The Rawrr Mantis Mini R is a genuinely well-built mini dirt bike that punches above its size class with premium components, a sinewave controller that delivers smooth and tunable power delivery, and a Bluetooth app that lets you dial the bike up or down depending on who is riding it. The headline feature is the upgrade path: buy the stock R with smaller tires for a younger kid, then swap to the R17 kit as they grow taller and more skilled, without buying a whole new bike. Testing showed the R17 configuration hits 45 mph and counterintuitively produced better acceleration than the stock setup, which the team attributes to tighter chain tension after reassembly. The honest limitations are suspension that bottoms out for riders over roughly 150 pounds, no headlight, no key-based security, and an upgrade kit that ships without any installation instructions. Best suited for families with kids growing into the sport, or adults who want a compact and capable neighborhood pit bike and understand they are riding a mini platform rather than a full sized machine.
Video Review
Written Review
Mini electric dirt bikes have flooded the market, with a surplus looking like cheap platforms built to a price. Per our video review, we found The Rawrr Mantis Mini R as a legitimately spec'd mini eMoto designed to function as an adult bike scaled down, with quality parts that justifies the premium over Amazon alternatives. The Freshly Charged team tested both the stock R configuration and the R17 upgrade over several days of riding, and the headline finding is straightforward: this bike is genuinely fun, the upgrade path is real, and the suspension is the one notable limitation for heavier adult riders.
- Current price of the Mantis Mini R: https://bit.ly/4lCCzK6
- Use coupon code: FreshlyCharged100! to save $100
The Platform
Both versions share the same core: a 72V 20Ah battery (1,440Wh), a 2,000W direct chain drive motor peaking at 4,500W, a sinewave field oriented controller, a color display with three speed modes, and four piston hydraulic brakes up front. The rear runs two piston hydraulic brakes, which is a cost saving decision the team flags as a miss given the front spec.
Rear suspension is an adjustable KK unit with rebound and preload adjustment. Front suspension is hydraulic but non adjustable, which becomes relevant for heavier riders. An enclosed Bluetooth app handles speed mode configuration, throttle curve tuning, torque adjustment, kickstand sensor control, and brake sensor override — the last of which allows throttle input with the brake applied, enabling burnouts and wheelies without physical cable disconnection.
Safety is taken seriously for a bike aimed partly at younger riders, which is really the bare minimum we expect. There are three independent cutoff systems: a standard kill switch, a magnetic tether switch that cuts the motor if the rider separates from the bike, and a breaker switch under the seat. The display can power on with the breaker off, but the motor will not engage, a sensible design that prevents accidental throttle events. The battery is accessible under a seat that pops off cleanly and can be charged in place via an external port or removed and charged separately.
Build quality is the other thing the team wants on the record. The frame, components, and finish communicate premium in a way that direct competitors at lower price points do not. This bike does not look or feel like an Alibaba product. It is designed to be ridden hard, adjusted precisely, and handed down or upgraded rather than replaced.
R vs R17: What the Upgrade Actually Does
The stock Mantis Mini R runs a 14-inch front tire and a 12-inch rear, while the R17 upgrade kit swaps those for a 70/100-17 front and a 3.00-14 rear. That front size jump — 14 to 17 inches — is the meaningful change. It raises the ride height, suits taller riders better, and, as the team found in testing, also raises the top speed ceiling to 45 mph.
The counterintuitive finding from the team's comparison testing: acceleration was actually better on the R17 configuration, not worse as larger tires would theoretically suggest. The team attributes this to being able to run a tighter chain tension during reassembly. They flag this explicitly as their hypothesis rather than a confirmed engineering outcome, but the measured result was consistent: bigger tires, faster acceleration, higher top speed.
The upgrade kit is available separately, meaning a family can purchase the stock R for a younger child, then buy the kit later as the child grows. Rawrr also sells the R17 as a standalone configuration for buyers who want to skip the smaller setup entirely. The upgrade process is straightforward but comes with a meaningful caveat: there are no official instructions. The team managed it because Andrew has done this type of work before, but first timers will be winging it. Rawrr needs to address this.
The rear fender is also undersized for the larger tire, making clearance tight enough that the team suggests leaving it off after the swap. A properly sized fender should be included with the kit.
What Works and What Does Not
The sinewave controller is the right choice for a bike that will be ridden by beginners and kids. Throttle response is linear and progressive rather than binary, which means a new rider is not fighting an instant on power surge every time they touch the throttle. The app based tuning system extends this, with throttle curve and torque delivery that can be dialed back for young or inexperienced riders and opened up as skill develops.
The color display is worth mentioning specifically because most eMoto products at this size still run monochrome units. It is a small detail that signals the quality direction Rawrr is taking the product.
Where the bike falls short is predictable given the platform size: suspension performance for adult sized riders. The front forks have no adjustability, and for anyone over approximately 150 pounds or taller than around 5'3", both ends will bottom out on anything beyond smooth pavement. For lighter riders and children this is not an issue and the suspension is pretty well tuned for that use case. But adults who want to use this as a genuine pit bike or neighborhood runner at full riding weight need to understand the limitation upfront.
The bike ships without a headlight, which is a real problem for anyone planning to ride at dusk or in lower light conditions. A physical key ignition is also absent, meaning the only way to secure the bike is removing the magnetic tether switch. App based locking would solve this and the feature is not currently available.
The battery, while adequate for lighter riders, will produce noticeably reduced range under heavier adult loads. It is a function of the pack size relative to the motor output under sustained demand.
The Freshly Charged Verdict
The clearest use case is families with kids who want a platform that does not become obsolete as the child grows. Start with the stock R configuration, dial down the power in the app for younger or less experienced riders, and upgrade to the R17 kit when size and skill warrant it. The upgrade path is the central value proposition of this bike, and it is executed well enough that it should be the lead reason a family chooses this over competing options at the same price point. Adult riders who want a capable and genuinely fun neighborhood pit bike can enjoy the R17 at the limits of its suspension, with the understanding that it is a mini platform performing admirably above its size class rather than a full sized machine. If the priority is a full adult dirt bike, the Mantis X — with nearly double the battery and a larger overall platform — is the right step up.
- Current price of the Mantis Mini R: https://bit.ly/4lCCzK6
- Use coupon code: FreshlyCharged100! to save $100
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