Great story. Nick who is now 65 has circumnavigated the world 11 times on bikes & motorbikes, has just arrived back having done it again on a Yamaha Wabash RT ebike. If that’s not inspirational for e bike riders I don’t know what is!! Amazing. No stopping this man.
Nick Sanders completes first ebike round the world trip on a Yamaha.
- Thread starter Rás Cnoic
- Start date
Here's the video diaries of the trip. Sponsored by Yamaha these were produced while Nick was on the bike so aren't in depth, just short glimpses of the extraordinary trip.
www.youtube.com
The North American leg or final Europe leg not up yet.
And here's an earlier trip, from the North of Norway down to Spain, testing out the Wabash I guess! He talks about carrying 2 batteries on this trip. I really hope once he has recovered we get a proper tech video on how he managed battery use, re charging etc and more about how the bike performed on the really tough legs.
Nick Sanders - eBike World Tour
The first eBike world trip: an amazing journey around the with Nick Sanders and the Yamaha Wabash RT
www.youtube.com
The North American leg or final Europe leg not up yet.
And here's an earlier trip, from the North of Norway down to Spain, testing out the Wabash I guess! He talks about carrying 2 batteries on this trip. I really hope once he has recovered we get a proper tech video on how he managed battery use, re charging etc and more about how the bike performed on the really tough legs.
Here’s the final leg USA and Europe ending back in Amsterdam. Again these seem to be just short & simple glimpses of the trip. I really hope Nick is planning longer in-depth videos of this amazing and inspiring journey. I’m 54 and the fact he cycled around the world at 65 is fantastic. Shows what’s possible. Now off I go to cycle to the local shop. Up the hill 500 yards away 
jabberwocky
Well-Known Member
Cool videos. I'd be interested in the details of his logistics. I'm assuming he has multiple batteries that he juggles to cover that kind of distance in a reasonable timeframe, though hes obviously very fit so may not need tons of assist.
What I’ve pieced together is it seems to be a bit of both. I was wondering how he crossed deserts for instance then I found a clip where he was in Athens delayed because of the violence in Israel and so making alternate arrangements. He mentions that 2 more batteries were being sent out to him but that he reckoned cycling through The Empty Quarter in Saudi he’d have to ride unassisted and seemed resigned to that but was hoping he got the usual tailwinds. That also showed his vast experience in having done all this several times before- he knew what lay ahead and was mentally prepared.
But that was just one off the cuff remark. Be great to see a full logistics video.
jabberwocky
Well-Known Member
Road.cc had an article on the conclusion of his trip as well, with a link to an article of theirs from before he started. It says he carried one spare battery and planned on ~100 miles per day. I'd still love to know the details of how he handled charging and such (did he charge every day, every other day, how often was he riding with the motor shut down, what assist did he usually run, etc). Some pics have him camping but the article notes he travels light and doesn't list camping gear, so maybe he camped sometimes and stayed in motels and such other times?
Super cool though, and its neat that Yamaha supported him. Some people have been dismissive of their ebike efforts but from what I see, the company is enthusiastically supportive of ebikes and their model line. 20,000 miles is a hell of a trip for an ebike!
Super cool though, and its neat that Yamaha supported him. Some people have been dismissive of their ebike efforts but from what I see, the company is enthusiastically supportive of ebikes and their model line. 20,000 miles is a hell of a trip for an ebike!
Ah so maybe he started with just 2 batteries and then by the time he reached Athens, about to the Middle East he got more batteries sent out to help with longer gaps between hotels etc in remote desert conditions. But it raises more questions too like how many plug adapters did he need for different countries?! I suppose buying an adapter when arriving in somewhere like India isn’t such a big deal.
I know he’s sponsored by Yamaha (and previously crossed the world on Yamaha motorbikes) and so as an old hand he’s very good at raving about the Wabash. But those shots of the bike covered in stickers and with torn handlebar tape and scratches looked very cool almost Mad Max like. That bike really shows the 20k mileage!
jabberwocky
Well-Known Member
I would also love to know how many components were replaced over the entire ride, but I suspect as a sponsored rider Yamaha would probably prefer he not talk about failures. Not that parts breaking or wearing out would be at all unusual on a loaded bike over 20,000 miles! I'm mainly curious if the motor he started with lasted the entire trip, because that would be rather impressive.
I remember watching videos of Nick motorbiking around the world way back in the day, I had no idea he also cycled it! What an inspirational guy, I will just add I'm not going to try it on my Giant...
How many miles do you have on that thing? You must have one of the higher mileage Road E+s around.
RabH
Well-Known Member
Approaching 33000 miles, I can safely say I've had my moneys worth!
You’ve probably circumnavigated the world several times by now Rab!! Plus it’s the same motor or similar no? He said in one of the clips he first cycled around the world in 1981 and again in 1987 then several times on motorbikes. 11 in total. It’s really extraordinary. What a life.I remember watching videos of Nick motorbiking around the world way back in the day, I had no idea he also cycled it! What an inspirational guy, I will just add I'm not going to try it on my Giant...
RabH
Well-Known Member
Yamaha Syncdrive Pro, possibly the same as Nick's!
Here’s his Wikipedia page. This is trip is just the tip of the iceberg!
en.m.wikipedia.org
Nick Sanders - Wikipedia
RabH
Well-Known Member
Born in the same year as me, then the comparisons end...Here’s his Wikipedia page. This is trip is just the tip of the iceberg!
Nick Sanders - Wikipedia
jabberwocky
Well-Known Member
Approaching 33000 miles, I can safely say I've had my moneys worth!
Holy crap! Have you had to service or replace the motor or has it managed that distance without?
Yeah, you got your moneys worth.
Exactly. Me too. Be great to find out about the motor at least. Though Yamaha do have a good reputation for reliability. On the EMTB channel when they visited the U.K. motor repair centre I think they mentioned Yamaha motors as being easy to repair.
RabH
Well-Known Member
I had 2 motor bearings replaced at 14000 miles which I put down to riding in winter conditions at the time, the motor has been really smooth ever since so fingers crossed it will be good for many more miles!Holy crap! Have you had to service or replace the motor or has it managed that distance without?
Yeah, you got your moneys worth.
jabberwocky
Well-Known Member
Man. Thats actually pretty impressive.
Neverlost
Member
- Region
- USA
Recently, they said they’ve never had one quit on them. I just bought a Yamaha and I thought the experience at the dealer was terrific and they threw a free battery.
