Well, kinda, I was hoping to see a comparison between two bikes in the same setting at the same distance, this would give us an idea. Of Course there is huge variables in frequency and many other factors, a db reading of a rock concert Vs. a exhaust pipe will give you no useful info but two gear reduction electric bikes in a semi controlled setting will help us understand, many people on this forum have a large stable of ebikes it might be interesting to see some comparisons.
bradland said:jimmyN said:So much talk about loud, what is loud?? hang the bike in an enclosed space, hold a db. meter at a set distance from the motor, push the throttle and run it wide open for a minute, record the reading, repeat the process with another bike and lets see the results? we need someone with an X1 run this simple test so we can put this discussion to rest.
SPL readings on a workstand are useless. The amount of noise varies greatly based on load. I just measured my bike in the garage. Reference SPL is 64dB. Max SPL when I mashed the throttle was 68dB, but I can tell you, that is not representative of how the motor sounds when riding.
SPL tests, in general, are only useful for relative comparison when performed under carefully controlled conditions. I really doubt anyone here has the equipment to do it right. Doing it wrong just means polluting the conversation further.
Also, the way we perceive loudness isn't as simple as an SPL measurement. There is really no good way to "objectively" measure how loud the bike is, because we don't hear things objectively.