How To Decide Between Gas & E-Bikes
If you’re upgrading a dirt bike or motorcycle this year, it’s impossible to ignore the effect that e-bikes have had on the market over the past half-decade. Not only are there more electric models available than ever before, but their range and power output have also made top-tier performance e-bike builds competitive with gas bikes. So, which one should you opt for? Is it time to make the change, or are gas bikes still the dominant powerhouses they were a few years back? Well, the short answer is that the competition is a lot tighter than ever before, and some people will find their performance improves after switching to an e-bike because it better suits their style. Others, especially larger riders, may still find a gas bike to be a better choice.
What To Know Before Buying a Motorcycle
The common knowledge is that e-bikes have a slower top speed and total power output than gas bikes when comparing them toe to toe, but that’s not entirely accurate. While it has been true of many e-bike builds in the past, today’s bikes are becoming more cost-efficient, and performance builds are going toe to toe with gas engines like never before. There’s also the question of lap speed vs. top speed. Many riders who compete in precision events cite the quick deceleration and acceleration of bikes similar to the Tazer MX Pro e-bike for their improved lap times because it’s easier to execute pinpoint maneuvers that require rapid deceleration and acceleration with an electric motor that can give you its full power from the moment you ask for it.
If you’re a rider who relies on tight maneuvering and rapid speed recovery over top-end speed on the straight stretch, there are a lot of reasons to look at today’s performance e-bike builds first, then the gas builds later, to see if they can compete. It is worthwhile to point out that there’s a deeper ecosystem for customization and enhancement for gas bikes yet, but that balance is adjusting every year as more and more accessory manufacturers start catering to the unique needs of e-bike riders.
Which Bike Has More of an Environmental Impact?
A lot of e-bike proponents highlight the lack of fuel costs and emissions when pitching the advantages of an electric motor. Is it really more environmentally friendly, though? After all, the batteries do require rare earth minerals that are hard to mine and dispose of in environmentally friendly ways, and they need to be replaced a couple of times throughout a vehicle’s life. The fact is that the environmental impact has a lot more to do with the bike’s lifespan than its build. Batteries are becoming more efficient and lasting longer with each passing year, so they don’t need to be replaced all that often. On a long enough timeline, the impact of the e-bike is lower, but if the bike is totaled and scrapped before it reaches that age, then the gas bike had less of an impact. Since motorcycles are more gas-efficient than cars, it typically takes longer for that trade-off to happen on a bike, but bikes also last a long time when they’re cared for properly.
Finding Your Next Motorcycle
E-bikes are a great investment, especially now that models such as Intense Cycles MX e-bikes are available with power profiles that really rival their gas-guzzling cousins. You can even find retailers offering free shipping on Tazer MX e-bike builds from the current model year.