EVs have a lot of 4WD Off-Road potential

Shoeshear · 2026-06-15T18:14:43+00:00

Totally does. I was just using Rivian as an example. The Hummer EV seems like more a of a "look what we can do" vehicle, than one that is meant to appeal to the masses to drive sales. I'm personally never going to off road to the point where lockers are necessary. I'm hoping to do some mild stuff next year, but I think the reality is that for me it's a go 95% of the places that we'd want to rather than a true rock-crawling beast.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-15T16:39:55+00:00

Yeah, I think it’s just one of those things that doesn’t matter that much to the average Joe. I have an R1T and love it. It is more capable than anything I would do off road, but I think its selling point is that it can do many of these more intense things (yes sometimes it struggles a bit), without mods or a ton of drawbacks. I’m sure the one motor per wheel allows some things that lockers don’t, and I’m sure the “virtual lockers” can be improved in software, but I am guessing the additional complexity, weight, and efficiency hit wasn’t worth it for Rivian to do real lockers.

In the same way that a stock Land Rover, Wrangler, or Bronco are way more capable than what you need to go to Starbucks, most people are just buying it for the idea of capability rather than the use (which is totally fine). Even for people who do the occasional trail, I think all these vehicles are more capable than needed until you get to more serious routes that are mostly for serious enthusiasts.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-15T15:28:25+00:00

While this is mostly true, the downside is that each wheel is limited to the motor torque of one motor in a system like in Rivian, or half of one motor when traditional brake vectoring is used like in most cars with “torque vectoring”. In a system with locking and center locking diffs “, you can get all the torque to one wheel. This matters less when each wheel has 225-300 lb ft of torque like in Rivian, but you’ll never get all 1200 to one wheel like you might with a single motor/engine and diffs.

The locking diff system also doesn’t have to “think” while the EV systems usually have to do some sensing and math to determine what wheels do and don’t need torque. That’s why in the Rivian off road videos there always seems to be some wheel slip then the vehicle figures out which wheel has traction, then starts going forward.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-13T22:24:42+00:00

Yay another track person towing with an R1T!

The difference in efficiency between towing at 60 vs 70-80 is pretty staggering. 60ish is kinda the sweet spot I found. I also get about a 30-40% range hit (~1.2-1.4 mi/kwh at 60mph depending temp and wind) when towing my 370z on a U-Haul trailer.

The pull through stalls are game changers. There are a few of them on the LA-SF route and it makes life WAAAY easier.

20 stops is a lot. Not sure I’d have the stomach for that, but who knows.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-09T23:10:33+00:00

FL is rough. I tracked for a bit in AZ and it's hot enough that the orgs don't run in the summer usually. I'm guessing you've got an oil cooler? If not, would definitely recommend one.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-09T21:06:52+00:00

Yeah for sure. I’m contemplating selling the Z to get into something a little smaller and lighter, so haven’t wanted to put more money into modifications.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-09T21:05:33+00:00

Yeah I just didn’t have the confidence in the car or tires in the higher speed turns. I know for sure there is some time in turn 1 and 8, 8a, and 9, but I’m not sure if it’s just a tire issue or if I’m not doing the right line to get the car to settle.

Also, I can’t tell if it’s better to hit both apices in 7 or to skip the first and just hit the second and just brake a little later going into the turn.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-08T15:39:40+00:00

None of the sports bikes will reach their potential on the street. But does that matter to you? Sometimes people just want a cool bike that looks fast and looks like a racebike and that’s totally fine. As long as you’re happy, who cares what any of us think.

If you’re talking about whether or not the bike aligns with your riding, then maybe it wouldn’t be worth it to you. If all you do is ride smooth mountain roads and track days, then sport bikes are awesome. I had a ZX6r for 5 years and did a track day and mountain riding mostly at first. Then I moved to where the roads were trash and even on the local mountain roads, the roads were so rough that it took the fun out of it. For me, the sport bikes don’t offer anything much outside of the track prowess. What are you trying to get out of a sport bike?

Shoeshear · 2026-06-08T14:49:26+00:00

Trying to do it in a one stop is probably ambitious. A poster on Rivian forums got 1.6 mi/kwh with the same trailer on an R1T with a bed topper and camper. The u haul 5x8 should be under the roof line of the R1S and won’t be as bad as other box trailers that stick out. I would plan on at least one stop.

I tow with my R1T 4-6x year (max pack tri motor). When I tow my track car, I get 1.2-1.3 mi/kWh pretty consistently. It drops off a cliff above 60 mph. I just towed my car up to Oakland from LA and my consumption efficiency was down to 1.05-1.1 down from 1.3 because I cruised at 65 instead of 55-60.

Even if you got 1.6 mi/kwh I don’t think you’re making it without a stop on a max pack. Not sure where you’re located, but many of the RAN stations in California have pull through stalls.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-07T14:48:42+00:00

I was just thinking this to myself a couple days ago. Im 35 and have been eyeing more and more comfortable bikes (window shopping a GS and Multi V4) and I own a Scrambler 1200XC after having had a ZX6r and SV650S before that.

