Anyone got a Raleigh Motus ?

Hi...I'm looking for a new bike and I'm considering the RM, It's the only bike I've found that fills the criteria I'm looking for...namely..... crank drive, front suspension, magura rim brakes, derailer gears, local dealer,

...and comes in at £2000.

I haven't yet seen, let alone tried one, this LD has not yet got one and I would hate to buy on line when there is a possibility of buying from a local store.

I live in West Yorkshire and ebike dealers are thin on the ground round here.

Anyone ride a Motus or can recommend a bike on similar lines ?

....cheers....Mike

I had a go on a Motus and liked it.

Comfy, slightly swept back handlebars.

The narrowish tyres made it feel quite quick.

Having said that, there are lots of Bosch powered hybrids which will all ride similarly.

Mike,we have sold a few at the London Electric Bike Company ,Hampton Wick and keep one in stock. I think it's a very well equipped bike and had some advantages over its competitors,reasonable price for the spec.

Give Tom a ring at LEBC ,he knows the bike well.

KudosDave

Thanks Rob....cheers Dave but I'm thinking Hampton Wick is a long way from me, probably 200 miles each way...bit far I'm afraid.

....cheers....Mike

 

Anyone ride a Motus or can recommend a bike on similar lines ?

 

Nice bike Mike but have you considered (possibly rejected) the offerings from 50Cycles? They have a depot at Loughborough which isn't too far from W Yorks and they have a range of bikes and prices.

Tom

Thanks Rob....cheers Dave but I'm thinking Hampton Wick is a long way from me, probably 200 miles each way...bit far I'm afraid.

....cheers....Mike

Every Raleigh dealer has availability to the Raleigh Motus,be interesting what is the attitude to your local Raleigh dealer to stocking one?

I thought it was a nice bike when I test rode one and quite attractive to my eyes.

KudosDave

Cheers Tom, Loughborough's bit far for me ,I'm pretty much limited to cycling distance these days, in any event they're mostly fitted with disc brakes I want rim brakes.

Cheers Dave....my first move is to see one, then try one.

We've got a Raleigh dealer just up the road but he doesn't sell ebikes.

when I tried him some 7 years ago he'd only get a powabyke on a definite sale.

I'll try him again but not sure he could repair if anything went wrong.

I'll try the Leeds one again, he was 'gonna ring me but didn't.

....Mike

you will save a fortune if you get 1 from Germany.

http://www.mhw-bike.com/ebikes/?p=5

you will save a fortune if you get 1 from Germany.

Don't think the Motus is available abroad is it?

Also OP has already said he wants to buy from a local UK dealer.

Don't think the Motus is available abroad is it?

 

Also OP has already said he wants to buy from a local UK dealer.

Some of the Bosch drive Raleigh ebikes are badged as Kalkhoffs in Germany, but as you say the OP wants to buy locally.

I want rim brakes.

Are you nuts?

I tried the Motus at the LBS 6 weeks ago and found it heavy and a pain to pedal. If rim brakes were not a high priority, I would say that I much preferred the bike I went for in the end:

Cuve reation Hybrid Pro 29er

http://www.cube.eu/uk/bikes/hybrid/reaction-hybrid/cube-reaction-hybrid-hpa-pro-29-blackngreynwhite-2015/

at £200 less than the Motus, with mounting holes for a pannier rack and the option to put whatever lights you want on it. this is substantially lighter than the motus and is a beautiful MTB to boot!

I'd definitely recommend it and I'll get around to putting a review up soon.

(it's also the only sub 2k bike available in this country for less than 2k and has been selling so well I had to wait 2 weeks for mine to arrive on order from the continent while the ferry strikes were on.)

I eventually bought mine from Cardiff after trying a similar setup (the Scott Aspect hardtail at Thetford forest) and I've not been disappointed. I've got loads of LBS's in the area who are good enough for Damian Harris to feel happy supporting the warranty if they service the bike rather than having to ship it back each time for a service!

Cheers Tom, Loughborough's bit far for me ,I'm pretty much limited to cycling distance these days, in any event they're mostly fitted with disc brakes I want rim brakes.

 

Cheers Dave....my first move is to see one, then try one.

We've got a Raleigh dealer just up the road but he doesn't sell ebikes.

when I tried him some 7 years ago he'd only get a powabyke on a definite sale.

I'll try him again but not sure he could repair if anything went wrong.

I'll try the Leeds one again, he was 'gonna ring me but didn't.

