In the meantime I found a better solution! The new Version will be built right now. This time it's a recumbent-pedelec-trike with a Trailer. On the Trailer are the solarpanels, the batteries and the most of the luggage. The whole Thing will be lighter and lower. I also found some really good solar Panels which are very light and give enough power. By chanceI met a guy who produce this Panels on a Nudist campground!!! Isn't that great?For more Information type: Solartrike (but write Sola, instead of Solar!) into your Browser.
Very cool!
A new update: During summer 2014 the new vehicle was built for the first test run. It wasn't built completly but I could test it for a week and traveled a Loop of about 500km. This new Thing is better to drive than the first one and the solar Panels worked even in cloudy weather. I was amazed that I didn't had to load the batteries on the socket for the whole trip. I was always driving with the solar energy.The test run was in October 2014 and during this winter the vehicle will get a second Motor for the steep hills and some other Details. In about one month (end of April 2015) I will travel to the Czech Republic, where the vehicle is built and will see how it is when all the luggage is loaded. If everything works I will restart my world tour from there. I have in mind to make a big Loop around Poland and Eastern Germany back to the Czech Republic. In case we have to solve some Problems I drive by the manufacturers and then head off to eastern Europe. That's the plan, but how it will be could be a totally other Story...
In the meantime I started my new Project and am on the way! I cycled already 600 km with the new trike. This one is really better than the first one. I can cycle the whole day and the battery will not be empty. But even though, I still got too much of luggage. I have to think it over and probably I must send my beloved guitar home.If you want to be updated go to my Homepage: (www dot d minus t minus b dot ch)
Thanks CherBear for your nice words. I just came back to check the activity of this groupe and discovered that it is alreadytwo month ago since my last update.So my newest update is that all the bugs could be solved as I returned to the Czech Republic. I continued traveling and crossed Slovakia and Hungary. At the moment I am in Romania and try to reach Greece before my butt will freeze to the ground.
Update March 2016. The way led me from Romania trough Bulgaria and I entered Greece from the north. Then I cycled all the way down to Athens. Afterwards I went to Crete for some days and a short sidetrip to Santorini (without the Trike). The ferrys took me over the agean see and now I am cycling through Turkey. I will reach 9000km in the next time. Now I stay some days in Antalya to make some maintenance on the trike. Well it was used and some parts have to be replaced. But otherwise it is running still and I will continue as long as I can and as far as I can. I will keep you updated on my project.
Update July 2016:
I crossed Turkey, went through Georgia and now Azerbaijan. Tomorrow I will enter Iran. At the moment I reached 12'700km and hope many kilometers will come. There is enough sun to charge the batteries, but unfortunately I cannot ride it naked ;-)
The next route will be through the north of Iran, crossing Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kygristan to China.
Update December 2016: I crossed Iran from Azerbaijan until Mashhad. Then I didn't got the Turkmen Visa, so I had to fly to Uzbekistan and leave the trailer behind. The Trike was flown in by AirCargo and I had to build a new Trailer, but with the same Solar panels on it. I then continued from Tashkent to Kazakhstan and further on to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. At that time I drove 15'140km. As it got winter and everything was covered in ice and snow, there was no chance to go on further. So I take a winter brake at home and will continue in Spring 2017 in direction China - I hope! Wish me luck!
Update: April 2017: Now the winterbrake comes to an end and I will go back to my trike in Kyrgyzstan. Then I will cycle via Kazakhstan to China, South Corea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. That's my plans for now - I'll see where I'll traveling in real.