Do electric dirt bikes have gears? If you’re thinking of making the transition and are looking at the best electric dirt bikes for adults or kids, you may be asking yourself this question.
With all the hype about carbon emissions and going green, electric dirt bikes are a great alternative for hitting the weekend trails. They’re clean and quiet, but some dirt bike enthusiasts may argue against this as part of the tradition and excitement of dirt bikes is the noise and the smell of oil.
However, today’s electric bikes have come a long way, as even the big manufacturers are improving their electric dirt bikes to make them more like the real deal. In this article, we take a closer look at the gears on an electric dirt bike, so read on to find out if electric dirt bikes have gears.
Do Electric Dirt Bikes Have Gears?
Contrary to many misconceptions, yes, electric dirt bikes do have gears.
Most electric dirt bikes come with single automatic gear transmission as an electric engine produces the same amount of power or torque at any revs. This means that electric dirt bikes have super fast acceleration with only one gear, so adding more gears is not necessary.
While having only one automatic gear has the advantage of making electric dirt bikes easier to ride, the downside is that most electric dirt bikes will top out at lower speeds.
However, some of the top dirt bike manufacturers are experimenting with adding more gears. This will help to increase both speed and range on your electric dirt bike.
How Do Electric Dirt Bike Gears Work?
Recently, there has been a shift to electric dirt bikes as they have an automatic transmission which makes them easier to learn to ride.
In addition, the manufacturers of electric dirt bikes set the gear ratio to maximize the bike’s power, so you don’t have to worry about changing gears.
Automatic transmission means there is no clutch or shifter to worry about. Plus, electric dirt bikes tend to be much lighter and cleaner than their gas-guzzling counterparts.
What’s The Difference Between Traditional And Electric Dirt Bike Gears?
The new breed of electric dirt bikes doesn’t have a multi-range gearbox or a clutch, which eliminates the need to change gears. All you need to do is twist the throttle, and away you go. As there is no clutch lever, the left hand lever has been replaced with a rear brake control, so you don’t have a rear brake foot pedal either. Electric dirt bikes are powered by an electric motor. A rechargeable battery is built into the dirt bike frame, which gives power. The motor typically uses a single speed gearbox, so there is no need for gear shifting or clutch use thanks to the high RPM range.
More traditional dirt bikes have a gearbox and a clutch, which needs engaging before you can take off. The power is generated by a traditional 2-stroke or 4-stroke gas combustion engine. The engine transfers the power to a gearbox, which then connects to the rear wheel using sprockets and a chain to drive the wheel.
Also read: What Is the Fastest Electric Dirt Bike?
