300 or 400w Bosch battery??

[barrycoll]

when buying a new Bosch bike, from a long term point of view, does the more expensive 400W Bosch battery make better long term sense than the lower initial cost of the 300w unit...

rides would never be more than 35 miles, which with reasonable rider input, would be easily covered by either unit...

basically, would the 400w give more years, to warrant the extra £250??

 

[flecc]

My guess is that it might give one more year at most and likely not that, so not economic for £250. Go for the smaller one for your purposes.

 

[trex]

basically, would the 400w give more years, to warrant the extra £250??

No. One third more yes.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

For most bikes 400wh is an extra £150 when you buy the bike. I would suggest it makes sense to pay the extra. However if you are reffering to KTM Macina Cross extra price is due to higher spec on gearing as well thus additional cost not just due to the battery. Hope this helps. If you need the larger battery at a later stage it would work out alot more expensive.

 

[Artstu]

I've never got 35 miles from my 400 wh battery, even with considerable input from me. So at least go for the biggest battery.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

For most bikes 400wh is an extra £150 when you buy the bike. I would suggest it makes sense to pay the extra. However if you are reffering to KTM Macina Cross extra price is due to higher spec on gearing as well thus additional cost not just due to the battery. Hope this helps. If you need the larger battery at a later stage it would work out alot more expensive.

This is correct.... you'll find the full specs for the bikes on here:

ISSUU - KTM Partnerbook 2014 by Groupe Dejour

you'll see the Macina Cross 10, on pages 178 and 179.

one is XT spec, the other is deore.

where as the Macina Cross 8, is on pages 180 and 181

and the only difference between the 300 and 400 is the battery and the fact that the 400 gets a Premium Nexus 8 hub.

The upgrade cost on the 8, from 300 - 400 is £150.00
The upgrade cost on the 10, from the 300 - 400 is £250.00

 

[RobF]

I can get 40+ miles from my 400wh battery in favourable-ish conditions.

The OP wants 35, but whichever way you look at it, there will be battery anxiety with the smaller battery.

 

[103Alex1]

I've never got 35 miles from my 400 wh battery, even with considerable input from me. So at least go for the biggest battery.

A few hills seeing to that !

 

[flecc]

The OP said "never more than 35 miles", thus intimating most would be less and perhaps a lot less, all within the 300 Wh battery capability.

So it's whether the other upgrade feature of the Nexus hub is wanted is now the deciding factor.

 

[barrycoll]

Correct, flecc, but possibly it is more the longevity of the battery/s that is of more interest...

my own KTM Macina Race came with a 400 battery, and the Macina Cross 8, that my wife has been using, until recently, came with a 300 battery....so she has been using my 400 battery, and I, her 300, but with a lot more personal input ( masochistically, I try to do the whole country ride without using the battery, until I personally, am used up, so no range anxiety!)........if you get my drift here..

the Cross has proven too big for her, and has now gone to a new home, and my decision now is based upon a which model KTM to buy for her, AND which battery would be the most cost effective

both David at electrifyingbikes and Col at KTM Industries have been a great help, and it boils down to the new Macina Cross 10 with derailleur, and hydraulic discs, but which battery size, as the 400 comes with upgraded kit, which I am sure that my wife wouldn't have a clue was there

FLI Distribution - KTM, Bicycles, eBikes, City & Hybrids, Without mudguards/panniers/Lights
..............this is an interesting link from KTM

the Cross with Nexus 8, is 1.3 kgs heavier, and is more of an unknown to remove the rear wheel, plus the brakes are hydraulic rim calipers rather than easier to remove either wheel , discs.

but....does the bigger battery with just occasional use, and occasional recharge, give a worthwhile longer life?

 

[flecc]

That's where I go back to my original answer, any extra life will probably be marginal and I doubt even one year extra.

On many of the greedy hub motor bikes, smaller batteries can suffer from the high drain demands which shorten their lives, but the sophisticated crank units like those from Panasonic and Bosch are very different. Firstly they are lower power than the most powerful hub motors, secondly they have a high degree of sophistication in their battery management not only in charging but while in use, this second not occurring on hub motor systems in general.

It all adds up to the crank unit batteries having an easier life, so there's less disadvantage in having a smaller capacity battery.

 

[jhruk]

the Cross has proven too big for her, and has now gone to a new home, and my decision now is based upon a which model KTM to buy for her, AND which battery would be the most cost effective

both David at electrifyingbikes and Col at KTM Industries have been a great help, and it boils down to the new Macina Cross 10 with derailleur, and hydraulic discs, but which battery size, as the 400 comes with upgraded kit, which I am sure that my wife wouldn't have a clue was there

FLI Distribution - KTM, Bicycles, eBikes, City & Hybrids, Without mudguards/panniers/Lights
..............this is an interesting link from KTM

the Cross with Nexus 8, is 1.3 kgs heavier, and is more of an unknown to remove the rear wheel, plus the brakes are hydraulic rim calipers rather than easier to remove either wheel , discs.

but....does the bigger battery with just occasional use, and occasional recharge, give a worthwhile longer life?

Have you asked them if they'll sell you the lower spec. bike with the larger 400wh battery? The difference in replacement prices between the 300Wh and 400Wh batteries is only £130, which should make your decision much easier.

Both batteries should be normal stock items for the dealer/agent, so no loss to them, plus they’d have the pleasure in giving the customer exactly what they wanted.

 

[barrycoll]

thanks to flecc and jhruk, I now think that the better spec, plus the smaller battery may be what attracts me, as flecc's motor/battery analysis seems the most convincing

after a recent cycling holiday to Puglia, where the company provided unpowered lightweight tourers, but we both managed 20-35 miles a day (without either death or inner destruction)...possibly it was taking a nightly ibuprofen to dissolve the day's muscle inflammation, but slow and steady unpowered worked for us, sort of clinching the 300w argument ....