Transition from dirt bike (moto) to emtb

[seamarsh]

Just curious if there are any on this forum who have made the switch from dirt bikes to emtb.

I find myself riding dirt bikes less and less between places to ride, time, maintenance etc. I ride my mtb 2-3 times per week though and honestly way more likely to motivate for a mtb ride vs a moto.

Still haven't bought an emtb, i've been waiting for some new models with 2gen Bosch motor to appear before I make commitment.

Anyway, just wondering if others had moved away from moto's and been satisfied with emtbs? Probably a small subset of the user base...

 

[Farmernz]

I ride 4-500 hours a year on rmx450 for work, but love riding the ebike- it’s peaceful and I have to relearn confidence etc, I know my Moto limits but ebike is a new challenge.

 

[seamarsh]

I ride 4-500 hours a year on rmx450 for work, but love riding the ebike- it’s peaceful and I have to relearn confidence etc, I know my Moto limits but ebike is a new challenge.

what kind of work lets you ride an RMX!

 

[Maxb]

I went from Enduro to mtb and now to emtb and regular mtb for similar reasons to you.

I really enjoy the emtb I like the extra weight and the way it handles it can make the flat sections more interesting and tech climbs fun, I still ride my normal bikes as I still enjoy ridding them.

 

[MinusPrevious]

Yeah, former Calif desert rider for many years (all 2 strokes). Last bike was a KTM250EXC

Getting older & a few injuries kinda took the wind out of my sail. Been E-biking now for 3 months & love it.

 

[comtn]

I still own my Ktm 350 but I ride my Levo waaay more often. Not the same adrenaline rush but It can be close if you find some nice trails. Trail access and being able to ride with the wife are the main reasons for the switch. I get enough of a rush to fill the need to dirt bike. E biking has been such a blessing to my wife and I. We’ve ridden high altitude trails we couldn’t dream of doing on a regular bike.

 

[Churchill]

For the last 10 years I've been riding my CRF511 about 50 hours per year and 1500 miles per year on the pedal bike (Santa Cruz Nomad).

Getting a Specialized Kenevo changed my dirt bike hours to 19 this year and pedal bike to 800 miles with about 1300 miles on my Kenevo.

Not going to give up my dirt bike anytime soon since a typical dirt bike ride for me is 12,000 to 25,000 feet of vert, and that is never going to happen on an e-bike.

 

[Farmernz]

what kind of work lets you ride an RMX!

farming!

 

[Pdoz]

We have a birthday ride organised for Saturday, a group who have been riding enduro +/- adv style bikes together for a few decades. They discovered emtb 2/3 years ago and that's what we'll be riding. Most of these guys still have 2/3 motorbikes in their sheds, I'm down to just 1 and the tyres are at risk if perishing....

 

[MitchF]

Lot ex MX / Enduro / HH riders on here, and current.

Me my mate are on the “old” ex category ?

The phrase we always use “ it’s like trail riding without the engine noise ??

You’ll love it ??

 

[The Flying Dutchman]

I used to race motocross and supercross from 1999 till 2010, without tooting my horn too much I must say I was a decent rider, having the opportunity to race internationally.

Switching to an EMTB took some time to get used to. The biggest being that you spend most of the time coasting which is a no-no on the moto. I found myself too far forward on the bike coming out of corners, waiting for the acceleration to shift my weight backward once around the apex....but I was just stuck over the front wheel.

Another thing that trips me up is the staggered footing, the symmetrical foot positioning on the moto makes it easier to balance and jump. I used to do 100ft triples on my CRF without a 2nd thought but I need a few looks at a 20ft gap jump on my EMTB.

Luckily EMTBing is a more relaxing experience and I'm enjoying not being injured all the time

 

[Rusty]

Not eMTB, but when I transitioned to MTB 20 years ago it took a few hard crashes ............ ummm, that was why I transitioned in the first place. Anyways, as I was saying, it took a few hard crashes before my 14 year old brain in a 40 year old body accepted that NO - I can not jump that gap. I survived and now my 16 year old brain in a 61 year old body is having a total blast on a eMTB. Love getting a little air now and again but find blasting around tight and twisty trails is a blast.

 

[seamarsh]

farming!

Damn, it’s like lord of the rings but with sheep!

 

[seamarsh]

I’ll probably keep the moto because resale price is atrocious but definitely looking like emtb is in my future. Just waiting for new cannondales and whyte to come out! I’m in California.

 

[TheBikePilot]

I was torn between an eMTB or a dirt bike about 2 years ago.

Got an eMTB and never looked back. A friend has a very swish Enduro bike in his garage and hasn't had it out since he got his eMTB. I would like to have a go on an Enduro again, but I'll go down to Spain for a few days to do that..

As others have said I think the 'rush' isn't as constant but you can chat with your mates and actually enjoy the countryside. Down a trail, hitting a jump and smashing well I'd say it's almost certainly up there.

The maintenance, faff and land access are far less of a problem. Sure they do go wrong a bit, but you can ride almost anywhere. Almost all the green lanes in the UK are severely limited nowadays.

I'd say it's 80% of the fun for 10% of the faff..

 

[inwoods]

I've been a road rider (supermotos) for the last 10 years, off roading from aged 13 before that, I only rode for leisure and at least once a week until I got the emtb after I got it the motorbike rides dwindled down to about every 3 months until I sold my last motorbike last month, no regrets.

 

[F-GODZ]

until I sold my last motorbike last month, no regrets.

I should probably do that...I've got a Husaberg on 17's slowly rotting away in my garage
Not touched it since mtb'ing, let alone eeb'ing

 

[DrStupid]

I've been riding dirtbikes since 1978 when my dad brought home the gt80 in the trunk of an Oldsmobile Tornado .

