I'd consider your decision very seriously if it has an Impulse2 motor and you intend significant mileage (2k+ per year) rather than leave it in the shed and do the odd few mikes niw and then.

 

 

Is there anything comparable?

doesn`t taking it apart void the warranty?

3500 mile report.

 

Still love the bike. However........

The symptoms of motor failure returned (clicking,knocking from motor and occasional tightening ) Also showing 'pedal' fault code on lcd display. In addition the charger wouldn't work when plugging directly in the battery rather than the docking base. Another motor has been fitted under warranty along with a new charger, gear cable, software reset and chainwheel. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending 50cycles but hesitate to recommend the impulse 2 motor. It is clearly weak and not up to covering any sort of mileage, a 'quality' bike such as this should be capable of covering many thousands of miles without major mechanical failure. Or have I just been unlucky? Previous posts on the subject would suggest not?

 

Are there any readers on here who have covered 3k miles + on impulse 2 without issue to counter this report?

Looked on a German website that seems to suggest similar issues. One guy did take the motor apart and stated the motor would have to be changed.

 

Not sure his status re warrantee though.

I am looking at Evo but expensive. Trying to justify as this is a big part of my life now, maybe use their finance options.

I'm sure there are more motor failures than you suspect. The majority of people ride a few hundred miles over a year or few years, which I don't consider being a commuter, cyclist, or even someone who rides a bike,more like someone who happens to *have* a bike and has been on it a few times.

 

It you actually use the bike for commuting, transport, exercise, whatever, it's hard to not put a few thousand miles on an ebike. Given their cost and marketing angle, I don't personally feel thousands of miles is unreasonable expectations from a more premium model.

 

I have the Focus Aventura Impulse S10, with the Impulse 2 motor (Kalkhoff with a different badge). It's now waiting on its 3rd motor, with <3k miles and being 10 months old. After the 2nd one failed, the same way as the 1st (sudden grinding, locking up, then free spinning motor sounds with no assist) I took it apart. There's a plastic-ish gear in it that's ripped up. I'm guessing this is the trick they found to a quieter motor with the Impulse 2 release.

Was it easy to take to bits?

I just bought a used kalkhoff agattu with the impulse 2.0, so no warranty..

No problems yet but if they arise I guess I'll be fixing it myself!!

No problems yet but if they arise I guess I'll be fixing it myself!!

Even if you can open up the motor, and find some stripped plastic gears inside (as it seems to be the common issue), I don't think you will be able to procure the replacement parts anyway. Kalkhoff does not sell those (nor sells the full motor unit to individuals either).

Edited January 29, 201610 yr by Tomtomato

1000 MILE REPORT

 

Just made it over the 1,000 mile mark on my Kalkhoff Pro Connect Impulse 9.

 

The bike continues to run and hasn't needed any maintenance (beyond cleaning) thus far.

 

Everything feels fine with one exception - I am experiencing occasional (every couple of miles) 'clicking' noises from what seems to be the motor (though difficult to know with 100% certainty as it happens while cycling and my attention is on the road).

 

It isn't loud. It'll happen once then be fine for a while, then happen again. I can feel SOMETHING from the pedals when it happens. It doesn't feel like chain slip. Don't know exactly.

 

No idea what it is, but wondering if this will develop into what others are reporting here. I guess time will tell.

 

The bike is now approaching 5 months old. While not in use, I keep it in a shed. I also clean it as best I can every few weeks. My journey into work has a few fairly steep gradients, and a few slightly bumpy parts, but overall I'd say it's average for a journey of that length (7.7 miles to work and back so 15 and a bit mile round trip, 4 times a week).

 

Still hoping it'll give me at least a couple of years with minimal hassle, but my hunch at the moment is that I won't reach 2,000 with the same motor. Anyway, hope to be proven wrong.

Everything feels fine with one exception - I am experiencing occasional (every couple of miles) 'clicking' noises from what seems to be the motor (though difficult to know with 100% certainty as it happens while cycling and my attention is on the road)

 

Sounds like very similar to the issue I had (resulting to a motor change).

 

1) Does the noise stop when you cut the motor off (moving to zero assistance through the assistance controller)

 

2) Does the noise stop when you pedal in reverse ("positioning" the chain properly again within the motor)

 

3) Do you feel some vibrations through the pedals?

