How one Chinese e-bike motor maker is building quieter electric bikes
If you’ve spent enough time riding electric bikes, you quickly realize that power is only part of the draw. Another big part is sound – or more accurately, the lack of it. A smooth, quiet motor can make an e-bike feel refined and premium, while a buzzy, rattly drivetrain can cheapen the experience no matter how strong the specs look on paper.
That’s something Bafang, one of the world’s largest e-bike motor manufacturers, says it has been focusing on for years. And after I took a trip inside their motor testing grounds, I got to see how they do it.