The Sur Ron Storm Bee has been one of the most hotly anticipated electric motorcycles in the US for several years running. Now we’ve learned that the North American distributor has finally set a date for the long-awaited electric dirt bike’s arrival.
According to the distributor DIAN Inc, the Sur Ron Storm Bee is expected to arrive in the US by February 2023. From there, the bikes will be dispatched via the established Sur Ron dealer network.
That’s still a ways off for anyone who has been waiting for over three years already, but the fact that the importer is already taking reservations for the new electric dirt bike is a good sign that this time it’s for real.
The US $8,499 Storm Bee can currently be reserved with a US $500 deposit, and the first 100 folks to plunk down the change will receive a $200 “Storm Bee gift pack”.
They’ll of course also be among the first riders in the country to get the new electric dirt bike, which could prove to be an interesting lightweight off-road challenger to bikes like the Zero FX and KTM Freeride E-XC.
The Sur Ron Storm Bee has impressive specs for a rather small bike, including a liquid-cooled 22.5 kW peak-rated mid-mounted motor putting out a chain-melting 520 lb-ft of torque. The 127 kg (280 lbs) two-wheeler claims a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph), though you’ll have to find some room to run on the trails to get going that fast. The turbo button that gives a quick boost of power may come in handy there as well.
We got a peek at what that power looks like during a Luna Cycle dyno run earlier this year. At a more modest speed of 40 km/h (25 mph), the bike is rated for a maximum range of 120 km (75 miles). Riders will be able to take advantage of three power modes as well as the included traction control and regenerative braking. There’s even a reverse gear that is likely to come in handy when maneuvering the bike in tight corners or when backing up on an incline.
The Storm Bee rides on adjustable off-road suspension with a 21″ front wheel and an 18″ rear wheel. The North American version of the bike will include a swappable number plate that can be replaced with a headlight.
The Storm Bee is something of the successor to the wildly popular Sur Ron Light Bee X (itself an adorable Chinese mistranslation of “firefly”). That smaller and less powerful bike has sold over 70,000 units worldwide, with two of those winding up here at Electrek. Our own editor-in-chief, Fred Lambert, bought one of the early ones, and I recently bit the bullet and bought one too.
As much fun as that small bike is, the 72 km/h (45 mph) Sur Ron Light Bee X is no match for the faster and higher power Storm Bee, which will compete against larger bikes in the off-road electric motorcycle industry. The upcoming Stark Varg will prove to be an interesting adversary when it eventually becomes available, and fellow Swedish electric motorbike maker CAKE’s line of electric dirt bikes also offer similar performance levels – though without some of the nicer features, like a liquid-cooled motor.
Do you remember the pure joy of your first motorcycle ride? If you started young, you probably have magical memories of ripping around your neighborhood on a Honda Mini Trail, a Rupp Dart Cycle, or some other minibike.
Or if you had trails or a track nearby, maybe you rode a little dirt bike like a Yamaha PW50 or Honda Z50R.
If you were lucky, you got a minibike for your birthday or Christmas. If you weren’t, you nagged your parents incessantly to buy one or befriended the kid down the street who had one.
Childhood isn’t as carefree as it used to be, and neighbors aren’t as forgiving of noise. Minibikes and peewee dirt bikes are still sold at local dealerships and outdoor retailers, but there are fewer places to ride them and fewer parents willing to let their kids do so.
Stepping Stones
My buddy Paul Beck and I met on monthly adventure rides hosted by our local BMW dealership. His wife, Allison, became friends with my wife, Carrie, and in 2015, soon after Paul and Allison had their first child, August, they bought a house down the street from us.
Carrie and I don’t have kids of our own, and we enjoy being aunt and uncle; to August and his younger brother, Wolfgang. When August was 18 months old, we got him a bright-red Strider balance bike and a matching stars-and-stripes helmet for Christmas.
Since he started so young, it took August a while to get the hang of the Strider. He mostly paddle-walked it, and he wasn’t a fan of the helmet. But before we knew it, he was zipping around with his feet up on the footrests, coasting and balancing on two wheels with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
From the Strider he graduated to a BMX bike, which he picked up quickly.
When the Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 electric dirt bike was announced back in March, I knew it would be perfect for August... Finish the Story Here.
The Biden administration is calling for increased use of E15 biofuel, using a 15 percent ethanol blend, to be sold this summer in an effort to ease prices at gas pumps. But that move threatens to put powersports engines at risk of reduced power, stalling, hesitation, and, in some cases, costly or catastrophic engine failure.
"Many consumers remain confused about which fuels are appropriate for use in their vehicles and E15 should be avoided at all cost when it comes to powersports products," said Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the MIC Government Relations Office. "Increasing the sale and availability of E15 increases the possibility of misfuelling. Using E15 in motorcycles and off-highway recreational vehicles is prohibited under federal law by the Environmental Protection Agency because of increased emissions and the potential for engine damage. And the use of E15 can void vehicle warranties."
Due in part to its tendency to evaporate quickly in warmer temperatures and contribute to smog, the sale of E15 is usually banned in many parts of the country from June to September and may only be used in 2001 and newer cars and trucks. It's available at about 2,300 fueling stations, according to the Department of Energy, but President Biden said the U.S. will invest $100 million in biofuel infrastructure to expand E15 production. According to the White House, at current prices, E15 can save an average of 10 cents per gallon compared to traditional gasoline.
The EPA is expected to issue an emergency waiver in early June to allow E15 use for the summer.
