Why do you need to modify a great e-moto like a Surron?
The Surron X (aka LBX or Light Bee) is one of the best e-motos available. Why is there so much hype around needing to mod it? Think about this… if you brought a top-of-the-line off-road adventure truck, would you be keeping those stock tires or standard lift? No way, you’d be modding the life out of it just because you can. And it turns a great truck into the best truck. Your truck. The same goes for an e-moto. You need to make it yours. Make it fit like a glove.
The question becomes, what do you need to mod for your riding style? This will make a big difference to what you might upgrade first. The following is a list of the top mods for your Surron. We’ll keep it to commuting, light off-road, and generally being a bit nicer to your Surron. If your style is tripling jumps or climbing logs that resemble 100-year giants, then that’s a whole other level. Check out this article here for more extreme mods. For most of us, let’s look at the best mods for everyday use from our view at the marketplace of GritShift.
Simple mods for your first week of Surron ownership
It’s early days, and you’re still getting used to your new ride. Maybe you haven’t worked out exactly what to use your Surron for yet. Perhaps you’ve been keeping to the black top, but dreaming about dirt tracks. These first mods are quick, easy and won’t cost you a heap. They will also be perfect for whatever style of riding you find yourself getting drawn to. Let’s mod this Surron to fit you perfectly!
Bar risers
As the number one top-selling Surron item at GritShift, the direct mount riser from Heavy Hitter is the best way to turn your Surron from a fast mountain bike to a real electric dirt bike. With the stock handlebars at a stock height, you’ll find your riding position resembling more of a mountain bike feel with the low, flat rake on the bars. Especially if you’re on the taller side of average, your back will thank you for investing in a bar riser. It will also be handy if you ride standing on the footpegs. On that note…
Footpegs
Feeling secure on the e-moto is first and foremost. The stock footpegs, well, suck. Too flimsy and not enough grip, even for a simple commute. It’s no wonder why footpegs are second on the list of popular items here at GritShift. Check out the range of Surron LBX footpegs here.
Support brace
Similar to the stock footpegs, it is highly recommended to install a support brace. If you stand on the footpegs, a support bracket reinforces the thin OEM brackets so there is no chance of them bending under load. Not to mention, if you drop your e-moto, which happens more times than not with dirt bikes, the weight of the e-moto could also bend the stock brackets. It is simply cheap insurance. The brace that has been designed and thoroughly tested in-house is the Billet FootPeg Support Brace. If you’re new to GritShift, do a quick search on Instagram and you’ll see what these parts are put through before being sold to the public!
Skid plates
If you’re only commuting on flat ground, this mod might not be necessary. However, do you ever ride down the curb or small steps to shortcut to your destination? The only thing stopping damage to your motor is a thin skid plate that lacks critical structure. Once again, it’s cheap insurance to protect your new investment. GritShift’s Heavy Hitter Skid Plate is an option you could look at, and coming from GritShift R&D, you know it’ll withstand anything!
Grips
Grips are possibly the easiest mod that is both highly practical and offers personalization with a color scheme. Any brand will work better than the original. On the LBX, the non-throttle hand stock grip has been known to twist while riding. Not ideal! And don’t even get me started if you’re combating mud!
Next-month mods to keep you going
These next ideas will really start getting your e-moto dialed in. It could be argued they are ‘necessary’, however, if your bank account isn’t unlimited, we all need to work out priorities… or at least what order to put things on the birthday wish list!
Seat
Higher bars are much more comfortable, but to match the ergos, also consider getting a seat riser. This will increase the seat height by 2.5”, not much, but the right amount to align your body with your e-moto. The original seat itself is OK, but there’s definite room for improvement. Check out this seat riser.
Rear fender
Who wants to rock up to work with a line of mud down their back? I don’t want to do any more washing than I have to! A rear fender is a quick easy fix so there’s no more manoeuvering around the smallest of puddles or avoiding the damp roads. The easy-install Heavy Hitter rear fender can be found here.
Brakes
There is a lot of science that goes into brakes. If you want an in-depth read, check out this article. Otherwise, the only thing you need to know is that Surron brakes, like most e-moto brakes, are not particularly good. They are prone to overheating and not working correctly. Which sucks if you need to stop in a hurry! If anything, look into getting some new pads, or perhaps a new rotor, but ultimately just be aware that Surron brakes have limitations – especially if increasing power is on the agenda.
Suspension
Good suspension can be the difference between “This e-moto is OK” and “This e-moto rips!” The stock suspension is built for mountain bike weight and doesn’t do much in the way of damping your ride – i.e. the shuddering you get on the handlebars that transfers through to your wrist. Even if you’re sticking to the bitumen, good front forks will make your ride a heap smoother and way more controllable.
If you’re predominantly keeping to flat ground, check out the Talaria Front Forks. These will also allow you to get onto the dirt and trail rides.
As a side note, the rear suspension is pretty good for the majority of riding conditions. Unless you’re looking at epic jumps, the rear suspension doesn’t need to be high on the list of upgrades.
Wishlist mods for Christmas, birthday, or Valentine’s Day
This next category looks at improving the performance of your Surron. These are more expensive parts to upgrade, and unless you’re someone who wants more power and faster top speed, they’re not necessary to upgrade. Unless you’ve caught the modding bug and stock power isn’t enough! OK, you better read on!
Battery
The first question is 60v or 72v? You can get all the details here, but basically, 72v will potentially get you a faster top speed. Keep in mind that your whole powertrain needs to be the same voltage – if you upgrade the battery to a 72v, you’ll also need to upgrade the controller and motor.
Controller
The Surron X controller with a stock battery will come with a 3kW tune (or a 7kW tune if you bypass the battery BMS – Google bypassing the battery in a Surron and you’ll see what I’m talking about). However, if you upgrade the battery, you’ll need a controller that will talk to that battery and ask for more power. But… you can’t ask for more than what the motor can safely output. Read more on controllers here.
Motor
If you upgrade the battery and controller, you may want to look at upgrading the motor to make the most of your new combination. Unless it’s 72V, in which case you’ll definitely need to upgrade the motor!
Is all of this modding really worth it?
From the first small mod you make, you’ll be able to see your Surron transform into your pride and joy. Something that is 100% you. Maybe you’re into the bling and will have a perfectly color-coordinated work of art, or if you’re like me, I’ll go practical anytime over color combo. Although the pink pinstripes always feature on every vehicle I’ve owned! Just ‘cuz! Scroll through the GritShift shop and you’ll see the options are almost endless. The best part is just to have fun turning your e-moto into one-of-a-kind.
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