1) uspd The kit I installed on my bike, the motor has a whine to it and it increases in pitch as you give
it more power. When your close to the bike it's very noticeable. From that I have to assume
all uspd motors have some kind of a whine to them.
w-energy The kit I installed on my test bike was next to being dead silent. I have nowhere near the
mileage on this kit as I have on the uspd, so whether it remains that silent as more mileage
is put on remains to be seen.
2) uspd There is a chain on the motor which could break. To date I have only heard of one broken
chain.
w-energy The kit has a hub motor so there is no chain to break.
3) uspd The kit has a chain tension plasic arm to take up slack on the chain. The chain will stretch a
bit as mileage is put on. This arm is made of plastic and it wears down quite fast.
w-energy This kit has no chain therefore no chain tension arm to wear
4) uspd The motor does not have smooth acceleration. I am not sure if this is the fault of the thumb
throttle or a combination of the throttle and the high torque of the motor. My guess would be
it's a combination of both. The result is the motor jerks on the spoke adapter which over
a period of time may result in broken and loose spokes. After one season of use I had
6 broken spokes on my wheel and 3 others that were loose. With a conscious effort one
can learn to control the acceleration so that it is somewhat smooth.
w-energy The throttle is more like a motorcycle throttle and it gives the motor extremely smooth
acceleration. This is probably due to the fact that the motor does not have the same
hi torque as the uspd.
5) uspd The frame mounted battery locks in place with a key. I am not sure about the rack mounted
battery but I believe it also locks in place.
w-energy This kit has a rack mounted battery and it does not lock in place unless you design
something yourself. The battery is held in place by velcro straps to the rack.
6) uspd This kit for the most part needs someone with a little mechanical knowledge to install it.
w-energy This kit is extremely easy to install.
7) uspd This kit needs the rear rim to have the correct dimensions for the spoke adapter to fit.
However even if the rim has the correct dimensions this does not guarantee a fit. The
solution buy a new rear rim with the correct dimensions. The bike must be 26 or
27 inch in size
w-energy This kit is manufactured in different wheels sizes so it fits just about any bike.
You need 3.75 inches distance between the front forks or hydraulic shocks so that
the supplied rim will fit.
8) uspd This kit adds 28 lbs to the bike.
w-energy This kit with a standard battery adds 34 lbs to the bike and with the extended battery
adds 46 lbs to the bike.
9) uspd This kit is a rear wheel drive.
w-energy This kit is a front wheel drive. Note I have tested both and in my opinion I found no advantage or disadvantage to front or
rear wheel drive.
10) uspd This kit has very strong torque from a standing stop and strong torque throught out
the throttle range.
w-energy This kit has weak torque from a standing stop but once the bike gets rolling a bit
you can feel the torque building.
11) The uspd has faster acceleration compared to the w-energy
12) The top end speed for both kits is about the same.
13) uspd This kit has no lock out feature for the power. One could come along and move the battery
switch to the on position and press the throttle which would cause the bike to lunge
forward.
w-energy This kit has a key switch which mounts on the handle bar. You can turn the key to the
off position and then remove the key and one can not acciddently engage the motor.
14) uspd This kit with the frame mounted battery which is two 12 a/h battery cells gives a
distance of 20 miles on a single charge according to the manufacturer.
The rack mounted kit which Currie also sells are two 10 a/h battery cells which give a
distance of 20 miles on a single charge according to the manufacturer.
If you need an additional battery to give you more mileasge, you can only get this when
your able to install the frame and rack mounted battery on your bike. The cost for the
second battery is considerable about $400 Canadian. I estimate with the two batteries you
would probably get a distance of 40 miles.
w-energy This kit with the standard battery three 7 a/h battery cells gives a distance of 20 miles
on a single charge according to the manufacturer. This kit with the extended battery three 12 a/h battery cells gives a distance of
30 miles on a single charge according to the manufacturer
The additional cost for this extended battery is approximately $75 Canadian.
Keep in mind distance is subject to rider weight, type of terrain and how much or how litttle one
uses the motor.
15) uspd With this kit you get their standard smart battery charger which has a 2 amp output.
w-energy With this kit you get their standard smart battery charger which has a 1 amp output
16) uspd At this point in time you get a manual with the kit that tells you how to install the kit on
your bike. However they do not have an operators manual with the kit.
w-energy With this kit they give you a installation and operators manual combined in one.
When you purchase your conversion kit from me I also include a tips sheet I have put together.
It gives you valuable information to get the most from your kit and to help you from making
mistakes which could be costly down the road.
17) W-energy have a fuel gauge option you can now purchase which tells you how much charge is
left in your battery at any given time. It also tells you how much electricity your pulling from the
battery at any given time. This is a great feature if your trying to make your battery last for
long distance travel. The cost of this gauge is $79.95 Canadian.
At this point in time the uspd has no such gauge available that I am aware of.
The w-energy gauge can not be used on the uspd kit to my knowledge.
18) Added on Aug 12/03
uspd If the bike falls over on the side that has the motor the extent of the damage will
most likely be limited to a scratched cover. One thing I should note is that the last group
of brushless motors have a heavy wire cage around the motor which would protect it.
w-energy If the bike falls over on the side that has the cable coming out of the hub, the
cable may or may not be damaged. One thing is for sure this cable needs to
be protected.
19) Added on Sept 3/03
The following piece of information came from a fellow I know who has been involved in the
electric bike field for some time now. I have not been able to verify it however I believe it
to be accurate. Electric bikes that have brushless motors run at about 97 percent efficiency
Electric bikes that have brush motors run at about 73 percent efficiency.
uspd Currie is now coming out with a brush motor and external controller which will replace
their brushless motor. This could mean that their new motor will be about 25 percent
less efficient. So where will this loss in efficiency take place., I am told in the battery.
I am told all things being the equal with the brush motor you can expect about a 25
percent decrease in mileage. That's not good.
w-energy Wilderness Energy has told me they are coming out with a brush hub motor. Not
to fear they are keeping their brushless motor to. If you choose the brush motor
they told me one can expect a 25 percent decrease in mileage. However the
starting torque will be a bit stronger and they told me the overall durability of
the motor will be increased. Cost will be the same. I have been getting some feed-
back from customers and all agree mileage is rated high on the list.
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