After searching the internet for the options on skid plate and crash bars for my 2023 Husqvarna 701 Enduro I decided to go with the T-Rex kit (Part Number: N167-16EG + N167-16SP). This kit did not claim to fit my bike exactly but rather KTM 690 Enduro/Supermoto and Husqvarna 701 Supermoto of years prior to mine. I contacted the company and asked about it fitting my bike. I worked out a deal to try it out.
Before installing it I weighed the components so I could later compare to what I removed.
Skid plate - 53.5oz
Left crash bar - 32.5oz
Right crash bar - 34.7oz
Attaching hardware - 22.2oz
142.9oz or 8.93lbs. I also weighed the factory plastic skid plate assembly and it came in at 25.4oz and 8.7oz of removed mounting hardware for a net weight gain of 6.8lbs. The added weight is fairly low on the bike, the skid plate being the heaviest single component and also the lowest.
The install was very easy and straightforward. It took less than 20 minutes I would guess. Here is a video of the install.
It fit the bike well and offers the protection I was looking for. The crash bars are simple and don't go as high as others but will likely take most of the hit if I drop the bike on either side, protecting the radiators.
The skid plate has extensions on both sides that help protect the side cases from objects from the front. They even offer some protection from dropping the bike on the side depending on the surface.
While it would have been convenient to use the original sockets to catch the back of the skid plate, the T-Rex design is much more robust.
Between the skip plate and crash bars, the water pump looks well protected now.
I like the lower position of the crash bars, both to keep the weight down low, and since this is a much stronger design than other bars.
I like the design of these crash bars compared to many others I have seen. The cross bar is positioned well to prevent branches and other things from getting captured by the bars when riding. It will tend to deflect them away.
I ride electric mountain bikes and a dual sport motorcycle in southern Nevada. Luckily, over 85% of Nevada is public lands, and there is lots of off road riding available for both motorized and non-motorized machines. I wanted to create this blog post to make others aware of some great resources to find all these available trails. While many of these resources claim to have maps for both, coverage of motorized versus non motorized varies quite a bit within each of the apps/websites. Some have free access levels and others support both subscriptions free access levels. I will say that none of these mapping tools has complete coverage. Most are less than half the actual trails in most areas.
Trailforks - This is my go to app for Electric Mountain biking, and any mountain biking. While it also supports motorized off road trails, it is not particularly good at that. For mountain biking, it is great because crowdsourced trails are available. I have found the coverage in my area to be better than any other apps I have found for mountain biking. It supports offline maps for navigation when out of cellular range. Part of Outside+.
GAIA - This is a pretty decent app in general for finding trails. I have used it for both motorcycling and electric mountain biking, but I tend to find other apps a bit better and so it is not my go to app. GAIA is more of a mapping utility and navigation tool than a way to find existing trails. It supports offline maps for navigation when out of cellular range. Part of Outside+.
onX - There are several variants of onX. I use the off road version. It seems to be the best in my area for motorcycling. It is a subscription only app and website and has no access without a subscription. It supports offline maps for navigation when out of cellular range.
AllTrails - The AllTrails app and website claim to support all kinds of off road trails and activities. It does but I have found the coverage to be not as good as trail forks for biking or for onX for motorcycling, at least in my area. It supports offline maps for navigation when out of cellular range.
Strava - This is more of a social networking app for bicyclers, but you can look up other people's ride segments and find some routes this way.
Garmin Explore - Garmin explore is an application used with many Garmin products. Garmin has other similar apps to Garmin Explore as well, depending on the product that you are using. It supports offline maps, navigation, and integration with several Garmin products such as InReach satellite messenger.
Google Maps - Google Maps actually has features for navigating off-road too. Well, somewhat anyway. It has biking and walking modes that include trails. While it is not a main feature it can work surprisingly well at times. Often you will need to put it in biking or walking mode and also add some stops along the way to enforce your desired route. Here is an example taking a Jeep trail over Wheeler Pass.
Google Earth - Google Earth has some great tools for searching the Earth for all kinds of detail. It also includes some great measurement tools that will show you the elevation profile. Another great feature is tilting the map to see a perspective from ground level or anywhere in between. You can also import GPS data from Garmin Connect and other trip trackers. The satellite imagery is good enough to spot many trails that may not yet be mapped.
RideWithGPS - created as a bicycle route planner it is generally a pretty good route planner.
Local and national government sites
Each local area likely has its own resources for specific parks and places where there are trails. things like the U. S Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management cover many parks across the United States. Below are just a few that I use around Southern Nevada.
Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR). Back country discovery routes are specific routes that have been created by the BDR community. They connect multiple trails together to make a long route, generally through part of or an entire state.
