The little lady and I had a wee mummy daughter date on Friday and we went along to check out iMOTO X near Linn Park. I wasn’t sure what to expect before we went along (we’re absolute motorbike newbies) but we both had the most fantastic time.
Before I tell you all about it I just want to give a huge shoutout to the staff; especially Graeme. They were incredibly patient and friendly and also just really nice. They made a fun activity even better!
So what is it?
iMOTO X is Europe’s biggest indoor electric motorbike track. It’s basically a huge warehouse containing 3 different dirt tracks of varying skill levels. All the bikes are electric, so there are no fumes and the bikes are pretty quiet.
When you arrive you’ll have a few forms to fill in, and then one of the wonderfully patient staff will get you kitted up and take you down to track 1 for a wee 1:1 to make sure you get the hang of the controls. (Took me & the kid a few rounds before we stopped heading straight into the walls, but 10 mins in and we were grand.)
Then we were let loose on track 2. There are turns and wee hills and I am not exaggerating when I say it’s just the best fun. The little lady was pretty careful going round the track but she loved the hills and had such a great time. I got a wee shot on track 3 as well – this one is adults only as the hills are a good bit bigger, there are lots more turns and it’s a lot trickier.
It probably didn’t look like it, but I felt like I was flying over some of those bumps. (I actually didn’t intentionally go that fast up and over them but I got those tummy butterflies quite a few times).
It was probably the adrenaline rush but we were both so pumped afterwards! I never really “got” the whole dirt biking thing. I always thought you just had to be into it and to be honest the thought of the noise and the fumes put me off. But from these electric bikes there were no fumes and not much noise. And I totally get why people like going fast up and over hills now.
Anyway, the little lady told me that it was the best fun ever. I asked her what she liked about it and she said she loved “going over the hills and not having to pedal”. Which sounds about right to be honest.
Who Can Ride?
If you can ride a bike without stabilisers, you can go on one of these. The youngest they’ve had is age 3. You don’t have to have any experience.
They don’t do any specific ASD sessions, but numbers are limited in every session so if you ring them & let them know what you need, the staff will do whatever they can to accommodate.
The Cost
It’s £12.50 for a taster session. Regular sessions are £25. Both include all safety gear plus bike hire. The staff will take the time to make sure you can go the bike. You can book in on the iMOTO-X website or check out their facebook page for any queries.
The taster sessions last 10 minutes and regular sessions are 2 x 10 minute sessions. I know this seems quite short but the bikes are heavy and it’s quite a lot for little hands using the throttle and brake constantly. The little lady’s hands did get pretty tired & sore quite quickly (as did mine actually), so 10 minute sessions are definitely enough. You can add extra 10 minute sessions on if you want to though.
The Extra Bits
- All safety gear is provided; you just need to bring yourself.
- There is a wee snack bar where you can get cold drinks, teas and coffees, and some snacks like crisps, sweets etc. There’s also a lovely big wood burning stove out here if you need a heat.
The Verdict
This was genuinely the best fun we’ve had together in ages! I’m so glad we went along, and I now totally get why people are into dirt biking. It’s brilliant. It’s probably my favourite mummy-daughter date we’ve had and we’ll definitely head back some time soon.
Also, this is a brill Christmas gift idea – totally getting my nephew some vouchers from here for Christmas!