Since the brand of a dirt bike is directly proportional to the performance of the bike, people almost always want the best dirt bikes for them. High-end bikes will always outperform low-end bikes. SSR is one such brand that has been making dirt bikes for a long time. But are SSR dirt bikes any good?
There is hardly any dirt bike that splits the opinions of people in online forums like the SSR. People who like the SSR like it a lot, on the other hand, people who don’t like the bike, compare it to a trash can. But some of these negative reviews are uncalled for as the owners have been using a model that is long past its expiration date.
Let’s take a look at the SSR dirt bike’s various traits and find out whether it suits you or not.
Where are SSR dirt bikes made?
This is one thing that needs to be cleared up right off the bat. Based on their looks and aesthetics, the SSR dirt bikes very closely resemble the Honda CRF150. But the SSR isn’t made by Honda. So who makes SSR dirt bikes?
SSR dirt bikes are manufactured by SSR motorsports, a USA-based company. But their products are not manufactured in the states. All of their vehicles are produced in China. SSR Motorsports is also a distributor of Benelli vehicles, which are manufactured in China as well.
Since the SSR only resembles the Honda CRF150, their parts are not completely interchangeable. Yes, you can replace some parts of the SSR with those of the Honda, but the parts of the SSR should be only replaced with the parts of the same brand.
SSR dirt bikes: Good or bad?
Now that the whole confusion about the actual identity of the SSR dirt bikes has been cleared, it’s time to see whether these dirt bikes are good for the bikers. Or are the naysayers right about the negative sides of the dirt bike? Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the SSR dirt bikes to clear up any misunderstanding.
Pros of the SSR dirt bike
There are quite a few advantages of having an SSR dirt bike. The pros of this bike make it so popular among bikers around the world. These are:
1. Easy to maintain
Maintaining a machine regularly ensures it will perform at its best for as long as possible. This is why the SSR dirt bikes last as long as they do. Taking care of these bikes is easy. So the bikers won’t have to spend an eternity performing maintenance on the bike.
2. Affordable
No matter how much people clamor for top-end bikes, almost everyone at the end of the day wants to save as much money as possible. The SSR motorcycles have almost all of their contemporaries beat in this regard. These bikes are extremely affordable, so anyone wanting a high-performing bike within their desired price range can easily own a bike they can be proud of.
But what about the parts of the bike? Akin to the bike itself, the parts of it are extremely affordable as well. So even if the bike is damaged in any of its parts, the riders don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money to repair it.
3. Provides exceptional mileage
The cost of a dirt bike also indirectly includes how much money has to be paid after buying it. The cost of fuel is one such indirect cost. Bikes having excellent mileage always hold an upper hand because then the rider has to refuel less often. This causes the fuel cost to go down.
The SSR dirt bikes are one of the top places in the market in terms of mileage. Once a fuel tank is filled up, the rider can ride the bike for 4 to 5 hours straight. So most of the time the rider won’t even have to refuel every day.
4. LIghtweight and fast
A characteristic that an ideal dirt bike must have is its lack of weight. Being lightweight allows the bike’s engine to reach the max speed faster than ever before. The SSR bikes are extremely lightweight, but not to the extent that they will be blown away easily. As a result, they can achieve their top speed much earlier than ever before. Also, being lightweight makes sure that they can be transported everywhere easily.
The fact that the SSR bikes are fast isn’t due to their lack of weight only. Their powerful engine ensures top speed with seamless acceleration. Even if the biker riding them is a bit on the heavy side, they can still run fast.
5. Is suitable for taller and shorter bikers alike
Taller bikers sometimes have a hard time riding a bike due to a couple of reasons. First, being tall means the wind has a bigger surface to apply resistance to. Second, tall bikers have a hard time riding a bike that has very little leg room.
The SSR dirt bikes are built a tad bit larger than other bikes of the same category. As a result, the taller bikers have enough leg room to feel comfortable riding it. On the other hand, the bikes are not so big that the smaller bikers have a tough time riding the bike. As a result, bikers of almost every height can feel comfortable riding these bikes on the trails and dunes.
6. Perfect for off-road tracks
Dirt bikes are driven in terrains that are quite unsuitable for regular bikes or vehicles to drive on. That’s why their tires and other parts have to be perfect for these untamed terrains. The SSR dirt bikes’ tires, brake pads as well as discs are designed to be able to hold their own on tough surfaces such as mud and dirt.
7. Perfect for rookies
When rookies start, they need a bike that performs at its best. If the bike stalls now and then, the beginners face a lot of problems learning the ins and outs of dirt biking. But the dirt bikes manufactured by SSR don’t stall at all, giving novice riders a smooth learning experience.
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Cons of SSR dirt bikes
Aside from the obvious advantages, the SSR-made dirt bikes have some disadvantages as well which can not be ignored. It is due to these cons that a lot of people don’t even want to get near a bike made by SSR. These cons are as follows
1. Nuts and bolts are not durable
The nuts and bolts of any machine are extremely important parts of that. So these need to be as durable as possible for the machine to function properly. But the SSR bikes have nuts and bolts that need to be fixed with Loctite, otherwise, they’ll just fall off, which in all honesty, isn’t an ideal situation.
Not only are the regular nuts and bolts of a bike made by SSR nondurable, but the bolt in the rear axle can also bend very easily, Even when a rider is doing singles only, these bolts bend and get damaged.
2. Not suitable to be pushed to the limit
The difference between an SSR bike and another top-end bike like it is that when push comes to shove, the SSR doesn’t promise optimum performance. Some riders tend to push their bikes to the absolute limit. SSR bikes are not suitable for that. Also, if the terrain is too rough, the bike will not survive long.
Some indicators denote that the SSR is not suitable for rough drivers as well as terrains. One of which is the joint of the muffler and the exhaust continues to rattle when the bike is ridden. Also, the stock tires of the SSR are not suitable for more extreme parts of dirt biking, such as jumping and berms. That’s why most bikers swap their rear tire out in favor of MX knobbies.
3. Front fork issues
The main objective of a bike or any vehicle for that matter is not obtaining max speed or peak performance. The chief goal of a vehicle is ensuring that the rider or the driver is safe. But the 2019 models of the SSR125 have been found guilty of having defective front forks.
Due to these defective front forks, there have been quite a lot of injuries to the bikers. As a result, all of these models were taken back and SSR claimed that they had fixed the issue. But this issue has come up again in future models and seems to be recurring.
4. Front suspensions are not durable
Despite the size of the SSR dirt bikes being quite helpful to bikers who are on the larger side, the suspensions of the bikes don’t match that quality. If the bike is being ridden by a biker who is a bit heavy, it takes a toll on the front suspensions. Over time they are worn off and cause a lot of problems when the bike is taken off-road.
Related Article: Should I Buy A Chinese Dirt Bike?
Final words
Are SSR dirt bikes any good? If someone looks at online forums, they are sure to get confused. While the SSR dirt bikes are quite good for novice bikers, more experienced bikers will find them quite annoying to handle because of their flimsy suspensions and other parts.
So it’s up to the rider to decide whether the SSR dirt bike suits him or not. But one thing’s for sure, the positives of the SSR bikes outweigh the negatives by a large margin. So I would personally recommend getting yourself one, especially if you are just starting.
