Why mod your e-moto? In fact, why mod the E Ride Pro S or SS which are proving to be really sturdy, solid, fast machines? The answer is easy – when electric dirt bikes, well, dirt bikes in general, get designed and developed, they get built to the ‘average’ person’s size with ‘average’ riding skills. If you’re anything but ‘average’, you’ll find the ergos not quite right or that the bike isn’t going to hold up to what you throw at it. Perhaps the handlebars need to be a bit closer, higher, and have more rake. Maybe some of the parts need to be reinforced to withstand big landings.
What about your riding style? I know we all like to think we can wheelie like Sur Ronster, but let’s face it, not everyone can. Yet. We’re all at different riding abilities, different stages in our riding journey, and drawn to different riding styles. Not one e-moto can fill all these different requirements.
That’s where modding your e-moto comes in. Start with a brilliant stock bike, and make it truly yours. It doesn’t matter if you plan to simply commute, take it to the tracks, or find an urban jungle – there is always something you can improve to make it better.
Enter GritShift. With a team of e-moto enthusiasts with awesome design skills, you know our E Ride Pro shop bikes will be covered with upgradable parts in no time. In fact, I’ve got special access to GritShift R&D and have found out what is coming any day now. Would you like to know?
The R&D design process
Before we dive into the new parts, I think it’s important to acknowledge the hard work the team puts into each part to ensure only the best, most robust parts get put to market. Rusty, R&D team leader, talks about the intricate design process.
“For me, typically, testing first involves riding the bike stock and mainly focusing on the weaknesses we find with a stock platform. From there, we begin to identify things that we can change for either strength, geometry for better suspension, or further adjustment of suspension to optimize for bigger wheels / fork setups.”
From concept to website…
The process the R&D team take from concept to website, very briefly, generally is:
- Riding the e-moto stock and identifying weaknesses or places to improve to allow bigger mods.
- Taking a 3D scan of the entire e-moto or a specific component to ascertain data such as clearances and geometry.
- Proving a concept by utilizing CAD systems and a 3D printer. A very rough design is printed to verify travel, clearances, fitment, etc.
- If the part gets the OK, the design is then shaped for aesthetics and stress analysis is started to verify the product’s strength.
- If the part makes it to this step, it is then manufactured using a precision process called CNC Machining. Then vigorous testing begins.
- Testing of the part commences to finish aesthetics, ensure ease of installation, verify tolerances, fitment, and more. Meanwhile, stress testing reaches new levels. The part is then put in the worst possible situations and the team tries to break it!
- After typically anywhere between 30-90 days of riding, inspecting, testing, and more inspecting, the part is fully removed from the e-moto and carefully inspected at a micro level for any signs of cracks, damage or abnormal wear. If it comes back successful, it will begin production. If anything abnormal is found, it’s back to step 1.
- While the part is being created, the product is loaded onto the website and pre-order sales are started.
Head to the GritShift YouTube page for some more behind-the-scenes insights!
All the steps involved in making these parts lead to a super strong, robust part that makes your e-moto even more capable long into the future.
Creating the perfect e-moto for hard riding
We know that many e-moto parts can be interchanged between Surron, Talaria, Segway and E Ride Pro, but there are a few parts that are slightly different. Much of the time it comes down to slightly different sizing or a bolt is in a different spot by a few millimeters. Always check the fitment section on any part you’re about to purchase. It may look very similar, but it pays to check.
Brand New E Ride Pro Parts
To build your perfect e-moto, below is a list of upgraded parts for your E Ride Pro that are coming soon, and who they are best suited for.
This is what the GritShift R&D team has been working on, E Ride Pro-specific parts. If you would like to find out when any of these parts start becoming available, subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to know about parts in general, or head to the webpage and click ‘notify me when available’ on specific parts.
