Blown Rear Light on Kalkoff pro Connect AGAIN

[timelordUK]

For the second time in the last 2 months the rear bulb on my pro connect has blown again.
I really do not think they are fit for purpose. The bulbs are cheap.. only about 84p, but P&P on the last one was £5 (yes I know... I should have bought more !!!).

ARe there any bulbs more hardwaring that would work, or is there a replacement light for the bike.... I like the idea of always having the lights powered from the battery?

I have now invested in some supplimentry LED lights for my own saftey.. but I still want these lights to work.. as I believe they are quite expensive...

What with my broken spoke issues and this light issues.. I am beginning to question the reliability of the Pro-Connect.

In my years of cycling before I have never..
1) had a broken spoke
2) have a blown light bulb.

This is not what i would expect from a £1500 bike.

 

[proper legs]

oops oh dear...

sh*t happens.... not the end of the world is it! i think my kitchen bulb blew last night and hey presto, put a new one in... works fine now!

 

[timelordUK]

sh*t happens.... not the end of the world is it! i think my kitchen bulb blew last night and hey presto, put a new one in... works fine now!

..twice in 2 months.... and thus made invisible on the pitch black lanes in my area....

plus 2 spokes gone..... that certainly isn't as easy to fix...

the bulbs should last MUCH longer than this.

 

[wotwozere]

Hi timelord

I have the same problem in my kitchen with halogen lights, my bulbs need replacing about every 2 weeks, these cost £5 for 2 in tesco and I have 4 light to replace each time.

I have taken it up with my 10 year house warranty and told them my house is not fit for purpose but they will still not visit me to fix it. I have spent £600 on light bulbs in my kitchen for 6 years. I have even been cooking hot chips in fat when I could not see anything and finished cooking with candles.

I have noticed that sometimes bulbs blow when i put the kettle on, maybe you have the lights on when you fire the bike up for the first time causing a surge and blowing it.

thx

Bob

 

[burncycle]

For the second time in the last 2 months the rear bulb on my pro connect has blown again.
I really do not think they are fit for purpose. The bulbs are cheap.. only about 84p, but P&P on the last one was £5 (yes I know... I should have bought more !!!).

ARe there any bulbs more hardwaring that would work, or is there a replacement light for the bike.... I like the idea of always having the lights powered from the battery?

I have now invested in some supplimentry LED lights for my own saftey.. but I still want these lights to work.. as I believe they are quite expensive...

What with my broken spoke issues and this light issues.. I am beginning to question the reliability of the Pro-Connect.

In my years of cycling before I have never..
1) had a broken spoke
2) have a blown light bulb.

This is not what i would expect from a £1500 bike.

Sorry you've had some more problems timelord.
This bikes still very new compaired to the other brands and I think its starting to show some problems dont you?

The bikes starting to droop its head for its £1500 asking price.
Bet I'll get lots of people saying how great the bike is now, but until you end up with problems, that tends to be your frame of mind.

Keep the chin up mate.
Regards Bob.

 

[Danny-K]

Sorry you've had some more problems timelord.
This bikes still very new compaired to the other brands and I think its starting to show some problems dont you?

That could be the lament of the 'early adopters', whatever the discipline the world over.

 

[burncycle]

That could be the lament of the 'early adopters', whatever the discipline the world over.

WOW, deep thinking !!!
At the end of the day its just a bike.

 

[Mussels]

WOW, deep thinking !!!
At the end of the day its just a bike.

As I have found out it is far from that, I went into this well aware that I was an early adopter and as expected have had a few problems. Good customer service has meant the problems haven't turned to disappointment and I'm still a happy customer.

TimelordUK, do you know what fitting the bulbs use and what type of bulbs they are?

 

[JohnInStockie]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Timelord.

Personally I think the B&M lights are cak, and never even bother to turn mine on, I cant understand how anyone sees these as fit for anything (except turning off). For me, these just waste battery power. If they were considerably brighter, say a front of 600 Lumens, and a rear flasher comparable to a Dinotte, then I would use them, until then, for me, these are merely ornamental.

Having said that, I found (when I used to entertain dynamos) that bulbs can blow a lot on dynamo type lights, its in their nature I think. I always used to carry 2 spares with me on my travels (until I gave them up as a bad job).

@ Burncycle - I'd say its a bit harsh to criticise a bike cos someones dynamo light's bulbs keep blowing dont you? If the motor broke, or there were shoddy parts, then yes, but B&M lights (although pathetic IMO) are highly regarded, so if they blow on this bike, they'll be blowing on any other too.

John

 

[musicbooks]

No serious probs so far with it's sister, the Agattu. You would assume the same care, professionalism and craftmanship would be shared amongst different models..
BW
musicbooks

 

[flecc]

No serious probs so far with it's sister, the Agattu. You would assume the same care, professionalism and craftmanship would be shared amongst different models..
BW
musicbooks

There are crucial differences on the Pro Connect though.

Spokes. Early Pro Connects had 24 spoke wheels, a mistake in my opinion, the Agattu using 36 spoke wheels.

Lights. The Agattu uses a long established Dynohub setup, while the Pro Connect powers from the battery apparently using an odd system. Another member reports using his oscilloscope and measuring a supply of high frequency brief pulses of battery voltage circa 27 volts. If true I presume this is meant to approximate a low voltage supply over time, but it's not a method I like.

