Expensive emtb vs Surron

T

The undecided

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Hi everyone

Don’t know if this has been asked before or what the reaction will be
As availability and technology has evolved,do you regret buying a very expensive 15mph UK restricted emtb when you could have paid similar money for a Surron /similar drug courier type of bike for properly hooning around everywhere either legally or illegally with relatively little or zero chance of being nicked due to the lack of Policing in most places?
At the risk of sounding completely irresponsible and dumb I sometimes wish I had (legally of course).🤫
 
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The undecided said:
As availability and technology has evolved,do you regret buying a very expensive 15mph UK restricted emtb when you could have paid similar money for a Surron /similar drug courier type of bike for properly hooning around everywhere either legally or illegally with relatively little or zero chance of being nicked due to the lack of Policing in most places?
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No.
 
The undecided said:
Hi everyone

Don’t know if this has been asked before or what the reaction will be
As availability and technology has evolved,do you regret buying a very expensive 15mph UK restricted emtb when you could have paid similar money for a Surron /similar drug courier type of bike for properly hooning around everywhere either legally or illegally with relatively little or zero chance of being nicked due to the lack of Policing in most places?
At the risk of sounding completely irresponsible and dumb I sometimes wish I had (legally of course).🤫
Click to expand...

Illegal ebikes (or electric motorbikes) are making our lives harder. Every eMtb rider I've met is a) responsible b)not an idiot and c) courteous.

There's no place for Surrons and their ilk on the roads, bridleways or green lanes etc in the UK, so I say crush the lot and fine the owners thousands. Plus they're ridden by teenage scumbags wearing those stupid deaths head mouth coverings acting like they're tough guys ....which in my book should command a minimum of flogging for looking like total bell ends.
 
No. At some point those idiots on illegal bikes will ultimately be successful in getting us all banned from riding Off-road, simply because most people can't or won't distinguish between legal and illegal. The ramblers association are extremely powerful in the UK and will get to work on lobbying the government into banning all bikes off road.

Even though I find the 16 mph cut off a pain and would like it raised to atleast 20 mph, I accept what we've got, because my 60 years of life has experienced how the government are clueless and always listen to those who want to severely restrict or ban things we all enjoy.
 
Amber Valley Guy said:
Illegal ebikes (or electric motorbikes) are making our lives harder. Every eMtb rider I've met is a) responsible b)not an idiot and c) courteous.

There's no place for Surrons and their ilk on the roads, bridleways or green lanes etc in the UK, so I say crush the lot and fine the owners thousands. Plus they're ridden by teenage scumbags wearing those stupid deaths head mouth coverings acting like they're tough guys ....which in my book should command a minimum of flogging for looking like total bell ends.
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For clarity, is that a no? 😂
 
I had a Surron and thought the riding experience was terrible. Sure it has much more power than my e-bikes but it rode like a dump truck. The geometry/sizing is way off. Everything on the bike rattled. It's heavy. Not very reliable. I do see why alot of kids love them though. Just can't really compare them to a high end emtb.
 
Thanks for your comments good people
For the benefit of doubt I have no affiliation with the a$$ holes who are recklessly terrorising communities by performing stupid dangerous stunts and endangering pedestrians and road users due to inaction by the Police in certain areas.
I just wondered if something like a Surron purchased and used legally would be more useable and fun in the long run than your expensive restricted emtb.
 
The undecided said:
I just wondered if something like a Surron purchased and used legally would be more useable and fun in the long run than your expensive restricted emtb.
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The issue is where can you use it legally? You could insure and register, then legally use it for green laning, which does sound like a laugh, but most uk green lanes have a bunch of road miles in between them which would be tedious.
 
The undecided said:
do you regret buying a very expensive 15mph UK restricted emtb when you could have paid similar money for a Surron /similar drug courier type of bike for properly hooning around everywhere
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???
I'm a mountain bike rider, not a prepubescent chav zipping around town because he can't afford a car.
 
