Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike Review: A Great Starter Dirt Bike for Teens or Teen-Sized Adults

Off-road dirt biking is one of my favorite activities, so I couldn’t pass up any opportunity to review an electric mountain bike or dirt bike when it was offered. The Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike looks great on paper, but will the impressive specs for the price point translate into a fun and effective off-road dirt bike or just one suited more for flat and gentle trails?

What’s in the Box

The Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike’s box arrived pretty beat up, but luckily the bike itself seems to have survived mostly intact. I ended up missing a nut and washer for one side body panel, and the sticker decals were bent, and most were scratched, but I prefer the mostly black aesthetic anyway.

The box includes the dirt bike itself, handlebars wired but not physically attached yet, a detached front wheel, assembly tools, the AC charger, two keys, a manual, and do-it-yourself decals. I found it odd that they offer a color choice at checkout (on both Amazon and their own website) but simply included all of the colors in the box – maybe these are pre-applied on non-review units?

Design and Features

The Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike doesn’t break the dirt bike mold, sticking with the tried-and-true form factor you see young hooligans tearing around city streets and parks on these days. A motorcycle-style seat sits atop a hefty frame that contains the ample battery and powerful 3000-watt motor unit. A chain drives power to the smaller rear wheel.

A full-twist throttle on the right hand controls the throttle (no clutch or gears to worry about here). The mostly metal build with plastic body panels feels like it can take some abuse and last a long time.

The seat is a motorcycle-style seat that is soft and feels good at first, but on longer rides (30+ minutes) it gets uncomfortable. Note the lack of any form of headlight (or taillight) in the pictures below. Even though this isn’t meant to be ridden on the streets, the reality is that some kids and teens are going to end up on models like these zooming around city streets, and head and taillights go a long way towards visibility and safety.

Even if you’re following local laws and keeping it completely off-road, it’s still nice to have lights in case you are riding at dawn or dusk.

A bright and simple LCD screen relays current and top speeds while driving, as well as a simple battery level indicator. The battery level shows five bars and simply drops as you go, with no estimated range or granularity. Unlike some bikes I’ve tested, the battery level indicator was steady (I’ve had some fluctuate up and down pretty wildly through rides).

The size, geometry, and clearance are well-suited to the recommended height range (I am taller than the recommended range, but I was fine).

The brakes and hydraulic shocks seem to be of decent quality. The front-shock travel, in particular, was good on most of the trails I tested, many of which challenge my usual electric mountain bike’s more limited suspension travel.

The battery is a generous 20 amp-hour unit on a 48-volt architecture. It’s UL-certified, which is always good to see in this era of increasingly frequent e-bike battery fires. Charging is done via the included 5-amp 120 Volt AC charger.

The bike can be locked with the included keys, but I wish it could lock to one of the lower speed modes (for parents who want to keep their hooligans in line).

Specs

• Motor: 3000 Watts
• Top Speed: 37 MPH
• Battery: 48V20AH, UL2849 with BMS
• Max Range: 35 Miles
• Suitable rider height: 3.94 ft – 5.9 ft
• Max Torque: 146 Nm
• Max Climbing Angle: 20 degrees
• Brakes: Hydraulic
• Suspension: Full hydraulic suspension, 200mm travel on front fork
• Wheels: 14″ front, 12″ back with off-road tires
• Riding modes: 3 (19/26/35 mph)
• Bike Weight: 142 Lbs
• Max Weight Capacity: 265 Lbs
• Dimension: 35.43″H x 60.61″L x 26.0″W

Setup and Assembly

Assembling the Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike was just like building most e-bikes, for the most part. This involves fitting the front wheel onto the front fork, attaching the handlebars, and attaching footpegs.

In this case, additional steps include attaching fenders and plastic body panels. Due to the rough shipping, one of the nuts securing one of these panels was missing, but luckily it seems to stay in place for now with the other bolt and nut while I search for a replacement. The rear wheel swings freely on a pivot point out of the box; this needs to have the inverted rear hydraulic shock attached to it. I highly recommend assembling it with two people because of the dirt bike’s weight.

Finally, the battery ships disconnected for safety, so you use the included keys to pop up the motorcycle-style seat and then easily connect the battery. After a tire air pressure top-off, I attached the charger and waited for a full charge the best part: my test rides.

Test Rides

Sometimes I love reviewing gadgets here at Gear Diary, and riding electric dirt bikes up mountain trails is definitely one of those times.

The Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike is not street-legal in most places (check your local laws!), but we have a large network of dirt and gravel trails here in Utah specifically for off-road use. I tested on a mixed gravel/rock/dirt trail with sections of fairly steep inclines, and the VRME1000-5 did not disappoint. On anything but straight and flat trails, the max speed of about 35 mph was more than enough for my skill level.

I loved twisting the throttle on flat sections and feeling the rush of speed as the bike instantly accelerates forward. Minor gravel and bumps feel like nothing with the suspension travel, but larger ruts and rocks require careful handling because of the relatively small wheels (I’m used to 26-inch fat tires on my mountain e-bike). Here’s some footage of my test rides:

The bike weighs a bit more than most youth 50CC gas dirt bikes at 142 pounds. The weight is nicely centered, and I found the bike to be quite controllable while riding.

The motor power and torque are such that I could simply twist that throttle and know the bike will start climbing all but the most extreme slopes (and on pavement it lurches forward excitedly when you gun it – I’m sure reckless youths will be able to wheelie this all over the place, but I can’t afford the inevitable hospital trip for a middle-aged product reviewer).

The brakes seem to match the bike’s power and weight (I’ve used better, but most have been about the same or worse), and they didn’t fade even after several miles of downhill braking.

Final Thoughts

So, is the Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike a good starter or budget electric dirt bike for teens or teen-sized adults? I would answer a resounding “Yes!” The bike is controllable while still providing great hill-climbing power and fast-enough-for-most-riders straightaway speed. The simplicity of no gears and clutch to worry about is hugely helpful for newcomers to the sport, and the impressive battery capacity and range mean your rear end will likely call it quits before the electric bike does.

On all bikes and dirt bikes, I have to take breaks while riding, either by standing on the pedals/foot pegs or getting off periodically, and I just had to do that a bit more with the seat on this one.

The Oryxearth VRME1000-5 Lightweight Off-Road Electric Dirt Bike retails for $1,599 (on sale for $949.99 on Amazon at the time of review); it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Use the discount code: GEARDEAL

• For the Oryxearth website: 15% off, effective now with no expiration date
• For Amazon: 10% off, effective now and valid for one month

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample

What I Like: Lots of Power for the Price; Great Range; UL-Certified Battery

What Needs Improvement: No Headlight; LCD Display is Sparse; Seat is Uncomfortable on Longer Rides