Riese & Muller Delite GT Nuvinci 2018 Review

git-r

Pedelecer
Dec 10, 2015
217
56
The Bike:
Ex demo bought from Fudges with 3miles on the clock.
2x batteries
lock
plus all other standard features

Cost=4000 GBP

My history:

Many thousands of miles commuting in London, on normal bikes and ebike.
First ebike bought early 2016, was ok for the first couple of years but has been unreliable recently so am forced into buying another. I wanted a full suspension bike so choice was limited, these seem to have a fairly good rep and tick all other boxes; mud guards. panier, lights etc.

Initial Impressions after very few miles:
+It's incredibly comfortable.
+Gearing is brilliant; will go very fast and very slow.
+It's very quiet (other than the creak detailed below)
+Handles brilliantly and feels very safe at speed

-Can only charge one battery at a time unless on the bike, a pain when the bike doesn't live indoors.
-It's giving me a blister on the inside of my thumb from moving the nuvinci shifter
-Very heavy
-Creaking which I think maybe coming from the saddle (hopefully needs tightening)
-second battery is pretty pointless, it's having it attached to the frame as opposed to carrying a spare in your luggage on a single battery bike. I'll use a single battery 99% of the time, using 2 batteries means you have to carry 2 batteries when you leave it and lock it up and they're very heavy!

Obviously this review is meaningless with such little use but the miles will pile on at circa 100 miles a week.

Updates will come quite quickly at first, then at big milestones.

Cheers all :)
 
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Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
First ebike bought early 2016, was ok for the first couple of years but has been unreliable recently so am forced into buying another.
what was your first ebike if you don't mind me asking?
 

git-r

Pedelecer
Dec 10, 2015
217
56
UPDATE:
One of the Moto x tyres has a bulge in the sidewall.
The wheels seems completely true but when spinning you can see the tyre moving a bit.
Spoke to fudges and they’re going to send a spare to their other branch which is easy for me to get to.

Only a tiny bulge but will get worse.

Anyone running these tyres I’d suggest keeping an eye on the sidewalls.
 

Nev

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 1, 2018
1,507
2,520
North Wales
Although its more expense have you considered getting another battery charger so that both batteries can be charged at the same time, and so avoid the faff of having to charge each one consecutively.
 
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TZC

Pedelecer
Feb 4, 2014
133
93
47
The batteries share the load when used together, drawing 5% from one and switching to the other for the next 5% so that's something. less battery sag and longer life.
If I'm going out for the sake of a ride I take two, any time leaving the bike around for shopping or a meetup just the one.

I never thought about the pain of charging one at a time or I might had mentioned it? Since mine does live indoors it seemed like a bonus to me charging both at once.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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Battery sag would only be less if load was drawn from both simultaneously, if the load is drawn 5% independently one at a time there will be more sag.
 

GLJoe

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 21, 2017
852
407
UK
Battery sag would only be less if load was drawn from both simultaneously, if the load is drawn 5% independently one at a time there will be more sag.
This is true, but interestingly, I often read here about the battery sag issues, but I've never been able to observe any with any (single battery) bosch or yamaha bikes!
 

git-r

Pedelecer
Dec 10, 2015
217
56
Although its more expense have you considered getting another battery charger so that both batteries can be charged at the same time, and so avoid the faff of having to charge each one consecutively.
I already have another charger and so could do this but just wanted to point out the issue.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
19,990
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I guess riese + muller got it wrong
Probably :D.
If they were in parallel the controller would sip a little from both batteries at the same time and no need to take 5% here & 5% there.
 
Last edited:

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
19,990
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Only real way to see sag is to have a volt meter wired in.

With my twin PF cell packs if I use one independently I see about 0.7/0.8v sag, when wired/ paralleled together them the sag is 0.3v in same assist level.

R & M set up is just using the battery in turn so both are with in voltage range of each other and both should have very similar life span or for when you hook the charger up and charge on the bike as likely they charge in parallel.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,971
6,292
the bike sees the two batts in parallel so just one big one as thats how it is wired.

the bosch motor will use both at the same time so should drain both at the same rate as the controller on the motor can sense what the bms is on both batts to see them as 1 big one in parallel.
 

git-r

Pedelecer
Dec 10, 2015
217
56
Unfortunately I have no idea what battery sag is. I like chicken saag though :)

Had a lot of hours on the bike today and about 30 miles.

Really enjoying it - it's so good at making the road smooth :)

Will have had more time and mileage by the end of the week but it seems a nicely built and put together machine, only creak so far is the seat (which I'm pretty sure is because it hasn't been torqued properly).
Wondering if it feels slower than my old ebike but am unsure if it's because it rides better at speed. It definitely accelerates slower as you'd expect with it being heavier and having the same motor.
 

GLJoe

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 21, 2017
852
407
UK
the bike sees the two batts in parallel so just one big one as thats how it is wired.

the bosch motor will use both at the same time
Not really. It uses one at a time. Its just that it switches back and forth every 5% or something discharge.
 

GLJoe

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 21, 2017
852
407
UK
Only real way to see sag is to have a volt meter wired in.
Hmmm. Then why do we often see threads here with people having 'problems' that are attributed to battery sag?
By your definition, if the only way you can see it is by having a volt meter, then not having a volt meter would mean it effectively becomes invisible/imperceptible and there would be no problems !?!
 

Trevormonty

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 18, 2016
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NZ
Not really. It uses one at a time. Its just that it switches back and forth every 5% or something discharge.
If you start ride with different charge levels, will it use battery with highest charge until its even with 2nd battery?. Eg battery A is 30% battery B 60%, run on B till its 30%.

Something for you R&M riders to test.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,971
6,292
If you start ride with different charge levels, will it use battery with highest charge until its even with 2nd battery?. Eg battery A is 30% battery B 60%, run on B till its 30%.

Something for you R&M riders to test.
hope not pmsl
DSC_0451.JPG
with a dongle the batt levels are all over the place so i cant see that it will take 5% from each batt and the motor will see both batts as one in parallel.

or charge one batt and leave one flat and try them both on the bike if it can sense one batt is flat it should just use the full one.

if you put 2 cells in parallel 1 full and one flat it will charge the flat cell until both are at the same level.

or it just blows up as sending max amps doing it like that lol.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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Battery sag is only noticeable on an ageing/ailing battery when a load is applied or applying a load on a good battery when SOC is low and then the lvc will cut in.
It all depends on how much of a load is applied so voltage sag will differ with the same battery under different loads.

A KT lcd 3 or 6 shows a live voltage read out so you can see the voltage drop as a load is applied or wire in a voltage meter to see how your cells are behaving.
 

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