Kona Dew-E DL Review, 2024 | Electric Bike Report

To gain an understanding of the Kona Dew-E DL’s power output and speeds in each assist setting, I rode the bike on a predetermined section of our local bike paths. There, I rode with no pedal assistance and recorded my maximum speed, then repeated this process as I moved through each of its three pedal assist system (PAS) settings.

The Dew-E DL is a Class 1 e-bike offering pedal assistance up to 20 miles per hour. With a mid-drive motor that uses a torque sensor, the bike has the ability to adapt its power output to match the rider’s effort, so consistent pedaling was required to obtain objective results.

Due to the bike’s relatively low overall weight, it pedaled easily with no help from the motor; my maximum speed was 13.8 mph with a moderate level of effort. When moving up through the Eco, Normal, and High assist settings, I reached 14.7 mph, 17.4 mph, and 19.5 mph respectively.

I noticed a distinct feel in each PAS setting that corresponded to the differences in our maximum speeds. The motor output in Eco felt subtle, not differing much from the bike’s behavior with no assistance. Normal provided a comfortable but conservative level of power, while in High mode, the ride was noticeably faster and easier.

Our data shows a steady increase in power between settings, which corresponds to my expectations by how the bike felt; this is what we consider to be an ideal pattern. With such measured and consistent “steps” (a Shimano pun, sorry) in power, the Dew-E DL’s assist settings felt intuitive and easy to choose between. I also liked the fact that there were just three assist settings; when testing e-bikes with a more conventional 5 options, we find that 1-2 of them often go mostly unused.

It’s worth noting that the Shimano STEPS (Shimano Total Electric Power System) E6100 motor can be paired with the brand’s E-TUBE app. We tested the Dew-E DL exclusively in its standard “Sportive” mode with maximum power output, but riders can also select a slightly more conservative “Comfort” mode that feels even more like an analog bike.

We feel that the Dew-E DL performed well in this test, providing users an intuitive interface with meaningful differences in power levels. The bike proved both easy to use and effective.