Already one of the most popular ebike brands in Europe, North Americans can look forward to several new e-bikes this fall out of Award-Winning German brand, Kalkhoff. The Integrale pushes e-bike design through high level integration of both the bike battery and mid-drive motor in a zippy cafe racer-style package. The Include, on the other hand, is designed to be more of a work horse, sporting a heavy-duty rear rack. Both models feature integrated LCD displays with USB charging hubs for your electronic devices, adjustable stems to allow riders to dial in fit, front suspension to absorb impacts at higher speeds, and are loaded with premium details…
The head tube, down tube, and motor mount of the Integrale are die cast from a single – what we can assume is pretty expensive – mold. This allowed Kalkhoff to completely integrate the battery and motor into the frame of the bike. The effect is exciting- the e-bike components of this bike are seamlessly absorbed into the design rather than being tacked-on elements to a familiar bike frame form.
The motor manages to be pretty beefy- an Impulse Evo RS Speed 36V 350W on the Integrale S11 tops out at 28mph and is claimed to be “barely audible” as to not detract from the riding experience. The battery that nests into the downtube is no slacker either, sporting a 17Ah capacity. The model features Gates Carbon Drive, but the dropout system is interchangeable in case the rider wants to switch to a derailleur-ed system.
The Include 8 Premium is a more utilitarian model, featuring integrated cafe lock and a beefier rack compatible with their Snap-it system for bags and child seats. Its Impulse Evo 36V, 250W motor tops out at a slower 15mph, but the battery has the same 17Ah capacity for a range of over 120 miles (depending on load). This model is available in step-thru and step-over versions.
