This could be a very controversial article. Can e-motos be ridden on mountain bike tracks? I’m sure you already have an opinion on this matter. This article is specifically for my fellow Aussies, for my American mates feel free to also read about the Aussie trails, and come visit us here, or click here to read the American opinion on this matter. It’s a doozy!
Anyway, I think we first need to clarify a few things. What exactly is a mountain bike trail? And what sort of e-moto are we thinking? We have a few options here in Australia, which don’t really vary from State to State. My fav are the downhill tracks. The purpose-built bike trails that are mainly in national parks or conservation parks. Other options are shared walking/biking trails where you’ll find the occasional horse, or bitumen paths through cities.
The e-motos in question today are the mid-sized, high-performance machines such as the Surron LBX, Talaria Sting or E Ride Pro. Big power in an e-moto that is smaller than your standard ICE dirt bike. And quieter. Hmm… let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
Let’s leave the legal part out of it for now…
Like most good discussions, there are always two sides to any story. Are you a hiker, mountain bike rider, dirt bike rider, e-moto rider, or maybe even a horse rider? Depending on what you use the area for, might determine your thoughts on this question. But first, let’s look at a few facts that we can all agree on.
- Speed differences: Hikers are slower than mountain bike riders, and e-moto or dirt bike riders will be faster than bike riders. Horse riders, well, I’m not sure… I don’t know much about them! For sure two wheels will be faster than one Horse Power…
- Gravity differences: What do I mean? Well, downhill, mountain bike riders will be zooming fast. Going uphill, the e-moto guys and girls will overtake easily.
- Size differences: Hikers take up less trail than bike riders, but then the horse rider probably wins out on that one. Hmm.. Anyway….
- Noise differences: E-moto bikes are much quieter than dirt bikes, but I’ve heard some loud talkers while walking, so, that’s probably debatable…
- Tire tread differences: Here is where we get into some firm facts. Tread on e-moto bikes is much more aggressive than mountain bike tread – and harder on the trail, too. The power delivery is also greater, wheel spin would be much more prominent. Something to think about for a second…
- City or rural? The bike parks in the city would be much more susceptible to noise, but what about rural tracks through small towns?
I think we need to look into a few legalities here…
Can I legally ride my e-moto on a mountain bike track in Australia?
As a hiker, walker, or mountain bike rider you don’t need a license. Horse riders, well I’m guessing not, but let’s leave them out of the argument for now!
Dirt bike riders and e-moto riders do need a license depending on what style of bike you have and where you are riding. On private property, no license is required for any motorbike. But what about the public mountain bike tracks?
National parks/conservation parks hold many awesome downhill mountain bike trails and are public areas. This means you will need a licence, and on that matter, a road registered vehicle. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t take your motorcrosser out on a public road, but you could take your registered WR or similar. Think of the 4WD tracks that can be found in many national parks. I’ve ridden a heap of them, my fav being the Border track. Side note: take a sat phone for remote area riding – I dislocated my shoulder right in the middle of the track, not fun. But that’s a story for another day…
Isn’t a Surron technically an electric bicycle?
As far as I’m aware, here in Australia, no e-moto of this size falls into the e-bike category currently, but rules are changing quickly to keep up with the times. This means you wouldn’t be able to get away with riding your Surron ‘e-bike’, even with a pedal kit as it has too much power, and also isn’t ‘power assisted’. So with those assumptions made, you could potentially say legally, e-motos could fit into the motorcrosser category, unless you can register your e-moto and have your motorbike license to tick all the boxes.
Now, the question turns to: would you ride a registered e-moto on a mountain bike trail? Well, the big sign at most entry paths has a car with a cross over it and a very prominent ‘no entry’. As registered electric dirt bikes fit into the registered vehicle category, I would assume you can’t take your registered e-moto past that point. Hence, no riding on the bike trails.
Another point to raise is who would be liable in an accident. I’m a bike rider, not a lawyer – I can’t answer the question, but it’s just something to ponder. My guess is, if you accidentally take out a mountain bike rider on your e-moto, on a mountain bike track, things won’t look good for you.
Can you even hear the e-moto coming?
Here is where the practical side of things takes a bit of a turn in favor of the e-moto… You can hear a two-stroke a mile off, but an electric dirt bike can sneak up on you. Many mountain bike trails are close to the city, so e-motos would make the best option to keep the neighbors happy.
However, as e-motos are relatively quiet it would be easy for a hiker not to hear you coming, which might lead to what we were saying about liability in an accident. Have you ever been startled when a Tesla takes off in a parking lot? I have! Sneaky quiet!!
Plus, if you hear the sounds of tire tread coming up behind you on a bicycle trail, I know I’d automatically think bicycle and closing speed would be max 20MPH. I wouldn’t expect someone roaring past, potentially doing much more – which an e-moto can easily do. And I ride e-motos and dirtbikes!
Is it just a mountain bike track or something more?
Talking about the downhill mountain bike trails – which would seem to be a perfect habitat for an e-moto. However many mountain bike riders are very vocal about not wanting e-motos to inundate their tracks. Different states and territories have different rules, and you’ll need to check your local rules, but in general, e-motos have slipped through the cracks at the time of writing. They don’t fall into e-bike rules, not ICE dirt bike rules, not motorbike rules. Technology seems to be advancing faster than the rulemakers can keep up with.
But common sense should be the priority, even if you could ‘talk’ your way around anything. Let’s look at how common sense could work here…
Is it a good idea to ride e-moto on a mountain bike track?
It turns out that many dirt bike/e-moto riders that I know also ride mountain bikes, myself included. So, would I take my e-moto to the mountain bike downhill tracks? No. Here are my reasons:
- Too many hikers/slow traffic, I’ll just get annoyed slowing down past everyone. Plus, you can’t see who is just around the corner. I wouldn’t want to be that hiker.
- You can’t go up the downhill track – that’s just stupid. Apart from the obvious collision issue, it’s not designed for the capabilities of an e-moto. Jump faces facing the wrong way, step downs wouldn’t be flowing, berms not suiting an e-moto.
- On the flatter sections, or even down the downhill – again not made for an e-moto. The issue of weight/tread/power delivery means you run the risk of damaging the jump edges, berms, and tracks in general that have been created for a mountain bike.
- All in all, I’ll take my mountain bike to the mountain bike tracks and my e-moto to dirt bike tracks – can go as fast as I like and the track is made specifically for the capabilities of an e-moto.
What’s the verdict?
So what will you do? Think about other trail users. Even if you ride past someone slowly, your e-moto has the capability of ripping up the track. And not in the cool sense – in the literal sense.
Is your e-moto registered? If so, have some fun on the 4WD tracks (note the speed limit is usually around 40km/h) Or, head to a track specifically for dirt bikes – man-made tracks or enduro areas. There are plenty of tracks around if you look for them. Jump on local Facebook groups in your area, and ask around. The best part is you can talk to others who just ‘get’ you. No point talking amps and watts with the pedal power guys and girls.
Comment below what will you do? I’ll be curious to find out – and as e-motos gain popularity, there might be dedicated e-moto tracks designed. Now that would be awesome!
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