 

For me, it started as an occasional clicking under high assistance, but then progressed to a more frequent clicking/clacking noise, even under light assistance. Motor was replaced, and noise has not reappeared once so far, after around 500 miles.

All rather familiar:(

Sounds like very similar to the issue I had (resulting to a motor change).

 

1) Does the noise stop when you cut the motor off (moving to zero assistance through the assistance controller)

 

2) Does the noise stop when you pedal in reverse ("positioning" the chain properly again within the motor)

 

3) Do you feel some vibrations through the pedals?

 

For me, it started as an occasional clicking under high assistance, but then progressed to a more frequent clicking/clacking noise, even under light assistance. Motor was replaced, and noise has not reappeared once so far, after around 500 miles.

 

1) I haven't tried this, but will have a go over the weekend

2) The noise is so infrequent at the moment, I could probably do this for ages and find nothing... not sure if that'll narrow it down, though! Think I need to wait until it gets more regular (assuming it will).

3) Yes, a little. A single vibration with the click. Just strong enough to feel it. Feels about 25% as strong as a chain slip on a normal bike, similar duration.

I have two more Impulse 2 motor failures to report.

 

My Agattu (~350 miles) has developed a loud and disturbing clank when starting off or when powering up something steep, a hump back bridge caused the fault today. Sounds and feels like the crank is about to break.

 

My partner's Tasmin (~100 miles) has developed the back pedal brake error.

 

Took both bikes into Blazing Saddles at Hebden Bridge, which is a 50 cycles agent, and they have said both need new motors. No motors available so on a waiting list. The bikes are still usable fortunately.

 

Such a shame as I really do love the bike, apart from the motor issue it is a comfortable, fun ride.

Up at a ridiculous hour because I've had two instances of having to clean sick off the carpet (my 4 year old seems to have a vomiting bug).

 

Well, I took my bike in for a service on the weekend and mentioned the motor issue. The guy at 50Cycles said he had read about the motor fault (read about it on this forum, in fact).

 

Regarding the plastic cog with missing teeth that someone posted - he spent some time explaining to me why the cog was made out of a plastic material as opposed to metal. Apparently it is due to temperature in the motor, and not to cut costs - he advised that the torque pushed through that particular cog was so low that the choice of material shouldn't make much of a difference.

 

I'm not technical enough with motors to know whether this is valid or not, but he is a genuine guy and I have no reason not to believe him.

 

He also mentioned return rates - he mentioned he's seen a low number of returns on the Impulse 2, and certainly not a high enough number to put it down to a manufacturing or design defect.

 

I suggested he respond on here, but it don't think that's going to happen.

 

My motor is still giving that clicking, chain-slippy sound but is otherwise still running ok. I'm going to carry on with it for now. I would say that 50Cycles have been good to me, and I do trust that if/when I does finally go there won't be any problems having a replacement fitted.

Apologies for the couple of typos - had very little sleep :-D

Well, I took my bike in for a service on the weekend and mentioned the motor issue. The guy at 50Cycles said he had read about the motor fault (read about it on this forum, in fact).

 

Regarding the plastic cog with missing teeth that someone posted - he spent some time explaining to me why the cog was made out of a plastic material as opposed to metal. Apparently it is due to temperature in the motor, and not to cut costs - he advised that the torque pushed through that particular cog was so low that the choice of material shouldn't make much of a difference.

 

I'm not technical enough with motors to know whether this is valid or not, but he is a genuine guy and I have no reason not to believe him.

 

I'm definitely not here to argue, or bash the company, but the fact that the plastic gear is stripping within a couple thousand miles would be a pretty significant data point to indicate otherwise.

 

He also mentioned return rates - he mentioned he's seen a low number of returns on the Impulse 2, and certainly not a high enough number to put it down to a manufacturing or design defect.

 

I don't doubt this one bit, however, in my research of the industry and buyers, you have a lot of purchases made by much older folks who put a very light work load on the bike, in regards to both intensity and volume of use (couple hundred miles a year @ most). These bikes would be great for that. My 10,000 miles of bike commuting per year at max assist and max speed is clearly way outside the dependability use range of this bike, given I'm on the 3rd motor and it has the backpedal/brake error now and I've not even hit 4k miles between all 3 motors combined.

