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

[Hyena]

Congrats - I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. If you've got the cash for toys you can't really go wrong. I dont ride in such a way that I can appreciate any real difference in the fork upgrade but hey, the boxes are there to be ticked and if you're spending 11k it may as well be 12k right ? :lol:

 

[MX Engineer]

Congrats - I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. If you've got the cash for toys you can't really go wrong. I dont ride in such a way that I can appreciate any real difference in the fork upgrade but hey, the boxes are there to be ticked and if you're spending 11k it may as well be 12k right ? :lol:

I bough a brand new Husqvarva two years ago with a marginal WP 4CS fork, which needed to be fixed before any decent riding or racing can be done. I wasted a hundred hours on this project, revalved it 20 times, got the fork to work extremely well, only to pay another $900 to swap it for a slightly better tried and true KYB SSS, which I could/should have done right from the beginning. It cost me time, money, and damaged wrists. I learned some damper theory and practice though. And I developed an allergy for bad damper architecture.

So, I think I would like to buy a $1,300 MRP fork from the beginning, instead of trying luck with a $399 DNM fork.

 

[FL bomber]

Mx engineer... the wait is on. well worth it. enjoy your bomber. I would order extra sets of Razorbacks to be sent with your bike as you can get them anywhere else. Unicycle shops will carry Duro wildlife leopard but compound is much softer.

 

[MX Engineer]

Mx engineer... the wait is on. well worth it. enjoy your bomber. I would order extra sets of Razorbacks to be sent with your bike as you can get them anywhere else. Unicycle shops will carry Duro wildlife leopard but compound is much softer.

Thanks! Could you please clarify though? Razorbacks (tires)??? I have to buy them from Stealth, or I can get them anywhere else too?

 

[NoFanBoiz]

Watch the battery.

Well I think it's time to start looking for replacement battery, on my commute to work I've been hitting lvc at only 12 and a half amp hours used if I hit throttle hard. It's happened to me 3 times this week. Is this normal, I have 2013 bomber.. if you hit lvc don't slow down just hit your regen button ..bike will kick back on so you can finish your ride a bit slower... better than push walking.

This is a familiar story unfortunately.
As for normal....well, is it what Stealth and the battery manufacturers say is normal...no.
Is it what myself and numerous other have experienced...yes.
So take away from that what you want, but it seems like when you actually use the stock batteries on a near daily basis, you can actually encounter issues a lot sooner than you would think.
My first pack was completely replaced, then my second pack was 'repaired' under warranty 3 or 4 times. Now it's sitting at around 500 cycles and hits LVC at around 13-15AH depending on how hard I ride.
Currently my stock pack is sitting on the shelf unused since about 6 months. I'm thinking of putting it to use on my electric lawn mower at some stage.

Cheers

 

[MadRhino]

Most of us are building our own, and we can do much better for the money. Buying a ´ready to ride' ebike is expansive if you want quality components, and even then you will not have the best on your bike for 11K. Yet, for someone who doesn't want to build and probably not repair by himself either, this kind of money might worth it if you have a dealer nearby who will take care.

As for questions like legality and tolerance, each place is different and it does also rely on rider behaviour. Some riders are getting away with very powerful bikes, at the same places where another will get into troubles with a perfectly legal one.

 

[MX Engineer]

The crate is arriving today!

Got a call from the freight company yesterday. I won't be at home, so they said to leave a note with where to leave the crate. I hope when I get back home at night this $11K item will still be sitting in my driveway, LOL!

Last week I was itching to explore some desert around Lake Havasu. So I rolled my 250 2-stroke Husky out of the garage, started it, and rode up into the mountains. Rode some hilly power line trails for four hours. That was the proper tool for the job. There is a strong powersports culture around here. I got many happy waves from the side-by-side drivers on these trails, and even from my neighbors. Gotta love the town culture that enjoys the outdoors and powersports. They ride quads and side-by-side to grocery stores around here. So... the Stealth will then be utilized for blasting down mountain bike trails and city streets then, I suppose. Plus, I have a whole summer in Michigan where they would arrest me if I started a 2-stroke with a racing exhaust in my neighborhood. There I would have to be Stealth-y.

 

[FL bomber]

MX engineer Razorback tires cannot be purchased anywhere except from stealth. I think they're the toughest 24-inch tires even bald they are more puncture resistant then other options.. Maxxis Holy Rollers, schwabl crazy Bob's. Tire liners a must.. good idea two always have small wrench, Tire irons, extra tube and Minnie air pump and pair of snipars to cut zip ties to remove wheel. And most important an allen key to open battery compartment. Anyway have fun ride on

 

[MadRhino]

Duro Razorback, Duro Wildlife leopard, Halo Contra, Arrow Racing, Savage ...

