Ongoing reliability of Kalkhoff/Focus Impulse 2 motors

[Perseus]

I contacted 50 Cycles through their web chat over Xmas. I posed as someone else and asked for advice on which ebike I needed for a set of circumstances I described - weak rider, hilly terrain, absolute reliability needed as I lived in a remote part of Scotland. The salesman's first recommendation was a Kalkhoff Agattu with 20% off. I asked about the motor and battery to be told that it was an Impulse 2, so I mentioned reading about how bad they were on this forum. According to the sales guy the motor has been upgraded ironing out the problem, anyway they have sold loads and very few have failed. Both them and Kalkhoff were apparently confident in the product so I asked if I could have it at full price but with the warranty changed so that if there was a problem all I had to do was box it, then they would uplift it back to their workshop, repair it and deliver it back at no cost to me. The salesman pointed out he was a small cog in the organisation, but he would ask the management when they were back. I gave him an email address to write to and so far the mailbox remains empty.

I got the same. The bike specs were so much better than the competition that I was nearly persuaded. I've got arthritis so I really need a throttle. The shop is local so I would no need to box it.

 

[Templogin]

In a recent web chat with 50 Cycles I questioned the reliability of the Impulse 2 motor and received this reply

“We have many happy Kalkhoff customers cursing around the country with no problems at all”

I wonder if “cursing” was meant to be cruising, or perhaps he was right first time!

 

[Perseus]

I'm still looking for an ebike. Trade press hinted at unreliability of Impulse II motors. That was the deciding factor for me.

Dealer said Bosch motors in the £2K price range were not as powerful for going up hills.

 

[soundwave]

Dealer said Bosch motors in the £2K price range were not as powerful for going up hills.

all the motors are the same no matter what the cost of the bike is with the cx motor.

 

[Danidl]

I'm still looking for an ebike. Trade press hinted at unreliability of Impulse II motors. That was the deciding factor for me.

Dealer said Bosch motors in the £2K price range were not as powerful for going up hills.

Well my Raleigh Motus is exactly at the 2k threshold, and in low gear is very pleasant for going up hill and it has the nominally less powerful active 2 motor. It's not a motorbike or scrambler, but it gets the job done with some little, not excessive effort. When anyone seeks to make comparisons such as ... Not as powerful ... This begs the question as what?

 

[Perseus]

Well my Raleigh Motus is exactly at the 2k threshold, and in low gear is very pleasant for going up hill and it has the nominally less powerful active 2 motor. It's not a motorbike or scrambler, but it gets the job done with some little, not excessive effort. When anyone seeks to make comparisons such as ... Not as powerful ... This begs the question as what?

One comparison is the Kalkhoff Agattu (available for not much over £2K): http://www.50cycles.com/product/6235232611.html

 

[Templogin]

Yes Perseus, but it has THAT motor!

Further to my request to them that I pay full price for one if they were happy to uplift it if it failed within warranty, rather than me pay the discounted rate, my mailbox remains empty, suggesting that they have little faith in the motor.

If you are going to buy one only do so as a gift to someone that you dislike!

 

[soundwave]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-touring-hybrid-pro-500-trapeze-e-bike-2017/rp-prod154589

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-elly-cruise-hybrid-400-easy-entry-e-bike-2016/rp-prod141466

 

[IR772]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-touring-hybrid-pro-500-trapeze-e-bike-2017/rp-prod154589

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-elly-cruise-hybrid-400-easy-entry-e-bike-2016/rp-prod141466

I really like the second bike, belt drive, 7 sp hub and Bosch for £1450 wow. I am ok with the colour as I ride a Haibike.

 

[Templogin]

Before you shell out the money ... I am a member of British Cycling, and through my membership I get 10% off Chain Reaction ourchases over £99. You can join for about £35 for the Ride membership. The saving will be small, but you will also get 3rd party insurance and free legal help if you are involved in an accident, among other benefits.

 

[hopbackguy]

Today I did something I've been meaning to do for a while, and used online chat to 50cycles.com to ask about the software update that's available or Impulse 2.0. I pointed out that I lived near Portsmouth and that getting to Shoreham would be very difficult, and they said they can send out a box with instructions that will enable me to do the update myself. I await more info next week.

 

[Danidl]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-touring-hybrid-pro-500-trapeze-e-bike-2017/rp-prod154589

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-elly-cruise-hybrid-400-easy-entry-e-bike-2016/rp-prod141466

Of these two the Elly is a very close equivalent equipment bike as the Motus and at about the same price point. The first is about 50% more expensive..

However my point was more about a person saying this bike is not as powerful as...... Without giving the alternative. Any of the Bosch active range will be equally powerful, any of the cx range more powerful by some margin . The dealer would need to justify their stance by quoting power and torque and distinguish between them.

 

[soundwave]

that bike has a active motor because it has hub gears

 

[Danidl]

I really like the second bike, belt drive, 7 sp hub and Bosch for £1450 wow. I am ok with the colour as I ride a Haibike.

It looks very good... But I don't think it has a belt drive. Check the specs again.

 

[Danidl]

Today I did something I've been meaning to do for a while, and used online chat to 50cycles.com to ask about the software update that's available or Impulse 2.0. I pointed out that I lived near Portsmouth and that getting to Shoreham would be very difficult, and they said they can send out a box with instructions that will enable me to do the update myself. I await more info next week.

Sounds like good customer service!

 

[Templogin]

Is that an irony klaxon I hear in the distance!

 

[soundwave]

It looks very good... But I don't think it has a belt drive. Check the specs again.

it has a chain but you can get belt drive bosch bikes
https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Gepida-Miliare-Pro-Folding-Bosch-Electric-Bike?gclid=Cj0KEQiA_KvEBRCtzNil4-KR-LIBEiQAmgekF8xxVzbios-ZhVMJdzSf_-VGBK2N4wMf0ZoPNPRUMnEaAtV58P8HAQ

never seen one of them sprockets for sale tho ?

 

[Danidl]

Yes Perseus, but it has THAT motor!

Further to my request to them that I pay full price for one if they were happy to uplift it if it failed within warranty, rather than me pay the discounted rate, my mailbox remains empty, suggesting that they have little faith in the motor.

If you are going to buy one only do so as a gift to someone that you dislike!

Careful! You are condemning a product on hearsay alone. The fact that they were unwilling to alter their established practice in order to facilitate your particular requirement is proof only that they were not going to alter their established practice and nothing else, if even that.
It would be helpful to the entire pedelec community if they , the UK agents were to publish the statistics of in warranty repairs, but does anyone else do so?

 

[soundwave]

Careful! You are condemning a product on hearsay alone.

{removed by admin, overall qty of failures is unknown} why the warranty was changed so if you now have one fail and have it replaced the warranty starts again.

I think the motor has a design flaw and they know it yet still want to sell it like nothing is wrong.

how many do you want replaced b4 enough is enough 20?


{admin note, could you please stick to proven facts when you present something as a fact. thanks}

 

[Templogin]

They are in business to make money. They do that by selling bikes.

Vendors have a great deal of flexibility in how they deal with their sales in whatever field. If a customer is offering to pay more than you are asking for a product on the understanding that the product is picked up in case of a warranty claim, and the vendor has the confidence in the product that they claim to have, why would they not take the extra money? Processes are just processes, and sticking doggedly to them seems ridiculous when extra profitability is supposedly available.

Your comment about warranties has some value though. No, others are not publishing their warranty figures, but owners are having their experiences posted online. An agent would do well in this case to publish the data if they have nothing to worry about and the product is reliable as they claim.