We are 5 miles into a narrow technical trail system that I have only seen on Gaia Maps while planning our route when we hit a massive washout. The last turn-around is a mile back and we’re pulling a trailer.
So, we back the trailer as far to one side of the trail as possible. Lock the trailer breaks. Detach the trailer. Do an Austin Powers 50 point turn around in the Jeep. Spin the trailer around. Reconnect and try to find another route.
Or….
We attach our Garmin In-Reach Mini, iPhone with Gaia Maps and Rockie Talkie to the handlebars of our Sur-Ron X eBike (with an electric chainsaw in our backpack for good measure) and head down the trail leaving the Jeep and Trailer hanging back a mile or two while we scout ahead. At the very least if you get stuck and exhaust every recovery option you can shoot back to the trail for assistance.
The trails on the East coast get pretty narrow especially in the Appalachia region. As soon as we read an article about the top 10 eDirt Bikes the idea of purchasing a scouting bike came to mind. We did quite a bit of research before purchasing the Sur- Ron X and its definitely the best bang for the buck. At $3600 the features you get are amazing and comparable to its closest competitors who range in price starting at 5k and up. The Sur-Ron X is the next evolution in eco-friendly off-road exploration. It’s the angry child of a downhill mountain bike and a dirt bike.
What can an eDirt bike do for the overlanding community? With the powerful Sur-Ron you can go way off the beaten path and explore even more destinations your rig just can’t make it to. It’s not an alternative to a main rig, just another tool in the box to make your adventures more diverse. It’s also a good way to dip your toes into the ADV bike world.
The Electric trucks coming out have made a big splash in the overland world but have had a bit of grief and kickback. Charging being the biggest concern. With a decent Overland power system (dual or large battery) and a power inverter you can charge the Sur-Ron X while on the move or at basecamp. It only takes 3 hours to charge with a 10- amp 600-watt charger (included.) It has instant torque from the internal permanent magnet motor powered by a gigantic 60v 32ah battery pack and has a 2-stage reduction drive (a primary 5mm gates belt connected by a jack shaft that’s concentric with the swing arm pivot so there are no chain slop issues.) Blah, blah, blah, It’s well designed! You can also remove the battery taking additional tongue weight off your hitch while transporting. Another cool feature is regenerative charging when coasting in Sport mode. It puts a charge back in the battery when letting off the throttle and traveling at least 8 mph. The bike is so quiet that we can hear our chase vehicle driver through the Rockie Talkie. It even has a USB port for charging your phone or other devices while out. Rough terrain is also not an issue with a suspension that travels 8″ front and rear. You can even install a petal kit. All of this packed into a 110-pound bike. This is the bike experience every kid has in mind while racing his friends around a homemade dirt track! These bikes are shipped limited to 20 mph and 750 W to make them road legal in most states. With a five-minute modification you can take all of the limits off the bike to make it power and speed unlimited and illegal for road use in most states. Some people have even had luck getting plates for road use at full power.
Another benefit to an eDirt bike is that while cursing down the trail all you hear is a slight whine of the motor, so disturbing nature or other campers will be kept to a minimum. Plus the Sur-Ron X has about the same footprint as a regular mountain bike, so treading lightly isn’t a worry. Oh, and what a fun way of exploring an area once camp is set up! It has a decent stock headlight so take a night ride to the top of a near-by mountain and get some beautiful long exposure shots. Find that waterfall 3 miles up a single-track trail, or head into town for some last-minute supplies without breaking camp.
The digital display shows the speed and an odometer. It also comes with safety sensors that cut the motor’s power while breaking and after the bike has been laid over on its side. So when you pick it back up by the throttle it won’t run off on you.
This powerful eDirt bike can beat a 50cc Honda and compete with 110cc’s. It has okay stock disk brakes. At 6’3″, I have gotten 40 hard miles out of it before needing to charge. You could complete the 65-mile scenic Alpine Loop with 2 charges. This bike is a dream for people who like to customize their bikes. From sprockets to belt drives, lighting and wheels, to power systems and programming, the mods are endless.
Overall, it’s an extremely well-engineered machine that has endless fun and practical uses. Is this bike for you? The Sur-Ron is targeted toward beginners to intermediate riders, which we are. So if we can jump on this thing and immediately have a blast so can you! The Sur-Ron X can be purchased through Luna Cycles out of California, their US distributor.
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