While I love the sound of both a two-stroke and four-stroke engine, they get on the nerves of my neighbors. And that's unfortunate, as my backyard is a rider's paradise, as it's just big enough to play around in, hit some single track, and do your best flat track impersonation.
I live on a mountain in Utah, for what it's worth.
But the sound of an engine cranked to anything but idle any time past normal work hours, and the HOA has a fit. And, honestly, I just can't deal with those weirdos. That's why I love running electric anything, as it lets me have fun without the board's always watching eyes—you're cosplaying as the bad guys in 1984, Deborah.
Wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what Niu was aiming to offer, an all-electric dirt bike designed to work both on a trail and in your backyard, when it developed the XQi3. And for the last month, I've ripped and shredded my backyard track, a handful of single-track, and generally had a freakin' blast behind the XQi3's bars.
I even introduced my kids to what a wheelie feels like thanks to the bike's instant torque. Parent of the Year? Maybe. I'll let the panel decide.
But while the XQi3 put smiles on my face, as well as my kids, never had a hiccup in terms of charging or range or tech, and made a handful of my powersport-loving neighbors jealous that I didn't have to lug the bike to some track or trail, there were a few key things I wish Niu would've asked a dirt biker about before signing off on the bike's engineering. Because, while the bones are there, and it'll make you giggle with how easy wheelies are, a few things likely would need to be changed before I said "Yes to the Dress" and slapped down my hard-earned cash.
They're not deal-breakers by any measure, at least likely not for a vast majority of riders. Mostly, the issues I have with the XQi3 stem from me being bigger than the average human. 6'4" and 190 pounds, to be specific. To me, Niu needs to upgrade two components: the brakes and the suspension.
Now, you'd be right in thinking those are big components. The brakes, in particular. But what I'm proposing Niu changes aren't monumental, as both are fine as they sit right now, yet they could be bettered to match the rest of the performance of the electric dirt bike.
Right now, the XQi3 offers 263 lb-ft of torque, which thanks to its all-electric drivetrain, feels on par with the snappiness of a two-stroke 250cc dirt bike. You can easily loop it if you're trying to pull more wheelies with more angle—ask me how I know. And the steering is real playful, thanks to how the front fork is set up from the factory. If this were mine, I'd adjust the fork's turning resistance so as to reduce how light the inputs are. To move into cliche, you can turn it on a dime, but that makes for a very twitchy experience at times.
So with an energetic character, both in terms of maneuverability and power delivery, you're on the brakes often, attempting to slow your forward or side momentum. And for someone of my stature, the 220mm front brakes, and 203mm rear brakes, along with rather small twin-piston calipers, leave a lot to be desired. At least for my hulking mass.
Personally, I'd love to see Niu put something a little beefier on the XQi3 to get it to slow down faster. I'd also like to see the company adjust the front brake pressure, as it tends to lock up easier than you'd like. And going downhill, though you're on the rear brake more, if you accidentally squeeze the front brake a little too much, the front end—because of its squirreliness—tends to move around more or lock up.
Tied to that frenetic nature is the suspension setup, which I played around with to dial in for my weight. But try as I may thanks to the adjustable suspension both front and rear, I never was able to get enough rebound. And I felt as if the rear in particular was constantly bottoming out no matter where I sat on the dirt bike's seat.
But again, the core of the dirt bike—the battery pack, the charger and how fast it charges, the power delivery, ergonomics, the cool-looking TFT display, pegs, and looks—are ready for the limelight. And I love that Niu didn't go the rear brake foot pedal route. I'm a big believer in using my much more finite hand control to slide the bike back and forth, which I did a lot.
It just needs a little time with some proper dirt bikers to be perfect. It's freakin' close, though. And for a scooter company's first go at something like this, it's a commendable one. So if you're lighter than me, you're going to have a blast on the Niu XQi3.
If you're the same size or heavier, maybe wait for the Dust Moto Alpha or buy a Stark Varg.
