Pedal assist

Since 2011, Van Raam has its own electrical pedal support, called the Silent System. The motor, battery, controller, smart display and software are developed by Van Raam, especially for the special needs bikes.

The Silent system is characterized by:

• Smart e-bike

• It's Simple use;

• 3 support modes + starting aid/launch control;

• An almost noiseless motor;     

• Powerful electro motors;        

• Modern and efficient electronics;        

• High quality and safe batteries;          

• Personal adjustable support, adjusted to the handicap;          

• Cycling forwards and backwards with active pedal support;

• A smartphone app with which you can change the settings, send a SOS message, and with which you can view the current cycle data, including speed, distance and battery status.

Are you unsure if pedal assistance is right for you? Read the articles 'A Van Raam bike with or without pedal assist' and '6 benefits of pedal assistance on an adapted bicycle' for more information.

The Silent electrical system is a 36 Volt system. The motor has a maximal continuous rated power of 250 Watt. The pedal sensor can detect movement and force. In combination with the unique software, the system makes an optimal support and efficient power use. The support is very smooth, so that unexpected movement of the motor is prevented.

The Silent electrical system was in 2012, 2013,  2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018/2019 in Germany as worldwide “test-winner”.  

You can cycle backwards with the Van Raam electrical system when the pedal assistance is switched on with all the tricycles. This does not apply if the bike is equipped with a back-pedal brake. Read more in the article 'Riding backwards with pedal support on a custom bike'.

Starting aid/launch control. 

The display has an starting aid/launch control button. When the starting aid is activated, you get support from the system withouth having to pedal along. The tricycles from July 2014 has the starting aid, an extra function called launch control. You get a boost when you pedal and press the starting aid button. The force of the boost depends on the support mode.

Battery indication.

The battery status is displayed as a percentage on the screen. When the battery is almost empty and the motor does not support any longer. The head-and backlight will still function. 

Other functions

The lighting can be activated using the lighting button on the display. Additionally, by simultaneously pressing the mode button and plus button, you can adjust the display's brightness in the settings screen. Learn more about how the lighting works through the Van Raam Electrical system in the article 'Lighting via the Van Raam Electrical system.'

Instruction Van Raam pedal support system display

If you are seeking clear instructions and explanations on how the Van Raam pedal support system display works, read the article 'Instructions Silent smart display for Van Raam bicycles' and watch the video below.

Watch more videos about our bikes on our YouTube channel.

Untill the middle of 2012, Van Raam has used Nickel Metal Hydride batteries (NIMH). Since 2012, Van Raam uses Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries.

All the tricycles of Van Raam have an Cube Li-Ion battery. The Balance, two wheeled tandems Kivo and Twinny, the wheelchair bikes, the rikshaw bike Chat, and the Viktor and Viktoria have a Slim Li-Ion battery.

The high quality batteries are manufactured in the Netherlands and can be used for many charge/discharge cycles. The Li-Ion batteries have 2 years of guarantee with a maximum of 500 charge/discharge cycles. Do you want to know what charging cycles are? Read our article "What are charging cycles?". The batteries have a high capacity, on several bikes it is possible to use 2 batteries with a combined maximum capacity of 1760Wh.

A Van Raam battery may / can not be refurbished due to safety and improper operation of the electrical system.

Are you wondering how best to charge the batteries and how they work? Then take a look at our video and article "How does a Van Raam battery work and how to charge it". Also read the article ''Frequently asked questions about Van Raam batteries'' for more information about our batteries. In the article "7 most asked questions about the Van Raam battery charger" you can find more information about the battery charger. 

Three different motors can be used with the Silent system, the Silent VR1F,  VR2F and the VR2R. Those motors deliver a continuous rated power of 250 Watt. The VR2 motors are stronger than the VR1F. These are mostly used in heavier duobikes, in a mountainous area or when the cyclist has low pedalling power. The motors from Van Raam are maintenance free brushless direct-drive motors. The motors are very quiet and have a favourable power consumption. Read more about the Van Raam motors in the article 'Why a front or rear hub motor instead of a mid-drive motor'.

Van Raam uses wheel motors, also called hub motors, in its bicycles. In the cycling world, mid-drive motors are also commonly used. Read more in the article 'How do you compare the torque of a mid-drive and hub motor?'.

More about the motors

Each Van Raam bicycle that is equipped with the Silent system can also be equipped with a throttle.  This is standard the thumb throttle. The throttle takes over the function of the start button on the smart display and ensures that the bike can ride (up to approx. 5 km per hour) without pedalling. If you operate the throttle while riding, you will immediately get the maximum assistance from the throttle position that is enabled.

With the throttle you can also ride backwards. As soon as you switch the bike into reverse, you will see all the assistance modes light up on the display. If you then operate the throttle, the bike will ride backwards at approximately 5km/h.

The Silent Electrical system is widely adjustable. This way, the system can be adjusted to the customer specific needs.

The system can be controlled by force. If the customer gives more force on the pedals, the support will be higher. The proportion between the force from the customer and the power of the support can be customized. The system can also be controlled by movement. When the customer is rotating the pedals, there will be support. This is called “pedelec”. Often, the system is controlled by a combination of force and rotation.

Setting up the Silent electrical system is only done bij Van Raam and the dealers. It is possible to adjust the recipe with the Van Raam e-bike app. This is possible with bikes from may 2016. Older bikes can be updated so that those bikes can also connect to the Van Raam e-bike app.

Weight gain of the bicycle by the pedal support

The weight of your bike will increase by the pedal support. The total weight of the motor, battery en other parts depends on the type. This varies between the 9 and 15 kilo extra weight.

User manual Van Raam special needs bike(s)

You can find the user manual of a Van Raam bicycle on the Van Raam website. Check the product page of the bicycle in question. You can find the user manual under the price/documentation tab.

If you have questions about maintenance or range, check out our frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Please make sure that you have the original Van Raam system for pedal support called the ‘silent system’. This is always assembled by Van Raam. The silent system can be recognised by the Van Raam logo’s on the battery, display, and the specific characteristics such as backwards driving.

Warning: In case any alterations have been made to the bike by parties other than Van Raam or by yourself that cause any malfunctions or defects, the guarantee and CE certificate will no longer be valid. The absence of a valid CE certificate can cause problems with insurance, and in case there are any damages or legal liabilities.

Do you not have the newest electrical system with smart display, please read the article: Van Raam bikes with motors / pedal support before 2016.

Software for Silent system:

Driver USB Silent

Van Raam Dealer tool

With the usage of Windows 10, it is possible that service cables which are ordered before May 2016 has problems with connecting. If you have such a problem please contact our service department.