Comparing Rad Power Bikes to determine which one is the fastest is a challenge. This is because they have many similarities among their components and features with just a few significant tweaks which might make one go faster than another.
In general, all Rad Power Bikes have a maximum motor-assisted speed of 20 mph but can go faster. Which Rad Bike is the fastest depends on multiple factors including the drivetrain, pedal assist levels, sensor, throttle, wheel size, and weight of the e-bike, in addition to the motor and battery power.
So what you probably really want to know is which Rad bike you can ride the fastest on?
Because the answer to that question is not as simple as you might think, I’ll help you compare the models to find out which one is the fastest of them all.
You’ll discover the top speed of your favorite Rad Power bike model or perhaps decide which model is fast enough for you.
I’ll also explain the legal aspects of electric bike speed and a couple of speed hacks to make your Rad Power bike go even faster!
What is the Fastest Rad Bike?
To determine which Rad Power Bike is the fastest, several features are compared in the table below.
When looking at the table, I’ve determined that the RadCity Plus may be the fastest of the Rad Power Bikes because of its taller wheels (27.5″), narrower tires (2.0″), and lower e-bike weight (65 lb), as compared to the other models.
Take a look at the RadCity Plus!
When comparing models side-by-side, you can see that every Rad Power Bikes electric bike model has a twist throttle. You can use it to get you to the maximum motor speed of 20 mph on each e-bike, at which time the electric motor will stop producing power to assist.
Every Rad bike model also has a cadence sensor that measures how fast you’re pedaling (as opposed to a torque sensor that measures how hard you’re pedaling). It produces power at regular intervals based on your pedaling speed.
So, although the sensor and throttle (without pedaling) both contribute to an electric bike’s speed, they can’t distinguish the fastest one since all models have these same features.
But, if you rule out the single-speed, lower-level pedal assist RadMission and RadRunner (original version) e-bikes, you can instead rely on wheel size and electric bike weight to determine which Rad Power Bike is the fastest, all other features being equal.
Take a look at the Rad Power Bikes features that affect speed:
| Rad Power Bikes: Speed Guide | Max Electric Motor Speed | Battery Capacity | Drivetrain/ Derailleur | Pedal Assist | Sensor | Throttle | Wheel Size | Weight of E-Bike |
| RadRunner | 750W Hub Motor | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | Single-speed | 4 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 20″ x 3.3″ | 65 lb |
| RadRunner Plus | 750W Hub Motor | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 20″ x 3.3″ | 74 lb (33 kg) |
| RadRover* | 750W Hub Motor | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 26″ x 4″ | 68 lb |
| RadRover Plus* | 750W Hub Motor | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 26″ x 4″ | 73 lb |
| RadMini* | 750W Hub Motor | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 20″ x 3″ | 67 lb |
| RadCity* | 750W Direct Drive Hub | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 26″ x 2.3″ | 64 lb |
| RadCity Plus* | 750W Hub | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 27.5″ x 2.0″ | 65 lb |
| RadWagon | 750W Hub | 48V,14 Ah (672 Wh) | 7-speed | 5 levels | Cadence | Twist Grip | 22″ x 3″ | 77 lb |
| RadMission | 500W Hub | 48V, 10.5 Ah (504 Wh) | Single-speed | 12-magnet | Cadence | Twist Grip | 27.5 x 1.95″ | 48 lb |
Now that we’ve answered what the fastest Rad Power Bike is, it’s helpful to understand how fast we can make Rad Power Bikes go above the top electric-assist speed.
How Fast Can a Rad Power Bike Go?
Here are the other factors that affect the top speed at which you can ride a Rad Power Bikes e-bike. These include:
- how hard you pedal
- your own weight
- electric bike tire inflation
- weather and road conditions
When you take these factors into consideration, you may be able to go faster on one Rad bike or another, despite how fast the actual e-bike is.
What is the Top Speed of Rad Power Bikes?
First, you should understand that, although every Rad Power e-bike can go up to 20 mph with the help of the electric motor using throttle or levels of pedal assist, you can actually go even faster, typically up to 8 mph more.
