One of the coolest feelings in the modern world is whipping an all-electric dirt bike or motorcycle through the trees deep in a forest. The silence is almost deafening, as you can actually hear the wind rushing alongside you, as well as the leaves moving within the trees. It's an otherworldly experience for those used to two- and four-stroke noises.
But in my wildest dreams, I didn't think of taking it as far as the company Make It Mobile did.
As they explain, in a world where militaries and special operations forces increasingly use dirt bikes, and now electric dirt bikes, how far can you go with being stealthy? How far can you take a platform like a Zero FX to suit the needs of modern-day ninjas? The answer is pretty far, as you can strap some infrared lights onto the front of it, pair it with the US military's NODS night vision helmet, and then go for a rip in complete freakin' darkness.
Dang, son.
According to the video's description, "With E-bikes becoming more and more mainstream for commercial and military use due to their power and near-silent footprint, one might wonder what it takes to set up an e-bike to be used with night vision, and how it handles doing normal dirtbike things. In this video Christian talks about his Zero FX (commercial variation of the Military MMX), how he set it up for riding with NODS, and showcases how it handles in the dark."
What the folks at Make It Mobile do to the FX is largely what I've already talked about in making my perfect hunting rig using the FX prior to this. Off-road tires, chain drive, better lighting, etc. They just had the idea of turning it into a go-fast military-spec motorcycle instead of a hunt Bambi one. That's a joke, creature lovers. But not really, as Bambi's parents are delicious.
To get a full night vision experience, Christian pulls a few fuses, splices some wires, and generally turns his DOT-legal FX into a very not DOT-legal FX, as all the lights become no longer functional. Well, they do, but they have a toggle on/off switch—I love a good toggle, wait. He then pairs it with a set of military-spec NODs or Night Observation Device—night vision goggles—that allow him to use IR lights from Baja Designs to better illuminate the path ahead.
It's a pretty slick setup, one I'd love to try myself. Imagine sneaking into the forest the first day of elk or deer season under the cover of darkness and being able to go way further than just hiking in. Oh the possibilities.
