E-S Stealth Electric Bike Owners

Rix said:

If I didn't see the video, I would think that you were screwing with us and full of it with your comments abou the throttle being too twitchy and un controlable. I got to ask, have you ever rode anthing with 2 wheels and a motor before your Bomber arrived? The Bomber and Fighter are quick compared to mopeds, scooters and pedal power only, but compared to any MX 2 stroke motorcycle with more than 80cc, our machines are totally tame. Maybe I am a little jaded as I rode a 60HP 240# KTM 450 before I sold it to get the Bomber. Were you whackin the throttle and pulling up on the handle bars? How much do you weigh? I got to know.

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Hey Rix. No, I drive a car and a pushbike mostly. Actually a GoCycle, which is a sort of electric hybrid pedal bike. You have to pedal with that and the motor assists you. It's more like a small helping hand than the Stealth. Probably up to 20mph on that, so yeah, the Stealth is definitely new territory for me.

I've probably created the impression that I've just hopped on, gun-ho and hit the throttle, but it wasn't at all like that. I was actually very careful not to hit the throttle too hard, so I'm at a loss as to how I managed to flip it twice. Both times were in front of my house and both times from a standstill however.

I weigh just over 70kg (155 pounds) which might be a factor. I think dropping the seat further may also help. Hopping on right away I feel a tad unstable having to rest on the front of my foot with such a heavy bike. It's not far off my own weight.

Theodore Voltaire said:

n those days I couldn't ride past a ditch without falling down in it.

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:lol: (laughed out loud)

Theodore Voltaire said:

I don't know if this is a possibility for you, but here in the states we have what's called a motorcycle riders course.

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I think I might go on one actually. Maybe even pursue a motorcycle licence. It's probably the best way to develop the 'think like a moto' mentality?

Hyena said:

hat is the funniest video I've seen in ages :lol:
I love how it all unfolds too.
BAM, you get flipped on your arse before you even start
Then you crash trying to go up what looks like a 2" high gutter
Then you come across another gutter and having learned from your earlier mistake you stop and crawl up it only to promptly flip yourself off again :lol:

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Definitely live up to your name, Hyena :wink:

Whilst I appreciate that everyone thinks the Stealth is light compared to a motorbike, I don't come from a moto background, I'm approaching this from the perspective of a pushbike, so when I hop on it feels a little daunting.

Actually considering roof mounting it with a high-load pulley hook if the landlord won't let me pull out the cupboards. As you can see, if they were removed it could be mounted vertically, like you say, out of the way.

(I have tried a thousand times on photo bucket to rotate that and it won't work. Heck, I didn't even take it in landscape. Tiny pic won't allow rotations. Ugh.

Rotated for you ryrideswhat.

Archer said:

Rotated for you ryrideswhat.

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Witchcraft!

ryrideswhat said:

Archer said:

Rotated for you ryrideswhat.

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Witchcraft!

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LOL :lol:

Actually I'm male so that makes me a warlock.

All I did was open your pic with paint that comes on most all computers.I then rotated it and then saved it.I think where you ran into trouble rotating the pic is not saving it to your computer after rotating.

Keep those pics a coming!

Tim

Feeling saggy? Well don't!

http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/07/24/suspension-setup-series-1-set-your-sag-properly/

This is a great how to. There are some more suspension set up tips on the site as well. It's different than moto because of body position. So it would depend on how you ride your unit. I set sag for when I'm being aggressive which is typically not seated. Some peeps will want to set it seated for more on road action. Either way this is a really cool example.

Archer said:

I think where you ran into trouble rotating the pic is not saving it to your computer after rotating.

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That's the thing! I took it on my iPhone in portrait, sent it to my Mac (still in portrait) - yet when I upload it - landscape.. lol

Would have rotated on photo bucket, but the edit tool on that sometimes doesn't even load.

So a couple of updates.

1: Issue with the battery. The battery reads 45%. I charged it last night. Still reads 45%. I tried to charge it again. Still 45%. The charger box fan turns on only for a second or two, then the fan inside it turns off. A red and green light remain on the whole time. Very confusing!