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Jackshaft Bolt
To get power to the wheels, a series of components need to work together harmoniously. What holds it all together on an E Ride Pro is the jackshaft bolt. If that breaks, your riding day is done! When you start jumping your e-moto or start pushing the limits, the jackshaft bolt is placed under much more pressure. This improved jackshaft bolt, designed by the GritShift R&D team, can withstand the heavy impacts and forces that competitive riding brings.
Bullet explains in this video here how the Surron jackshaft bolt can bend, along with some great info on changing a broken belt. The E Ride Pro follows a similar concept.
Rear Axle
The rear axle might not sound like an important performance item, but it plays a vital role in bike setup by transferring all the weight and stress of the rear wheel to the suspension. As you can imagine, if you’re landing big jumps or placing your e-moto under additional stress such as a run of whoops, you need a rear axle that will hold up to the task.
This rear axle by GritShift is designed from 4140 Chromly steel and has been heat-treated for added durability. GritShift has designed this for easy installation, requiring only basic tools for a quick swap, an easy way to eliminate a potential weak point for future hard riding.
Billet Display Mount
If you’re thinking of adding a direct mount stem to your handlebars, or perhaps you already have and know what I’m talking about, you’ll find the OEM display mount won’t fit. Our Display Mount fixes this issue, allowing you to safely install any type of handlebar mount, and the display too! In addition to solving this problem, this display mount also allows a multi-position adjustment, positioning the display where it suits you.
If you’re curious to see how the aesthetics of this particular display mount came about, check out this short video.
Skid Plate
A skid plate is simple, cheap insurance for protecting your motor. Stock E Ride Pro S and SS bash plates just don’t have the same durability, leaving the underside of your bike vulnerable to punctures and damage beyond repair. If your style of riding is out in the woods, jumping logs, and dragging your e-moto over all sorts of terrain, a skid plate is a necessary addition.
The guys from GritShift even tested this design in the Tennessee Knockout, a difficult rock crawling, log jumping, hare-scrambling hard enduro race. So you know it’s over-engineered to protect!
A skid plate can also be handy for riders who commute on their e-moto. If you’ve tried to ride down a small step but ended up scraping the underside of your bike, think seriously about putting on some added protection to safeguard that motor.
Suspension Linkage
If you’re not sure what the suspension linkage and triangle do, watch this short video that demonstrates exactly how it works. Now imagine all that mechanical engineering coming under instant load on a large jump. The GritShift R&D team engineered a robust linkage to withstand everything competitive riding will throw at you and your E Ride Pro.
This part isn’t necessary for those who commute or don’t push the limits of their machines. But it’s there if you want to!
Suspension Triangle
Similar to the linkage, the suspension triangle forms an integral part of the suspension mechanics on an E Ride Pro. It takes loads of pressure when landing jumps and from sharp hits like you would find on a rocky track. The stock suspension is great if you’re on relatively flat ground, and on two wheels, but as soon as you start pushing it, you can run the risk of damage.
Are you wheelie-ing your way to work, or love your stunting? The pressure aggressive riding puts on stock parts can quickly reach their limits. The E-Ride Pro S and SS are built tough, but when you start riding outside the ‘normal’, you need stronger, more robust parts.
What to do next?
The first thing you need to do is work out your riding style. Are you a dawdle daisy, meandering your way on countryside tracks, taking your time? If so, you may want to look at the display mount in conjunction with some bar risers to put the handlebar in the most comfortable position, but you probably don’t need to worry about beefing up your suspension components. And, remember there is nothing wrong with taking your time – these E Ride Pro e-motos are fantastic for a huge range of riding styles. Yet another reason why modding your e-moto is important – so that your riding style can grow and change!
However, if you’re thinking of competitive riding, stunting, hard enduro trails, or just looking for the best possible peace of mind on your components, upgrading to robust, well-tested parts is highly advised. Expected to be available any day now, have a look at the upcoming parts that are specific to E Ride Pro models and put your name down on the list to be notified. As of publishing, GritShift is the only team to create some of these parts. That’s us doing what we can to improve these awesome machines so we can all have more fun on them!
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