X Games to ban E-bikes

Whether it’s good or bad 90% of the money for rider salaries and event money come from the factories and stark isn’t paying to play 

I was wondering if FMX guys are paid by manufacturers at all.  I haven't really watched FMX since the Deegan days, but I always thought most of those guys were not 'sponsored' by brands which would make it a whole lot easier to switch.  I guess if I was/am correct there, all riders could be on electric bikes if they really wanted to.  I have no idea, I am guessing, but it is not like they are factory riders outside of Hodges...  I guess that goes back to another point someone else made in this thread, Monster may be pushing some weight around here.  🤔

IMO FMX is way too niche to have 'classes' for electric and ICE, that would make for a clunky show.  

Mesquite 500? It was weird watching them go with not being able to hear any throttle input LOL and I'm sure they had to charge each lap it was deep out in the back!

Pat Evans (and I think Colby Raha as well) are Stark official riders, as in paid by the manufacturer. Evans was quite straightforward in one of his vlog telling that he took a chance when Stark made him an offer and I think he put in a lot of work and it turned out real good for him with Xgames gold. Which is precisely why they are banned this year, being THAT good is not allowed Mr Evans.

Like any other manufacturer, I don't think Stark has any problem paying their official riders in SX, AX, MX, enduro, FMX... and they've obviously sponsored the AMA Arenacross series this year.

I didn't even know there was a rule book for freestyle. 

Ah, X Games, well known for stifling progression in action sports.

Didn’t Axel Hodges dad have a lot to say at x games last year? Can’t remember details but he told someone that they won because they were riding a stark.

I find it pretty funny that the freedom/live and let live crowd are the same ones distraught on how necessary rules and regulations are surrounding electric bikes that they also ultimately hate cuz it’s so “gay” and sensitive and “green”.  Both sides of the horseshoe on this e-bike thing.

“The fundamentalist hates progress.  He cannot find his place in the future so he retreats to the past.”

I do find it funny that the "keep it core, bro" freestyle crowd is always involved in some controversy or drama. 

You appear to be the most hurt. It's not like those guys got banned from competing. Furthermore, I wouldn't say that bigger whips is a "new dimension".

While they are at it, are they going to start making classes for 4 stroke and 2 strokes?  They both have reasons one is better than the other for certain things. Electric is similar with pros and cons. Seems crazy to outlaw them when they could help elevate the sport.  

And as far as electrics go, its a great place to showcase them. One of the few Pro level areas that battery range is not any concern at all . Hopefully Kawasaki comes out with a full sized electric soon  and perhaps the rules will change back.  

 Its not like  some unknown guys showed up on electrics just decimated those other guys. It was guys that are already winning, that won on them. Perhaps on the whips it made a bigger impact, but Raha would have gone just as high on his gas bike.  It was still relatively close. I bet that there's a bigger advantage running a 450 over a 2 stroke 250 on the quarter pipe than an electric over a 450.   

Yeah, kind of a bit of irony here don't you think??? X Games...banning e-bikes and keeping the "status quo" is really pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Well played...very well played.  

I'm betting some sugary water forced the organizers to choose between their involvement or premiere level competition. Sucks for everyone.

Guess the non electric makers ganged up and got Stark kicked out.

Well, I won't be watching X-games.

E bikes are deemed too extreme for the X games.

The X stands for "maintaining a level playing field", marketing gold.

There isn't, they just listen to bitching (like the AMA does).

Are E-Bikes even going to survive without U.S. taxpayer subsidies & outright grants? 

Those just got cut off permanently 

X games is irrelevant. It's a show not a sport.
Remember the step up final where they ran out of time and didn't let a rider match attempt for the win? Ridiculous. 

I liked x games in 01 when Metzger did 2 backflips in a row. Since then I could care less. But I will say not allowing starks is  bullshit. And any motocross Organization with the possible exception of mxgp and the US nationals not allowing starks is bullshit as well. 

Did you watch it before this news came out? Over the last decade or so it's really minimized itself and other than some highlights I never see anything about it. 

Funny thing is I only watched the best whip this year due to Evans on the Stark.. And the only reason I knew it was on was due to my YouTube Algorithm working out I might be interested due to me always clicking on an Evans whip video.. I actually ended up watching the BMX events and Halfpipe as well, so I guess what I'm saying is without the electric bikes I wouldn't watch any X games.

Good call dickheads  

x games going feld

😆

I don't think that the Varg was qualified for any of the federal stuff. Last I looked there were only incentives for street legal motorcycles, and off road vehicles 6 KW battery and bigger, with 3 wheels or more. that was caped at $2500 max. And was a 10%

 Zero motorcycles used to have a filter on their site that would show any bikes that would qualify for tax or other incentives . And it was only a small number of the bikes they sold. Non that were dedicated off road. 

 Try riding a Varg and You will see why they are selling. 

I have some customers who bought Sur-ron's and ride them more often than their full sized gas bikes because they cane ride their private track and not have pissed off neighbor's calling the cops all the time. 

Yeah, it's a bit like hiding a thread's title due to down votes.

🤣

There’s an easy solution for this - don’t watch the XGames.

I wonder how many people ended up seeing the X-games highlight videos because of the Vargs that were being ridden in them?    I like seeing the quarter pipe and whip parts of X games. And Raha being on a Varg was the main reason I knew when they were happening. After he made the video saying that he had been trying the Varg out for almost a year prior to deciding to ride one as his main bike , I was interested in seeing  how it worked for whips and quarter pipe stuff. 

 If nobody was complaining about the Vargs, I doubt X-games would eliminate the extra exposer they were getting for free from allowing them. I wonder if somebody was so upset about them being allowed that they were not going to ride in the event, or if  a sponsor of a rider, or what really made them make the decision.  

 They let Pastrana ride that homemade bike that snapped in half when he was trying to do bar spin tricks. While I do think the Varg may offer some advantages, Its not a big enough one that its going to take a rider that was not a contender and make them into one. 

 Or was the Varg so good, that X-games was worried that all the riders would all go to Varg's and  some sponors would leave X-games?    

It shouldn't be banned, but it should be a different classification, and not compete against the gas powered bikes. 

Why?

Until this move, there have been no bike classifications or equipment standards at all in X-Games, ever. Now they need entire class structures, multiple events just because some dudes did better tricks than Monster athletes?

The weird thing is back when Levi Sherwood and Tom Pages were running fully customer built bikes it wasn't an issue. Go google Pages' or Sherwood's old comp bikes they are insane.

Sorry I didn't answer this earlier.  I just think the disparity between the two platforms calls for different classes. 

The quick immediate power going up ramps, lack of clutch and gears, in sone cases lighter weight, seems to be a huge advantage.