Thanks for that. I am reluctant to slacken the screws however unless I hear that this is necessary/required.
2015 Kalkoff Tasman Impulse 8 HS 17Ah low step 46cm frame
- Thread starter One_Box
- Start date
The screws should be tight, the float should still be present. Perhaps you would consider removing the piece of inner tube you added ?
Whilst we are talking about this particular Kalkhoff I'd like to ask about head adjustment. Mine has always had a bit of movement in spite of me tightening everything. Mike,(oriteroom) kindly came and had a look and made some useful suggestions. However after he left I had a closer look and noticed that the rubber ring was broken. could this be a cause of the movement?
I must say that for a two thousand pound bike I seem to have had more than my fair share of challenges.
I must say that for a two thousand pound bike I seem to have had more than my fair share of challenges.
D
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It's supposed to be broken. Are you doing it up in the right sequence? I can't see what type you have from that photo. Is it an Ahead headset or a threaded one.?
Thanks. It is a threaded one and as I don't have a c spanner I am going off to a bike shop to ask them to tighten the race head. ( Mike told me what to say as I've no idea! )
Hi, enjoyed reading your review. I have the same bike but my battery is the 11 ah version. I also discovered pretty quickly that the gears are very low. I am finding riding the bike to work extremely frustrating. I did contact 50 cycles in Loughborough by email to ask about this (and one or two other things). They said it was possible to change the sprocket, as you've done, and said they'd get back to me. They never did, despite numerous attempts to get assistance. Sadly I haven't had your positive experience with their after care! I'd really appreciate any comments you could make about changing the sprocket. Did your local bike shop do it or did you have to return the bike to 50cycles? And is it an expensive thing to do? I'm assuming the gears all end up a bit 'out'? i.e., do you even still have 8 gears or are they now reduced in number? Any further tips/comments on this matter would be much appreciated.Bought new from 50Cycles ( Bristol ) in March 2015 for £1995 with 18 months interest free credit.
Mileage to date is 392 miles. Bike weighs 23.3 Kg and the battery 2.994 Kg giving a total weight of 26.3 Kg.
Things I like : -
Things I don't / didn't like : -
- Excellent ergonomics, all controls to hand. Handlebars pulled back approx 45 degrees giving a very comfortable upright riding position aided by the ergonomic grips.
- Compact display is very clear and back lit showing battery level, assistance level ( Eco, Sport or Power ) speed, and either trip mileage or odo reading. The control switches on the left hand side of the handlebar are also backlit.
- Magura hydraulic rim brakes give superb modulation and braking.
- 8 speed Shimano Nexus hub gear, very easy to adjust and a good range of gears.
- Suntour CR 8V front suspension fork is not adjustable but damping is excellent giving good control on our very potholed roads.
- Post Modern Glide suspension seat post adds to comfort.
- Sturdy Racktime rear rack which also helps to secure the rear mudguard and prevent rattles.
- Schwalbe Life tyres ( 622-40 ) give good road holding and feedback over mixed terrain.
- Rims and spokes have not needed any adjusting and have remained true.
- Impulse 2 motor - power from the first push of the crank, smooth and progressive. On the flat unless there is a headwind I do not use assistance as the bike is easy to pedal without it. On inclines I use mostly Eco, Sport seems to add about 1/2 - 1 mph with the same pedalling effort and Power gives a distinct increase above that.
- I wanted to be able to cycle 60 miles in hilly terrain, this 17 Ah battery does the job along with my legs of course !
- Frame is beautifully made with a top class paint job - not a blemish in sight.
Problems : -
- Left hand lever operates the front brake, I've never seen that on any other bike I've owned. As I have a number of conventional cycles which I still ride a lot I have to re-jig my brain every time I get on my Kalkoff.
- As supplied, the bike is hopelessly under geared even for hilly South Wales. I have changed the sprocket of the Nexus 8 from a 21T to a 19T and now find I can pedal up to about 23 mph on the flat which is fine for this type of bike and my limited power output.
- The rear mudguard is about 25 cm too short. I pity anyone following me on a bike in rain !