Once you find places to ride on the map, the next thing you wonder is how challenging and fun will it be. I generally search the trail name in YouTube where many people have posted some great videos of their rides/drives so you can actually ride the trail before you get there. I contribute many ride segments on my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@jimroal .
I bought an adventure bike to explore off-road. I also bought a helmet intercom system from Sena (actually mine if branded HJC but it made by Sena, it is an HJC 10B). I rode with some friends that also have helmet intercoms. This is really grate, pretty much a necessity once you have had it. There is no going back. You can hold a conversation while riding. The front person can also warn the people behind of upcoming obstacles, vehicles, hazards, etc.
The two leading helmet communications makers are Sena and Cardo. These 2 both have mesh systems which allows the communications to use multiple riders to relay messages across the group. This also allows for larger groups of riders to all communicate at the same time. These 2 mesh systems are not compatible though (although Cardo now offers a bridge feature). This mesh approach is great for street riders who ride close together. However, off-road the mesh approach has some issues. Off-road we have things like dust, gravel, and rocks getting kicked up by the tires, narrow trails, and other issues that make us ride much farther apart. We also have hills, canyons, mountains, and other obstacles that interrupt the communications. If the person in the back drops their bike, communication is lost pretty fast as the other riders increase the distance. Just when you need it most you lose communications.
I did some investigation into options. I found this great YouTube video going over this same issue and several solutions.
I looked into these options and decided to go with the BTech GMRS-Pro and the push to talk (PTT) button. This works slick with my HJC/Sena helmet system (and likely most others). It pairs to the helmet intercom as a second phone. This way you can still use the intercom via Bluetooth as normal until you are too far away and the intercom drops. Then you simply use the PTT button to contact the other riders. If and when you get back in intercom range you can switch back. Switching back and forth is automatic really. The intercom is much preferred as it allows continuous 2-way communication and is lower power (less radiation). I prefer to use the radio only when needed (which happens on many rides). This BTech is really the only GMRS radio with Bluetooth profiles to support this configuration. I found others that support Bluetooth for app integration but this device also supports profiles for hands free communication and the PTT remote. This radio is also waterproof making it a good choice.
This radio is a 5 Watt unit which is not something you want too close to electronics or your body really. I don't really need to see or touch the radio when riding since I have the PYY button and the mic and speakers use the helmet intercom system. I set the channel and volume and forget it. I decided to clip it into my rear pack, as far from me as I can. I zip the pack on the clip which retains it very well. The radio is waterproof so no worries there.
That all seemed like a great idea until we tried it while riding. The PTT button would only work sometimes, maybe half the time. I suspect the EMI from the motorcycles ignition system interfered with the Bluetooth signal from the PTT button. I decided it was time to mount the radio on the handlebars. I made a mount on the left side which is also only a few inches between the PTT button and the radio.
I found that having the PTT button on the grip was a problem since it would sometimes get in the way of the clutch level. I moved it to the mirror mount using a strip of Velcro tape and the strap it came with to keep it in position.
This worked OK but you have to reach for it and it can slide along the strap a bit. I finally moved it to the clutch lever.
Look closely and you can see one zip tie on each side of the clutch adjuster so it can't move at all.
I used 2 small zip ties to retain it in place. Now I can use my index finger to press the button while riding without having to reach. It is also in a place where I would never hit it by accident and it does not move at all.
The GMRS radio can also communicate with FRS and Ham radios. This means others can have an array of different radios and they can all work together. You just have to chose the same channel. FRS channels 1 - 7 appear to be the best choice for compatibility with both FRS and GMRS at 5W. Channels 8 - 14 are limited to 0.5W so not great for our purposes. Channels 15 - 22 would also be good as GMRS can go to 50W here but because of that high power capability you might pick of many other radios that are very far away.
Here is how I setup my system.
Pair the BTech radio to your phone via Bluetooth. This is used to simplify configuration, not communication really. The Btech app uses this connection to communicate with the radio so the app can be used. Follow the instructions in the app.
Pair the BTech radio to the push to talk (PTT) button. Follow the directions that come with the radio and PTT button.
Pair the BTech radio to your helmet intercom via Bluetooth setting it as a second phone. Follow the instructions for putting the radio in paring mode. Then put the helmet intercom in pairing mode to pair to a phone. Treat the radio as a 2nd phone in this case. With HJC/Sena you enter the configuration menu using the helmet intercom buttons until you hear "pair second phone".
