Do Electric Bikes Make Noise? (Explained)

The sound of an electric bike is one of the important things that people who buy an electric bike for the first time think about.

In fact, these people’s concern about the sound of the electric bike may be a logical thing, especially if they have not tried the electric bike or because they have heard some electric bikes that are very loud.

Therefore, in this post, we will discuss this topic and explain whether the electric bike really makes noise, and also what is the degree of sound power from the electric bike, and also what are the factors that may make the electric bike emit a loud sound.

Now let’s get started.

Contents hide

1 Do Electric Bikes Make Noise?

2 What are the factors that may increase the sound of an electric bike?

3 How to reduce the sound of your electric bike?

4 Conclusion.

Do Electric Bikes Make Noise?

The components of an electric bike are different from regular bikes, and of course, one of the most important of these components is the motor, and since we are discussing today whether the electric bike makes noise, the first thing we look at is the sound of the motor.

I personally tested several electric bikes in terms of the motor sound, and I used a sound meter (I bought it from Amazon for about $29) in this test.

In fact, the motor sound may differ on the same bike depending on different conditions that we will explain later, but for simplicity, I measured the motor sound in 3 electric bikes with different motors: 250W, 500W, and 750W in very normal riding conditions inside the city without any loads on the bike.

How Loud is an Ebike with 250-Watt Motor?

An electric bike with a 250-watt motor is considered a small electric bike, so it would normally have lower noise than a bike with a 500-watt or 750-watt motor.

As a general rule, the sound of a 250-watt motor in an electric bike ranges from 60 to 70 dB at medium speeds and reaches 78 dB at high speeds.

If you want a practical example, the sound scale of water during boiling may reach 70 decibels inside Kettles, and this means that the sound of this motor is not loud at all.

How Loud is an Ebike with a 500-Watt Motor?

The electric bike with the 500-watt motor is of the middle class in power, and this is reflected in the sound of the motor, which may be slightly louder than the bike with the 250-watt motor.

As a general rule, the sound of the 500-watt motor in an electric bike ranges from 65 to 75 decibels at medium speeds and reaches 83 decibels at maximum speeds.

How Loud is an Ebike with a 750-Watt Motor?

The electric bike with a 750-watt motor is considered one of the bikes with great power, which is reflected in the sound of the motor, but taking into account that most electric bikes in this category are made of high-quality materials, I did not find a big difference between them and the 500 watts.

As a general rule, the sound of the 750-watt motor in an electric bike ranges from 70 to 85 dB at medium speeds and may reach 90 dB at high speeds.

What are the factors that may increase the sound of an electric bike?

After we have explained the strength of the sound of the electric bike in different conditions, let us know the most important factors that may lead to the loudness of the sound of the electric bike.

1- Motor type.

The type of motor is one of the factors that may lead to an increase in the sound of an electric bike.

It is known that the hub motor has a quieter sound than the mid-drive motor, and the reason for this is that the mid-drive design is in the middle of the bike, and in most cases, it is inside the bike frame, and this means that the frame will increase the amplification of the sound.

In contrast to the hub motor, which is in the front or rear wheel, without any other objects that may increase the sound.

2-Loads on the ebike

The higher the load on the electric bike, the more the motor draws electricity from the battery The number of laps increases, which leads to an increase in the sound.

by loads here I mean anything heavy on the bike, whether it is the weight of the rider or any other heavy things, and also

towing a trailer

Here, it should be noted that if your motor produces a large torque only, the sound will not be loud, but if the torque is low, the sound will increase.

3-Riding on Steep Hills

One of the things that may increase the sound of an electric bike is riding it on steep hills because this requires more spinning from the

motor and therefore the sound of the ebike become louder, unlike riding a bike on city roads, which are much less sound.

4- Frame material.

The materials from which the electric bike frame is made affect the sound strength of the motor, especially if it is mid-drive. For example, a bike whose frame is made of aluminum has a higher sound than a bike whose sound is made of carbon fiber.

5-Motor technology.

Although the components of the electric motor are almost the same, the technology that is used by the Motor manufacturers differs, and with this difference comes many advantages, including the sound of the motor.

This explains why two ebikes have the same motor capacity, but one is quieter than the other.

How to reduce the sound of your electric bike?

There are some simple steps that you can take in order to maintain a quiet sound in your electric bike, and in this section, we will discuss the most important of these steps.

1- Wash your ebike.

Although the motor is the most silent component of the electric bike, there are other parts that may cause annoying sounds while riding,

the most important of these sounds are the brake or cassette sound, as well as the chain.

The good thing here is that if you take care of washing the bike regularly, you will get rid of the dust and dirt that can get stuck in these parts and cause annoying sounds.

2-Take care of your ebike motor.

One of the very important things to maintain your electric bike in general and the sound of the bike, in particular, is to take care of the motor, whether it is in regular maintenance, during washing, or in the style of riding itself.

You can see this post that explains in detail how to take care of an electric bike motor.

“How Do You Care For An Electric Bike Motor? (Explained)“

3-Donot overload your ebike.

One of the important tips that will maintain a quiet sound in your electric bike is not to carry the bike with high loads all the time, especially if the motor has little torque, because this will increase the sound of the bike, in the long run,

That is why it is preferable to always stick to the maximum weight of your bike in order to maintain it for as long as possible.

Conclusion.

In general, electric bikes do not cause noise, as the sound scale on them in normal riding conditions ranges between 60 to 80 decibels and reaches 95 at maximum speed Taking into account the type and quality of the motor, as well as the loads on the bike, which can increase the sound a little.

The most important factors that may increase the sound of an electric bike are the type and quality of the motor, riding on steep hills, and increasing the loads on the bike.

You can keep the sound of your electric bike quiet by taking care of washing it periodically and taking care of the motor and not overloading the bike