RustyMTB said:
Well there obviously is if you choose to register, tax & insure one. Conflating the machine with its market is a fair observation but they are not inherently illegal.
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If you register, tax and insure it yes you can use it legally on road, but you'd then be breaking more laws if you decided to use it on a bridleway or green lanes with no public vehicular access. So a bit pointless then.
 
Not a hill I'm going to die on but they are effectively in the same category as motor bikes, so can be used in the same way. Why you'd buy one over a motor bike is another matter. As for the legality of it all, there's a world of difference between what the law says, observance & chances of getting caught.

If you're a moron burning round the estate on a Surron in a balaclava, it's a matter of time before the feds get involved. If on the other hand, you're running a Whyte e160 with a Volspeed tucked away & discreetly burning around the woods away from everyone then realistically you're never going be noticed.
 
The undecided said:
As availability and technology has evolved,do you regret buying a very expensive 15mph UK restricted emtb when you could have paid similar money for a Surron /similar drug courier type of bike for properly hooning around everywhere
Click to expand...
I would regret If I decided to live in the UK instead of the US where I can properly hooning around everywhere on Surron with no issues
 
TQFreak said:
I would regret If I decided to live in the UK instead of the US where I can properly hooning around everywhere on Surron with no issues
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Good that you’re riding something you enjoy riding etc, and ‘properly’, whatever that means…

Surron and other similar type electric bikes are a niche market here in the UK, they’re electric motocross ‘dirt bikes’ (Sur-Ron UK | The official UK importer & distributor) and aren’t typical of bikes ridden by the vast majority of off road cyclists here, or on the forum. They’re different disciplines/activities.

I don’t recall Rob ever reviewing one, put it that way, the same as he hasn’t reviewed a Husqvarna EE2 etc, as they aren’t E MounTain Bikes…
 
There is this one city owned loop trail here in Austin TX called Emma Long. It was set up a 'Trials' motorcycle trail. It's fun but pretty nasty, Imagine a 30 meter climb with about 12, .5-.75 meter vertical ledges to clear while going up (or down). Now do a bunch of these in 40' celsius and 85% humidity which is 4 months of the year here. Needless to say, it's tough, but it's also a really fun trail.

I've done the trail on my KX250 (many years ago) and many more times on bikes and e-bikes. Motorcycles just aren't the same or nearly as fun. It's hard sure, but it has a throttle and 40+ hp. Your often sitting, manipulating the throttle, and in the trees you just can't wail on it the throttle and let it sing. It feels dumb to me.

Motorcycles (which the Surrons are just low end e-motorcycles, buy a Varg if you want that sport) are pretty amazing when you are just letting them eat on an MX track, hucking 100'ers is dope and for real men. Trail riding, is just a different thing and it doesn't feel extreme on a motorcycle, but it feels extreme again on a bike/ e-bike.

Ps. Not on the climbs, but in the other sections I love chasing down the motorcycles on that trail, it's really fun but you have to watch the roost!
 
Suns_PSD said:
Motorcycles (which the Surrons are just low end e-motorcycles, buy a Varg if you want that sport) are pretty amazing when you are just letting them eat on an MX track, hucking 100'ers is dope and for real men. Trail riding, is just a different thing and it doesn't feel extreme on a motorcycle, but it feels extreme again on a bike/ e-bike.

Ps. Not on the climbs, but in the other sections I love chasing down the motorcycles on that trail, it's really fun but you have to watch the roost!
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Its a beautiful thing! I find it refreshing.
 
Dax said:
The issue is where can you use it legally? You could insure and register, then legally use it for green laning, which does sound like a laugh, but most uk green lanes have a bunch of road miles in between them which would be tedious.
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This is the same thought I have had in the past, even here in relatively unrestricted NZ.
Sur Rons look like a hoot - but where can you actually ride them? I guess you could take themto the local forest, but you couldn't ride them on the MTB trails in good conscience and while the MX guys would probably welcome you, they have fairly limited access as well.
I'd rather have my eMTB and ride it where every good mountainbiker goes.
 
