Sondors Fact Finding. Due Diligence. Scrutiny.

[flymeaway]

In the mean time, here are photos from the actual step-by-step production process: CLICK HERE to go to the Sondors Blog.

Did anyone notice that the worker assembling the bottom bracket bearing and axle is using a 1/2" pneumatic impact driver? I sure hope they don't have the line pressure at more then....something like 5 PSI. That tool is most often found in garages to tighten lug nuts! I guess the bootom bracket assembly won't come apart.....!

Court J

 

[Hurley]

Did anyone notice that the worker assembling the bottom bracket bearing and axle is using a 1/2" pneumatic impact driver? I sure hope they don't have the line pressure at more then....something like 5 PSI. That tool is most often found in garages to tighten lug nuts! I guess the bootom bracket assembly won't come apart.....!

Court J

Not to mention the lack of a neck, thick shoulders, and 18 inch biceps grimacing from from the torque applied.

 

[scmike]

Did anyone notice that the worker assembling the bottom bracket bearing and axle is using a 1/2" pneumatic impact driver? I sure hope they don't have the line pressure at more then....something like 5 PSI. That tool is most often found in garages to tighten lug nuts! I guess the bootom bracket assembly won't come apart.....!

Court J

"5 pPsi" probably wouldn't even turn that impact... I have a smaller one and it won't spin below 5o psi or so with
any kind of torque... but hey, maybe they have it figured out?? I've read that many of the bikes coming out of china
need to be checked for "tolerances.... I would double check that bottom bracket nut for one...

 

[flymeaway]

"5 pPsi" probably wouldn't even turn that impact.

Probably wouldn't,,,,,that's the point. Using that tool, for that job, is absurd. It is high on the comedic scale...off the chart!

 

[wa5]

some impact drivers can be set to a desired torque setting I believe.

 

[flymeaway]

some impact drivers can be set to a desired torque setting I believe.

Yes they can...here's a picture of the 1/2 impact wrench I use when working with thread size(s) in excess of 1/2". See the knurled dial at the base of the trigger near my thumb, that regulates air flow CFM and controls torque. Problem is, even at the lowest setting the torque on a 1/2" drive is substantial. Right tool, for the right job.

Court J.

 

[flymeaway]

Here's a 3/8 impact wrench with 5 discrete settings (knurled knob near air fitting). At the lowest torque output this one might work.

Court J.

 

[wa5]

I think these pictures are up on the now shipping thread, but they should be put up here also.
Sondors eBike Production Process June 25, 2015/in Manufacturing Update /by Go Sondors
Hi Sondors eBike backers, we wanted to share the full production process with you. Here’s how the bikes were put together:



Test battery and controller connection:

Attach controller to battery box:

Attach battery box to frame:

Attach battery mount through box to frame:

Attach crank cup:

Attach back brake:

Attach front brake to fork:

Attach fork and stem to frame:

Run wires and attach crank:

Put on back tire and chain:

Attach handle bars:

Adjust back chain and check tire alignment:

Test battery and wheel rotation:

Test ride:

Package:

Put in box:

Put straps on box:

Bicycle is ready for shipment!

Tags: ebike, production

 

[wa5]

In the "Test Ride" picture, it seems that all bikes (or at least a fair sample) are being test ridden. this would create a fair amount of double handling.. front wheel would have to go on / come off, as would pedals. seems like a fair amount of added work on the production line..

 

[wa5]

it appears that SondCo is up to the Yellow and Orange bikes, with some blue frames showing I guess they cant be too far behind.

 

[wa5]

I find it amazing that Sondors wouldn't have posted these images up earlier, by holding them back he has done nothing but hurt his campaign, the third phase of bikes currently sits at 33 orders after about a month.. with a little more confidence in the campaign it may well have made the 12- 14 million they were aiming for.

 

[George S.]

They are finishing up around the turn into July, just about what they said. If the bikes clear customs someone will have one soon enough. An interested party would have to sift through the court stuff and the public statements to see when the wheels came off the thing. Storm looked pretty happy over there. Few thought he could do this in February. CF's in his price range are now pretty common. And now no one knows what is left of the thing the Storm really created.

