Riding On The Ragged (Legal) Edge With The 50mph Delfast Top 2.0 ETB Electric Bike

In an earlier article on Forbes, I wrote about my encounter with a high-speed electric bicycle, likely a Stealth model, and how those types of very high-powered ebikes don’t really fit into the legal framework currently in place for ebikes in much of the United States. The next step, obviously, was to wrangle a ride on one of these rare beasties, and see what it could really do. Electric bikemaker Delfast was up to the challenge, and shipped me a new $6,200 Delfast Top 2.0 for a short review period.

The Delfast Top 2.0 is an updated version of the original Delfast Top model. The main changes are significant: Power rises from 3,000 watts to a very robust 5,000 watts max, and the drivetrain loses the rear derailleur in favor of a more simple, single rear cog. But, it still has pedals – and much more.

Delfast Top 2.0 Tech

The Delfast Top 2.0 is a tech-heavy ebike that’s also just plain heavy, and for it’s ascribed mission, that’s not a disadvantage. At 158 pounds, it’s making no pretense about being some lightweight marvel; this bike is all about ground speed. As such, it has controls and features more akin to a motorcycle. There’s a large multi-colored LCD panel that would look right at home on a modern sportbike, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes including two front rotors, beefy DNM suspension front and rear with full adjustability, a blindingly bright 20-watt double-LED headlight, rear LED brake lights, and LED turn signals front and rear, with the front blinkers built into two motorcycle-style mirrors. Pretty trick. There’s no thumb throttle here, you twist the inner right grip to call up go-power from the 5kW Copenhagen-style gearless electric motor built into the rear wheel.

Powering the whole works is a massive 72-volt 48Ah 60 amp-capable Panasonic battery pack that dwarfs what you find on most “normal” ebikes. It’s cleanly tucked into the main frame behind two panels and is not generally user accessible. The rear motor tops out at 5kW of output under duress, but mainly runs at 3,000 watts max until called upon for more juice to spin up the 19-inch motorcyclish wheels and tires. The progressive twist throttle works within five power output levels selected on a pod on the left bar. As noted, Level 2 (quickly) tops out at 20mph. There’s three more to go after that.

Additionally, the bike includes an ear-piercing alarm system managed by two included automotive-style fobs. It puts a lot of car alarms to shame. And finally, it has push-button start, or “activation,” via a big car-like start button on the top of the frame. The fobs can disable the motor at short range and there is a GPS tracking option as well. My bike included the $149 fenders option and, thankfully, a bicycle seatpost adapter. It arrived in gloss black with a motorcycle-style seat installed. A spread of color options goes for $199 extra.

Riding Experience

Let’s just get this out of the way: This is an “electric bicycle” in about the same way the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is a “family car.” Sure, you can drive your family around in it, but you can also take it out and crank it up to a tick over 200mph. Likewise, you can pedal the Delfast Top 2.0 like a regular bicycle – for about 50 feet before you say “oh, the heck with it” and just turn the throttle. That’s the point at which the Top 2.0 reveals it’s true identity: This is basically a small electric motorcycle with some vestigial pedal-shaped appendages. If you think you could pedal it home after running the battery out, I’m sure it’s possible if you’re in Greg LeMond – level shape. For the rest of us, pedaling about ten revolutions will have you on your phone calling AAA.

But understand this: That is not condemnation; moped makers have been using the same legal “pedals” dodge for decades. The only difference here is there’s no gas tank (per se) or gas engine. Yeah, you can pedal it – maybe to the nearest outlet for a recharge.

Otherwise, the Delfast Top 2.0 scoots down the road or trail at literally any pace you wish up to a fairly terrifying 50mph, which it easily achieved. You can limit the top speed by choosing from one of five power output levels using the bar pod controller. Setting 2 tops out at 20mph, the top legal limit for “Class II” ebikes in most states. Clicking up from there quickly adds more velocity, and Delfast states those levels are for “off-road use only” of course. If you’ve never done close to 50 bits on a traditional bicycle, suffice to say it is a monstrous clip. At that point, most traditional, non-racing bikes are a twitching, gyrating mess of flexing frames and out-of-balance wheels never designed for such velocities. But not the Top 2.0. It’s placid and stable at 50, much like a motorcycle designed to go much, much faster than double the Texas speed limit. The dual front disc brakes haul it back down right quick, and the plush adjustable suspension eats up bumps as well as smoothing launches off of curbs/berms/etc. Off the pavement, it’s more of the same, and adding actual knobby tires would give it even more dirt prowess. Ridden in anger, the Top 2.0 can get you into trouble right quick, but under experienced control, it’s basically a near-silent gearless dirt motorcycle and can pretty much be ridden as such.

