Motorcycles

Sur-Ron Light Bee electric trail bike nails the price point

Sur-Ron Light Bee electric trail bike nails the price point
The Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee) looks quick, lightweight, and very affordable
The Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee) looks quick, lightweight, and very affordable
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): green frame looks rather natty
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): green frame looks rather natty
Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): 6-kilowatt motor and 50kg weight means this will ride well alongside 100cc motorcycles in the tight stuff
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): 6-kilowatt motor and 50kg weight means this will ride well alongside 100cc motorcycles in the tight stuff
Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): strong forged aluminum frame helps keep the weight down
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): strong forged aluminum frame helps keep the weight down
Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): tackles the off-road problem more from the e-bike angle than the motorcycle angle
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): tackles the off-road problem more from the e-bike angle than the motorcycle angle
Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): top speed of 40mph and a range of 90-120 minutes per charge
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): top speed of 40mph and a range of 90-120 minutes per charge
Luna Sur-Ron Light Bee
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Luna Sur-Ron Light Bee
Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): at US$3450, this is a heck of a buy
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Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): at US$3450, this is a heck of a buy
The Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee) looks quick, lightweight, and very affordable
8/9
The Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee) looks quick, lightweight, and very affordable
A set of "pedals" can be fitted to the Luna Sur-Ron as an option for an extra $150
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A set of "pedals" can be fitted to the Luna Sur-Ron as an option for an extra $150
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We're big fans of the idea of electric dirt bikes, particularly for people who own a bit of land. The ability to zoom around the place and have a few laughs without ever annoying the neighbors or twirling a spanner for engine maintenance opens up plenty of opportunities for fun and fitness outdoors.

They're usually not cheap, though. In fact, they often flat out price themselves out of contention next to gas guzzlers of similar performance levels. And that's what makes this one stand out. Luna Cycles generally specializes in street-legal and not-so-street legal e-bikes out of China, and the Sur-Ron definitely approaches the electric motorcycle more from the e-bike side than the motorcycle side. But a motorcycle it is, and a pretty nifty little package too, from the looks of it.

Weighing in at just 110 lb (49 kg), the Sur-Ron has a 6-kW (8 hp) mid-drive, axial-flux motor, and Luna says it'll be doubling that power soon with an FOV sine wave controller upgrade as an option. Torque at the rear wheel is allegedly 200 Nm (147.5 lb-ft_ – thanks to a two-stage gear reduction off the 25-Nm (18.4-lb-ft) motor itself – and it's a single-speed powertrain. In performance terms, as stock, it'll ride well alongside something around 100cc. It most definitely wheelies in the right hands.

The battery is a lockable, removable pack comprising 176 Panasonic 18650 cells for a capacity of 33 Ah at 60 volts – or just under 2 kWh. Luna says this pack's one of the best constructions it's ever seen, and early teardown reports are in agreement. Charging is particularly easy, since like an e-bike, you can pull the battery out, take it inside and throw it on the wall socket.

Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): strong forged aluminum frame helps keep the weight down
Luna Sur-Ron (or Sur-Ron Light Bee): strong forged aluminum frame helps keep the weight down

It's got 19-inch wheels, four-piston hydraulic brakes and a chain drive, although it'll certainly need a chain guard. The frame is a high-strength, forged aluminum cradle design weighing in at just 7.8 kg (17.2 lb), while suspension is provided by an Intersect TR shock and Fastace forks – these are heavy duty MTB units that look slim compared to hardcore dirt bike gear, but should perform decently on a bike so light.

Clearly this isn't an Enduro beast for the fast, open countryside. Top speed is around 40 mph (64b km/h), so it's best suited to tight trails and single tracks where its featherweight handling can shine. It's not even a little bit road legal, so it's no competitor to, say, Zero's FX, but in the right situation it should be a terrific little fun machine.

As for price, well, Luna Cycles is selling this for US$3,475. To put that in context, you're looking at something a hair more powerful than a Stealth H-52 Hurricane, and otherwise similarly specified, for about half the price. Luna will tack on a pair of pedals as a $150 fig leaf if you want to pretend this tank of a thing's road legal. Good luck with that.

A set of "pedals" can be fitted to the Luna Sur-Ron as an option for an extra $150
A set of "pedals" can be fitted to the Luna Sur-Ron as an option for an extra $150

However, it is possible to get the bike cheaper. It's manufactured in China by a company called Sur-Ron, who sells it as the "Light Bee," which appears to be an adorable mistranslation of "Firefly." If you've got the stomach to deal directly with China and arrange your own import duties and whatnot, it's selling on TaoBao for a little under $3,000. Be aware that Sur-Ron makes cheaper models with smaller 1,500-watt motors, cheaper, smaller, non-Panasonic 48-volt battery packs and lower spec suspension, so be sure to do your homework if you go this route.

Whether you call it the Luna Sur-Ron or the Sur-Ron Light Bee, this is a solid and exciting looking electric trail bike option for anyone with access to forest trails or single track.

Source: Luna Cycles

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6 comments
6 comments
Daishi
It has taken a long time but I'm excited about where eBikes are going. I bought a Juiced HyperFat 1000 (1kw fat bike) and though it arrived in the middle of winter I have gotten it out of the house a few times and it's beastly. I was looking for a smaller/light dual sport dirtbike and the fat tire ebike has filled that niche for me. Sadly they raised the price significantly on the bike since I bought mine but the RipCurrent S looks pretty reasonably priced ($1,700) and probably almost as good (750w). That bike is essentially the successor after they learned from building the HyperFat anyway. You guys should review one.
guzmanchinky
This might be perfect for my wife and daughter to go riding with me. They don't need or want the speed or clutching and shifting. I wonder if it's trail legal in California (green sticker).
ljaques
Outstanding, Loz. They're almost there. Besides the pedal kit, they need to source fenders, street legal lights, and maybe DS style tires, then sell if for that price, the bank and I'd buy one. God knows, they'd sell a million of them. That's the perfect size, weight, power setup, and much better price than anything else on the table. B52 sales figures will drop steeply immediately, as will MotoPed and Kuberg. I hope Zero puts out a 12hp version of the ZX to compete. That would be great, too.
Stingre'
I may add one of these to my collection. I wanted the B52 but cannot justify 10k for a bike. I have the Motoped Survival with a 125cc motor and its a bike I'll never sell. 40mph is decent for an electric bike, 50 would be better but I honestly cruise at 35 to 40 on my Motoped (capable of 50) and its really enough.
Lamar Havard
If $4,500 is the point, I don't get it. I would rather have a Phat Scooter at $1,500. For me, 'not as fast' means 'not as dangerous'. 20 mph is all I need.
Suvad Jasic
Sur ron dobiš preko Alibabe po zelo različnih cenah od 500 e do 3500 evrov konkurenca je velika