- The bell is the worst I have seen on a bike and is an utter disgrace on a bike costing 2K. I have got rid of the thing. Kalkoff should ask Pashley where they source their "ding dong" bells from !
- No bottle bosses. I appreciate Kalkoff market this as a city bike but if you put a battery on it with a 100 mile range it is possible someone may actually use it ! I have fitted a set of Zifal Gizmo water bottle mounts to the down tube which work fine.
- As supplied the wheel circumference setting in the computer was too low for the size of the tyre. I found this when comparing distances travelled with my Garmin 200 GPS computer. This has now been corrected by 50Cycles using their specialist kit. It is a great shame that this couldn't be achieved using the compact display although I believe it is possible with Kalkoff bikes that use the larger display.
- The stock saddle is far too soft for long distances IMO. A Brooks B17 now sits a-top my bike and my bum is in heaven.
- Some of the decals especially on the forks are of questionable quality.
My battery developed an electrical fault linked to a dodgy negative terminal after 6 weeks. 50Cycles supplied me with a loan battery until a new battery was available. I fitted this yesterday and will be conditioning it over the next few rides.
Conclusion : -
An attractive and well made bike that shouts quality. Every time I ride it I have a smile on my face
Customer service from 50Cycles has been outstanding, thank you Anthony at the Bristol branch.
Raising the gearing can in theory be done in two ways.
Fitting a smaller rear sprocket, or a bigger ring at the front.
As will all things bicycles, there can be complications.
A smaller rear sprocket is probably the simplest, assuming you don't already have the smallest.
The chain will probably need to be shortened.
Problems may arise because you have very limited adjustment in the rear drop outs, not least because the tyre will foul the mudguard if you try to move the wheel too far in one direction or another.
A bigger front ring might mean you have to lose the chainguard, the chain would need to be lengthened, and you will face the same problems setting the correct tension.
A pulley chain tensioner at the back is the best solution, assuming one will fit.
The good news is that with either mod, you keep all eight gears because they are inside the hub.
What will happen is the range will go up, so first becomes a bit like second is now, and so on.
Here's a pic of the pulley chain tensioner on my hub geared bike.
You can see it can take up plenty of slack in the chain, with no need to adjust the wheel in the drop out.
If you put or get a local bike shop to put a 18 sprocket on the back all your gears will effectively just go up one. Your new first will be almost the same as second is now, and the same through the range. Top gear will then give you a higher speed at your normal pedalling cadence. 25mph will be 90rpm and 20mph 70rpm.
As said the chain will need to be shortened but you won’t need to fit a chain tensioner unless you want to.
Thanks guys! All sounds like double dutch to me. But assuming I put on a smaller rear sprocket does this mean my bike would still cut out at 15 mph?
Agree, even my wife thinks the gearing is low. It is compounded by not only a 21T rear sprocket, but a 38T chainring. The older bikes, non Impulse bikes, had 41t chainrings, which with a 21T or even 23T rear, gave her a comfortable gearing.
So, just done changed the rear sprocket myself on my wife's new Tasman, exactly the same as yours. I had previous experience of changing the rear sprockets on our ProConnects. I have put a 18T on, replacing the as supplied 21T. I was reluctant to go down to a 16T, expecting more sprocket wear.
Depending upon your level of expertise, it's relatively simple matter, the hardest thing being getting off/on the split ring that holds the sprocket on. It's fiddly, and care needed to make sure it doesn't go Ping and fly across the shed. Many yers ago Aldby posted some good advice on changing the sprocket, which were easy to follow. There is also a good youtube video of doing it, just google it.
After changing the sprocket, i needed to remove two links (minimum you can remove) from the chain which brought the axle to the front of the dropout. The net effect was that instead of running out of legs (i.e. cannot pedal fast enough to add anything whilst travelling flat/downhill) at about 19mph, it's now closer to 25mph. This is enough for my wife, who is no Bradley Wiggins.
M
No, cut out still occurs as before because it is the speed, as measured by the rear wheel sensor that controls the motor inout. On the non impulse bikes it was by the crank input, which meant that changing sprockets gave you a higher limit on the assist speed. There are threads on this site about a dongle which fits over the sensor to increase assisted speed if that's a route you want to go down.
