Wisper Launch Carbon XC Tourer

[Wisper Bikes]

Yesterday we had the official launch of the XC Tourer at the bike show in London.

Here are some of the shots taken at the show.

Dropbox - Photos - Secure backup, sync and sharing made easy.

All the best David

 

[eddieo]

Great looking bike

If you click on the full size image the detail is amazing. I like the look of the computer/controller on the snazzy carbon handlebars.......A beautiful looking bike

 

[uk_steve]

looks like a nice 1 for sure

 

[jasono]

Yeah, looks v.smart

 

[Sparhawk]

Certainly is an awesome looking beast.

 

[wibble]

Looks nice! I like the sporty saddle and pedals!.

And don't forget to make your Wisper Sport more sportier!. No mudguards, reflectors and bike rack in the website images! The kids will go for it!

 

[SEATALTEA]

I am somewhat puzzled by the choice of a carbon fibre frame for a XC Tourer. The weight saving over alloy must be minimal and the cost must be much greater.

Saving the weight on the frame seems to make no sense when the bike appears then to be fitted with cheap and likely heavy front suspension forks. You should have gone for lighter rigid forks and fitted a quality suspension seat post or a Thudbuster.

Carbon seatpost, seriously ? on a XC Tourer with a battery and motor, uttter waste of money.

And the tyres look to be cheap Chinese tat, you could have fitted a quality pair of Schwalbe or Contis with lower rolling resistance and some puncture protection.

Alfine is great but way too heavy.

I accept it is a nice looking bike but the spec seems very ill considered.

 

[eddieo]

Its not strictly carbon fibre it still has an alloy core. tyres are Kenda K935 puncture proof...Don't know how they compare with my favorite marathon Plus. And the suspension, Magnesium RST Vogue adjustable air
suspension forks with lock out from handle bars. And it ends up weighing the same as a 905 but its probably more reliable and should be at £2399.

full spec here: wisperbikes.com

I will reserve my opinion until a few more knowledgeable then me have ridden it, and I've had the opportunity to try it myself. I know one thing, at least Wisper are trying, with a whole range of new and innovative bikes. Far nicer IMO then the Gemanic style Panasonic cruisers

 

[flecc]

at least Wisper are trying, with a whole range of new and innovative bikes.

I think this is the key reason, there's a market for every variation in specification in the higher price ranges, and the bike and e-bike markets have seen all manner of oddities over recent decades. Some have been far from sensible in my opinion, but there's nothing intrinsically wrong in the widest of customer choice since taste, good or bad, is a personal issue.
.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

XC Tourer

Thanks for all your comments! Yes it is a lovely bike and the carbon really sets it off.

Thanks SeatAltea for your comments too! The Carbon bits and bobs are more for the look of the bike than for weight saving, of course they are stronger and they do give the bike a new "feel". The weight saving as you say is minimal dropping about 2.5lb from a 50lb bike as you say is hardly worth the expense but you are missing the point....... It looks fantastic!

The forks are absolutely superb, they are top of the RST range Vogue magnesium forks, air not hydraulic with three positions of lock out on the handle bars..... utterly brilliant!

The tyres are made by Kenda, but are new to their range, they are the tyres now being used on the Electric Bicycle World Tour and have proved more reliable than both the Continental and Schwalbe tyres we tried at the beginning of the journey and Kenda have kindly agreed to supply free tyres for the 50,000 mile journey. Kenda are I believe the first to make a special electric bicycle tyre, and we will be fitting them on all our bikes in preference to Continental.

The Alfine bikes have the same frames as the 905, 705, and 805, they are not carbon. The differences between the Alfine range and the rest of the *05 bikes are; The magical new Dapush motor and management system, the Shimano Alfine 8 gear box (and Alfine disc brakes on the 906), the choice of frame and wheel sizes, the colour (white) and of course the price! They weigh the same as our 05 range.

Back for the last day of the show today, it has been great fun meeting all the Pedelec guys and Wisperers on the stand.

All the best David

 

[frank9755]

Good luck with the bike, David.

Kenda are I believe the first to make a special electric bicycle tyre

My curiosity has got the better of me with this one - what have those fiendishly clever tyre technologists at Kenda come up with?

 

[flecc]

Kenda are I believe the first to make a special electric bicycle tyre, and we will be fitting them on all our bikes in preference to Continental.

The second I'm afraid David.

Maxxis of China made tyres prominently marked on a yellow side oblong "Electric Bicycle Use" and these were fitted for years to the Giant Lafree models from about 2002 onwards. They did love getting punctured though!

I've had good experiences with Kenda puncture resistant tyres, since both the Torq 1 and Quando bikes had them when I bought the bikes in mid 2006. I did well over 2000 miles on them before those bikes were converted to the Q-bike and Torq radical and didn't get a single puncture. Previous bikes with other tyres had regularly punctured in this thorn and glass strewn area and I'd continued to get a puncture every three or four trips on my much lower mileage trailer tyres.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

E Bike Tyers

Thanks Flecc, I stand corrected, Kenda were keen to have us believe they were the first!

The tyres on the XC Tourer in the images are actually the puncture resistant type we only have Kenda E Bikes tyres for the 806 at the moment.

All the best David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Clever these Chinese!

Good luck with the bike, David.

My curiosity has got the better of me with this one - what have those fiendishly clever tyre technologists at Kenda come up with?

HI Frank I am embarrassed to say I didn't ask! I will get the full spec for you.

All the best David

 

[Mussels]

Looks very good as a strong and reliable high mileage machine. It should impress the emergency services, paramedics especially as they carry a lot of weight and I do feel sorry for them. I see a lot of coppers and PSCOs on pushbikes in London but none on electric bike so far.
Do you want the new Kendas destruction tested?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Destruction

Certainly Andrew, as soon as I get a pair I will get them over to you!

All the best David

 

[z0mb13e]

I think this might have been asked already in another thread but I can't find it, so;

Will it be possible to retro fit the cycle computer or is it dependant on the controller/dapush motor combo?