It’s been pointed out here on STW (with helpful regularity) that e-bikes are basically indistinguishable from motocross bikes. This gives me an idea. I’ve always wanted a motocross bike and I’ve got 3 or 4 very good MX tracks within easy reach.

The problem is you can’t keep a motocross bike in the house, they need regular engine rebuilds, they run on petrol, they’re illegal to ride almost everywhere, you need a van or at least a trailer to take one out and the local scrotes will try to steal it every single night.

But, now that e-bikes are taking off, it’s time to reconsider. So I was just wondering if anyone has tested the motocross capabilities of their e-bike.

My nearest track is mostly sand. Would something like a Kenevo with a 2.8 rear tyre give enough assistance on Turbo mode to skim over the surface without getting bogged down?

Most of the jumps are 20 to 40 feet, usually with uphill run ups. Would something like a YT Decoy have enough thrust to propel you up a rutted take off and jump far enough to make the landing? Or would I need to have it derestricted? I know that’s frowned upon, but we’re talking about a track here, not the road.

All the tracks have noise limits, usually around 98 decibels. Would a Bosch come in under that, even when it’s whirring furiously? Or is a Shimano motor quieter?

Obviously I’ll be pedalling around the tracks so I’m getting some exercise. It’s not cheating like twisting a throttle. I think if I can ride to the track on Eco I should have enough juice to spray some serious roost all day. If I run out I can just top up with a diesel generator.

You should consider an e-troll generator. Much less effort than tapping all that out.

“Most of the jumps are 20 to 40 feet, usually with uphill run ups. Would something like a YT Decoy have enough thrust to propel you up a rutted take off and jump far enough to make the landing?“

Not a hope in hell. A mate who’s good at jumping (done all the big stuff at BMCC) had a go at riding a very small gap jump backwards (ie up the trail) on my Levo. Totally cased it.

I have limited knowledge of E Bikes but I can definitely confirm two points:

Ebikes don’t provide any assistance above 15mph so unless gravity takes you faster you wont’ be able to make 40 foot jumps. However, E Bikes can be jailborken (illegally) so that there is no power shut off point so only with this will they possibly will be able to make those jumps.

The Motor on an E Bike will be nowhere near 98 decibels.

That was a well executed satire if not serious!

So the main issue with the statement is an ebike shares no components with a motocross bike and every component is from a regular mtb, but depending on battery design may have a more beefy down tube.

But in principle I think you would have great fun but remembering you will only get assistance to 15.5 mph.

So I think to get fit if on a Shimano motor use trail on the blast round and maybe boost mode to get the maximum power going up hill to the jumps and see how it goes going off them at 15.5 mph unless it’s a downhill approach.

2.8 should be the best option on 40mm rims tubeless as they will help smooth the circuit and give stability on the jump landing. Should be an interesting thing to try.

Proper electric motocross bikes are available. eg from KTM.
https://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/ktm/2018-ktm-freeride-e-xc-ar184458.html

Know it’s s piss take but an ebike would just be a bit crap On a mx track, even with derestriction.

Deleted

Someone has read today’s Sunday Times I think!

Electric dirt bikes are a thing, e.g. The Sur Ron MX

https://lunacycle.com/sur-ron-mx/

You’re a bit off the mark when thinking about derestriction though. An ebike isn’t a car that’ll do 200mph if that pesky speed limit weren’t there. Street legal systems have at peak 1hp and usually only 1/3 of a horsepower so air resistance limits their top speed to not much more than their limited speed. The sur ron has over 6 horsepower so it’s a bit more capable.

Guilty as charged? E-bikers plug in, climb on and carve up the countryside according to the Sunday Times Environment Editor.

E-bikes are quieter than motorbikes but they do the same damage. They have big knobbly tyres, so they can rip up the ground more, just like a motorbike

(Welsh regional surveyor for the Country Land and Business Association).

E-bikes are an increasing problem, I saw two last week with radios blaring on the handlebars as they rode along a trail. The whole point of going to the forest on an evening is to enjoy the peace and tranquility.

