This $2K electric dirt bike looks like a toy – it isn't

There’s a particular category of motorcycle that exists somewhere between a proper dirt bike and something you’d expect to find leaning against a teenager’s garage wall. The wheels are small, the proportions are compact, there’s usually no license plate in sight, and the whole thing looks like it should be considerably less terrifying than it actually is.

The Hong Kong-born Sykeruns X7 falls squarely into the latter category. At first glance, it looks like a toy that has escaped from an unusually ambitious backyard workshop. I can assure you, it’s not.

It might be small, skinny, and look almost comically uncomplicated. But then you read the numbers: 5.5 kW (7.37 hp) of peak power, a 57-mph (92 km/h) top speed, up to 60 miles (97 km) of range, and 162 lb.ft (220 Nm) of claimed torque.

Yes, I know, it's motor torque and comparing it directly with a gas bike’s crankshaft figure isn't exactly apples-to-apples. But come on. Put a number like 220 Nm on a machine this small and you're practically begging people to find the steepest hill nearby and make some questionable decisions.

Oh, and it costs $1,999.

Suddenly, the X7 doesn’t look like a toy anymore. It's a $2K electric dirt bike that looks quite happy to exceed your expectations about what something this small should be capable of.

It comes powered by a 60-V, 27-Ah lithium-ion battery feeding an electric drive system that Sykeruns rates at up to 5.5 kW. As with practically every electric vehicle range claim ever printed, you aren't going to see 60 miles if you spend the entire afternoon riding around at 57 mph with the throttle pinned.

The company's own fine print says actual range varies with speed, terrain, rider weight, weather, and riding style. In other words, treat 60 miles as a best-case number rather than a promise.

Charging takes approximately four to six hours using the supplied 60-V, 5-A charger. That's not exactly fast-charging territory, but this isn't intended to replace a gasoline motorcycle on a 500-mile road trip either. The X7 is aimed much more squarely at trails, private land, recreational riding, and the sort of weekend adventures where you can plug the thing in when you get home.

And unlike an ICE dirt bike, there's no waiting for an engine to wind itself up before the fun begins. Electric motors deliver their shove immediately, which is particularly useful when you're trying to claw your way up a loose hill or get the rear tire spinning on dirt.

The peak torque of 162 lb.ft, along with a top speed of up to 57 mph for something that weighs just 143 lb (65 kg) before you put a human being on it, is perhaps its biggest selling point. The company also claims the X7 can tackle gradients of up to 30 degrees.

There are three selectable riding modes, presumably allowing you to dial back the insanity when you don't particularly need all of it. There's also reverse assist for younger riders who may not be the most confident about backing up a motorcycle on an incline.

Of course, there's no fuel tank, exhaust system, clutch, or conventional transmission taking up space, leaving the X7 looking more like a bicycle on steroids than a conventional motorcycle.

But it still uses a proper full-size off-road chassis with a reinforced swingarm and 17-inch front and 14-inch rear wheels, giving it considerably more presence than the company’s smaller X5. There's 14.6 in (370 mm) of ground clearance, a 32.7-in (830 mm) seat height, and a 45.3-in (1,150 mm) wheelbase.

Sykeruns recommends it for riders between roughly 5 ft 3 and 6 ft 5 (160-195 cm). Although, as always, inseam and riding experience matter just as much as whatever number you happen to see on a height chart.

Suspension hardware includes a 45-48-mm inverted aluminum fork and a nitrogen-charged monoshock at the rear. There are hydraulic disc brakes at both ends for stopping power.

The price is obviously the most interesting part of the whole thing. Sykeruns currently lists the X7 at $1,999. Now I admit that's not exactly pocket change, especially for a brand you might not have heard of before, but the company does offer a 2-year warranty to ease your fears.

The catch, as ever with relatively inexpensive electric motorcycles, is that specifications aren't the same thing as a ride experience. I haven’t ridden one, so I can’t comment on how it feels on the dirt tracks and hilly trails.

But if you’re looking at an electric-moto for the first time, you better know that peak motor output doesn't tell you how long the bike can sustain that output, just like the claimed range doesn't tell you what happens when you're hammering up a rocky trail.

Meanwhile, the hardware suggests Sykeruns isn't simply taking a fat-tire ebike, adding plastics and calling it a dirt bike. Electric power has made it possible to build motorcycles that are mechanically simple, compact, and remarkably potent without the engine displacement we've traditionally associated with serious performance.

I’d put it in the same class as the Engwe Eagle, the Buffseek R01, and the Tasaca T500 – three bikes I recently covered, pitting them against each other, considering all of them came in a similar $!,200-$1,500 price point. This one, though, is a tad more costly, but it does promise more thrills with a higher top speed than all of those.

But you know what? I can't shake the image of someone buying one because it looks like a harmless little electric dirt bike, twisting the throttle for the first time and immediately discovering that the harmless little electric dirt bike has other ideas. (Wheeeee-lieeeee)

Source: Sykeruns