Just ordered my first Vitus!

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
I've just ordered an E-Sommet VR, which won't get here soon enough! I've ridden a few ebikes (Trek, Spesh, and Voodoo, to name a few) but the one that really worked for me was the Levo SL. With the changes I made, I just love that bike and rate it as the best bike I've ever ridden. However, I came to ebikes through injury (in fact, through permanent disability) and so my requirements aren't always the same as the vast majority. I've been a racer, a coach, a mechanic, and still work in the industry, so know what I like and what I don't, which made it a shock to be told "You'll never ride again." Thankfully, with the help of an amazing Occupational Therapist, I was eventually persuaded onto ebikes, first in 2010, when they were shit, then again in 2017, when they were substantially better! Anyhow, to get to the point, I was on a ride yesterday, my local trails, and after 3hrs it became obvious that my legs were really suffering. I put this down to the trails (very tech and steep, though none contain a run of longer than 1 minute) and the low level of support from the SL motor. So, after mulling it over for a while, I decided to go ahead and get myself a bike with more travel and more power. I know the VR 'only' has the E7000 motor, but that's a substantial increase in support over an SL and I have spent extensive time on an E7000, so know what to expect.

Relatively quick upgrades I expect to make will be the shock and the battery. I'm happy to spend time on the fork, which is relatively well reviewed, but the shock will need to be capable of working with my legs and I'm 99% certain that the X-Fusion shock won't. The battery will need capacity upping for the same reason, my crappy legs need more support than most, especially when I do longer days. Other than that, contact points may get changed, who knows, and maybe a cosmetic change or two, oh, and my AXS dropper will be swapped in, for no other reason than I already have one and it's the right size!

Having previously spent time on the Kenevo V1 and V2, with them being the only long-travel ebikes I've ridden, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the E-Sommet stacks up. I'll report in once it's arrived...
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,933
9,273
Lincolnshire, UK
Bloody well done for getting back out there! :) (y)
But what else could someone be expected to do, curl up and waste away? Outstanding effort! :love:
I wish you the very best in your recovery. Do not in the slightest be dissuaded from buying a bike with a more powerful motor. I do not have any of your problems (thankfully), but I have an 85Nm motor and I love it! :)
 

Mabman

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 28, 2018
1,122
1,851
Oregon USA
And if you ever run into Rob Warner he can sign it for you! Glad you are able to get out there no matter how you are doing it. Have fun waiting and more fun riding when it comes.
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
And if you ever run into Rob Warner he can sign it for you! Glad you are able to get out there no matter how you are doing it. Have fun waiting and more fun riding when it comes.
Last time I was with Warner, he stole my Wife's popcorn! Certainly not the worst of his lifetime offences, but it was a funny night for sure 😂
 

Rusty

E*POWAH BOSS
Jul 17, 2019
1,513
1,673
New Zealand
Never believe the You will never ride again BS. Was told that about MX after an industrial accident in the 70's and in the early 90's I not only raced again, but regained my pro licence @35 years of age. A serious race accident took me off the MX bikes after again being told I would never ride a MX bike again so started riding a MTB. Fractured T11 & T12 practicing for the world 24hrs and once again a surgeon told me I would not ride. 12 years later and after another back injury I am still riding. Can't walk too far and on a human powered bike can only do 30-40km on the trails but can go all day on the eMTB - or as long as the battery lasts.
 

LJR69

Member
Jan 4, 2022
79
98
UK
I hired one of these at Swinley Bike Hub - bloody awesome bike. Really enjoyed riding it. You'll love it.
 

Ian986

Active member
Apr 21, 2021
108
43
Surrey
I am sure by the sound of it you have more experience than me! I have a Bosch motor in my bike and my other half’s bike has ep8 the Bosch has so much more power I know on paper they are the same but the Bosch take a lot less effort.

on plus side the ep8 is easier to wheelie as power is more linked to cadence than the bosch

hope it helps as I rode them back to back on Sunday and Monday.
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
Bike should be here this week. I've got a lot of plans for this bike, so will post updates here as it progresses. Can't wait to get a ride, though don't think it'll happen too soon. First job will be to strip it down fully, Invisiframe everything, then rebuild it with a few component changes. I'll be keeping the drivetrain and brakes, though with a 220mm rotor up front, and running two wheelsets - one for commuting and one for getting rowdy! I'm hoping to use this bike for everything; from commuting to bikepacking to coaching to enduro races. Really looking forward to seeing how it goes...
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
He's here! Have started the transformation already, but I do need to get the Invisiframe fitted and make the few immediate upgrades I wanted to. Weighed in at 24.22kgs as seen here. Hope to have the work finished by the end of the weekend, given that time isn't on my side for the next couple of weeks...
20220111_162114.jpg
 
