Is Stealth B-52 Bomber worth the $11,000 sticker price?

M

MX Engineer

10 mW
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
33
Location
Ann Arbor, Michigan and Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Is Stealth B-52 Bomber worth the $11,000 sticker price? Why, or why not?

Thinking about buying one. Should I go for new with the MPR forks or perhaps used? I am really struggling with justifying this purchase price to myself.

Should I prepare to be pleasantly surprised with something? Or perhaps disappointed with the battery range? Please help out, I do not know what I do not know!
 
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Motorcycles/street-500.html
Need i say more?
 
Based on the lengthy Stealth topic / thread on this forum, it appears many purchasers upgrade many components, which suggests to me that for the price you pay, you would expect to have better components already.

Also there have been reports on that topic / thread of some purchasers having to have the frame repaired due to cracking.

Others with battery issues on bikes that are not far from new.

I have taken one for a test ride and was certainly tempted to get one as it was fun, but I weighed up the short term fun, price and long term potential issues and decided at this stage it wasn't for me.

Just seems to me that while that brand is probably the best available, the market niche is still to immature for a solidly reliable product from any vendor.
 
NoFanBoiz said:
Based on the lengthy Stealth topic / thread on this forum, it appears many purchasers upgrade many components, which suggests to me that for the price you pay, you would expect to have better components already.
Click to expand...
Having one long unreadable Stealth thread makes it extremely difficult to make conclusions and generalizations. I wish there was more than one thread to read.

Do the Sthealth wheels, suspension, brakes, motor, gearbox have problems?

I would be very disappointed if I chronically run out of battery too soon.

I also wonder whether people pedal or not? I've heard it both ways. I also rode the bike on a parking lot myself and I noticed that the motor pulls totally separately and much harder and faster that what I could pedal with my legs, so this felt like this would discourage any pedaling until the battery is dead.
 
MX Engineer said:
Having one long unreadable Stealth thread makes it extremely difficult to make conclusions and generalizations. I wish there was more than one thread to read.
Click to expand...
It's only unreadable if you're unwilling to read it. ;)

But there are various threads about stealthbikes stuff if you look around for them; just searching for the word stealth, or bomber, or fighter, by topic title, display by topic, finds some. (most are ads selling theirs, which might say something about them? good, bad, i don't know)

You can probably find others if you search in different ways for specific terms you're after. (though the search does suck for some things, it does work for a lot of stuff if you know what terms you're looking for).
 
Measuring value is more than components. The value of after sales support, a warranty, spare parts that work no questions asked, will depends on the value of your time to tinker/ repair vs ride.

For some the challenge of building and modifying is more valuable than downtime and researching. Don't forget many DYI projects incur hidden cost in the learning process. Occasionally, the learning path is catastrophic.

I'm not sure if Stealth bikes work for bargain hunters because there is always cheaper DIY methods but what is a turn key product backed up with support worth? Clearly, there are a lot of satisfied customers.

In my mind the stealth bikes are a cool platform to get people riding electric in a reliable way. The cost of admission is not for everybody.

In fairness to Stealth my understanding (albeit limited) is that they support a DIY/ choose your own adventure approach through very high quality frame manufacturing for customize-able products such as FUTR. Cheers
 
Thank you all! These are the exact kind of replies that I am looking for. Please keep them coming.

I am not an electric fanboy, so with the electric and gasoline-free is not the attraction. If I could ride my dirt bikes around the lake in my subdivision, sidewalks, public roads, local single track forest and desert trails I definitely would. But I do not live in a dixieland. It is suburbia.

I also happen to feel retarded when it comes to electrical DIY projects. I can build or fix anything else though. I do appreciate a complete high-performance architechural package, something that works out of the box, that works trouble-free for a long time, and that could be re-sold at less than a 50% loss.
 
SlowCo said:
LewTwo said:
SlowCo said:
For $11k I would buy Matt's latest build: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=85578&p=1257985 and blast past any Stealth... 8)
Click to expand...
For $11K I would be in SEA sipping cool drink while enjoying a nice massage, thinking about a nice dinner and totally unconcerned about who was blasting past on any road.
Click to expand...

You can do that for a lot less than $11k... :D
Click to expand...
All good things come to an end but with $11K that end may be somewhat more distant.
 
To the OP.
There are many more venders around now creating better bikes than stealth for less money. Stealth were the original high powered and well equipped ebike, but for starters, before parting with cash, try looking up the following...

LMX bikes
NYX bikes
Qulbix
Neematic

Oh, and the HPC Revolution :wink:
 
I have a Stealth Bomber. I have upgraded many components on my Stealth Bomber.

If I were in the market to buy a new bike I would build my own. I would get a frame kit like the Stealth Beta.
 
OK, not the same league but as a reference:
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/order.php
You get a full fledged motorcycle for $5 less?
Is there any logic in their pricing?
 
