We tried crossing North America’s largest desert on electric motorcycles
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Just take it slow, man. Burning energy. Just take it slow. Nice and easy. Oh. Oh, Dave just went down. Who wants margaritas? Does anybody have zip ties? I don’t do shrimp. No, it’s all you, buddy. Caution. You entering a remote border area. Smuggling illegal border crossing occasionally occurs. If you observe suspicious activity, do not intervene. All right, so I’ve got 10 miles of range left and there’s uh like nothing around. I don’t even know how far away the next charger is. And uh it’s been a while since I’ve seen anybody except that I can make it to a charger. On day one, I ran out of battery, got lost, got towed, and spent the night wondering if I’d made a huge mistake. I never wanted this to be a group ride. I didn’t trust my bike. And somehow that’s what made this one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I didn’t want a group ride. I didn’t want voting or compromises. I came out here expecting to ride with just one friend. But two more guys joined at the last minute. And honestly, I wasn’t sure how that was going to go. I’m used to riding alone, going my own pace, stopping when I feel like it. And suddenly, I was now responsible to a group, half of which were complete strangers. And that made me question whether I even wanted to do this trip at all. Yeah. On the interwebs. On the interwebs. I told him we’re all on big bikes. He goes, “Well, if you’re on a dirt bike and you’re a really good rider, you might make it.” I’m like, “Really? It’s that bad?” So anyway, what’s terrible about the train? Is it rudded up? Really rudded. Mud still remains. Okay. And deep sand. The locals told us the route was mired with mud and that we should go around or avoid the route altogether. And normally you listen to people who live here. We decided to ride north and find out for ourselves. And that decision set the tone for the rest of the trip. Within minutes, we were split on which way to go. Kevin went left on the plan route and Dave went right on an unmarked road. And I was stuck in the back trying to keep everyone in sight. It doesn’t look good. It looks like it’d be kind of rough. I don’t think anybody’s going that way. No, we’re going to go back the way you did, I guess, is the best way. Okay. Even though it’s showing the hot spring road on the map, doesn’t doesn’t look good. Right away, I knew I had a problem. Their bikes had almost twice my range and I was already burning energy to try to catch up. I also wasn’t running the right tires for this route. And the deeper we went into the desert, the more I realized how much that wasn’t going to matter. And look how huge these mountains are. Absolutely incredible. At this point, I just wanted space, my own stride, my own thoughts. I told the guys to go ahead so I could film and settle myself because uh I don’t like having the pressure of Yeah. that that I’m slowing people down because I’m trying to film or or anything like that. So, they’re going to go off ahead of me and we’ll we’ll link up at some other point. And honestly, that hour alone helped till the pavement disappeared again. That mountain, that is Mexico. And the Rio Grand is like right over here somewhere. I’ve never ridden a motorcycle this close to another country before. Obviously, the dream would be to just like ride around the world to different countries, but this is pretty good and it’s so exciting. Hello, buddies. You boys want some drugs? How’s it going, Harley man? It’s going. All right. So, link back up with the boys. Supposed to hit Gravel Road here soon. Yep. Straight ahead. We’ll see if uh locals if it’s as bad as the locals say that it is. Zero experience riding. It’s sand. Woo. Yeah, that’s a little squirly. Struggling to get traction. There we go. It’s just too loose. Are you losing traction on that? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I was just making sure it was just me. I had to put my feet down and kind of push a little bit. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Everything was going okay until we reached Godzilla Hill. Holy moly. This is steep. Holy crap. I’ve ridden a lot of rough roads, but I’ve never stood at the top of something that steep and wondered if I’d actually make it down in one piece. I’m going to give him a little bit of space. Wow. Like that’s making me nervous right now just looking at it. And Dave is uh watching Dave go down halfway made it even worse. Dave just went down. So that’s Godzilla right there. This rock formation. His bike is way heavier than mine and he struggled getting it up on his own. Thankfully Dave Knight and Kevin walked up to help him out. My plan was simple. Take it easy past the big stuff and then gun it to the bottom. Woohoo! Well done, dude. That was steep as [ __ ] Yeah, up that. Especially with my tires. I’m not good to go. We continued pushing north, expecting mud, but the whole stretch was bone dry. We were lucky, but that luck wasn’t going to last long. looking for a shady spot to to stop to uh eat lunch. And you probably didn’t notice that, but it’s about if it tips over and you pick it up. I’m at 60. 