Erm ... are they sure about that?

[danfoto]

The Lady Wife's new Agattu arrived yesterday, with which she is delighted. She took the battery off the charger last night and put it on the kitchen table, and has been idly reading the small print on the side of the battery whilst chewing her way through her bowl of muesli.

She has just pointed out to me that if you're German, you must "Use the battery only for this electric bike" (Verwenden Sie die Batterie ausschließlich für dieses Elektrorad), which seems fair enough.

Brits, though, must "Use this battery except for electric bicycle" ...

 

[flecc]

. Somehow it's always pleasant to catch out the meticulous Germans!

Similarly the fastidious Japanese with this double "n" in "remaining" on the Panasonic battery:

 

[tillson]

The Lady Wife's new Agattu arrived yesterday...

Is it fitted with the new Kalkhoff Impulse drive system? I am interested to hear a consumer's opinion.

 

[danfoto]

Is it fitted with the new Kalkhoff Impulse drive system?

Oh dear. I don't know. How might I tell?

Dan

 

[eddieo]

Is it fitted with the new Kalkhoff Impulse drive system? I am interested to hear a consumer's opinion.

I think 50 cycles have them now. Dont get to excited though, as over in Germany they are saying Kalkhoff now have a bike for Grandad as well as Grandma!

Joking apart, An indicator in this, is that no Impulse powered bikes appear in either their E-Performance or E-Urban range on website

Kalkhoff : Modelle 2012

I thought Flecc was supposed to be testing one?

 

[flecc]

Oh dear. I don't know. How might I tell?

Dan

The model will have had Impulse added to it's name when you bought, and the price will be an indication. Only the higher price models at 50cycles have the Impulse system.

If you have a look at the pics on this webpage, you'll see the Impulse model power units project below the chainline. The ones with the Panasonic unit don't.
.

 

[Mussels]

The model will have had Impulse added to it's name when you bought, and the price will be an indication. Only the higher price models at 50cycles have the Impulse system.

If you have a look at the pics on this webpage, you'll see the Impulse model power units project below the chainline. The ones with the Panasonic unit don't.
.

I love the photo of tilting trike on there, they've tilted the photo to make it look like the trike is leaning right over!

 

[flecc]

I love the photo of tilting trike on there, they've tilted the photo to make it look like the trike is leaning right over!

Yes, noticed that.

Not a bad little trike though, reasonable price as trikes go and a very practical shopper. Good to see it on the market.

 

[danfoto]

Her Ladyship's velocipede is your common or garden plain vanilla Panasonic, Sir, so I regret that we cannot enlighten you.

 

[rog_london]

. Somehow it's always pleasant to catch out the meticulous Germans!

Similarly the fastidious Japanese with this double "n" in "remaining" on the Panasonic battery:

Haha - Perhaps the odd superfluous apostrophe should be in there as well, Flecc - one of your favourites!

Rog.

 

[mike killay]

What is the impulse system exactly.
Is it just a name, or are there actual impulses used?

 

[rog_london]

What is the impulse system exactly.
Is it just a name, or are there actual impulses used?

According to Kalkhoff, it's their own home-brewed centre motor system, looking not dissimilar to the Panasonic system which they also use.

All brushless motors use electrical 'impulses' to control them, but I think here it's just a trade name they've adopted.

Rog.

 

[flecc]

Yes, name rather than the working method. The Kalkhoff Impulse system has features of the Daum crank system, some also common to the Bosch as well. Notably all three have large degrees of multi-stage internal gear reduction and drive the chain via the chainwheel, the Panasonic system driving the chain via a separate small motor sprocket.

This means the Panasonic has the highest transmission efficiency with it's single stage reduction, but is more fussy about correct chain tensions etc.

There are also differences in the way the road speed is limited to legality. Either type can be subverted, but it's easier to do on the Panasonic one, especially with hub gears.

 

[tillson]

Her Ladyship's velocipede is your common or garden plain vanilla Panasonic, Sir, so I regret that we cannot enlighten you.

Oh, OK. I was curious to see what people think of the Impulse system, so I will have to be patient and wait a bit longer until someone buys one.

 

[mike killay]

Thanks Rog and Flecc,
I was imagining some sort of 'Starship Enterprise' impulse drive. I am quite disappointed!

 

[steveindenmark]

Now everything is made in China and Tiawan, and I don`t just mean electric bikes, I mean all sorts of products. I am sure there must be a vacant position out there somewhere for an "English instructions correction person", or something titled along those lines.

I say this because so many instructions that come with new products are just total jibberish.

Steve

 

[flecc]

Back in the early 1960s when Japanese products started to come into our market, the accompanying instructions were also very poor and often gibberish, though at times quite funny in a way the Chinese don't seem to achieve. They corrected the problem themselves quite rapidly, as they also rapidly corrected their early terrible quality control.

Judging by the poor rate of improvement in their self-motivated quality control, I think it could be a long time before the Chinese produce good manuals.