WHISTLE bike test thanks to the battery

The main reason for the WHISTLE bike brand landing in Israel is the supply challenges that the bike importer faces with their mainstream brands.

In this case it is KTM bikes that have been very successful in the electric segments and among marathon/cross-country riders, where they have very dominant models.

In the absence of supplies, the importer, like many others, had to find "goods" from new suppliers, one of them being the Italian WHISTLE, which was recently joined by BH from Spain, which used to be imported to Israel and is now renewed under DLB Motorsport.

Photo: Roni Nak

This is an electric mountain bike with a long stroke and a carbon (carbon fiber) frame.

The finish of the chassis is matte black with the name of the brand in glossy black which creates a lot of curiosity and interest among trail riders.

The chassis has a rear suspension with four arms, the biggest advantage of which is the separation of the suspension action from the forces applied to it by braking and pedaling.

In the butt, this manifests itself in a smoother and more comfortable ride and good tracking of the ground surface.

We can also say about the chassis that it has internal cable routing and is quite massive especially in the area of ​​the main beam which houses a very large lithium-ion battery.

The geometry data is quite conservative with a steering angle of 65 degrees and a chain stay length of 455 mm.

The accessory package is very attractive and is one of the main selling points of this bike.

Fox 38 mm fork from the factory series and luxurious Kashima coating gives 160 mm of travel and options for compression damping and slow and fast return.

Fox X2 performance elite rear shock that controls a stroke of 150 mm.

Also in the "bling" section of the Kashima you will find a golden seat bar from Alfa with a stroke of 125 mm and disguises itself well as the corresponding part of Fox.

Photo: Roni Nak

Shifters and calipers from Shimano XT series hang on the braking and gear shifting.

The brakes have discs with a diameter of 203 mm front and rear.

XT rear derailleur skips between 12 cogs 10-51.

The drive unit comes from BOSCH.

This is a proven and well-known drive unit that produces 85 newtons/meter and is controlled by the KIOX interface with a fairly large screen on the stem and a control unit near the left grip.

The power comes from a large volume battery with a capacity of 750 WH, one of the largest in the market and a weight of 4.2 kg.

As usual with Bosch engines, you can choose between four assistance modes and there is also an app that makes it easy to fine-tune the assistance levels and manage current consumption.

Photo: Roni Nak

We will also mention 29-inch front and rear wheels with beefy 2.6" wide Schwalbe tires on them.

Aluminum handlebar with a width of 780 mm.

A set of wheels with 3.0 wide aluminum rims and that's about it.

All this luggage will cost you 30 thousand shekels.

In the world of electric mountain bikes - this is considered an attractive deal today - especially in light of the accessory kit.

After adjusting the suspension to my weight and returning all the selectors to the manufacturer's recommendation, I set out for two legs of riding.

Both are on paths familiar to me and certainly to you too, to get a benchmark of how these intriguing WHISTLES compare to the rest.

We have already met the Bosch engine more than once and here too it is not surprising and gives a nice job with sharp reactivity and a lot of power available.

What I didn't remember was the high level of noise produced by this system, certainly compared to the specialized Livo that I rode on not long ago.

At first it doesn't bother, but as the kilometers pass and the hours in the saddle add up, it starts to bother.

The current consumption was not particularly outstanding and I completed the "normal" lap of Park Canada with 50% battery in EMTB mode and after only one hour of riding.

Which required me to manage the current consumption more carefully in the next ride which was longer in the north but less technical.

Charging the battery from the 50% state took about three hours.

On the downhill side of Canada's rugged trails, I discovered suspensions that work great, a chassis that gives a lot of confidence and together they absorb and absorb a lot from the road surface.

Contributing to this are the original tires which were great and provided good grip in the dirt that was then and also the excellent braking system, XT, which surprises me every time anew in its ability to provide a strong bite and precise dosage even for such a heavy bike.

In the context of weight, we note the fact that even if there are those who reduce its importance ("it's an electric bike, what do you care how much it weighs"), weight is very important starting from loading the bike into the car, or in my case lifting it to the third floor without an elevator, a direct effect on the current consumption and also on the agility of the steering and the behavior of the bike.

The conservative steering angle is evidence that the manufacturer is aware of this and tried to find a balance point - overall she did it well - but if the steering angle was flatter - the bike would not be even more clumsy when you need to change direction quickly.

Photo: Roni Nak

I don't quite understand why all the bike manufacturers still insist on 12 speed cassettes in their electric models.

It may look good in catalogs and stores, but in practice in the field they are a source of malfunctions and rapid wear.

The experience with the XT is not necessarily the good kind.

Even if in the test the business worked perfectly fine, in the same way part of the shifter, this shifter in this context, is definitely a weak point.

My grandmother used to say "heavy carbon is cheap carbon".

This whistle is relatively cheap and relatively gives good value for money thanks to a wonderful suspension kit and a proven electric motor with an especially large battery.

The disadvantages are high self-weight and clumsy behavior in curved singles.

In light of the price differences and the attractiveness of the new brand in the neighborhood, I would definitely think about this bike if your favorite brand is not available in stock or is tens of thousands of shekels more expensive with a similar accessory package.

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