I enjoy mountain biking off-road and often in areas with no cellular. Sometimes I ride in areas with many established trails that cross each other and navigation would help. I looked into bike navigation but they have small screens, are costly, and many of the features are redundant with my Garmin fenix 6x Pro Solar watch. I also never trade in my old smartphones so I have several fairly recent ones laying around. I decided to use my old Motorola Z4 smartphone as a biking navigation using. First I needed a real robust mount. I started on Amazon and found this one.
It grabs all 4 corners and locks in place.
I cleared and reset the phone, removing all unnecessary apps to minimize battery consumption. I also put it in airplane mode, and keep WiFi and Bluetooth off to save power. The Moto Z4 I am using also supports MotoMod batteries, of which I have a few. I am using the 2200mAh unit primarily and I can hot swap in others if it gets low on the trail (which is unlikely). I could also connect the phone to the USB port in the bike display to keep it charged if I wanted. I removed the SIM card as well so it would not search for cellular even out of airplane mode. Then I installed Google Maps, Trailforks, Garmin Explore, and GAIA maps. All of these offer offline maps of bike trails. There are many others too. So far I found GAIA to be the best for bike navigation as it can ever store satellite maps offline.
Here is how I organized the home screen.
Here is what GAIA maps looks like.
Here is a video showing the use of this riding some trails.
This first ride was on a pretty easy trail. I have yet to test it on harsher rides but so far it seems solid. I am of course by no means the first person to do this. I wanted to use an old phone, and not my current phone, just in case that mount breaks or I crash the bike. Also, I didn't want to drain the battery on the phone I use normally since I want to be able to make calls, or message through my Garmin satellite messenger in case of trouble.
I now have over 350 miles on this bike, most of that off-road. This bike has been great for my riding style. I have the optional range extender battery which allows me to ride about 75 miles off-road on a charge. My riding includes many long hills and loamy conditions that burn through power too.
I have had some creaking noises which sound like they are coming from the handlebar area and possible the motor area. I checked and rechecked everything and all is tight.
When I bought this bike they offered several upgrades. One of which was a $300 Wren hub upgrade. I passed on it thinking why would I need that? Well, I found out why. I was up at Little Red Rock on a loamy hill. I hit the throttle and heard a snap and then the cassette just spun, no longer driving the wheel.
Luckily I was up hill so I was able to coast down to a main road and get licked up. I got home and took the hub apart and sure enough the ratchet teeth had sheared the ends off.
Now I decided to get the upgraded hub.
If you have an electric mountain bike with a high torque motor like this Bafang Ultra M620, best to also get a hub that can support it.
This bike is heavy but I used to ride dirt bikes back in the day so I don't mind the weight. The bike alone (no batteries) is 72lbs according to Biktrix. The main battery weighs 10.3lbs and the range extender weighs 7.6lbs. Total weight is about 90lbs.
Here is a video that shows the use of the throttle for some stepper or loamier bits in the beginning of the video. Watch for my left thumb applying motor power (throttle). Starting around the 5 minute mark, I begin the downhill portion that shows the suspension soaking up the terrain at around 20mph.
This next video shows a steep but short hill when I use the throttle to climb at about 25s in.
I enjoy real off-road mountain bike riding in places where full suspension is a must and fat tires are needed to get through the soft loam. Much of my riding includes long steep hills, some in loamy terrain. I often ride Jeep trails as well as dedicated bike trails.
I started with a very inexpensive mountain bike with full suspension and 2-1/4" wire tires. The narrow tires would sink in to the gravel and sand I often encounter. Even on hard pack trails, the long steep climbs were exhausting. I realized I needed a fat tire bike with full suspension. Once you get that, you have a heavy bike so I decided to go electric as well (which of course add even more weight).
I have been riding my Rurui XT10 rear hub drive electric mountain bike over a year and over 1,100 miles. In that time I failed 2 controllers due to overloading them on long steep hills. Since the motor must handle the wide speed range with no transmission, it is very poorly suited to low speed riding. On PAS 1 it would go about 12mph where assist would then taper off. Below about 10mph the motor was just turning too slow and was very inefficient. Electric motors may produce high torque at low speeds but they cannot sustain that very long. The long steep hills were too much for the hub drive system. The hub drive I have in this bike is geared which helps but it was not enough of a gear ratio for the riding I was doing. Freewheeling the bike would reach 39mph top motor speed. I never needed to motor to 39mph. 25mph would have been much more applicable to my riding. A hub drive with much high gear ratio could really help.
However, the other issue is how and when power is applied. The Rurui had what is called a "cadence" sensor which measures the crank speed. In reality it seemed to only measure if there was crank speed or not. If you were pedaling, it applied power assist based on your PAS level selected. It makes for a strange riding experience since the motor power applied is independent of your pedaling force. There is also a delay in reading pedaling speed (cadence) and applying power. If you wanted to ride slow through some technical bits, you really had to cut the motor power. I would often do this by just pulling a brake lever far enough to cut the motor. There are now hub-drive bikes that use torque sensors.