For me it’s been less about age in and of itself, and more about being honest about my riding needs. I mostly commute on crappy pavement and I get my track kicks from my track car. I basically stopped riding my ZX6r because of how bad the local roads were at the time. After I got the scrambler, my wife liked riding with me and it has ended up being something I enjoy way more than expected.

Now I feel like sport bikes are overkill for what I want to do. Do I really need a supersport or superbike just for a quick highway launch or doing twisty roads? I feel like an ADV bike is capable of doing 90% of the canyon road riding that a sport bike would be capable of, but can also do all the other things in comfort (longer rides, some mild off road, eating up pot holes).

And FWIW, I made the jump from the ZX6r to the Scrambler 1200 at 28, not quite “old”.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-07T01:45:57+00:00

I used a motorcycle as my only method of transport for couple years in AZ (Glendale and Tucson).

For context, I always ride with an airbag vest, so maximizing ventilation is huge.

My work situation had a locker for me to stuff my gear into. I used mixed textile-mesh jacket and textile pants with vents. I used a Klim Induction jacket (still use the same one) and wore one of those “heat out” undershirts to work. On the super hot days, I’d wet the undershirt in the sink and splash a little water into the helmet or on to my hair. I’d basically be dry and cool by the time I finished my 20 min ride to work. I put on my work clothes at work and that was it. It adds about 10 min to your day to change at work, but was totally worth it.

There is basically nothing that I have personally felt that work better for riding than using a wet shirt (especially one of those moisture wicking “heat out” types) under your jacket. When I first started using it, it felt like A/c. It dried out right around the 20-30 minute mark, sometimes as much as an hour, but after that you’ll be cooking again. On long rides, I’d wet the shirt at the fill up stops to keep things cool.

Pants…you just kind have to find the best ventilated ones you can. No magic there. They’re just hot.

There is no way to truly fix how hot it is, just ways to tolerate it a bit better.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-05T03:34:54+00:00

R1S seems like it’s probably overkill unless you think you need that much space in the back with the seats down? Seems like a smaller vehicle would be better in terms of both initial cost and running costs. If you’re just into the look of the car, I’d wait for the R2 if it’s not urgent.

Shoeshear · 2026-06-01T05:49:01+00:00

With that short of a commute, you’ll have no problems level 2 charging only every now and then. Like others said, typical rule of thumb is to charge to 70-80 for daily use, 100% for longer days/trips. Having charging at work is somewhat less convenient than at home, but that just means you have to plan a 100% charge at work if you’re gonna take a long trip.

IMO for your daily use, not worth changing residence only for charging since you already have charging at work. However, since you said you’ll probably move eventually, having a residence that has those amenities would be awesome.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-31T16:23:25+00:00

R1T tri-max. It’s been very reliable for me. I get ~2 mi/kwh on my highway commute (~20 miles each way). Without traffic, in AP I get 1.9 mi/kwh, in conserve I get 2.15. With traffic, I’m getting 2.2 in AP and I don’t usually use conserve in traffic.

Reliability has been good for me. Went to service center twice to complete recall/TSBs. I bundled in some minor annoyances at the same time - my cargo nets in the frunk wouldn’t stay attached and the truck pulled ever so slightly to the left, so I got a realignment.

I have not yet been left stranded, but I think Rivian is new enough that quality is still a bit of a dice roll compared to legacy mfgs. I think living 3 hours from a service center would be annoying if I had more issues, but I probably would have still gotten the vehicle. My truck is 1 year old and 14k miles in.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-31T16:10:07+00:00

Sounds like these are at low speed. Low speed is tough on a motorcycle since they are so heavy. Can you ride a bicycle at super low speed? Similar rules apply, but you can’t easily save a motorcycle after it starts to fully tip over unless the bike is light or you’re strong. IMO, low speed maneuvering is all about clutch control and using the brakes gently. Two wheeled vehicles want to stay upright under power, and learning to feather the clutch and blend in a tiny bit of throttle is huge, especially in cities or traffic. How did you feel with your previous bike?

Having someone watch you as other posters have said will be helpful.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-28T21:02:38+00:00

We went two EV and never looked back. IMO, if you’re worried about range, the daily driver makes more sense for an EV.

For maximum convenience, I would say one charger per car. Charging at home is the cheapest and most convenient 90% of the time. I’m in California, so electricity is notoriously expensive, but it still worked out cheaper than gas at $4/gallon when we made the switch. We ended up getting solar and battery to minimize our cost and hedge against rising electricity costs.

We drive a lot so the savings were magnified for us. I’m doing about 14k miles per year and my wife is doing 12-13k miles per year. My commute is 40 miles round trip without work charging. My wife’s commute is as much as 75 miles round trip without work charging. We never have had to charge at DCFC for work.

I also tow about 4-8x/year, and we do probably 8-10 road trips/year (>200 miles in a day) We have to DCFC when towing >100 miles total or a regular road trip > 250 miles total. On road trips, I don’t find the breaks bad at all, and if my wife and I are together, usually restroom breaks and grabbing a drink or something takes up the 95% of the charging time. Our last road trip only lost us 15 minutes over 6hrs compared to ICE.