In general, the top speed of Rad Power Bikes is as fast and as hard as you can pedal while using the highest level of electric pedal assist and throttle.
However, if you pedal harder, you will go faster. For example, if you weigh 125 lb you’ll go faster on your electric bike than a person weighing 210 lb when pedaling with the same force.
In addition, if your electric bike tires are fully inflated (to the manufacturer’s recommended PSI), there will be less tire contact with the ground. This will help you keep momentum and speed on paved roads.
And, naturally, you can go faster when weather such as wind, rain, or snow, doesn’t slow you down. Other road conditions that can affect e-bike speed are potholes, puddles, rough terrain, and construction.
How Fast Does the RadRunner Plus Go?
As one of the most popular Rad Power Bikes, the RadRunner Plus utility e-bike is built for speed and power. It goes up to 20 mph using both throttle and pedal assistance.
And it can carry weight up to 300 lb with its rear cargo rack or passenger seat!
You’ll be able to zip through town in no time! However, one thing to consider is that your overall speed will be slower if you’re packing it with heavy gear or a rider on the rear seat.
Check out the Rad Runner Plus!
How Fast Does the RadRover Plus Go? (vs RadRover)
After the RadCity electric bike, which we deemed above as the fastest Rad bike, the RadRover (not the RadRover Plus) probably comes in as the fastest off-road e-bike thanks to its 26″ X 4″ wide fat tires.
Even though thinner tires would generally help you go faster on paved roads, the wider tires will traverse the rough terrain easier, moving over bumps and debris faster and smoother.
Although The RadRover has the same top speed of 20 mph as other Rad Power brand bikes, it’ll move faster off-road. And, it might just beat out the Rad Rover Plus when it comes to speed due to its lower weight of 68 lb (vs 73 lb for the Plus model).
But you really can’t beat either fat tire e-bike for riding over rough terrain.
In fact, if this is where you’ll ride most of the time, as long as you keep your tire pressure on the lower end of the recommended range, you’ll be able to go faster on sand, dirt, or snow, than with any other Rad Power e-bike.
Check out the RadRover or Rad Rover Plus!
How Fast Does the RadMini Go?
Although the RadMini has a top electric assist speed of 20 mph and a 750W motor, it may not go quite as fast as the RadRunner or RadRover due to its smaller but wider 20″ X 3″ tires.
But that’s not to say it isn’t plenty fast and a ton of fun. I rarely have the need to go as fast as the top speed on my RadMini folding electric bike (step-thru), but I still feel like I’m zipping along! Plus, I like being a little closer to the ground and still having the ability to ride over gravel and dirt, in addition to paved roads.
Check out the RadMini Folding E-Bike!
How Fast Does the RadMission Go?
Although the RadMission is a single-speed e-bike, it can still go as fast as 20 mph. However, it may require you to pedal a little harder and faster to get up to top speed with electric pedal assist.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to shift gears for speed assistance since it’s single-speed. No worries, though, as you can still use the throttle without pedaling to get going fast!
And note that this e-bike is the lightest of the Rad Power Bikes brand at only 48 lb.
Check out the RadMission Electric City Bike!
How Fast Can a 750 Watt E-Bike Go?
All but one of the Rad Power Bikes electric bikes, the RadMission (with a 500W motor), have a 750W motor.
Typically, a 750W electric bike can go up to 28 mph (45 km h) on level ground. It can speed even faster if you’re going downhill and not applying the brakes.
The overall power and speed of electric bikes are guided by the power of the electric motor. So, naturally, the motor wattage sets the top speed limit.
Comparison Chart of How Fast a 750W E-Bike Can Go:
| Motor Power (Watts) | Top Motor-Assisted Speed |
| 250W | 15.5 mph – 20 mph (32.19 km/h) |
| 500W | 20 mph (32.19 km/h) |
| 750W | 20 mph (32.19 km/h) |
| 1000W | 35 mph (56.32 km/h) |
| 1500W | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| 3000W | 50 mph (81 km/h) |
As you can see from the chart, 250W-750W e-bikes have similar top motor-assisted speeds. However, with pedaling or downhill riding, you can reach approximately 28 mph (45 km/h) on a 750W e-bike or approximately 25 mph (40.23 km/h) on a 500W e-bike (and even less on a 250W bike, some only reaching a maximum speed of 18-20 mph).