2: I noticed that the bike has a "soft start" setting. I can't find this in the manual anywhere (in fact the manual is crap) so I assume this creates a steadying effect when using the throttle from a standstill? Anyway, this wasn't active before and may go some way to explain why I kept flipping it.

ryrideswhat said:

So a couple of updates.

1: Issue with the battery. The battery reads 45%. I charged it last night. Still reads 45%. I tried to charge it again. Still 45%. The charger box fan turns on only for a second or two, then the fan inside it turns off. A red and green light remain on the whole time. Very confusing!

2: I noticed that the bike has a "soft start" setting. I can't find this in the manual anywhere (in fact the manual is crap) so I assume this creates a steadying effect when using the throttle from a standstill? Anyway, this wasn't active before and may go some way to explain why I kept flipping it.

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You might need to reset your BMS by disconnecting the battery, and then reconnecting it. This problem can occur if you discharge the battery all the way when riding.

I'm not familiar with the soft start. That must me something new on the new computer.

Ryrideswhat...this how I do starts off the line. Left foot is on the ground, right foot is on the lowest revolution of the crank. Traffic light is about to turn green, I get ready in attack position with my ass off the seat. Light goes green, I jam my throttle all the way (I don't recommend this as a beginner, but try a slow throttle movement). As the bike jumps I throw my ass on the seat and start pedaling with a powerful left foot downstroke and then pedal as hard as I can all in 8th gear. When the timing is right...coast to switch to 9th and then bam powerful downstroke with my left foot leading and putting my entire body weight into it...kabam... I'm at 65 to 70 km/hr at this point. The throttle is your friend. In wet conditions I put more weight on the seat and do a slow throttle because the rear wheel can spin out.

Here's a question for anyone riding out on the road as well as perhaps off it.

What protection do you use?

I've been doing a whole lot of reading around different helmets. The Stealth manual recommends wearing a "motorcycle helmet." I prefer my moto style ones, so that narrows it down to two choices. On the one hand a proper motocross helmet, such as the TLD SE3, which offers much the same protection as a motorcycle helmet. Or, the D3, which is more for mountain biking, yet still shields the whole face.

This issue gets a bit more complex when you incorporate a school of thought that is gaining a fair bit of traction- that rigid helmets like motocross helmets are actually more dangerous at low speed, as they have to meet strict high-impact standards. The idea is that a moto helmet won't flex when being hit at "low" speeds, and therefore will cause concussion.

That would be an easy choice if we were riding pushbikes then, but these beasts are capable of pretty hefty speeds. Is a downhill helmet really enough?

Part of the issue is that for all my reading I can't find a single person or article or study who will explain in terms of speed what "low, medium" or "high" speed even means.

On the one hand, you could wear a DH helmet in the hope that you never have a "high speed" crash (what's high speed anyway?) - or wear a moto in the hope that it defends against concussion if you have a "low speed" tipple.

Thoughts?

ryrideswhat said:

Here's a question for anyone riding out on the road as well as perhaps off it.

What protection do you use?

I've been doing a whole lot of reading around different helmets. The Stealth manual recommends wearing a "motorcycle helmet." I prefer my moto style ones, so that narrows it down to two choices. On the one hand a proper motocross helmet, such as the TLD SE3, which offers much the same protection as a motorcycle helmet. Or, the D3, which is more for mountain biking, yet still shields the whole face.

This issue gets a bit more complex when you incorporate a school of thought that is gaining a fair bit of traction- that rigid helmets like motocross helmets are actually more dangerous at low speed, as they have to meet strict high-impact standards. The idea is that a moto helmet won't flex when being hit at "low" speeds, and therefore will cause concussion.

That would be an easy choice if we were riding pushbikes then, but these beasts are capable of pretty hefty speeds. Is a downhill helmet really enough?