64. What are you at? 75, but it started at 95. Yeah. Where you sitting at, Dave? 84%. 84. Dave, what are you at? 86. Definitely some gnarly terrain. Riverbed. God, it’s so scary. This stuff is deep, deep, deep, deep, deep. Yeah, it’s hard to like you try to not clinch up cuz that’s what you don’t want to do. You just want to let the tire just kind of find its way. But man, oh that’s really it’s so hard to not get tense up on the uh on the bars. I didn’t know yet, but my biggest problem wasn’t the sand or the tires or the group. It was the bike that I brought. And I was about to hit that wall sooner than I imagined. All right, so I’ve got 10 mi of range left and there’s uh there’s like nothing around. I don’t even know how far away the next Charger is. Been uh it’s been a while since I’ve seen anybody. It wouldn’t be bad. I just don’t know. I’m I I didn’t plan the I’m not the route, but I’m just the film guy. The downside of of Having multiple people is someone always has a better idea of where we’re going than than everyone else. I’m just I’m just shocked that uh nobody’s here. Just hope that I can make it to a charger RV campground. Something see I don’t see dust trails. I don’t see anybody. By the afternoon, I was riding alone again and my battery was falling faster than it should. Every wrong turn we’d made early was catching up to me. And every mile burned more energy than I thought I had to spare. There was nothing out here. No towns, no houses, just a long dirt road leading deeper into nowhere. But there is just nobody here except me. Oh, there they are. How long have you guys been here? What’s that? How long have y’all been here? Um, actually about 5 minutes. Oh, okay. Yeah. Well, I’ve got 8 miles left. Okay. What’s your percentage? 8%. 8%. Oo. One for one. I mean, there’s Lo RV Campground or Desert Gardens Oasis. Yeah, we had scoped Desert Gardens Oasis, but I never called them. Yes, we have no idea if 21 miles to Valentine. How far? 21. Yeah, I’m not going to make that. So, we finally made it to pavement and I’ve turned off my GPS just to try to conserve a little bit, but uh bike’s in turtle mode. What’s Kevin doing? He’s seen there’s an outlet. It’s frustrating being at the at the bottom of the of the range. What are you at now? Seven. Have you gone past zero before? Yeah, I’ve only got about three or four miles past that, though. It’s frustrating here. And you’ve run out of everything, dude. I’m I’m like toast. I’m at zero and everything. Yeah. Yeah. So, I say we try I’ll try to tow you. Let’s just tow down this road and maybe you’ll get a tow charge. I I say we just tow me to Lobo. Let me charge there because that’s that’s like the safest thing to do. I know that it like delays everything, but pulling me 20 m, my bike hit 0%. I knew it had a few miles left at best, but the charger was still too far away. So, we did the one thing none of us wanted to do on day one. We pulled out a tow strap. Got it. Still good. Yeah. Okay. Ready? All right. Go ahead. Right. Yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come off the mine or from mine. But see, just regening it’s too much. Yeah. You know, having it actually hooked on yours won’t hurt, but if you beep your horn, I really No, I’m not going to do that. You don’t want to do it? Okay, that’s cool. All right, let’s go ahead try it again. You got it wrapped twice. Yeah. All right, here we go again. Being towed across the desert gives you a lot of time to think. And in that moment, I hated this bike. I hated how slow it charged. I hated how small the battery was. I hated needing help on the trip that I was supposed to be prepared for. This was the first time I really questioned if I should have brought the Delmare. But even with all that, they didn’t complain. The guys didn’t make me feel like a burden. They got me to Valentine. All right. Where’s it at? Yeah. You’re on your You’re on You’re on bikes out there? Yeah. You You got a place to stay? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What’s your name? Ben. Ben. I’m Jason. Jason. Yeah. Good to meet you. Yeah. Uh yeah. Hang out. I’m not a I just ate like a bunch of foc. Valentine felt like a blessing. The bar owners let us charge and gave us a drink. And for a minute, things felt normal again, but we still had miles to go and I wasn’t going to risk running out again. So, I stayed behind and charged a full while the others pushed on ahead. That last stretch was rough, slow, quiet, and dark. I had too much time to think and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I made the wrong choice breaming this bike. The next morning, I still felt the weight of the first day, but the pace shifted. Most of the miles ahead were pavement, and for the first time, I could settle into my own rhythm. We are heading to the next charging stop which is a little country store. Now the issue that we’re having today is got some serious wind today. So I don’t know how that’s going to I mean it will impact range. I just don’t know how When we finally started heading toward the park, that’s when the desert opened up. huge cliffs, empty valleys, and colors that didn’t look real. I stopped caring about the battery and I just rode. Apparently, this pool is open for 6 months