# Pro motocross/supercross guys using emtbs for training



## csf (Apr 28, 2007)

Aldon baker has embraced these as part of their training regiment. These are some of the current top dogs in the sport and aldon baker is arguably the best in the biz right now.

Ride-E-Bikes-for-motocross-training-Aldon-Baker-is-all-about-it


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

csf said:


> Aldon baker has embraced these as part of their training regiment. These are some of the current top dogs in the sport and aldon baker is arguably the best in the biz right now.
> 
> Ride-E-Bikes-for-motocross-training-Aldon-Baker-is-all-about-it


That was a great general intro to eMTBs for anyone, not just a motorcycle rider. It really lays out what is so great about having a Class 1 eMTB as another option to riding an unassisted MTB or a motorcycle.

Motocross/supercross/enduro riders are some of the fittest athletes on earth. Riding a dirt bike at max speed on the terrain they ride on is an incredible athletic challenge. Aldon Baker was the national champion in XC MTB in South Africa, so I'm sure he rails on an eMTB.

I posted awhile ago about XC MTB, DH, and MTB enduro racers adopting eMTBs for training in the future and a bunch of the usual haters/whiners popped in to tell me I was full of crap, it would never happen. Well, the enduro and DH racers are on top of it now, and it is only a matter of time before some XC racers reveal that they are using eMTBs as an element to their training programs.

Ten years from now, e-assist will be huge. I say e-assist rather than eMTB because eventually the majority of high end bikes will be assist capable. When you buy the bike you will either opt for the removable power pack or you won't, but the bikes will be the same. Non-assist capable bikes will be like hardtail XC race bikes are today, a small niche.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

👍 hell yeah, baker factory- bad ass. I can’t believe he’d suggest a bunch of moto pussies to ride ebikes, what’s up? Is Aldon on crack? or is the reigning trainer of champions on to something? Motocross is hardcore, if you don’t agree, you’ve never done it!


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## sfgiantsfan (Dec 20, 2010)

Nice commercial for ebikes. Does anyone think he’s not being paid to say this stuff?

He did basically say it’s a light dirt bike, which is what a lot of us have been saying this whole time. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Crit Rat (Mar 13, 2008)

It's not even close to a light dirt bike. Maybe a light trials bike if you really want to make a comparison to moto. It is closer to a dirt bike than a non assist bike. 

Are you one of the haters or actually trying to be objective?

So much fear and misunderstanding with ebikes, I'd say it's surprising but it seems to be a human trait to try and belittle things that are not understood or thought to be threatening.

Anyway, I thought it was a good article. Comes off as pro Specialized but that's only because he and his athletes are sponsored by them. Would be the same if they were on Commencals or Treks.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Crit Rat said:


> It's not even close to a light dirt bike. Maybe a light trials bike if you really want to make a comparison to moto. It is closer to a dirt bike than a non assist bike.
> 
> Are you one of the haters or actually trying to be objective?
> 
> ...


Besides them being motorized what's to understand?


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## Crit Rat (Mar 13, 2008)

life behind bars said:


> Besides them being motorized what's to understand?


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Crit Rat said:


>


You must be another one that denies that they are in fact motorized.


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## Karlewski (Dec 3, 2016)

I just demoed a Levo, definitely motorized with a crank mounted throttle. I’ve ridden everything from duel sport motos to my 27lbs Intense Primer. They are all super fun in their element. You ARE CHEATING when you zip up the hill with an e-bike, do you hurt the trail more? Are you more dangerous! I don’t really think so...? Can you do big rides on consecutive days, actually enjoy a steepish trail with 3” of snow on it, definitely. Did you earn you ride with as much blood sweat and tears vs non motorized. Clearly less sweat but, blood and tears felt pretty close to me.
The real underlaying question is, who is getting cheated when a pedal assisted moto bike is on the trail? Riders getting passed who are working hard with purely their own energy trying to enjoy nature where moto is prohibited. That is a fair and unbiased answer.
I AM that pure human powered rider, and I love it but I do believe I could have even more fun riding snow and rough steep trail, especially ones above 11,000’MSL, with and e bike. 
I’m willing to accept e-bikes, they are not infringing on the rights of others especially with limited areas of use kind of like snowmobles as a distant analogy. What I am NOT willing to accept is selfish pushy bikers/people of any kind that rip up trails with sloppy skidding/braking, dangerous speeds around others, or abrasive passing of other trail users of any type. Common curtesy will let us all have a blast together and I feel lucky to be able to use the vehicle of my choice to have cool new and different options for epic adventures. Generalizing a rider by his current vehicle, as long as is safe and nondestructive is a little childish and egocentric.


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## Davide (Jan 29, 2004)

Karlewski said:


> I just demoed a Levo, definitely motorized with a crank mounted throttle. I've ridden everything from duel sport motos to my 27lbs Intense Primer. They are all super fun in their element. You ARE CHEATING when you zip up the hill with an e-bike, do you hurt the trail more? Are you more dangerous! I don't really think so...? Can you do big rides on consecutive days, actually enjoy a steepish trail with 3" of snow on it, definitely. Did you earn you ride with as much blood sweat and tears vs non motorized. Clearly less sweat but, blood and tears felt pretty close to me.
> The real underlaying question is, who is getting cheated when a pedal assisted moto bike is on the trail? Riders getting passed who are working hard with purely their own energy trying to enjoy nature where moto is prohibited. That is a fair and unbiased answer.
> I AM that pure human powered rider, and I love it but I do believe I could have even more fun riding snow and rough steep trail, especially ones above 11,000'MSL, with and e bike.
> I'm willing to accept e-bikes, they are not infringing on the rights of others especially with limited areas of use kind of like snowmobles as a distant analogy. What I am NOT willing to accept is selfish pushy bikers/people of any kind that rip up trails with sloppy skidding/braking, dangerous speeds around others, or abrasive passing of other trail users of any type. Common curtesy will let us all have a blast together and I feel lucky to be able to use the vehicle of my choice to have cool new and different options for epic adventures. Generalizing a rider by his current vehicle, as long as is safe and nondestructive is a little childish and egocentric.


In some places e-bikes will be a gods-send. For example ... the birthplace of MTB: Marin and in general the Bay Area. We have tiny number of surviving single-tracks but huge networks of fire roads. The fire roads go basically everywhere but they are horribly hard, and frankly impossible to have fun with on a regular MTB. But give me an e-bike and suddenly a 30 mile round trip deep in the forest, say from Sam McDonald to Big Basin, is possible.


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