The Best Electric Pit Bike: Buy It or Build It?

Pit bikes have been gaining popularity by the boatload in recent times, and with the addition of various electric options hitting the market every year – we’re left with a recipe for some of the most fun and practical pit bikes around.

Whether you prefer to buy something turn-key, or you’re someone like me who would rather build your own rendition to get the most bang for your buck, this post will ensure you have every aspect covered before coming up with a plan for your next mean-green-machine!

Explaining Pit Bikes And How Electric Compares To Gasoline

Pit bikes are generally known as play bikes – originally designed for kids or teenagers, then modified to make them viable for adults. Before electric powertrains came to the market, we commonly saw 50cc, 80cc, 100cc, 110cc, 125cc, and multiple other-sized dirt bikes utilized for pitters.

With the addition of e-bikes, we now have the option of fully electric pit bikes that are (typically) ready to rip right from the showroom floor. This means you don’t have to worry about modifying a bike after you’ve already spent your hard-earned money on it. Most of these options, however, carry a hefty price tag – upwards of $4,500 with options like the Sur-Ron or Talaria Sting R.

If that doesn’t sound very appealing (I’d rather spend that amount on a motocross bike), there is another route you can take, which is building your own electric pit bike. Sure, you’ll need a bit of mechanical aptitude and the confidence to get the project finished – but once it is all said and done, you’ll be much more satisfied with the end product, all while saving hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars.

The Necessary Budget And Which Option Is Best For You

As mentioned previously, options like the Sur-Ron, Talaria Sting R MX4, E-Ride Pro SS, and others typically run close to the $4,500 mark, depending on your country. This means with shipping and any add-ons you may choose to purchase (trust me, you will), you’re looking at around USD 5,000 for a ready-to-rip play bike/pit bike.

When building your own electric pit bike, the necessary budget ranges from around $1,500 for a basic Razor build to over $5,000 or $6,000 with a high-performance build that utilizes an 85cc motocross bike frame along with high-powered batteries and motors.

When deciding which option is best, you’ll want to consider how much you’d like to spend while being sure to consider your mechanical abilities. If you can replace the brakes on your car or do general repairs on a dirt bike, chances are this project will be a breeze. A custom electric pit bike is capable of producing just as much power (if not more) than all of the popular pre-built options on the market at a fraction of the cost. However, if budget is not much of a worry and you’d rather not spend the time building something, a pre-built electric pit bike is the way to go.

Here is another factor that many of you riders will not realize until it is too late – a majority of people who go with pre-built electric pit bikes eventually end up modifying the batteries and motors to allow for more power, meaning if you build your own electric pit bike, you’ll be able to decide how much power the bike will have from the get-go.

The Best Pre-Built Options

The Best Kits For Building Your Own Electric Pit Bike

Electro & Co. Extreme 11,000W Razor Kit

Price: Starting at $899

The Extreme 11,000W kit for Razors made by Electro & Co. is currently the top-of-the-line kit if you are someone looking to build one of the meanest pit bikes around. This kit gives you the option of a 52V, 72V, or 76V battery paired with the TruMoto Noisy Cricket Controller and an EC4P V3 High-Performance Brushless Motor. This upgrade allows for double-digit power and speeds in excess of 60MPH. Even with the most powerful battery option (76V 24AH 14KW), this build will net you under $3,000 – including the cost of a new Razor pit bike. This means you can run circles around a Sur-ron, Talaria, or even an E-ride Pro SS while saving more than $1,500.

Electro & Co. EMX17® ELECTRIC CONVERSION KIT

Price: $5,550

If you’re a fan of E-bikes, you’ve likely heard of Sur Ronster, the popular YouTuber known for his viral E-bike videos. One of my favorite builds seen on his channel is his YZ85, converted to a fully electric powertrain (utilizing the E&C EMX17 kit). This kit allows for two different power modes (Eco mode and Warp Drive mode). And as a bonus, there is even a reverse mode – I can almost guarantee you’ve never seen that on a dirt bike!

You may be wondering why anybody would want to swap out the tried and true YZ85 two-stroke engine with an electric powertrain, as I had the same idea when I first saw this kit. Let it be known, however, that the EMX17 is more than capable of leaving the YZ in a cloud of dust, whether it be on trails, motocross tracks, or even on the streets (although I don’t recommend you take any dirt bike on public roads!). As far as battery life, this kit can run for three hours with normal riding or two hours when going balls to the wall. The only downside to this kit (obviously) is the hefty price tag – but if you’d like to embarrass all of your buddies who still prefer to mix gas, this kit is without a doubt the way to go.

Performance: Pre-Built Vs. Custom Electric Pit Bike

If you haven’t realized yet, the clear winner here is a custom-built electric pit bike. Not only do you have the potential to save money, but you’re also able to choose exactly which modifications and power levels your new pit bike will have.

Keep in mind, however, if you prefer to keep your hands clean (which is a bonus of e-bikes – little to no maintenance), it may be a safer bet to go with a prebuilt option such as the E-ride Pro SS. This also means there is no margin for error when building/putting together the pit bike. And if you weren’t aware, the Surron, Talaria, and even the E-ride Pro SS can be upgraded to absolute monsters, just like the Extreme Razor kit, meaning there is no wrong choice when it comes to electric pit bikes.

Wrapping Up

With all of this being said, I’m hoping you’ll have a better idea of which option will suit you best, and where you should go from here.. So what are you waiting for? Get to building (or buying!) and hopefully, I’ll see you on the track with your new beast of a pit bike!

Happy riding!