As of late, I simply find the ebike more fun. I will buy an electric motorcycle eventually, but I am completely done with petrol I think.
The one thing (for me) missing from emtb riding is accelerating hard out of cake.

 

[Rusty]

I will buy an electric motorcycle eventually, but I am completely done with petrol I think.

I tested a few eMX a while back and was quite impressed. I think the KTM is an awesome piece of kit and a lot of fun but not sure I want a MX bike anymore. Still have that little voice in the back of my mind telling me I am a shit-load faster than those young punks - then I start out-jumping them, banging bars and shit like that ... until I visit my girlfriends in A&E.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

Just curious if there are any on this forum who have made the switch from dirt bikes to emtb.

I find myself riding dirt bikes less and less between places to ride, time, maintenance etc. I ride my mtb 2-3 times per week though and honestly way more likely to motivate for a mtb ride vs a moto.

Still haven't bought an emtb, i've been waiting for some new models with 2gen Bosch motor to appear before I make commitment.

Anyway, just wondering if others had moved away from moto's and been satisfied with emtbs? Probably a small subset of the user base...

yes I have, I mainly rode green lanes and trails, they are closing the trails all the time and the general grief you get from anyone else on the just isnt worth it for me anymore.

I got my ebike today and love it, I plan to ride all the epic rides I used to do on my KTM

 

[The Flying Dutchman]

....don't think anything could top the smell of a compression running a lean mix of 110octane C12 on a winters day

I remember racing indoor Supercross in Canada back in the 2 stroke days - the ventilation poor and the spectators at the back often fainted once the fumes built up. we used go there just for the smell....worth losing a few brain cells in my opinion.

 

[seamarsh]

I tested a few eMX a while back and was quite impressed. I think the KTM is an awesome piece of kit and a lot of fun but not sure I want a MX bike anymore. Still have that little voice in the back of my mind telling me I am a shit-load faster than those young punks - then I start out-jumping them, banging bars and shit like that ... until I visit my girlfriends in A&E.

I was actually looking at getting an Alta a while ago and then they went belly up overnight and completely disappeared. Crazy

Test rode one and it was amazing! But was still very expensive.

 

[Rusty]

I was actually looking at getting an Alta a while ago and then they went belly up overnight and completely disappeared. Crazy

Test rode one and it was amazing! But was still very expensive.

I really enjoyed the tests I did on the Alta. I am expecting that bike to resurface - perhaps under a new name.

 

[Rusty]

....don't think anything could top the smell of a compression running a lean mix of 110octane C12 on a winters day

I remember racing indoor Supercross in Canada back in the 2 stroke days - the ventilation poor and the spectators at the back often fainted once the fumes built up. we used go there just for the smell....worth losing a few brain cells in my opinion.

Yup - Blenzall & race gas ...... mmmmmmmmmmmm

Indoor SX is always a problem.

 

[DrStupid]

I tested a few eMX a while back and was quite impressed. I think the KTM is an awesome piece of kit and a lot of fun but not sure I want a MX bike anymore. Still have that little voice in the back of my mind telling me I am a shit-load faster than those young punks - then I start out-jumping them, banging bars and shit like that ... until I visit my girlfriends in A&E.

I have felt the same way at times, though in my case its completely unjustified. One thing I have discovered that completely carries over from moto is ones general lack of skill and natural un'talent (referring to myself of course).

 

[Marke]

In addition to my emtb I have an electric trials bike - an oset 24r. It's mega, takes riders up to 90kg. I ride inside the garage when it's raining (listening to the radio) , ride almost every day - requires next to no maintenance. Emtb and trials are my joint faves with my ktm relegated to third place.

 

[Pendo]

Bought a Levo and within 3 months sold the dirt bike.
Dirt Bike was usually a full day outing to legal state forest trails, not including a couple of hours the previous day servicing the bike and loading the trailer - and a few more hours later in the week cleaning. Huge time consumer.
Love the freedom of the Levo, quieter (fun to talk rubbish while we ride), lighter, less safety gear to wear and we ride 3-4 times a week locally after work / weekend arvos etc. My wife loves that I'm not away for the day or stuffing around in the garage for hours.
We even take our Levos to the trails we used to ride on the dirt bikes and enjoy them even more. We find new challenges on the old familiar trails and its so easy to transport the bikes.

 

[DrStupid]

In addition to my emtb I have an electric trials bike - an oset 24r. It's mega, takes riders up to 90kg. I ride inside the garage when it's raining (listening to the radio) , ride almost every day - requires next to no maintenance. Emtb and trials are my joint faves with my ktm relegated to third place.

That oset 24 is awesome. With the aftermarket tall seat, it looks like it would be a decent trail bike too. I've been waiting for something between a motocross bike, and an emtb, with serious hardware and this looks like it. I never really considered a trials bike, but after watching the videos on their website, they're having a blast.

 

[B1rdie]

Another thing that trips me up is the staggered footing, the symmetrical foot positioning on the moto makes it easier to balance and jump. I used to do 100ft triples on my CRF without a 2nd thought but I need a few looks at a 20ft gap jump on my EMTB.

Luckily EMTBing is a more relaxing experience and I'm enjoying not being injured all the time

I have noticed that foot position is the skill that brings more challenge for riders with moto background, resulting in pedal kicks. and people have been trying to solve it with the use of short cranks and thin pedals, instead of acquiring the proper skills.
Also front/rear balance to control pitch while climbing or jumping is very different from moto to bike, and the reason is the spread of the feet and weight of the bike giving the rider much more leverage over the bike when airborne and over traction at the rear wheel with minimal body displacement.

 

[ottoshape]

I'm enjoying not being injured all the time

That right there...