Testimonials"There was no noise or hesitation; just instant acceleration from the 3kW motor, and suddenly I was travelling at speeds that no feet on pedals could hope to keep up with.  The power delivery is certainly different from my usual riding experience. I'm used to short-shifting early in the rev range when taking it easy or trying to change gears at the optimum rpm while racing, but those principles don't apply with an electric motor. Instead you get uninterrupted smooth power and the motorcycle-style throttle allows you to control the power delivery with precision. This thing may not be a motorcycle, but it sure gets the adrenalin pumping more than any bicycle I have ever seen. At the beginning I'd been treating the Stealth Bomber like a fragile toy, until inventor John Karambalis asked his mate and official test pilot Tom Baker to give me a quick demo of its capabilities. Tom then proceeded to launch it off a near two-metre vertical drop that most riders would think twice about doing on a motocross bike." - Cameron Donald 2 Wheels Magazine, Australia. 1st Isle of Man TT Superbike Race (2008) 1st Isle of Man TT Superstock Race (2008) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I bought a Stealth Bomber bicycle because it is the highest power, longest range, and sturdiest electric bicycle I could find. Something I could pull out and ride anywhere, for as long as I want, and get some exercise at the same time. My first attempt at going electric was a 2008 Zero X. This is a high power motorcycle, and though the suspension is not robust, it handles my trails just fine. However due to the high power delivery, it gives me a limited ride time. This results in several charge cycles during a typical riding day, and this is not always practical. The Zero Xis more suitable for closed-course tracks ra  ther than adventure riding.There are other cool things about the Bomber versus the Zero X. The Bomber is actually silent, same amount of noise as a coasting bicycle, whereas most electric vehicles still have final drive noises. Travelling at the same speed, on the Zero X I often see people turn and look while I am still 25 yards away because they can hear it, whereas on the Bomber I haven't seen this. With the Bomber, I can extend the range by using the pedals. Since it has a low rolling resistance, with some easy pedalling I can cruise at 15 mph and use only 150 watts of power. At that rate, I can trek a long distance, and even if I run it dry I can make it home under pedal power alone. The dash computer is great at giving you a real-time readout of power usage. Though there's enough power to pull through turns, you'll want to maintain momentum and avoid squaring off the turns. With a little practice you can ride in hot, and rail through turns. I like the Stealth better. Also, I am riding it for exercise, so I get out on it a lot more often. And for exercise, it is superb, it really is. Get as much burn as you want, and you can go far away or ride any area. Legs are noodles after a ride." - C. Faherty. Florida, USA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I had a fantastic ride today at Oxford Falls with the Bomber to test the new wheel and slowly build up on the jumps and drops and also to test how many shuttles I get form a charge and how it handles in a DH environment.  Well I have to say that I built up to 8 foot drops and 4 mts jumps with no problems ( the limitation is only me.. I have to get more confident in this bike to send it over the really big stuff ), all feels very solid and plush and in the process managed to case it hard on the back wheel a few times, over jumped others, and finally got it right.. and the wheel is just like new.. this thing is bomb proof. I got 13 shuttles out of a charge ( normally I do about 6 ) plus all my local friends had a go with the bike and absolutely loved it ( it was busy over there as it was the first sunny day in 3 weeks ) big crowd and a lot of people came to take a look. Once I got in to the ways of this bike, I let it go faster and faster over rock gardens, switch back, drops, etc,.. full on DH, no probs and the more I ride it the more I enjoy it, as all becomes 2nd nature, so here I'm back at home with the bike covered in mud after heavy abuse and all is in perfect order and not a scratch on it, great job man.!! Not only from me but frorm all my envious friend at Oxford Falls." - M. Cardona. Sydney, Australia. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Stealth Bomber is a bike I've wanted to try since it appeared. Let me say from the start that both the Bomber and Fighter are not only on steroids, it's an exotic variety of ele  ctro steroidal injection that goes into them. It bulks them up and gives them power like Usain Bolt on some performance enhancing drug from the future - without even coming close to working up a sweat. As such, this puts them both in a weight and power category above and beyond anything else electric that I've tried. I thought that I'd be comparing them to the Opti, my only clear terms of reference, but they are such different machines it quickly became apparent that comparisons would mean little.   