What is the advantage of 36volt over 26volt?

[Sorearse]

Looking at Kalkhoffs second hand. What advantage is there in using a 36 volt over 26 volt? I am assuming there is an advantage?

 

[flecc]

The 36 volt units are more powerful, but that's not due to the increased voltage as such in the Kalkhoff case.

The difference is that the 26 volt bikes are older ones using the Panasonic motor unit with either Panasonic or Kalkhoff branded batteries, the 36 volt ones use their own Impulse motor units and batteries.

The Impulse 1 was quite a bit more powerful than the Panasonic one, the Impulse 2 even more so. However, the Impulse 2 units have been suffering from some failures due to the high power damaging some internal parts, and they've now been superceded by the Kalhoff Evo unit.

Therefore be careful what you buy, a replacement crank unit typically costs about £500.
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[Sorearse]

I am looking at a Kalkhoff Agattu 8G 26 volts. Are you suggesting the 26 volt is better option? I have no knowledge of the different motors you mention. The bike will be used for pulling trailers only. I am prepared to bide my time before buying a second hand bike. I don't believe in buying new. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

[anotherkiwi]

More powerful, V x A = W. I have ridden a 24 V bike (26 V hot off the charger) and you can feel the difference on the hills in both power and speed.

flecc will the Panasonic 26 V controller handle a 36 V battery?

 

[D8ve]

The difference is at design stage. You use higher current with a lower voltage to get the same power. You use thicker wire but less turns.
Or you use higher voltage and lower current ,use more turns of thinner wire.

So for a purchased motor there is no practical difference.

However as flec said the first gen 36 volt systems appear to be near the sweet spot. Enough power to put you up any hill. But not so much the gear/chain dies in a week.
The older 26 volt system was very good too. It got me up a few seriously steep hills in bath.
The only issue is new batteries are not as common as 36volt.
You could get round this with recelling and get a much more powerful battery for the old size.
Don't try 36 volt battery on 24 volt system. There are two many things to go wrong.

 

[flecc]

flecc will the Panasonic 26 V controller handle a 36 V battery?

No, the system incorporates all the software systems and is limited to 24/26 volts.
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[flecc]

I am looking at a Kalkhoff Agattu 8G 26 volts. Are you suggesting the 26 volt is better option? I have no knowledge of the different motors you mention. The bike will be used for pulling trailers only. I am prepared to bide my time before buying a second hand bike. I don't believe in buying new. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

The current 8G model uses the 36 volt Impulse 2, but the 26 volt one you are looking at must have the Panasonic unit. These have generally been very reliable, but even they can suffer the rare failure so no absolute guarantee. My warning on cost is that if one fails, it's going to cost around £500 to put right.

Though less powerful, the Panasonic unit is still capable and I used one for years in a Giant Lafree pulling large trailer loads in my hilly area. Three photos below refer:

 

[Alan Quay]

Haha, loving the last one. Road train!

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[flecc]

Haha, loving the last one. Road train!

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Always got loads of attention. I considered converting the little shopper trailer into a large one as I'd done with the front one, but never got round to it. Pity, it would have been a show stopper.
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[Sorearse]

Sounds like the 26 will do me. Only need to pull trailers with heavy loads, happy to take it easy on hills. There are some serious hills on the Lincolnshire Wolds but not many. Happy to avoid them as not that many. Need for wood, apples and the dog etc. In the latter case need to transport her up to 50 miles but will be doing a lot on the flat. Either way need a second battery should I buy the bike.

 

[D8ve]

What's the price, what model, spare batteries, condition, alternatives?
All these affect the it's a good buy option.
For serious long range a bbs with multi batteries could be an option?

 

[Sorearse]

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/kalkhoff-aggatu-8g-£650-00.23902/

No need to "big it up"!! No spare battery. They come up occasionaly on eBay. One bloke had a shed fire. Battery in the house.

 

[D8ve]

He wants quite a lot for it. A new bike is not a great deal more.
And the battery is sold as seen. considered almost worthless at that age.
There was a bike valuation formula on site but that one is more a how good is the condition. ( probably an excellent bike, I loved my similar ones)
Negotiate down or look at new as you are on about a grand for bike and spare battery.

 

[Sorearse]

He wants quite a lot for it. A new bike is not a great deal more.
And the battery is sold as seen. considered almost worthless at that age.
There was a bike valuation formula on site but that one is more a how good is the condition. ( probably an excellent bike, I loved my similar ones)
Negotiate down or look at new as you are on about a grand for bike and spare battery.

For kalkhoff? I thought that was reasonable for Kalkhoff. That's all I am looking at. He claims 5 lights showing.

 

[Sorearse]

The current 8G model uses the 36 volt Impulse 2, but the 26 volt one you are looking at must have the Panasonic unit. These have generally been very reliable, but even they can suffer the rare failure so no absolute guarantee. My warning on cost is that if one fails, it's going to cost around £500 to put right.

Though less powerful, the Panasonic unit is still capable and I used one for years in a Giant Lafree pulling large trailer loads in my hilly area. Three photos below refer:

That is one stunning trailer. I can just see it full of firewood or apples.

 

[flecc]

That is one stunning trailer. I can just see it full of firewood or apples.

Home made from aluminium step ladders. Four rubber feet on the end so in the event of a puncture, loaded or not, I tipped it onto it's tailboard to drop out the offending quick-release wheel.

The attachment was a car type ball joint on the rear of my bikes, so the whole trailer a completely new design for practicality. My use during retirement was recycling for myself and 54 neighbours, since we don't have a council recycling service. It easily carried a cooker or under counter fridge, and once carried a double bed cut in half!
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[Sorearse]

PS where did you get the trailer from?

Home made from aluminium step ladders. Four rubber feet on the end so in the event of a puncture, loaded or not, I tipped it onto it's tailboard to drop out the offending quick-release wheel.

The attachment was a car type ball joint on the rear of my bikes, so the whole trailer a completely new design for practicality. My use during retirement was recycling for myself and 54 neighbours, since we don't have a council recycling service. It easily carried a cooker or under counter fridge, and once carried a double bed cut in half!
.

No recycling service? Where are you? Attachment looks a bit "chunky". Any idea of the weight? What's the base made of?

 

[flecc]

PS where did you get the trailer from?

No recycling service? Where are you? Attachment looks a bit "chunky". Any idea of the weight? What's the base made of?

I designed and made the trailer from step ladders as said, below a photo of it carrying one of the step ladders which I stripped and used for the materials:

Our area has a recycling service but all of our flats don't for complex physical reasons.

The chunky attachment in some of the photos was the first one, a two way hingeing device, but I quickly changed that to a ball joint. The one on this bike is explained on this link.
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