New Electric Side-by-Side - Going Green or Just Good Sense

While paging through Brian’s BRC Recreation News yesterday, The General enjoyed reading about a new all-electric side-by-side called the Ranger EV manufactured by Polaris.
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Story about new Ranger EV

http://www.startribune.com/business/86673177.html

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PHOTO: BRC's Don Amador on an all-electric Zero Motorcycles dirt bike
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Some of you may remember back in the Spring of 2009 when The General attended the 1st ever all electric dirt bike 24 hour race held in San Jose.

See April 5, 2009 Blog with info, links to stories, and video/audio of event
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2009/04/saved-by-zero-24-hours-of-electricross.html

Since that event, I have talked with a lot of riders about the future of all-electric OHVs.
At this point in time, I don’t believe the all-electric OHV will replace the gas-powered dirt-bike or ATV for those of us who take long rides that would exceed the limits of current battery technology.

However, I do believe that all-electric OHVs do have a place in the OHV family for use in cases where the trips are mostly short in nature. Those examples include use on a small farm, hunters who drive up to a stand and wait, federal or state agencies that don’t need vehicles with extended driving range, by recreationists who make short trips, or of special interest to the Recreation HQ – for use in new all-electric OHV parks sited in urban areas.

As many of you know, The General does not buy the global warming scam along with a number of other eco-hoaxes such as the bogus environmental lawsuit filed by anti-OHV groups to supposedly protect the now infamous “Carnegie Hoax Fish.”

See blog that includes Photo of The General holding the Carnegie Hoax Fish
http://jeepndel.blogspot.com/2009/12/carnegie-svra-rally-and-ride.html

The Recreation HQ does not support the EV OHV industry because it wants to be green.
Rather, it supports electric OHVs because they make sense for certain applications and they are now a factor in the land-use equation and an important and new member of the OHV family. Will EV OHVs save the planet from certain destruction? No! But they do have a place for certain applications and we should support that concept simply because it makes sense.

Rockers and Youth to the Rescue

I can’t tell you how many times The General has been at OHV meetings comprised mostly of aging white guys of various body types. What has been lacking is getting younger riders involved in land-use advocacy.

The good news in what has been a virtual avalanche of OHV-related bad news lately is that there are a growing number of young people who are stepping up the plate and answering the call.

Just recently, the Peace Mafia, an alternative rock band based in Reno, Nevada, managed a rock/BRC booth at Mammoth MX. Their goal is to get rockers, young people, racers, and others involved in helping keep trails open. The band has made a long-term commitment to land access.

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BRC News Release on Peace Mafia/Mammoth MX
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/media/?story=651

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Also, I see other younger riders getting involved and learning the trade. In Northern California, a rep. for a major aftermarket company is representing OHV interests
on a county/stakeholder planning group. He has made a commitment to learn the process so he can be part of the solution. Good for them and even better for us old guys and the sport.

I challenge more celebrities in the art/music/movie/TV industry to get involved in the fight to keep trails open. Consider hosting a concert or trail ride. Donate your time for a PSA. Consider making a financial contribution to BRC or some other land use organization. There is no time like the present for you to get involved.

If you want to send a donation, plan a concert, host a fundraiser trail ride, or make some other commitment…feel free to contact The General.

Don Amador
The General’s Recreation HQ
555 Honey Lane
Oakley, CA 94561
Office: 925.625.6287
Email: damador@cwo.com

To send a donation to BRC:

The BlueRibbon Coalition, Inc.
4555 Burley Drive, Ste. A
Pocatello, ID 83202
www.sharetrails.org

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Not Preaching to the Choir - New Age Meets Off-Road

One of the side benefits of BRC attending

the 24 Hours of Electricross was the opportunity to have a discourse with new age or eco-groups
that had an interest in quiet OHV recreation.

The General has often been encouraged by riders to engage those non-motorized stakeholder groups that do not understand the OHV community or traditional motor sports.

Just such an opportunity presented itself at the 24 Hours of Electricross where Don Amador was interviewed by David Herron, an internet journalist for a new age website. I think the interview/video was a good chance to share
our commitment to the resource via OHV sound education with folks who are not familiar with the BlueRibbon Coalition or the OHV community.

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Photo to right is of the famous KAZBUS. The General was raised in
Humboldt County in Northern California in the late 1960s/early 1970s

and seeing this bus was fun, since the concept for such “modified vehicles”

was actually created or born in Humboldt County

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In the following video, David Herron shares his perspective (about 8:16) of the video
and then switches over to Don Amador for his views on the electric motorcycle, potential for creation of new urban OHV parks, sound being a public lands issue, etc.

Link to Herron’s Video Interview with Don Amador
http://www.7gen.com/blog/20090412/25538-podcast


In Herron’s narrative, you see him talk about (w)ilderness or is it (W)ilderness?
Although BRC has advocated for continued use of existing routes via cherry-stems in Wilderness designations, its main purpose is to champion responsible use of non-Wilderness public lands where OHV recreation is an allowed or prescribed use. I think that distinction may have
gotten lost in the translation. However, that may be a difference without a distinction since in modern day Wilderness bills you have lands next to county garbage dumps
being proposed for Wilderness.


While preaching to the choir may be something we do a lot of…The General feels that
getting out to new venues and sharing our land use views with non-traditional news sources is a good thing.

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24 Hours of Electricross - New Member of Off-road Family

Taking a break from all the OHV “bad news,” The General is happy to report on a very cool event that is happening in San Jose on the weekend of April 4-5, 2009.

I will be representing BRC at the first ever 24 Hours of Electricross endurance test for all electric OHVs. The event will be held at the 408 MX facilities at the San Jose fairgrounds. OHMVR will be there as well, plus a number of other partners and sponsors.

A number of teams both domestic and international will be putting their electric OHVs to the test. The Guinness Book of World Records will be there.

***** Don Amador on Zero Motorcycles Dirt Bike in photo at right of screen *****

Zero Motorcycles Info on Event. (includes info about Demo rides, quotes from Zero founder Neil Saiki, Daphne Greene, and Don Amador, plus other stuff etc.)
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/electricross/

Zero Motorcycles Code of Ethics
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/electricross/Code-of-Ethics.html

March 27 Santa Cruz Sentinel Article
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_12008079

Fox Business Article

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/zero-motorcycles-set-world-record--hour-electric-vehicle-endurance-race/

Motorcycle.com Article

http://www.motorcycle.com/news/zero-hosts-electric-24-hr-endurance-race-88100.html

I believe that electric OHVs are or will become an important member of
the off-road family. I too share the sentiments of Deputy Director Greene (OHMVR Program) that having these products available increases our collective chance to site an urban/city OHV park so folks can ride close to home.

Don will be doing a post event story.

See ya there!

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