of the year, which would be amazing. Even right now, it’s pretty warm still. Bet you these planks get hot as hell, though. All right, so we’re leaving Tingo Ranch and we’re going to hop hop back onto the BDR. 65 miles. Not all of that is going to be gravel, but um hopefully range will not be an issue. Then the sand hit and it didn’t stop. Oh my god. This is probably the loosest that we’ve been in. Well, that was fun. Yeah, it was. Everybody make it okay? Yeah. With really knobbyby tires and the confidence to go about 35 mph, it all smoothed out, but not with this thing. No. Everyone was struggling. The sand was deep, loose, and endless. And somehow, for the first time on this trip, the Delmare actually helped me out. It was the lightest bike in the group and in this stuff that mattered a lot. It didn’t erase the hell of day one, but it was the first time I thought maybe this bike wasn’t the mistake I thought it was. My bike is lighter enough that I if I’m having trouble know they are. They’ve got way heavier bikes than me. I can feel the bike skid dragging on the ground. That’s how deep this sand is. This is some hard stuff. I think they went Somebody went down. They’re not behind me. Stop. If you stop, you sink. Yeah, somebody somebody went down. I’m guessing Dave went down. Looks like Dave Knight is down. Yeah, I couldn’t lift it. No, no, it’s going to take all of us. Just a few weeks before this trip, Dave Knight had a complete hip replacement, and we were all concerned that might be an issue on this type of terrain. Come on, Dave. You got those knobbyby tires and you can’t get a bike out. Good. You got a hug man behind you. Keep going. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. And he pushed through the discomfort and misery of that day. Pushing past your limits is the only way to redefine what they are. And it’s where we find out who our true character really is. Never ending, huh? I know. Sure you want that 100 lb heavier bike now. Wow. Looks like neither side’s good, right? All right, so we just had a little break after going through the sand section of hell. That was uh that was not easy riding. Got some more sand coming up here. Paved road is coming up soon. Dave, tell me, have you ever been so excited to see a paved road? We followed the sun deeper into the wild country, eager to see what wonders waited for us the next day. So, our neighbors over there just came and brought me this delicious plate of skewered pork. Much better than than my pasta pesto chicken would have been. Oh, yeah. Wow. Marinated. With our bellies now full for breakfast, Kevin and I packed up canned. Today was going to be another epic day of riding, exploring, and excitement. And we even came across a few wild locals and that’s why they call it a road runner. That is a hardened criminal right there. It is. Robert’s room. Yeah. Is that introduce us to your friend? Oh, my buddy over here. That’s what Dave’s writing. That’s his electric. Uh, hey your body. Is that what happens when you run out of electrons? Yeah, you go back to donkey. Hi. I live on a horse ranch. Day three, I decided to ride alone. Not because I was frustrated, but because I needed to reset. Let the desert settle in. And honestly, it was absolutely perfect. Heat. Heat. These were some of the best miles of the entire trip. out of it. But uh my friends, they wanted to go to the Rio. So I’m just trying to kill some time while the sun sets while we camp out. So figured if I’m going to be waiting somewhere, I might as well be fueling up. So Kevin just sent me these photos of them stuck in the sand. And here I am stuck in some Vener’s ice cream. Individual experiences may vary. All righty. So had an ice cream, had a charge. Bike is at 79%. Not as much as I hoped it to, but sun hit the mountains and that’s when I told myself that I would head back. Hopefully, I have enough time to get there. Kevin sent me a text and said that uh the road is a little bit rougher after that turn going up to the campsite. So, here’s hoping that I have enough sunlight to to get me up there. Going to that far canyon over there or that far mountain range. That’s where our campsite is. All righty. Almost there. I went down once on a technical climb. Nothing broke. Just a reminder that out here the desert makes all the rules. I come bring margaritas. Who wants margaritas? Wait, where’s the charger? Dude, I could see the lights from like I mean really. I mean cuz I I went down at the base of that mountain to come up. I could see the headlights and I’m like there’s no way that’s them. That night we camped out under sky so bright it didn’t look real. We shared margaritas, laughed about the week so far, and for the first time, I felt completely at ease. Day four felt like a reward. Canyon roads, river overlooks, perfect weather, no stress, no rush, just riding. There’ll be no audio. Follow me. Everyone follow me please. We’re walking. We we see sand and we see some trees off to our left and right. Up ahead we have some horseshit on the ground. Well, the real question is is that is that American horseshit or is that Mexican horseshit? No, this is just a creek to the right. Oh, here they come right now. Your heart skipped one