Some say the future is electric, others doubt it. In fact, more and more brands are betting on 100% electric models and Sur-Ron is one of the most influential and successful in the off-road sector. That’s why we decided to test one of the most anticipated electric enduro/motocross bikes of the year.
Getting straight to the questions that come up the most: well, the brand advertises 100 kilometers of autonomy, but riding it the way I did, it was realistically 60 kilometers. The good thing is that it charges from 0 to 100% in around 4 hours. Another good thing is that anyone with a car license can drive it.
FEATURES
This 2023 version is a long-awaited bike for Sur-Ron and electric off-road fanatics. With each new version, you can feel that the brand is moving towards what customers are looking for and like.
For starters, it has a 104-volt battery, compared to the previous version’s 90-volt battery, a 32% improvement. Being a Chinese brand, many people may be concerned about the battery’s reliability. Obviously we haven’t tested its longevity, but it is a Panasonic battery, which offers a good level of confidence.
Next, the biggest evolution was in the controller, which is now liquid-cooled and programmed very efficiently. In other words, the power that is transmitted to the rear wheel is powerful and at the same time inspires safety.
Above all, this is an easy and predictable bike. One of my biggest doubts was the fact that it didn’t have a clutch, and although we didn’t take any photos in those conditions, I did some trail riding and managed to get out of tricky situations in steep places.
As an interesting curiosity, this model has a button they called “turbo”, which gives the Storm Bee 22.5 kw for 15 seconds.
And here’s something interesting. To use the A1 license the limit is 11kw… which is approximately the nominal power with which it was registered, but if we press this turbo button the bike gets 22.5kw for 15 seconds, in other words, we have a motorcycle that you can drive with a car license, but which in practice is more powerful.
MORE DETAILS
The instrument panel is new, and although it’s small in size, it has useful information that’s very easy to read, the main ones being the battery level, speed and riding mode.
Still on the subject of electronics, the model features a traction control system that was developed specifically for this Storm Bee version. Basically, it acts when there is a loss of traction on the rear wheel, thus reducing skidding peaks when accelerating excessively. Other interesting figures are the torque figures, with 520 Nm and a top speed of an impressive 110 km/h.
FEELINGS
Another thing that is common on electric motorcycles, but which I didn’t expect this one to have, is reverse gear. And believe me, it came in handy several times!
In terms of the frame, it has also been developed specifically for this version, as it has to accommodate the space for the battery, controller and motor. For this reason, the rear shock is in a more upright position than we’re used to.
This Storm Bee is only approved for one person, so if they improve this in the future, everyone will like it. We all enjoy riding motorcycles and sharing the experience, and riding an electric motorcycle for the first time is always a nice experience, so a passenger, even on short trips, would appreciate it.
This bike rides like a normal motorcycle, but at the same time it’s different just because it’s quiet! Especially at first, the slight noise made me think I had a flat rear tire, but of course, that’s just the way it is. It’s just the fact that the rear brake is where you’re used to having the clutch that takes some getting used to. In my case, I soon learned by the second or third scare.
Finally, this is an incredible bike and I can see all the hype surrounding it…
It’s the closest electric bike to a motocross bike we’ve ever tested; the price is high when compared to a combustion bike, but the point is that it’s not really comparable.
Those who buy it already have the seed of electric motorcycles growing in them and value other things, such as the fact that it’s almost maintenance-free, has no fluids and makes practically no noise… among other things.