Trials bike vs dirt bike/TW for hunting.

[nphunter]

Anyone hunted with the electric bikes coming out these days? Decent range, need some suspension work for sure if you are hauling out!

I think it would be cool to build a utility trailer as a camp, have the top covered in solar panels and have some battery storage up front as a charging station. Also carry a rolled up solar charger on the bike in a tube carrier incase you get too far back and it dies. It might take a full day or two to get enough charge to get out but at least you’re not stuck. You could hunt off if the bikes in the daytime and charge them over night. I do think they would have enough range for what I use but I also hunt way out in the sticks a lot and for long periods of time. With the trailer you could stay indefinably and not run out of fuel. Although with my bikes if I have 5 extra gallons of fuel that’s a lot of ground I can cover and I’m normally only going a few to dozen miles a day while hunting. I just use bikes to get to hard to access spots, I don’t hunt off of them so I really don’t put a lot of miles a day on. I think the most I’ve ever put on while hunting is 30 miles and 15 of those I could have easily driven the truck and then offloaded the bike.

 

[TommyGunn]

Does anyone ever use say a trail 90 or some of those older bikes? I have been considering getting one.

 

[omicron1792]

I use a Volcon grunt. Love it.

 

[TheGDog]

Does anyone ever use say a trail 90 or some of those older bikes? I have been considering getting one.

Have you over tried to do a hillclimb on a 90? With you and a Deer on something of that small of size? Wouldn't be fun.

 

[Blockcaver]

Trail 90 is weak....underpowered for an adult, at least in CO at high elevation, even with their dual range tranny and a super low. I owned one as a kid in the flat lands and it wasn't too bad., My buddy (140# guy) borrowed one to go CO sheep scouting with me and barely made it up my favorite old mining/jeep road at elevatiions from 8,600' to 11,500'. Suspension is poor too vs a 250 trials bike in my experience.

 

[Aperventure]

Looks awesome. Using a trials bike set up properly for your style is such a good idea, mostly due to the weight difference from TW200, is what it seems from yours and others comments.

Curious what the seat height is with the thick seat setup?

And have you weighed it? I find 2 bathroom scales under front and rear wheels works well.

I was considering a tw200 vs ATV but now this thread has me rethinking that. Thanks for starting it

 

[Aperventure]

I’m digging the trials bike idea, been digging and the Beta X-Trainer popped up. Anyone here have any experience with these?

Excepts from review:
light 218lb dry
Modest 35.8” seat height
electric start with back-up kick starter option
more compact than a typical bike
oil injection. No mixing gas and oil here

turn it loose on slow, tight trails, the Xtrainer is in a much happier place. The power and throttle response are excellent at rpm so low, it has trials-like power delivery. That means it’s all bottom-end torque, which makes the bike a natural for the very tightest trails and most technical riding. You can spend an entire afternoon in the smallest canyon and be perfectly happy climbing over the same rock pile from different angles.

BETA XTRAINER 300 TWO-STROKE: FULL TEST

There’s nothing like the Beta Xtrainer. It’s a weird, crazy bike that no one really understands until they ride one. All attempts at verbal description

dirtbikemagazine.com

 

[ID_Matt]

I’m digging the trials bike idea, been digging and the Beta X-Trainer popped up. Anyone here have any experience with these?

Excepts from review:
light 218lb dry
Modest 35.8” seat height
electric start with back-up kick starter option
more compact than a typical bike
oil injection. No mixing gas and oil here

turn it loose on slow, tight trails, the Xtrainer is in a much happier place. The power and throttle response are excellent at rpm so low, it has trials-like power delivery. That means it’s all bottom-end torque, which makes the bike a natural for the very tightest trails and most technical riding. You can spend an entire afternoon in the smallest canyon and be perfectly happy climbing over the same rock pile from different angles.

BETA XTRAINER 300 TWO-STROKE: FULL TEST

There’s nothing like the Beta Xtrainer. It’s a weird, crazy bike that no one really understands until they ride one. All attempts at verbal description

dirtbikemagazine.com

I have had an x-trainer for 3 or 4 years now. Absolutely love it.

 

[Bluefish]

I’m digging the trials bike idea, been digging and the Beta X-Trainer popped up. Anyone here have any experience with these?

