Rieju Nuuk essay

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Electric extraterrestrial

Rieju, it’s a long story since 1934, mainly with the bicycle, then motorcycles to off-road and some models of small displacement between 50 and 250 cm3 in recent years with well-placed prices. And if the brand currently continues in the neo-retro, it is also innovating after electric bikes with electric motorcycles.. Test of the Nuuk model in its 125 cc equivalent.

Rieju Nuuk electric motorcycleRieju Nuuk electric motorcycle

Discovery

Electricity is complicated because you have to house the batteries and if there is something ugly, it is batteries. Suddenly, electric motorcycles are often ugly. Rieju broke new ground with the Nuuk with a model that borrows from both bicycle, scooter and motorbike for a special end result, which everyone will appreciate according to their tastes. Well, the tastes and the colors are personal. So we go to the technical part and there, it’s heavy, a bit like the design.

LED headlightLED headlight

Rieju, like many other electric manufacturers, calls on Bosch with an electric Drive Train motor developing 10.5 kW and approved as a 125. If the power is not extraordinary in absolute terms, the torque is. against with 245 Nm! The Bosh motor is often housed in the hub of the rear wheel. Nothing like this here, since the engine is central and offers a chain, a rare choice compared to the belts often used. To power everything, there are removable Li-ion battery systems of 100 Ah, or even 150 and 200 Ah as an option! The two hatches surrounding the model indeed contain two batteries, very heavy, which allow to take at least one on the shoulder to charge it at home if you do not have a plug. On the other hand, on the socket side, a simple domestic socket is enough to recharge in less than 5 hours (1 hour in rapid charge).

Removable 100 Ah Li-ion batteries with 5 hour recharge, 2 hour 30 minute quick charge, integrated chargerRemovable 100 Ah Li-ion batteries with 5 hour recharge, 2 hour 30 minute quick charge, integrated charger

What surprises then is the cycle part, with in particular these enormous forks of 41 mm, golden in case we have not seen them. The adjustable shock absorber is almost undersized in comparison. Heavy, too, with 280mm front disc brakes (220mm rear) and 17-inch rims. We imagine after a heavy machine overall when in fact it is almost light with only 130 kilos.

LED tail lightLED rear light

And while we are rather used to belt transmissions on this type of machine, it is indeed a chain that must be greased..

Slender machineSlender machine

The 100% digital screen indicates whether the engine is ready or not, requiring simultaneous pressure on the brake lever and the push button located on the left. A double precaution all the more important, since the electric does not make noise and there is no audible means of knowing whether pressing the handle will generate a catapult effect or not..

Complete dashboardComplete dashboard

The screen then displays instantaneous consumption information, speed, energy recovery, mode (boost, cruise or crawl), ambient temperature, battery charge level, date and time.

Boost mode is naturally the most powerful mode allowing the highest speed but reducing the possible autonomy. The cruise mode is the mode which allows to have a good balance between power and autonomy. And there remains the famous crawl mode, a maneuver mode, which allows you to drive at very very low speed, both forwards and backwards. And there is also a neutral mode which makes it possible to avoid having a reaction when actuating the accelerator, especially since there is no noise to indicate whether the engine is running or not; additional safety, the Nuuk automatically switches to neutral mode after 5 minutes of non-use.

Contact

If you don’t know how to do it, the screen guides you by showing you the sequence to perform to start. It’s simple.

Catapult! It is the electric effect. The huge torque instantly available. 245 Nm, again, that’s the torque of a Diavel in a 125! But fortunately, there is Rieju! And above all 3 driving modes. The standard mode, the mode and the mode. In the first mode, the start is dry, clean, immediate, but the arms will not be torn off … and especially not too long, since the maximum speed is 65 km / h. It is this mode that allows a maximum range of 90 km. Obviously, the autonomy is reduced when we are conversely in the most extreme mode with its 105 km / h.

ManeuverabilityManeuverability

In the city

No noise, or almost no noise … except for the noise of the tires rolling and occasionally that of the chain. The good thing about the electric is the instantaneous response to the throttle and the difficulty in dealing with speed versus sound. It would almost seem like being on a small engine when we drop everyone off at the stop at the traffic lights.