I think hub drives are a decent approach for road bikes or at least when riding on well developed hard trails with gentle slopes.
I analyzed many approaches to augmenting the Rurui to better suit my riding. I could add a front hub drive and I have seen some bike like that on the market. However many of the downsides would still exist, now with the added weight of another motor and a whole bunch of added complexity.
I could add a mid-drive. This would give the benefit of mid-drive but also keep the hub drive. It could more than double my power. I could switch between as needed or use both. Again, weight and complexity were concerns. Another big concern was how low the add-on mid drive systems hang. I already had problems smashing my pedals on rocks I did not want to smash a motor.
It was time to just upgrade the bike. I needed a powerful mid-drive bike with more speeds to handle tougher off-road situations. I needed to be able to crawl along at lower speeds through the technical stuff. I needed to be able to climb much steeper and longer off-road hills. I needed better suspension to keep the pedals out of the rocks. I needed a drive system that would work better at low speeds and higher loads for long periods. I wanted less un-spring mass on the bike for improved suspension performance. After many months of research, I decided on the Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra FS Pro 3.
The differenced was stark and immediate. The very first thing I noticed was the power delivery. It is pretty much immediate assist when you start pedaling. I can start off up a fairly steep hill with no problem. It is like having bionic legs. Since it is sensing the pedaling force to apply power, the response of very controlled and natural. Here are some video clips from my first off-road ride on the bike.
I have ridden this route before on the Rurui several times. I normally have to get off and push the bike up the steep parts. Not on the Biktrix. I did push through a few very steep technical bits but that was not because the bike could not climb it. This ride was a breeze on the Biktrix.
The mid-drive system takes advantage of the narrower pedal cadence speeds versus wheel speeds. The motor is geared to apply much more torque since it does not have to deal with very high pedal speeds. It takes advantage of the bike gears to support a wide range of bike speeds.
As with everything, there are of course some trade-offs. When shifting gears motor power is interrupted to protect the gears from damage. As with a non-electric bike, when shifting you should reduce pedal force until the sift is complete. This of course does interrupt power delivery for a second. Another trade-off is that this total power from pedaling plus the motor power now goes through your chain and gears. This will be very hard on them. Even if I have to change the chain, chainring, and cassette every year it will be totally worth it.
If you enjoy real off-road riding, the mid drive with many speeds (11 in my case) and wide speed changes (42t-11t) is the way to go. Hub drive could be fine in flatter and hard-packed terrain where you plan to be at speeds greater than 10mph at all times.
I bought this bake based on my experiences with prior bikes given where I like to ride. I go off-road much more than on pavement. I put 1,200 miles on my Rurui XT10 and learned many things about the pros and cons of hub drive electric mountain bikes. I realized that for my riding I needed a powerful mid-drive bike so after shopping around, I bough this.
The power delivery from this bike is much better suited to my riding. It uses both crank torque and cadence sensors to determine how much motor power to add. This is a much more controlled and natural way to add assist power. It also takes advantage of all the gears, 11 on this bike, to provide high torque and a wide speed range. The mid-drive is also all suspended weight which gives better suspension dynamics in rough terrain.
It arrived in a box very similar to my Rurui bike did.
Like the Rurui, I had it assembled in about 30 minutes. Pretty easy.
I took a couple short rides around the neighborhood and adjusted it to get everything working well and the best ergonomic feel.
My first off-road ride was out to a trail I had been building, less than 8 mile round trip. Later that same day, I took it for a 23 mile loop which included paved bike path, long steep hills, loamy washes, rocky hard-pack, and everything else the desert has. I had ridden most of this route before on the Rurui so this was a great ride to contrast them. This bike is so much better suited to off-road riding. With 11 speeds and the mid-drive, it can climb any hill with ease. I shot a YouTube video with some clips from that ride.
I don't even have the range extended battery installed yet but so far the battery life is fantastic. Surely this is at least partly due to the mid-drive motor being in a much more efficient operating range, especially in the off-road situations that require high power such as steep hills and loamy terrain. The hub drive was just turning too slow and to close to stall where it become very inefficient and is hard on the controller too. The mid-drive has a much narrower operating speed since it is based on crank speed and takes advantage of the gears to handle a wide wheel speed range.
The Biktrix has a better suspension too. It has air suspension front and rear. The front rake has more angle which makes the wheelbase a bit longer, making the bike more stable at higher speeds. This also angles the wheel more when turning.
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