Surron LBX e-motos require maintenance, just like any other motorcycle, bicycle, or vehicle. The good news is that much less needs to be done on an e-moto. There are no air filters to clean, no plugs that foul— it’s all really nice and simple.
However, there’s still a little bit of work that needs to be done to keep your LBX in tip-top shape, and riding well for the foreseeable future. Let’s look into what you should be doing right now to keep your Surron running smoothly, and what can potentially fail early so you can be prepared.
Does a Surron LBX need maintenance?
Yep. Surron Light Bees do need maintenance, and as with any vehicle, there are a few simple things to check prior to every ride. It is a good habit to always do a quick once-over prior to riding. You’d much rather find a bolt that needs to be tightened in your garage, with your tools handy than out in the woods where something’s rattled loose and you have damaged components. This will also help with long-term maintenance.
If you are in the habit of only checking things once they’ve already broken, maybe with gas-powered dirt bikes or pedal-powered mountain bikes, e-motos are a bit different. They don’t always make telltale mechanical noises or vibrations to warn you that something is amiss – so if you aren’t in the habit of doing pre-ride checks, now’s the perfect time to start!
This list might seem excessive, but with practice, it should only take a few moments of your time. Check the manual that came with your Surron for specific details, but as a guide this is what you can check:
Prior to each ride:
- Check tires for overall condition and to verify air pressure
- Check axle screws
- Check handlebar fitment for free movement
- Check power circuit for normal operation
- Check front and rear brakes for correct functionality
- Check battery level (although I’d be doing this the day before and charging!)
- Check throttle movement, response, and play
- Check spokes
- Check chain
- Check belt
- Check front and rear suspension
Personally, I also check most of these items when I get home from a day of riding. That way you can spot something and have a part ordered or fixed before the next weekend. If you can see something is wearing, such as brake pads, it gives you the chance to plan ahead, budget for the parts, book a service, or put time aside to do the maintenance yourself.
Scheduled Surron maintenance
A brand-new Surron should get its first inspection at 10-30km (5-20 miles) of normal riding. The purpose of this is for a general checkover and to ensure nothing has come loose. Then, there are a few extra things to check periodically. Either you can do them yourself if you have the knowledge and time, or contact your local dealer to book a service.
What is the long-term maintenance schedule?
Long term maintenance on your Surron LBX depends on where you ride, how you ride, and how old your e-moto is. Sandy, beach areas with a high salt content will have different maintenance issues compared to the hot, dry desert areas. Likewise, if your Surron lives most of its life inside, maintenance will look lots different to someone who spends each weekend at the MX track.
Maintenance to complete on your Surron
Because recommended maintenance items have changed with certain model years, you should consult your user manual for the suggested maintenance schedule that is specific to your machine. Different year builds have slightly different variations, so try to use a user manual for the year of your bike. If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, call your local dealer.
Additional maintenance that you should be completing every few rides, or every ride if you take your Surron on the beach, is clean and lube your chain. Check out this article here on best practices to keep your chain in good condition.
Look after your battery most of all. It’s expensive to replace! Don’t let your battery drop to a very low level. If you’re not planning on riding for a few months, be sure to store your battery correctly. This article here talks about everything batteries – how to maintain them, how to clean them, and when to upgrade them.
Do Surrons break a lot?
It depends! If you watch any of the GritShift videos we post to Instagram, you’ll see the answer… (OK, I’ll make it easy, here’s the link) and the whole idea of GritShift R&D is to test everything to its limit, which means things break! The R&D team then work their magic and create awesome strong parts to replace the weaker stock parts. It’s just what they do.
Back to the question, do Surrons break a lot? Let me ask this, is your Surron LBX a commuter? Maybe with the occasional wheelie attempt thrown in? Or are you sky high on MX jumps on the weekends? Have you even looked at your belt or chain, and given it some love and attention? All these things and more contribute to whether or not your Surron will easily break.
Long story short, be smart. Before you take off on that gnarly looking ramp, beef up your suspension and triangle linkage, put in some bigger brakes, and up the power. The Surron LBX is a fantastic e-moto, but it does have limitations. You can’t ride it like a 250cc motorcrosser and expect not to brake something in its stock form.
Take it from us – and not just because we sell parts – but properly modifying your LBX for the conditions you’re subjecting it to will result in less wear and tear on overstressed parts, leading to less maintenance, fewer breakdowns, and more time spent riding instead of wrenching.
(PS, shameless plug…. Go to GritShift.com and grab those parts before you break something!)
What should I watch out for?
Depending on your riding style, you may need to upgrade some of the weaker components to allow for hard landings. Rusty, GritShift’s R&D boss, has seen everything that can happen to a Surron. This is his advice:
The one note I can say is the jackshaft doesn’t get checked enough and usually runs until failure. It then requires a completely new jackshaft instead of just replacing the bearings.
– Rusty, GritShift R&D
Read this recent article about the LBX’s infamous jackshaft and what you can do to strengthen it before the worst happens.
How long can a Surron last for?
This is just like asking ‘how long is a piece of string!’ With the correct maintenance, riding within the Surron’s capabilities, and upgrading the parts that need strengthening, your Surron can last for a very long time. Like all current EVs, you may find the battery will be less efficient over the years, as the ability to hold 100% charge reduces slowly over time.
We’ve recently seen a few LBXs on Reddit (like this one) that have over 10,000 miles with not much more than regular maintenance! You can bet they probably wouldn’t have those miles with no maintenance at all, or at very least, some of those miles would have been pushing the bike!
The beauty of e-moto is the ability to upgrade parts from a huge range of aftermarket options. So technically, over the life of the Surron, only the frame could remain the same. As cliche as it is, if you look after your e-moto, your e-moto will look after you. The Surron of Theseus, as it were, could still be going for years to come.
Check out GritShift for all the parts you need for your Surron!
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