There’s been a lot of hype going on with Sur Ron ebikes, particularly the Sur Ron Light Bee X with its out-of-this-world aesthetics and geometry. But did you know that there’s an equally interesting Sur Ron electric dirt bike called the Storm Bee? Both bikes are quite popular in the electric dirt bike scene, but which one is better? Which one’s well worth your buck?
At first glance, the Storm Bee scores way higher so is obviously a much better bike. But, it’s offered at almost 3x the price. Is that enough to upgrade? Read on to find out.
| Sur Ron Ebike | Score | Price | Link to Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sur Ron Light Bee X | 62 | $3,600 USD | Click to Read Our Sur Ron Light Bee X Review |
| Sur Ron Storm Bee | 82.5 | $10,460 USD | Click to Read Our Sur Ron Storm Bee Review |
Who is Sur Ron?
Sur Ron is a Chinese electric motorcycle manufacturer founded in 2014. That’s pretty young for a motorcycle manufacturer, but they’re well established. In March 2018, they launched their first model — the Light Bee X.
Today, Sur Ron has its own factories set in China’s motorcycle capital — ChongQing City, and HangZhou — also China’s electronics capital.
Sur Ron eBikes: A Quick Overview
Sur Ron Light Bee X
Sporting a robotic geometry, matte black finish, and spiky off-road tires, Light Bee X looks like it associates with Kylo Ren from Star Wars. The bike’s structure resembles a cross between a mountain bike and a dirt bike and this means it can traverse all sorts of terrain. At just 110lbs, getting stuck just means picking the bike up and over whatever’s in your way.
The bike’s size and seat height of 31 inches also suggests both adults and taller teens can safely and comfortably operate the bike. Although Sur Ron’s age recommendation says “adults only.”
Sur Ron Storm Bee
Contrary to Sur Ron’s original out-of-this-world design, the Sur Ron Storm Bee sports a near-traditional dirt bike look. It’s got all the physical features a regular dirt bike would have such as a front fender, a head shield, and the long and slightly angled saddle. Unlike the Sur Ron X’s skeletal look, the Storm Bee features a more “dressed up” look with fairings and decals covering most of the bike.
The Sur Ron Storm Bee also stands considerably larger than the Sur Ron X with a 36-inch seat height and a wider girth. That’s pretty tall. So unlike the Sur Ron Light Bee X, strictly only adults can safely operate this bad boy. This is also the clear choice of bikes for taller than average riders.
Light Bee X vs Storm Bee
Sur Ron Light Bee X
The Sur Ron Light Bee X is a medium size light electric dirt bike meant for short but aggressive rounds on the countryside or dirt track. Its narrow tire thickness only allows it to safely traverse hard packed dirt, though heavily mudded rocky terrain may prove problematic.
| Manufacturer | Loncin Holdings |
| Classification | Light electric dirt bike |
| Retail Price | $3,600.00 |
| Model Name | Sur Ron X Black Edition |
| Model Year | 2018 |
| Motor Power | 5200W (7 bhp, 128.4ft-lbs) |
| Range | 50 miles |
| Top speed | 50 mph |
| Weight | 110 lbs |
| Seat height | 810 mm |
| Purpose | Mountain/Street/Mud |
| The Good | The Bad |
|---|---|
| Solid, lightweight build | Twitchy handling |
| Powerful electric motor | Too much torque on sudden accelerations (might result in unintended wheelies if you’re a beginner) |
| Excellent suspension system | Limited customization options |
| Grippy off-road tires | Missing fenders |
| Energy-efficient battery management system w/ regenerative coasting | Narrow, Tough, Short seat length |
The Sur Ron X features a 5200w (or 7 bhp) motor which is a splendid powerup for a light electric dirt bike. Being an electric motor, the torque figure is through the roof at 128.4ft-lbs. That power combined with the battery’s 2000Wh capacity makes about more or less 50 miles of range at ~45mph.
If you want longer range, you can find a better Sur Ron battery upgrade on the market. They all come in different shapes and sizes depending on whether you need better power delivery, longer range, or both.
The Sur Ron X also features a lock and key “ignition” and battery compartment same as that of traditional motorcycles giving it the legitimate motorbike impression. Your neighbor’s kids will no longer “borrow” your bike for a quick blast through the neighborhood.
What makes the Sur Ron X quite appealing is its suspension system. It’s near-horizontal rear shock is a very rare feature on most other electric dirt bikes, but you can mostly see this type of shock in traditional full size dirt bikes.
Some other unique characteristics of the Sur Ron X Black Edition include its info-dense negative LCD heads-up-display which displays the speedometer (in both kph or mph), battery power, and trip meter. It also features a new Sine Wave X-controller which makes the bike quieter, and has a smoother power delivery and throttle response. The best part is its brake regen which further stretches range by feeding surplus friction energy from the brakes back into the battery pack.
At a price of just $3,600 USD, the Sur Ron Light Bee X is without a doubt one of the best values on the market today. It’s got a high quality build, high end components, and quite a reputation for being the easiest to maintain electric dirt bike. It’s definitely well worth your buck.
