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by Jérôme Daoust. Revised 2012/1/3 |
Main (Top of Page)
Work in Progress
Manufacturer’s picture below.
Configuration
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Part |
MSRP |
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Bomber. Black, no graphic inlay stickers. |
9900 $US. |
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Front suspension: White Brothers / Groove 200 HD Fork. |
1200 $US |
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Street tires: Schwalbe / Crazy Bob. |
55 $US |
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Kickstand: Ricochet Kickstand for Honda CR85R Expert. |
77 $US |
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GPS: Garmin Edge 500. |
250 $US |
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68 $US |
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Headlight (to be seen): Planet bike / Blaze 2W |
60 $US |
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Taillight: Planet bike / Superflash |
30 $US |
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Total: 11640 $US + Shipping + Tax |
· I ordered on 2011/5/13 through my local retailer ReVolt (offers assembly and service). Order/serial number is 1009. Received it on TBD.
· As of 2011/5/17, I have 0 miles on it. Some rides are described in the “GPS-recorded ride” section further down.
Why?
· The line of questioning usually go like this…
o Question: You bought what for $10,000 ?
o Me: An electric bicycle.
o Question: That's nuts, why not an electric motorcycle for the same price?
o Me: I had lots of motorcycles and for being on the street (or dirt), I prefer a gas engine for better performance and range at a similar price point. I want to ride bicycle paths, where noise or something that looks like a motorcycle would draw unwanted attention. Unlike an electric motorcycle this ebike does not transmit motor power through gears & chain, so it is more silent. And I can "get away with" its looks, since it is visually halfway between a bicycle and a light motorcycle. A powerful ebike, ridden silently on bike paths, gives you the feeling of superhuman abilities. The best feeling is to go relatively fast (compared to other things on the same path), yet remain below decapitation speeds. If I need to go far, fast, have crash protection or sheltered from weather I use my 190 mph sport car that out-corners the 175 mph superbike I had last year. I find this particular model of ebike the best value for a full-suspension ebike with good power and range.
· Discussion: Google groups: Stealth Electric Bikes: What is your answer to: Why not an electric motorcycle?
Manuals
· Stealth / Bomber and Fighter: Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request).
· 9-speed transmission: SR Suntour V-Boxx FR9: V-Boxx Owner's Manual.
· Current analyzer: Cycle Analyst: CA User Manual.
· Brakes: Gatorbrake: Gatorbrake 6 Piston Service Manual.
· Front forks:
o White Brothers / Groove 200 HD Fork: Groove HD User Manual.
o RST / R-One: 2010 Owner's Manual.
Bike
· Total weight (ready to ride) is 116 lb (53 kg). Battery (removable) weight is 23.1 lb (10.5) kg (source). Weight without battery is 93 lb (42 kg).
· Instrumentation: An integrated Cycle Analyst provides readout for speed, distance and electrical related info (Voltage, Amps…). It also allows to set maximum current, minimum voltage cutoff.
· Wheels:
o 24" rim diameter. They use Schrader (not Presta) valves.
o Improving puncture protection (discussion). Recommendation (source): Mr. Tuffy liner bonded to the inside the tire using rubber cement such as 3M Scotch-Weld Rubber and Gasket Adhesives. Recommendation (source): Carry a 12 oz can of Slime / Quick Spair for small tires.
o Tires: Street:
§ Aftermarket: Maxxis / Hookworm, size 24" x 2.5", street tire. Reviews: 4.68 out of 5 on mtbr.
§ Aftermarket: Electra / Cruiser Fatti-O (Black Wall), size 24" x 3.0". Gromith likes them.
o Tires: Street/Dirt:
§ Original equipment upgrade + my choice at purchase: Schwalbe / Crazy Bob, size 24" x 2.35", street/dirt BMX tire. Kepler, 2011/5/18 writes "Very happy with these. Great grip on the road and they even work reasonably well in the dirt. Not like knobby of course, but good enough for the occasional off-road excursion.". Pictures of them on his bike. mtbr review(s).
o Tires: Dirt:
§ Original equipment: Duro / Razorback, size 24" x 3", dirt tire.
· Gearing between the pedals and the rear wheel is achieved with a SR Suntour V-Boxx FR9 9-speed sequential gear box. Changing gears is done with a twist grip. A concentric swingarm pivot eliminates the need for a chain tensioner and derailleur.
· Suspension:
o Front: White Brothers / Groove 200 Fork. The inverted 7.9" dual crown forks have 2-way compression, rebound, air preload adjustment and nitro charged floating pistons. Adjustments:
§ Fix for sticky forks past their normal break-in, by Paul G (source): I bought silicon spray and pulled the fork seal open with my finger nail and gave a squirt.