Part of the issue is that for all my reading I can't find a single person or article or study who will explain in terms of speed what "low, medium" or "high" speed even means.

On the one hand, you could wear a DH helmet in the hope that you never have a "high speed" crash (what's high speed anyway?) - or wear a moto in the hope that it defends against concussion if you have a "low speed" tipple.

Thoughts?

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Dewd,
Get a moto helmet. Your riding in traffic on hard pavement, cement and a boat load of fast moving cars.That crap about Moto helmets not good in low speed is silly. There will always be someone saying that less protection is better for some weird reason. If your head is moving fast enough to get a concussion its fast enough to be wearing a moto helmet.

Ry, it's really a good idea for you to wear a full face helmet. What kind really doesn't matter. Just find something you like, that's comfortable. Personally I'm a fan of the new style helmets that have the built in visors.

Studies have shown that a solid hit to the head at anything more than about 13 mph can be fatal.

I'm tossing up between

https://www.troyleedesigns.com/products/0105-14 <-- The SE3 moto

and

https://www.troyleedesigns.com/products/0324-40 <-- The D3 DH

Both are good, but designed for different things I suppose.

I'm almost certainly going to be travelling above 13mph when moving, although you can incur concussion simply from falling off your bike while stationary- you don't need to be travelling at all, never mind at high speeds.

Probably gonna get the SE3. General consensus here is a proper moto, and the SE3 claims to be able to defend against smaller impact using dual padding insofar as I can tell.

Safety:
Hand laid pre-preg carbon / composite shell with Kevlar® reinforcement in high impact zones.
Dual-density EPS liner decreases impact forces to the head and absorbs greater energy levels in more common low threshold impacts
Inner shock pad system is paired with the dual-density EPS liner to help absorb smaller impacts, withstand multiple hits and add greater durability for the EPS liner
Internal polyurethane chin bar liner with side EPS and dual-density materials for extra frontal impact energy absorption
Breakaway nylon visor inserts to shear away during a crash to prevent helmet snagging

Personally I like the SE3 better only because the looks appeal to me more. Pretty expensive though, but I don't have Room to talk.

I've been eyeballing this bicycle helmet for over a year now, but just can't justify the cost, not that that ever stopped me before.

http://www.afterschool.com/p/casco-warp-carbon-fiber-cycling-helmet-large-937078

Last year, I crashed my Russian Ural Gear-Up sidecar rig on a mountain road. Thankfully, I was wearing complete riding gear and a good helmet. I impacted the guardrail and then fell 25' into steel reinforcement pilings driven into the hillside to hold the roadway. Trust me when I tell you, that you cannot wear enough gear. I did not walk away from the crash but I did survive.

On a sidenote. Checkout: http://www.revolution-green.com/ryden

SamM

Theodore Voltaire said:

Personally I like the SE3 better only because the looks appeal to me more. Pretty expensive though, but I don't have Room to talk.

I've been eyeballing this bicycle helmet for over a year now, but just can't justify the cost, not that that ever stopped me before.

http://www.afterschool.com/p/casco-warp-carbon-fiber-cycling-helmet-large-937078

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You'd look a bit like an old-school fighter pilot

The design I like is:

SamM said:

Last year, I crashed my Russian Ural Gear-Up sidecar rig on a mountain road. Thankfully, I was wearing complete riding gear and a good helmet. I impacted the guardrail and then fell 25' into steel reinforcement pilings driven into the hillside to hold the roadway. Trust me when I tell you, that you cannot wear enough gear. I did not walk away from the crash but I did survive.

On a sidenote. Checkout: http://www.revolution-green.com/ryden

SamM

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Battery technology has come a long way but isn't commercially viable yet. There are actually phone batteries that can be charged in 10 minutes and others that can last days. Far too expensive though. When the tech gets cheaper I think electric vehicles will start to compete on level playing fields.

The Ryden is very promising but the more I read, the more skeptical I become about it. I'm just hoping for a big breakthrough.