The same Duro 3.0 DH mud tire is sold under a variety of brand names. It is generally available at monocycles online stores.

 

[MX Engineer]

Got the bike last week and the battery today. Installed, rode a bit in the Economy mode down the street and back, then selected the Competition mode. The bike is super quiet, the loudest sound is the tire knobbies on asphalt. It almost pulls throttle-only wheelies without me helping. It is going to be fun!

 

[Rube]

Glad you are having fun! Give it hell

 

[abdula]

hi

i was thinking about buying new stealth bomber 52 2017....it cost $10k and was searching internet forums and users who tried it ....they said ...some had their bearingsarm broken and they/he couldnt fix it or replace it because not any bicycle shop has it (vboxxx system) ....and some say the battery dies after 1000 charges ( 2 or 3 years).....and must buy new battery pack ( cost $2000 thousand dollars)

so....

if i buy new Stealth Bomber 52 ...every time i think about riding it i must not have fun...instead i must think about not pedaling because i might brake the vboxxx system ( pedaling system ) and i must not use the full speed or full throttle to not make batteries pack discharged quickly and to not shorten battery pack's life fast so that i dont have to pay $2000 thousand dollars every 2 years...i mean think about it....$2000 every 2 years just for battery packs ?? then how much for tires ? and how much for brake pads ??

for example ..if there is a zombie outbreak happened ....i cannot use the Stealth bomber 52 2017 $10k USD because i might run out of battery and get eaten by zombies as dinner ?

if these information is wrong ...please correct me.

last question : how many batteries are their in the battery pack ?
i really like this ebike but i really dont want to pay $2000 usd every 2 years just for batteries.

2 years ($2000 usd) + 2 years($2000 usd) + 2 years ($2000 usd) = $6k dollars + taxes every 6 years only for batteries ?

thanks for any help

 

[abdula]

another thing...this e bike " stealth bomber 52" was made in 2013....now 2017 entering 2018 soon.....so ....should i buy this ebike ? or wait for new models ?

thanks for any help in advance

 

[SlowCo]

another thing...this e bike " stealth bomber 52" was made in 2013....now 2017 entering 2018 soon.....so ....should i buy this ebike ? or wait for new models ?

thanks for any help in advance

You should buy whatever you like and can afford. Stealth makes a great bike but there are many more in different price ranges. Some of them are on this forum:

http://hyenaelectricbikes.com/?page_id=245

https://www.qulbix.com/qulbix-products/qulbix-e-bikes

http://www.vectorebike.com/bikes.html

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=81828

Others I like:

http://tangentmotors.com/ascent

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=76113&hilit=davinci

Etc. Just use the search function on this forum to learn more

 

[rumme]

IMHO..no they are not worth $11,000 , especially when we have a member on here by the name of eyebyesickle that can build you a complete ebike, with stealth like performance for 1/3rd the price : Check it out - youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpxwou5SUuA&t=54s

 

[abdula]

hey man thanks for the vector website....i was wondering...why vector ebike speed 14000 kw ( faster than bomber 52 ) is cheaper ( 6k usd ) than bomber 52 (10k usd ) ?
is it have to be more expensive than stealth bomber 52 ? because it is faster ? or am i mistaken ?

note: please moderator dont lock this thread i just want to know and understand which ebike is better and why price is very lower at faster ebike and why price is very high at slow ebike.

 

[abahanad]

hey man thanks for the vector website....i was wondering...why vector ebike speed 14000 kw ( faster than bomber 52 ) is cheaper ( 6k usd ) than bomber 52 (10k usd ) ?
is it have to be more expensive than stealth bomber 52 ? because it is faster ? or am i mistaken ?

note: please moderator dont lock this thread i just want to know and understand which ebike is better and why price is very lower at faster ebike and why price is very high at slow ebike.

Well, why is a gtr faster than a bently or jags?
Vector bike isnt actually 14kw, its 9kw but could handle 14, still more powerfull than a bomber.
People pay for the name, warranty and labour with the bomber, vector has a more realistic warranty, labour is cheaper and perform better (to me)

 

[st35326]

http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Motorcycles/street-500.html
Need i say more?

I'd rather have the Bomber.

