Kuberg challenger 24 vs Oset 24

[kingkopity]

hi all. I am fairly confident that i was not the only Oset owner wondering how the Kuberg challenger 24" compared. All of the media outlets in the uk give different specs for the bike and no one seemed to know the difference between the challenger 24" and the 20" so even comparing wheel sizes was near impossible. Well i have gotten my hands on one and i want to give people the information that has been missing so they can make an informed choice. I have, in-fact, seen one of these bikes before. and it was tiny, i couldn't understand how they were marketing these bikes at adults at that size. The wheels were tiny 19" bike trials wheels, the bars were narrow, swing arm minute and sat a little smaller than the oset 20 racing. After calling many dealers, all i was told was that the wheels are bigger, but no one could actually say how much bigger, or if there were any other differences. so to correct the false information or lack of, here is a quick run down. 

Battery - 16.8 ah 48v nominal, Lipo.

Motor - sealed BLDC with D-shaft drive and heat sink casing.

controller - 8 kw peak. 

wheels.

19" MC front, (19 x 2.75 with Kenda tyre)

16" MC rear, (16 x 3.50 with Kenda tyre)

Differences between 20" and 24" challenger are: wider handlebar, longer swing arm, much bigger wheels and 203mm rotor on the rear.

The most obvious differences to the Oset 24r: Lighter, far lighter. the engineering of the rear end is far above the Oset in terms of how the swing arm attaches, the chain guide and tension-er system actually work, fitted with snail cams and a more robust axle assembly. The Domino throttle feels stronger than the Oset one and the horrible free-play at the end isnt there on the Kuberg.

That is the most obvious things and should also address the lack of information. i will add measurements at some point this weekend and i intend to take the Oset and Kuberg out this weekend for an head to head.

If anyone would like any more info please ask.

[timdog]

Tried one a while ago, biggest difference riding it was the brushless motor, no engine braking, it was like you’d pulled clutch in, much smoother power delivery and better components. 

[gwhy]

what are the dimensions of the motor they use. i.e diameter and length.

engine braking is a function of the controller, not because is the motor is brushless

[wardo78]

I am wondering if there are any updates on the Kuberg. As an adult, I am trying to sort out what all my options are for an electric trials bike. I'd love to here more about the Kuberg, I haven't seen any objective reviews, do you know of any?

Thanks,

Ward

[kingkopity]

4 hours ago, wardo78 said:

I am wondering if there are any updates on the Kuberg. As an adult, I am trying to sort out what all my options are for an electric trials bike. I'd love to here more about the Kuberg, I haven't seen any objective reviews, do you know of any?

Thanks,

Ward

This was the problem i had. Just no real information. In the end i just bought one. I couldn't even get an accurate wheel size and the support was lacking to say the least. I figured i didn't want to own a product with so little support and questionable attitudes from nearly everyone i contacted. (nearly everyone). So it went and was replaced by another Oset. 

There is certainly a lot to like about them, the build quality is beautiful. no D shaft for the front sprocket, snail cams holding the rear wheel, Domino throttle and brush-less motor are all very nice. However, The rear spring i found to be way too soft for an adult, and i am not heavy. I found the bike too front heavy and felt unbalanced, (possibly due to 2 years aboard an Oset 24). The 16ah battery annoyed me considering they have a 20ah version available. The rear tyre has plenty of grip, at 6 psi on a red hot day, wet or sludgy.. forget it.

In the end, for me - 

Kuberg - £4700 with 16ah battery, would need a stiffer rear spring, better rear tyre and a battery upgrade. Roughly £6000. (electric motion money)

Oset - £3300 with 20 ah battery, 650lb rear spring and radial 17" competition tyre. Add a Boost battery at £900. done. Roughly £4200.

I dont mind spending money, or extra money for a better product. In the case of the Kuberg i didn't believe that was what i was getting. I have now owned 2 Oset 24r, and absolutely battered both of them, and not a single issue. I do maintain them properly though. 

I hope i have helped a little.

[wardo78]

Thanks so much, that is super helpful! There is so little info out there on the Koberg and your direct comparison of the two bikes is exactly what  am looking for. They Koberg pricing is about the same as the Oset here, they are both around $4400 usd, but the Oset is sold by a dealer I know and trust, so that counts for a lot.

I am mostly going to use it to chase my grandson around and to demo sections for him, I used to be OK, but really have no interest in competing again. With that in mind, pretty much anything will be fine, I just don't want to get something that sucks! The only reservation I have about the Oset is the throttle. I have read that most people who have come off traditional gassers hates it. Have you done anything specific with your, or do you find it OK?

Thanks again,

Ward

[oldtrialer]

To fix the throttle on the Oset is easy. You take the cover off where the wire for the hall sensor goes in. Best to spin it up to the top for access. The cover is the throttle stop. Put a small, 1/16" or less spacer in the throttle tube groove. No more play. You may have to try it a few time to get the right size. If too big you could always shave some off the stop.

[kingkopity]

16 hours ago, wardo78 said:

Thanks so much, that is super helpful! There is so little info out there on the Koberg and your direct comparison of the two bikes is exactly what  am looking for. They Koberg pricing is about the same as the Oset here, they are both around $4400 usd, but the Oset is sold by a dealer I know and trust, so that counts for a lot.

I am mostly going to use it to chase my grandson around and to demo sections for him, I used to be OK, but really have no interest in competing again. With that in mind, pretty much anything will be fine, I just don't want to get something that sucks! The only reservation I have about the Oset is the throttle. I have read that most people who have come off traditional gassers hates it. Have you done anything specific with your, or do you find it OK?

Thanks again,

Ward

Yes the throttle is a challenge. On the 2017 map, i thought it was marginally better than the current map. Yet most say the opposite. I do overlay the brake with the throttle a little, kills rear brake pads but worth it. Fortunately, the gap between me using a gas bike and moving to electric was a lot of years, ( over 20 years), so i adapted ok. And its only ever been a toy. I am seriously considering upgrading it to 72v later this year. Its currently using a 58v battery, but i have gotten that used to it, i would like a little more.  

[sectionone]

On 4/23/2020 at 6:02 PM, oldtrialer said:

To fix the throttle on the Oset is easy. You take the cover off where the wire for the hall sensor goes in. Best to spin it up to the top for access. The cover is the throttle stop. Put a small, 1/16" or less spacer in the throttle tube groove. No more play. You may have to try it a few time to get the right size. If too big you could always shave some off the stop.

This is a great fix! When I first got my 24R, it took me several sessions to adjust to using the throttle. To get up a 3 ft obstacle I would have to approach at a walking speed to minimize the throttle lag. Now with the spacer and no lag, the throttle is a lot more like my gas bikes and I can use a stop and hop riding style. It is still different but the good news is it doesn't mess up my gas bike riding. When going down a steep decent on the Oset, I am gradually getting rid of the habit of trying to brake with my foot.