Wired Cruiser - monster truck of ebikes.

[Marcela]

I ordered the Predator. See how this experience goes.

For the motors I think they are straight cut gears, they are going to be noisier than helical cut, but straight cut are stronger and don't take as much horsepower and make as much heat. The bike looks like what I have been wanting but couldn't find and looks to be well thought out and designed. I sure hope so!

Think we are going to need a Wired subforum.

 

[Gionnirocket]

The new ones are over 130 pounds with just the one main battery. . . that's all I have to say about that.

 

[Marcela]

Wired Warrior showed up today. These things are made for stout. For the price of these and what you get, it's like crazy. Something like this made in the US could be in twice the price range easily. They are heavy, each battery weighs 20#, the hub motor is 10#, the aluminum bracing is like 1/4" plate. Predator should be here within the month.

 

[Chazmo]

Looks like fun. That’s awfully heavy, although I thought my Juiced RipCurrent S was heavy when I first bought it… I’ll be curious to know if you can actually get comfortable banging the Warrior around on single tracks. I feel like this might’ve been the next evolution of a Juiced bike if they’d survived.

The Predator looks (way more) over the top to me. I’m kind of amazed you bought two of these! I’m certain they’ll be in stark contrast to your Specialized Como and Vado bikes!

 

[Marcela]

I didn't figure it for a single track rig, today I took it across the face of the dam and down some dirt trails. It has the power but just wasn't designed for that kind of stuff. The tires bounce like basketballs, the shocks are not the greatest, the derailleur needs a stronger spring to keep the chain from rattling around, the front cog needs the teeth offset to keep the chain from jumping but it does have inner and outer guard to keep it from dropping. The bottom bracket is so far off the ground, like 13" inches, to make it pedallable the seat is so high the feet can hardly touch the ground when coming to a stop, drop the seat down and pedaling gets kind of cramped and not efficient. The gooseneck bearings are too tight I think to keep a wobble out of the front end but I am going to lighten it and see if that happens, it is difficult to keep a straight line when the bearings are so tight. I balanced the front tire and it was out about 1/2 oz, being out of balance might contribute to the wobble. It has cruise control which is so nice. The handlebars being up so high makes it easy to ride standing up, a rarity in that department. I rode the class 2 restriction for a bit, I don't mind the 20 mph, that is really fast enough for me, the 750w restriction sucks and isn't enough for the hills around here. Going much faster than 20 mph on the sidewalks and bike paths around here on a bike that weighs so much can get out of control pretty quick if one is not used to it.

Overall it is a nice bike and will be worth the money if there are no break downs. I imagine things will get upgraded as they wear or opportunity arises if I keep them long enough. They won't replace the std bike or the Como or Vado.

 

[Chazmo]

Interesting, Marcela. Keep me/us posted. Does your model have the RST Guide front fork suspension? I’m just curious as I was considering that fork as a replacement on my bike down the road (that’s a whole other long story ).

Tell me/us what you think about the weight of the bike?

 

[Marcela]

The Warrior does have the RST Guide front forks, it is spring suspension with preload and damper adjustment with lockout, the rear is air shock. The Predator is supposed to have the air front forks with 150mm of travel. I don't see the spring as being much of anything to write home about, the air shock would be my preference.

Without the batteries the bike is heavy, with the batteries it is unwieldy at the stand still. You are going to roll it whichever direction the tires are pointed or drag one end or the other for a 360. I think because the rear battery is so high, if it was removed handling would be much different. Same with the front battery. Maybe someone will figure out how to place the batteries lower some day.

Centered the calipers, first time I have ever seen copper backing plate for the pads and copper in the pad material.

Loosened the steering a little, I suspect they are using nylon bushings which is fine with me. I think some are upgrading to steel bearings but I am not sure.

 

[Chazmo]

The Warrior does have the RST Guide front forks, it is spring suspension

Ah, I didn’t realize the RST Guide came in different configurations. Apparently it does. Thanks for the update, though. Enjoy.

 

[PCeBiker]

The Warrior does have the RST Guide front forks, it is spring suspension with preload and damper adjustment with lockout,

The damping isn't adjustable on RST forks.
The dial rotates, but the damping is either on or locked out.
(I tried turning the dial slowly thinking that I could adjust the damping, but it stayed the same until it locks)

There are a few versions of forks available though including air spring, suspension travel, and either hydraulic or mechanical lockout,..

GUIDE - RST Suspension

GUIDE Feature All Specification

rstsuspension.com

 

[Marcela]

What are you guys using for psi for the 4" tires? Wired recommends 28-30 psi. I am down to 18 psi and think that is in the neighborhood. And I don't know if this is related to the lower psi, around turns the tires feel kind of squirrelly, might that be related to the lower psi or the knobs on the tires?