SamM

ryrideswhat said:

Rix said:

If I didn't see the video, I would think that you were screwing with us and full of it with your comments abou the throttle being too twitchy and un controlable. I got to ask, have you ever rode anthing with 2 wheels and a motor before your Bomber arrived? The Bomber and Fighter are quick compared to mopeds, scooters and pedal power only, but compared to any MX 2 stroke motorcycle with more than 80cc, our machines are totally tame. Maybe I am a little jaded as I rode a 60HP 240# KTM 450 before I sold it to get the Bomber. Were you whackin the throttle and pulling up on the handle bars? How much do you weigh? I got to know.

Click to expand...

Hey Rix. No, I drive a car and a pushbike mostly. Actually a GoCycle, which is a sort of electric hybrid pedal bike. You have to pedal with that and the motor assists you. It's more like a small helping hand than the Stealth. Probably up to 20mph on that, so yeah, the Stealth is definitely new territory for me.

I've probably created the impression that I've just hopped on, gun-ho and hit the throttle, but it wasn't at all like that. I was actually very careful not to hit the throttle too hard, so I'm at a loss as to how I managed to flip it twice. Both times were in front of my house and both times from a standstill however.

I weigh just over 70kg (155 pounds) which might be a factor. I think dropping the seat further may also help. Hopping on right away I feel a tad unstable having to rest on the front of my foot with such a heavy bike. It's not far off my own weight.

Click to expand...

Oh 155 pounds, that explains it, I make bigger turds than that :lol: . Just joking, but for real you are well over 100# lighter than me, and that explains a little why the Bomber in offroad mode is a bit lively for you, you power to weight ratio is way way higher than it would be with me. You and your bike combined are about 270-275 pounds, I am 265 with camel back on. This is also why the 5404 was noticable for me, but not for Morati. Lighter rider eqauls faster accelleration :lol: Maybe I need to shed a bunch of weight.

Hey ry, I think I found a helmet for you.

Theodore Voltaire said:

Hey ry, I think I found a helmet for you.

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Ah, crap, I already made a purchase:

ryrideswhat said:

I'm tossing up between

https://www.troyleedesigns.com/products/0105-14 <-- The SE3 moto

and

https://www.troyleedesigns.com/products/0324-40 <-- The D3 DH

Both are good, but designed for different things I suppose.

I'm almost certainly going to be travelling above 13mph when moving, although you can incur concussion simply from falling off your bike while stationary- you don't need to be travelling at all, never mind at high speeds.

Click to expand...

I'm getting the SE3 pretty soon. I wear a DOT DH helmet and wiped out this week at low speeds and I got rattled. I wear all gform pads (elbow, knees, hip and tail including quads) and a 661 spinal vest. The Gform pads work like a champ and are low profile so they fit nice under pants. When I fell I felt nothing as the material stiffens when you fall due to a chemical reaction. I nearly got hit by a van that suddenly made a right turn into my bike lane in traffic. And the weirdest near crash was yesterday when a woman was talking to her friend while her dog was across the 2 lane street and I ran my bell to let them know I was coming down the hill (after passjng a parked picked up truck who nearly doored me). She ignored me so I began to throttle and she let out a blood curling scream when I realized her leash was outstretched across the road to her dog. I nearly went over the handle bars when I braked hard and then skidded my rear wheel. My peddle nailed me in the knee but the knee pads saved the day. Had I been a car her dog would have been dragged.

So...get all your equipment first. Dial back the power on the Stealth. Work your way up gradually to full confidence of this beast because even though I'm an expert rider I still slipped on wet leaves on a bridge that bent my crank to my swing arm and I nearly got clipped twice this week. Spend as much time being an expert in watching people and cars (especially idiots on cell phones).

Lastly, I just got a pair of Oakley Airbrake MX roll away goggles. ..so impressed that I can clear my lens with one pull of the pulley. The lenses is also durable enough to handle a shotgun blast and this morning I received a nice sized rock to my face from a big truck ahead of me. Really glad I upgraded to goggles from my Racer Jackets.