I'm interested in this. Please follow up when you know more. Thanks.
It won't be for a while.
The bike should be ready for service in mid-February and to form a reasonable opinion on the Nexus 5 I will need to ride it for at least 500 kms, preferably about 1000 kms. I plan to use it as a temporary replacement for my old 650B Sturmey-Archer S5/2 five-speed utility bike while the latter gets a much needed thorough overhaul.
I had the internal out, it seems very similar to the Nexus 8 Premium. I didn't risk dismantling further, so I don't know if it uses gear pinions with needle bearings like the Nexus 8 Premium.
One difference is that the sprockets are different. Nexus 8 has the traditional 3 spline driver. The Nexus Inter 5E SG-C7000 has a smaller inside diameter, but with 6 splines, perhaps to help withstand higher torque. I did once manage to wear out the 3 splines on a traditional sprocket on an S5/2 hub before wearing out the teeth.
I haven't found a reliable source for the recommended maximum torque for the Inter 5E. Shimano's publicity says it can take a much higher torque
when shifting than their other hub gears, which is a good thing when used by riders not used to easing off when changing hub gear ratios. Max torque values I have seen for Shimano 8-speeds are 50 nm, which seems to me too low for even an entry-level Bafang mid motor. I have seen 130 nm quoted for the Rohloff. I assume the Inter 5E is in between the two.
The obvious difference compared to Shimano 8 speeds is the smaller overall gear range of 263%, with regular but rather large 27% gaps between the gears. This makes it less suitable for a non-assisted bike, but seems to make sense for an E-bike.
I think that today all the other types in Schwalbe's Marathon sub-brand ride better and are, in my use on clean tarmac at least, either equivalent or only fractionally behind the Plus in puncture resistance. Big Apples Rule.
In my experience, the great majority of other tyres (not just Schwalbe and not just their Marathon sub-brand) are more comfortable and more efficient than Marathon Plus when comparing similar diameters and widths designed for the same type of use (i.e. don't compare off road knobblies or spiked winter tyres with "touring" tyres)
I found 700x28 Marathon Plus particularly uncomfortable, the comfort hit is much less noticeable with 584 and 559 in the wide 50 mm width.
The lower efficiency is not a particular concern with the visitor bikes, these are on a an island approximately 8x3 kms, so don't get used for long distance rides. My opinion (I might be wrong) is that it would matter even less on an electrically assisted bike, which will anyway have 5-6 kg extra for the motor and battery.
As far as puncture resistance goes, I can't remember ever having a puncture with Marathon Plus in about 18,000 kms of use (family and visitors), whereas I do get the occasional puncture with the other tyres in Schwalbe's Marathon sub-brand.
For my own use, a puncture every few thousand kms is a price worth paying for the efficiency and comfort gains of a less well protected tyre.
For a visitor bike, or a bike used by several people on a professional basis, I reckon reliability is more important than efficiency.
