Anyone got a Raleigh Motus ?

[SteveRuss]

In the case of these transgressions, you get three strikes, after which you get a temporary ban from the forum.

 

[farmer]

Leaving aside the pros and cons of brake systems for a moment, this thread has demonstrated another of those areas of confusion which 'modern times' has helped create.

As with the difficulty many have describing correctly, the foot placement areas adjacent to the bike crank, i.e. pedals and not peddles, some seem to have confusion about circular components. The brake parts are not disks, (unless you're American or have spent too long around computers). They are discs, the same as the type of brake now commonly found on motor vehicles.

In medicine, doctors in the UK may perform a discectomy to relieve acute back pain. Curiously, the Americans spell that procedure exactly as we do in the UK!

So, on an a bike, it's disc brakes; on a Harley, probably disks! Not that it seems to matter at the end of the day as spelling, grammar and English usage have all gone the way of manners, discipline and respect in this selfish new world.

Tom

 

[farmer]

Tom it's pretty much irrelevant, The beauty of cycling and a forum such as this,is that it attracts all sorts of people from different backgrounds with various levels of articulation.

 

[Croxden]

Tom it's pretty much irrelevant, The beauty of cycling and a forum such as this,is that it attracts all sorts of people from different backgrounds with various levels of articulation.

I don't want an articulated bike, worse than a bendy bus.

 

[SteveRuss]

The Tasman Impulse seems to fit your bill if you're looking for a Motus alternative. Great motor and a much more impressive battery for the same money. Since having the Alfine 8 gear hub i've become an instant fan of hub gears as well.

https://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/comfort/tasman_impulse_8_hs_17ah.html

If your demands are that specific and you don't have a big dealer nearby then it sounds like you have little to no choice but to travel a little further afield..

 

[oldtom]

The Tasman Impulse seems to fit your bill if you're looking for a Motus alternative. Great motor and a much more impressive battery for the same money.

Yes Steve, I looked at the Tasman and thought the same as you. That's why I wondered if perhaps Mike had had a problem with his Kalkhoff and didn't want another bike from 50Cycles.

Tom

 

[SteveRuss]

Yes Steve, I looked at the Tasman and thought the same as you. That's why I wondered if perhaps Mike had had a problem with his Kalkhoff and didn't want another bike from 50Cycles.

Tom

Right. There's always a chance that is the case.

I did seriously look at the Motus. Is was one of the bikes that initially caught my eye as well as one of the Volt bikes I now forget the name of. After weighing up the motor, the battery/range (which the Kalkhoff admittedly is the most impressive) the Kalkhoff was such an easy choice.

I had a good chat with a chap with a Motus whilst getting coffee in the Bear pit in Bristol. Nice looking bike and all but I wasn't jealous at all. He appeared very happy with it.

 

[farmer]

The Tasman Impulse seems to fit your bill if you're looking for a Motus alternative. Great motor and a much more impressive battery for the same money. Since having the Alfine 8 gear hub i've become an instant fan of hub gears as well.

https://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/comfort/tasman_impulse_8_hs_17ah.html

If your demands are that specific and you don't have a big dealer nearby then it sounds like you have little to no choice but to travel a little further afield..

 

[farmer]

Is the Tasman a better bike than the cheaper pro connect impulse 9?
A dealer near Exeter offered me 15% off the Raleigh, i've yet to decide what to buy.

 

[Mike63]

Thanks Steve...I could possibly be interested in the Tasman but I'm not a fan of a lot of weight on the back wheel, especially as I weigh in at 90 kilos to start with.
Cheers Tom...you're very perceptive, before I bought my Kalkhoff I asked if my weight was a problem, I was told not but I feel that it is, hence my considering a derailer this time round.
....Mike

 

[Mike63]

I had a good chat with a chap with a Motus

...never see anyone with an ebike in my neck of the woods, in 6/7 years and over 10,000 miles I've only seen 3 ebikes and 2 of those were cheap Chinese bikes

 

[farmer]

I had a good chat with a chap with a Motus

...never see anyone with an ebike in my neck of the woods, in 6/7 years and over 10,000 miles I've only seen 3 ebikes and 2 of those were cheap Chinese bikes

I,ve seen several around the Brighton area recently,crank drive actually.

 

[oldtom]

before I bought my Kalkhoff I asked if my weight was a problem, I was told not but I feel that it is, hence my considering a derailer this time round.
....Mike

Mike, picking up on 'farmer's' point, I think the Kalkhoff PC 9 with the Impulse 2 motor possibly addresses the issues you have found with the Tasman.

