RIDE REVIEW I 2023 SURRON ULTRA BEE
P80
notice. We found that in the slick
conditions at the Trials Training
Center, the Sport power setting
with the lowest level of traction
control was the hot setup. The
tire broke loose too easily with
no TC activated, and the higher
levels of TC kicked in too early
for aggressive riding and hill
climbs, but that would be an
excellent feature for less experi
-
enced riders who don't want the
bike to
break traction too easily.
The suspension performs
great on relatively slow-speed
technical terrain, and it definitely
outperforms the suspension
found on most trail bikes, but
with roughly 9.5 inches of travel
in the front/rear, it is not up to the
level of a high-performance off-
road bike with nearly 12 inches
of travel. But for a play bike that
costs about 40 percent less than
those bikes, you must give up
some performance somewhere.
The 240-millimeter front/rear
hydraulic disc brakes performed
really well. Some of the gnarly
downhill sections of the TKO
course made them squeal a
little, but they never faded. One
notable point on the brakes is
that the rear brake is activated
via a hand lever on the left-hand
side of the handlebars, where
the clutch lever would typically
be. This is common with most
electric bikes, and while it takes
a little getting used to, not need
-
ing to use a foot brake or shifter
allows you
to focus on weight-
ing the footpegs for traction and
balance.
And for newer riders,
no brake pedal or shift lever
makes riding much easier.
The reverse option proved to
be really helpful on the Ultra Bee.
If you find yourself stuck, it is
sometimes easier to let off the
throttle and push the reverse but
-
ton on the left side of the handle-
bar to get the bike into a better
position than lifting it.
This is a
cool feature you didn't even know
you would want until you tried it.
The Surron Ultra Bee isn't a race
bike but don't tell Jesse that.
The bike (and Jesse) performed
remarkably well in the e-motorcycle
class at the Tennessee Knockout.
PHOTO: JENNY KELLER PHOTOGRAPHY
