Testing the Riese & Müller Charger4: An SUV e-bike based on the BMW GS Adventure

contents

1. Drinking bottles instead of boxer engines

2. Exciting concept: belt drive plus infinitely variable hub gears

3. Flawless processing and high-tech cockpit

4. We do a big lap: on a test drive with the Charger4

5. The Bosch motor is powerful but sounds like an RC car

6. We also noticed that

7. Conclusion

With the Charger4, the German manufacturer Riese&Müller doesn’t do things by halves. The e-bike appears to have been milled from solid. Our test bike weighed around 28 kilograms. As the Charger4 GT vario, it comes to us with particularly fine equipment at a premium price, so it stands out from the rest of the pedelec mishmash like the BMW GS Adventure with its boxer engine. The highlights:

• Infinitely variable hub gear Envilo 380
• Bosch PowerTube battery with 750 watt hours
• Bosch Performance Line CX motor
• Bosch Kiox 300 display with LED remote control
• RX chip for digital services
• Gates belt drive
• Suspension seat post Cane Creek New Thudbuster ST
• Front light with high beam Supernova mini 2 Pro
• Price of the test bike: 5,749 euros
• Price Charger4 touring (basic equipment): 5,099 euros

What works for cars can be successfully transferred to two-wheelers. SUV bikes are in trend this year, as Stiftung Warentest knows. Among the e-bike innovations of the year there are a striking number of adventurers who spice up the long range, high level of comfort and high stability with a touch of off-road.

This principle has worked in the motorcycle world for a long time, just take a look at BMW. In the worldwide sales charts, the Munich-based company has a subscription to the top spot with their adventure bike GS Adventure. Customers drive the machines through sand and mud, but also to work and – if you believe the SUV advertising cliché – right up to the opera.

Drinking bottles instead of boxer engines

The Charger4 is available in the four different expansion stages “touring”, “vario”, “GT touring” and GT vario”, each of which offers space for an individual configuration. You can find the exact technical data of our test bike here at Riese & Müller For example, those who choose the GX option get grippy all-terrain tires, and there are plenty of factory accessories to choose from, such as a massive front rack or bags.

The e-bike is delivered by a forwarding agent on a pallet. Advantage: The e-bike is fully assembled, you practically no longer have to do it yourself. We know that differently. The e-bike from Riese & Müller has two drinking bottles on the left and right of the head tube that have the far-reaching boxer motor on the BMW GS Adventure. Representing the Charger4, they seem to be shouting out into the world: drive! Me! Longing!

This is matched by the Bosch battery with a capacity of 750 watt hours. In the test it was good for day-long routes. The manufacturer promises up to 100 kilometers and more. That seems realistic to us, although we have to do without exact, “experienced” range information due to the short test period of 1.5 weeks.

Exciting concept: belt drive plus infinitely variable hub gears

We are belt drive fans. The American manufacturer Gates dominates the chain alternative market, so our test bike also features a practically maintenance-free rubber belt from this company. It never needs oiling! This means that you don’t get your hands or pant legs dirty when maneuvering the pedelec.

Belts and classic derailleur gears are mutually exclusive. That’s why the tested e-bike has a rear wheel hub gear from Envilo with a gear ratio of 380 percent. Like the Gates belt, it is maintenance-free.

But even better: A planetary gear allows stepless shifting with a twist grip on the handlebars. This works very well in practice, even when stationary, which makes it easier to start off on a hill. We can only imagine that turning the handle will sometimes be a little difficult in the freezing cold and with icy fingers.

As an alternative to the Envilo circuit, Riese&Müller offers numerous options. You can order the Charger4 with “normal shifting”. Then you change eleven gears with Shimano derailleur gears. Proven – and an opportunity to reduce the high purchase price of our test bike a little.

Flawless processing and high-tech cockpit

With the massive side stand folded out, we walk around the Charger4, which is painted matt black. As one is used to from the premium manufacturer Riese and Müller, the eye hardly discovers any discrepancies. The trains are neatly routed inside the frame, the welds are exemplary. Wherever we reach, shake it or run our hands over it – there is nothing to complain about in terms of workmanship.

