Say Hello to Storm

[biknut]

This has been the one thread on the whole internet that hasn't been taken over by industry trolls, and you just couldn't resist.

 

[biknut]

I'm not crapping on Storm. I only provided links to where the Superior Court of California is crapping on Storm for "contractual fraud". I'm only the messenger.

How can I crap on Storm? His bike comes with a "30 Day Warranty".

The Superior Court of California has no opinion in the matter. The case will be decided in due time. It has no bearing what so ever on the bike. IMO that case has no merit, but I don't really care one way or the other.

I hope you're not going to keep harping on it from now on, because that's what's happening all over the internet. This has been the one little place where troll haven't taken over the thread, please, let's keep it that way.

 

[miked826]

This has been the one thread on the whole internet that hasn't been taken over by industry trolls, and you just couldn't resist.

Storm's actual name is Ivars and he was sued and lost on identical charges in the Superior Court of New Jersey. No harping by me needed. The Superior Court of New Jersey already said enough.

"The Superior Court of New Jersey has awarded Toyjobs a default judgment in the amount of $39,456.00 in its personal fraud suit against former A-HA Toys president Ivars Sondors."

http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2015/04/66322-lawsuit-filed-by-agency-2-0-against-sondors-ebike-crowdfunding-campaign/

 

[miked826]

His bike looks a lot like the Mongoose Beast that others have modified. He's made an ultra-affordable ebike. He's a better man than me. I couldn't have done it for that price.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=917&v=E2y8adn-hCY

 

[biknut]

Storm is very soon going to be a celebrity. The establishment eBike industry is trolling him like the last pork chop at a dog convention. So called experts in the field have said what he's trying to do is impossible. Well he's just dragged about 10,000 of them kicking and screaming to success. The first wave of bikes are beginning to ship as we speak.

I'm a moderator on the Storm owners group face book since the very beginning of the campaign, so I've been up to my neck in all the minutia of this campaign. Say what you will about this scrawny little bike, but something very remarkable about to happen.

The trolling has been so extreme it's hard to believe. Trust me professional industry trolls, have been leading a huge battle against this bike, because they're trying to stop direct to market from China sales from happening in the us. Fortunately for us, but not for the establishment, they're losing the battle.

This is Storms youtube channel. His bikes are being built in one of the biggest OEM bike factory's in China.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC__pvEjAUEbPZHqLCAXSdBg

 

[miked826]

I know it's going to sound hard to believe, but I'll say it anyway. I'm actually indifferent to Storm and his Storm e-bike. It is what it is and unless Mongoose comes out with an electric version of their Mongoose Beast then the Storm will be a hit, BUT only if the price stays exactly where it is at right now. Mongoose is really the only company that could throw a monkey wrench into Storms plans. Ok I'm done harping now. LOL

 

[biknut]

The Storm is an all original design, patented for Pacific Storm inc.

All the frames are being manufactured by the TPT Cycle factory in China In the bottom picture there's hundreds of black painted frames.

 

[16v4nrbrgr]

Is there going to be some sort of traditional internet sales website for these after the crowdfunding project is completed? I'd possibly like one in the future because it looks like a nice simple trail bike but I'm only into buying a product which actually exists currently for sale. At $500ish its cheap enough to be worthwhile when a diy fatbike with a hub motor would be about $750.

 

[kevyleven007]

Is there going to be some sort of traditional internet sales website for these after the crowdfunding project is completed? I'd possibly like one in the future because it looks like a nice simple trail bike but I'm only into buying a product which actually exists currently for sale. At $500ish its cheap enough to be worthwhile when a diy fatbike with a hub motor would be about $750.

right now its $649 usd for the bike plus $194 usd for shipping. $843 better get one before they go up again.

 

[biknut]

Storm claims he will be selling these bikes online with his own web store in the future, offering bikes, and accessories. When that's going to happen is anybody's guess. He started a third wave of sales scheduled for October shipping.

This first wave bikes are either shipping as we speak, or very soon to start. Pictures of containers filled with bikes are expected by weeks end.

This is a link to his website, but right now when you click to buy, it directs you to the indiegogo site.

http://gosondors.com/

 

[16v4nrbrgr]

right now its $649 usd for the bike plus $194 usd for shipping. $843 better get one before they go up again.

A more powerful hub motor kit installed on an entry level 7 speed fat bike with a 10Ah battery wouldn't cost much more than that unfortunately. The nice plastic box inside the triangle wouldn't be included, but frame triangle bags can be bought for cheap.

I think the Storm is a good entry level bike for people not wanting to install a kit, but someone with mechanical aptitude could make a 1000w fat bike easily by ordering a bike, motor wheel kit, and battery separately. On really steep hills I think its important to have a motor that's powerful enough to keep spinning and not stall out and burn up the windings.

 

[knightscape]

I think the Storm is a good entry level bike for people not wanting to install a kit, but someone with mechanical aptitude could make a 1000w fat bike easily by ordering a bike, motor wheel kit, and battery separately.

