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Interesting to hear your views, thanks. I'm not disputing that motocross is an intense workout. That's already an established fact (see http://www.racerxvt.com/virtual_trainer/Dr_A_heart_rate.html). I would dispute that the average trailrider on a dirtbike reaches that level of heartate intensity, noting the short duration of a MX heat compared to several hours in the saddle on a trailbike ride (which I've also done, regularly, on open trails and closed circuits). What I'm interested in is the physical activity levels of the local population in my area, where 70% of men fit into the obese category, and getting them active. If that means...

That's true. But I was also a rider before I decided to back them as a riding concept, coming from a background of enduro bikes and racing MTB at a high level. I keep a running watch on what owners say, log it at http://store.quietrush.com.au/what-riders-say.html so will let their unbiased views tell their own story. There are a whole bunch of issues associated with moto riding that make it very hard to retain trail access anywhere close to an urban centre. We've seen harrowing stories of neck high wiretraps locally that can take out a mtb rider just as effectively...

In sensitised multi-use trail areas, the key issue is going to be about riding respectfully around other trail users, not blasting past them at speed and creating a hazard, which I've seen plenty of unpowered riders do, as a rider and a walker. It's the passing speed that really gets to people..but I'm sure there will also be trail users who just want it kept to themselves, unwilling to share with anyone outside their own group (horse/moto/walker). The obligation to ride respectfully of other trail users is a universal one for riders..

What they do is engineer out two of the key problems of a dirtbike - noise and trail impact - whilst getting the rider much more active and enjoying a fitness benefit they'd otherwise miss out on by riding a moto. The power delivery is instantaneous torque without power pulses of a fuel driven motor. In my riding, I've found that they're actually slower on a bit of tight singletrack than a good rider on an unpowered bike, but they turn climbs into a key advantage, helping me hold a higher average speed on a climb. They do represent a...

Good for you. But I'd go for one of these anyday, have had my time on motos, not going back now.

I've ridden both dirtbikes (large and small) and raced MTB at a high level, ridden all kinds of trails in between. I beg to differ. I also ride a Stealth Fighter (the lighter, 3kW model) so have some insight into how they actually ride on singletrack. There's no way they do the trail damage a dirtbike does. There's actually a useful comparison article that assesses trail damage risk potential at http://forums.stealthelectricbikesusa.com/forums/showthread.php?2506-How-does-my-Stealth-Bike-impact-my-favorite-trails&p=6839#post6839 What they do is engineer out two of the key problems of a dirtbike - noise and trail impact - whilst getting the rider much more active and enjoying...