79Bike Viper S vs 79Bike Lynx: Which One Fits You?

We carry two 79Bike electric dirt bikes, and they are not variations on a theme. They sit at opposite ends of the range and suit genuinely different riders.

The 79Bike Viper S

The Viper S is $1,399 (regularly $1,999). It runs a 3,500W peak hub motor on a 48V 25Ah lithium battery, with a top speed of 28–32 mph. This is the easiest machine in our electric line to learn on. Enough power to be interesting, not enough to get away from a rider who is still working out throttle control. It is the one we point teenagers and first-time riders at, and the one that gets bought as a first electric bike by adults coming off nothing at all.

The 79Bike Lynx 72V 40AH

The Lynx is $3,999 (regularly $4,199). It runs a 12 kW peak mid-drive motor on a 72V 40Ah LG lithium battery, making 410 N·m of peak torque and a 56 mph top speed, with a charge time of approximately 4 hours, FastAce front fork and rear shock, and a 146 lb weight. This is the top of our range. It is a serious machine and it is not a first bike. The torque arrives instantly and in quantity, and a rider who has not developed throttle discipline will find that out quickly.

How to choose

Ask three questions.

Who is riding it? If the answer involves the word "learning", the Viper S. Experience matters more than height here — a confident gas-bike rider can step onto the Lynx, someone who has never held a throttle should not.

Where will you ride? Tight woods, a back yard, a pit-bike track — the smaller machine is more fun and less work. Open ground, an OHV park, long trail days — the Lynx has the legs for it.

What is the real budget? These are $2,600 apart. That gap buys a lot of gear, and gear is not optional on either of them.

Both are off-road only

Neither is street legal. Neither can be registered or titled in Pennsylvania. Riding either on a Philadelphia street, sidewalk or bike lane carries a fine and the machine is subject to forfeiture. Before you buy, read where you can legally ride and have a plan for getting the machine to a legal riding spot — a Philadelphia ride starts on a trailer.

If neither is quite right

There are three machines between these in price and power. Compare the whole electric line at our electric dirt bikes page, or come to 3818 K St and sit on all of them — that settles it faster than any spec sheet.