Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1481458
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 SURRON STORM BEE F P94 only near competitor I can think of is the KTM Freeride E-XC (which there were none of at the ECR EMoto Race, surpris- ingly) and that bike just hit our scales at 246 pounds. Amplifying this feel is a relatively quirky footpeg placement in relation to the mass center of the bike. It feels as if your input is muted from your feet, in a sense, and that requires more strength/energy to maneuver than the ultra-nimble two-stroke I normally flail around on. THE BOTTOM LINE The TKO experience on the Storm Bee F was great. Hard enduro is a silly way to introduce or test a new motorcycle. It's almost impossible to do well at the race, after all, so that could reflect on the ma- chine. But I think it's clear where most of the limitations are coming from here. The bike could weigh 500 pounds and there are riders that would beat me on it. The point is this bike survived. Which isn't easy. And that's the point of hard enduro. Would it have been easier if I was on the 300cc two-stroke I'm familiar with? Maybe. But it still would have been super hard. The only big letdown the entire day was our miss on the battery charging or drop- ping in a fully charged battery (which takes about five minutes) before the ECR EMoto main event. That would have saved me a couple finishing positions as I restarted the bike a few times. Big deal, right? I predict in the next few years we will see more races open their doors to electric motorcycles, specifically. Maybe alongside gas bikes, but in their own class, like at TKO, and certainly open only to electric bikes in more urban areas where their benefits are obvious. And even though the Storm Bee F isn't marketed as a hyper competitive machine. I think it will hold its own in the next few years. CN SPECIFICATIONS 2023 SURRON STORM BEE F ($8499) MOTOR TYPE Brushless electric (BLDC) motor COOLING SYSTEM Liquid RATED VOLTAGE 104V (DC) RATED POWER/PEAK POWER 10,000W/22,500W CONTROLLER TYPE FOC Sine Wave PEAK TORQUE 520 Nm (383 ft-lbs) TOP SPEED 110 km/h (68 mph) MAX RANGE 75 miles @ 31 mph (120 km @ 50 km/h), depending upon terrain BATTERY 104V/55Ah Lithium Ion CHARGER 10A CHARGING TIME 4 Hours (0-100%) RIDING MODES Sport, Rain, Eco, Turbo RIDER AIDS ASR (Acceleration Slip Reduction, a.k.a. traction control), BERS (Brake Energy Regenerative System) REVERSE GEAR Button-activated DRIVE 530 O-ring Chain FRONT SUSPENSION 47mm inverted fork, 290mm travel, adjustable compression & rebound REAR SUSPENSION Fully adjustable monoshock, 290mm wheel travel FRONT WHEEL 21 in., wire-spoked rim, 80/100-21 off-road tire REAR WHEEL 18 in., wire-spoked rim, 100/90-18 off-road tire CURB WEIGHT 280 lbs. (127 kg) MAX LOAD 220 lbs. (100 kg) MINIMUM GROUND CLEARANCE 12.2 in. (310mm) WHEELBASE 56.3 in. (1430mm) SEAT HEIGHT 37 in. (940mm) USB CONNECTION Single USB-2.1A Outlet INSTRUMENTATION LCD Digital Dash HEADLIGHT LED