(Vice chairwoman of the Friends of the New Forest, Hampshire)

I recon you’d soon be beating Tomac. After all ebikes are exactly like MX bikes but a bit lighter.
Recon they’d be awsumz for supercross too.

Pedal bikes don’t like sand ! Even e-bikes.

The Ktm isn’t a full on e-mx bike but they are coming, Honda is developing one as we speak.

Guilty as charged? E-bikers plug in, climb on and carve up the countryside according to the Sunday Times Environment Editor.

E-bikes are quieter than motorbikes but they do the same damage. They have big knobbly tyres, so they can rip up the ground more, just like a motorbike

(Welsh regional surveyor for the Country Land and Business Association).

E-bikes are an increasing problem, I saw two last week with radios blaring on the handlebars as they rode along a trail. The whole point of going to the forest on an evening is to enjoy the peace and tranquility.

(Vice chairwoman of the Friends of the New Forest, Hampshire)

Pretty inevitable that that a e-mtb backlash would begin. Legislation didn’t anticipate the development of the modern e-mtb. Remembering when e-bikes first appeared they were commuter hybrid type things often sold in disability shops. It was tbis kind of thing the laws were whriten to cover.

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Bravo, OP, bravo. Everyone else, glad to see you’re taking the whole e-bike thing seriously.

Well now you can race your e-bike around an MX track:

This weekend’s MXGP of the Netherlands has now hosted a press conference in front of MXGP’s collection of international and national media to announce the new e-bicycles race taking place on the 1,550 meters long Imola MXGP circuit following Saturday’s MXGP Qualifying the 17thof August.

https://www.mxgp.com/motocross/news/new-fim-e-xbike-world-cup-announced

not road/path/ public legal in Aus’ but mx riding on private land is very popular:

https://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/stealth-h-52/

used to live near wharncliffe woods and most people that complained about (pedal/gravity) mountain biking would often switch in the almost the same sentence to talking about (petrol) mx (for want of an easy abbreviation) with no differentiation so it will be a whole new can of worms albeit a quieter one

Haha! Scottfitz post puts everyone into confusion. hang on, you can ebike on an MX track er. doh. 😆 Brilliant.

…bike will ride at the 2019 FIM E-XBike World Cup in Imola! Racing will be open to everyone with an e-bicycle and it will all be streamed live on MXGP’s and our Facebook page

There’s a slight confusion that our continental cousins refer to this as a pedelec (250W, 15.5mph etc)

And this as an e-bike (>250W, >15.5mph etc)

And this is a S-pedelec* (<28mph)

So yes, you can ride an e-bike on a MX track.

*same as a pedelec but with higher restrictions, requires a licence etc. Im sure with a bit of software manipulation and upgraded components the kenevo would work in this category too, just seems that most S-pedelecs look more like commuter bikes than their lower powered counterparts.

The idea of the e-moto bike (Honda CR above) is cool but part of the fun is the sound of the engine. It’s all a bit dull when its quiet. I used to love the two stroke screaming away when I used to ride trail bikes 🙂

There’s a slight confusion that our continental cousins refer to this as a pedelec

You’re the one with the confusion. You haven’t looked at the instagram post I quoted have you?
everyone with an e-bicycle …

[feeding the troll]

Absolutely not suitable for an MX track as described, which is why I’d stick to an MTB for MTBing and an MX bike for MX (if I had the time, money and bottle to tell my partner what I was doing). For a start, you can pick up something second hand approaching 100x more powerful than a standard eMTB for about the same cost. And probably a negligible weight increase.

E-MX is absolutely an options though. As is a normal enduro (motor)bike, which is basically an MX with 2 extra gears, tax and plates and a bigger fuel tank.

[/feeding the troll]

And probably a negligible weight increase.

I know e-bikes are heavy and MX bikes are generally light by motorbike standards, but that’s a little fancifull.

Kenevo – 25kg
CRF250R – 108kg

E-mx bikes won’t be light the KTM is 111kg a KTM sx125 is 87kg.

It’s all a bit dull when its quiet.

If only they were quiet… the noise in that video was tedious.