Vitus E-sommet VRS 2021 battery cover issue

AaronJones509

Member
Mar 21, 2021
6
1
Bristol
Hi all,

I have had my vitus e-sommet 2021 for a few weeks now and the bike is fantastic!

I have one issue which bothers me, the battery cover! the battery cover on each side has a gap between the plastic cover and the frame. Spring/summer time this isn’t really an issue but in the winter this will allow a lot of water/muck to get into the frame, battery area.

Question is, is anyone else have this issue and found an easy fix? Or anyone know where I could get a new cover made, a carbon fibre cover would be cool!

thanks all
 

dave_uk

Member
Nov 15, 2021
103
53
uk - Staffordshire
I HATE the BATTERY COVER on my Vitus!

So I have modified my mine to enable quick and easy removal - I nolonger drop the top allen-screw and spend the next 20 minutes looking for it!

First:
I have replaced all the screws with these: Knurled Thumb Screws £3.50 (PrecisionGeek Black Steel M6 x 10mm Knurled Thumb Shoulder Screws (Set of 5) | eBay)
The two bottom screws can be used as-is.

Second:
the top screw needs to be slightly modifying: filing/grinding off 4mm of thread (knurled end, zoom into photo A and you can see where to do this - it is required to ensure the plastic retainer is not pushed off when unscrewing the cover).
vitus-batterry-coverA.jpg

Now to make a plastic retainer (to stop the screw falling out), all you need is a strip of soft-plastic, cut out as shown in photo A, drill a 5mm hole, and bond to the cover as in photo B (a little scoring is needed to create a key for the glue of both faces of the plastic).
vitus-batterry-coverB.jpg

Now removing the cover is easy. Slacken the bottom two screws, unscrew to the top screw which is now retained within the cover. EASY!

And a final mod:
create a small mudflap for the two bottom screws, cut a flap of innertube large enough to cover the two bottom screws (around 2.5 inches square) and glue to top quarter inch to the cover just above the screws. Why? You can still get at/see all the screws to remove the cover after a muddy ride.

NO wait... there is another one... I hated not being able to remove the battery with ease too. So... I cut down an allen key (to about 1 inch long) and stuck it in with silicon. Now I get the battery out without looking for an allen key.
 
Last edited:

GaryasaurusRex

New Member
Oct 7, 2021
11
11
Glasgow
I haven't long got the E-Sommet and have the same issue, I got an email from Vitus today that they are sending out a new door design that solves the issue free of charge would be worth emailing them
 

GaryasaurusRex

New Member
Oct 7, 2021
11
11
Glasgow
I will not be holding my breath for a cover any better than the one I have now improved (would be good if it worked as well though).
I don't hold much hope in it being better myself but a spare battery door for free isn't bad I guess, I drilled my current one out and added some slightly thicker tape to it seems to be fine now nothing getting inside like it did
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
401
377
Dartmoor
The one I got has a little metal part to go in the top hole that's just been drilled out to a bigger size, it's missing the rubber bit as well that will be shipped later
I've got the same as you have, it came fitted to my bike, and now a new one that they've sent me. The only difference between the one on my bike and the one I got in the post, is that I have to wait for the rubber insert, to stick on the new one. Not complaining, as it means I now have a spare door and bolts!
 

GaryasaurusRex

New Member
Oct 7, 2021
11
11
Glasgow
I've got the same as you have, it came fitted to my bike, and now a new one that they've sent me. The only difference between the one on my bike and the one I got in the post, is that I have to wait for the rubber insert, to stick on the new one. Not complaining, as it means I now have a spare door and bolts!
I have added a pipe clip to the inside of the door that holds onto the middle of the battery it's been working pretty well like that, at least it's a spare door they didn't give me any idea when the rubber part would be shipped
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
401
377
Dartmoor
I have added a pipe clip to the inside of the door that holds onto the middle of the battery it's been working pretty well like that, at least it's a spare door they didn't give me any idea when the rubber part would be shipped
Can you post a photo of that please?
Same here, no idea when the rubber bit comes out, but then I didn't know the door was coming until it arrived!
 

dave_uk

Member
Nov 15, 2021
103
53
uk - Staffordshire
Mud and water got me in a "flap"! Having read this earlier in the month:

and then found mine all clogged up following a SHORT ride today I decided to turn the "flap" in flaps:
flaps-all.jpg

One is bonded to the battery cover, the other is screwed on to the engine cover:
flaps-from-above2.jpg


flaps-from-above3.jpg

flaps-from-above.jpg

(ignore the elestic bands - they are just holding it while the glue dries)

Hopefully that will help save the motor.

Also, tip: when replacing the engine-cover screws fill the screw heads with grease, helps stop them clogging up with mud. The flaps are made with old pond liner I had lying around.

Happy flapping!

flaps-from-above.jpg


flaps-from-above3.jpg
 
Last edited:

dave_uk

Member
Nov 15, 2021
103
53
uk - Staffordshire
BTW - the bottow flap is only held on by the two top engine-cover screws - it just flops down when upright.
Its only the top flap which is bonded on and only the top part (about an inch).

Good thing is the bottom battery-cover screws are covered - do not get covered in mud so easy to loosen :)
 

CJaMTB

Well-known member
May 9, 2020
401
377
Dartmoor
Not to be a nay-sayer, but doesn't that flap just cover the drain holes and prevent the water escaping..?
 

GaryasaurusRex

New Member
Oct 7, 2021
11
11
Glasgow
Can you post a photo of that please?
Same here, no idea when the rubber bit comes out, but then I didn't know the door was coming until it arrived!
Haven't had chance to get a pic will do that later today, I picked up a spring clip from Screwfix for £3 and some epoxy and stuck the clip to the middle of the door and bent the clip so it would just hold the sides of the battery seems to be working pretty well, these are the clips Zinc-Plated Tool Clips 1¼
 

GaryasaurusRex

New Member
Oct 7, 2021
11
11
Glasgow
So according to Acros who make the headset for the Vitus E-Sommet the lower bearing will wear excessively fast due to the frame being too tight for the cup putting uneven pressure on the lower bearing this is apparently a known issue within Vitus but they won't be offering a fix for their poor design
 

thebarber

E*POWAH Elite
May 28, 2018
986
596
Norfeast
So according to Acros who make the headset for the Vitus E-Sommet the lower bearing will wear excessively fast due to the frame being too tight for the cup putting uneven pressure on the lower bearing this is apparently a known issue within Vitus but they won't be offering a fix for their poor design
Did they ask you to measure the inner diameter of the head tube?
That's what they were implying to me, and if this is the issue it means wiggle/ crc are gonna have to ream all bikes to new tolerance .
 

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