In addition to the aforementioned rotary shifter, the modern cockpit is a positive feature. The Kiox 300 display from Bosch, which is perfectly integrated into the handlebars, is almost as successful as the digital dashboard of the BMW GS Adventure. Just like with the motorcycle, you can control the display using a remote control built into the left hand.

Use a rocker switch to scroll through displays for speed, kilometers traveled, assist level, calories burned and more. The remote control itself visualizes the level of support using different colors. Everything has been successfully done here so that you can keep your hands on the handlebars while driving and still have all settings within reach – exemplary!

If you want, you can also connect your smartphone to the Bosch system via Bluetooth and use other features – new functions will be introduced over-the-air over time. The navigation and route planning is realized in this way. In addition, it is possible to unlock the e-bike with a nearby cell phone and to log the routes traveled. The display was easy to read in the test, even in direct sunlight – in contrast to some competing models.

We do a big lap: on a test drive with the Charger4

The right ergonomics are quickly found thanks to the quickly adjustable seat post (even with suspension) and the angle-adjustable stem. We immediately feel comfortable on the Riese&Müller Charger4, subjectively we even have the feeling of floating above things like in an SUV.

The first few meters lead us along a gravel path to an unpaved country road with lots of potholes. Perfectly suited to attest the seat post a noticeable spring effect. In conjunction with the Suntour suspension fork, it keeps the worst spikes away from your spine and shoulders.

Riese&Müller Charger4 – Pictures from everyday testing

The mighty Schwalbe tires also leave an impression. Looking over the handlebars, they are more reminiscent of a moped or scooter than an e-bike. At best, the Super73 ZX that we tested can keep up. In the split and on muddy dirt roads, however, the tires quickly lack grip. Those concerned about this should consider the GX option for a coarser profile.

The Bosch motor is powerful but sounds like an RC car

Bosch understands the e-bike drive trade, which is again underlined by the trips with the Charger4. Extremely harmonious and very natural thanks to the torque sensor, the Bosch Performance Line CX motor in the middle pushes the rider and bike forward. The 85 Newton meters of torque never leave any doubt as to whether the mountain is feasible or not.

We noticed the operating noise negatively. Under load, in turbo mode, the Bosch motor sounds like a remote-controlled car. It buzzes brightly and clearly. This bothers us especially when driving through nature. In traffic, on the other hand, or with a lower load, the noise is usually lost.

And something else doesn’t want to go with the expensive e-bike from Riese & Müller. It’s not just the engine that makes a noise, it also groans in the woodwork! We weren’t able to fully pinpoint the cause during the testing period, but the Charger4 creaks when maneuvering slowly, as if there was play somewhere where none was intended. This does not have the slightest influence on driving behavior, but noise-sensitive people could be bothered by it. It bothers us.

The criticism evaporates in the wind when we chase the e-bike down steep mountains, the speed on the integrated display first hits 30 and then 40 km/h. Stoically like a motorcycle that has turned out to be too thin, we let ourselves roll out with the certainty that we have everything under control at all times. The Charger4 could easily master the power and speed of an S-Pedelec. Apropos: A pull on the smooth-running brake levers and the hydraulic disc brakes (fine Magura MT4/MT5) slow you down vehemently.

We also noticed that

• The sturdy luggage rack allows a load of 2.5 kilograms and thus also the safe installation of a child seat or panniers for the long journey.
• The bright light illuminates night streets well. A high beam can be switched on with a toggle switch on the handlebar.
• The frame is available in heights of 46, 49, 53 and 56 centimeters and in two colours.
• An RX chip for digital services is available at an additional cost.

Riese&Muller Charger4

editorial rating 8.4 reader ratings

184 reviews

design and processing

8.0

equipment and components

9.0

Riese&Müller Charger4: The best alternatives

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