 

I still really appreciate the bike, though it's not met my needs or expectations. I know my expectations are high, but I don't feel unreasonable for it to last at least a year, maybe two, before burning up a motor. I bought an ST2 a few months ago and it's already at almost 2,500 miles. The only thing I've done is kept the chain lubed, and cleaned the bike one time. I've considered doing a full review comparison, as I have all the data collected. I did a very silly hill climb comparison video, sorry for the corny music and graphics, it was my first video and I was having fun with it and let my 12 yr old daughter pick out the music and animations:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqTMgStAeuw

So you are comparing a crank driven bike, with a hub-driven one (which looks like a heavy duty "moped", similar to a Big Bear, but costing four times the price)?

 

Maybe the Kalkhoff bike you first bought was just not fit for your purpose, as your new bike is very different...

Just a quick update on my Pro Connect 9 - I'm up to 1,400 miles and thus far, no motor change required. The clacking has not worsened (it was only very minor to begin with) so in that respect, the recent software update does appear to have helped.

 

The main difference with the latest software is that when going over a significant bump, the motor cuts out for a moment. Presumably this is a precaution, to protect the components from sudden stresses.

So you are comparing a crank driven bike, with a hub-driven one (which looks like a heavy duty "moped", similar to a Big Bear)?

 

Maybe the bike you first bought was just not fit for your purpose...

 

I've always read hub motors are at a major disadvantage on steep hills like this (8%+ grade @ start, up to 17% grade), and we all know weight is a big disadvantage on hills and the Stromer is heavier, and I'm a big guy. So, given that, and the fact that this mid-drive is rated at 70Nm, and the Stromer @ 35Nm, many would think the Stromer would get creamed, I know I thought so. This isn't conclusive, but a fun comparison at a high wattage, and it does tell part of the story.

 

These 2 bikes are considered by many who are looking for long range, dependability, and good speed. People shy away from the Stromer due to the hub motor's rumored efficiency (vs. mid-drive), performance on climbs, as well as price. That's why I opted for the other, but since, I've learned differently. I always prefer to gravitate towards information backed by testing and data, but unfortunately, at least the English sites, people just post manufacturer specs and build their theories from that. Most reviews are just people pointing at parts on the bike and saying what they are, then pedaling around a little bit with the camera on and saying how comfortable it is.

 

As an actual "cyclist", I can say the "moped" feels much more like a bike in things like the natural responsiveness of the assist, the positioning and angles of the cranks & pedals, the noise it makes, handling-due to weight distribution, and the little random things (Impulse 2 motor cuts out on bumps, surges at stoplights, has a very hard motor cutoff at top speed, ect). But it's cheaper, by a good amount (MSRP). Again, I'm not here to bash, they're both good bikes, depending on the need, but the limitations, issues, and performance of the bikes needs to be clear in order to help those looking to spend their money. No reason for bandwagons, arguments, fanbois, and cherry picking details to fit their ignorant bias, that helps nobody.

 

The stromer has had multiple battery errors, as the only problem so far. It's usually when I'm turning it on to ride and I just pull the battery for a sec and put it back to clear. One time that didn't work and I rode it with the system off for a few feet and then it was fine. Also, once it had an error during the charge and I didn't know, which left it partially charged for my long commute, which was very annoying.

 

But the Focus back wheel is really bad. Like the other person mentioned, mine cracked at the eyelets where the spokes attach. I didn't bother using the warranty, I threw it away and bought a better cyclocross wheel.

A trekking bike should be fit for long distance commuting. After all it is designed in theory to be laden with panniers and the world is the limit, or at the very least a pan European road trip.

 

We hardly ever hear of problems with Bafang mid drives and almost never of problems with the internal gears when used at normal voltage and amperage settings. There were reports of insufficient grease in the early motors so often they were correctly re-greased before being mounted.

 

The Stromer has the battery in the frame not behind the seat tube and bigger tyres. I don't think it looks like a moped myself. It is a trekking bike made in Switzerland and having been on Swiss roads I can see why they made it beefy...

