Bosch to the left of them, Bosch to the right....

[103Alex1]

I have not tried one, but as it dont appeal anyway what is the point. As for an individuals view, it really depends what the individual is comparing it with. I prefer a spread of opinion and not much positive evidence going by what I have seen.

try before you buy, compare and make your own mind up

There's not much opinion published on the Impulse since the software changes. That's probably because owners are too busy out riding their bikes to write them

Seriously though, agree best to try before you buy. Don't agree with ruling out on the back of out-of-date reviews though. If you don't like the bike itself that's different. Drop dead gorgeous was a reference to the Audi e-bike btw ... though I like my Impulse too - if I want a lightweight racer / runabout I'd go for that as a second bike but when you ride an Agattu it's a bit like getting into a Limo compared to a sports car. The former is very much more comfy than the latter - but it's harder to find a parking space big enough

Btw ... on the battery / range, I cycled 25 miles yesterday on 'normal' terrain in Power mode (feeling lazy and trying to gain weight). The range display dropped 5 miles (15%). Couldn't really complain about that to be fair.

 

[eddieo]

if your happy that is all that matters...Just like to think people will try the alternatives before committing, that is all. German forum has diffident forums for a good few makes. while Bosch and Flyer are buzzing afraid Derby lacklustre in comparison with half the post count.....

 

[flecc]

German forum has diffident forums for a good few makes. while Bosch and Flyer are buzzing afraid Derby lacklustre in comparison with half the post count.....

I'll bet that's as much due to the different customer types as anything else. Many Derby Cycles models like the Agattu for example appeal to utility users, and they are often not enthusiasts as such who won't visit forums.

Many of the Bosch equipped bike models are types appealling to enthusiasts, and they like us are the main contributors to forums.

As a good example, for a few years the Thompson utility shopper style e-bikes were by far the biggest sellers on the British market, but the owners were never heard from in forums, then or since.

 

[103Alex1]

if your happy that is all that matters...Just like to think people will try the alternatives before committing, that is all. German forum has diffident forums for a good few makes. while Bosch and Flyer are buzzing afraid Derby lacklustre in comparison with half the post count.....

Perhaps different sort of buyer profile as flecc says, fewer bikes to choose from etc etc. there can be any number of reasons for that. Impluse is a one-brand system too. Never been one to run with the herd ... plus Bosch is a household name - even though their overpriced washing machine gave me all sorts of problems and the dryer was a joke. Bit like with VW's popularity and reputation on the cars - best move I ever made was buying a Kia after 12 years enslaved to increasingly unreliable cars with unaffordable repairs ... my total maintenace costs over 4 years were about £300 and the car drove way better. With various VWs that averaged about £3,500. If I'd really wanted to buy something flashy which fell apart faster than an Italian liner glove, I'd have gone for an Alfa Romeo .

 

[trigpup]

That's old information Eddie, before they changed the software. The Impulse is now very different from that and performs as Tim and Alex have said in this thread. One of our earliest members who is very experienced on Panansonic powered bikes but now very rarely signs in has just bought an Agattu C11 Impulse and he's very impressed.

When he says it's good, I know it's not hype.

Sorry to disagree, but the two Agattu C8 Impulses that I bought at the beginning of November definitely have a time-lag before the motor assists.

As a result, if we stop on a hill, my wife has to set off sideways to get going

 

[eddieo]

Bit like with VW's popularity and reputation on the cars - best move I ever made was buying a Kia after 12 years enslaved to increasingly unreliable cars with unaffordable repairs ... my total maintenace costs over 4 years were about £300 and the car drove way better. With various VWs that averaged about £3,500. If I'd really wanted to buy something flashy which fell apart faster than an Italian liner glove, I'd have gone for an Alfa Romeo .

Ah! now it makes sense.... if you think a Kia better then a VW, no wonder you went for a kalkhoff. Alfa for me any time,in fact wife maybe getting a giulietta

EDIT: just saw your reply..and yes I have tried a few Kia's and to be honest the handling absolute rubbish..give me a Ford any day of the week.

 

[103Alex1]

Sorry to disagree, but the two Agattu C8 Impulses that I bought at the beginning of November definitely have a time-lag before the motor assists.

