supercharger GT Touring or Charger GX Touring

[dadanka]

Hello from Italy dear friends! It's my first post here and I would like you help me in choosing between these two bikes.

It will be my first and only ebike at this moment. I am not a sporty guy, I'm 48 yo, light weight: 65 kg, 1,80m tall. I live at Lake Maggiore with a lot of wonderful trails and mountains. I want to start training because i would like to travel with my bike all europe next year or maybe 2020.

Size (49), motor, brakes, suspensions are same on both models.

Supercharger comes yet with 2 batteries not same for Charger GX (just one). I think I will need 2nd battery just in a year or two, not now, but maybe it is better to start using them at same time because of durability? Only 600 EUR price difference between these two bikes push me to choose Supercharger, especially if i think that a 2nd battery for GX is 700 eur + install cost, so Charger GX 2017 would become more expensive than Supercharger GT 2018 if i will add a 2nd battery.

I tested on road only supercharger and logic tells me to choose this one but...

If we are talking about esthetic i really prefer charger GX, supercharger is too modern for me and I don't like blue color. I prefer GX colour (black matte or curry), i also like more GX tires, grips and front carrier. Charger GX Touring is lighter: weight is 23,6 kg vs Supercharger Gt Touring's weight is 26,2 Kg

Resume:

Supercharger GT Touring
Price: 4500 EUR (it was 5302 EUR, discount more than 15%)
PRO
·2 Batteries
·New batteries model
·Closer Store: 15 km from home
·Available in shop
CONS
·Weight 26,2 kg (m. 49 w/o locker)
·Road tires
·Grips are better on GX
·NO front carrier
-Test Bike

Charger GX Touring
Price: 3900 EUR (it was 4389 EUR)
PRO
·I like it more
·Weight 23,6 Kg (m. 49 w/o locker), about 3 kg less than SC
·Off road tires
·Ergonomic grip
·Front carrier
·Bike is New (not test)
-Available in 5 days
CONS
·1 Battery only or order it for 700 (900) EUR more
·Old battery model
·Farest store: 100 km (but bigger and more important, maybe northern italy's most important for R&M)
·Brook B17 Saddle is really beautiful but seems doesn't like rain and i'm just 143,5 lb (65 Kg) so i read it needs a lot to get be used if you are light-weight

Thanks for your help and sorry for my english

 

[dadanka]

I hoped in more partecipation to this thread but no answers or suggestions at all...i thought was the right place...

now i had to choose...and considering that seller told me that charger GX is not naturally predisposed to 2nd battery (some works and holes have to be done) i will choose supercharger...

 

[tompat]

You say the Off-road tires are a "pro"? Why, if you are going to travel mostly on roads?
You can order the Charger GX with dual batteries, it is no problem.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

It seemed right from the start that you were leaning toward the Supercharger, other than maybe the color and a few other small things. Makes more sense to me, especially given at your nearby shop actually has them. The new batteries make a lot of sense, and two of them right from the start are going to be necessary for the Touring you plan on doing. Or me, the bike looks far sleeker and somewhat less obvious with the batteries in the tubes. Money is close enough... Supercharger.

 

[dadanka]

You say the Off-road tires are a "pro"? Why, if you are going to travel mostly on roads?
You can order the Charger GX with dual batteries, it is no problem.

Hi tompat and thanks for replying!
Yes i prefer tires that let me go also on mountain trails, here thera are a lot of wonderful mountain places to discover. If I'll buy the supercharger I will change tires and . In a year or two when I'll begin my european tour I will change them again to something more 'roadie'.
Seller who has this Charger GX told me that this bike is not born for 2nd battery and he need to work on GX to make it compatible with 2nd battery. He said this like not all Charger born with this compatibilty, and yes it sounds weird also to me. Maybe some important seller, like @Chris Nolte can explain better this...
I'd like also know, after adding a 2nd battery to charger, if they will discharge at same time when using them, like new models do...and if it possible to order and mount front carrier also on a Supercharer GT Touring...

It seemed right from the start that you were leaning toward the Supercharger, other than maybe the color and a few other small things. Makes more sense to me, especially given at your nearby shop actually has them. The new batteries make a lot of sense, and two of them right from the start are going to be necessary for the Touring you plan on doing. Or me, the bike looks far sleeker and somewhat less obvious with the batteries in the tubes. Money is close enough... Supercharger.