Update on my 'clanking' issue. The motor on my Agattu was changed for a new one and the clanking did not go away, second new motor tried still clanking. Focus has now switched to the hub gears and the rear wheel may have to be sent away to Shimano for assessment and repair. Turn around time quoted as 2 weeks fingers crossed this will sort the problem.

 

A new motor does seem to have corrected the back pedal issue on the Tasman though.

Thanks for taking the time to post a review. I tried the Pro Connect 9 the other week - they didn't have the 10 unfortunately - and was impressed by the gear change cut out and the increased power over my Impulse 1.

 

I thought it was let down by the low end forks though and I didn't like the colour. It is a lot less than the ten speed now so savings have to be made somewhere. I don't like the idea of the ten speed really. The chain is narrower than the nine and with the motor there is a lot going through it... and is there really a need for the extra gear? Perhaps the Deore is the best you can get in 9 speed now so they had to have a ten speed to improve on that?

 

I am thinking of getting one though. But with the price difference to the PC 9 it would make sense to buy that and upgrade the forks it it wasn't for the colour.

Ii

Thanks for taking the time to post a review. I tried the Pro Connect 9 the other week - they didn't have the 10 unfortunately - and was impressed by the gear change cut out and the increased power over my Impulse 1.

 

I thought it was let down by the low end forks though and I didn't like the colour. It is a lot less than the ten speed now so savings have to be made somewhere. I don't like the idea of the ten speed really. The chain is narrower than the nine and with the motor there is a lot going through it... and is there really a need for the extra gear? Perhaps the Deore is the best you can get in 9 speed now so they had to have a ten speed to improve on that?

 

I am thinking of getting one though. But with the price difference to the PC 9 it would make sense to buy that and upgrade the forks it it wasn't for the colour.

 

I have just purchased a pro connect 9. It now has alivio 9 speed . Mine is greyish black a somber and classy colour I think, but that is a matter of personal taste. Bike is heavier than my Dawes galaxy but manageable to lift If you have to. Very well finished ,solid and well thought out ergonomically. I enjoyed my first ride v much and soon got used to how it works. It sails along and goes up steep Yorkshire hills with out problem. The derailleur was smooth and accurate. You don't need as many gears on a pedelec as you can have a choice of power assist. The motor issues have apparently been addressed in the 2016 model and my local bike shop tells me that in his opinion the construction and design is to a high standard and should give no cause for concern.

My first impressions are very favourable indeed, it is just what I wanted- a bike that feels like a cycle but takes the strain out of riding hills and into wind. Feels impressive, very well put together and is such fun to ride!! Lights are great and pannier carrier rigid.Obviously as it is heavier with thicker tyres does not feel like quite like my lightweight slightly springy Dawes Galaxy but at 60+ I can no longer pull myself along like I used !to so this is just right. Sailing along I feel like a young man again...! Great fun I am delighted with it. Hope it will last well.

I've done 5000 miles on mine now. I still love the way the bike rides. The third motor has covered about 1300 miles and after some initial issues with clicking hasn't made any untoward noises yet. It does seem generally noisier than the previous motors.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm now up to more than 2100 miles on my first motor. Still going ok, thankfully.

 

I'm reasonably happy with the bike, otherwise. I do think it could have had some slightly better components for the price (eg. brakes).

I'm now up to more than 2100 miles on my first motor. Still going ok, thankfully.

 

I'm reasonably happy with the bike, otherwise. I do think it could have had some slightly better components for the price (eg. brakes).

Mine h

I'm now up to more than 2100 miles on my first motor. Still going ok, thankfully.

 

I'm reasonably happy with the bike, otherwise. I do think it could have had some slightly better components for the price (eg. brakes).

mine has

I'm now up to more than 2100 miles on my first motor. Still going ok, thankfully.

 

I'm reasonably happy with the bike, otherwise. I do think it could have had some slightly better components for the price (eg. brakes).

Mine has shimano disc breaks 396 + alivio 9 speed. Both seem to do their job even if they are not the highest spec. Very pleased overall especially as battery now 15ah. I am now a great fan of the electric bike so pleased I bought it and enjoying the design which works well for me. Yes they are expensive but for me I like the total package and attention to detail.

Trevor M