 

[wa5]

PowerMe said. "They were aiming for $75,000 and whatever number of bikes that equaled. I'd say they more than outsold what they planned"

END QUOTE.

They were aiming for 12 to 14 Million, 75k was just what they put in their flim flam story, along with storm "having a dream to supply a cheap bike" for the people"".. in one of the court papers 12 to 14 mil was mentioned.

If they only wanted to sell a couple of hundred bikes, why did they mention their factory was capable of producing 12,000 per month?

 

[Brambor]

To convey to the customers they have the capability to produce any number of bikes given the current state of the campaign

 

[wa5]

forgetting the letter of intent in the court papers that says (from memory.. been over a month since I saw it) 12 - 14 million.?

 

[Chas]

Looks like it is coming together nicely, although I cringe a little seeing an electric drill being used on the head set. I guess if it is set for a torque of 5nm it should be OK. Its nice seeing a small army of factory workers do all of the assembly that I did by hand on my bikes.

 

[jazz]

I am surprised that Sonders has done a good job recently of communicating the current production timeline with his buyers with documented pictures and videos. I still think that people are going to be disappointed in the end with the product. It looks decent but with a terrible warranty and sub-par components, it really is a $499 ebike.

 

[EULITTLB]

The plot thickens.... as many of you may know I set up a Facebook Page as well and these comments have just been made, totally uninvited...

• (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)Wow! Something is not right here. I design folding bikes. I go to my Chinese factory and watch assembly. The workers at my factory are fast they have a huge assembly line.....and it still takes a day to get a container ready ( about 300 bikes ). At the rate these guys are working, with the empty assembly line it will take a month to finish 300 bikes.
  Like · Reply · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
  • (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Storm Sondors ebikeyes something disturbing about those images I agree, something not quite right...
    Like · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
  • (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Yan Sambhu LyanskyFYI everyone at my factory has the same outfits. There is no talking, laughing or joking....they are too busy. I do not believe this is a real assembly line.....it is so far off anything I have ever seen.
    Like · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
  • (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Yan Sambhu LyanskyI have toured many other factories.....this video is not consistent with anything I have ever experienced. The clothes, the empty space, the cleanliness, attitude, group work, and time per job are awkward at best.
    Unlike · 1 · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
  • (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Storm Sondors ebikeYan, I wil share your comments if I may on electricbikereview.com I'll post a link here
    (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Electric Bike Reviews & Ratings - ElectricBikeReview.com
    Everything you need to choose the best...
    ELECTRICBIKEREVIEW.COM
    Like · Remove Preview · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
  • (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Yan Sambhu LyanskyPlease do....something is really not ok here.
    Like · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
  • (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
    Yan Sambhu LyanskyThere may be an innocent explanation, but I do not believe this is a video of a real assembly line making bikes. The fact that the video is not real does not mean the bike is not real nor that the campaign is not real.....However it does bring up serious questions.
    Like · (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) · Edited

 

[George S.]

@EULITTLB

They had a schedule and what they last showed, blue frames I think, was the end of the line. So there are either a lot of bikes in boxes, owned by their owners, or there aren't. Some containers are here. There will be deliveries in a matter of days, or not. In theory any assembly line for whatever they were building is shut down, or about to be. We know nothing of phase two, even whether Storm will ever leave China, ever come back here, ever do anything to make another bike.

If there are bikes and the bikes are not interesting, then the story is over. If the bikes are OK, then there is a different kind of ebike rolling around, something that might matter.

It's an interesting question how hard they push the workers on the assembly line when the cameras are not around. In general, they don't allow cameras. I understand there may be some occupational safety and health issue over there. Maybe it would have been more convincing if the line got held up by someone and then, off in the distance, they were flogging him.

Maybe Storm wants people to believe his bikes are being made in a humane way. Are they? Are iPhones? Maybe that's the fraud. It will be great when this is over. We can do a poll, "How many minutes/days/weeks of your life did you waste on the Sondo ebike, the saga of Chris 'n Storm?"

 

[stevenast]

Maybe it would have been more convincing if the line got held up by someone and then, off in the distance, they were flogging him.

Reading that was the funniest thing I've seen since my last rewatch of a Bill Burr special.