§ Fix for rattling noise on bad roads or off road, by Dlogic (source): The left arm incorporates a large spring, whereas the right arm uses oil and a couple of seals to damp the ride. Now this big spring has to have some play between the aluminum tube and itself where it´s mounted in. The problem is that this gap allows the spring to vibrate against the aluminum tube. This acts as a resonance body amplifying the sound. The solution is simple. I took some shrink tubing, cut 5 pieces from it and made it shrink applying some heat. This now acts as a cushion preventing noise.
o Rear: 250 mm travel. It is a single pivot rear coil over monoshock with a custom valve. Compression and rebound dials provide easy adjustments. Adjustments:
§ Fix for a squeaky rear shock, by John W (source): One problem spot I have come across is an annoying squeak from the rear shocker after about 1000 miles. It was quite hard to find exactly where it was coming from but I found the problem stemmed from the bottom pivot point. The rear pivot has ball joint in centre flanked by bushes on both side that hold an O-ring. Once the bolt is removed, the flanged bushes can be removed from each side. You may need to get a thin screwdriver behind the flange on the bush to pop it out. My O-rings were completely dry. Once cleaned, lubed with O-ring grease, and re-assembled, the rear shock was perfectly quiet again.
· Seat:
o I upgraded to a Serfas / CRS-1 Super Cruiser, that I used for other bikes. After 20 miles it makes a big comfort difference.
o Seatpost diameter is 31.6 mm.
o Aftermarket seatpost: Jim Kirk likes the Thomson / Elite.
· Front brake:
o Gatorbrake 6 pistons hydraulic brake calipers. Rotors are stamped 203 (mm) and measure 8" (source). From the brake's user manual: "Do not use D.O.T. 3 or 4 brake fluid in this system. Doing so may result in damaging the seals and cause the brakes to fail". Possible brake fluid: Finish Line High Performance Mineral Oil Brake (source).
· Rear brake:
o Same rotor as the front, same caliper and pads.
· Storage:
o No center or kickstand. Do you really need one? If you do, there is an aftermarket solution: Ricochet Kickstand for Honda CR85R Expert: Photos by Paul G.
o If you want, it can be stored vertically, with front wheel above the rear: Discussion.
· Stealth.
o Sound. One of this bike's strong points is that it is very quiet. So aside from using street tires instead of knobby dirt tires, nothing else is needed.
o Visual. In its original state, it looks somewhere between a normal bicycle and a motocross. See discussion topic. A few possible enhancements:
§ Front fork tubes. My idea… Make them seem shorter by blackening the top between the clamps, wrapping them with thin plastic sheets.
§ Middle
frame. My ideas… Suggest a different purpose for the middle frame: Pizza container.
Create the illusion of a hole with a magnetic flexible panel…
Motor
· Crystalyte X5403. Direct drive (no internal gear) brushless DC hub motor.
· Power: 4.5 kW (6.0 HP). To achieve this level (otherwise restricted to 750 W and 20 mph), see picture: Front of battery compartment, with power/speed restrictor wire cut, by Paul G (source).
Battery
· LiFePO4 chemistry. 1.5 kWh energy. Life of 1000 cycles.
· Weight of 23.1 lb (10.5) kg (source).
· Website: It charges in 2 hours.
· Website: The new and improved battery fastening system allows for battery changeovers in less than 90 seconds.
· Pictures:
o Battery compartment, by Paul G (source).
o Front of battery compartment, with power/speed restrictor wire cut, by Paul G (source).
o Battery by itself, by Paul G (source).
Performance
· Speed:
o Claim of 50 mph (80 km/h) maximum on website.
· Range:
o Claim of 50 miles (80 km) on website, but at what average speed?
Maintenance
· Lift: Aftermarket solutions…
o MX Lift. Price: 140 $US. Downsides: heavy, need to increase center hole. Pictures by Paul G.
· Cleaning:
o General: From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… High pressure washers should not be used for cleaning. While the bikes are very well sealed, water ingress may occur as a result of high pressure water being forced past seals and into electronic components. The preferred method for cleaning is with a sponge and warm soapy water.
o General: As a general cleaner/polish on painted and plastic surfaces: Plexus.
· Wheel removal:
o Rear: John_W's procedure.
