39,000 miles/62,000 kms in 37 countries with a Riese & Müller Supercharger

[Cerby]

What a great experience!
Congratulations. And congratulations on your tenacity in continuing the journey.
Next time you stop in Assisi (Italy) I will be happy to host you.

Have you tried to contact Bosch support in Nepal or India? Or "Bosch worldwide" If they offered you an alternative way?

 

[webcurl]

So you found a trustworthy place to store your 4 batteries in Kathmandu? Then you flew your R&M back to Paris and in a little over a week got a Gen 4 motor out of the deal? Nice.

I was unable to get any assistance/support on a defective trailer. Clearly the answer was — fly to Germany then fly back and continue trip.

I don’t know — this doesn’t seem realistic for most of us, tbh.

I assume a Gen4 motor would not fit into the existing frame, but if it does then i want for my SC GX!

 

[webcurl]

I purchased a Riese & Müller Supercharger GT Nuvinci HS in April 2018 and started a touring journey from Paris, France. I am now in India having cycled 21,000 miles/34,000 kms in 28 countries. I wanted to share my feelings about the ebike.

In addition to the 2 500W Bosch Powertube batteries, I purchased 2 additional batteries that I carry in my Ortlieb paniers. It gives me a range of more than 130 miles/210 kms.

I recharge the batteries when I reach the hotel. It takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes for each battery to recharge fully when empty.

The main issue I had is that the Bosch motor broke down after 19,000 miles/30,000 kms. It happened after crossing the Pamir, Karakoram, Kashmir and Ladakh mountainous area. I crossed several high altitude passes at an elevation of up to 17,580 feet/5359 m. I had hundreds of miles of unpaved roads in this area. The Bosch motor was under warranty and they replaced it for free. At this time, in the South of India, the ebike has no issue at all. The Schwalbe Super moto tyres are impressive. Only 4 flat tyres in the entire journey. I changed them for the first time at 11,000 miles/18,000 kms to be safe but they could have lasted longer.

I have been very happy with the ebiike and do not regret my purchase.

I will be happy to answer your questions.

Here is the website about my journey with a map and some pictures: https://www.ebikejourney.com/

Impressive, well done.
No problems with the rear rack? Have you had much weight on it?

 

[Ebiker01]

The motor broke down close to the large city of Kathmandu, Nepal. The mountainous part of the journey was already done. I tried to repair it in Kathmandu but that wasn't possible. Shipping such motor to Europe is expensive and takes a long time. So I flew to Paris with the whole ebike, got the repair done and flew back to Kathmandu and kept going on my journey. They told me that the new motor installed was a newer version of the Bosch Performance Line and that it should last longer.

Thank you for the answers . It’s brAVE of you for continuing the trip and it is a very inspiring Real story for many of us.

 

[Marcparis]

What a great experience!
Congratulations. And congratulations on your tenacity in continuing the journey.
Next time you stop in Assisi (Italy) I will be happy to host you.

Have you tried to contact Bosch support in Nepal or India? Or "Bosch worldwide" If they offered you an alternative way?

I telephoned to Bosch while in Kathmandu. They were very kind but told me that they don't have ebike repair facilities in this area of the world (including India).

 

[Marcparis]

Impressive, well done.
No problems with the rear rack? Have you had much weight on it?

Yes, I had my rear rack broke while still in Europe. But it was probably my fault: I had about 30 pounds in each of my 2 Ortlieb panniers. This is more than the 20 kg maximum weight of the rear rack. in addition, the 2 Ortliieb panniers were not attached at both ends of the paniers but towards the center. It created an oscillating movement that ended up breaking the aluminum of the rack where it is fixed just behind the saddle. I got a new rack, changed the attachments of the paniers towards the end and reduced the weight. I now have 20 pounds in each of my 2 paniers. I could temporarily fixed the rear rack myself until I got a new rear rack. I don't have any issue anymore. I know that Riese und Muller introduced a new stronger rear rack in their 2020 Supercharger ebike.

 

[webcurl]

Yes, I had my rear rack broke while still in Europe. But it was probably my fault: I had about 30 pounds in each of my 2 Ortlieb panniers. This is more than the 20 kg maximum weight of the rear rack. in addition, the 2 Ortliieb panniers were not attached at both ends of the paniers but towards the center. It created an oscillating movement that ended up breaking the aluminum of the rack where it is fixed just behind the saddle. I got a new rack, changed the attachments of the paniers towards the end and reduced the weight. I now have 20 pounds in each of my 2 paniers. I could temporarily fixed the rear rack myself until I got a new rear rack. I don't have any issue anymore. I know that Riese und Muller introduced a new stronger rear rack in their 2020 Supercharger ebike.

R&M have had 3 iterations of the rear rack.
I bought one of these for my rear ortliebs: https://www.ortlieb.com/e192
Cut it in half so that each pannier now has 3 hooks, just in-case.
Also an extra hook for the bottom for stability: https://www.ortlieb.com/e194

 

[webcurl]

You even get a mention here:

R&M - Riese & Müller Charger / Supercharger Erfahrungsaustausch

Deswegen Ersatzriemen an Bord, zumindest bei der grossen Tour. Wenn ich auf Weltreise gehen würde, käme ich bzgl. Kette vielleicht auch noch ins Grübeln. Aber so weit ist es (noch?) nicht. Mal schauen was die Zukunft bereit hält.

www.pedelecforum.de

 

[drewberz]

Wow, amazing trip and beautiful pictures! That's some serious mileage too on the bike.