....Mike

Mike...I wasn't suggesting you buy the bike from London,just that Tom has some good knowledge of that particular bike. Out of interest why won't your local Raleigh dealer sell you an e-bike,after all a profit is a profit?

Try pushing him.

KudosDave

Mike...I wasn't suggesting you buy the bike from London,just that Tom has some good knowledge of that particular bike. Out of interest why won't your local Raleigh dealer sell you an e-bike,after all a profit is a profit?

Try pushing him.

KudosDave

I think Mike meant the dealer didn't have one in stock and doesn't intend to get any.

Common enough situation, as you know.

Thanks James...the Cube looks good and I'd like to see one but that's not 'gonna happen anywhere near here.

I can imagine that the RM is heavy, my current bike is heavy, I've had 7 ebikes and they've all been heavy

Cheers....Mike

Not sure where about in West Yorkshire you are, but Bike Shed in Huddersfield are selling a growing number of eBikes and had quite a few last time I was in.

They are a Cube and KTM dealer but have other brands too I believe.

Edited August 14, 201510 yr by KTM Bike Industries UK

My previous conversion used to weigh in at 22kg - with a frog mounted battery hanging over the rear wheel and 2 panniers. It handled ok, but not great and always felt heavy due to the excessive weight shift towards the rear. The Motus is a similar weight (maybe slightly heavier) and I was comparing that directly with the bike I used to ride (5 days after my frame broke) It handled OK, but even with MAX assist it felt sluggish to ride and just "not nice".

The cube has a much better CofG and is 4kg lighter (granted it doesn't come with mudguards, front dynamo, lights, pedals, rack and kickstand, but unpowered (and with a rack now on it) it handles much nicer than the Motus ever did, It also gives you more option for going off road.

I changed my tyres last weekend for my old Marathon Pluses which I run at 85psi to ensure that I get a bit more speed and better puncture resistance from the cube on my commute to work. I'm thinking that a lot of the nice feel of the bike actually came from the wider tyres - which is an option that would be limited on the Motus due to the pre-existing mudguards - running at a lower pressure. I'm happy that I can sacrifice 2mph top speed for more comfort when I'm sitting on the bike for 20miles! I'm sure I'll regain the speed as my muscles build up.

(for an e-bike the cube feels light (but then I'm normally measuring bike weight with my pannier on the back and carrying it up/down steps, so I know when it's better balanced!)

Edited August 14, 201510 yr by JamesW

Thanks for that KTM...I can do Huddersfield...do you have the address ?

...don't think it's Scissett now.

cheers James...may get to see a cube after all.

....Mike

don't know how I managed that strikethough - was not intended!

http://www.bike-shed.com/

Units 5 & 6, Leeds Road Mini Park, Huddersfield, HD1 6PA

01484 517197

(didn't see cube at bike shed website)

Edited August 14, 201510 yr by JamesW

for cube near Huddersfield try:

Hargreaves cycles

http://www.hargreaves-cycles.co.uk/m9b0s129p4631/CUBE-REACTION-HYBRID-HPA-PRO-29-2015

Hargreaves cycles

27 Bradford Road, Dewsbury, WF13 2DU

0845 8335881

CUBE REACTION HYBRID HPA PRO 29 2015

£1423

http://www.mhw-bike.com/cube-reaction-hybrid-hpa-pro-29-black-n-grey-n-white-2015-3026

don't know how I managed that strikethough - was not intended!

 

http://www.bike-shed.com/

 

Units 5 & 6, Leeds Road Mini Park, Huddersfield, HD1 6PA

01484 517197

 

(didn't see cube at bike shed website)

They are a cube dealer, have been for full 2015 season - just too busy selling bikes to update their website by the looks of things.

so how come these bikes are so much cheaper in germany?

not as its a bit cheaper its A LOT cheaper.

CUBE REACTION HYBRID HPA PRO 29 2015

 

£1423

 

http://www.mhw-bike.com/cube-reaction-hybrid-hpa-pro-29-black-n-grey-n-white-2015-3026

from Germany - hasn't got the same warranty or legal repercussions as buying from the UK, it's worth the extra £300 for the warranty IMO. (In Germany the warranty laws are different from the UK and so you could be really stuck if it breaks!)

so how come these bikes are so much cheaper in germany?

 

not as its a bit cheaper its A LOT cheaper.

German import taxes on the goods, German exports taxes, German VAT levels. Warranty is shifted from the retailer to someone else so the retailer doesn't need as much cash reserves to cover themselves.