Feature the features: S6 sounds, reimagined
We’re launching a new series highlighting what makes the S6 ride like no other, one feature at a time. First up: Sounds.
Sound matters. It's part of how a bike feels alive and aware. How you navigate and move. How you’re part of the city. When we set out to build the S6, we saw an opportunity to completely evolve our sounds. How could we make it more cohesive, more intentional? We spoke to our team, who spent months designing a new sonic identity for VanMoof.
It all starts with the city. The bike's true home. Our previous bike sounds turned heads, no doubt about it. They were bold. But riders started to feel like the sounds were working against the city. Competing for the spotlight. Instead of working with the sounds in the city. So three factors were key in our sound creation: the city environment, how we humans respond to sound and the bike’s hardware capabilities.
And here’s an unexpected discovery: the bike frame itself works like a secret speaker. When the team played around with white noise and precision measurement, it turns out the bike doesn’t just carry sound, but resonates through it – amplifying the sound. And it comes alive in a way you’ve never heard before.
After playing around in the studio, the team hit the streets – hundreds of kilometers worth. Every neighborhood, every corner taught them something new about how sound moves through the city and into your ride. Months of testing, experimenting, and trialing over 400 individual sound variations have now resulted in 70 bespoke sounds on the S6 today.
“We wanted the new sounds to feel more deliberate, more part of the ride experience, not just alerts. They now have their rhythm and identity. That changes how the whole bike feels.”
You’ll hear the difference before you even take off. It starts with a gust of wind to pick up momentum. This is where you’ll hear the bike frame carrying the sound in action. Our new assistant-level sound cuts through the noise, but is discreet for your surroundings. All thanks to proximity audio. So the bike sounds change depending on how close you—or others—are, so it’s loud enough for you to notice but gentle on everyone else around.
That classic “ding” got a special upgrade. What we now call our dynamic bell. Featuring seven signature sounds that will customise your ride, and make it much more expressive (hint: think of some animals). Our iconic alarm has evolved too. Instead of blasting instantly, it now starts gently, building in intensity until it’s impossible to ignore – alerting others exactly when it matters most.
Every sound on the S6 has been completely rethought and re-synthesised to move in harmony with the city. Think less noise, more presence. Audible enough to cut through traffic but precise enough to keep you in the flow. The new sounds work with your ride.
“They make the S6 feel personal and responsive – a true upgrade.”
They are subtle, intelligent, and confidently VanMoof. Marking a new era for our sounds. If you haven’t had a listen yet, you can get a good impression here. Or better yet, plan a test ride and experience them in real-time.
