Ongoing reliability of Kalkhoff/Focus Impulse 2 motors

[Will Tinker]

if 50c will not give you a full refund for a not fit for purpose bike/motor then make it clear it will be going to court for a full refund plus time off work phone calls ect as it soon adds up.

they have no chance in hell of wining but will take time and cost them even more in the end.

Exchange or refund. Just want a reliable bike, which is what they promised when I paid for it. Hopefully they understand that and will provide. I don't want to take it to court at all - would much rather resolve in a friendly way.

Of course if they don't do that then yes, I'll have to go the court route.

 

[IR772]

You have the right approach to 50 cycles, you want a new bike, different make, from them.

Point out all the problems you have had then add that you have done some research and you find that you are not alone in these problems. You have been tolerant but now it is the end.

Its not them but the product, unfortunately as they sold it to you they carry the can and can not get out of it.

Pleasant but firm.

Get anything you like with Yamaha or Bosch engine

 

[Will Tinker]

You have the right approach to 50 cycles, you want a new bike, different make, from them.

Point out all the problems you have had then add that you have done some research and you find that you are not alone in these problems. You have been tolerant but now it is the end.

Its not them but the product, unfortunately as they sold it to you they carry the can and can not get out of it.

Pleasant but firm.

Get anything you like with Yamaha or Bosch engine

Yeah, if I do get another eBike I think it'll have to have a Bosch motor. I love the look of the Kalkhoffs but my trust in the brand has evaporated.

 

[nemesis]

I`ll second that it has to be Bosch or Yamaha because performance is matched to reliability unlike impulse that has performance with poor reliability.One thing i do miss though is the large batteries that Kalkhoff and Focus have.

 

[Artstu]

I`ll second that it has to be Bosch or Yamaha because performance is matched to reliability unlike impulse that has performance with poor reliability.One thing i do miss though is the large batteries that Kalkhoff and Focus have.

Although with one of each with a worn pedal shaft currently being discussed on the forum even those aren't free from reliability issues, granted not in the same league as Impluse.

 

[Will Tinker]

Although with one of each with a worn pedal shaft currently being discussed on the forum even those aren't free from reliability issues, granted not in the same league as Impluse.

Well, the suggestion has been made that I forget about eBikes completely and just get a really good road bicycle.

I'm 36 and reasonably fit. But my daily commute is 15-16 miles total (with some long hills and strong headwind) and last time I tried this (admittedly with a pretty rubbish mountain bike) I was getting increasingly tired to the point of total exhaustion by Thursday/Friday.

 

[IR772]

YOU HAVE BEEN UNLUCKY, REALLY UNLUCKY.

EBIKES ARE GREAT and reliable.

Get an ebike but with a different engine and as I said earlier all you will do is plug the charger in.

 

[Will Tinker]

YOU HAVE BEEN UNLUCKY, REALLY UNLUCKY.

EBIKES ARE GREAT and reliable.

Get an ebike but with a different engine and as I said earlier all you will do is plug the charger in.

I'm always unlucky.

I wanna be lucky, damnit!

 

[IR772]

The Giant range on their site look good.

What style of bike do you want.

 

[Will Tinker]

The Giant range on their site look good.

What style of bike do you want.

I had a Giant Prime - the motor started to throw in the towel after about 1,000 miles. That was a Yamaha Syncdrive. Having said that, the bike was from JE James, which isn't the most reputable retailer.

That was the bike I had before my Kalkhoff Pro Connect 9.

So probably a Bosch-based one. Those CUBE ones look pretty good.

But anyway, this is all dependant upon what 50Cycles do.

Maybe I'm just not cut out for electric bikes. Perhaps you're not supposed to pedal hard, or do big mileages. I don't know... I'm totally disillusioned by all of this. I'm taking really, REALLY good care of my bike - cleaning it, keeping it sheltered... and it just keeps letting me down.

 

[soundwave]

its not you its the impulse motor with a clear design flaw and its never going to get fixed at this rate.

throwing motor after motor at the problem is not going to make it any better either.

50c should stop selling them recall the lot and give full refunds.

 

[tillson]

Maybe I'm just not cut out for electric bikes. Perhaps you're not supposed to pedal hard, or do big mileages. I don't know... I'm totally disillusioned by all of this. I'm taking really, REALLY good care of my bike - cleaning it, keeping it sheltered... and it just keeps letting me down.

Get a second hand Kalkhoff with the Panasonic motor. You will pick up a good one for around £300. It might need a new battery, but you will still be well under £1000 total spend. Mine has done over 20000 miles. These old bikes still look as good as the newer ones and they are virtually indestructible, especially if fitted with an Alfine 8 speed.