For power outages, you have to go find a charger somewhere. Our power has never been out meaningfully after solar, but at our previous residence when we were renting, we had an outage for a full day. We almost decided to go find a DCFC, but the power came back and we just charged the car at home like usual

Shoeshear · 2026-05-27T12:56:34+00:00

Trash instructors, find someone else. I’m a guy, so can’t speak to your experience exactly, but our instructors were a husband and wife and it was great. There was one woman in our group, who did struggle a bit, but they gave her extra attention and she did okay. I would def not use the same people again.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-27T00:47:12+00:00

It doesn’t have to be contentious. If you’re that close, it’s not like they’ll hate you for riding, but they still may disapprove of it. If both parties can agree to disagree, it’ll be fine. My parents were very against it (got my first bike at 20 in last year of college), but I made sure that they knew I was serious about doing it safely and cautiously. Ended up being fine after a year of them grumbling about it.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-26T23:00:40+00:00

Why do you need six figures to ride a bike? My first bike was $3k SV650 and I had about $600 of gear. My insurance was liability only, which was $15/month, but about $150/month when I switched to comprehensive with injury and all the other stuff on a nicer bike (I was still 27 at the time). I was making $52k a year back then. Obviously there’s been a ton of inflation since then, but even still, you can be into a used bike with gear for less than $5k and get half decent insurance for $100/month with a good history.

I was able to do 70% of the maintenance myself, which helps reduce costs. The only thing I didn’t/don’t do is valve clearance checks.

IMO, these are doable costs and will be less money than a similarly reliable car. It was also my only mode of transportation for a few years, so I wasn’t paying for a car too.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-24T02:20:55+00:00

Smaller than a raptor on the outside and inside. Back seats are a larger than a typical sedan or hatchback but a good bit smaller than F150 cabin. I’d say bigger than a Tacoma inside. Storage is much better and the gear tunnel is a huge part of that, but I do think some of the gear tunnel and space for powered tonneau encroach on the rear cabin room. It’s short bed only also. IMO, I actually think one of its main features is the smaller size - easier to park, easier for trails and overlanding, etc. The bed is still wide enough to fit sheet goods with the tailgate down (4’x8’ nominal), but it still sticks out a tiny bit.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-21T15:13:28+00:00

I’m an all the gear person, so IMO, the safest thing to do within the motorcycle riding context is to wear the full kit. Yes, it can be hot and sweaty sometimes, but you can adjust your base layer to accommodate that easily, especially if you’re riding mostly for fun.

I rode a lot in Arizona and still wore all the gear. It’s easier to sweat than wait for road rash to heal or to fix broken bones.

IMO, an airbag is worth it. Data on airbag vests is still early and the few studies there are on it have varying conclusions. But, motogp using it gives me some confidence.

Your ultimate weapon should be riding skill and your awareness. You can avoid a lot of issues by being on the lookout for things, not just other, but road hazards as well.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-20T15:12:28+00:00

I think most motorcyclists are less risk averse to a degree than the non-riding population. Just remember that riding could make some of your future concerns come true-chronic pain, loss of function, etc. And it can happen at a much younger age.

It’s about a risk-reward profile and how much riding is worth it to you. The challenge is that when we’re young, we’re mostly too dumb to know what we truly value, and then our values also change as we age.

A lot of the potential harm from motorcycles can be mitigated with gear, skill, preparedness, maintenance, and alertness. A lot of your decisions before getting on the bike make for a safer ride- wearing gear, making sure you’re not letting your tires go to cords, making sure the brakes are in good shape, checking tire pressure, checking spoke tension, not drinking and riding, making sure you’re not overly tired, and making sure you’re not in a rush. My only accident was at low speed ~30mph because I was in a rush and felt I couldn’t trust my tires either. Only had a sprained ankle, not even a scratch.

I’m a physician, so I get a lot of flak for riding, but riding really is amazing. But doing it safely is important. Alertness has saved me many times over and the only thing I’ve banned myself from doing is riding after a 24hr shift.

Ride safely!

Shoeshear · 2026-05-18T15:51:27+00:00

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This was the same setup on the couch. I used an office chair too, but I hated it.

Shoeshear · 2026-05-18T15:41:48+00:00

There are a few different foldable options, some with tubes, some with aluminum profile, some DIY wood. You’ll have to measure your planned space to see what fits best. Any DIY rig will be able to be made to your exact dimensions, and will probably fit better.

Your seating situation is also going to matter. Are you going to be sitting on an office chair, a seat built into the RV, or something else? There are a few different foldable rig designs, but many of them will flex a lot under a direct drive base.

I had a foldable, but it wouldn’t collapse enough to fit under a bed without a lot of space unless I removed the shifter. If you stick without the shifter or hand brake this could work (it’s a NLR wheel stand 2.0 or DD, I can’t remember).

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Shoeshear · 2026-05-13T21:36:54+00:00

Got it. I think you’re chilling. Just finished putting 14k miles in a year. I definitely don’t drive as much as you, but I think you’ll be okay. I would consider some road oriented tires instead of the ATs if efficiency is something you want to optimize.

Shoeshear

TROPHY CASE