What’s important to understand is that the top motor-assisted speed can be achieved using only electric power (throttle or pedal assist), but once the electric power cuts out, you’ll have to pedal harder or faster to reach a higher speed.
And if you’re comparing a 750W to a 1000W e-bike or higher, know that any bike over 750W may be illegal to ride in many places. Find out about e-bike classification below.
E-Bike Classes Explained
Rad Power Bikes and other 750W e-bikes are required to limit their top electric speed due to a classification system that many countries and states have implemented to regulate the legal speed of electric bikes.
The Three-Tiered E-Bike Classification system basically uses 3 classes of e-bikes to limit the top electric assist speeds to 20 mph for Class 1 or Class 2 electric bicycles and 28 mph for Class 3 electric bikes.
This ensures that an e-biker rides safely around children on bikes, pedestrians, cars, and even people riding regular bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc.
Although not all locations have adopted the use of this classification system, e-bikes in the USA are legally required to be programmed according to the maximum speeds. Further, some classes of e-bikes still won’t be allowed in every location (especially Class 3 e-bikes that can go as fast as 28 mph).
All Rad Power Bikes brand models are classified as Class 2 because electric powered speed goes up to 20 mph with the use of all levels of pedal assist or throttle. Alternatively, all e-bikes from the Ride1Up brand are Class 3, which means the motor will assist you up to 28mph!
Want to learn more about how fast an e-bike can go (and how to make it faster)?
Can You Make a Rad Power Bike Go Faster?
If the built-in speed of Rad Power Bikes doesn’t make for a fast enough bike for you, there are ways to overcome this.
These hacks can make your e-bike go faster, but be sure you want to make these modifications before doing so as they can have negative effects.
Rad Power Bike Speed Hacks
Many e-bike controllers can be modified to change the top speed of the bike. You can make a Rad bike go faster by:
- Removing the speed limiter- You should probably have some electrical experience to do this.
Generally, find the wire that limits the speed and remove the connector. Use a piece of black electrical tape to cover the second connector pin and put the wire connector back together. Finally, use a zip tie to hold the wire flat against your e-bike. - Re-programming the e-bike’s controller (LCD display)- This is less mechanical and easy to do for the novice. Simply turn on your Rad bike, press and hold both of the up and down arrows to get to the e-bike’s settings, and get to the speed limit display by pressing the “mode” button.
Now you can increase the speed limit up to 25 mph (40 km/h) by pressing the up button. Lock in the top speed by hitting the “mode” button once more on the LCD display (learn more about an electric bike controller).
Cons to Making Your Rad Power Bikes E-Bike Go Faster
Even though you can make your Rad bike go faster with the above hacks, there are some cons you should be aware of:
- This will likely void any warranty you have on your purchased Rad Power bike
- Your Class 2 Rad Power Bike will no longer be defined as a Class 2 e-bike, thus limiting you to fewer acceptable riding locations
- You may be riding your electric bicycle illegally if you are on public roads and property
- Your motor and battery will experience an increase in load, thus decreasing battery capacity per ride as well as motor and battery life.
Thinking about buying the RadExpand folding e-bike? See how I have liked my own RadMini (now, the new RadExpand)!
Conclusion: What is the Fastest Rad Power Bike?
Even though Rad Power Bikes models have the same top motor-assisted speed, one can go faster than another.
There are several ways this can happen. Besides each Rad e-bike’s features, there are things you can do to make each one go faster.
So you’ve probably found the best and fastest e-bike for you from Rad Power Bikes. Will it be the RadCity, RadRunner utility e-bike, RadMini folding bike, or RadRover fat tire e-bike? Or perhaps the RadMission is the perfect speed for you!