The best place you can get the Sur Ron Light Bee X is from Luna Cycle. You hit them up via their number at 800-881-4471. If you want a closer look at the bike or book a test ride, you can drop by their main branch at 1330 E Franklin Avenue, California.
You can also get the bike from AliExpress, and if you live in the UK, visit Surron’s UK website at https://surron.co.uk/, or at https://ridesurron.com/buy/ to make an order.
Click To Read Our Sur Ron X Review
Before you place your order, you should know that Segway recently launched an updated (or just rebranded) version of the Sur Ron X which is well worth checking out. Some critics (namely us) have even said that it’s a better bike. Even better, you can pick it up on Amazon for a ridiculous price.
Sur Ron Light Bee X Videos
Want a closer look at the Sur Ron X in action? Check out these videos.
Sur Ron Storm Bee
The Sur Ron Storm Bee is a larger cousin and predecessor of the Sur Ron Light Bee X. While still technically a light electric motorcycle, the Storm Bee is fairly heavy compared to its predecessor. The off-road-only variant weighs in at 260lbs while the street-legal version tips the scales at 280lbs.
The Sur Ron Storm Bee is a larger cousin and predecessor of the Sur Ron Light Bee X. While still technically a light electric motorcycle, the Storm Bee is fairly heavy compared to its predecessor. The off-road-only variant weighs in at 260lbs while the street-legal version tips the scales at 280lbs.
| Manufacturer | Sur Ron |
| Classification | Motocross dirt bike |
| Retail Price | $10,460.40 USD |
| Model Name | Sur Ron Storm “Storm Bee” |
| Model Year | 2020 |
| Motor Power | 21.5kW 96V (30 hp, 382 ft-lbs torque) |
| Range | 93 miles @ 31mph |
| Top speed | 68mph |
| Weight | 260lbs |
| Seat height | 36 inches |
| Purpose | All off road terrain |
| The Good | The Bad |
|---|---|
| Brake regen helps further increase range | Not road legal |
| Has hardcore off road tires for the best grip in all kinds of off road terrain | 36 inch seat height means shorter riders won’t be comfortable on the bike |
| Has an extremely flexible and lightweight frame | |
| Has an integrated charger so you can just park and charge |
With a 21.5kW motor, the Storm Bee produces 30 horsepower and 382 ft-lbs torque. That’s significantly more torque than that of a Suzuki Hayabusa — one of the most powerful petrol bikes in the world. Unfortunately, unlike a ‘Busa, the Storm Bee’s speed can only top out at 68mph, but it reaches this speed in less than 3 seconds on straight roads. I would watch out for wheelies though.
Perhaps the most appealing part of this bike is its looks. It features a near-authentic dirt bike structure and geometry, making it a great candidate for various kinds of off-road sports from motocross to trail riding and enduro. Heck, even arenacross if you’re up for it.
It seems the Sur Ron X’s informative LCD display carried over to this model as well, displaying the speedometer, battery level and trip meter, as well as extra info like motor temperature, battery economy, and the odometer.
One feature that counts as a huge upgrade from the Sur Ron X, is the Storm Bee’s smart-phone connectivity and anti-lock braking system (ABS). Your smartphone can act as a mobile toolkit to adjust the bike’s performance on the fly, and the ABS allows for smooth braking without slippage.
Such a hefty bike however, also fetches a hefty price tag. The Sur Ron Storm Bee comes at a wallet-ripping $10,460 USD, although that’s within quite the normal price range for any high quality electric dirt bike.
The bike is currently not yet available in the US, but you can check the bike out at Sur Ron’s UK website while you wait for the US release.
Click To Read Our Sur Ron Storm Bee Review
Sur Ron Storm Bee Videos
Want to see how the bike performs in real time action? Check out these vids.
FAQs
Q: Is the Sur Ron X street legal?
A: The base model isn’t technically street legal, but you can convert it to a street legal variant with Sur Ron’s upgrade kit which you can get for an extra $500.
Q: How fast does a Sur Ron go?
A: The average cruising speed for any Sur Ron electric dirt bike — whether the Light Bee or the Storm Bee — is about 50mph (although you can go way past that with lesser battery efficiency).
Q: What is Sur Ron?
A: Sur Ron is an electric motorcycle manufacturer mainly based in China, but has distributors in other places such as America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Q: Who makes Sur Ron bikes and where?
A: Sur Ron manufactures their bikes in China where they can get a more affordable labor rate without sacrificing technical ability or build quality.
Conclusion
With both bikes quite appealing in both affordability and features, it can be quite hard to choose. Good thing these are the only ones you have to choose from since Sur Ron only has these 2 bikes available so far.
Here’s the gist of it: if you want to enjoy a good ride on the trails and dirt tracks without breaking the bank, the Sur Ron Light Bee X is for you. It’s a great bike and nearly (if not exactly) as good as the newer Segway X160. If you want more options and great features in addition to quality riding, get the Sur Ron Storm Bee.
Also read: Enduro E Bikes 12000W Light Electric Dirt Bike Review