As a result, if we stop on a hill, my wife has to set off sideways to get going

Has she tried setting off in a different gear ? I've managed to set off on mine without problem on a slope worse than a 1:10 (admittedly it's the Alfine 11 hub rather than the version on the C8) but had to fiddle with the gears and drop them down but was still not at lowest. You do have to pedal 'normally' rather than either tentatively or aggressively though and trust the motor will kick in. If it's something which has an on-going impact on riding seems worth playing around to crack the riding style needed to get the bike to respond as you want it to.

I get time-lag off that motor if I change up too early too. The motor hasn't had a chance to spin up to its full output in the previous gear and as a result it feels like there is a lag, but this is down to gear-changing. The performance is extremely sensitive to gears and cadence.

 

[RobF]

I've tried both an Impulse and a Kalkhoff Bosch - neither provides anything like the instant go you get with a throttle.

 

[103Alex1]

Ah! now it makes sense.... if you think a Kia better then a VW, no wonder you went for a kalkhoff. Alfa for me any time,in fact wife maybe getting a giulietta

Yup. The Kia is undoubtedly the superior car in terms of everything but peoples' perceptions. Far more reliable, better built, more comfortable and carries more.

Fashion comes at a high price. It's like clothes - Buy a £280 fashionable Italian softshell cycling jacket (no names mentioned) and you can pretty much guarantee the stitching will be coming apart inside a year.... (well maybe actually a couple of weeks ) - well in time for you to have to buy a new one by the end of the Season. Looks nice - but a lot of it's a load of junk, mate. Just saying .....

 

[103Alex1]

I've tried both an Impulse and a Kalkhoff Bosch - neither provides anything like the instant go you get with a throttle.

It's only a problem if you have trouble turning the pedals half a rotation (which some people do if they are infirm and that's fine... ). But if you've the strength in your legs to kick a small rucksack out of the way you've surely likely got the strength to start either... and your finger is free to focus on changing gears at the best time to avoid power output delay. Throttle-starts are surely basically like setting off on a scooter rather than riding a bike ?

 

[flecc]

I've tried both an Impulse and a Kalkhoff Bosch - neither provides anything like the instant go you get with a throttle.

Then try the Panasonic system, that really kicks off the mark far better than any throttle bike, including my over 1000 watt one.

One of the most common complaints from beginners with a Panasonic unit bike is they way it can shoot off the mark unexpectedly if a foot is placed a bit too heavily on a pedal.

 

[tillson]

Then try the Panasonic system, that really kicks off the mark far better than any throttle bike, including my over 1000 watt one.

One of the most common complaints from beginners with a Panasonic unit bike is they way it can shoot off the mark unexpectedly if a foot is placed a bit too heavily on a pedal.

My Panasonic powered bike has never done this. I've heard people mention this surge of power from the motor and rapid take off before, but I must say that nothing remotely like that has ever happened on my bike.

I'm not complaining, I like the power delivery just the way that it is with the early power phase down to an imperceptible cut off and its modest levels of assistance. Maybe it's because my bike is a 2008 vintage and Panasonic have souped-up their motor unit in pursuit of the latest fad on the more recent models. I don't think I'm missing anything.

 

[indalo]

Then try the Panasonic system, that really kicks off the mark far better than any throttle bike, including my over 1000 watt one.

One of the most common complaints from beginners with a Panasonic unit bike is they way it can shoot off the mark unexpectedly if a foot is placed a bit too heavily on a pedal.

Absolutely Flecc and even my early model, Panasonic-powered bike, considerably less powerful than the latest models, caused me to gasp on first acquaintance with its instant lump of assistance on touching a pedal. The bike is less helpful on hills so it's essential to use anticipation and get gear selection and any changes timed just right for decent progress. That said, hill starts are very easy even on the steepest gradients and 2nd gear,(of 8) is the lowest I've ever needed to get away on a real stinker of a hill.

Indalo

 

[RobF]

It's only a problem if you have trouble turning the pedals half a rotation (which some people do if they are infirm and that's fine... ). But if you've the strength in your legs to kick a small rucksack out of the way you've surely likely got the strength to start either... and your finger is free to focus on changing gears at the best time to avoid power output delay. Throttle-starts are surely basically like setting off on a scooter rather than riding a bike ?