Meant to add
No, cut out still occurs as before because it is the speed, as measured by the rear wheel sensor that controls the motor inout. On the non impulse bikes it was by the crank input, which meant that changing sprockets gave you a higher limit on the assist speed. There are threads on this site about a dongle which fits over the sensor to increase assisted speed if that's a route you want to go down.
Repost from Kalkhoff battery thread, probably more appropriate here...
I have to say that I am becoming a but less impressed with Kalkhoff bikes lately, having been a keen advocate of some excellent bikes. We bought a Tasman recently as a reserve for y wife's ProConnect when it gets beyond it's time (hopeful a good while yet).
Our original Panasonic motored bikes, two ProConnects and ProConnect S have been practically faultless, over a total of near on 30,000 miles split between the three bikes and still. On original batteries.. The bikes always attract attention when we are out, with really good proper paint jobs as opposed to cheap plastic decal and sticky-on aluminium K as badging on the Tasman. The old bikes are head-turners. We get into many conversations and have always extolled the benefits of both pedelecs and Kalkhoffs in particular. Given early experience of, and some reports on this site, my confidence in recommending the latest brood of Kalkhoffs has been coloured. I shall be offering caution in recommending the latest bikes, and will advise that finding a little-used older Panasonic model a better option, particularly for novice pedelecers.
Some of the development of the Kalkhoff brand had been just for development's sake. I think the build quality is poorer, The decals are cheap, the battery suspect, and other niggling issues. It is poor that I have to make a 180 mile round trip to Shoreham, to have the software altered because the wheel size is incorrectly set to 28" instead of 26" of my wife' model. It has to be reset, because itincorrectly reduces by more than 5% the assist speed, and overestimates the distance travelled. This should be sorted by Quality Control at Kalkhoff, or even better, a proper Quality Check by 50cycles, BEFORE sending the bikes out. The pre delivery check at best looks cursory. We have conflicting advice from 50cycles as to whether the battery terminals should float (be loose) in the battery compartment.
I have to say that I am becoming a but less impressed with Kalkhoff bikes lately, having been a keen advocate of some excellent bikes. We bought a Tasman recently as a reserve for y wife's ProConnect when it gets beyond it's time (hopeful a good while yet).
Our original Panasonic motored bikes, two ProConnects and ProConnect S have been practically faultless, over a total of near on 30,000 miles split between the three bikes and still. On original batteries.. The bikes always attract attention when we are out, with really good proper paint jobs as opposed to cheap plastic decal and sticky-on aluminium K as badging on the Tasman. The old bikes are head-turners. We get into many conversations and have always extolled the benefits of both pedelecs and Kalkhoffs in particular. Given early experience of, and some reports on this site, my confidence in recommending the latest brood of Kalkhoffs has been coloured. I shall be offering caution in recommending the latest bikes, and will advise that finding a little-used older Panasonic model a better option, particularly for novice pedelecers.
Some of the development of the Kalkhoff brand had been just for development's sake. I think the build quality is poorer, The decals are cheap, the battery suspect, and other niggling issues. It is poor that I have to make a 180 mile round trip to Shoreham, to have the software altered because the wheel size is incorrectly set to 28" instead of 26" of my wife' model. It has to be reset, because itincorrectly reduces by more than 5% the assist speed, and overestimates the distance travelled. This should be sorted by Quality Control at Kalkhoff, or even better, a proper Quality Check by 50cycles, BEFORE sending the bikes out. The pre delivery check at best looks cursory. We have conflicting advice from 50cycles as to whether the battery terminals should float (be loose) in the battery compartment.
Owning two older Kalkhoffs, I'm sorry to see the demise of the old Panasonic motored bikes.
Having eight years or so development they were totally sorted.
Quiet, ultra reliable and a simple sprocket change to tailor it's speed to your riding style.
One of my 18AH batteries still has nearly full range at five years old.
Their not as poweful as the Bosch bikes etc but as a 55 year old of average fitness, I've yet to come across a hill that's beaten me and there's plenty of steep ones here in Scotland
The newer bikes are not any lighter either and as stated by oriteroom, the build quality of the older Kalkhoffs is excellent.