Hi Dave! Thanks for your reply! I appreciate your opinion, what you say is logic! I think I'm going to choose supercharger, like you say... still have some doubt just because supercharger (seems sleeker) but it has a motorbike shape than a bike's one.... and it's weight is 3 kg more...

 

[tompat]

Seller who has this Charger GX told me that this bike is not born for 2nd battery and he need to work on GX to make it compatible with 2nd battery. He said this like not all Charger born with this compatibilty, and yes it sounds weird also to me. Maybe some important seller, like @Chris Nolte can explain better this...
I'd like also know, after adding a 2nd battery to charger, if they will discharge at same time when using them, like new models do...and if it possible to order and mount front carrier also on a Supercharer GT Touring...

You need to buy the Charger GX with 2 batteries from the beginning. It is not possible to add it later according to Riese & Müller.
If you have a bike with 2 batteries, the bike will switch between the batteries for every 5% consumed.

 

[webcurl]

Hello from Italy dear friends! It's my first post here and I would like you help me in choosing between these two bikes.

It will be my first and only ebike at this moment. I am not a sporty guy, I'm 48 yo, light weight: 65 kg, 1,80m tall. I live at Lake Maggiore with a lot of wonderful trails and mountains. I want to start training because i would like to travel with my bike all europe next year or maybe 2020.

Size (49), motor, brakes, suspensions are same on both models.

Supercharger comes yet with 2 batteries not same for Charger GX (just one). I think I will need 2nd battery just in a year or two, not now, but maybe it is better to start using them at same time because of durability? Only 600 EUR price difference between these two bikes push me to choose Supercharger, especially if i think that a 2nd battery for GX is 700 eur + install cost, so Charger GX 2017 would become more expensive than Supercharger GT 2018 if i will add a 2nd battery.

I tested on road only supercharger and logic tells me to choose this one but...

If we are talking about esthetic i really prefer charger GX, supercharger is too modern for me and I don't like blue color. I prefer GX colour (black matte or curry), i also like more GX tires, grips and front carrier. Charger GX Touring is lighter: weight is 23,6 kg vs Supercharger Gt Touring's weight is 26,2 Kg

Resume:

Supercharger GT Touring
Price: 4500 EUR (it was 5302 EUR, discount more than 15%)
PRO
·2 Batteries
·New batteries model
·Closer Store: 15 km from home
·Available in shop
CONS
·Weight 26,2 kg (m. 49 w/o locker)
·Road tires
·Grips are better on GX
·NO front carrier
-Test Bike

Charger GX Touring
Price: 3900 EUR (it was 4389 EUR)
PRO
·I like it more
·Weight 23,6 Kg (m. 49 w/o locker), about 3 kg less than SC
·Off road tires
·Ergonomic grip
·Front carrier
·Bike is New (not test)
-Available in 5 days
CONS
·1 Battery only or order it for 700 (900) EUR more
·Old battery model
·Farest store: 100 km (but bigger and more important, maybe northern italy's most important for R&M)
·Brook B17 Saddle is really beautiful but seems doesn't like rain and i'm just 143,5 lb (65 Kg) so i read it needs a lot to get be used if you are light-weight

Thanks for your help and sorry for my english

From the R&M website i don't see a GX model in either the old "Charger" or the "New Charger", the only GX i've seen is the Supercharger GX Rohloff which is what i have.
The weight's they specify are for a single battery and in the Supercharger's case you add 2.8kg for the second.
Are you going to want front Panniers? If so, keep in mind the SR Suntour Aion's have zero mounting points.
The Supercharger GX's front rack is rated for only 3kg.
If you're going to be lazy around hills you'll want 2 batteries for a 30kg bike.

 

[dadanka]

From the R&M website i don't see a GX model in either the old "Charger" or the "New Charger", the only GX i've seen is the Supercharger GX Rohloff which is what i have.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
maybe something is changing on RM website, but this is (was) charger GX touring webpage

1st of June I bought the supercharger GT Touring with 2 batteries + front rack + bosch nyon.
I add new garmin varia radar (love it) and two waterproof RED back panniers