 

[Gionnirocket]

Both

 

[Chazmo]

Marcela, I run Fättie at around 30 psi. I’ve yet to dropthe pressure any lower. I’d certainly run them higher and see if the squirrelly-ness goes away. Most of my riding is on gravel rail-trail, but I do a lot of earth trails, and even in winter with 1”+ snow on the ground. And, unfortunately (but necessarily) I have to ride on some roads too. I have RST tires (OEM) and I think their tubes as well (not sure).

If you’re riding on beach sand or deep snowy conditions, might wanna' drop the pressure then. Only thing I’d warn you about is that if you have tubed tires (I do) the valve could get damaged by the rim if it slips around (due to low pressure). Tubeless is an option, as are valves that can screw onto the rim and avoid slipping.

 

[Marcela]

Roger that. I thought about the tire spinning on the rim but hadn't considered the tube. Think I'll up the pressure and see what happens.

 

[PCeBiker]

I have street treaded fat tires (extremely rare) on my first ebike.
They say specifically to inflate to 30 PSI.
They don't have a pressure range shown on the tire like nobby fat tires.

I don't know if this is related to the lower psi, around turns the tires feel kind of squirrelly, might that be related to the lower psi or the knobs on the tires?

You may have some self steering going on?
When the tire is at a low pressure the oval contact patch starts to go concave, then you start riding on the outer edges of the oval.

Then your handlebars kinda lock-up and you can't steer the thing.
It's a Fricken strange feeling that I've only felt once.
My brother-in-law bought a used fatbike that was aired up to about 8 PSI.

I'm pretty sure that my street tread would be a lot more dangerous if self steering were to happen, so they specifically say to inflate to 30 PSI?

Pinch flats can happen a lot easier too at low pressure if you roll up a curb or hit a pot hole.

You've got a full suspension ebike, you don't need to use your tires as suspension.

Low pressure Really Wastes Gas too.
Your MPG will take a Big dump.

The nobbs on the tire are constantly scrubbing the road surface as the contacts patch flexes and bends.

 

[Marcela]

I've noticed the high speed runs will really suck the juice. Think I looked for the Big boats and couldn't find any, I was looking for a smooth tread anyway, not a lot out there.

You guys have the throttle delay? That is a killer, especially with a motorcycle in the stable.

 

[Gionnirocket]

These things are highly inefficient imo... especially if you're running low pressure and the typical stock knobbies
I ride with a friend who has the wired freedom. He changed his tires to street tread and runs them @ 30psi. He'll burn 65% of his battery while I use less than 25% on a 35 mile mostly on but with some off road.
Mine is a 1000w mid drive w48v/21ah battery
ymmv

 

[PCeBiker]

I've noticed the high speed runs will really suck the juice.

That's mostly wind resistance.
Tire resistance isn't as big a factor at speed.
I live in a perfectly flat area, and when I plow into a 20 MPH headwind at 20 MPH, I max out my controller at 18 amps.
Then I turn around, and with a tail wind, my controller is only putting out ~2-3 amps.

Think I looked for the Big boats and couldn't find any, I was looking for a smooth tread anyway, not a lot out there.

I tried too, and they're sold out/not available anywhere.
There is a 3.8 (I forget what brand) that's a bit more available but still hard to find.

You guys have the throttle delay? That is a killer, especially with a motorcycle in the stable.

Yeah, all my throttles do that.
It sucks, but I've gotten used to it.

I think the only way to Completely get rid of the delay is with a Grin controller and display.

I installed a KT controller on my first ebike and it still has a delay.
They do it on purpose to help avoid accidentally accelerating if you bump the throttle, but anyone who's ever ridden a motorcycle knows how to work a throttle.

A motorcycle twist throttle has about ¼ twist from 0-full throttle but all the ebike throttles have about an ⅛th of a turn from 0-full, making the throttle all twitchy.
And there's dead spots at the start and end of the rotation reducing the active area even more.

There is a Domino throttle meant for an electric motorcycle that has a normal amount of rotation.

 

[PCeBiker]

These things are highly inefficient imo...

They are effective though.
They go like snot.
But I wouldn't want to run out of battery on a 130 pound ebike.

Even with those two Huge batteries, it would be like riding a big ole Harley Davidson that had a ½ gallon gas tank.

 

[Marcela]

Thanks for the info on the throttle twist. That is one thing that I definitely need to adjust to, especially in making a slow speed turn!

 

[Gionnirocket]

Perhaps... He's happy so I guess that's all that matters.
I see some negatives though.
He drops his chain occasionally.
The front fork travel is like 20mm.. perhaps enough with 4" tires?
He had to replace his headset bearings in less than 6 mo.
The rear battery rattles and imo it's only a matter of time before it develops vibration related connection issues.
My take.. It's a spec whore boasting big numbers. But like most with that title, they may be fun to ride but I wouldn't want to live with...