Underage E-motorcyclist in Critical Condition after Collision with Minivan

A collision between a driver and an electric motorcycle rider on Oct. 2 in Bend’s Medical District has left the 13-year-old rider in critical condition.

At approximately 7:58 pm, the Bend Police Department responded to a motor vehicle crash between a white Dodge minivan and a Sur-Ron e-motorcycle at the intersection of NE Neff Road and 27th Street.

An investigation found that the minivan driver was heading north on NE 27th Street when he attempted to turn west on NE Neff Road. The driver, a 51-year-old Bend man, turned into the Sur-Ron rider, who was traveling south on NE 27th Street at a high rate of speed, and the rider was thrown from the e-motorcycle, according to a press release.

The Sur-Ron rider, a 13-year-old boy from Bend, suffered critical injuries. Officers believe he was wearing a helmet. The Sur-Ron e-motorcycle he was riding is capable of traveling at speeds of more than 50 MPH and is not street legal. Sur-Ron e-motos feature pegs, not a pedal-able drivetrain and don’t fall under any legal e-bike class.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with law enforcement. He was not cited.

As of press time, authorities didn’t have any updates on the teen’s condition. An investigation is open and no one has been cited, yet that may change, Sheila Miller, the Bend PD spokesperson, told the Source.

According to its website, Sur-Ron, which is spelled various ways, is distributed by Chongqing Qiulong Technology, headquartered Hangzhou City, China. According to the online finder, Sur-Ron vendors are found in Eugene, Klamath Falls, Stayton and near Keizer. Sur-Ron comes in a variety of models, the smallest of which is geared toward youth riders. The company says it has sold more than 3 million e-motorcycles in the U.S. It also offers a 20% discount for folks paying with BitCoin.

The intersection of NE Neff Road and NE 27 Street where a 13-year-old boy riding an e-motorcycle
collided with a minivan driver the evening of Oct. 2, 2026. Credit: Google Maps

A mission statement on the Sur-Ron Bike USA about page reads: “…We decide to ride in front of traffic, go quickly as we choose, use finer energy, and have easier control so that traveling sustainably becomes second nature.”

Various models, such as the $4,000 Sur-Ron Light Bee L1E, which comes with blinkers, claims to be street legal. It can also be modified to offer a top speed of 45 MPH. Miller told the Source that the teen was riding a Sur-Ron Ultra Bee. The 2026 model, with a $5,500 price tag, offers accelerations from 0-31 MPH in 2 seconds when set in turbo mode.

Miller urges parents not to buy children e-motorcycles for road use.

“It is illegal to ride e-bikes under 16 and most of the e-motorcycles we see on the road are not street legal,” Miller told the Source. “But more than that, it’s putting kids (and all road users) in danger. Do not buy them.”