E-S Stealth Electric Bike Owners

[CJonaBttlrckt]

Hi folks,
Regarding my Bomber upgrades.
I recently posted a pic of the rebuilt bike after the frame repair and a couple of shots of the hub mod (p446).
I will get some specific photos of the craked frame and repair and some other things from the scarily long list.
The forks were the WB upgrade option from Stealth two years ago when I bought the bike.
Cheers,
Clinton

 

[Rix]

Aussie BMX pro and factory test rider, Josh Callan tries out his B-52 Bomber on some of his home turf.

That is a sweet video. Josh makes it look so easy which I suppose pro riders tend to do.

One thing I thought was interesting. Everyone goes on about how bad the stock suspension is on Stealths. This bike has stock suspension and seems to be controlling all the landings very nicely. Even one of the landings where the back wheel landed on the peak of a jump in front, the rear wheel looked to be very well controlled.

I understand that high end suspension is going be an improvement especially with sharp tight bumps but it does prove the stock suspension isn't really as bad as everyone makes out.

Just food for thought.

That is an awesome video, great point about the suspension John. The stock RST fork on my Fighter was better than my revalved 888 Zocks on the Bomber. I would still be running them, if I didn't break the plunger on the cartridge unit. Of course my Bomber RST sucked, and I am thinking that was a fluke thing. Valving a fork or shock for rider weight and desired traits can improve things, but as you said, and I totally agree with you, the stock set up is working fine for Josh Callan. I also found it very interesting that Jack Field could run any suspension he wants on his Hurricane, and he is running the RST up front and DNM on the rear with a motor wheel set up. That guy can ride.

 

[remf]

Definitely agree, in terms of the selection quality of suspension, batteries and many other components, these are more examples of the evolutionary development in Stealth bikes. So starting out revolutionary those years ago for a new type of off-road bike then evolving into the more refined machine it is today. Guaranteed there'll be another revolution in the years ahead.

 

[Theodore Voltaire]

I think the stock forks work pretty good once you understand what they like, and don't like. They're very stiffly sprung, like the rear end, and have a lot of striction. They don't like going slow. Where they shine is going fast on bumpy city streets. About 45 to 50 mph they work great. For the weight of this bike the fork legs are huge diameter, and don't flex much, so at those speeds they help make the bike very stable, but at lower speeds they feel stiff, and have a harsh ride.

Unless you want to rework your forks like Emmett, which I don't, your choices are, go very slow, which you don't need suspension anyway, or go fast, and they work great. Anything in the middle just shut up about it, and learn how to ride faster.

 

[Pekkaam]

Hi all

2,5 years ago I started to dream of this bike and finally today it all came true

I was suprised that it came with the new fork because I ordered the bike in April. But anyways really happy with it.

Really big thumbs up for Swedish stealth distributor, they have done really good work.

 

[Rix]

Hi all

2,5 years ago I started to dream of this bike and finally today it all came true

I was suprised that it came with the new fork because I ordered the bike in April. But anyways really happy with it.

Really big thumbs up for Swedish stealth distributor, they have done really good work.

Welcome to the club! That is one sweet all black Fighter. Black DNM fork looks trick. So did they ship your battery separately? Don't forget to tell us about your first ride impression. I always enjoy reading about new owners initial impressions.

 

[Theodore Voltaire]

Electronaut at Strokers again.

 

[Rix]

Damn TV, you are living the life, I am jealous.

 

[Theodore Voltaire]

Damn TV, you are living the life, I am jealous.

My Sifu at my Kung Fu school said I have a lucky like.

 

[Rix]

Damn TV, you are living the life, I am jealous.

My Sifu at my Kung Fu school said I have a lucky like.

Funny you say that, my Kenpo instructor said I was really lucky as well. Coincidence?

 

[cashmax]

Hi there, looking for some advice with a controller swap. My Bomber controller failed for the second time and I managed to get an old one from ebay. It had come from an older bomber without regen braking. It appears to work fine, but this controller has a on/off switch on it where my others didn't and when I connect the wires that go to the key the I don't get power to the motor. When I disconnect these, the motor runs fine.

Perhaps I am missing something and these wires are for something else??

 

[Hyena]

My Sifu at my Kung Fu school said I have a lucky like.