Having eight years or so development they were totally sorted.
Quiet, ultra reliable and a simple sprocket change to tailor it's speed to your riding style.
One of my 18AH batteries still has nearly full range at five years old.
Their not as poweful as the Bosch bikes etc but as a 55 year old of average fitness, I've yet to come across a hill that's beaten me and there's plenty of steep ones here in Scotland
The newer bikes are not any lighter either and as stated by oriteroom, the build quality of the older Kalkhoffs is excellent.
Spot on Kenny, couldn't have put it any better myself, and with the recent purchase I am in a position to compare and contrast (my favourite question in exam papers!).Owning two older Kalkhoffs, I'm sorry to see the demise of the old Panasonic motored bikes.
Having eight years or so development they were totally sorted.
Quiet, ultra reliable and a simple sprocket change to tailor it's speed to your riding style.
One of my 18AH batteries still has nearly full range at five years old.
Their not as poweful as the Bosch bikes etc but as a 55 year old of average fitness, I've yet to come across a hill that's beaten me and there's plenty of steep ones here in Scotland
The newer bikes are not any lighter either and as stated by oriteroom, the build quality of the older Kalkhoffs is excellent.
50Cycles fitted a 19 sprocket for me before delivery but failed to shorten the chain so I had to have that done (wish I'd known about chain tensioners) Motor cuts out at 17MPH -could that be because I have 28 as compared to your wife's 26 wheel oriteroom?)
I just wanted to clarify: so I'm looking for an 18 or 19t sprocket (people in this thread seem to vary in what they've chosen)? Did you experience any of the problems RobF mentioned when he says 'Problems may arise because you have very limited adjustment in the rear drop outs, not least because the tyre will foul the mudguard if you try to move the wheel too far in one direction or another.?
No problems. The 18T or 19T sprockets are fine, merely that the 18 is a slightly higher gearing and better in my view). As I said, two links out of the chain, which is he minimum, and here's no problem re the position of the axle in the dropout, and no problem with tyres fouling anything. The reason two links need removing is so that the links match up, you cannot remove just a single link, tho' you can get a specal 'half link' to join up if you needed to. However, this wasn't needed, nor a chain tensioner. A 16t sprocket may be more problematic when it comes to link removal and may need a half link or a chain tensioner, because of adjutmentavailable in the drop outs.
I went for a 19T as the area I live is hilly. I can pedal up to about 23 MPH on the flat without problem and motor assistance disappears at 17MPH with the correct circumference of the wheel set in the computer.
I have repaired the cracked battery casing ( which 50Cycles declined to offer any solution to ) and the bike has settled down nicely.
I took it on the Wiggle Mendip Sportive (short) on Saturday and spent most of my time on ECO. Completed 54 miles with about 60% of the battery left at the end.
There were a few predictable shouts of " cheat " as I passed some roadies on a really hilly section but also some positive comments from others.
The really impressive thing for me was the handling performance going down a steep and twisty section. I followed a really fast roadie down passing many more cautious riders on the way. Perhaps it was wide bars and excellent brakes which gave me the confidence to have a bit of fun plus my motorcycling experience as well
I have repaired the cracked battery casing ( which 50Cycles declined to offer any solution to ) and the bike has settled down nicely.
I took it on the Wiggle Mendip Sportive (short) on Saturday and spent most of my time on ECO. Completed 54 miles with about 60% of the battery left at the end.
There were a few predictable shouts of " cheat " as I passed some roadies on a really hilly section but also some positive comments from others.
The really impressive thing for me was the handling performance going down a steep and twisty section. I followed a really fast roadie down passing many more cautious riders on the way. Perhaps it was wide bars and excellent brakes which gave me the confidence to have a bit of fun plus my motorcycling experience as well
Colin, unless you have the tools and experience to complete this job I would leave it to a bike shop. A new sprocket can be obtained for about £9 from your favourite online emporium. I had to remove a compete link from the chain and turn the retaining washers around on the hub to get a good result.
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