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Do Electric Motorcycles Have Gears & Clutch? – The Truth on Electric Bikes

Electric vehicles have been getting more and more attention each day. However, electric motorcycles are even more controversial and mysterious than electric cars.

Sure, it goes without saying that people have a lot of doubts about their range, but one of the weirdest things about them, and one that puts most riders off, is their transmission, or rather, the lack thereof.

Do Electric Motorcycles Have Gears?

The answer is no, 99% of electric motorcycles do not have gears. There is simply no need for gears on an electric motorcycle. Furthermore, a transmission would only cause additional problems and actually reduce the range of the electric motorcycle.

Internal combustion engine motorcycles need gears and transmission because the engine can only generate efficient power at certain RPM ranges. A cruiser produces most power at the 3000 to 5000 RPM range, while the average sport bike produces most power between 10000 to 14000 RPM.

That’s why internal combustion engine motorcycles have gears – they allow you to keep the engine at its most efficient RPM range, regardless of riding speed.

Electric motorcycles, on the other hand, have an electric motor that is capable of generating optimal power at all speeds. It’s capable of giving you nearly 100% of the torque whenever you twist the throttle.

With that said, a few motorcycle manufacturers (Kymco, Victory) have produced electric motorcycles that have gears and a clutch, mostly to appeal to those who are looking for a traditional motorcycle experience.

Electric motorcycles that have gears are still very rare and the idea didn’t stick, however, the vast majority of electric motorcycles do not have gears. Gears are unnecessary, heavy, and reduce the already laughably small range of electric motorcycles.

Do Electric Dirt Bikes Have Gears?

Electric dirt bikes are different though, right? They need gears because they go off-road, right?

Nope! Just like regular electric motorcycles, electric dirt bikes don’t have gears either. They do, however, have a rear brake lever in place of the clutch lever.

In fact, electric dirt bikes are often simpler than regular electric motorcycles because they don’t have all the extra street-legal bits and bobs like turn signals, mirrors, and horns.

Electric dirt bikes have one purpose only: to be ridden off-road. And since they don’t have gears, that means one less thing to worry about when you’re ripping through the mud and flying over obstacles.

Do Electric Motorcycles Have a Clutch?

The answer is no, almost all electric motorcycles do not have a clutch. There are a few motorcycles that have a clutch (Kymco, Victory), but they are rare.

The clutch serves two functions in an internal combustion engine motorcycle. It disconnects the engine from the transmission in order to allow the rider to change gears and come to a complete stop.

Now, since electric motorcycles do not idle, there’s no need for a clutch. You can simply let go of the throttle and the electric motorcycle is off.

A clutch would only add weight to the motorcycle, and unnecessary complexity. Furthermore, most riders already hate having to spend days in order to learn how to use the clutch properly, thus having no clutch is actually a big benefit.

Final Thoughts

Electric motorcycles are still very new and most people are still figuring them out. They do not have gears or a clutch, and their near-complete lack of sound makes for a very different riding experience.

While it might take some getting used to, the lack of clutch is actually a good thing. It makes electric motorcycles easier to handle at slow speeds, but the lack of a gearbox makes riding them so weird.

You kind of feel disconnected from the motorcycle when the only thing you have to do is twist the throttle. Furthermore, you can’t even hear the electric motor, so it’s easy to forget that you’re even riding a motorcycle.

Now, while electric motorcycles might not be for everyone, they are likely to become more popular in the coming years. And as battery technology continues to improve, we might see electric motorcycles that can finally compete with their internal combustion engine counterparts in terms of range and power.

What are your thoughts on electric motorcycles? Do you think they have a future? Let us know in the comments below!

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