Delfast has just announced a new version of their high-power electric bike, the Delfast Top 3.0. The bike comes with some impressive and perhaps even ridiculous specs.
Delfast Top 3.0 e-bike launched
Whenever we talk about Delfast and the company’s extreme electric bikes, we have to play a little bit fast and loose with the term “bike.”
So when they reached out with news of their latest e-bike, I had to mentally prepare myself once again.
Delfast’s Top 3.0 is technically an electric bike. It has functional pedals, a bike seat, standard mountain bike handlebars, and even a new Gates carbon belt drive transmission.
But it also packs in a 5,000W peak-rated hub motor putting out 182 Nm of torque and rocketing the bike up to a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
That’s where things start to head into motorcycle (or at least moped) territory.
The Delfast Top 3.0 stuffs its enduro-style frame with a 72V and 48Ah battery to give the bike 3.5kWh of capacity. Not only is that around six to seven times the size of an average e-bike’s battery, it’s even on par with the base model of the Zero FXS electric motorcycle and around twice as much battery as some mini-electric motorcycles I’ve ridden.
Delfast claims that is enough battery for 200 miles (322 km) of range. Keep in mind though that Delfast likely gets that number by riding at very slow speeds or by adding significant pedaling assistance. If you ride the bike on throttle only at around 20 mph, you should expect to get closer to 110 miles (175 km) of range. Still, not bad compared to most e-bikes that get closer to 20-25 miles of range on throttle only.
Other motorcycle-level components include the dual front hydraulic disc brakes, headlight with high and low beams, mirrors with built-in turn signals to complement the rear turn signals, and a color display that integrates with a companion phone app.
The Delfast Top 3.0 doesn’t come cheap, though, with an MSRP of $6,799. Ouch.
However, you can snag one for $1,000 off if you pre-order the bike. Delfast expects production to begin in August, so you’ll have at least a couple months of waiting ahead of you. And you’ll also have time to contemplate a few moto-level accessories as well, such as a motorcycle seat or upgraded rear rack for storage boxes.
That rack looks like it might be an accessory that Delfast migrated over from their Top Cop e-bike, which is a police version of Delfast’s standard Top line of e-bikes.
The Top Cop is already being tested by multiple police departments for use in routine patrols and traffic enforcement.
Electrek’s Take
I stand by my statement that this e-bike is a bit ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it anyways.
As long as people aren’t trying to ride too fast in bike lanes with these things or endangering hikers on trails, I can get behind fast e-bikes.
I’ve ridden several and they offer a unique kind of thrill. And with a huge battery like this, you could actually perform a high-speed commute without draining your battery in the first few miles.
However I also think there should be a proper way to register and legally ride these types of high-speed and high-power e-bikes.
No one can deny that we’re talking about motorcycle-level components, speed, and power here. That means the vehicles could be powerful commuter vehicles, but also that they aren’t going to be street legal in many areas right now due to current laws.
If riders could properly register fast e-bikes like these as mopeds, ride with proper safety equipment, and be held to the same rules of the road as motorcyclists, then there could be a real future for high-powered e-bikes like the Delfast Top 3.0. Until then, I hope you’ve got some private property around to really open it up, or are happy sticking to 28 mph limits on roads.
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