Trying the new 450 watt motor on eProdigy Whistler

[BILL]

This morning I had the first 450 watt motor installed in my eProdigy Whistler. The Achiever Coaxial Motor has been available for years in 3 different power configurations but this is the first 450 watt in North America. The price for this upgrade has not yet been determined but my guess is around $200. Installation involved more than just a simple motor swap; a totally new and modern LCD panel contains many added features such as battery voltage, temperature, wheel size from 28 inches all the way down to 6 inches in 2 inch increments and motor wattage display. The trip distance does not disappear when the panel is switched off but is retained; it always bothered me that the display went off and trip mileage disappeared whenever I stopped for more than 10 minutes. It is much better now. In my opinion, the new panel alone is worth the price of the upgrade.

Now for the motor. My 350 watt was originally a pedelec only, with a torque sensor. After a defective bearing in the original motor, I received a new motor with a throttle and a speed sensor. The speed sensor is not as responsive as the torque sensor but I appreciated the ability to use the throttle when stuck at an intersection in too high a gear. And the torque sensor used to lurch forward each time I rested my foot on the pedal at a stop. The throttle was not very responsive and was not of much use for anything except emergency starts in high gear. The new motor is much quieter and builds speed slowly when pedaled but is noticeably more powerful. The throttle response is also much more powerful. It started to rain just as I got home so I am charging the battery while waiting for the sun.

Whether this motor becomes a production model depends in part on my review so let me tell you that I asked to keep the motor after taking the very first ride on it. My recommendation would be that this upgrade is a No-Brainer. Bill

 

[Admin]

Hi BILL, thanks for the testimonial and comparison of the two models. Sounds like you're enjoying the upgraded 450 watt motor and pedal assist. If you decide to do a video or take some pictures I'd love to see how it's working for you. Do you know if eProdigy will be at Interbike this year? I saw them last year and enjoyed the unique mid-frame motor design.

 

[Guy]

Hi ! I bought an eProdigy Whistler 3 weeks ago. This is my first eBike so it's a new experience for me and I'm still learning on how to use it efficiently... Here are some stats (I collected myself) about the current 350w motor.



When I ride with the Whistler for the pleasure of riding, I usually put it on level 2/3 and I pedal so I get a range around 30 km (but over this distance, the bike becomes really heavy). If I go to work (15 km), I usually put it in mode 4/5 and I use a lot the throttle.

The eProdigy Whistler specs below reviewed by me !

• Max Motor Speed: 32km/h (as limited by controller) – can be set up to max 40 km/h with pedaling
• Speed Range: Up to 45 km (varies with terrain and pedaling) at level 1, between 20 km and 25 km at level 5/only with throttle
• Battery: Lithium rechargeable, 37V, 8.8 Ah, 6 hours to fully recharge, battery lose around 2.75% per 24 hours if not used.
• Battery Operating Temperature Range : -20°C (-4°F) to 60°C (140°F)
• Weight: 21 kg (2.5 kg is battery weight)
• Frame: Al alloy, high quality MTB frame (18" frame)
• Tires: 26" x 1.95" Kenda (Hybrid/slick), 26x1.95 K857 (MTB)
• Wheels/Spokes: High quality double walled rims, stainless steel spokes
• Brakes: Tektro Mechanical Disc Brakes
• Rear Gears: Shimano Alivio 8 speeds
• Front Fork: SR Suntour XCT, 80mm Travel Suspension front fork
• Handlebars: Al alloy - Flat bar
• Chainwheel: eProdigy chainring, 42T
• Chain: KMC Chain
• Saddle: Velo Saddle
• Grips: Velo Ergonomic Grips
• Stand: Alloy Side kickstand
• Motor Type: Brushless DC Motor, 36V
• Output Power: 350 W
• Control Panel: King-meter led 790 / J-lcd, CR2032 3V
• Assistance Mode: 1/2/3/4/5 + throttle
• Rear Cassette: Shimano 8 Speeds Cassette 11/32T
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio 8 Speeds Derailleur
• Total Width: 600 mm (or less)
• Wheel Base: 1100 mm
• Warranty : 2 years on the battery, 5 years on the bike frame

Also, it includes a charger, a bell, 2 wheel reflectors and a rear reflector.

