4 Easy Ways to Make Your Bike Sound Like a Motorcycle

Want to transform your kid's bike by making it sound like a motorcycle? We'll show you how with 4 simple hacks to make your kids love playing on their bikes even more. You may remember some of these methods from your own childhood!

As we fight against the rise in screen time among children, parents are becoming more aware of the importance of active, outdoor play. Finding ways to encourage playing outdoors has never been so important. Here are 4 hacks to add a motorcycle sounds to your kid's bike.

Make your bike roar using a playing card

The first and probably the oldest and most used hack for adding some sound to your bike is to use a good old fashioned playing card. People have been putting cards in bike spokes for decades to add a cool motorcycle sound.

To do this, you only need a standard playing card (made of hard paper) and something to secure the card onto the bike frame, such as a clear adhesive or duct tape. Some people prefer using masking tape, painters tape or clothespins so that they don't cause any damage to the bike's paintwork.

The harder the card the better. Some bikers even recommend plastic playing cards, as these are sturdier and make the sound effect louder.

Materials needed

• A baseball or playing card
• Scissors
• Tape (painter's tape or masking tape is best)

Instructions

1. Cut a long enough piece of duct tape
2. Stick one end of the tape on to the shorter side of the card
3. Now place the card on the rear forks, with one end wrapped around it a bit (this is the end with duct tape on it) and the other end pointing right into the wheel, in between the spokes.
4. Make sure you place it on the opposite side of gears and brakes of course, otherwise the card will interfere with the bike functions.
5. Before taping the card down over the fork, spin the wheel to make sure it really hits the spokes, as this is what will create the cool sound effect.

An old water bottle can also change the sound of your bike

There are two ways to make your bike sound like a motorcycle with a water bottle. The first – which we do not recommend – is to simply squeeze a regular sized 16.9 oz plastic bottle without the cap between the rear tire and frame of the bike. Children have also used aluminum cans for this, and it can be dangerous as the can or bottle will degrade over time, and can eventually cause damage to the bike tire. If using a can, the edges may also become sharp.

The second method is much safer. It has a better sound effect, and it's more fun to assemble! The water bottle will act as an exhaust, which intensifies the resulting sound.

You'll need an empty plastic water bottle, a piece of hard plastic – something like an old credit card is ideal, a small knife and/or scissors, and some duct tape/masking tape/painters tape (liquid adhesive is an option if you do not mind damage to the bike's frame).

Materials needed

• An empty water bottle
• A utility knife (or a hacksaw if you want to get fancy)
• Tape (painter's tape or masking tape is best)

Instructions

1. Take the lid off the bottle, you won't need it.
2. Cut away the whole bottom of the bottle, basically making a new opening on the other side of it.
3. The hardest step will be making the incision into the screw socket part of the bottle with a small knife. about two-thirds deep – make sure you DO NOT cut the whole screw socket part off.
4. This cut will be the seam that you will now place the plastic card into with the short side down. Secure it to the bottle with duct tape or liquid adhesive.
5. Now you have the base. Place this onto the rear forks with the plastic card pointing into the spokes and between them, just like you did with the playing card. The card bumping against the spokes as the wheel spins is what will make the desired sound, and the hollow bottle will make it so much more intense. Secure the bottle in this position onto the bike frame with duct tape and you are ready to roar!

How about trying a rubber balloon?

Balloons are perfect for making a bike sound like a motorcycle and only take a few minutes to set up. All you'll need for this hack is a small rubber balloon.

Materials needed

• A rubber balloon
• Tape (painter's tape or masking tape is best)

Instructions

1. Blow up the balloon about two-thirds of the way – a water balloon size works well.
2. Look for a spot on the forks (front or back) to tie the balloon onto. Make sure it's not in the way of the brakes or the chain.
3. Tie the balloon to the bike. Then as you start riding your bike push the balloon into the spokes, and enjoy the sound!
4. Try adding multiple balloons for an even louder experience (or just in case one of your balloon motors pops)!

Spokester bicycle noise maker

You can now push your bike hacking mastery even further with this new plastic toy, made especially for the purpose of changing the sound of your bike to make it sound like a motorcycle. This little piece of plastic clips onto the front bike fork, so that it hits the spokes. The paddle section faces inward. When the wheel spins, the spokes bump against it, making an engine sound!

This is a better long term option, as you are not replacing playing cards and clothespins or jamming empty plastic bottles in your spokes (which can actually damage your bike over time). Snap Spokester on for more noise than you know what to do with!

Materials needed

• A Spokester
• Maybe more Spokesters!

Instructions

1. Snap the Spokester on to the front fork of your bike. That's it!

Riding bikes is a great way to get the kids out of the house and encourage healthy behaviors. Adding an engine noise to their bike is one of the best ways to motivate them to spend more time outside and away from screens, especially since schools are closed during these times.