A mechanical engineer became an active blogger, and it’s James Miller. Well, the journey of his blogging started more than a decade ago. As a...Read more
Removing the electric bike speed limiter you have on your bicycle can be a very fun experience. If you do it correctly, you can finally set yourself free from speed restrictions.
And by doing this yourself, you will save yourself a lot of money by not needing to pay someone else to do it for you. However, the problem is, that anything can go wrong if you start guess-working on your ebike.
So, here in this detailed guide on electric bike speed limiter removal, we’re going to discuss everything that goes into the process. You can go about electric bike speed limiter removal through three methods: the handy method, electric bike tool kits, and disconnection of the sensor wiring.
Let’s get to it.
Key Takeaways:
- You can get fined under the law if you remove the speed limiter you have on your electric bike
- You are exposing yourself to danger whenever you remove the speed limiter you have on your bike
- There are ways you can remove the speed limiter, such as the handy method or through the use of a tuning tool kit
Electric Bike Speed Limiter Removal: What Is It?
Speed limiter removals are modifications that help people get the most out of their electric bikes. They remove limits on the bike’s efficiency, meaning you can use less battery power to go faster and farther. It’s a great one for those looking to take their biking experience to a new level.
In some cases, manufacturers limit the speed of their electric bikes to comply with local laws. By removing this limiter, you will have a bike that goes faster than it was designed to, which means that it may not be as safe to ride at those speeds.
There are many reasons people might want their electric bike speed limiter removed: it could be for the convenience of going faster or because they don’t like being limited by what their bike can do. Whatever the reason may be, you must use your safety gear as long as you have removed your speed limiter.
How Fast Can Electric Bike Go After Removing The Speed Limiter?
One of the most common questions we get from people new to electric bikes is, “How fast can electric bikes go after removing the speed limiter?”
While every bike is different, you need to know about the speed of an electric bicycle with a speed limiter. Most electric bikes will not exceed 30 mph even when their top speed setting does not limit them after removing the speed limiter.
While it is fun and exciting to ride without limit, you’ll have a higher chance of getting yourself injured because the bike computer unit has no control over keeping your electric bike in check.
So, if you are planning to remove, or you have removed the speed limiter, it is advisable that you drive with caution or avoid over-speeding.
The Danger of Removing the Speed Limiter
Every electric bike has a speed limiter, a device that prevents it from going over a certain speed. If an electric bike travels faster than this speed, its limiter will kick in and slow down the engine to prevent it from going any faster.
So, removing the limiter means there is nothing to slow down the electric bike, and there are some likely dangers you are exposed to.
Too Much Pressure on The Bike
The limiter system limits the amount of pressure on your drive chain by adjusting the shift lever limit. The increased space between each gear revolution reduces the pressure on the chain and sprockets. So, removing the speed limiter will mount more pressure on the bike, making the electric bike get damaged quickly.
Increase the Chance of An Accident
Speed limiters are installed in electric bikes to minimize the risk of accidents and reduce the level of destruction involved if an accident happens. Removing a limiter is not a safe thing to do, as there is a greatly increased chance of injury in the event of an accident.
Voiding the Warranty
It is possible to change the speed limiter. However, doing so may void the warranty and result in costly future repairs. Also, there is a serious risk of damaging the engine if the bikes were to be driven past factory specifications.
Reduction in The Battery Lifespan
Your bike’s speed limiter and controller are designed to run power through the battery specifically. Removing the limiter will change this, and your bike battery may not be able to handle it. In addition, removing the limiter may drop your battery discharge by as much as 20%, which will surely reduce the lifespan.
And sure enough, you’ll drain ebike battery a lot faster, resulting in a higher cost charghing it.
Breaking the Law
You are breaking the law if your bike is fitted with a removable electronic speed limiter that exceeds 20 mph, and you remove or change it. You will have to face the consequences of removing the speed limiter as you act against the government’s law.
How Do You Remove The Speed Limiter On An Electric Bike?
The speed limit is there to ensure safety for you and for your bike. So, if you want to remove it, do it at your own risk, and keep in mind that you’re voiding the warranty if it has one. If the manufacturer has put a speed limiter on your e-bike, there’s a chance that the motor won’t be able to handle a higher-than-normal speed, which might cause damage.
However, if you want to remove the speed limiter on your electric bike, here are ways you can go about it.
The Handy Method
This method involves lots of mechanical work. So, you may get to read different information online on how to go about it. However, much of the attention has to be on the sensor of the electric bike.
The sensor’s work is to relay the behavior of the bike to the computer unit, which then initiates the control on the electric bike. So, the best way to alter this relationship and make the bike free of speed limiters is to remove the sensor.
The sensor is located at the frame bases of the electric bike, and you need to alter the magnet. You will find the magnet of the electric bike at the rear wheel of the electric bike.
The only tool you’ll need is an Electric Tape.
To remove the speed limiter with the sensor method, follow the steps below:
- Step One: Locate the sensor and the magnetic device. Once you have located the sensor and magnetic device, you need to take them out and alter their positioning
- Step Two: Locate the pedal bracket and ensure you attach the magnet to it
- Step Three: The next action is to move the sensor and ensure that it faces the magnet
- Step Four: That is all about the handy method, and it is so simple to do.
Note: If you find it hard to locate any part of the electric bike mentioned, you should always check the bike manual for the right information.
Remove the Limiting Wire
Aside from using your hand to remove the speed limiter, you can also go by the method of removing the limiting wire. Note that not all electric bikes out there come with a limiting wire. However, if you have one with your electric bike, you should follow the steps below.
- Step One: Locate the location of the limiting wire in your electric bike (You can check your bike manual to see the diagram of the bike as most come with label to show you the parts of the bike)
- Step Two: Look out for it at the controller box, mostly beside or closer to the speed controller. Make sure the ebike is turned off, remove the battery if you want.
- Step Three: It would be best to gently pull off the wire from the connector, which is all you have to do.
Use A Tuning Tool Kit
The second method is through the use of tuning tool kits. There are many tuning kits out there in the market that you can consider. You should check some local and online stores and ensure you choose the right one for you.
There are two methods; some allow disassembling, and some do not. So, if you are not much of a technical person, I suggest that you consider the one that does not allow you to disassemble the bike.
The one that does allow you to disassemble comes with a manual on how to use it on your bike while the other requires skills and experience because it is more of a technical work.
Conclusion
The controller usually limits the speed limit of the electric bike. It’s there for either to comply with the local law regarding ebikes or to keep you safe from speeding up too much. This is for you and your ebike safety for sure unless you want to even faster, and you know what you want.
There are several ways to remove this limit as mentioned earlier, but most motorists are not aware of this. The easiest way to do so is by removing the speed detector sensor from its current place and tricking it into not detecting your actual speed. This method doesn’t require any major modification for the electric bike speed limiter removal.
A mechanical engineer became an active blogger, and it’s James Miller. Well, the journey of his blogging started more than a decade ago. As a mechanical engineer, he started his professional career as a technical assistant in a renowned automotive industry and later joined an e-bike manufacturing company as a quality in charge. James created this site “Bikerreview” to share his decade of experience with e-bikes. He wants to help the people who are newly looking for an e-bike and doesn’t have any prior knowledge about that.
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