I think the main barrier to mainstream folks converting these comes down to wheel lacing. I'm not aware of anyone selling an off the shelf fat rim laced to a hub motor (someone plz correct me if I'm wrong). Since the hubs for fat bikes are not yet standardized widths there are too many variables for the masses. Sure tinkerers may be comfortable with relacing a wheel, but that's not for everyone, it's pretty advanced skill in terms of bike maintenance. So pare down the list of possible interested people, to those who want a fat bike, then cut the folks who know what they are looking at with electric hub kits, then subtract the people who can't build wheels, and you're down to a whole lot less folks as a potential market. Deliver a lowest common denominator product, mass produced in bright colors, and you'll sell the crap out of them. Then the others come along and fill in the niche parts like off the shelf replacement wheels.

 

[16v4nrbrgr]

There are complete wheel kits out there in the $300 range, most just install by sliding the pre-laced wheel into the dropouts and zip-tying wires up to the battery. You gotta look around using a search engine, but they exist.

 

[biknut]

Anyone can make any ebike, but not anyone can make a 6 million dollar eBike.

 

[16v4nrbrgr]

Exactly, anyone can make their own fat ebike which will outperform this for the same amount of money. Rather than being an unpaid spokesman for a company which I have no vested interests in, I figured I'd help out others on here to find a better value by utilizing basic motor skills and putting together a capable electric bike for less money.

It's a nice bike, if I could buy one for $500 or less it would be worthwhile. For any more I would consider putting together my own with better specifications. There are a lot of bargains in the ebike market because there are more ebikes out there for sale than consumers willing to pay the pricetag.

As an independent consumer and not a vested interest, the sales figures for a particular ebike are unimpressive. The only figures a consumer should be concerned with is the specifications of the product in relation to the total price.

 

[biknut]

Most people are sort of missing the point about the Storm. It's true anyone can build an eBike with better performance. And that has the effect of adding exactly one eBike into the world. This is about a man that just built 10,000 eBikes in one fell swoop, sacrificing big profits for a future empire, and possibly dragging eBikes into the mainstream of us culture.

I believe this is the biggest story in eBike history.

 

[knightscape]

I'm getting ya biknut. This bike is for that dude you know down the street who can't tell the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer. He heard fat bikes are cool and e-bikes are cool and there was this cool crowdsourcing thing on the internet (also cool) so he bought one. What I think is cool about these is that they didn't just make it "sorta easy", they made it "as easy" as buying any other bike, and just about as cheap. This is like my old 1972 John Deere "racer" frame. I don't think it's cool because it's a good frame, it rides like crap. What's cool about it is that it was one of the first truly mass produced frames on the planet. They figured out you could make a gazillion pretty decent bikes in a Taiwanese factory and slap a cool label on it. To me, the Storm is like that, the bike itself isn't that innovative, it's using all known quantities, not top spec stuff, mass producing at a scale no ebike has been done at, making it cheap easy and accessible. That's the innovative part, and it's the main reason this project grabbed my attention.

 

[kevyleven007]

I think the main barrier to mainstream folks converting these comes down to wheel lacing. I'm not aware of anyone selling an off the shelf fat rim laced to a hub motor (someone plz correct me if I'm wrong). Since the hubs for fat bikes are not yet standardized widths there are too many variables for the masses. Sure tinkerers may be comfortable with relacing a wheel, but that's not for everyone, it's pretty advanced skill in terms of bike maintenance. So pare down the list of possible interested people, to those who want a fat bike, then cut the folks who know what they are looking at with electric hub kits, then subtract the people who can't build wheels, and you're down to a whole lot less folks as a potential market. Deliver a lowest common denominator product, mass produced in bright colors, and you'll sell the crap out of them. Then the others come along and fill in the niche parts like off the shelf replacement wheels.

I know conhisMotors sells rear wheel 26 in. fat bike hub motor kits. and 20 in and 24 in chopper bike hub motor kits from in 500w 1000w and 1500 w. the 1500w is single speed only. Seems to be about the lowest price for a complete fat bike KIT. Other more sxspensive sellers are on ebay. I'm sure very soon all the major diy ebike kit makers and sellers will have them. So, yeah, this sonders electric bike, not a big deal but he should call it the Big Mac and sell them at McDonalds

 

[Goat Herder]

The first wheels I ever laced in my life were sitting on the sofa watching TV. I don't even own a truing stand. Don't need one ether. Better put not ever gonna get one seeing I don't have one by now lol.

Great thing to learn, is is incredibly easy. Seriously.


I do get however that everything is hard until learned. So I've a clue about the other side of the fence so to speak. Not picking on folks. Just wanna imply it so easy!!!


My first wheel took one hour and has about mebbe 12,000 miles behind about a 12hp motor with a rude hole shot. Can be done. Never touched up on it never re- tighted it . Absolutely the way I left it from the sofa eating bon bons lol.


http://holmeshobbies.com/home.php can do one for you as well. I used their Sapian spokes. Best thing out there in MHO.

 

[biknut]

Spoke tightening machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NyIXZ6vyVA

Rim truing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CXMimTUNhg

Wheel lacing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAEGSH_HrP4