We’re three months deep into life with the 2024 Husqvarna EE 3, and this month it earned its keep in a way no one saw coming: mustering cattle. That’s right, Jax and his trusty electric steed traded jumps and berms for herding bovines. And the little Husky proved it’s not just a pint-sized track weapon – it’s not a bad mustering steed too.
If you’ve ever been around cattle, you know they’re not exactly quick thinkers. Toss in a silent dirtbike creeping behind them, and their confusion is palpable. Jax would ease up behind the herd at a snail’s pace, and the cattle would just stand there, as if waiting for a cue card. Without the usual roar of a petrol engine spurring them on, they were clearly a bit baffled. Eventually, though, they figured it out and ambled off in the right direction.
In a way, the bike’s stealthiness worked to our advantage. No panicked cattle bolting into the next paddock – just a slow, calm procession in the direction we needed them to go.
The bike lasted all morning. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “An electric bike? Mustering? Surely it would run out of juice halfway through.” But no. Because Jax wasn’t wringing the throttle, the EE 3 cruised along behind the cattle without breaking a sweat (or draining its battery). The gentle pace meant the bike sipped power sparingly.
One of the biggest perks of the EE 3 during mustering was its complete lack of heat. Petrol bikes tend to get hot – dangerously so – when crawling along at a cattle-herding pace. When Jax stacked it into a ditch, I didn’t have to worry about him burning himself on a sizzling hot exhaust. The bike stayed cool, calm and collected the entire time.
Speaking of crashes (because of course there were a few), the EE 3 made life significantly easier for me. Every time Jax stopped the bike he didn’t have to worry about it stalling and killing the motor. He could stop and start again without having to kickstart it. On a petrol bike, I’d be hoofing it over to him to kick start the thing every time, and by the third or fourth time, I’d be contemplating selling the cows just to get out of it. Not having to start the bike every time Jax stopped is a game-changer for getting kids involved in mustering.
For a five-year-old, mustering cattle on a dirtbike is a bit of a dream scenario. But for me, it was always a logistical headache – until now. The EE 3 eliminates all the usual complaints. It’s light and easy for Jax to handle, doesn’t overheat, starts without having to kick it and doesn’t send the cattle into a panic. Sure, the cows might hesitate at first, but it’s nothing compared to the chaos of a screaming two-stroke.
This bike just works. It’s as if Husqvarna accidentally built the perfect mustering machine for little riders. I doubt they had cattle herding in mind when designing the EE 3, but here we are, proving its versatility in the field. Mitch Lees
2024 HUSQVARNA EE 3
$7080 ride away
