Electric bikes are usually designed with a speed limiter. It makes sure that the e-bike doesn’t go faster than the permissible speed. However, some people find it difficult because the motor will keep down the limits once it reaches top speed.
That’s where removing the limiter comes into play. Knowing how to remove the speed limiter on an electric bike will help you do that.
To remove the speed limiter on your ebike, you need to locate the limiter wire first. After that, make a barrier so that it can’t detect you’re exceeding the limit. Another way is by modifying the ebike circuite which needs a little extra work.
So, there’s the easy way, and the hard way. We’ve discussed both electric bike speed limiter removal method in this article, alongside the legislative issues if you do so. Let’s get through them.
E-Bike Speed Limiter Basics (What Is A Speed Limiter On An E-bike?)
We cannot remove a e-bike speed limiter wire. Also, we can neither identify nor locate it, but proper knowledge is essential before proceeding.
No matter which term we use, we can locate the mechanism on the e-Bike from its drive position and employ one of two methods to demolish the e-Bike’s formerly restrictive 20 mph limit so we can move at a faster pace. This will help in increasing speed on electric bike.
Dangers And Risks Of Removing The Speed Limiter From An E-bike
Although removing the speed limiter from the e-bike will allow us to drive faster, it can cause various issues at the same time. Here are the dangers of removing the speed limiter from your e-bike to understand:
Extra stress on the motor
First of all, accept that by derestricting e-Bike, we can increase the amount of stress we put on both the motor and battery because limitations built into the bike by the manufacturer are overridden the minute we start tinkering.
Further, because power is decentralized, the battery will not stay clamp as long as it did before we performed this modification.
Voiding the warranty
Another aspect to consider has to do with your warranty. Once we have altered the bike so it can go faster, the warranty is likely to be considered null and void.
Higher Chance of Injury
Injury issues will rise notably when we ride the bike faster. Fast speeds will make it uncomfortable to maintain balance, leading to minor to severe accidents.
Breaking the Law
Most countries have legal speed limits for electric bikes, so manufacturers put a limiter on e-bikes. So, if we remove the speed limiter for extra speed, it’ll be like breaking the law.
Faster Battery Drainage
Removing the speed limiter can reduce the lifespan of an e-bike’s battery. That is because the faster we will ride the bike; the quicker battery energy will drain.
Higher Energy Consumption
Alongside draining the battery faster, removing the speed limiter will significantly impact your e-bike motor. E-bike manufacturers set a proper and suitable speed range, and expanding it will impact the overall performance of the e-bike.
With these issues in mind, if you already have a high wattage, high speed one like a 1000 watt ebike, or at least 750 watt, you should just stick to the stock speed.
That’s because 750 watt ebikes can go 28-35 MPH (45 -56 KPH) which is already too much to handle.
Does De-Restriction Make the Motor More Powerful?
Like a large amount of misinformation that seems to circulate everything these days, the process of removing speed limiters on e-Bikes is no exception.
If you’ve heard that once you’ve disabled the e-Bike’s ability to differentiate the speed, it was programmed to deliver such speed. The speed increase we enjoy from undertaking this type of tune-up has ostensibly re-engineered your ride. So, the e-Bike becomes a superpower; that’s bad information with no validity.
While the adjustments we can make to accelerate the e-Bike speed are real, your ride hasn’t re-engineered itself. The motor capacity won’t be altered one iota, no matter which method we use to remove the ride’s speed limiters.
Is it legal To Remove The Speed Limit On Electric Bikes?
The acceptable solution to drive faster is the machine which is called Speed Pedelec machine, which can drive up to 45 km per hour. Such e-bikes are usually cost significantly more. But we are subject to certain obligations that specific countries can differ.
In general, we must have a license for the e-bike, and it must be registered. The rider must be at least the age of 16 years, and wearing a helmet is mandatory. For that reason, some of the cyclists prefer to buy a traditional model of e-bike and then derestrict it.
A brief search on the internet can provide us with instructions for our preferred model. We can also find websites for ordering necessary components to derestrict the e-bike. Or, in another way, we can also visit certain merchants, and they will propose to us to do it. This is what we have seen in randomly selected stores.
How to Remove Speed Limiter on Electric Bike
We will tell you how to remove the speed limiter on an electric bike. There are two methods used for removing the limiter. They are-
- The By-hand method
- Using E-bike tools
The By-hand method
You can use your hand to remove the speed limiter of your electric bike, and it is one easiest way. You can avoid speed limit issues by removing the frame’s base sensor and the rear wheel’s magnet.
Speed Controller
This method of derestriction will work if our electric bike allows it to work. The device’s speed sensor will detect the speed and instantly turns off the bike to offer zero assistance. The major objective of this method is to disturb the speed detectors in the e-bike.
It then transfers these details to the main electric bike speed controller. The main controller uses this information to decide the amount of assistance it should provide to the bike.
Likewise, this controller shuts down the motor and provides zero assistance when the bike reaches the usual ebike speed limit.
Changing The Data
We need to modify and change the data reaching those sensors. The sensors usually use two parameters to detect the bike’s speed: the magnet at the rear wheel and the frame’s sensors.
Removing The Magnet
If we remove the magnet from the rear wheel, the sensor will receive very low signals, not triggering the speed restriction.