The spoke issue has been attended to it seems with later Pro Connects now having 36, and I've no doubt the lights issue will be addressed in due course as it comes to notice. So it looks like these are new model issues, and it's a sad fact that however much a manufacturer tests, customers will always find flaws previously concealed.
.

 

[musicbooks]

There are crucial differences on the Pro Connect though.

Spokes. Early Pro Connects had 24 spoke wheels, a mistake in my opinion, the Agattu using 36 spoke wheels.

Lights. The Agattu uses a long established Dynohub setup, while the Pro Connect powers from the battery apparently using an odd system. Another member reports using his oscilloscope and measuring a supply of high frequency brief pulses of battery voltage circa 27 volts. If true I presume this is meant to approximate a low voltage supply over time, but it's not a method I like.

The spoke issue has been attended to it seems with later Pro Connects now having 36, and I've no doubt the lights issue will be addressed in due course as it comes to notice. So it looks like these are new model issues, and it's a sad fact that however much a manufacturer tests, customers will always find flaws previously concealed.
.

I suppose it's just like Cortina Mark I and Cortina Mark II, life was never the same again after they did away with the turtleshell dash

The good news for Pro Connect people is that Lloyd at 50C is very attentive and experienced, and I'm sure will help all those with probs where he can.

BW
musicbooks

 

[flecc]

Right on the mark musicbooks, the Mark 1 was the best of all Cortinas in my view.

As you say, Pro Connect owners can be more relaxed about any teething troubles with someone like Lloyd ready to help.

Virtually all new e-bike models have initial problems, even the mighty Agattu had a small batch with defective Shimano hub gears, but they are past their problems now with that sorted.
.

 

[essexman]

I think there are 4 of us on this forum who have had problems with Agattu lights, with them going on and off. All wiring\shorting related. It doesnt appear to be an assembly issue they just seem fragile in their design.

I'm very unimpressed with the light set (Its still a great bike), but very disapointed with my B&M lights, which i've heard so much praise about over the years.

Its a shame because the design concept is ideal. Hands free lights. I dont have to trun them on , i dont have to turn them off, i dont have to remove them when i stop, i dont need to keep checking the batteries etc. When it works i love it.

 

[musicbooks]

I think there are 4 of us on this forum who have had problems with Agattu lights, with them going on and off. All wiring\shorting related. It doesnt appear to be an assembly issue they just seem fragile in their design.

I'm very unimpressed with the light set (Its still a great bike), but very disapointed with my B&M lights, which i've heard so much praise about over the years.

Its a shame because the design concept is ideal. Hands free lights. I dont have to trun them on , i dont have to turn them off, i dont have to remove them when i stop, i dont need to keep checking the batteries etc. When it works i love it.

I think that's right.. I had some problems in the first week or so and discovered that one of the little connectors on the front light had detached- easy to do if you alter the angle of the light. Then, when I removed the plastic splashboards, I dislodged the cable from the rear. But in the last 8 months or so I've had no bother. So special care is the order of the day, methinks

BW
musicbooks

 

[john c]

blowing bulbs

Does anyone know for sure what the current consumption is for the lights on the Pro Connect? How does it compare to the motor consumption? JohnC.

 

[tillson]

In have been reading this thread smugly thinking to myself, no such problems with my light. However, I have been using the light a bit more frequently for the past few evenings and guess what, the bulb has failed.

I the tradition of working on the bike without any manual or instructions, I have worked out how to remove the rear light cover, but can’t get the bulb out of the holder. Is it screw in, push in or clip? I don’t want to force it in case I break something.

Once I get it out I will need to order a few new ones, so a suggestion for a supplier would be most welcome. Roughly what is the MPB (miles per bulb), for these Kalkhoffs? From what I have read here, it makes me wonder if the lighting system is fit for purpose.

Edit:

Got it out thanks and Googled the voltage / wattage. SJS Cycles £1:29 each :-(

 

[tillson]

Does anyone know for sure what the current consumption is for the lights on the Pro Connect? How does it compare to the motor consumption? JohnC.

From what i can see stamped on the bulbs 0.6W Rear 2.4W Front = 3W total supplied at 6 volts = 0.5 amps. I would think that this is fairly low compared to the motor.

 

[Julian]

I think I've noticed quite a reduction in range on my Pro Connect now I have to use the lights when returning from work. When I use the lights the battery light is flashing by the time I get home, it was on one LED (on handlebar) before I started using the lights. Anyway I find the lights inadequate for cycling on country lanes in the dark so I'm now using an Exposure Joystick Maxx2 on the front and an LED light I already had on the back, I don't think I'll bother to turn the Pro Connect lights on in future.

 

[BusyDad]

Blown front and rear lights on Pro Connect

Hi All

I have had my Pro Connect for 4 weeks now, and covered about 300 miles. Last week the rear light bulb failed, and this week the front. I know bulbs blow, but I would have expected more than 15 hours life. I wonder if there is some problem with the wiring that makes these prone to blowing. Does anyone else have issues with the Pro Connect lights?

Why are Kalkoff not fitting more reliable LED lights to these bikes? None of my 3 local bike shops stock replacement bulbs. Neither do 50 cycles. B&M make front and rear lights which use LEDs instead. Why not fit these? I'm thinking of changing the lights for LED versions, still running off the bike's battery. Has anyone tried this?

Is there a good website for odd bulbs? (I am also looking for a replacement bulb for a VistaLite 400 system I have had for 10 years+)

BusyDad