When it comes to for-fun electric dirt bikes, few players have been able to hold a candle to the Sur-Ron X. Sure, Cake with its Kalk electric dirt bike is far superior in terms of tech and performance, but it's also nearly three times the price at upwards of $13,000 USD. That being said, the Sur-Ron X remains the go-to for off-road enthusiasts looking for a fun, no-frills, electric off-roader – until now, that is.
Having had the privilege of trying out the Sur-Ron X for myself, I can say that it's plenty of bike for what's essentially a powerful electric mountain bike. As such, when I saw Electrek's article of a newly released electric off-roader that boasts 50-percent more power than the Sur-Ron X, I just had to take a closer look. I'm talking about he new Talaria Sting R MX4. While that name may seem like a mouthful, it's packing an impressive amount of performance, at a price that could have people making the shift from Sur-Ron to Talaria.
Like many electric two-wheelers of this nature, Talaria sees it manufacturing operations on Chongqing, China, a place widely considered as the Silicon Valley for e-bike production. No wonder it's able to price its goods so competitively. Most notably, the new Talaria Sting R MX4 is retailed by California-based bike dealer Luna Cycle, so yes, you can easily get your hands on this machine if you live Stateside.
In fact, Luna Cycle is all praises about the Talaria Sting, stating that the bike comes well-equipped with all the necessary hardware to support the bumped up power output. According to Luna, the Sur-Ron X had brakes that left quite a bit to be desired, especially when modified to produce extra power. The Talaria Sting, on the other hand, is more than equipped to handle the boosted power with 230-millimeter brake rotors and four levels of regenerative braking.
When it comes to performance, the Sting pumps out a hefty 7.39 horsepower. Mind you, this isn't a claim by the company, but rather, real world tests performed in Luna Cycle's dyno. For reference, that's nearly 50 percent more power than the Sur-Ron X's 4.8 ponies. Talaria has managed to do this by incorporating an IPM motor with a magnetic encoder, ensuring efficiency and instantaneous response with the twist of the throttle. Thanks to this setup, the bike can hit a rather impressive top speed of 52 miles per hour. Battery tech consists of a beefy 2.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack, boasting 18-percent more capacity than the Sur-Ron X.
Best of all, the Talaria Sting's boosted performance and battery capacity comes at a rather attractive price tag. At just $4,500 USD, it's just $150 more expensive than the Sur-Ron X, while packing 50 percent more power and 18 percent more juice. That being said, the Talaria Sting is well and truly a newcomer to the electric bike scene, so would-be buyers of this punchy off-roader will have to be aware of this. Only time will tell if the Talaria Sting really has what it takes to go the distance in a similar fashion to the Sur-Ron X.
At this point, it's worth noting that Luna Cycles sells the Talaria Sting as an off-road-only bike, as its performance and speed well exceed the legal regulations for electric bikes. They are, however, shipped with lower speed and power outputs to make them street legal in multiple states. That said, Luna emphasizes that it's important to check your local laws depending on where you're from, before deciding to hit the road aboard this machine.
