Ride1Up Revv1 no returns, any Seattle Revv1 owners out there?

[EVDan]

I'm helping a friend in recovery who has a bad heart get a reliable, comfortable, are relatively "safe" form of transportation for getting back and forth to appointments in Seattle, sometimes in the dark. He currently has a cheap Chinese 49cc moped that is constantly needing repairs. Some friends are going to purchase it and our budget is $2.5K. We ruled out cars due to ongoing cost. Narrowed things down a couple e-bikes, a Ride1Up Revv1, and a Honda Metropolitan. In the end the Ride1Up Revv1 with all the rave reviews, relatively "light", good lighting, option to pedal or not... seems to be the best choice for him.

I went to order one & while reading the fine print learned that once the box is open, a Revv1 cannot be returned! All other Ride1Up bikes are returnable. The Revv1 sounds like a fine machine, good company, but I'm very reluctant to order one with a "no return" policy. I spoke with a person at the company and this is a hard & fast policy, due to the weigh he said. My concern is that if it turns out to not be suitable for my friend, it is could end up being a very expensive door stop or lawn ornament.

That leads me to 2 questions:
1. Given the great rep of the company and this product, is my concern unfounded?
2. Are there any Ride1Up Revv1 owners in Seattle that would be willing to let us look at their bike and take it for a short spin?

 

[danpenn]

Are there any other Ride1up bikes that have a 1000 watt motor? Maybe that's the reason for the no return policy.

 

[Smaug]

Having gone the eMoped route before, I wouldn't go that way again for my only transportation. Especially in Seattle, which is very hilly. Published maximum range assumes flat ground and a decent amount of pedal power by the rider. As it cools down outside, he'll also lose range. If he runs the battery down, this bike is not pedalable, as it only is a single speed and it is geared high.

Details on my transition are here: https://ebikesforum.com/threads/my-next-chapter-in-riding.6287/

Go for the Metropolitan. I had one of those before and it was great. Super-reliable and efficient, never less than 100 mpg. If he can get licensed and get a 125 or 150 class scooter that will do a lot better on the Seattle hills, which will hobble the Metropolitan down to 25 or 30 mph.

I'm currently commuting on my Aventon Level.2 eBike, but supplemented by a scooter when needed.

If I were going to make do with an eBike, it would be a regular one, not an eMoped. Something that can be downshifted into a low gear to help climb the hills. Something with an adjustable seat height, so it can be set for full leg extension and the extra torque that comes from that. I can easily climb any hill on my Level.2 in the lowest 2 gears. It's slow going, (10 mph) but doable without getting the heart going too hard.

 

[EVDan]

Thanks for the insight Smaug. Good points about range in cooler weather.
All the Revv1 reviews imply it does quite well on hills, even with the 750W motor (). The current model has a 1000W motor.
Would still love to hear from some owners of Revv1, especially if living near Seattle.

 

[Smaug]

When those sponsored reviewers say it "does well on hills", they mean that it will climb them, not that it maintains speed. If its top speed is 32 mph, one can expect maybe 15 on a steeper hill with a full battery, or a bit more with a running start. ...and it will drain the battery quickly.

If I were to do the eMoped thing again, the Revv1 is the one I'd go with.

Look into what's involved for the dual battery set-up. I recall it being a lot of extra money, as the mixer needs to be added as well as the battery.

 

[EVDan]

True that on the hills, on the 1/3rd mile Utah Hell Hole Hill the Revv1 mananage 19 mph to the top, one of their best ever scores. That was with the 750W motor, I imagine the 1000W would do better.

Would dual batteries result in higher top speed, or more power, or just more range?

 

[danpenn]

Their ad says it has a 52 volt battery. That and a 1000 watt motor should get it to the 34mph that they claim.
My Roll Road Emma 3 has 2 52 volt batteries and a 1500 watt motor. So it easily gets to the 35mph that they claim. More with some tailwind or a down hill.

 

[EVDan]

I cannot find much detailed info about Roll Road nor Emma 3.
Does it have rear turn signals or just front?
How long have you had yours? Any issues with bike or the company?

 

[Smaug]

I cannot find much detailed info about Roll Road nor Emma 3.
Does it have rear turn signals or just front?
How long have you had yours? Any issues with bike or the company?

Good questions. Re. the horn, the pix on their site don't show it, but they mention that it does have rears. I suspect the pix are old and Roll-road has upgraded to a rear brake light/turn signal unit like Ride1UP. They don't show here beneath this shapely bottom:

Nor here, from the video clip:

It appears to have better rear shocks than the Revv1, as they have remote reservoirs and there are two of them. The NFC SmartKey is a nice Ride1UP has a combination that can comes enabled, but it is awkward to enter with the up/down arrows.

(I prefer Lectric's arrangement here, with the key being required to remove the battery AND to turn the bike on, but they don't make an eMoped yet. Closest thing is their Expedition dual battery cargo bike, which doesn't have the bench seat, but it will be a lot more pedalable. Rear suspension would have to be in the form of a shock in the seatpost, but it's nice that it HAS a seatpost!)

The handlebar is taller, leading to a more upright riding posture, like the 2-stroke mopeds from the 70s:

Only place the Emma 3.0 seems to fall short is that it has spoked wheels instead of cast. I haven't had any problems with spokes on my eBikes, but it's a peace of mind thing for me.

Source: https://roll-road.com/products/emma...dV_SP_Z-qlDcv1BGuUFizDse0SLHIfzVFJQZuYz9Bkc39

 

[EVDan]

Two batteries vs one battery: Do dual batteries result in higher top speed, or more power for hill climbing, or just more range?

 

[Smaug]

Two batteries vs one battery: Do dual batteries result in higher top speed, or more power for hill climbing, or just more range?

Practically speaking, all of the above, but to different degrees:

• Higher top speed, because with two batteries, the voltage won't sag under load as much. With a single battery at a full charge, there may be no difference at all. When two batteries, it will hang onto that top speed for longer.
• More power for climbing for the same reason; voltage won't sag as much under load, due to having twice the ampacity.
• Definitely more range (but also double the cost, which takes us firmly into combustion scooter territory, which has its own pros & cons)