Funny you say that, my Kenpo instructor said I was really lucky as well. Coincidence?

My old Ju Jitsu instructor never called me lucky but he did call me an asshole this one time... :lol:

cashmax, when you say it doesnt run do you lose all power to the bike (CA goes out) or the throttle just stops working ?
I take it your bike isn't a newer one with the DC1 ?
If it's off a stealth bomber it should work, if it's just an 18 fet crystalyte from elsewhere they come with an assortment of plugs. If it's a 2 pin plug it could be for a temp sensor cut off or ebrake or an assortment of other things. I'm assuming it's not a stealth supplied one if it has a switch on the controller as stealth plug these up and route the wires externally to go to the key switch in the frame.

 

[cashmax]

Thanks for the reply, the controller was this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121497830223?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Perhaps I should have read the listing. I compared the connectors to my old one and they are all the same, plugged them in and they worked. But the controller does have a red on/off switch on the front. Perhaps the connector I have is for the regen, not the power. I think it must have been a stealth one, because it has all the right connectors at the right length and I can even see the bend where the motor phase connectors went.

 

[Hyena]

Wow that's a hefty price for a dirty, 2 year old unit!
It does say it came off a bomber so you're probably right, it's just odd that it has a switch. Maybe this was a local stealth US dealer thing, all the Aussie ones I've seen have been plugged up.

How did you connect up the key switch ? Yours has andersons on it right? The listing mentions the regen button has been cut off so if you connected andersons to that cut off 2 pin wire there's your issue. The simplest solution is just to unplug the key switch and use the controller switch, but it you want to maintain original functionality you need to remove the controller end plate and solder longer wires onto original ones going to the switch then run them back to your key switch in the frame. The neatest way to do this would be to get a suitably sized grommet/plug and pop a small hole in it then ride the wire from there. Otherwise if you want the wire to exit from the other end with all the otehrs you'll need to open the case and run the wire back through internally. All that said, if it is a genuine one off a bomber the original key switch wiring SHOULD work. Can you post up a picture of all the wires and plugs on the controller ?

 

[Rix]

My old Ju Jitsu instructor never called me lucky but he did call me an asshole this one time... :lol:

Been called that a time or tow myself.

 

[hugeone22]

In case anyone is interested the new 30Ah Fighter battery weighs in at exactly 10kgs on my digital scales. If I remember correctly my old fighter battery was 8 or 8.5kgs (Bomber battery is 12.5kgs) also the battery seems to be a few mm wider but this may just be the thicker heatshrink.

Whats great about this new battery will be the extra range as I felt the fighter lacked range if ridden hard (heavy throttle use) then the battery could be flat within an hours riding where as the bomber could do 2 hours with the same heavy handed use. Now the fighter should also do 2 hours or more of hard use and over 4 hours moderate use and maybe more than 6 hours if you really go easy on the throttle and pedal hard.

The new DNM forks definitely feel plusher than the RSTs. I havent ridden the bike yet but am sure ride wont be so harsh over smaller fast bumps.

The extra front height does look like it will change the steering angle and maybe the steering feel in loose stuff though...

Hugh

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Thanks for that info Hugh.

How much was the Fighter battery?

I'm currently considering either building my own 18650 pack, or linking together a bunch of Hobby King Multistar packs, but if a stock pack is cheap enough, the warranty sure would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[hugeone22]

Thanks for that info Hugh.

How much was the Fighter battery?

I'm currently considering either building my own 18650 pack, or linking together a bunch of Hobby King Multistar packs, but if a stock pack is cheap enough, the warranty sure would be appreciated.

Cheers

Hi Cd i got the battery with a new Fighter so don't know the price of battery alone.

Hugh

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Hi Cd i got the battery with a new Fighter so don't know the price of battery alone.

Hugh

Ah ok, thanks anyway.

It would probably cost over 2k anyway so not worth it IMO. I should be able to get enough bare 18650 cells to make more than 30AH for less than 1k anyway...then it's just my time to spot weld them all together.
On the other hand I 'think' I might be able to fit more than 40Ah of the Multi Star packs in there...and that would still be under 1.25k so that might be the easier option...we'll see.

Cheers

 

[Emmett]

Also, Stealth must have been taking notice of the fork investigations work by Emmet, have now switched over to the DNM 8 USD fork as standard.