I like a throttle/pedal start, particularly in town.

No chance of being bogged down and you've got some instant forward movement even if you are not ready with a down stroke.

Wrong gear for starting off is not such a problem.

I rarely need to change gear in town, unless the start is on a steep hill.

 

[flecc]

Absolutely Flecc and even my early model, Panasonic-powered bike, considerably less powerful than the latest models, caused me to gasp on first acquaintance with its instant lump of assistance on touching a pedal. The bike is less helpful on hills so it's essential to use anticipation and get gear selection and any changes timed just right for decent progress. That said, hill starts are very easy even on the steepest gradients and 2nd gear,(of 8) is the lowest I've ever needed to get away on a real stinker of a hill.

Indalo

Exactly my experience on my early Giant Lafree and the Kalkhoff Agattu, plenty of kick off the mark. I'm surprised Tillson's isn't the same, most odd, though the rest like the phasedown was the same

Even on the Lafree, the slight extra drag with a trailer attached meant a wheelie with a firm pedal press at a standstill.

 

[trigpup]

Has she tried setting off in a different gear ? I've managed to set off on mine without problem on a slope worse than a 1:10 (admittedly it's the Alfine 11 hub rather than the version on the C8) but had to fiddle with the gears and drop them down but was still not at lowest. You do have to pedal 'normally' rather than either tentatively or aggressively though and trust the motor will kick in. If it's something which has an on-going impact on riding seems worth playing around to crack the riding style needed to get the bike to respond as you want it to.

The hill in question is 15%, which is quite steep! Her problem is not so much being in the wrong gear, but not having the confidence to make that first slow push of the pedal and "trust the motor will kick in"

Once she gets going, she's fine even with this steep gradient - it [the Kahlkoff C8 Impulse] is an impressive hill-climber.

However, I just feel that it's wrong to state that the impulse provides instant power, when in fact you have to pedal a half revolution for that power to cut in.

 

[103Alex1]

The hill in question is 15%, which is quite steep! Her problem is not so much being in the wrong gear, but not having the confidence to make that first slow push of the pedal and "trust the motor will kick in"

However, I just feel that it's wrong to state that the impulse provides instant power, when in fact you have to pedal a half revolution for that power to cut in.

Ah, that would explain. I'm sure if she gives it a few goes with someone walking/running alongside until she gets more confident and starts trusting it then the fears will subside. A bit like first learning to ride

You don't get full power instantly and I'm actually glad of it on balance now I've riden the bike a lot more... am almost always clipped in on the right pedal ready for a downstroke and hold both brakes till about to set off. If the motor had a tendency to deliver instantly then the slightest amount of 'sitting' on the pedal at a long set of traffic lights, or accidentally releasing the brakes, might see me careering off into oncoming traffic .. next to be seen inspecting the underside of the nearest bus !

 

[eddieo]

I've tried both an Impulse and a Kalkhoff Bosch - neither provides anything like the instant go you get with a throttle.

really? so what throttle bike we talking about here.....pray tell and give us a laugh

 

[tillson]

Exactly my experience on my early Giant Lafree and the Kalkhoff Agattu, plenty of kick off the mark. I'm surprised Tillson's isn't the same, most odd, though the rest like the phasedown was the same

Even on the Lafree, the slight extra drag with a trailer attached meant a wheelie with a firm pedal press at a standstill.

It is a bit odd isn't it. I wonder if there, is / was / still is, something wrong with my bike? It simply doesn't do what people are describing. Pulling way is smooth with no apparent, "kicking in" of the power. The motor is definitely doing something because if I do the same with the power switched off, the pull away is just as smooth, but it feels like the bike is traversing deep mud.

It's a bit late to do anything about it now, I've lived with it for nearly 5 years.

 

[eddieo]

It's a bit late to do anything about it now, I've lived with it for nearly 5 years.

Credit where credit due...that is undoubtedly a very good value for money bike you have there. I would look at the 36 v Pana when the day comes to move on....