 

[Admin]

That's an awesome writeup and your chart is great Guy, thanks for sharing this information. I'm sure it will help other people who are considering the eProdigy Whistler electric bike

 

[BILL]

Here is a followup to my last post. Although the 450 watt motor has been on the Achiever website for quite some time, I am told that the motor has never been in production anywhere. Apparently my prototype is the only one. The staff did not give me any reason, but production of the motor is unexpectedly delayed. I am very pleased to be the only one who has one of these and I was promised to be given the first production model when they arrive. There are many exciting things I have to share with all of you but I was asked to keep quiet until the production motors are ready for distribution. Many of the issues in Court's review have been addressed and virtually everyone will want to go for the upgrade once it is available. In the meantime, let's continue enjoying all the excellent reviews available on this site. Thanks Court.

 

[BILL]

Hi ! I bought an eProdigy Whistler 3 weeks ago. This is my first eBike so it's a new experience for me and I'm still learning on how to use it efficiently... Here are some stats (I collected myself) about the current 350w motor.

View attachment 1119

When I ride with the Whistler for the pleasure of riding, I usually put it on level 2/3 and I pedal so I get a range around 30 km (but over this distance, the bike becomes really heavy). If I go to work (15 km), I usually put it in mode 4/5 and I use a lot the throttle.

The eProdigy Whistler specs below reviewed by me !

• Max Motor Speed: 32km/h (as limited by controller) – can be set up to max 40 km/h with pedaling
• Speed Range: Up to 45 km (varies with terrain and pedaling) at level 1, between 20 km and 25 km at level 5/only with throttle
• Battery: Lithium rechargeable, 37V, 8.8 Ah, 6 hours to fully recharge, battery lose around 2.75% per 24 hours if not used.
• Battery Operating Temperature Range : -20°C (-4°F) to 60°C (140°F)
• Weight: 21 kg (2.5 kg is battery weight)
• Frame: Al alloy, high quality MTB frame (18" frame)
• Tires: 26" x 1.95" Kenda (Hybrid/slick), 26x1.95 K857 (MTB)
• Wheels/Spokes: High quality double walled rims, stainless steel spokes
• Brakes: Tektro Mechanical Disc Brakes
• Rear Gears: Shimano Alivio 8 speeds
• Front Fork: SR Suntour XCT, 80mm Travel Suspension front fork
• Handlebars: Al alloy - Flat bar
• Chainwheel: eProdigy chainring, 42T
• Chain: KMC Chain
• Saddle: Velo Saddle
• Grips: Velo Ergonomic Grips
• Stand: Alloy Side kickstand
• Motor Type: Brushless DC Motor, 36V
• Output Power: 350 W
• Control Panel: King-meter led 790 / J-lcd, CR2032 3V
• Assistance Mode: 1/2/3/4/5 + throttle
• Rear Cassette: Shimano 8 Speeds Cassette 11/32T
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio 8 Speeds Derailleur
• Total Width: 600 mm (or less)
• Wheel Base: 1100 mm
• Warranty : 2 years on the battery, 5 years on the bike frame

Also, it includes a charger, a bell, 2 wheel reflectors and a rear reflector.

Guy, your reports of the range on a battery charge seem kind of low. I get 30km at level 5, 40km at level 4, 50km at level3, 80km at level 2 and 150km at level 1 which is only 10% assistance. I always pedal and only use the throttle when stopped in too high a gear. I have also developed a method of getting upto 30% more range from the battery at any setting . I got the idea from a site called NullWinds.com It is quite simple to improve the aerodynamics of any electric bike.



I used a roll of sheet aluminum and cut the shapes. Then I stuck them to the sides of the fenders with duct tape. I then used duct tape to cover all the spoke bases where most of the turbulence occurs. Many people laugh when they see it but it works. Under identical conditions this setup gives me the same battery range with the 450 motor that I used to get with the 350. All this makes the 450 motor even more exciting; all that extra power with no deterioration in range.

 

[Admin]

Wow @BILL that is awesome! Thanks for snapping a pic and sharing. I also checked out the Null Winds website and found some awesome products. Their Kickstarter campaign failed hard, raising just 1.13% of the $120k funding goal (bummer) but the images and ideas are wonderful. Not sure if they're going to sell direct via the website but I grabbed the following image in case they take it down:






They also had a few charts and a short video with inspiring monotone narration that also seems to be mono-channel. Enjoy!

 

[BILL]

Wow @BILL that is awesome! Thanks for snapping a pic and sharing. I also checked out the Null Winds website and found some awesome products. Their Kickstarter campaign failed hard, raising just 1.13% of the $120k funding goal (bummer) but the images and ideas are wonderful. Not sure if they're going to sell direct via the website but I grabbed the following image in case they take it down:

View attachment 1389
View attachment 1390
View attachment 1392
View attachment 1391

They also had a few charts and a short video with inspiring monotone narration that also seems to be mono-channel. Enjoy!