It’s important to note that with the stock motorcycle-style seat installed, it was almost impossible for me to ride the bike in comfort (I’m 6 foot 1) and I was comically balled up. But with the optional bike seat adapter installed along with a mountain biking seat, I was good to go. Delfast touts the bike as having a range of 174 miles, and that may be possible, but likely only if ridden far slower than at full tilt. Still, Delfast is a record holder for ebike range, and I rode it around Portland at varying speeds for hours on end, and never had an issue with a dying battery. A bible-sized charger juices it back up in a few hours, but the charging plug is poorly placed near where the front fender can smack into it and dislodge or even break off the plug. Be careful.

Conclusion

We could talk all day about the legal issues surrounding these kinds of bikes and the “legality” of riding them on city streets, but the bottom line is this: The Delfast Top 2.0 is a hoot to ride, on the street or in the dirt. It’s fast, capable and fun, and yes, going fast is fun, especially for this motorcycle-owning speed addict. Delfast is doing the legal limbo by essentially saying it’s Class II “legal” at the 2 power setting and everything above that is for off-road riding, but they’re not fooling anyone and that’s OK in my book. This is how change comes about in a transportation category. Furthermore, this kind of bike is becoming more and more inevitable, if just a little bit at a time. Disregarding the ever-more powerful electric mountain bikes coming on the market with huge price tags, a recent $1,500 “Class II” dirt-capable commuter ebike I reviewed with a 500-watt motor easily powered past the 20mph mark on demand, while still falling short of 30mph. That’s known as speed creep, and many other bike makers will likely happily engage in this wink-wink-nudge-nudge game of Who’s Faster until the bikes get the attention of the authorities and some sort of regulatory crackdown takes place, at least above and beyond the regulation and enforcement that’s happening now, which is just about nonexistent. Police officers I rode by at above 30mph in a Portland bike lane while wearing a bike helmet didn’t give me a second look. Much faster, however, and I may have gotten that unwanted attention, and possibly numerous tickets. Indeed, Delfast sells these bikes to police departments who are looking to bolster response times in dense urban grids. This is the perfect tool for that job.

What Delfast might want to consider doing is taking a hint from what UBCO did with their similar FRX1 ebike, which will go into production soon: Just end the pretense and get rid of the pedals. It sheds weight, simplifies construction and lowers the cost. Embrace what these bikes are: pure Electric Trail Bikes, or ETBs. You read it here first (I think). How this subgenre of ebikes will fit into the new and growing urban mix of e-things remains to be seen. They’re technically not motorcycles (so long as they have those pedals), so perhaps a special licensing tier could be created as we re-jigger the urban transportation paradigm. The future is wide open. What’s not up for debate is that electrified future. Upping the power, battery capacity and so on isn’t rocket science, and if the parts aren’t already available off the shelf to pump the top speed up another 3 or 5 or 10mph, they will be soon. Getting around a city at speed without pedaling or needing gas is a compelling reason for these kinds of bikes to exist at all, and that capability will not be lost on potential buyers. Sure, six large is a lot to pay for an electric “bicycle,” but it really isn’t when it’s actually something else: Cheap, fun and fast electrified urban transportation that doesn’t need gas – or a license.

Delfast:

• Performance that lives up to maker’s claims

• Plush adjustable suspension smooths out the ride

• Extremely long range

• All that power!

Not So Fast:

• Heavy, and decidedly small for large riders

• Expensive, but also a lot less than some competitors

• Pedals are comically ineffective

• Hazy legal status, except when it comes to speeding tickets

Thanks to Delfast for providing a Top 2.0 to Forbes for review.