After riding for about 8 years, I finally did my first dual sport ride

And it was a bit different, because we did it on Zero FX's.​https://i.redd.it/nekdlosqv3g31.jpgI work for a Zero dealer, and we were approached by a couple starting a dual sport tour company on the GA/SC border. They bought a fleet of FX's from us. They got the 3.6 dual swappable battery configurations with 2 extra batteries per bike, which means they run just like the 7.2 configuration with the ability to swap out the battery packs quick and easy. More on that later.I went up there Sunday for a test run and my first time riding dirt. I had a bit of road experience on the Zeros, but not much more than a leisurely ride up to an event and back. Plus that was on the bigger, heavier DSR. The FX and SR-F are my favorite platforms from Zero, and this was my first time putting some serious saddle time in them.For dual sport riding, they WORK. Holy moley.Phil, who is running the soon-launching company with his wife is an excellent dude, and an excellent rider. We went over the do's and don'ts of riding dirt and he gave be a brief of wanting to ride 'on top of' the bike, and about keeping the weight on the outside foot. I chose the bike with the Pirelli street/trail tires to intentionally give me a bit looser of a bike so I could get used to slipping and sliding. It took me 20 or so miles out of the 96 mile loop to really start feeling comfortable, but once I did I really started realizing Phil NAILED it when he chose the Zeros.We were nearly silent. Any time we had to stop and chat no one had to raise their voices over an idling thumper. I thought I'd miss the noise and shifting gears, but having all that torque to light up the rear at will was so much easier and more fun for a newbie like me. Riding in eco mode meant the bike would use regenerative braking to mimic engine braking and also recoup energy. There were long enough descents that I'd see the remaining battery indicator actually climb a bit. We were able to sneak up on wildlife. People on the trail would watch us go by confused as to why there was no noise.Then we got on our first road section of the loop, and I already knew it, but confirmed it for myself. These things are quiiiiiiick. They're super light and flickable, and with no gears to change you can just roll on that throttle through a corner and seamlessly pull through to the next one. It was so easy, and so much more fun than many would think.Once we got to the halfway point we were met by Melissa with snacks and two fully-charged batteries for each bike. Swapping them out took less time than refueling a bike with a bigger tank. It gave us time to snack, pet their dog, and check out the river before heading on for more riding.In the second half I switched over to the bike that Phil installed Kenda knobbies on. It was like cheating compared to the street/trail tires. With the added confidence and grip I started getting even more comfortable with cornering and powering out. On the street, the louder knobbies handled just as well as the Pirellis. Eventually the whole fleet will be equipped with the Kendas.I had the best time and I encourage anyone who is interested in either electric bikes or dual sport riding to give this a shot. It's a revelation. You don't feel disruptive towards other people out in the woods, or to the neighbors of the trails. The countryside up there is gorgeous, as is the red clay. One of the cool things about how Phil will run things is he plans on letting riders freely enjoy themselves. You'll get a tablet with a blue line to follow on a GPS map, and he intends to hang at the back of the pack. There will be showers at the starting point, facilites, etc. My ride was a sort of 'dry run' as they get ready to open up to the public.The name of Phil and Melissa's company is Red Clay Dual Sport, and their website (which isn't open quite yet) will be www.electricmotorcycletours.comThey hope to be ready for booking later this month. I had such a good time I promised them I would spread the word, and I can't recommend this enough to riders new or experienced. I want them to succeed, so I apologize if this reads like some kind of ad. It's all straight from the heart. It was a wild time. via /r/motorcycles https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/cpks46/after_riding_for_about_8_years_i_finally_did_my/?utm_source=ifttt