Excepts from review:
light 218lb dry
Modest 35.8” seat height
electric start with back-up kick starter option
more compact than a typical bike
oil injection. No mixing gas and oil here

turn it loose on slow, tight trails, the Xtrainer is in a much happier place. The power and throttle response are excellent at rpm so low, it has trials-like power delivery. That means it’s all bottom-end torque, which makes the bike a natural for the very tightest trails and most technical riding. You can spend an entire afternoon in the smallest canyon and be perfectly happy climbing over the same rock pile from different angles.

BETA XTRAINER 300 TWO-STROKE: FULL TEST

There’s nothing like the Beta Xtrainer. It’s a weird, crazy bike that no one really understands until they ride one. All attempts at verbal description

dirtbikemagazine.com

Wife rides one. It’s basically a 7/8 sized dirt bike. So slightly shorter and smaller cockpit. Same bottom end power as the other 300’s just has the top end power neutered. The geometry is a bit more trials like so theoretically not as stable, but not really noticeable in use. Suspension is pretty low spec, so it’s not as good as the 300rr and re. At slow speeds no real difference, but as the pace picks up it’s not as good. Overall a good bike and a lot less money than a re version.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

How would you ride out of the backcountry with elk quarters on one of these?

 

[ID_Matt]

How would you ride out of the backcountry with elk quarters on one of these?

1 at a time on your back.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

1 at a time on your back.

Good for a beginner rider?

 

[ID_Matt]

Good for a beginner rider?

Depends on the trails... Elk quarters on your back while riding skinny central idaho single track is not for most and could be a recipe for disaster. If you plan on hunting off a dirt bike I would do as @Steve300xcw said and spend some time riding in the places you plan to hunt or similar terrain before hand. It is definitely an acquired skill but once you get halfway decent on a bike they can be very effective hunting tools

 

[TheGDog]

I'd go thrash on a bike for the spring/summer prior. Figure out what does what an all that. Learning how to really use a clutch with a quarter tied on sounds like a great youtube moment..

Oh Especially with a load on your bike you'd HAVE to learn how to slip the clutch when doing climbs over stones. Otherwise the suspension gets all wound-up and pogo-y so it becomes harsh how it's traversing the stones. but when you slip the clutch just a little, continuously, during that rocky part of the uphill line... you'd be amazed the difference in control you'll have!

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Ya I’d def use it scouting and summer with lighter packs before hand. Theres this dirt bike only trail near where I hunt that never has sign of being used because how remote it is. Which also means I’d have to clear it out with the saw myself.

 

[ColoradoV]

Look at a stark electric bike..

I will soon be moving on from my fuel injected ktm to one. Non slip settings, adjustable power, and mountain bike controls are a cheat code.

Just another option w way more power than the t dubz…

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Look at a stark electric bike..

I will soon be moving on from my fuel injected ktm to one. Non slip settings, adjustable power, and mountain bike controls are a cheat code.

Just another option w way more power than the t dubz…

Are there charging stations in CO backcountry? Wouldn’t be surprised actually

 

[ColoradoV]

Are there charging stations in CO backcountry? Wouldn’t be surprised actually

It is a problem.. Or this year I ran a 2 stroke fuel injected gasser.. With out giving too much info figured w my Honda generator at the base camp the stark would cover 90+% of what I do.

A good buddy is about as gasser as ya get he lets me barrow a stark as well as fully mod surrons (less range). IMO unless you are running 10+ miles a day for 5-6 days at a time again a stark is a cheat code for the rougher single track we do at 9-12k’ here in co. He ran electric on 95% of the rides he did last year anywhere…. Did I mention they are incredibly silent ..

Perfect no but a stark might be the best tool depending on the application you are looking for. The non slip settings and power control let ya really dial it in to conditions..

no doubt I would take a stark over a t dubz for my application.

 

[Ross]

Riding with elk quarters on your back, on technical tight trails is not for everyone. It will make you pucker UP ! My first Rokon experience was in the 80s, still beastly they are and powerful, but nimble and responsive they are not. TW great for logging roads, no thank you on tech trails. Like some we’ve run many types, will have to find some old pics.

 

[omicron1792]

I run a Volcon. It’s basically an electric Rocon. It works for me and I use it a ton.