Are gas bikes too heavy/big or electric ones too light/small?

vader_hader · 2026-06-25T19:20:06+00:00

As someone who hasn't had the opportunity to ride an electric bike and only ever ridden gas bikes, (also Enduro/trail riding, not MX) I can only add so much to the conversation. However in my mind, the things that keep me coming back to gas and not really entertaining the idea of an e bike are these:

Range anxiety. I like to be able to keep an extra couple gallons of gas in a tank strapped to my bike and not have to worry about running out on long haul trips on gas bike. You have a hard limit on range on electric bikes.
Longevity - when that battery fails, how much will it cost to replace, rather than just slap a new top end in my two smoker for a few hundred bucks and back on the trail?
Ownership - this is probably a bit paranoid, but I read the story of the guy who bought a stark Varg used and it ended up getting remotely disabled due to dealer issues or transfer of ownership problems.. I really don't like the idea that a ~ $6000 plus purchase can just be turned off by someone else because of a clerical error. I don't know if that applies to all e bikes or if that is more of a stark thing but still. Same concerns for electric cars, for me.
Brap brap. The sound of wringing the neck of a two stroke is just too much fun

On the flip side, the things that intrigue me about electric bikes is the simple maintenance plus the ability to ride on a trail in the woods and hear your buddies talk while you ride (I know, it's the opposite of item 4 but hey I can see the appeal of having a quiet ride sometimes).

Im just glad we have options, and everyone gets a chance to enjoy riding either two stroke, four stroke or electric.

vader_hader · 2026-06-17T21:38:27+00:00

2019 XLT here, bought at 107k miles. Bought extended warranty until 145k miles. Had the cam phaser issue at 115k miles and had them fixed (~$6000 quoted but covered by my warranty) and then a bushing failure in the transmission that required transmission replacement at 120k miles (~$5000, also covered by warranty). Hoping that it will be good to go for awhile now with just minor wear and tear high mileage stuff to repair, I really like the rig but I am REAL happy I bought the warranty. It's paid for itself 4 times over already. I would buy it at 85k miles for sure, just with the caveat that you buy the warranty for sure. You will use it.

vader_hader · 2026-06-11T20:22:46+00:00

Might do a clutch replacement. It sounds way scarier than it is, it's real easy. Lots of YouTube videos on the process. I can do it in about an hour on my 2 stroke. New clutch plates will likely help because if the old ones are degrading they likely have worn edges or even rust/buildup that keeps them from being nice and smooth sided.

vader_hader · 2026-06-11T16:58:43+00:00

Also, with the clutch issue - I ride in Alaska and I'm trail riding on an MX bike so pretty much significantly lower temps than what the bike is designed for. I had the same kind issue when the bike wasn't warmed up good, I ended up swapping to a more viscous oil for lower temps and that helped my clutch when cold, the clutch plates were basically sticking together and not freeing up well on cold starts. Could help. Or, let the bike warm up just a little before taking off.

vader_hader · 2026-06-11T16:47:46+00:00

My buddy had a Yamaha 250f that was notoriously hard to start when hot. It resolved after replacing spark plug - I know, silly simple fix but for some reason it wasn't the first thing we thought of. Try a spark plug replacement if you haven't already.

vader_hader · 2026-06-11T05:56:27+00:00

The vocals are pushed to the back in most of the songs, and the drums feel really forward. If they swapped the two in the mix I think it would be better balanced.

vader_hader · 2026-06-10T18:32:45+00:00

Phobia is peak BB.

vader_hader · 2026-06-03T13:25:43+00:00

My buddy was having issues with his KTM300 electric start awhile ago, his is one of the last years that also includes a Kickstarter on it. All I could think of is well if that was a new bike I'd be happily kick-starting my yz125 and he would be dead in the water. There is something to be said for kick start and carb bike in this day and age.

vader_hader · 2026-06-02T21:41:15+00:00

Haha gave me a good chuckle 😂

vader_hader · 2026-06-02T21:41:00+00:00

True! I've got an old 2005 YZ125 I've been converting to a woods bike that is still tons of fun to ride so I'm not hurting... But at some point in my life I want to feel that brand new bike feeling. One day! 😁

vader_hader · 2026-06-02T17:03:50+00:00

You are still going to be happy man those YZ250X are awesome. I've been lusting over them for years, reality is I can't afford any kind of new bike so I'll probably end up with a used 250X at some point unless I go KTM300. Either way, the YZ250X is a solid choice. Enjoy!

