Electric Dirt Bikes: Geared Or Gearless?

Electric dirt bikes are different from traditional dirt bikes in that they don't have a clutch or gear shifter. This is because electric motors have enough torque at low rpm to reach high speeds without the need for gear shifters. In addition, gear shifters would add complication, maintenance and expense.

Characteristics	Values
Electric dirt bikes have gears	No
Electric dirt bikes have a clutch	No
Reason for no gears	Electric motors have enough torque at low rpm and can reach high speeds
Reason for no clutch	Less complication, less maintenance, less to go wrong

What You'll Learn

Electric dirt bikes don't have gear shifters or clutches like traditional dirt bikes
Electric motors have enough torque at low rpm to reach high speeds
Combustion engines need different ratios to build up torque
Gear shifters would make sense for the rear sprocket
Less complication means less maintenance and fewer things to go wrong

Electric dirt bikes don't have gear shifters or clutches like traditional dirt bikes

Gear shifters would add complication, maintenance and expense, and there would be more things that could go wrong. However, some people who ride electric dirt bikes change the size of their rear sprocket to get different torque and top-end speed.

One rider commented: 'If I could change between a 60t, 54t, and 48t sprocket like it was a gear, I would be pumped on that bike.'

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Electric motors have enough torque at low rpm to reach high speeds

Electric dirt bikes do not have gear shifters. This is because electric motors have enough torque at low rpm to reach high speeds. They can wind up to speeds that are unachievable with piston engines. Electric dirt bikes do not need gear shifters because they have maxed-out torque throughout all throttle outputs. Combustion engines, on the other hand, need different ratios to build up torque.

Gear shifters would make sense in the traditional bike sense for the rear sprocket. However, less complication means less maintenance and fewer things that can go wrong. Some people change the size of their rear sprocket to get different torque and top-end speed.

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Combustion engines need different ratios to build up torque

Electric dirt bikes do not have gear shifters or clutches like traditional dirt bikes. This is because electric motors have enough torque at low rpm and can reach speeds that piston engines cannot. Torque is maxed out throughout all throttle outputs, so combustion engines need different ratios to build up torque.

The torque output of an engine depends on its stroke-to-bore ratio, compression ratio, combustion pressures and speed in rpm. The exact air/fuel ratio for which torque is maximum depends on the engine configuration, engine speed and ignition timing. The 'volume of displacement' is a good way to identify the theoretical or potential hp/torque of an engine, but other factors modify the engine's actual output.

Some people change the size of their rear sprocket to get different torque and top-end speed. This is similar to changing gears, but it is less complicated and there is less maintenance and fewer things that can go wrong.

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Gear shifters would make sense for the rear sprocket

Electric dirt bikes do not have gear shifters or clutches like traditional dirt bikes. This is because electric motors have enough torque at low rpm and can reach speeds that piston engines cannot. They also have less complication, which means less maintenance and fewer things that can go wrong.

However, gear shifters would make sense for the rear sprocket. This is because people are constantly changing the size of their rear sprocket to get different torque and top-end speed. If they could change between sprockets like gears, this would be beneficial. Adding power settings or speed caps on different modes would accomplish the only thing you would need gears for.

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Less complication means less maintenance and fewer things to go wrong

Electric dirt bikes do not have gears, and this means there are fewer things that can go wrong. Electric motors have enough torque at low rpm and can reach speeds that piston engines cannot. This means that gear shifters are not needed. Combustion engines need different ratios to build up torque, but electric motors do not.

Electric dirt bikes are also cheaper to maintain than traditional dirt bikes. They do not have clutches or gear shifters, which are expensive to maintain and make.

Some people who ride electric dirt bikes change the size of their rear sprocket to get different torque and top-end speed. However, this is not as complicated as changing gears.

Overall, the lack of gears on electric dirt bikes means less maintenance and fewer things to go wrong.