It used to be just about everyone agreed on what was a bicycle and what was a motorcycle. Today, those once-clear lines have been torn asunder like the dust thrown up by a knobby rear tire as a new rider whiskey-throttles a dirt bike.
The culprits are the new products with a wide variety of electric drivetrains that fall between the traditional notions of a bicycle and a motorcycle. There's been plenty of controversy, including parents thrown in jail for letting their kids ride non-street-legal electric dirt bikes on streets, sometimes getting hurt or killed or injuring pedestrians. Others see potential good in these new vehicles, hoping they will encourage a new generation to take up motorcycling instead of sitting in front of a screen. And then there's the promise of quieter bikes allowing for riding areas in locations where noise would otherwise be a problem.
There's a lot to unpack, and in this episode of the Highside/Lowside motorcycle podcast, hosts Spurgeon and Zack are joined by our expert video producer Spenser Robert, who's ridden quite a few of these machines himself, to take a dive into the brave new world of electric two-wheelers.
Listen to Highside/Lowside
As always, for those who prefer visuals, we’ve got the YouTube link above. But if you're listening to this inside your helmet on your commute and just want the words, the podcast version is available via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and LibSyn to name a few of your favorite podcasting apps.