I had a long day today driving the poor motor to within an inch of its life. I have more than 3000 miles on it in less than two months. Today was a very windy day and I decided to push the edge of the envelope with aerodynamics. One battery charge gave me 108 miles in 9 hours and 18 minutes which is an average speed of 11.625mph. And I still have a full quarter of the battery charge left. I don't think an 8.8amp hour battery could possibly do this without my aerodynamic mods, regardless of how slowly I rode. This is still a much faster average speed than I have ever done manually pedaling and I am a veteran of hundreds of centuries in over 50 years of riding. In your professional opinion Court, what do you think? Am I correct in believing this to be a phenomenal achievement? Would results like these interest people in trying these aero mods which cost almost nothing?

 

[James]

I wonder why it failed so miserably? It doesn't look the coolest, granted, but in the ebike world (certainly in the ES world) looks are farther down the list below efficiency. I should try and build my own and see how it helps my range on my commute!

 

[Admin]

Hey @BILL your results sound impressive to me but I also think your mid-drive system and lower pedal assist level contribute a lot. It would be really neat to actually run an experiment with you and your bike with and without the wind fairings. You could even use a multimeter to measure the exact battery voltage (which would describe how much capacity is remaining) at the end of each ride.

1. Completely charge the battery overnight
2. Ride a set distance and avoid stops and weather anomalies
3. Use a multimeter to measure your battery capacity (watch this video at 5:50 and 10:35 to 17:00)
4. Remove the fairings and repeat steps 1 through 3
5. Compare the remaining voltage and share here

If you're up for it, I'll buy you a simple voltmeter on Amazon and have it shipped for the test!

 

[BILL]

Hey @BILL your results sound impressive to me but I also think your mid-drive system and lower pedal assist level contribute a lot. It would be really neat to actually run an experiment with you and your bike with and without the wind fairings. You could even use a multimeter to measure the exact battery voltage (which would describe how much capacity is remaining) at the end of each ride.

1. Completely charge the battery overnight
2. Ride a set distance and avoid stops and weather anomalies
3. Use a multimeter to measure your battery capacity (watch this video at 5:50 and 10:35 to 17:00)
4. Remove the fairings and repeat steps 1 through 3
5. Compare the remaining voltage and share here

If you're up for it, I'll buy you a simple voltmeter on Amazon and have it shipped for the test!

Thanks for your response Court. Much of what you suggest has already been done. Part of my motor upgrade is a new console which has battery voltage information and this is really accurate so far. Before I put on the fairings I was able to go only 11.2 miles at full power with the new engine using only the throttle and motor power. This morning, with the fairings, I managed 13.75 miles. This is a 22.6% improvement. Although this seems like a very short range, keep in mind that the 450 watt motor is being driven to 25mph and beyond with a relatively tiny battery. I would suggest the higher capacity 11 amp hour battery along with the upgrade because the new motor draws a lot of current. Both of these rides were the same route under similar weather conditions starting with a full charge and riding until low voltage cut off. The funny thing is that these fairings become more effective at higher speeds or with increased headwinds. I know from experience how long it takes me to manually pedal a Century and my goal is to do it on an E-bike with much reduced effort. That is why I use the lowest assistance level which still preserves some energy in my 61 year old body. Since the cost of this fairing experiment is almost zero(10 dollars for materials), I am encouraging others to try it because if their results are as good as mine we may have a revolution in e-bike performance. I am already waiting for a chance to meet the inventor of my motor so I can discuss building these fairings right into the stock fenders. Cost at the factory level will be minimal but results are potentially revolutionary. Thanks for all your input and your excellent reviews. Bill

Just as an afterthought, there is nobody in the world who is as familiar with this bike as I am. I have owned it 538 days(18 months on July 18) and have ridden 15,375 miles(24,601 km.) Also, I've still not worn out the original Schwalbe Marathons(upgraded at time of purchase) ; nor have I had a single puncture. The Schwalbe distributor told me they have never seen their tires go past 15.000 miles, and mine still have plenty of tread left. I'm hoping they will last to 25,000 miles which is a trip around the world. Most of my friends and acquaintances don't drive their cars as much as I ride this bike. It runs and feels even better than it did the day I bought it. eProdigy has given me the honour of being their official tester because noone else rides their bikes so much.

 

[Admin]

eProdigy has given me the honour of being their official tester because noone else rides their bikes so much.

That's awesome! It's great to hear about your first hand experiences and I love the aerodynamic mods you've been making. If you get more pictures and continue experimenting it would be great to make a new thread in the Other or Accessories Section all about improving ride efficiency on electric bikes... like hypermiling on ebikes! That way people could find it and join in by sharing thoughts about fairings and other mods like tires etc.