beat. No. Dude, what? Like what? What are they doing here? You think? Not that short. It’s only what 4 ft in the middle. All right, you’re not going to believe the place that we’re in right now. Got on Airbnb like minutes ago and then we got a super badass discount on it and you will see for obvious reasons. But this is by far the coolest place that I’ve ever stayed at in a motorcycle trip. the most unique place that I’ve ever stayed at in a motorcycle trip I certainly have ever done. So, check out this accommodation, this space dome here in or just outside of study but teas. Obviously, this is why it’s at a discounted rate. The boys are doing some construction. Come around YouTube. No YouTube, huh? It’s okay. It’s cool. I blast all you want, bro. Okay. Kevin’s in the shower. Look at this telescope bed vista fridge. This is going to be the uh kitchen area. Kitchen and dining area. Our room air conditioned, double beds. The original reservation was we were going to share a bed, but uh we needed electrical outlets and this is the only one that had it close to it. Look, airplane seats while you have your coffee or your dose. Dokis are included in the refrigerator. How cool is this though, huh? Obviously, construction won’t be happening the entire time. the coolest place I’ve ever I’ve ever stayed at. I had a lot of dreams about Tesla trucks for some reason. What? Good morning, J. Where you boys coming from? All righty. Just a second one. I got you a present. Oh, yes. You give it away to a stranger. No, it was stolen. Well, you can get rid of of a trip gift only by gifting it to someone along your route. It can’t be somebody in the group. It can’t be some You can’t pass it to somebody in the group. You can only give it to someone that we meet out in the wild if you choose to. If you choose to. But I’m not getting rid of of Stitch here. Look at that. Whoa. There you go, Kevin. Pull over. Good job. Well, that was a welcome surprise. Yeah. Just popped out of nowhere. I know. What a route, huh? Couple of those corners with the rocks following. Yeah, that’s pretty wicked. Big rocks in the road. I thought, “Oh, shoot.” Yeah. Yeah. That is a great ride. Yeah. Oh, yeah. come over those peaks and they’re blind and you find it’s like a drop and a turn all at once. All right. So, noticed that the bike wasn’t charging. The battery was overheating. Now, it was kind of sitting broad broadside in the sun. So, I moved it over here in the shade. Hopefully that’ll help. Kevin pulled some water on it, too. It’s still saying that it’s out of range, so get some uh try to find something to scoop some water out. Jesus. on the on the day that we needed a full charge balance. 4.8 4.7. What’s the percentage? 92. On day five, the range anxiety came back and my bike overheated at a very bad moment. No [ __ ] It’s going now. We thought something serious had happened. Turns out a rocket jammed the cooling fans. That would uh that would explain the issue. Sometimes the desert hits you. Sometimes it just flicks a pebble at you. The last long stretch was a gamble. Uphill, remote, no backup plan. Vast land of nothing. But it turned in one of the most beautiful sections of the entire trip. It’s pretty wicked. Yeah, mine says go that way. I mean, and this looks new. All right. Well, see where it goes. Dude, that was that was fantastic road. Like super wide, barely any corrugation. For a few minutes, nobody talked. We just stood there in the silence. That’s when it hit me how rare this whole thing was. It’s cold. We woke up on the last morning and rode into the sunrise together. And it was in that moment that I realized something I didn’t see coming. I thought I wanted to ride alone. I thought this bike was a mistake. The desert gave me a new bike, a new level of confidence, and a new group of friends to ride with. I thought adding people to this trip would completely ruin it. I was wrong about all of it. And honestly, I can’t wait to go back. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.
We tried crossing North America’s largest desert on electric motorcycles, and it pushed us harder than any trip I’ve done before.
What started as a simple plan quickly turned into a real test of range, terrain, trust, and patience. From deep sand and steep climbs to getting stranded at zero percent battery in the middle of nowhere, this trip constantly forced us to adapt. There were moments where I questioned the bike I brought, the group dynamic, and whether this whole idea was even going to work.
But somewhere between getting towed across the desert, riding alone along the Rio Grande, and finally rolling into Big Bend at sunset, everything started to click. The bike I doubted ended up being an advantage. The group ride I didn’t want became the best part of the trip. And the desert delivered some of the most beautiful and challenging riding I’ve ever experienced.
This film isn’t about proving electric motorcycles are perfect. It’s about showing what happens when you take them somewhere they aren’t supposed to work, and figuring it out along the way.
If you enjoy real-world adventure riding, honest storytelling, and seeing what electric motorcycles are actually capable of outside the pavement, this one’s for you.
