Sur-Ron is a Chinese brand specialized in electric vehicles, with the difference that in the manufacturer’s range all models are quite radical! The goal is to offer maximum driving pleasure, so if you are looking for just a vehicle for comfortable urban commutes, this is not where you will find it.
We had previously tested a Sur-Ron, namely the Storm Bee which resembles an electric enduro motorcycle – or motocross – depending on the version. The motorcycle in this review is a bit less powerful but also lighter and narrower. It is still a small enduro motorcycle, but being so narrow and weighing only 85 kg – so you can’t say that all electric vehicles are extremely heavy – it reminds us of a trial motorcycle but with the necessary differences: high seat and a chassis capable of delivering good performance.
As for the other models from Sur-Ron, a brand imported to our country by XpertEnergy, there are the Light Bee, which we can almost call downhill bicycles with electric motors. Once again, fun above all!
CONCEPT
We already know that the models of this brand are inspired by mountain bikes and enduro motorcycles. The motorcycle in this test will be more or less in the middle, and in addition to being approved for road use, it is classified in the 125 cc class, which is great, even though it has a peak power of 12.5 Kw. This is a very specific motorcycle that can adapt to both city and off-road riding. Since it has a license plate, we picked it up while it was running, returning on the national road because it was not worth going on the highway. Of course, comfort is not its strong point there. The seat is very high, narrow, and hard, however, it ends up being a motorcycle that can easily ride in urban environments. In fact, contrary to what the technical specifications say and the brand’s photos show, this unit had an 18-inch rear wheel (instead of 19”) and mixed-profile tires instead of purely off-road tires. If you also intend to ride on asphalt, this option is quite appropriate. As for the front wheel, if you think it’s 21”, you are also wrong. It is 19”, which doesn’t have to be bad, and this unit had CST tires on both axles, which we liked a lot, both on asphalt and in off-road play.
CURIOSITIES
In addition to being an electric motorcycle, it is also automatic, so we don’t have a clutch lever or gear selector. But we have two levers that operate the brakes – just like on a bicycle or scooter – and next to the left lever, there is a small parking brake, very useful for parking or when we stop in a more irregular place and want to check our smartphone, for example. This is because we don’t have the usual rear brake pedal next to the right foot, so this parking brake is very handy.
SPEED AND AUTONOMY This small electric motorcycle reaches a maximum speed of 90 km/h, a little more even, and the brand reveals a maximum autonomy of 140 km, at 40 km/h… Well, no one rides at a constant speed of 40 km/h, much less on a “fun” motorcycle like this, so we were always doing mental calculations when riding this model, so as not to be left stranded! But we’ll get to that. First, to say that, despite the reduced maximum speed, these 90 km/h are perfect for city adventures and also for some off-road rides, so that’s not why this motorcycle ceases to be interesting. The autonomy, on the other hand, may be a bit more complicated, especially if we go off-road, and in that case we can’t stray too far from home in case the battery fails. In this field, let’s not forget that we always have the charger and cables under this seat, so if we go out to lunch somewhere, we can leave the motorcycle charging for 2 hours and about half of the battery will be charged, since it takes about 4 and a half hours to charge this Ultra Bee from 0 to 100% in a household outlet. As for the mental calculations, it was easy to reach several conclusions. One of them is that the average autonomy is around 60 kilometers and it’s not worth trying to do much more, whether on the road or on the trails. So, it was just in time that we filmed for the Motorcycle Sports program and here for the magazine and managed to make it home… MOTORCYCLE OR TOY?On the other hand, we had a blast off-road like few occasions! Forget about the road or fast paths. The more winding the off-road terrain, the better, and if you have a good backyard but live in a residential area, no problem! With no polluting emissions or noise, you can have a blast without bothering anyone. In fact, the only thing the neighbors might feel is envy! And that was exactly my case. After filming this motorcycle, I realized that I could have done everything in my backyard, right at my doorstep, without bothering anyone. The Ultra Bee is super light, agile, has capable suspensions with plenty of travel, and the brakes never fail. And the engine offers surprising starts for a motorcycle that is homologated as a 125 cc!
MODERN STUFF?
This motorcycle has 3 driving modes, Eco, Normal, and Sport. Eco naturally limits speed a lot, so we end up riding mostly in Normal mode, especially since Sport can be a bit aggressive for those not used to electric motorcycles. In the controls, we can also manage many parameters, from traction control to battery regeneration with engine braking, and even the brakes can help charge the battery. The throttle sensitivity can be adjusted to be more aggressive or smoother, and we can even choose a faster or slower charging mode. We just have to follow some steps in the owner’s manual and then press some buttons on the controls to do all that. There’s even a reverse gear, but with the high seat and very sensitive throttle, this maneuver could be a bit tricky, so caution is advised. In almost all situations, it’s best to use the intermediate power mode, while in terms of engine braking, it’s best to choose maximum, which helps a bit on steeper descents, especially since the rear brake is very sensitive and tends to lock up easily. As for traction control, it’s best to keep it at a minimum to not spoil the fun. One more detail: the battery percentage is displayed in such small numbers on the instrumentation that I always had to stop the motorcycle to see them. Maybe it’s time to start wearing glasses…THE BEST Off-road fun; lightness of the bike; absence of noise in residential areas
TO IMPROVE Very limited range; price; sensitive rear brake
SUMMARY
This is more or less the bike we were expecting, in both good and bad ways. It can be used for daily commutes, but then we won’t enjoy it much and we’ll always be thinking that we can’t go far. This is because the biggest problem with this bike, as often happens, is the range and also the price, so this Sur-Ron Ultra Bee ends up fitting into a very small niche market. Then we realize how addictive it is, in fact an expensive and addictive toy. An ideal bike for mischief around the house, reminiscent of teenage times! The ideal is to do the math, with your head and your heart, and see if this is the most suitable bike for you.
SUR-RON ULTRA BEE
PERMANENT magnet synchronous MOTOR
LITHIUM ION battery 74v 55ah
MAXIMUM POWER 12.5 Kw
TORQUE 44 Nm
AUTOMATIC gearbox
ALUMINUM alloy tubular FRAME
MAXIMUM RANGE (manufacturer’s data) 140 km
FRONT SUSPENSION inverted telescopic fork, 240 mm travel
REAR SUSPENSION monoshock, 240 mm travel
FRONT BRAKE disc
REAR BRAKE disc
FRONT TIRE 80/100-19
REAR TIRE 120/80-18
WHEELBASE 1,380 mm
SEAT HEIGHT 910 mm
WEIGHT 85 kg
PRICE (from) 7,750 €
