Storm Bee

[bayodome]

Guys, once more I stress the Storm Bee, cannot in build quality and component choice be comparable to the big 5 or an Alta.
Worked + 10 years in Dirt Bike manufacturing and scrutinized this bike in the flesh at EICMA Milano ( my photos in an earlier post)
My tip buy a used Alta and you know what you get, with the good and bad.

View attachment 4766

Your insights are definitely helpful and worth considering, but I think the enthusiasm for e-motos right now far exceeds the interest in build quality. You're right, the current versions of the Storm Bee prototype do not look ready for, say, AMA professional competition. But most people interested in bikes of this variety at the moment, have little to no interest in racing, and are mostly novice or intermediate level riders. They just want a fun bike to ride. Few will push the boundaries of what they're capable of.

Componentry and build-quality-wise, again, I can't dispute your claim. It's not to the Big OEM standards, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for someone to enjoy the machine safely. If no one gave e-bikes from China a try, then there basically wouldn't be an e-bike market at all. They currently provide the vast majority of completed machines and components for the sector and I like that Chinese manufacturers and others are trying to push the boundaries to see where the interest lies. The Big 5 approach (stalling for time because ICE machines are still the big seller) is simply too slow for some. Keep up or get left in the dust.

 

[privateer703]

I would almost agree with you, except for the fact that the vast majority of electric vehicles coming out of china are designed for and ridden on the streets. I'm not a very adventurous or hard riding off-roader, but I've had some bad spills and bikes meant for off-road terrain need a different level of build than almost anything else out there. I'm sure some people will have fun with these for a while, young kids sure, but eventually you will find the Alta's still running and Storm Bee owners trying to get some kind of replacement, be it motor, battery or other broken bits. I feel that if you use something often enough you will ALWAYS find yourself upgrading from the Chinese version to a better made one. If you don't ride much, or only ride fire roads you're probably fine. It will surely fit some peoples riding habits that is for sure.

 

[enjoythesilenc]

Boom Bee components will still be in the DIY upgradeable category. 24s battery can be built out of used (or new) electric car cells fairly easily. (compared to alta and ktm)

 

[ElectricMoto]

mostly novice or intermediate level riders. They just want a fun bike to ride. Few will push the boundaries of what they're capable of.

Componentry and build-quality-wise, again, I can't dispute your claim. It's not to the Big OEM standards, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for someone to enjoy the machine safely. t.

When I talk about quality it's not necessary Race components I talk about but general quality, how components are engineered, designed and manufactured and if they will last longer than a few hours. I'm not trashing Sur-Ron I like the company and the first models have proven to be pretty reliable to my knowledge, however when you want +$8000.- for your product engineering, design, functionality, quality, reliability choice should match the cost.
there are too many things that in my book is something that is from an enginering stand-point "thrown together" just take a look at my photos and you for example see a lot of exposed electrical wire, how do you think that they will act when riding in mud, how to you get them clean... with a Power-Washer. As a Off-Road (Electric) Motorcycle designer what I did see at EICMA in Milano was good enough for a Prototype but far from an acceptable serial production level, but that is my personal opinion nothing more

 

[C5tor]

Latest spy pics of the new Sur-Ron. They’ve really upped the game on the safety features.

Sur-Ron Storm Trooper Bee...

 

[bayodome]

Good to see Sur-Ron production has resumed! As well as testing of the Storm Bee!!

http://instagr.am/p/B-hENJAHvRD/
http://instagr.am/p/B-a8sQ_nAx6/
http://instagr.am/p/B-Y6tX0nQE0/

 

[bayodome]

According to Volition.com (an Australian Sur-Ron dealer) here's the latest on expected Storm Bee delivery dates:

"When is the bike going to be available in Australia?
Due to some severe supplier issues in China, Sur Ron (China) is expected to begin the production in July 2020. Volition will be selling them from Aug 2020"

Fingers crossed.

It's also currently listed as AUS $11,999, which is about USD $7800.

Until then, here's another vid they posted recently on their YT channel. Unfortunately it's the same jump we've seen a million times already, but at least its a new video.

 

[aremean79]

The full specs for Surron Storm Bee is out!

 

[Philip]

The full specs for Surron Storm Bee is out!

View attachment 5748

View attachment 5749

Storm Bee MX: 30 hp and 273 lbs.

With a no-name 47mm suspension and no-name brakes it would likely take a lot of effort to make it rideable and jumpable on a MX track. I hope it is cheap.

 

[VINSANITY]

Did they make the color Alta orange

 

[Philip]

The battery pack is 4.3 kWh compared to the Alta's 5.8 kWh. Yet, they are claiming a 65-mile range, although only at 30 mph.

