An Electric Exploration Through Utah
The open road is always best experienced on two wheels and having a good friend to share it with. This was exactly the case when my old pal Aaron Brimhall and I reunited in his home state of Utah. Bit of history, we’ve traveled around the world together and spent a mess of miles in the saddle in places like Bali, Mexico and California. So, when he invited me out there for an adventure, as things tend to end up with him, I was two feet, both arms and whole body into it. There was a catch though, this road trip, was to be one of the electric variety.
Aaron had recently picked up a pair of Zero SR/F motorcycles, he’d planned, in his mind’s eye, to make a loop through southern Utah and back up to his home in Salt Lake City. We would be traveling town to town, charging station to charging station.
At first glance, the motorcycles are styled well and have the right bits in the right places. I sat on the bike, not realizing it was on (no sound), and instinctually grabbed a handful of throttle. Which sent me one handed off the curb and into the street, feet dragging behind the bike…annddd that’s when I learned that the bike was quick! Did I mention it was quiet?
It is an odd sensation not feeling the vibration, nor the sound of an engine, but believe me when I tell you it’s none the less exhilarating. In fact, I've never ridden anything that accelerated so damn swiftly. Every dump of the throttle took your stomach to your back and wrapped it around your spine. Your eyeballs and brain smack into each other as they rush to the back of your helmet. It felt like I was dropping in on the ‘Supreme Scream’, a ride at my local amusement park, only this was way faster!
Our trip took us from the crisp mountain air of SLC, to the heavy sandblasting winds of the southern Utah desert, driving through some of my favorite dirt bike riding areas in the process. Utah is roughly seventy percent national and state parks, and there’s no question needed as to why. Every mile is jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring vista. It's singlehandedly the most beautiful and diverse landscape in the west.
About halfway through our trip, we’d ended up in a motel in which to lay our heavy heads for the night, after a day of particularly persistent substantial winds. Next morning, we woke up to the aftermath of an early morning wildcard blizzard that left about two inches of snow across everything. The weather cleared as the morning wore on and after an hour or so the sun had reared her head and the sky was blue, so we set off once again. It was cold - but at least it wasn’t snowing - that is until we’d ridden twenty odd miles down the road and caught up with the aforementioned blizzard. Snow isn’t particularly my favorite riding weather, but being in Utah, we figured we would make the best of it. When life gives you snow, go snowboarding...
- Forrest Minchinton