In this specific method, the entire electric circuit need not be disassembled. You can, as per your choice, place the magnet somewhere else. Placing the magnet away from the wheel will increase the distance between the sensor and the magnet.
Due to this extra distance, very few signals will reach the magnet. This increased distance will prevent activating the speed limiter as the signals will not be able to reach the device
Disconnect The Sensor Wire To Disable The eBike Speed limiter
Alongside using your hand to remove the speed limiter, another method you can follow is removing the limiting wire. However, not all electric bikes are equipped with a limiting wire. If a limiting wire is installed in your e-bike, follow the steps below to remove the speed limiter.
- Step – 1: First, find out or locate the limiting wire, usually available next to the gears of your ebike.
- Step – 2: The limiting wire is located at the controller connected with the speed controller.
- Step – 3: Gently take it off the wire from the connector, and you’re done.
Once the speed limiter wire is removed, you can easily ride your bike without facing speed limit issues.
Using E-bike tools
Many people have complained about the speed limit because it hampers their biking experience. As it becomes a growing concern, manufacturers develop e-bike kits to break the bike limits. This method is technical and usually costs a lot. The same principle guides this tool kit as the handy method. Also, it manipulates the speed rate and distorts the speed data.
We can find two types of kits for removing the speed limiter of the e-bike.
Type-1 (Needs Circuit Disassembly):
The first type of kit needs circuit disassembly of the e-bike. They’re designed with switches to activate or deactivate them only by pressing the keypad’s lightning button whenever needed. With this method, you must remove the battery beforehand, even if you don’t have a key (to remove the battery).
Type-2 (Doesn’t Need Circuit Disassembly):
The second one doesn’t need any disassembly, neither you need to remove the housing. Just attach the tool directly to the sensor of the bike. Every tool kit comes with instructions that you can follow while removing the speed limiter.
Do The Methods Of Electric Bike Speed Limiter Removal Work For All Brands?
Sometimes, not just one method will work for every e-bike brand. Different brands need different procedures to remove the speed limiter. We will discuss various brands below:
- Ancheer: With an Ancheer ebike, you need to open the controller of the e-bike and disconnect the speed limiter to remove the speed limit. Sometimes, it gets confusing, in that case, we have to follow the instructions.
- Bosch: By pressing the button ‘Walk’, we can control the speed limit on a Bosch motor ebike. When the turning chip is active it means the speed limit restriction is removed. If we want to turn the chip off, then we need to press the ‘Walk’ button once more.
- Volt: This brand’s e-bike will need circuit disassembly to remove the speed limiter. With this circuit disassembly, we can lift the speed limit and ride the bike at the speed of our preference.
- Bafang: By using E-bike tools technique which will need circuit disassembly, we can control or even remove the speed limit from Bafang e-bikes.
- Brose: After opening the controller of the e-bike, we need to disconnect the speed limiter. If we get confused which wire to disconnect, we can follow the instructions.
- Yamaha: Yamaha e-bike brand will need by-hand method technique to remove the speed limiter. We can remove the speed limit by removing the magnet that comes with it.
Other Ways to Increase The Electric Bike’s Speed
Not just with typical ways but also there are some other processes to remove and increase the e-bike’s speed limit.
- Adjusting the LCD Settings: We can set up the e-bike controller by adjusting the LCD display screen. First, we have to turn off and then turn the LCD on. After pressing the hold Up and Bottom button, maximum speed limits will start flashing. Then, we can change the preferred settings by pressing the middle button twice. For any confusion, we can always read the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Changing the Battery: Normally, the LED indicator lights up and shows the battery voltage in the display screen. Also, we can use voltmeter to test directly the battery’s voltage. After removing the battery, press and hold the power button for ten seconds. This will resent the system. Now we can re-install the battery and turn the bike.
- Installing a New Motor: Installing a new motor or even replacing the existing one will help the e-bike to go faster. If we build the e-bike on our own then it will be very easy for us to change or install the component like a motor.
- Replacing the Tires: Usually, the tires of e-bike get damaged and may be worn after using them for a long time. Thus, resulting in a tread-less tire. TIres with less to no treads will reduce the speed or even cause accidents as they become slippery. It is better to replace the tires to speed up the limit.
- Installing a Windshield: Installing a windshield will help to reduce the wind blast. Also, it will make the ride comfortable, protecting from the unexpected elements. Ultimately, it will increase the speed limit.
- Focusing on Riding Posture: Though e-biking does not help to keep the shoulder straight, it is a great way to improve the riding posture. When we are riding an e-bike, we need to keep your back straight to avoid any slagging. By focusing on the postures, it will help us to increase the speed limit. This is especially crucial for ebikes for snow or sand.
Conclusions
Limitations of speed are not an unpleasant thing. Speeds are regulated to make sure that we are riding bikes safely and obeying the traffic rules on public roads. Though, due to such restrictions, oftentimes, people find riding the speed inadequate. That is why it’s necessary to know how to remove the speed limiter on an electric bike.
However, as electric bike speed limiter removal is not a fun job, or the safest thing to do, make sure you know the regulation and laws related to e-bikes. We have to be confident about controlling the speed limit. We must not forget to use safety gear while riding the bike at high speed. The high speed will be unworthy if we injure ourselves.
Remember, if your e-Bike breaks, even if your warranty covers the problem, you will likely have to eat the repair costs.