 

[KeithMac]

Did you buy it on a credit card?, if so they are liable for it so my be worth ringing your card provider if you decide to reject it as "not fot for purpose".

People say don't go after the retailer as they could possibly fold but for me I'd be taking my personal situation and financial loss first and foremost.

Don't let a poorly designed motor put you off ebikes completely, try again with a bike/ motor combination with proven reliability.

It seems the ratchet/ clutch system that transfers rider effort input through the motor is completely inadequate in design and material choice but that would just be a guess on my part.

Real shame to all who've had ongoing problems and it hasn't done the communitynas a whole any good really.

 

[Tomtomato]

Maybe I'm just not cut out for electric bikes. Perhaps you're not supposed to pedal hard, or do big mileages. I don't know... I'm totally disillusioned by all of this. I'm taking really, REALLY good care of my bike - cleaning it, keeping it sheltered... and it just keeps letting me down.

Yes indeed, I think people doing a high mileage and pedaling hard (i.e. providing a lot of input) are likely to have higher rates of failures, as the motor will deliver its maximum torque.

People doing 10 miles a week at low speed on flat paths will probably not suffer frequent motor failures, and may be more typical customers of ebikes currently.

 

[KeithMac]

Maybe a rear hub drive would suit you better?, I'm a heavy pedaller and due to the Gtech being hub drive all my effort goes straight to the back wheel (through the freewheeling hub).

Saying thay SW seems happy with his Bosch mid drive, presumably he pedals hard?.

 

[flecc]

I'm 36 and reasonably fit. But my daily commute is 15-16 miles total (with some long hills and strong headwind) and last time I tried this (admittedly with a pretty rubbish mountain bike) I was getting increasingly tired to the point of total exhaustion by Thursday/Friday.

The highest reliability of all comes with a well designed and built Direct Drive motor, since mechanically there is nothing to go wrong, only having two parts, the hub core and the hubshell that rotates around it. Some companies still manage to mess these up with rotten software, but one that has it exactly right is Sparta, their rear hub motor in both Sparta and Koga pedelecs.

It's not the most powerful and not a first choice for hill climbing, but since you are reasonably fit that could still suit. Benefits are that they are completely silent, very reliable and the Dutch made Sparta and Koga pedelecs are some of the best quality design and build pedelecs ever on the market.

http://justebikes.co.uk/shop/sparta-electric-bikes/

http://www.koga.com/en/bikes/e-bikes
.

 

[Will Tinker]

Did you buy it on a credit card?, if so they are liable for it so my be worth ringing your card provider if you decide to reject it as "not fot for purpose".

People say don't go after the retailer as they could possibly fold but for me I'd be taking my personal situation and financial loss first and foremost.

Don't let a poorly designed motor put you off ebikes completely, try again with a bike/ motor combination with proven reliability.

It seems the ratchet/ clutch system that transfers rider effort input through the motor is completely inadequate in design and material choice but that would just be a guess on my part.

Real shame to all who've had ongoing problems and it hasn't done the communitynas a whole any good really.

I paid for it on credit unfortunately - it was paid off in full in a few months but sadly I don't have the option to put in a dispute on my credit card.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The hub motor does seem an interesting option as well as the Bosch. I've looked at the links and they look great. But before I think about this much I'll really need to sort out the matter of my current bicycle.

 

[signwave]

I paid for it on credit unfortunately - it was paid off in full in a few months but sadly I don't have the option to put in a dispute on my credit card.

Section 75 of The Consumer Credit Act does work when a credit card is used for a purchase, but it also covers other forms of credit - probably the type of credit you used if it was arranged by the seller.

'Section 75' makes the credit provider equally responsible for the performance of the contract. This means that if you have a claim against the seller then you also have a claim against the credit provider. It does not matter that the loan has already been paid off - the loan provider still has that responsibility.

For more details on this you might like to read this article from a well respected pro-consumer organisation.

And I agree with you... it's probably best to be nice to the seller until such time as they stop acting reasonably.

 

[Will Tinker]

Section 75 of The Consumer Credit Act does work when a credit card is used for a purchase, but it also covers other forms of credit - probably the type of credit you used if it was arranged by the seller.

'Section 75' makes the credit provider equally responsible for the performance of the contract. This means that if you have a claim against the seller then you also have a claim against the credit provider. It does not matter that the loan has already been paid off - the loan provider still has that responsibility.

For more details on this you might like to read this article from a well respected pro-consumer organisation.

And I agree with you... it's probably best to be nice to the seller until such time as they stop acting reasonably.

Thanks for that... good to know as one of the options available, if things go pear-shaped.

 

[Nealh]

Ye gods we have two SW's now, his southern cousin has joined .