It's priced very well and there may be a 10% discount to be had this month as I just got an email about 50Cycles' latest sale. I didn't check to see if the PC is included.

It's a shame they are no longer marketing the Xion-drive PCs as, for me, it's one of the most powerful, legal machines around yet it never really took off in the UK. My side-by-side test of it before purchase was to compare it against the PC with the original Impulse motor and although there wasn't a great deal between them, I thought the Xion shaded it; it definitely did on price! With the subsequent software updates, my Xion model really flies now.

Tom

 

[SteveRuss]

Thanks Steve...I could possibly be interested in the Tasman but I'm not a fan of a lot of weight on the back wheel, especially as I weigh in at 90 kilos to start with.
Cheers Tom...you're very perceptive, before I bought my Kalkhoff I asked if my weight was a problem, I was told not but I feel that it is, hence my considering a derailer this time round.
....Mike

I'm 85 kilos and my Pro Connect Alfine 8G is pretty well balanced. I don't think there is unnecessary weight on the back wheel of either of the bikes.

 

[Black Dog]

My wife got a Motus Low Step at the same time as I got the Wisper. I've used it for work a couple of times and was well impressed. The Bosch drive is much more like 'real' cycling than the hub drive on the Wisper, it's smooth and very civilised. The rim brakes are excellent, and the build quality is good. Overall, a very comfy bike which seems well screwed together with an air of quality. My only disappointments were the gear changing, which was very harsh and noisy, despite great care in easing off over the change (the fault of the crank drive rather than the bike, I think) and the limited range compared to the Wisper. I was tempted to sell the Wisper and buy the crossbar Motus, and asked the dealer to ring me when they had one in, but I never heard from them. (Turns out they had several, but forgot I had asked, which is a lost sale for them.) In the end, I decided to keep the Wisper for its sturdy build, chunky power and good range with the 16Ah battery, and bought a road bike for the weekends. But if I were in a position to choose an ebike from scratch, the Motus would be high on the list.

 

[Mike63]

Thanks Black Dog...I'm finding it impossible to see a Motus and after much research I'm tending to lean more to the Kalkhoff Pro Connect 10 which is near the same price as the Motus with a far greater range.
I too like the rim brakes but we can't have everything can we
Popular opinion appears to be in favour of the Kalkhoff.
cheers....Mike

 

[oldtom]

I'm tending to lean more to the Kalkhoff Pro Connect 10 which is near the same price as the Motus with a far greater range.

I would think that's a great choice Mike. My only reservation is that it's £500 more than the '9' and I'm not sure the bike is really £500 better than that one. I could find a lot of things to do with £500 while still enjoying a very good Pro-Connect.

Nevertheless, if you're happy to pay the price, which is pretty competitive compared to similarly-equipped competition, I'm sure you'll love the PC.

Best of luck whichever bike model you finally decide on.

Tom

 

[Black Dog]

I too like the rim brakes but we can't have everything can we

Don't be put off by discs. I have hydraulic discs on the Wisper, and they are very good indeed - powerful, controllable, good feel, and totally unaffected by rain. As I understand it, once set up they are pretty much maintenance-free. I wouldn't want to be a long way from home if they got damaged or faulty, as field repair seems to be next to impossible, but for a daily hack they are ideal.

 

[strowger]

I live in West Yorkshire and ebike dealers are thin on the ground round here.

I'm just outside Halifax and had my Motus delivered yesterday.

Happy so far.

I'm at home quite a bit if the OP is nearby and wants to see it.

 

[Tomtomato]

I would think that's a great choice Mike. My only reservation is that it's £500 more than the '9' and I'm not sure the bike is really £500 better than that one. I could find a lot of things to do with £500 while still enjoying a very good Pro-Connect.

Tom

Agreed. I bought a Pro Connect 10 only because the limited battery capacity of the Pro Connect 9 (11 Ah was too restrictive).

10 speeds instead of 9 makes no real difference to most people, and may also have some drawbacks (narrower, more fragile chain).

The other enhancements of the Pro Connect 10 are not that significant. For instance, the lockable front suspension, which I always keep unlocked anyway, as it's not moving that much. The front light is apparently a lot more powerful, but probably not worth that much.

In Germany and France, it's possible to select a bigger capacity battery (14.5 instead of 11) on a Pro Connect 9 as a fairly cheap option (about 200 EUR), but the exclusive UK re-seller/importer has decided not to offer such choice, and therefore has created an artificial large price gap between the Pro Connect 9 and 10.

It's a shame, because a Pro Connect 9 with a 14.5 Ah battery below £1,800 would be a great offering (and can surely be ordered from the manufacturer).