Gunther Melis has always been an MX and off-road fanatic and he runs his own motorcycle shop Melis Motors in Nijlen (Belgium) for quite some time now. In addition to sales, takeovers and maintenance of all brands, Gunther is also working on promoting electric driving with two-wheelers: Super Soco, Sur-Ron, Miku Max and Horwin are just a few brands that are in his shop. By the way, it was a fellow villager (Thx Wouter !!) who drew my attention to the close presence of this motorcycle shop. I was therefore pleasantly surprised with the invitation from Wouter and fellow motorcyclist Pieter-Jan to meet Gunther and at the same time test a Sur-Ron on a private property.
Melis Motors has a very large private forest where a +/- 1.5 to 2 km single track has been built to optimally test these light electric off-road Sur-Ron’s. No disturbance, no disturbing noise, no exhaust gases and no leaking parts, in short, the already well-known advantages of electric driving.
Gunther’s first motocross experience came in the eighties with a Beta 50 cc. From the period 1989-90 he regularly made some laps on the MX circuit in Lille. Then (2000-2010) he discovered the enduro sport. He knows the current problems in the motocross world like no other. Many MX tracks are faced with a lot of environmental opposition from the neighbourhood and this branch of motorsport is taking a heavy blow. Hopefully, an electrical alternative can provide a solution in the near future.
Gunther: “I always had a preference for Maico. Over the years I had a whole collection of these motorbikes. It was also always the Maico that I took regularly for a ride. Because of their infernal noise, these engines were more suitable to look at than to drive. But the raw old school sound had a great attraction for me at the time. Because I would like to continue to enjoy my off road hobby, I discovered the Quantya dirt bike in 2009. I felt they were ahead of their time and that there was finally a brand that came up with a bold solution. A trendsetter who tried to secure the future of off-road driving with electrification.”
Sur-Ron Firefly (Light Bee)
The Sur-Ron “Firefly” was the first model launched by SUR-RON since 2016, combining the simplicity of a mountain bike with the power of an off-road motorcycle. The Firefly Street Legal version is also suitable for on the road as a 45 km/h version and is therefore very popular with the youth. There is also a Firefly Youth for young people from 8 years old. With a low seat height, low weight and easy handling and a lot of customisation in engine parts, Sur-Ron models are appreciated by intermediate and experienced riders.
And we have experienced that ourselves: the Sur-Ron offers so much off-road fun, is powerful and drives very fast on the sandy single tracks. Correction, it was Gunther who took off fairly quickly… we hobbled after him. But even at our own pace and with little off-road experience, we felt like Graham Jarvis in an enduro race. And after 2 laps we already felt some resistance from our, huh, muscles … Respect for all those extreme enduro riders, in comparison our single track was a highway. By the way, speaking of enduro, the Sur-Ron Storm Bee enduro model is coming out soon, we’ll keep you posted at THE PACK.
Technical specifications
- Length / Width / Height: 1,860 / 780 / 1,050 mm
- Ground clearance: 270 mm
- Wheelbase: 1,230 mm
- Empty weight (without battery): 47 kg
- max. load: 93 kg
- Frame: Aluminum Alloy, Double-Cradle-Design
- Front suspension: Twin pipe telescopic bumper (USD)
- Rear suspension: Multilink central shock absorber
- Cooling: air cooled
- Max. angle of inclination: 15°
- Range: 69 km
- Consumption: 27 Wh/km
- Rated continuous power: 2.05 kW
- Power transmission: Belt / chain
- Tire size: 700/100-19 42RM
- Wheel size: 19×4
- Front Brake: Hydraulic 4 Piston Disc Brake
- Rear brake: Hydraulic 4-piston disc brake
Prices Sur-Ron
- Sur-Ron Youth (suitable from 8 years): EUR 3,199.00
- Sur-Ron Light Bee X (homologated and street legal): from EUR 4,950.00
- Sur-Ron offroad X (for private property use): from EUR 4.499.00
These prices are VAT included. Each Sur-Ron can be fully tailor-made and all adjustments can first be tried out on the test track at Melis Motors in Nijlen. You can reserve a test time of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes via the Melis Motors website to try out the Sur-Ron. When purchasing a Sur-Ron, these costs of the test drive will be deducted. More information and reservation request can be found on their website:
Pictures: THE PACK, Melis Motors and a special “thank you” to Pieter-Jan
