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Lehi, UT
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Titan1
9/28/2021 3:34pm
9/28/2021 3:34pm
I just picked up a Husky EE-5 for my son last night...he also has a KTM50sx...I didn't have time to run him to the desert today...but there is a field around the corner from my house...right next to a park and then some houses.
He could never REALLY ride the KTM there...its way too loud...but he was riding that e-bike there for about an hour. Nobody cared.
And, to my point about growing the sport...his two best friends (who don't ride, and have never ridden) were there with him...they started out on gear (level?) 1...and within the hour of them taking turns were ripping around that lot on gear 3 & 4...having a blast...They've never even asked to ride the KTM (they've tagged a long to a couple races with my son, and I let him rip it around that lot in VERY short bursts, so they've had opportunity to ask and never did), it was to loud, to hard to ride, to intimidating...but they are both going home to beg their parents for a dirt bike now, because that e-bike looks cool, is fast, and it was so much fun.
When my son rode it for the first time he came back in with a HUGE grin on his face..."this is SO fast...and so much fun!"
And for a parent who is a first time dirt bike owner...NO MAINTENANCE! No air filters, no oil changes, no top ends, no clutches, no jetting, no bottom ends, no radiators...I think sometimes we under estimate how much of an obstacle maintenance is to those new to the sport....
Yes, this is a "one data point" experience, so take it with a grain of salt...and price point will be an obstacle ($5300 MSRP plus dealer fees, tax and license is A LOT)...and the range is pretty limited...they drained the battery in about an hour and now its parked in the garage charging (when we would have just put more fuel in the KTM)....but...as the tech comes around...e-bikes could bring back neighborhood moto like when I was a kid....
As a former electric skeptic...I've owned my families first electric bike for less than 24 hours, and I think I've seen the light!
He could never REALLY ride the KTM there...its way too loud...but he was riding that e-bike there for about an hour. Nobody cared.
And, to my point about growing the sport...his two best friends (who don't ride, and have never ridden) were there with him...they started out on gear (level?) 1...and within the hour of them taking turns were ripping around that lot on gear 3 & 4...having a blast...They've never even asked to ride the KTM (they've tagged a long to a couple races with my son, and I let him rip it around that lot in VERY short bursts, so they've had opportunity to ask and never did), it was to loud, to hard to ride, to intimidating...but they are both going home to beg their parents for a dirt bike now, because that e-bike looks cool, is fast, and it was so much fun.
When my son rode it for the first time he came back in with a HUGE grin on his face..."this is SO fast...and so much fun!"
And for a parent who is a first time dirt bike owner...NO MAINTENANCE! No air filters, no oil changes, no top ends, no clutches, no jetting, no bottom ends, no radiators...I think sometimes we under estimate how much of an obstacle maintenance is to those new to the sport....
Yes, this is a "one data point" experience, so take it with a grain of salt...and price point will be an obstacle ($5300 MSRP plus dealer fees, tax and license is A LOT)...and the range is pretty limited...they drained the battery in about an hour and now its parked in the garage charging (when we would have just put more fuel in the KTM)....but...as the tech comes around...e-bikes could bring back neighborhood moto like when I was a kid....
As a former electric skeptic...I've owned my families first electric bike for less than 24 hours, and I think I've seen the light!
I can't wait for a full-size eMX bike. I should have bought an Alta.
I also think it’s a huge obstacle for a lot of parents when they even think about buying a bike for their son….
But to each their own…someone has to keep service shops in business, may as we’ll be me. Lol.
The Shop
In the pioneer days of motocross, riders took street bikes and turned them into race bikes. This almost feels like things coming full circle.
It will definitely be strange, but I've already survived the transition from two strokes to four, so at least with this one the maintenance situation looks a hell of a lot better!
Eg, better for the environment...lol like petrol dirt bikes have that much of an impact on pollution.
I can 100% see some benefits though...mainly maintenance but I'm sure the manufacturers will find some way for us to empty our wallets (probably planned obsolescence in some form or another).
And of course reduced noise will help with the complaints from neighbors...but there will be always something for neighbors and authorities to jump up and down over. The big one being erosion/waterways or dust etc.
Any bets over here is Australia they'll kick up a stink over erosion and the rangers can no longer catch riders registered or not because the bikes are silent.
As for growing the sport...maybe, possibly. Cant hurt to bring out some models from the big 4 and see how they go for a few years in a separate category. I dont think the baby should be thrown out with the bath water though like the transition from 2 to 4 strokes. Give em a separate category and see if the main competition migrates over by themselves rather than some rule forcing teams into a category.
I do think they will be less interesting for a crowd to watch though purely for the shock and awe sound factor that an audience enjoys.
2c
If all I had to do was plug it in, hop on, and ride, you can bet I would've spun a moto after work today.
Think of it this way…..In all reality, the gas mini would have never even left the garage in that setting, like you said due to the noise and being in town.
So you aren’t “down and out” waiting for the next charge, you are +1 hour of riding time that was never even a possibility with the gas mini. You do that a few times a week, that turns into what 8 to 10 hours EXTRA riding time per month. That’s awesome.
We need the opportunity for kids to jump on the bike after school and go ride in the empty field down the road without disturbing the piece.
Getting kids hooked on motorcycles is about building up that sense of freedom and experience which grows the sport.
Pit Row
So many tracks here, legitimately owned and run tracks on private property, are still limited to a handful of race days and no practice days per year here due to boring assholes with no life sat at home whining about some noise at the weekend.
I guess it'd help a lot with the kids who are initially scared of the noise and powerband of 'real engines' too, though that's a tiny piece of it.
Either way, I also have a lot of love for working on bikes, as long as I still find time to ride them, and any pollution or anything from some dirtbikes is miniscule compared to industry / international travel / daily vehicles so I hope the 'proper' bikes still get to stretch their legs for a long time yet.
Post a reply to: I'm kinda thinking e-bikes could really help "grow the sport"...