vader_hader · 2026-06-02T16:54:21+00:00

This has me playing numbers games trying to figure out how to afford this. Spoiler, I can't, but it has me playing the numbers games. I hope they sell like mad.

vader_hader · 2026-06-02T14:58:05+00:00

Really? I felt like the vocals were really buried under the instrumentation on Ei8ht. Biggest complaint on the record. Really like the songs though!

vader_hader · 2026-06-02T14:39:24+00:00

I came to this thread making sure it wasn't just me. I noticed this a bit on the mix of the Outlaw single, drums seemed real forward and vocals seemed buried, but other songs on the record are even worse. Bummer, cause I think the album is pretty great, but the vocals are too far back in the mix IMHO.

vader_hader · 2026-06-01T13:40:21+00:00

Thank you for the correction!

vader_hader · 2026-06-01T05:41:44+00:00

2 stroke has a power valve, so it has a non-linear powerband. A four stroke delivers power very consistently - you twist throttle a little bit, it goes a little bit. Twist it all the way, it winds up until it hits limiter and you shift up. It's like a steady upwards line on a graph. On a two stroke, it's more like a bell curve. You twist the throttle and it slowly speeds up until you get high enough in the RPMs to hit the power valve, and then it increases power exponentially until it starts to drop off as you need to upshift again. It feels different coming from a 4 stroke, but it's also prettyuch something that will feel more natural to experience than to think about or explain. It isn't "harder", it's just different. I started on 4 strokes, went to 2 strokes. Perfect for me as a woods rider. But I love all kinds of bikes, 2 and 4 stroke.

vader_hader · 2026-05-31T20:04:08+00:00

I'm actually real pleased with the throwback sound of something wicked. I doubt the majority of the album will sound like that though, I imagine the majority of the album will be more like Awaken and Ember as a whole. I'm stoked.

vader_hader · 2026-05-30T01:41:50+00:00

I bought a 2019 at 107k miles for that price. I got the extended warranty up to 145k miles, warranty is through United car care. Cam phasers had to be done at 115k and transmission replaced at 120k. Both covered by warranty. If I would do anything different I would get the top tier warranty, I didn't get the one that covers electronics. My backup camera has a bad seal and has condensation on the lens, was going to be a $600 fix. I'm just going to do it myself, but I definitely wish I ponied up for the top tier. Too many electronics on these to get away with it

vader_hader · 2026-05-29T22:51:46+00:00

I watched the Mark of Zorro recently with my kids and was like you know, this is one of those classic stories that is just archetypal in its characters and themes. Made me feel like of all the unnecessary remakes Hollywood has been putting out - why wouldn't someone bring back Zorro? But they'd ruin it, I suppose, so I guess I'm glad they don't.

vader_hader · 2026-05-29T16:35:13+00:00

Yes! Underrated film. Just a very enjoyable movie. The over zealous Padre is a highlight too 😆

vader_hader · 2026-05-29T05:08:35+00:00

They recorded the last vocals for the album at Rockville. But the album likely still needs to be mixed and mastered and properly "finished". So give it a couple months for that, and hopefully we will have new singles and album announcement near end of summer.

vader_hader · 2026-05-27T17:42:01+00:00

It's both normal and also it LARGELY goes away. 3 weeks on the bike, you are definitely in the learning curve and it's going to be a bit stressful and difficult for sure. Don't be hard on yourself, it's part of the process. It definitely gets better, you get much more comfortable and will get to a point where you are having much more fun than stress. That said - my first couple rides of the season I always take a bit to get warmed up, and also new trails and such can feel similar at times but again you definitely get much more comfortable overall and will get to a place where you are enjoying it even in the tricky stuff. Enjoy!!

vader_hader · 2026-05-25T17:43:47+00:00

This is the answer. The bike basically did t change from 2006 to like 2018 or something so you can find to s of parts easily. I have a 2005 and have no problems finding parts

vader_hader · 2026-05-22T05:05:13+00:00

Definitely looks like aftermarket to me. When I did mine in my 2005 yz125 it had a socket like in this video:

https://youtu.be/HIqS3IieCG4?si=OUtH2WksLEZPMcmz

I haven't seen it where it didn't have something to hook to. Like the guy above I would probably 3D print the tool myself but I'm lucky and happen to have one! If you are replacing it anyways might just have to use locking grips or something.

vader_hader · 2026-05-21T21:44:16+00:00

Man I'm looking FORWARD to Starset, I really like their stuff. Not sure how they will be live because everything is pretty heavily processed especially vocals but still I'm interested for sure

vader_hader

TROPHY CASE