Help! Disposal or sale for spares/repairs?

[hairyneville]

I'm hoping someone can give some advice or suggestions regarding the best way to dispose of an electric bike. I'd prefer to be able to sell it for spares/repair, but none of the local e-bike shops are interested because of the make of the motor. Any suggestions would be very welcome! I'm based near Godalming in the west of Surrey.

I have a Kalkhoff Pro Connect i8 (purchased in September 2017) with a broken Impulse 2.0 motor. I bought the bike based on the recommendation of an e-bike shop that will remain unnamed in addition to my own research online (I think the overwhelmingly positive reviews online must actually have been of the Pro Connect b8 with Bosch motor!). After the motor broke last month I specifically researched the Impulse 2.0 motor and found a lot of pre-2017 forum posts and information regarding the fact that the Impulse 2.0 reliably breaks at around 1400 miles - mine went at 1384 miles!

Given the fundamental flaws in the Impulse 2.0 design, I'm not prepared to replace the motor like-for-like (though Electric Bikes Guildford offered to contact Kalkhoff on my behalf to try to arrange it for me, even though I didn't buy the bike from them and they don't actually stock Kalkhoff bikes!). I don't think it's possible to replace the Impulse with a more reliable alternative because the frame is designed exclusively for Impulse motors, plus refitting would cost almost as much as a new e-bike anyway.

The rest of the bike is in very good condition, and I only replaced the entire drivechain (front chainring, rear cassette, de railleur, chain) before starting my new job last month. I no longer have a job because I can't get there now that the e-bike has broken down, so ultimately I'm looking for a means of disposal that may offer a bit of money to me (i.e. selling it to someone to use for spares/repairs/refitting). If that's not possible then I'd at least like to find a means of disposal that won't cost me any more money - with WEEE regulations on disposal of electrics and the added complication of Lithium battery disposal, I assume I can't just take the bike to the tip!

All suggestions and advice would be very welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Raboa]

Options
Sell it on here / eBay.
Put it in Freecycle / Gumtree
Take it down to your local scrappy / phone them to see if they will take the battery first.
Sell battery by itself and do the ideas above for bike.

 

[Nealh]

Agree with Raboa place it on the online sites for collection only, spares or repairs, some one will take it but tbh there will more value to it by selling the bike as parts your self.
Break it up your self and sell the parts separately online, parts will have more value as single items then as a complete bike.

Frame only £100 or take it to the local scrappy and get a few quid for it.
A hydraulic brake set could see you get about £25 - 40 inc the rotors.
The battery £50 - £100 but collection only, don't try or offer to post it.
Front forks £25, Suntour Nex ( a popular no fuss adequate road fork) are used on lots of bikes I have them on my bikes
Wheels/tyres as a set £50.
Bike kick stand £10.
Lights £10/£15.
Gears & shifters as a set £25.
Bike rack £15.

 

[hairyneville]

Thanks Raboa.

The battery is the main reason I'd hope to be able to sell the bike for spares/repairs, but my concern is that it's not compatible with other e-bike systems.

It's a Derby Cycle 37V, 11Ah battery. I didn't keep records, but I'd say it's been charged around/less than 100 times since September 2017. I bought the e-bike initially for a 12 mile daily round commute and had to charge it twice a week, but my other jobs were closer so I was able to get away with charging it once a week. I had to charge it at the end of the day at my last job with a 17.4 mile daily round commute, but I only charged it twice before the Impulse 2.0 motor died on my way to work on the third day!

I think all the scrapyards within about 25 miles of here have shut down so getting the bike to the nearest one wouldn't be worth the effort, so if there's interest on here then I think putting an advert in the Classifieds section might be my best bet. I'm hoping to guage interest before doing that (my current impression is that there won't be any interest!).

 

[hairyneville]

Nealh - thanks for that! Oddly enough I didn't think of breaking it down myself, for some reason.

I think breaking it down and selling the parts might be my best bet - plus my e-bike is the cause of my current unemployment, so it'll be a nice bit of revenge and a good use of my time!

 

[Woosh]

what's wrong with your motor? is it just a mechanical fault (such as one way ballbearings slip for example) or electrical?

 

[hairyneville]

Woosh - from looking at old posts on this forum and others, as well as watching various German YouTube videos from 2015/16/17, it seems to be the same problem that affects almost all Impulse 2.0 motors. I've seen the problem identified as the main bearing not being able to handle the load from the motor assistance and then breaking other components within the motor, but the motors in the videos I've watched all make the same cracking and grinding sounds as mine does.

This video in particular shows the problem my motor has. The only difference is that the motor in the video seems to take torque from back pedalling while mine doesn't.

At certain points something happens which stops the cranks transferring torque to the chain. If the motor just simply stopped providing assistance then I could still use the bike (though it wouldn't make for a particularly comfortable ride), but it's downright dangerous when it stops me pedalling as well! It happened four times in the morning of my third day at my new job last month. I didn't even get 2 miles before it had happened twice - luckily I didn't have any traffic behind me either time, plus it happened when I was next to the rare bits of pedestrian pavement on my almost 9 mile route. I then gave up and tried going home, and it happened twice more - once while I was pedalling uphill with traffic behind me!