HandsomeDanNZ said:
This is the same thought I have had in the past, even here in relatively unrestricted NZ.
Sur Rons look like a hoot - but where can you actually ride them? I guess you could take themto the local forest, but you couldn't ride them on the MTB trails in good conscience and while the MX guys would probably welcome you, they have fairly limited access as well.
I'd rather have my eMTB and ride it where every good mountainbiker goes.
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I am able to ride my eMtb in places that I would be thrown in jail with my dirt bike. I feel like a quiet legit rebel :)
 
Just get both

20240414_161153.jpg
 
Luckily, in Utah, we have a thing called moto trails. I've never ridden a Surron but have always been curious. I've had Levos since the beginning and it's been a fabulous. I also ride dirt bikes. Everytime that I've encountered a Surron on the trail with my dirt bike, I've never been able to keep up with them either climbing or descending. Also, you can't here them coming. They sound like a UFO when they go wizzing by. The thing that I wonder about is, are they for short people? I already have knee problems on the ebike and dirt bike. The Surron looks to me like I'd be cramped, which would be a no go for me. Anyway, I'd never give up my moto and ebike. Shamefully, the main reason that I would like a Surron, would be to poach some trail in the middle of the night with lights. It's it really poaching if everyone is sleeping and they can't here or see you? I see Walmart even has these things.

Screenshot_20250913_075659_Chrome.jpg
 
Dax said:
The issue is where can you use it legally? You could insure and register, then legally use it for green laning, which does sound like a laugh, but most uk green lanes have a bunch of road miles in between them which would be tedious.
Click to expand...
I was under the impression the these bikes were not homoligated for use in the U.K. so could not be registered for use on the roads. Quite apart from getting insurance. Is that wrong?
 
Old Codger said:
I was under the impression the these bikes were not homoligated for use in the U.K. so could not be registered for use on the roads. Quite apart from getting insurance. Is that wrong?
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It can be done, but it would need plenty of modifications to make it ready for the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval Test (MSVA), and a fair bit of paperwork.

There’s a YouTube video by a bloke called Andy Kirby who did it with one of his home brew e-bikes, and a couple of others have covered the steps required as well.

A search for UK MVSA process will give you all the info and steps required.
 
Old Codger said:
I was under the impression the these bikes were not homoligated for use in the U.K. so could not be registered for use on the roads. Quite apart from getting insurance. Is that wrong?
Click to expand...

According to the surron website, you can buy a uk legal one.
 
Tooks said:
It can be done, but it would need plenty of modifications to make it ready for the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval Test (MSVA), and a fair bit of paperwork.

There’s a YouTube video by a bloke called Andy Kirby who did it with one of his home brew e-bikes, and a couple of others have covered the steps required as well.

A search for UK MVSA process will give you all the info and steps required.
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Thanks for your reply but getting one of these is the last thing on my mind. I would destroy them all found on the roads and bridleways.
 
Absolutely NO regrets buying my expensive emtb. i wouldn’t want surrons on the public trails I ride my emtb on. I’ve ridden my 300cc, 2-stroke dirt dirt bike with people on surron’s and I thought they were fine there. They’re quite impressive. I usually see these surrons and similar electric bikes on city streets. I don’t care if they ride on city/urban streets as long as they’re not riding like unpredictable idiots and make it even more dangerous for the rest of us. As long as they’re ridden responsibly, and being used for general transportation, I’m fine with them on the road, or on proper dirtbike trails.
 
The undecided said:
Hi everyone

Don’t know if this has been asked before or what the reaction will be
As availability and technology has evolved,do you regret buying a very expensive 15mph UK restricted emtb when you could have paid similar money for a Surron /similar drug courier type of bike for properly hooning around everywhere either legally or illegally with relatively little or zero chance of being nicked due to the lack of Policing in most places?
At the risk of sounding completely irresponsible and dumb I sometimes wish I had (legally of course).🤫
Click to expand...
Well, I don't know about your area, but if a Suron shows up on a MTB trail around here (and they have), it would not matter if there were park Rangers, Police or whomever around.... you get caught by us, true Mtbr's/eMtbr's and they will regret it. It's called public policing :-)
 
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