I am loving my Delfast Top 3.0 Ebike; however, I hated the brakes that came stock on the bike. They were not powerful enough to stop this 150lb + bike with my 180lbs on it. I went through my first set of pads in just under 400 miles/1 month. They were screechy and jittery the whole time. I’ve just completed an upgrade to Magura MT5e brakes with Magura MDR-P 220mm rotors. The results are awesome! The breaks can lock up my wheels on a dime, and they are quiet. What’s not to love? It was an adventure getting to this point though…

Below, I’ve provided videos and a shopping list.

Here are a couple of additional install notes:

Don’t use anything but name brand Magura inserts and olives when you have to trim your hydraulic lines. The brakes come with one set each. I needed more than this because I trimmed more than once to get things just how I wanted them. I learned to use Magura only the hard way. Inserts with the wrong inside diameter make for squishy lever pulls. I ended up getting mine from Cambriabike.com because they sell them by piece.
To align the front caliper I needed a 5mm hub adapter.
The stock Delfast brakes have a male YLS Signal Cable Connector. The Magura brakes have a male Higo type B connector. These are not compatible. To make the connection, I cut the wires with connectors off the stock levers, and the connectors off the Magura levers. I stripped the outside housing using a sharp tipped craft blade pointed away from the internal wires. There are only two wires used. Connect black to black. If there is a third wire in the stock wire, one will pull out. Connect the remaining two wires. Use solder and heat shrink to secure these connections. This method allowed me to retain the stock quick connect feature without needing to buy any additional pieces.
Watch a good video or two before you attempt a brake bleed. This part was tricky for me. Here is the technique that worked best: 0:18 / 7:20 • www.tuning-bikes.de Instructions for bleeding Magura MT5 / MT7 disc brakes - Tutorial by Tuning Bikes
The rear caliper mount on the Delfast frame is under strength. With the stock brakes, and even more with the Magura brakes, the caliper flexes when the brake is applied. This makes the rear brake squishy and weak. Several riders with Magura brakes have even had the caliper mounting bracket bend out of shape due to torque from the caliper. I corrected this issue with a reinforcement bracket.

Here are a couple of videos I’ve made to help others negotiate this path I’ve scouted. Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

This first is a run through of how I overcame some of the challenges with the install and a basic review of the brakes.

The second is a basic run-through of brake tune-up. It uses the stock Delfast brakes but the same methods apply to any brakes.

Here is a shopping list for this upgrade. Please consider buying some of what you need via these links. This provides Aspire Wood with slight profit at no additional cost to you.

Just a few notes on shopping for this install: You’ll need 2 x brake sets, 2 x rotors, and 2 x sets of pads. The brake pads that come with the brakes will do in a pinch. They are 1 pad per two pistons. 2 in front and 2 in back. The sets with 1 pad per piston (4 in front and 4 in back are much better).