 

[pelman]

This is an amazing trip! Jaw dropping inspirational. Be safe and enjoy your travels and I look forward to living some of this amazing planet through your photographs. I have shared with my wife, friends and even LBS shops and all with same amazement!

 

[steve mercier]

I purchased a Riese & Müller Supercharger GT Nuvinci HS in April 2018 and started a touring journey from Paris, France. I am now in India having cycled 21,000 miles/34,000 kms in 28 countries. I wanted to share my feelings about the ebike.

In addition to the 2 500W Bosch Powertube batteries, I purchased 2 additional batteries that I carry in my Ortlieb paniers. It gives me a range of more than 130 miles/210 kms.

I recharge the batteries when I reach the hotel. It takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes for each battery to recharge fully when empty.

The main issue I had is that the Bosch motor broke down after 19,000 miles/30,000 kms. It happened after crossing the Pamir, Karakoram, Kashmir and Ladakh mountainous area. I crossed several high altitude passes at an elevation of up to 17,580 feet/5359 m. I had hundreds of miles of unpaved roads in this area. The Bosch motor was under warranty and they replaced it for free. At this time, in the South of India, the ebike has no issue at all. The Schwalbe Super moto tyres are impressive. Only 4 flat tyres in the entire journey. I changed them for the first time at 11,000 miles/18,000 kms to be safe but they could have lasted longer.

I have been very happy with the ebiike and do not regret my purchase.

I will be happy to answer your questions.

Here is the website about my journey with a map and some pictures: https://www.ebikejourney.com/

AWESOME !

 

[Marcparis]

February 14, 2020 update.
Now 28,000 miles/45,000 kms and 31 countries since I left Paris 21 months ago.
The Supercharger is still doing fine.
I am now in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are my next destinations.

You can view an animated route of the journey here:

Animated route of an ebike journey around the world

www.ebikejourney.com

And some pictures on my website:

Touring on an Electric Bicycle - An Ebike Journey

An ebike journey. Touring the world on an electric assisted bicycle. 39,000 miles/62,000 kilometers in 37 countries.

www.ebikejourney.com

 

[steve mercier]

February 14, 2020 update.
Now 28,000 miles/45,000 kms and 31 countries since I left Paris 21 months ago.
The Supercharger is still doing fine.
I am now in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are my next destinations.

You can view an animated route of the journey here:

Animated route of an ebike journey around the world

www.ebikejourney.com

And some pictures on my website:

Touring on an Electric Bicycle - An Ebike Journey

An ebike journey. Touring the world on an electric assisted bicycle. 39,000 miles/62,000 kilometers in 37 countries.

www.ebikejourney.com

R+M should give you a new bike when you finish, just for the publicity ,but that bike must feel like your best friend by now.

 

[Alaskan]

February 14, 2020 update.
Now 28,000 miles/45,000 kms and 31 countries since I left Paris 21 months ago.
The Supercharger is still doing fine.
I am now in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are my next destinations.

You can view an animated route of the journey here:

Animated route of an ebike journey around the world

www.ebikejourney.com

And some pictures on my website:

Touring on an Electric Bicycle - An Ebike Journey

An ebike journey. Touring the world on an electric assisted bicycle. 39,000 miles/62,000 kilometers in 37 countries.

www.ebikejourney.com

Marc, you are my hero, not only for your accomplishments on your ebike but also for your wonderful perspective on our world and the great photography of both the natural as well as the human environment.

 

[Marci jo]

Marcparis,
To say your journey is incredible is an understatement! Congrats and bragging rights to you, Bosch, and R & M.

I’m curious about flying with your ebike. You said you flew back to Paris for motor repair. Were you also able to fly with all the batteries or did you leave them in Kathmandu?

 

[steve mercier]

Looking at your animation it shows a really large coverage of India. That alone is incredible! May I ask which languages you can speak and how you generally communicate with people if you cannot speak their language? Also have you had no problems with your Nuvinci hub yet?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

An impressive feat @Marcparis! Congratulations!

 

[Norm Harrris]

Any problems with safety/Security ?

 

[Marcparis]

Marci jo:
I left the batteries at the hotel as it is not possible to carry them on an airplane.

Steve Mercier:
No problem at all with the Nuvinci the entire journey.
The language is an issue as my journey takes me to very remote places most of the time.
The language issue has been a problem since I left Europe. The 3 languages I know are not spoken in the remote areas I have been too.
Ordering a tea in a small roadside cafe isn't a problem. India is actually not so bad as most educated Indians know at least a little bit of English. In Central Asia, Iran, Caucasus very few people know English.

Norm Harris:
Regarding Security, I haven't encountered any hostile behavior and haven't had anything stolen. People are often curious and happy to meet a foreigner. In Western China and Pakistan, I had the police escorting me sometimes.
Regarding safety, my main concern is the road traffic. There is not really any rules on the roads in these countries and anything goes. India was a challenge but although my Supercharger can ride to 45 km per hour, for security reasons, I usually don't ride faster than 30 km per hour and even less in cities.

 

[Asher]

Very cool trip!

Does anyone know what this would cost if it weren't under warranty, to replace the motor? I'm trying to get a sense of e-bike costs per mile. $500-1,000? Presumably the vast majority of Bosch motor failures will be out of the two year warranty.