The Surron LBX is a great electric dirt bike, and if you want to ride it to work and back, explore a few trails, and ride it within its intended capabilities, you probably don’t need to read this article.
But, if you are even thinking of taking it off-road, attempting a few (even small!) jumps, or want to ride it like you would a gas dirt bike, this is for you.
Electric dirt bikes have known weaknesses. It’s well known within the e-moto world that electric dirt bikes are awesome, technology is advancing at a really fast rate, and the price is really reasonable. But some of the components still have a way to go.
The good news is, electric dirt bikes are really easy to customize. In the upgrading process, you can modify it to really suit your particular riding style. Like to do big jumps? Upgrade the suspension. Like to ride long distances? Upgrade the battery to suit your needs.
This is a list of the common weaknesses of the Surron LBX, in no particular order. It applies to many other e-motos also; check our other articles for your specific bike here.
1. Throttle
Issue: The stock throttle can feel twitchy, with little resistance (too light), making it difficult to control speed, especially over bumpy surfaces.
Who this concerns: Riders who want precise throttle control, technical riders, or riders who want to upgrade their controllers and need a compatible throttle.
Solution: Look for an aftermarket throttle with more resistance, ¼ turn (if that’s your preference), with loads of customization options. Check the compatibility with your controller.
We recommend: Domino Twist Grip Throttle. Note: this is not compatible with the stock controller.
More info: GritShift’s Throttle Upgrade Guide
2. Brakes
Issue: Stock brakes on the Surron LBX kinda suck! Ok, so that’s not very technical, but it’s the quick answer! They’re prone to overheating and brake fade, and they lack that crisp bite. The stock brakes are really good for the mountain bike they were originally designed for, but considering the Surron is heavier and usually faster, the LBX’s stock brakes aren’t quite up to the job.
Who this concerns: Any rider who wants to stop their bike! In particular, if you have, or are thinking of, a power upgrade this is important. If you tend to jump on the brakes often, you run the risk of overheating your brakes.
Solution: There are a few options. You can either replace just the pads, or the rotors, or replace the full kit. There are pros and cons to each option. If you replace just the pads or the rotors, this will help with heat dissipation, but it’s not the full solution. The full kit replacement is the best way to go, but it is more expensive.
We recommend: Hayes Dominion A4 Brake Kit. This is a great full kit upgrade for either your rear or front brake.
More info: GritShift’s Best Surron Brakes Guide
3. Pedal Kit
Issue: In some areas around the world, having a pedal kit on your e-moto can blur the lines between e-bike and motorbike. The pedal kit is mainly for show; depending on the brand, it is either very difficult to use or doesn’t do anything for forward propulsion!
Who this concerns: Anyone who is considering adding a pedal kit to their Surron for the sake of getting around the law, or for extra fitness.
Solution: This one is simple. Don’t get a pedal kit! If you’re after extra fitness, get yourself a proper pedal bike, and if you’re looking at using your high-powered e-moto where slower bikes go, it won’t be fun, and you still won’t be able to hide the fact that you have a high performance machine!
We recommend: Taking your e-moto to designated areas designed for e-motos.
More info: Thinking of getting a pedal kit for your Surron? (Don’t)
4. Speed Limiter
Issue: While this isn’t really a ‘fault’, you may be wondering why your Surron isn’t hitting the top claimed speed. This is due to the factory limiting the top speed for legal reasons. Something to do with how they’re allowed to sell them in certain countries.
Who this concerns: Anyone with a Surron who wants to take full advantage of its full power.
Solution: Cut the wire in the wiring loom that limits the top speed.
We recommend: Check out this article if you want instructions on how to do this, and for more ways to increase top speed. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, check first! Feel free to have a chat with us.
More info: GritShift’s Surron Top Speed Guide
5. Suspension
Issue: The stock suspension is great for street usage, flat trails, and general commuting. For anything else, it can tend to feel quite soft and can easily bottom out on most jumps.
Who this concerns: Any rider who is thinking of going off road, or taking their bike to the track, or someone who simply wants to customize their suspension to their riding style.
Solution: Upgrade your suspension. You’ll need to work out the type of riding you prefer first, so you can upgrade to the right forks and shocks. Different forks/shocks will be perfect for different riding styles.
We recommend: Talaria Factory Air Fork, Manitou Dorado Forks for off-road riding, or the KTM 85 Fork Conversion for any hard enduro or motocross setup.
More info: Surron Suspension Setup
6. Controller
Issue: The stock controller is limited in customization. It can’t be tuned to the same extent that aftermarket controllers can.
Who this concerns: Any rider who wants to fine-tune their throttle curve, or someone who has upgraded their motor and wants to utilize its full potential, or anyone thinking of upgrading their power!
Solution: Upgrade your controller to something that will work well with your current setup and any setup that you have in the future.
We recommend: EBMX Surron Lightbee X9000 V3 Controller
More info: GritShift’s Controller Upgrade Guide
7. Battery
Issue: The stock battery is limited in range and power.
Who this concerns: Riders who are after power increases, or to extend the ride time on one battery.
Solution: Upgrade the battery. However, there is more to the story, and it depends on what you want to achieve by upgrading. Is it a power increase or a range increase? Are you looking to increase the voltage to 72V? (In simple terms, this means a cooler running temperature, so higher power can be achieved) Check out this article here on the 60V vs 72V conundrum.
More info: GritShift’s Battery Upgrade Guide
8. Motor
Issue: The stock motor can overheat if too much is asked from it – especially if you’ve upgraded the battery or controller.
Who this concerns: Riders who want more power from their Surron LBX, and have done or are looking at doing upgrades to their controller or battery. Riders who want some big performance.
Solution: Upgrade the motor to something that will handle the big power upgrades without overheating.
We recommend: EBMX XLB-60 Race Motor Upgrade
More Info: This Is How To Upgrade Your Surron Motor The Right Way
How to Plan Your Upgrades
Now you’ve seen the list of the most common Surron LBX problems, the first step is to work out what you need to upgrade first. My recommendation is always to go for the safest way to upgrade. For example, if you want to head to the MX track, then I’d suggest looking at suspension. If you want to do a big power upgrade, consider upgrading the brakes either first or at the same time.
To upgrade your motor, controller, or battery, it helps to upgrade in the correct order. In other words, you don’t want to redo any upgrade if you can help it, if you need to swap to, say, a 72V system over a 60V system.
This article explains the best order to upgrade the powertrain:
If you’re new to this e-moto world and have come across this article, don’t be concerned. Here at GritShift, we would rather let you know all about the weaknesses of your e-moto before you find out the hard way. And those weaknesses don’t apply to everyone – it depends on your riding style. Riding easy, smooth, calmly – you might not even notice them.
E-motos are great stock when ridden within their capabilities. We just like riding them well outside this, so we need the components that will handle big jumps and hard riding. You only need to upgrade the parts that concern your riding style.
This article explains explains about riding style in more detail. It talks about the E Ride Pro, but the same concept applies.
Subscribe to our newsletter community to hear about all sorts of e-moto hints and tips for your best bike build. For all your parts, head to GritShift.com. If you’re not 100% sure which is the right part for your build, have a chat with our team, who are all e-moto enthusiasts and can advise you on the best route to take for your build.
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