Last edited:

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
So, unfortunately, it seems my E-Sommet was shipped out with a duff motor. The diagnostics all report zero system faults and no error codes, yet the motor sporadically cuts power when under load and has been doing so since day one. No rhyme nor reason to it, though mostly climbing, and today it got so bad I actually had to stop and wait, before continuing and finishing my ride (weirdly, with only the sporadic cutouts, no big failure). I've been on to Shimano warranty (UK), and have the return set up for Monday. Really pissed that this has happened, though fortunate that my Madison account means I can bypass the ass-pain of having to send the whole bike back to CRC. Not much of a silver lining though...
 

Mabman

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 28, 2018
1,122
1,851
Oregon USA
Sorry to hear that CJ. It sounds to me more like a controller/BMS issue than the actual motor works though. Especially regarding the power cut under load issue. Maybe just a new battery or controller will get it back up and going? Best of luck!
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
Sorry to hear that CJ. It sounds to me more like a controller/BMS issue than the actual motor works though. Especially regarding the power cut under load issue. Maybe just a new battery or controller will get it back up and going? Best of luck!
Thanks dude, time will tell...
Got to strip the motor out to send it back, so will have a good go over all of the connections first, see if I can self-resolve!
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
So here's my day; why ride your new bike when you could be stripping out all of the broken parts that need warrantying?!?
20220122_125926.jpg

Motor issues as discussed. Having checked all of the connections, which all seemed okay, I'll test ride it again tomorrow. If it still doesn't play ball, it's off the bike and away to Shimano/Madison on Monday.

20220122_110952.jpg

In order to work on the motor, you have to remove the battery, which is easier said than done when the release cam comes out in three bits!

20220122_130511.jpg

Removing the battery lock also removed a good bit of paint from my frame, simply by unscrewing the screws that held it in!

20220122_115724.jpg

And then that hateful, hateful, headset!!! I hope whoever designed this has been shot.

Now I can spend my evening doing the warranty report for CRC, instead of recovering from a day of hard charging in the woods. Brilliant, week one of being a Vitus owner done.
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
So, CRC have come back and asked me to either let them collect the bike, or for me to source and purchase the parts I need, which they will then fully refund. During the conversation, they mentioned that a redesigned headset is a few months away. Am going to ask whether or not that will be available to owners, FoC.
 

dave_uk

Member
Nov 15, 2021
103
53
uk - Staffordshire
I noticed today that the motor tone changes after riding through a puddle. I have heard this before on other wet-road rides. Obviously this is not good long terms.

Could you have a look at the motor, while its just uselessly "hanging around", and let us know where/how water can get it?

Cheers
Dave
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
Unfortunately it's not just hanging around, it's with Shimano. It appears I was given a bike that had a faulty motor from day 1. It will be replaced under warranty but they will have no replacements until April. Just waiting to see if I can use my contacts to get Vitus to send me a replacement motor off another bike.
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
Anyhow, regards water ingress, you won't stop it I'm afraid. That's why the drain holes and ensuring they're clear, should be an essential part of everyone's pre-ride checks. I suppose you could block the two big headset holes up though, for a start! 😂
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
TBH, I've ridden my other E7000 through god-knows how much water over the last 14 months, with no issues at all.
 

dave_uk

Member
Nov 15, 2021
103
53
uk - Staffordshire
to answer my own question: the drain holes are at the lowest part of the stone guard.

Noticed today that mine is starting to collect mud between the guard and the motor - time to drop the stone guard to clean it out.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
So here's my day; why ride your new bike when you could be stripping out all of the broken parts that need warrantying?!?
20220122_125926.jpg
Did Madison/CRC actually give you the go ahead to remove the motor casing without invalidating your warranty?

My advice is take the full refund while you still can.

You can always buy another one when they have stock.
(with a new warranty)
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
402
381
Dartmoor
Did Madison/CRC actually give you the go ahead to remove the motor casing without invalidating your warranty?

My advice is take the full refund while you still can.

You can always buy another one when they have stock.
(with a new warranty)
Given my job, I should think they did, yes.

Agree that it's a bit of a palaver, but not a mega deal for me. Already have the replacement locking mechanism and a spare motor going in this morning 👍
 

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