are an ebike fans, couldn't miss this ebike I think.

 

[Jed]

if we have an off-road setting (i.e 22mph) like on the Torq then I will be very interested

thanks
Jed

 

[flecc]

Apparently it will have Jed.

The competition is hotting up.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

22 mph?

Hi Guys

In tests Dick Lai achieved and average of 55kph (34mph) on the flat when ridden both up and down the road.

The hill climbing is superb and since we have upgraded the cycle it rides beautifully too.

I haven't tested one so we are yet to confirm these facts and figures but you can all have a go at the New Forest event.

Best regards David

 

[coops]

Hi David,

I'm interested to know what voltage, battery type and arrangement and controller current limit was used; what sort of range you get in hilly & mixed terrain. Still 26" wheels too? I daren't ask what range you get at 34mph though you're trying high capacity lithium batteries aren't you? What type are they e.g. ion/polymer, manganese/cobalt etc. (I don't understand all the differences between them!) and how good do you find them, because I've heard some Li batteries can give "disappointing" performance?

Its good to hear your upgrades make the ride nice : the basic "rideability" of a bike is very important.

Stuart.