Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket Electric Bike Review

Full Price: $529.99

Top Speed: 17 mph

Age Range: 16 years+ (but, see below)

Use Per Charge: 40 minutes

Charge Time: 8 hours

The Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket Electric Motorcross Bike – Overview

The Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket is a battery-powered dirt bike that comes with an authentic frame geometry and a high-torque, variable speed motor. It is advertised as suitable for kids aged 16+, but many parents seem happy to buy them for younger children (see videos below).

The MX650 can carry riders up to 220 lbs at speeds of up to 17 mph and is equipped with large 14″ and 16″ pneumatic knobby tires for maximum power transfer.

Since the bike is electric, the motor is super quiet and is unlikely to upset your neighbours in the same way that a gas-powered bike might.

The Best Features of the Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket Bike

The Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket has many great features (check out the full specifications below), but I think that the best features are:

Top Speed of 17 mph
Variable Speed Throttle
Long Use Between Charges
Reasonable Battery Charging Time
Dual Suspension
Steel Frame
Powerful 650W Chain Driven Motor
Maximum User Weight of 220 lbs

#1 Top Speed of 17 mph & Variable Speed Throttle

The high torque chain-driven motor allows the rider to reach speeds of up to 17 mph using the “hand-operated” variable speed throttle.

The throttle is controlled by twisting the right hand (as per a normal motorbike) and there are standard bike “lever brakes” on each side of the handlebar. The brakes are disc operated and are both smooth and efficient.

This is a pretty decent speed for a kids electric bike. Of course, it is no match for the power and speed of a gas powered dirt bike, but then this product is not aimed at the “hardcore” dirt biker and is instead a very nice introduction to the thrills of motorbiking without some of the added dangers of using a much more powerful gas-driven version.

It is obviously quite different from operating a Go Kart at this speed, since it only has 2 wheels and will take a little more maturity and strength to control it safely. This probably explains why the recommended age for the MX650 is 16+, whereas the Razor Ground Force Go Kart is 8+.

It’s nearest comparator electric dirt bike is the Razor MX500, which has a top speed of 15 mph instead and has a recommended age bracket of 14+ (although many parents are happy to let younger kids use them depending upon their individual levels of physical and emotional maturity – you are the best judge of your own child’s abilities in this regard and manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution).

Although the MX650 is not as powerful as a gas dirt bike, it is certainly not sluggish and you can get a better idea of its torque and top speed capabilities from the videos below.

Whatever age your child is, I would always advise you to ensure that your child wears a safety helmet whilst using the Kart. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a racing-car style helmet – a bike or scooter helmet will be sufficient to protect the most vulnerable parts of their head. If you are looking for a full-face helmet for your child you can buy the Razor version here for about $30.

Finally, although it’s not entirely silent, the motor on the MX650 is pretty quiet so it shouldn’t upset your neighbours too much.

#2 Long Use Between Charges

One of the most common complaints about electric ride toys is that you can spend hours and hours charging the batteries and then only get a few minutes of use out of them. So, you either end up with a very frustrated child on your hands or having to spend loads more money buying extra batteries to use whilst the others are charging.

At about 40 minutes per session, the MX650 Dirt Rocket’s battery charge will provide your child with nice amount of use between charges. In terms of distance travelled, this should be long enough to enable them to drive continuously for about 10 miles before the battery needs to be re-charged.

#3 Reasonable Battery Charging Time

The MX650’s electric motor is powered by 3 x 12v sealed lead acid batteries and they take about 8 hours to recharge. This is fairly standard for this type of electric ride toy and is better than some electric karts what take up to 12 hours to re-charge.

Although I can be a little frustrating for kids to have to wait during the charging period, I’m afraid that this is unavoidable with battery powered toys. At least with an 8 hour charging time, your child would be able to have a ride around in the morning and then charge it during the day so that they can have another go towards the end of the day.

Of course, you always treat them to a spare set of batteries if they’ve been exceptionally good and you think that they deserve a little more bike-riding action during their summer vacation.

#4 Dual Suspension

Even with a kids scaled-down version of a dirt bike, suspension is an absolute “must have” item. A dirt bike without suspension is completely pointless and would make riding over bumps and uneven ground pretty unpleasant.

Now, you need to be aware of the fact that not all electric dirt bikes come with suspension. The Razor MX350, for example, used to have suspension but for some unknown reason it has been removed and new models no longer have it. This makes a big difference to the rider experience and I suspect that this is the reason that many parents of younger kids (that would normally look to buy the MX350) are now considering the MX500 or MX650 instead.

I certainly won’t be recommending the MX350, because of its lack of suspension.

#5 Steel Frame

The MX650 isn’t a cheap plastic toy. Instead, it is built around a strong steel frame to ensure that it can survive the jumps and bumps that any dirt bike has to deal with and (with normal usage) it ought to last a number of years.

#6 Powerful 650W Chain Driven Motor

The product numbering system on the Razor Electric Dirt Bikes reflects their “Wattage-Power” ratings.

So, the Razor MX650 comes with a 650 Watt motor, the MX500 with a 500 Watt motor and the MX350 with a 350 Watt motor.

The power of the MX650’s motor is sufficient to achieve an extra 2 mile per hour over and above the MX500 despite the fact that it is suitable to carry riders up to 220 lbs rather than the 175 lbs on the MX500.

#7 Maximum User Weight of 220 lbs

As I have already mentioned, the Razor MX650 bike has the highest user weight limit of all of the models in this series.

The rider limit of 220 lbs means that even kids on the heavier side can enjoy the thrills of dirt biking without having to worry about breaking the machine.