So there it is again, the usual this is not difficult and anyway so overpriced. Well, i´m not trying to offend anyone here, but i work as a mechanic in the product developement departement of a German printing machine manufacturer. My boss rode the bomber just a few days ago. He´s not just an engineer, but also has made is doctor in mechanics. Curious as he is and a real math crack, he measured the frame, did some calculations and said it´s theoretically just as beutiful as it was to ride in real life. To come up with something like that it takes years. So yeah, all those that brag around telling people it´s simple. Take a closer look. Just try to weld the sheet metal pieces of the frame together. I´m pretty shure you´ll end up with a twisted piece of metal, that´ll look like it came from Homer Simpson´s garage himself.
Next the electronics. I´ve ridden this bike for some month now, played with the parameters and must say that there´s nothing to improve here. Ok, you can always go for more volts, or amps, or simply install a bigger battery. But then all the extra weight will force you to build an even tougher frame. Where i work, we sometimes take years just to develope a new gripper shaft that´s capable of 20000 sheets/min. When you look at it, it´s simple appearance will surely make you think that this is no big deal. Yup, things change however when you build a copy and then wonder why the damn thing never reaches this speed. The Chinees haven´t come up with a copy of our machines yet. They will in the future, i´m sure about that. In the present though, the 120 years of experience we have passed on through generations can´t be beat. I love to disassemble stuff and examine the inside values. I´ve done so with the bomber. Out of plain curiosity. Building an equivalent bike will definetley not be so much cheaper.Check out the price list of the components here in Germany i´ve included below. Let´s face it, Stealth Bikes is a company and has a right to make some profit. I´m shure that shoe manufacturers make loads more money by paying low wages and treating their workers like garbage. I prefer to pay more and know that my product is made in a country where this is not the case. Ok, there´ll be exeptions, but it´s no standard in Australia.
1. V-Boxx 970€
2. 48 Cell Lifepo4 Battery 1730 €
3. GatorBrake 420 €
4. The Crystalyte motor and controller 850 €
5. The white brothers forks 900 €
That´s a total of 4870 €. There´s no frame in that price, no handelbars, no rims, or tires and loads of small pieces i haven´t mentioned here. Oh and don´t forget the rear shox. You won´t find one on the standard bike market that´ll fit . I think it´s custom made for Stealth. In my opinion, it´s faster, safer and less frustrating to buy a perfect product then spend hours in the machine shop without knowing the result. The Cannondale i´ve electrified took me almost a year to complete. I´ve manufactured most pieces and of course not all of them where perfect at the first try.
How does over 21 kW sound 