Luckily I still have my reliable old Gary Fischer, but unluckily for me most jobs seems to be 10 or 15 miles away from me across the Surrey Hills!

 

[Nealh]

I believe the internal pawls are the weak link, they break and then cause other damage in side.
Although a few years old it isn't very old so I would take it back to the Dealer shop I bought if from and try and get them to contact Kalkhoff on your behalf. Kalkhoff know the serious issue and have now by the looks of it abandoned the Impulse, you may still have an option open to you.
Other wise the Bearing man is the one to approach for advice and possible repair.

 

[Andy-Mat]

I'm hoping someone can give some advice or suggestions regarding the best way to dispose of an electric bike. I'd prefer to be able to sell it for spares/repair, but none of the local e-bike shops are interested because of the make of the motor. Any suggestions would be very welcome! I'm based near Godalming in the west of Surrey.

I have a Kalkhoff Pro Connect i8 (purchased in September 2017) with a broken Impulse 2.0 motor. I bought the bike based on the recommendation of an e-bike shop that will remain unnamed in addition to my own research online (I think the overwhelmingly positive reviews online must actually have been of the Pro Connect b8 with Bosch motor!). After the motor broke last month I specifically researched the Impulse 2.0 motor and found a lot of pre-2017 forum posts and information regarding the fact that the Impulse 2.0 reliably breaks at around 1400 miles - mine went at 1384 miles!

Given the fundamental flaws in the Impulse 2.0 design, I'm not prepared to replace the motor like-for-like (though Electric Bikes Guildford offered to contact Kalkhoff on my behalf to try to arrange it for me, even though I didn't buy the bike from them and they don't actually stock Kalkhoff bikes!). I don't think it's possible to replace the Impulse with a more reliable alternative because the frame is designed exclusively for Impulse motors, plus refitting would cost almost as much as a new e-bike anyway.

The rest of the bike is in very good condition, and I only replaced the entire drivechain (front chainring, rear cassette, de railleur, chain) before starting my new job last month. I no longer have a job because I can't get there now that the e-bike has broken down, so ultimately I'm looking for a means of disposal that may offer a bit of money to me (i.e. selling it to someone to use for spares/repairs/refitting). If that's not possible then I'd at least like to find a means of disposal that won't cost me any more money - with WEEE regulations on disposal of electrics and the added complication of Lithium battery disposal, I assume I can't just take the bike to the tip!

All suggestions and advice would be very welcome.

Thanks.

If it was my bike, and if other than the motor, everything was OK, I would remove the motor and buy a hub motor, preferably for the rear, but if the axle is too long for the frame at the rear, then a front hub motor.
There are several Pedelecers here that can possibly advise best on the make for the new motor, but I myself would suggest one with a wheel already "mounted", to reduce the work load a bit.....
Some of the Hub systems appear to be very reasonably priced, and could make further use of the rest of your bike and battery. Do remember to look after the battery carefully till it is back in use again!.
If the defective mid motor is built as possibly part of the frame, there are at least (I believe) two possible ways that you might go:-
1) Remove all the bits of the motor except for the part supporting the frame. Clean and spray paint to match the frame.
2)remove complete motor and get a welder to make and install a piece to replace the bit in the motor, if you yourself are unable to do the job. Clean and spray paint to match the frame.
But if you go that way, do document with pictures what you did as it might help others here with the same/similar problem.
Even if you are unable to do that, someone else with a tiny bit of DIY blood, might take it on for either you or themselves, who knows?
regards and best of luck
Andy

 

[Nealh]

The crank axle/action like other mid drives is an integral part of the drive, remove it then you have an engineering headache to over come and any fabrication needs to be spot on for everything to align correctly not as easy without a jig to use.

 

[hairyneville]

Nealh - I've read far too much over the last month about the possible faults in the Impulse 2.0 motor, but from what I can tell the consensus seems to be that in the short-term the bearing struggles with the load from the motor and that can cause creaking and cracking sounds on uphill climbs with full assistance (it started doing this in the first couple of months after I bought the bike), and the pawls fail after regular usage on longer rides (which is what started to happen when I got my new job last month before finally giving up the ghost completely). Or, to put it another way, everything I've ever read about the motor has happened to mine! :-o

Unfortunately the place I got the bike from seems to be blanking me, and I genuinely don't want a replacement motor because I'll just have the same problem in another 1400 miles or so anyway. I'd be interested in some kind of money back offer from Kalkhoff, but - having just read up on what happened to 50cycles through their association with Kalkhoff - I think I'm more likely to have a flying pig poo gold dust on my head the next time I go out riding on my rainbow-farting unicorn.

 

[Andy-Mat]

The crank axle/action like other mid drives is an integral part of the drive, remove it then you have an engineering headache to over come and any fabrication needs to be spot on for everything to align correctly not as easy without a jig to use.

