You know a trail is serious when it has a name like “5 Miles of Hell.” Deep in Utah’s desert backcountry, it’s a bucket-list trail for riders who like their enduro hard. And while many riders take a few hours (and maybe a few meltdowns) to get through it, Cody Webb had other plans: go fast, go hard, and maybe, just maybe, break his own previous time.
But before he let the clutch drop on his factory supported Yamaha YZ250X two-stroke, we linked up with Cody, Eric Peronnard, and Brett Baldwin for something a little different, a scouting lap on the all-electric Electric Motion Escape XR. It wasn’t a full-blown media spectacle, just a solid day with a good crew, some laughs, and a quietly ambitious plan: ride the trail, get a feel for the lines, and have some fun getting Cody on something he doesn’t normally ride.
Electric Recon
The idea was simple: pre-run 5MOH on electric, re-familiarize Cody with the terrain, and see how far we could push the Electric Motion Escape XR in some of the nastiest terrain in Utah. Eric’s been on this trail more than most, seven or eight times over the last couple of decades, and this was our first time seeing it on the Electric Motion machines.
Earlier in the year, Cody had missed the record on his first try by about seven seconds, so this time around, a little prep went a long way. The electric scouting run gave him the chance to scope out some of the white-painted lines, remind him how the trail flowed, and lock in a few lines. For Cody, who’s normally pinning it on a built up two-stroke, the quiet precision of the EM was a different experience, but not a bad one.
“It was fun to play on that bike (Escape XR), go a little slower pace, and learn the lines.” Cody said.
Even though it’s not a full-size bike, the Escape XR handled the terrain like a champ, solid torque, trials-bike balance, and just enough range to make the out-and-back loop (roughly 23 miles total) without sweating it.
Going for the World Record (Again)
After the scouting run, Cody doubled back for his YZ250X. No pit crew, no Guinness official – just Cody, his 250X, and the Garmin GPS and GoPro rolling.
And this time? He nailed it. Despite taking a couple wrong turns near the end and pushing a little too hard in a few spots, he crossed the trail marker’s end with an unofficial time of 36:22, about 90 seconds faster than his first go.
Of course, Cody’s been putting a lot of work into his Yamaha lately. You can see it in the constant R&D, the setup, and the consistent progression he’s documented in his video series on YouTube.
Yamaha x Electric Motion: Something Brewing?
Part of the reason we were out there with Electric Motion was tied to recent industry news – Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announced a strategic investment in Electric Motion in late 2024. According to their official statement, the move is designed to strengthen both companies’ positions in the electric motorcycle space and explore collaborative opportunities in technology development. It’s not a merger, and it’s not a product announcement—just a clear sign that Yamaha sees value in what EM is building.
Cody’s presence on an Electric Motion during our ride wasn’t meant to make a statement, it was more of a coincidence of timing. As a Yamaha-backed rider, his participation simply added relevance to a developing partnership between two brands who may have more to explore together down the line.
We’re not trying to connect dots that don’t exist. But Yamaha does have a history of electric experimentation (remember the TY-E concept?), and Electric Motion has real-world experience building electric bikes that work in the most demanding terrain. It’ll be interesting to see where that shared knowledge might lead. For now, it was just a fun day on the trail, with some quiet scouting laps, a fast pre-mix lap, and a little food for thought about what may be coming ion Blu-Cru off-road.
