2000 mile review of Wisper 905se City (aka Superbikey).
Superbikey is as spritely now as he was 2000 miles ago. The battery still registers a healthy half-full yellow light when I get home (15 mile a day journey). Bear in mind that Superbikey does the bulk of the work as my fitness level approaches 0 (from the negative side). I'm not that bad, honestly. Mostly I'm faced with a wind on the homeward leg and SB takes the brunt of that. If it's too stiff I do assist with a fair bit of effort (SB probably thinks it's not a fair bit) just to keep the speed up.
80% of my journey is derestricted so more power is used, but the batteries are still amazing. My journey is mostly flat with only two moderate but short hills. Hills is the wrong word as they are more akin to the length of an off-ramp on a dual carriageway.
SB is still in excellent condition and has been subjected to many downpours. He looks as good today as he did on the day I got him.
Only downside is I've now had seven broken spokes on the back wheel. I had two go in one week but mostly each break is spaced out to three to four weeks. Many thanks to Norman at Wisper for providing me with spares.
The spokes are dead easy to replace due the wheel design having a double construction hub side. The spoke nipples do not come anywhere near the innertube and are free to rotate without causing damage. This means that if you are careful you can thread the new spoke, remove the old one and keep hold of the nipple then thread it on to the new spoke and tighten it up. Takes less than five minutes. I tighten it up so it 'pings' like its neighbours when plucked.
I did notice at the 500 mile point (when adjusting the spokes) that some seemed very over tight, to the point I couldn't slacken them because the nipple was in danger of being rounded off by the spoke key. I suspect it's these ones that are snapping. I expect the breakages will stop once those are gone. I'm no light-weight and SB is kept on 80% power mode so after half a pedal rotation the motor kicks in and you occasionally hear a spoke groan. I feel the spokes on the rear wheel could be a little thicker.
Ah, the spoke always breaks at the hub. All seven of 'em.
Oh, did I say that I've only had one puncture (touch wood) in those two thousand miles? No! Well I have. The Kenda puncture resistant tyres 1.25" wide, do an admiral job of protecting my tubes (not those tubes - INNER tubes). The Slime in the tube let me easily get home after the one and (so far) only puncture. But here's the rub, it took a week to find out I'd got one. It took ages for the tyre to lose pressure enough to the point where I suspected a puncture (the hole was tiny, miniscule even).
So, the upshot is this: Am I still happy with my Wisper 905se City? You betcha sweet little thingy I am. Nothing, not even broken spokes, has diminshed my love of this great bike.
Vikki (casts a salute toward the Wisper guys).
PS: Any typos come free of charge.
Superbikey is as spritely now as he was 2000 miles ago. The battery still registers a healthy half-full yellow light when I get home (15 mile a day journey). Bear in mind that Superbikey does the bulk of the work as my fitness level approaches 0 (from the negative side). I'm not that bad, honestly. Mostly I'm faced with a wind on the homeward leg and SB takes the brunt of that. If it's too stiff I do assist with a fair bit of effort (SB probably thinks it's not a fair bit) just to keep the speed up.
80% of my journey is derestricted so more power is used, but the batteries are still amazing. My journey is mostly flat with only two moderate but short hills. Hills is the wrong word as they are more akin to the length of an off-ramp on a dual carriageway.
SB is still in excellent condition and has been subjected to many downpours. He looks as good today as he did on the day I got him.
Only downside is I've now had seven broken spokes on the back wheel. I had two go in one week but mostly each break is spaced out to three to four weeks. Many thanks to Norman at Wisper for providing me with spares.
The spokes are dead easy to replace due the wheel design having a double construction hub side. The spoke nipples do not come anywhere near the innertube and are free to rotate without causing damage. This means that if you are careful you can thread the new spoke, remove the old one and keep hold of the nipple then thread it on to the new spoke and tighten it up. Takes less than five minutes. I tighten it up so it 'pings' like its neighbours when plucked.
I did notice at the 500 mile point (when adjusting the spokes) that some seemed very over tight, to the point I couldn't slacken them because the nipple was in danger of being rounded off by the spoke key. I suspect it's these ones that are snapping. I expect the breakages will stop once those are gone. I'm no light-weight and SB is kept on 80% power mode so after half a pedal rotation the motor kicks in and you occasionally hear a spoke groan. I feel the spokes on the rear wheel could be a little thicker.
Ah, the spoke always breaks at the hub. All seven of 'em.
Oh, did I say that I've only had one puncture (touch wood) in those two thousand miles? No! Well I have. The Kenda puncture resistant tyres 1.25" wide, do an admiral job of protecting my tubes (not those tubes - INNER tubes). The Slime in the tube let me easily get home after the one and (so far) only puncture. But here's the rub, it took a week to find out I'd got one. It took ages for the tyre to lose pressure enough to the point where I suspected a puncture (the hole was tiny, miniscule even).
So, the upshot is this: Am I still happy with my Wisper 905se City? You betcha sweet little thingy I am. Nothing, not even broken spokes, has diminshed my love of this great bike.
Vikki (casts a salute toward the Wisper guys).
PS: Any typos come free of charge.
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