The wide front sight offers excellent leverage, but a fairly open caster angle coupled with a limited turning radius doesn’t make it an absolute weapon for squeezing between cars. We slip naturally between the lines but we do not juggle at 90 ° between the cars.

Extreme ease in townExtremely easy in town

However, when we say 65 km / h in the first mode, we say to ourselves that this will be limited in a city like Paris, especially by taking the ring road. Well, no actually. It is possible to do a day of driving in this mode, always being in front and constantly interfacing so everyone is blocked.

There remains this bizarre position where the knees can touch each other like a scooter but not the feet, stuck against the vertical part of the batteries.

And on the practical side, we will note the existence of the CRAWL mode, to be used for parking, at a very low speed, both forwards or backwards. But frankly, with a low weight and both feet even partially touching the ground, you rarely need it, unless you want to park on a hill in reverse..

Highway

65 km / h being limited for the highway, we will gladly switch to mode 3, when we want. All you have to do is push the button on the control unit to change the mode while driving and without the strange behavior of the Nuuk. No noise or parasitic reaction, it’s just more powerful. And in this mode, we forget or even spray every 125 cm3. This is once again the particularity of the electric, which is much more dynamic thanks to the large torque than the thermal 125s. Of course, there is no protection, but on the other hand, we peak at 105 km / h meter, so it remains livable..

105 km / h top speed counter105 km / h top speed counter

Braking

No ABS but a system combined with a brake distribution valve which passes 70% of the braking to the front and 30% to the rear, when you take the right grip. The whole thing offers a good feeling and a very good bite, almost too much when the road is wet and therefore to be handled with care..

Comfort / Duo

It is rather dry in solo and a little better in duet. It’s better than a sports car but less good than a well-cushioned scooter. On the other hand, the handles are well placed for the passenger.

Two-part saddleTwo-part saddle

It must be said that the single shock absorber placed sideways has a lot to do.

Side shock absorber, adjustable in preload, 90 mm travelSide shock absorber, adjustable in preload, 90 mm travel

Convenient

There is no place to store anything. In that sense, it’s a motorcycle. But we can use the kind of high floor to wedge an anti-theft device. And given the overall shape, we can forget the top case, as aesthetic here as put on a sports car..

Consumption

The advantage is that we save gasoline. Autonomy allows you to make several trips back and forth between work and sleep without recharging and at worst, you recharge at the office on a standard outlet thanks to the five hours of charging only on a standard plug beast. In absolute terms, you can therefore live 70 km from your workplace and simply recharge your batteries when you arrive..

Integrated charger with included plug that plugs into a standard outletIntegrated charger with included plug that plugs into a standard outlet

We then use either the internal socket or we extract the two removable batteries of 48V and 50 Ah each. These two batteries give a 100 Ah system (200 Ah optional).

As with all batteries, total discharges must be avoided and a 50% charge must be maintained in the event of prolonged non-use. Otherwise, surprise after a few months of non-use: the batteries do not like at all.

Lifetime

The battery is given for 3000 full charge cycles, i.e. 70 km per charge, more than 200,000 km !

And the day it must be replaced, it takes 2,200 euros HT per battery.

Conclusion

The Nuuk doesn’t really fit into any known category. Bigger than a scooter but without the practical aspects, as big and rewarding as a motorcycle but with a unique design that will not please everyone, its interest lies mainly in the quality of its manufacture with its different elements and its overall strength. But at 5,999 euros, its price also places it in the upper range of electric models in this category, as long as there are really other electric models in this category. The price is undoubtedly up to the elements and the overall workmanship but for a very specific use. There remains the comfort of use and the approval of the engine to which we end up getting attached after several days of testing.

Strong points

  • couple from the first second

Weak points

  • price

The Rieju Nuuk test in video

The technical sheet of Rieju Nuuk

Test conditions

  • Itinerary: small varied roads + interurban highways with a bit of town
  • Motorcycle mileage: 200 km

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4 thoughts on “Rieju Nuuk essay

  1. It must be fun to drive !

    There are a few current motor tricycles that approach it …

  2. A slice of history on wheels, it’s always a pleasure.

    And riding a Messerschmitt is unusual. This one is nicer than Uncle Adolphe’s stuff. Although I really like these planes.

    Cool !

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