STEALTH Electric Bike conversion kit
(Beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
The STEALTH motor will do about 18 mph with a heavy 235 lb rider and nearly 20 mph with someone under 200 lbs. It is faster than the Lashout, but how fast and over what terrain remains to be seen in the up coming shootout, that will be reported in ESW NEWS.
I am not sure whether it is because the motor is a hub type or that it is mounted on the front wheel (less traction?), or it has less wattage than the Lashout's BMC 600, but I think the Lashout climbs a little better.
This is a 'feeling', as the real shootout will be conducted later and reported in ESW NEWS.
I wanted to test the STEALTH kit on a cheap get anywhere type of bike. We purchased a $150 18 speed bike from Dicks Sporting Goods on sale for $79.95! We had a more experienced mechanic assembly it. He said it takes less than a hour if the bike meets the requirements advertised (fork spacing, etc). I suspect a klutz like me would take about 2 hours or so. There are no spoke kits or anything to do when assembling the STEALTH kit. You get all cables and cable ties ready to go. The secret weapon is the Topeak bike bag that holds the batteries, charger, and the on-off switch.
The throttle is the circular thumb type (my favorite) and it has a battery status indicator as part of the assembly. The controller mounts on the bike cross bar and has plenty of ventilation so it probably will never over-heat.
The Topeak bike bag (battery - charger) mounts quickly on, or, dismounts quickly from the Topeak heavy duty bike rack. The bike become a little rear heavy and you need to have a decent kickstand on the bike or it may topple on certain uneven terrain. I think all but the cheapest bikes have sufficient kickstands, and of course you can always get a better kickstand if necessary.
The STEALTH motor is quiet, fast, and has decent power. The 36v 12ah battery pack gives excellent range. How good the STEALTH setup actually becomes, however, is largely a part of on which bike it is installed. If I put it on a quality 'hybrid' bike that had a large frame and extended seat and handle bars so I could really extend my long legs for efficient pedaling then the STEALTH setup would be the ultimate PEV that I could hope to ride.
We will have a shoot-out between the 'Power assist' (PAS) Merida with the larger cog for speed, the Lashout, and the Stealth kit later this spring and reported in the June 2004 issue of ESW NEWS. We will use the Grand Prix routes as the testing ground. It will also be interesting to see how the bikes do against the scooters.
When it comes to performance competition between the Lashout and the Stealth kit, we shall see who prevails. When it comes to flexibility, the STEALTH kit wins hands down! Put the STEALTH on your favorite bike and you have the best of both worlds.
J.B.
