Frey Dopamine 2.0 Spec Review 2024
The Frey Dopamine 2.0 offers riders hoping to knock out long rides as quickly as possible a novel option. With a 500W mid-drive motor from Bafang, the Frey Dopamine 2.0 has the muscle necessary to go a full 28 mph. This Class 3 eMTB (28 mph maximum assist speed plus a throttle) is powered by a 720Wh battery.
One novel feature of the Frey Dopamine 2.0 is its ability to run several different wheel setups, depending on the size of frame the rider needs. It comes in three sizes: medium, large and XL. Frey says that the Dopamine 2.0 can be run with 29-in. wheels front and rear, or 27.5-in. wheels front and rear or as a mullet setup with 29 front and 27.5 rear. The medium can be set up with a 27.5 wheel in front and a 26-in. wheel in the rear to serve as a small size.
Wheel size affects the suspension options; with 29-in. wheels or configured as a mullet, it has 160mm of travel front and rear, while with 27.5-in. wheels it sports 180mm front and 170mm rear. If there was any doubt about how aggressive a rider for whom Frey made Dopamine 2.0, the 63.5-degree head tube angle is half a degree (or more) slacker than what we see in many eMTBs.
The 500W Bafang motor is based on a 48V circuitry in order to provide sufficient juice for its 140Nm max torque.
To give the Dopamine 2.0 the gear range to tackle technical and steep terrain, Frey chose a SRAM NX 11-speed drivetrain. Bringing the Frey Dopamine 2.0 to a stop is a pair of Magura MT5e 4-piston disc brakes with electronic cutoff, so there’s no chance of the brakes fighting the motor if someone hits the brakes before releasing the throttle.
Riders who may ride on trails frequented by motorcycles or other off-highway vehicles may find the Frey Dopamine 2.0 compelling, especially if they want to keep up with their more-motorized friends. With a maximum-assist speed of 28 mph, riders will be able to fly on dirt roads. The extra power is unlikely to result in greater speed on technical singletrack, however, Usually, the big limiter on technical terrain isn’t motor power, but the rider’s ability to negotiate twisting trails at speed, which is to say that this e-bike’s advantage over Class 1 e-bikes will be most apparent on trails and roads at Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas. There’s also the reality that on trail systems where eMTBs are legal, they generally only allow Class 1 e-bikes, not Class 3 models.