The battery pack weighs 65 lbs, compared to the Alta's 73 lbs. It appears to be quickly swappable though, so maybe someone figures out a way to take a spare battery on a road trip.

 

[bayodome]

The battery pack is 4.3 kWh compared to the Alta's 5.8 kWh. Yet, they are claiming a 65-mile range, although only at 30 mph.

The battery pack weighs 65 lbs, compared to the Alta's 73 lbs. It appears to be quickly swappable though, so maybe someone figures out a way to take a spare battery on a road trip.

Ride it, take a rest, maybe recharge, ride it some more. No different than an Alta or ICE bike in that regard. Quick swap battery would be sweet. Whether it can handle the rigors of a motocross track with a full-sized rider (instead of their tiny test riders) is a different matter. My guess is that it will be a fun bike to have for a backyard track but probably has no business at Etown or Fox Raceway's pro track. I've never had much desire to test a frame's durability.

 

[bayodome]

Just noticed that they are offering an optional 19 rear wheel rather than the 18 they've been showing. A little more MX friendly now.

 

[Oded]

the suspension is Fastace. same brand as the Zero's 2104 models (before upgrading to Showa on 2015 and later models).
Fastace are used mainly on youth bikes, and are not comparable to Showa, Kayaba & WP, but perhaps they are twicked differently.

 

[Rix]

Storm Bee MX: 30 hp and 273 lbs.

With a no-name 47mm suspension and no-name brakes it would likely take a lot of effort to make it rideable and jumpable on a MX track. I hope it is cheap.

Power wise, it will feel like the EXR in map2, with budget suspension.

 

[C5tor]

At this point, I'm just happy anybody is making a full size electric dirt bike. So kudos to them for jumping into the fray when everyone else doesn't seem to have the budget or the cojones to do it. If the Storm Bee turns out to be even halfway capable, they will have cornered the market for a while, at least in the off-road dirt bike niche. Plus they'll have a street version, so even better for them. I'm rooting them on. There's clearly demand out there for a capable off-road electric dirt bike, and the few used Alta's floating around out there aren't going to fill that marketing void.

Performance-wise, I would say it seems to be far more comparable to the KTM E-XC than the Alta, except for the weight. Similar power and specs to the KTM. But probably half the price.

I'm not necessarily scared off by the cheap suspension. Heck, half you guys with top-shelf WP stuff have spent thousands on suspension upgrades anyway, so what is the difference if you start with a cheap set or an expensive set of components. Just factor it into the price. The Sur-Ron Light Bee has been a huge hit, but most people don't run them stock. A lot of guys on the Light Bee forums have ordered upgraded suspension, brakes and handlebars before they even get the bike! Just par for the course. And yet they are still flying off the shelves even before they arrive at the distributor.

I'm reserving judgement until we actually can play with one and compare it in real life to an Alta (or more appropriately a KTM) and see what they can really do. In the meantime, I'll just hope they deliver a solid product with "good enough" bones to build on. If the battery, motor, and frame are solid, you can probably fix everything else.

 

[Oded]

Most riders are not even close to using the Alta full potential (I am among them), so this bike should fit them well.
Top riders may need a comprehensive upgrade, or look elsewhere.

These shocks are not that easily tuned as the WP (tried it with my Zero). It is possible, but you'll have a hard tiime sourcing components and such.

For my enduro type riding, map 4 is not being used at all.

 

[F451]

Curb weight 97 KG + battery weight 29 KG = Porker.

126 KG / 278 lbs: They're going the wrong way.

And I guess the KYB suspension info was inaccurate which is probably not surprising anyone.

Still looking forward to seeing how it does out on the tracks and trails. I hope it does good and sells well.

 

[snydes]

Curb weight 97 KG + battery weight 29 KG = Porker.

126 KG / 278 lbs: They're going the wrong way.

And I guess the KYB suspension info was inaccurate which is probably not surprising anyone.

Still looking forward to seeing how it does out on the tracks and trails. I hope it does good and sells well.

I’ll say, especially since the battery has less capacity.

I too hope it sells well, if it’s as popular as the light bee that would be good for EV’s.

 

[VINSANITY]

I followed the release and adoption of there smaller light bee - learnt that Sur Ron does a good amount of engineering and testing before release and they seem to have good manufacturing and high quality standards.

With the light bee - since it is affordable and a good value lots of people buy it which makes a good performance upgrade market - for a few thousand dollars you can upgrade a light bee to achieve crazy performance

If the storm bee sells a lot of units you will see upgrades come out - also I’m sure Sur Ron is releasing a very moderately tuned bike so it doesn’t have failures - I’m sure to motor can handle more power with controller and battery upgrades

I really hope this bike is successful and high adoption to kickstart the E dirt bike segment