 

[abdula]

thanks for reply..

please someone help me understand these answers:

1. how much does the battery pack cost ? is it really $2000 usd ? every 2 years i pay $2000 usd for 1 battery pack ?
2. how many batteries in pack ?
3. is there any alternative method ( cheap ) for batteries ?
4. can i get a fully assembled stealth bomber 52 from company instead of me assembling it ? because i dont know how to assemble it and i dont have the right tools
5. which one is faster ...bomber 52 or vector 14watts ?
6. does the stealth bomber 52 comes with battery charger or should i buy one ?
7. what is the best battery pack to buy (any website) ?

thank you for any help in advance

 

[markz]

Buy your battery pack from Justin at www.ebikes.ca or Paul at www.em3ev.com

 

[Hyena]

Yeah alot of the difference is branding.
Stealth are the original high performance ebike manufacturers. They've been building these bikes for years and have refined geometry and an established reputation, dealer and service network and so you know what you're getting. They're designed and built in Australia and the cost is higher as a result. The other options are newer to the market and some are more comparable than others. If something is much cheaper, it's for a reason and there's always a trade off. The cheap, mass produced Chinese frames for example are made from stupidly heavy steel and weight around 22kg just for the bare frame. In comparison the FUTR beta frames I use (manufactured by stealth) are 1/3rd that weight. If price matters to you above all else then you have to sacrifice quality, weight and handling.

Any turn key bike you buy will come with a battery and charger. I wouldn't worry about the battery too much now, look into it in 2 years time or whenever it needs replacing. The way tech is advancing you'll end up with either a smaller, lighter battery or more range in the same physical size pack.

As for the power ratings. Power does not directly relate to speed - the voltage and motor winding will determine that and you can have a 10,000w bike that tops out at 60km/hr or 100km/hr.
Anything over 10kw is a largely a numbers game and comes with rapidly dwindling returns at higher power levels as most of the extra power is cooked off as heat and it just flattens your battery quicker.
I've built a 15kw stealth but as above there's barely anything in it beyond 10kw, and personally I think 8kw is the sweet spot for range, power and efficiency.

 

[abdula]

Buy your battery pack from Justin at http://www.ebikes.ca or Paul at http://www.em3ev.com

thank you for the websites...but there are too many types which one is for stealth bomber 52 ? can you please give me direct link to battery pack and direct link for charger ? thank you

 

[abdula]

Yeah alot of the difference is branding.
Stealth are the original high performance ebike manufacturers. They've been building these bikes for years and have refined geometry and an established reputation, dealer and service network and so you know what you're getting. They're designed and built in Australia and the cost is higher as a result. The other options are newer to the market and some are more comparable than others. If something is much cheaper, it's for a reason and there's always a trade off. The cheap, mass produced Chinese frames for example are made from stupidly heavy steel and weight around 22kg just for the bare frame. In comparison the FUTR beta frames I use (manufactured by stealth) are 1/3rd that weight. If price matters to you above all else then you have to sacrifice quality, weight and handling.

Any turn key bike you buy will come with a battery and charger. I wouldn't worry about the battery too much now, look into it in 2 years time or whenever it needs replacing. The way tech is advancing you'll end up with either a smaller, lighter battery or more range in the same physical size pack.

As for the power ratings. Power does not directly relate to speed - the voltage and motor winding will determine that and you can have a 10,000w bike that tops out at 60km/hr or 100km/hr.
Anything over 10kw is a largely a numbers game and comes with rapidly dwindling returns at higher power levels as most of the extra power is cooked off as heat and it just flattens your battery quicker.
I've built a 15kw stealth but as above there's barely anything in it beyond 10kw, and personally I think 8kw is the sweet spot for range, power and efficiency.

seems like a good answer...thanks but... what to do with old dead not working lifepo4 battery pack ? and can we invent a small electric portable generator ( instead of battery pack) that generate electricity power to hub motor ? and save many dollars and go longer range ?

 

[SlowCo]

seems like a good answer...thanks but... what to do with old dead not working lifepo4 battery pack ? and can we invent a small electric portable generator ( instead of battery pack) that generate electricity power to hub motor ? and save many dollars and go longer range ?

Seems like you should search and read more info on batteries and ebikes. Or just buy a gas powered moped/motorcycle...

 

[abdula]

seems like a good answer...thanks but... what to do with old dead not working lifepo4 battery pack ? and can we invent a small electric portable generator ( instead of battery pack) that generate electricity power to hub motor ? and save many dollars and go longer range ?

Seems like you should search and read more info on batteries and ebikes. Or just buy a gas powered moped/motorcycle...

hi...yes i did searched and read info on batteries and ebikes...what kind information you want me to know ? and i dont like gas powered motorcycle...they are cool ..but i dont like oil and pay gas every day and clean radiator and clean plugs and clean this and that and buy and replace oil for motor and loud noise and police ask for license and motorcycle unable to ride in park ....

i think in future they should invent a small engine that use air or water to work instead of batteries ...or use small nuclear or uranium energy ...or use an engine that works similarly like the little cars for kids ...you push back the little car then it goes fast forward by it self....we can use this in ebike right ? anyways there are many techniques today maybe some smart scientist will combine some techniques and come out with something breakthrough instead of batteries....maybe invent electric motor goes infinite power like aircondition gas system ?