· Break-in (for more detail refer to Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)) …
|
Item |
Work |
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Brakes |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… In most cases the break in time for the brake pads can be up to 100km. Where possible try to avoid heavy braking for the first 3 battery cycles. |
|
Battery |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… For the first 2-3 cycles try to avoid heavy and sudden acceleration in order to minimize the load placed on the battery cells. This “break in” will help to prolong the life of the battery pack and at the same time help the cells to operate at their full potential. |
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Spokes |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… Loose spokes should be tensioned after the first ride. |
· Schedule (for more detail refer to Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)) …
|
Item |
Work |
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Tire pressure |
Check before riding. |
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Chain |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… Chain tension should be just enough to remove any slack from the chain but loose enough that pushing firmly on the middle section of the chain does not cause deflection of more than 15 mm (about 5/8"). |
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Spokes |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… Loose spokes should be tensioned after the first ride and checked periodically. Broken spokes should be replaced as soon as possible. |
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Front suspension |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… Fork stanchions and preload adjustment should be checked periodically. Voicecoils (source)… White Bro recommends a fork service every 50 hours of riding which involves removing the lowers, checking for damage and wear to seals, bushings, slider coatings etc then cleaning and re-lubricating, changing the oil and reassembly. Good bike shops can do this stuff and the service work for the Stealth bike's suspension is just like other high end MTBs and shouldn't stump the mechanic. |
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Rear suspension |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… Fork stanchions and preload adjustment should be checked periodically. Voicecoils (source)… I don't know the service intervals for the rear shocks but 30-50 hrs is common for servicing and oil change, 100hrs for full overhaul. |
|
Brakes |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted on 2012/1/3 upon request)… Ensure that brake fluid is maintained at the maximum height visible through the sight glass. Use 2.5W mineral oil to refill. Visually inspect brake pad thickness periodically for wear. Pads should be replaced when pad thickness is less than 0.5mm. |
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Transmission |
From the V-Boxx Owner's Manual… In general SR SUNTOUR recommends to change the grease within the V-Boxx every 2500 km (1543 miles) or once a year. If your are riding your bike every day, you should re-new the grease more often. Also if your are riding in cold weather conditions, the grease of your V-Boxx should be changed every 6 month. |
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Battery |
From the Stealth Owner's Manual (file deleted upon request)… Do not subject the battery pack to temperatures above 35˚C (95˚F) or below -5˚C (23˚F). |
Information display
· It is provided by an integrated Cycle Analyst. Its functionality is described in the CA User Manual.
· If you find it too small, you can consider adding Fresnel lens over it or add a handlebar-mounted large display version.
· Adjustments:
o Defaults.
§ Max current of 65 A (source).
§ Min (cut-off) voltage of 72 V (source).
o Current (Amps).
§ Page 14 of the manual describes how to input the shunt resistance in mOhm (section "Set Rshunt"): If the current is reading too low then the shunt resistance value needs to be decreased, and vice versa.
§ John Karambalis (source): Go into the advanced setup menu on the CA and adjust the RS shunt value.... with the wheel spinning at 19mph you should be seeing about 105-110W on the CA. Adjust by 0.1 increments.
§ Correcting your resistance shunt value mathematically.
§ Jim Kirk (source): A clamp-on ammeter will measure the battery current. You, the user, can adjust the Rshunt numerical value in the CA. You don't know the proper value for the Rshunt value as it has to be calibrated so here is how to do it. You then set the bike up in the stand, then power the drive wheel to a certain mph reading on the CA and hold it there. You then note the clamp on ammeter current and also note the CA current reading. These should be identical so you then adjust the numerical value of Rshunt in the CA to get you to the correct CA current reading as noted with your clamp on ammeter. Now your CA is calibrated for your shunt. Doesn't matter in the least what the battery Wh are because you're about to find this out. Now go run the bike to exhaustion and measure your Wh's. If all is what you paid for you should get 1.5 kWh.
§ Rshunt values: Paul G at 1.056 (used a 60 $US Craftsman Digital Clamp-On Ammeter Model # 82369 to measure current).
GPS-recorded ride
· Using a Garmin Edge 500.
· TBD.
Transport
· Discussion: Endless-Sphere > Stealth Bomber: What is a good hitch-mounted rack for it?.
Online discussion
· Endless-Sphere > E-S Stealth Electric Bike Owners.
· Google group > Stealth Electric Bikes.
Pictures
TBD.
Conclusion (Top of Page)
Work in Progress
Good:
· Important:
o Good performance: Max speed of TBD mph if de-regulated (off-road only) and you get into an aerodynamic tuck (adds about 2 mph) when battery is near full charge.
o Lifetime frame warranty.
o Robustness.
o Internal gears (9), no derailleur or chain tensioner.
o Nearly silent, avoids unwanted attention.
o Display of speed, distance, electrical parameters.
· Moderate:
o Workmanship is TBD.
Neutral:
· No fenders. I don’t care because I live in Southern California where it rarely rains.
· No lights, only reflectors. But many after-market options abound. I added a Planet bike / Superflash taillight. Also added a Planet bike / Blaze 2W headlight.
Bad:
· Moderate:
o Heavy.
· Minor:
o No kickstand or center stand. But aftermarket kickstands are available.
o Visual side profile is large, makes it obvious it is not a simple bicycle.