Problem with Impulse 2 motor

Skyeye

Just Joined
May 26, 2020
1
0
I have done 3200 miles with my Kalkoff Impulse 2 50 Cycles bike. Yesterday, a long way from home the motor started to squeak which progressively got worse.
It got me back up some severe hills on Dartmoor but the motor protested very loudly and when I had taken the bike home using a tow hook mounted bracket on the back of my car, I took off the motor. There is a spiral thread engaging, it seems (because it is difficult to see the gears in the hole the spiral gear fits into) with a nylon gear. I could not see any wear or bits of metal on the spiral metal gear, so I put some grease on it and put it back together. I didn't think this would achieve anything! But I tried it today and the shrieking had gone away. Now, it is possible the nylon gear has become worn because there is more of a gear meshing noise than before the problem occurred. I see a new motor is in the region of £900.00, so I will forge on till it fails. The bike itself is tremendous, has been on all sorts of rough terrain - never a puncture and still the same tyres. This is the first major problem - Oh, I had new brakes fitted by Evans Cycles in Plymouth - parked my car in their FREE parking bay for 17 minutes and because they did not register my car number I was fined £100 by Britannia Parking! (Yes, the shop has to register your car even though it is clearly marked as Free to Evans customers).
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319

they can service the motor to a point but you are very lucky to get that amount of miles from a impulse 2 motor most fail way b4 this and 50 cycles did know this and still sold them anyway, and went bust.

peter would be the best guy to take a look inside the motor and see if it could be saved or not you would just have to post it to him for a quote.

bit cheaper here for a new motor but i think the newer evo motor might fit as well but more expensive.
 
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Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
2,214
562
77
I have done 3200 miles with my Kalkoff Impulse 2 50 Cycles bike. Yesterday, a long way from home the motor started to squeak which progressively got worse.
It got me back up some severe hills on Dartmoor but the motor protested very loudly and when I had taken the bike home using a tow hook mounted bracket on the back of my car, I took off the motor. There is a spiral thread engaging, it seems (because it is difficult to see the gears in the hole the spiral gear fits into) with a nylon gear. I could not see any wear or bits of metal on the spiral metal gear, so I put some grease on it and put it back together. I didn't think this would achieve anything! But I tried it today and the shrieking had gone away. Now, it is possible the nylon gear has become worn because there is more of a gear meshing noise than before the problem occurred. I see a new motor is in the region of £900.00, so I will forge on till it fails. The bike itself is tremendous, has been on all sorts of rough terrain - never a puncture and still the same tyres. This is the first major problem - Oh, I had new brakes fitted by Evans Cycles in Plymouth - parked my car in their FREE parking bay for 17 minutes and because they did not register my car number I was fined £100 by Britannia Parking! (Yes, the shop has to register your car even though it is clearly marked as Free to Evans customers).
Sad. The Mileage is IMHO, not very high at all.....
Which manufacturer makes the motors, or is it possibly their own make?
Andy
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,134
8,230
60
West Sx RH
Derby cycles gmbh are the motor maker another quality German product :rolleyes:.
 

Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
2,214
562
77
Derby cycles gmbh are the motor maker another quality German product :rolleyes:.
Many thanks.
I found the following in both English and German versions, showing the types of problems the bikes had:-
The translation was done by a German speaker, as is obvious to the many errors, but the gist of the English version is basically the same as the German one.
The Impulse motors from Derby Cycle – constructional changes in 2018

It’s August 2017, event in Cloppenburg at Derby Cycle – it’s an obligatory event for everybody, who had troubles within the last two years with the Impulse2.0 and EVO motors. The customers are bothered and discontented. The dealers are in the line of fire between frustrated pedelec bikers with their motor problems and Derby Cycles field stuff that denied that there exist problems with the motors. But a dealer needs customers. So what should a dealer do? He calms down the customers and changed the motor, well knowing that the next failure will occur in a few month. That’s the normal process of all dealers – really all dealers? No! A few people put the screws on Derby, they want solutions and a reliable motor for their customers, else they will thread with consequences.
Cloppenburg_08.2017_2

Cloppenburg_08.2017_1

Cloppenburg_08.2017_3
It’s unknown how many pedlecs were sold in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and how many of them where send back due to irreparable or periodicly motor failures. Most of them got back nearly the full amound of money. There were a lot of bike returns, the known cases written in the internet forums are only the tip of the iceberg. A really huge economic loss! A really huge damage to Derby Cycles image! Due to a Joint-Venture between Daum and Derby Cycle both sides are interested in a failure free working and reliable motor – a very long working motor.
I set up an assertation, a very high percentage of the motors (Impulse2.0 vrom 2014 to end of 2016) will fail before the 10.000km mark due to the known failures: defective pawls, loss of power, heavy vibrations and noise, clacking or a blocked shaft.
Hence the Impulse2.0 got a contructional change in combination with a software update, see also Differences between Derby Cycles Impulse2.0 and Impulse2.2. Now the EVO and EVO RS motors are in focus of a further development.
The constructional changes are:-
  1. New tooth geometry of large gear and change to a German automotive supplier
    ImpulseEVO2018_1a

    ImpulseEVO2018_1b

    ImpulseEVO2018_1c
  2. New 4-stroke free-wheel of the Taiwanese specialist KT
    ImpulseEVO2018_2
  3. New grease management
    ImpulseEVO2018_1a
  4. Reduction of the bearing tolerance of the torque sensor
  5. Fine-balanced rotor
  6. Optimized gluing of the torque sensor
    ImpulseEVO2018_6
These are probably the root causes for a lot of the occured motor defect. If the Impulse2.2 and the 2018 EVO motors are at the customers and proof that they are significantly more durable, Daum and Derby Cycle can finally start to earn money the motors.

With a working, reliable and durable motor Derby Cycles pedelecs, especially the eMTB’s are great bikes for everyday, sport and fun!

With a working, reliable and durable motor Derby Cycles pedelecs, especially the eMTB’s are great bikes for everyday, sport and fun!
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,134
8,230
60
West Sx RH
Even the 2018 evo impulse 2.2 still failed.
 

Stanebike

Pedelecer
Jan 5, 2020
81
49
Hi Skyeye

How old is your bike? If less than 3 years it may still be under warranty. If older my apologies for the false hope.

 

leonardix

Just Joined
Apr 10, 2022
3
0
Hi, i am Leonardo from Italy
i have a impulse 2 univega mtb from 2014
i've broken the plastic gear of my motor, as you can see below...
46508
here in Italy is not a common ebike motor type, can you tell me where I can find a spare part?

Thanks for your kindness

Leonardo