Great comment and many thanks for pointing that out, but still possible I feel.
Personally, I would not let it put me off, as what have I got to lose?
Cutting the piece out of a scrap bike (or two!), and for lining things up with lengths of square steel tubing, spot welding it in for testing, till its lined up correctly, then doing a proper weld!
Thats what I would call a fun job, but probably not everyone's "cup of tea".
Me having learned welding over 50 years ago, and since having bought a MIG set about 15 years ago, I am always looking for jobs like that! Over the years I have saved the cost of the set many, many times over for myself and neighbours!
I recently asked a neighbour who bought a big garden mower about 20 years ago, that constantly each year needed a new steering arm, which I stiffened up with weld, how it was going. Still the same arm since I welded it in around 2007!
regards
Andy

 

[hairyneville]

Andy-Mat - as Nealh said, the Impulse 2.0 is an integral part of the bike. Ironically it was my main source of concern when buying the bike, but at the time I was thinking more along the lines of loose connections and other minor electrical headaches!

The main reason I asked about the best way of getting rid of the bike is that I'm pretty sure nobody would want an e-bike with an Impulse-shaped bottom bracket that can't be refitted with a decent motor! It'd be amazing if someone posted on here to say they'd be interested in the bike in order to undertake the comprehensive level of work you mentioned, but I get the impression I may have more luck breaking it down myself and selling the components. At least it would be easier to take the frame to the tip without any electric components to confuse affairs, seeing as the frame is probably the part least likely to sell!

I'd prefer to get shot of the bike as a whole, so I'll wait for a few weeks to see if anyone expresses any interest. Fingers and toes crossed...

 

[Andy-Mat]

Andy-Mat - as Nealh said, the Impulse 2.0 is an integral part of the bike. Ironically it was my main source of concern when buying the bike, but at the time I was thinking more along the lines of loose connections and other minor electrical headaches!

The main reason I asked about the best way of getting rid of the bike is that I'm pretty sure nobody would want an e-bike with an Impulse-shaped bottom bracket that can't be refitted with a decent motor! It'd be amazing if someone posted on here to say they'd be interested in the bike in order to undertake the comprehensive level of work you mentioned, but I get the impression I may have more luck breaking it down myself and selling the components. At least it would be easier to take the frame to the tip without any electric components to confuse affairs, seeing as the frame is probably the part least likely to sell!

I'd prefer to get shot of the bike as a whole, so I'll wait for a few weeks to see if anyone expresses any interest. Fingers and toes crossed...

Entirely your choice either way of course, I was just thinking that pointing out a possible hobby fix, might fire you up....or not!
For me, learning welding again after so many years of learning "Stick", (MIG was not a home option 50 years ago!), is real fun for myself and many.......
Learning MIG welding won't "Make" money, but you will "Save" money....and it keeps you out of the Pub!
Have a great day
Andy

 

[hairyneville]

Andy - Ironically, if I was still in work then I might give it a go, but I lost my job because the e-bike motor broke! At the moment I'm hoping to find a solution that at least won't leave me out of pocket, but it'd definitely be an enjoyable engineering problem for someone with the resources to fix it.

 

[Nealh]

Nev did you pay by credit card or use credit ?
If so contact the card company to see if you have any redress, even a partial refund would be better then none. A long shot I know but worth a try if you detail/link comments to the manufacturing and wildly known major problem here in the UK & EU which is known and leaving a lot of buyers with a product that is unfit for purpose after relative short usage/ownership.
Frankly the product should have be recalled and buyers given the option of a refund or a Bosch up grade , though Bosch aren't without problems either.

 

[hairyneville]

Nealh - Now that you mention it, I think I'll have a look into it. I'm not sure how the purchase date affects things, but nothing ventured nothing gained! I see someone else has posted about Impulse problems, so I'll share the results on here as well. Thanks!

 

[hairyneville]

Nealh - Sadly it was a debit card transaction. There's a scheme called Chargeback which I could potentially have used, but it has a 120 day limit for claims. It was definitely worth checking out - I'll pass my findings on to the other poster. Cheers,

 

[Nealh]

The fact your issue started within the first few months of ownership shows the product wasn't fit for purpose, so certainly worth trying/looking in to.
I wish you well in your search for some redress and any info would be welcome for others if you post the outcomes on here.

For any commute for the wary first time adopter I would always advise buying a hub drive bike for a more relaxed ride and ownership, using the well know vendors on the site like Woosh. Wipser, Kudos and Juicy you can't really go wrong.

 

[hairyneville]

Nealh - I live in the Surrey Hills so from the very start I set out to get a well-built full-size mid motor bike. Ironically the Kalkhoff suits me perfectly and never had a puncture or any other major problem (aside from the usual running replacement of drivechain components), with only the Impulse motor letting me down...

I've recently applied for a few jobs accessible by bus but will still need transport for the 2 mile journey from home to the first bus stop so may look at hub drive foldable e-bikes. It's downhill on the way with a long but not particularly steep hill on the way back, so I'd imagine a hub drive would be more suited to that ride than my old 10 miles+ daily commutes!