Define "worth it"

I built a no expense spared bike based on the same family of motor as the Stealth. it cost me $10,000. It's totally worth it, but I could have built something almost as good for much much less. Stealth is like that. you can get bikes almost as good for less than half the price. but they aren't as good. You can also buy a Zero motorcycle for less than the cost of a stealth, which is every bit better, longer range, more powerful, and longer lasting. but it's not a bicycle, it's not built to be ridden like a bicycle, and if you have enough experience riding both motorcycles and bicycles, you know the experience between them isn't the same.

Put it another way, is a Porche 911 worth it? You can buy Volkswagen cheaper that are almost as good. you can also buy corvette that will go faster, further, and cost less than the 911, but they just aren't the same.

If you really want the experience that uniquely is the Porsche 911, then it is worth it. If you want the experience that uniquely is the Stealth Bomber, then it is worth it.
If you just want an electric bicycle, keep looking.
 
It sounds like you might already have your mind made up..... on the value proposition..... as being not worth it.
I'm not going to attempt to "talk anyone into" buying something.

I can however give my 2 cents from someone who has recent exp buying a new Stealth Bomber and a new Stealth Fighter.... and experience building a FUTR home built stealth type bike.

SB -
Range - 20-50 miles dep on how you ride. There is enough info out there to understand this. If you aren't willing to do some research... then perhaps a Honda 80 cc bike is a better choice?
Fun - Loads of fun (for me)..... as you can ride a high powered mtn bike in places no-one has traveled....... neighborhoods, right of ways for power lines, drainage ditches, goat paths...... just use your imagination and build your own ride.... I discover new free-ride paths on each of my trips... ultimately ending up with a pretty fabulous ride each time.
Durability - built like a tank, and Stealth support is very good (they will DHL a warrant part at their cost). Upgrades come from people wanting to upgrade..... brakes, handlbars, wheels, rims tires..... etc....... there is quite an aftermarket to support upgrades..... the notion it's not good stock is IMHO false.

SF -
Similar comments to SB... but a lighter bike......


FUTR (Alpha) -
Fun to build your own bike..... I saved perhaps 20-30% over a genuine Stealth....

GL..... enjoy the ride.. no matter what you end up with.

Cheers.
 
This is an excellent information here! A HUGE thank you to every single one of you who posted. I am getting much better questions in my head and I will be doing more research.

I think I might arrive with the conclusion that the Stealth Bomber is the Porsche 911 of electric bicycles, LOL!

BTW, I have a Porsche 911, bought it used ten years ago. It was a complete package, I had fun with it, but I fell out of love with it and I will be selling it. Still, it is the most practical supercar out there. And quite cheap in service as well, not much different from similar Japanese cars. It was a good car, no regrets at all. A daily driver for many years.

I figured, if I use something often and it does not sit unutialized collecting dust, then I got my money's worth.

Will I be riding the Bomber twice as often and ride it much farther than my mountain bike, or my adventure motorcycle? Will it bring me more joy and fitness?
 
Well, personally, if i had 11g hanging from my pockets i would be taking a good look at the neematic ebike :)
 
You might want to consider for a moment, that the stealth is a motorcycle with pedal. Depending on where exactly you ride it,, it may be VERY unwelcome on the singletracks, or the multi use trails, unless you ride it like a bicycle.

This is why you should consider two e bikes. One a very good MTB with a mid drive. Not a haibike, though you can afford one, but something in the 5000 range. This will ride like a bike, handle more like a bike, and be welcome a lot more places than a stealth.

On the other hand,, if roads in the desert is what you want,, near Havasu,, then go straight for the stealth, or something like it.

Where I live, both types of riding are plentiful. Tons of great lovingly cared for singletrack, and despite signs saying no, my "bike" ebikes are quite welcome there, the way I ride there.

But there is also hundreds of miles of desert road, and 10 miles of singletrack I built myself near my house. For that,, I have a motorcycle with pedals. No stealth,, about $2000 in it, but very fun. :twisted:

For street fun,, a 90 mph gas touring scooter.

The right tool for the job,, my man. :mrgreen:
 
MR Dogman, why do you suggest not a Haibike as a good mid drive mtb? I'm considering one but, you have the inside "skinny", something I'd should know before I blow 5 large??? Just asking.
 
Quality European velomobiles tend to cost something like 9000 bucks these days...without motor.
11 000 bucks shure sounds bit hefty. I guess if they would make millions of them, they would be lot cheaper.
With eleven grand you can buy a great velomobile with great motor and battery. On the other hand, if you love off-road...
 
Where can you legally ride these full power ? i know they say offroad, but thats only for private property.

is it legal to ride them full power only on dirt bike trails ? is that the only place technical its legal at full power ? or is that everyone rides them illegally offroad as well ?

And do they have enough grip and power for normal dirt bike trails ?
 
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