Electric Avenue
By Team TMX on 29th Jul 15
TMX enjoys sound of silence with E-SCAPE
We all love the sound and smell of a rasping two-stroke or a thumping four-stroke mud eater – evoking memories of good times and bad times.
But with noise levels a problem, council restrictions getting tighter, and costs of running a track increasing, sometimes it just isn't viable for track owners to keep going.
The cost of buying and maintaining a bike is soaring as well.
With this in mind are electric MX/Enduro bikes a serious alternative to their gas-guzzling cousins?
One place that's flying the flag for all things electric is E-SCAPE, the UK's first all-electric off-road riding centre based at Preston Brook, Chesire.
So here at TMX/ DBR, we thought it would be a good idea to get staff members down to E-SCAPE, ride some electric bikes and meet the man behind it all, Stuart Rutter, to tell us in his own words how he got E-SCAPE off the ground...
The Idea
"E-SCAPE was conceived in 2004 after I received noise complaints after riding regular dirtbikes at a track I had in mid Wales.
"After running a couple of Hare and Hound events with WOR Events at the track, the local council imposed very tight restrictions on our use and it wasn't viable to keep the track open.
"In looking for quieter alternatives I developed our own electric dirtbike in association with an American company.
"That dirtbike (The Blade T6) demonstrated you could have the same fun without the noise and have tracks in much more accessible locations.”
Stuart began discussions with his local authority in 2006 regarding seven acres of land in the green belt next to his home with a desire to build an all-electric off-road riding centre.
Needless to say, they resisted any discussion and thought the idea was unworkable.
FOR FULL ARTICLE & PICTURES SEE TMX NEWS, JULY 30, ISSUE 1982
