Yesterday I took a Verge electric motorcycle for a test ride. The motor is part of the rear wheel, they call it the donut motor. The rear wheel has no hub — it’s like a donut hole. Check it out! A wild design. No chain, no drive belt. The motor is in the rim of the rear wheel.
It is fast! 0-60 in a claimed 3.5 seconds. It sure felt like it and I really had to hold on. They claim an excellent range of up to 370 miles.
The showroom is in the Valley Fair Mall, San Jose. They’re asking $30,000 for the 2024 Verge TS, and about $35,000 for the 2026. I don’t plan to buy one but was interested so I checked it out.
These are my pictures from yesterday morning. A fun test ride!
I made a major pivot today. I ordered a new Harley bagger and it arrives in 1-2 weeks. I’ll be selling the BMW GS Adventure, but likely will keep the Zero DSRX electric for quick trips in/around town.
Harley had a promotion about 6 weeks ago where they’d give you a free hat if you took one for a test ride. This is the most expensive free hat I’ve ever gotten.
After riding BMWs for 35+ years this will be my first time without a Beemer, and this will be my first Harley. I’m 65 this month and slowing down a little bit.
Oh and also I’ll be going to the Sturgis rally this August for a couple of days. My first Sturgis ever. My wife and I will be on a road trip (car), and in Denver we’ll rent a Harley Road Glide Touring and ride the 400 miles to Sturgis. We have a hotel in Rapid City SD and we’ll ‘commute’ in to Sturgis each day (about 30 miles each way).
I went about 20 years ago (road my Sportster from north Idaho). We also stayed in Rapid City. It’s been so long I don’t think I can provide any relevant info beyond “enjoy the freak show”. Tons of great riding and things to see if you’ve never been to that region. Next time I visit that area I will be on a human powered two wheeler and riding the Mickelson Trail (next year).
Wow, where is that? My most dirt worthy bike is a DR650 and I primarily stick to forest service roads with it.
Nevada Narrows in the Little Belt mountains of Montana. 3 slot canyons in a row and you’d never know they were there. Took us 3 and a half hours to go 30 miles, and half of that was ATV trails!
It’s a good challenge (esp at 58yo). All my riding buddies want to be Graham Jarvis. Speaking of which, if you haven’t checked out the Erzberg Rodeo, you should. Insane. Graham finished on an e-motorcycle (one of 14 finishers out of 500 starters) at 52yo! 2 Starks finished also.
I am a lifelong street rider who wishes he’d started riding a little dirt years ago. Those would be good skills to have. I’m now 65 (today actually!) and my new Harley arrives next week.
I’ll be selling off the GS. I’ll keep my focus on street riding. I’ll also keep the electric bike, the Zero DSRX (dual sport). I’ll do some practicing with it at Hollister Hills which is near me. It has many dirt trails to practice on so I’ll be doing some of that.
I use a generic tankbag when renting or switching between different bikes, and it’s been super helpful for longer rides or when you need to carry more than what fits in your jacket pockets. For my current setup, I went with a soft, strap-on type that fits almost any tank and has a clear map pocket on top, which is handy for phones or navigation. Magnets can be hit or miss depending on the tank material, so I prefer the versatility of universal straps, and it’s pretty quick to attach or remove. Waterproofing is another thing I always look at, some bags come with rain covers, and that’s a must if you run into weather unexpectedly.
That’s the way to go — generic strap on tank bag. In December-January when I was in the Philippines for a month and rented a motorcycle, I wish I’d had one. Instead I used a backpack and attached it to the tank. It was a kluge workaround that barely adequately did the job, but a generic strap on tank bag would have been so much better.
If you want to look at more tankbags and see what fits your style and needs, I’d just browse the bigger enthusiast shops online that stock all kinds of luggage and powersports accessories. I stumbled on a ton of options for stuff like this at https://roguepowersports.com/ the last time I was looking for luggage upgrades for my motorcycle.
I picked up the Harley today. It’s a Road Glide and right now I’m on a 250 mile break-in ride. The break in period is 500 miles so I’ll complete that either Monday or Tuesday. I’m enjoying it and that engine, its torque and that V-twin rumble does speak to my soul. It’s late and I’m 125 miles from home. I just had a late dinner and I’ll be heading home shortly.
I’m loving the Harley, but it is a big change after almost 40 years of BMWs.
I got home a little while ago. The sitting position on the Harley is different from most BMWs, and right now my lower back isn’t happy. And I only rode 250 miles. The seat isn’t uncomfortable. In fact I think it’s quite good for a stock OEM seat (unlike BMW seats which generally suck). My back pain is because my back alignment isn’t great on the Harley seat. I’ll have to figure out the solution.
Here’s the Harley. It’s orange and black. Harley calls the color Citrus Heat. Whatever…
It’s a very different ride. The handling and suspension are slower than the BMWs I had. Not as crisp and responsive. I never had the BMW R1200C, their failed attempt at a cruise, but I imagine its handling would be similar to Harley.
I am really enjoying this bike! Live to ride, ride to live.