Good stuff. What damper valving setting is installed in the stock DNM USD-8 fork?

The new DNM forks definitely feel plusher than the RSTs. I havent ridden the bike yet but am sure ride wont be so harsh over smaller fast bumps. The extra front height does look like it will change the steering angle and maybe the steering feel in loose stuff though...

You can set the front height where ever you want. Just slide the fork tubes up in the triple clamps.

The height of the front of the bike, and the steering geometry is also controlled by the height of the rear of the Fighter (just stating the obvious). The rear height is controlled by your rear spring rate and rear spring preload (and also the shock damping but let's keep it simple). Get the front to rear height balance right and your bike should turn in nicely into corners, be stable over rough straights, and also lock into long corner ruts or berms so you can rail them with without really thinking about it.

When my 2014 USD-8 fork was new it didn't work well for my use which is kinda fast (25 to 50 km/h) and relatively rough trails. The rebound damping shims were ultra stiff, so reb damping was just a bleed control via the clicker. The comp damping was the opposite = none. Being just a check valve that blows fully open on compression. I found it impossible to ride fast over rough twisty tracks without crashing. I still crash most rides because I like to push it and I can with all the right gear on. But was never fun when the bike was not predictable as mine was. Straighten bent cranks isn't fun either after a while.

To check your new USD-8 fork internal damping setting, just turn the right clicker in all the way and press your front end down hard with front brake on. On compression do you feel any damping, or just the spring effect? Then let it rebound up at full speed. On rebound does it come up super slow? If yes and yes, then that's how mine was. It can be made better. Much better. If you have some basic mechanical skills then it's easy to fix.

See http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/forums/topic/dnm-usd-8-fork-review-and-mods

If DNM improved the USD-8 settings, then you'll have to ride it see what you think.

 

[Emmett]

i got the battery with a new Fighter so don't know the price of battery alone.

Damn, I'm jealous. After a few rides with full charge/discharge cycles, how many Ah are you seeing on the DC-1 display?

I get up to 950, and I plan my ride to get back to base at 850 to 900. I never look at the % charge, and always watch the Ah. I have a sealed hub motor with oil cooling, which totally solved my overheating problems so I never have to care about motor temp any more.

I find that with lack of use (2+ weeks) my Fighter has less power. eg. After 4 weeks it seems to have about half the torque. Peak volts always seems fine, so I guess the battery cannot supply enough current if stored idle. After about X weeks in storage (in 20 o 30C temps), it takes about X full discharge/charge cycles before it's hauling hard again. It's not a big problem. My bike is still awesome.

My bike has been stored for 3.5 weeks now, but in winter, which is 7 to 22C here. So it'll be interesting to see how the battery feels next ride. Tomorrow I hope.

 

[Emmett]

A potentially big tech tip for the USD-8 fork is to deflate all air pressure out of the right leg before storing for more than a few days. At least for the 2014 or earlier version.

The reason is that the seal leaks between the lower air chamber and the damper oil. Mine does anyway. So compressed air pushes up into the damper unit. That means the damper oil foams up real fast and the fork damping fades, so the fork performance goes to crap. That is the handling become erratic and ride quality gets rough. You'll also hear weird sounds from the damper.

I'm fussy, so I deflate my fork air after every ride. Then I re inflate pre ride in a couple of minutes using a shock pump. I use 90 o 110 PSI. Less air means your fork rides a little lower and could bottom out easier, but more importantly less air pressure means less pressure on the damper oil, which means it cavitates more easily. Too much air and you don't get enough fork travel and air will push past the leaky seal faster. So for rough riding with the fork working hard I use 110 to reduce cav and bottoming. For smoother trails 90 PSI is enough.

To improve the seal you can try some auto-trans stop leak additive in your fork oil for a month or more. That'll swell up the seal and slow down the leakage. I used about 25% Nulon (Aussie) with 75% Motorex 7.5wt fork oil. After the seals are treated go back to 100% fork oil.

 

[Allex]

Wow sound like a real winner fork, that DNM

 

[Theodore Voltaire]

My son just informed me he's ordering a Bomber. I thought he was about to crack. The last time we went riding he told me his bike wasn't fast enough.

 

[Allex]

Funny when the parents are ahead the young guns with the tech!