The test ride was in beautiful wilderness parkland, the perfect setting to put them through their paces on flat, winding single track. I started out on the Fighter. Easy to manoeuvre, especially given a flick of the twist, the power to weight ratio is the first thing you feel. Over rocks and log jumps, given a twist of the throttle it effortlessly leaped and bounded while negotiating tree branches with surprising agility. It's mass just seems to disappear. A little flick and it was gone with the wind. The 2-speed is an easy, set and forget arrangement, unless you want low range, kick your shoe on the axle button. I'm used to needing to switch gears a lot on the Opti, not so on the Fighter. It has ample power to cope with your requirements across the range. A matter of a few seconds and you're cruising at high speed. It was now time for the Bomber. It's a fearsome, gnarly beast. Weighing in at 57kg with 3kW on tap, it's not for the meek. Riding a sub 30kg bike every day, it was a steep learning curve on the really fast ride that John took me on. The learning curve took a momentary elastic form, sliding on loose rock, misjudging the weight and momentum and ended up with the Bomber on top of my leg increasing the degree of bloody gravel rash on my right leg. A few seconds to bend the crank back a millimetre or two and I was back. Now this was fun. Sliding it around and jumping something with this much bulk and mass is an adrenaline fuelled workout. The standard RST 203mm front fork and 250mm DNM 4-Way rear coil / air shock soaked everything up while the 6 Pot 203mm front and rear brakes pulled this behemoth up very effectively. The V-Boxx 9-speed makes this a more familiar setup for me, more control over your input yet vastly different to the Opti. Like all hub motors, it obviously doesn't drive through the transmission so the effect of shifting gears is only noticeable at the pedals, not on the throttle. Range on the Bomber is 30+ km at high speed between 60 and 80 kph. Slow it down with one of three power settings, pedal and you'll go considerably further. Both bikes are silent. An attribute that is very desirable but also a reason for caution. It's an amazing feeling flying through the wilderness in complete silence yet when nobody or nothing can hear you coming, you need to be extra vigilant. Another impressive attribute is it's ease of internal access. The LiFePO4 battery is going to take years of abuse, when it's time to replace it, just pop the cover off. Couldn't be any easier. Same with the controller, easy to get to and replace should something go wrong. Any wiring issue that may occur over time can be fixed in minutes. Not that this would be a problem. Both bikes are built to last, to take a beating and not miss a beat. They are downhill tough, virtually unbreakable with the possible exception of riding through deep water, not particularly advisable with any electric bike. The monocoque frames exhibit a forward looking design philosophy. The challenges producing a bike with this kind of durability and power are many. John has succeeded without going anywhere near 5 digits on the price tag. He's working on new developments with a simple upgrade path from current models. It's all Plug & Play simplicity. It's clear that running a big powerful hub motor at 72V has it's pluses and minuses. The brute power means less range than you might expect from another bike and a lot more weight in the form of unsprung mass in the rear wheel. Not that it's at all noticeable. My preconception was that a heavy hub motor would compromise the ride. Not so. For a big, heavy bike, it is supremely balanced. Jumps that would be impossible on any other bike are a breeze. A lot of attention has gone into tuning the excellent suspension, combined with the sheer thrill of massive and silent power, presents a winning combination in my mind. Something that will really appeal to the electro rev-head like myself. They're available in high torque or high speed setups, giving you a choice depending on your preference according to your riding conditions. It's also clear where their names come from, the angular flat panels reminiscent of the early stealth aircraft designs of their namesakes. Given the extreme specs of these bikes and the build-up to finally getting to ride them, I've been wondering for a while what my final impression would be. Well, I needn't have wondered. The specs don't lie. They are truly extreme bikes, more at home off-road in the hands of a motorbike rider than a cyclist yet able to be mastered by a skilled bike rider in a matter of hours riding technical off-road trails or much sooner if you stick to the smooth stuff. These are magnificent, desirable machines that will, no doubt, last the distance. - S. Spencer. Byron Bay, Australia. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With small kids and a busy company to run, I don't fit a lot of fitness based riding in these days, but still have a modicum of technique. I found that with the Fighter I was still able to get a good combination of  pedalling effort for an effective cardiovascular workout. The power delivery is very smooth-no roost- and therefore minimised trail impact. The issue I found is coming into corners at MTB FR speed and needing to scrub some speed off, which takes a bit of getting used to with the weight, but it's easy enough to adapt to quickly. Should have some photos , videos available before too long. Biggest buzz of an experience I've had in a long time. It's addictive, and set to redefine the riding experience for those who are open to not trying to pigeonhole it.. - B. Hill. Canberra, Australia. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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