After getting to know the new Heybike Type E-bike, I find myself wondering if it might not be the Tesla Model S of E-Bikes. Why? Because it is big, heavy, powerful, premium featured, connected to the internet and has over-the-air update capability.
My 2-Wheeled Background
Growing up in a small town in Iowa, I used various bikes as transportation until I was 14. I joined my sister on some longer rides, including a 7 day ride across Iowa (called RAGBRAI). About the time I turned 14, they mopeds became popular and I ended up getting 2 different models. A 1978 2 speed 50cc Kriedler moped with worthless pedals (about 110 pounds) and the 50cc Yamaha Yamahopper without pedals but with a shaft drive (couldn’t find the weight, but it was lighter, more reliable and didn’t have to mix oil and gas. Then I had a 125cc Honda street bike (underpowered) and then Yamaha 1 cylinder street bike that was very high torque and fast from zero to 30. This is is where my love of torque started before I got addicted to electric cars.
So where does this E-Bike fit into my previous experiences. An E-Bike would be great for a 14 year old since it would allow them to rider around towns with less effort than a bicycle. Yet it is better than a moped, both because you get some exercise and of course you don’t have the pollution of a gas engine. A 14 year old would typically buy a smaller and less powerful model. It doesn’t really compare to the motorcycles that could go 70 mph on highways.
So the use cases are a little different. I see this being pretty useful for 2 main uses.
- Commute around town when you don’t need a car for weather protection or hauling ability
- Taking with you to trails or camping as a fun ride to get around
Product Review: Heybike Tyson Electric Bike
Tyson after putting it together (took about an hour with a helper).
The Heybike Tyson electric bike is a class-3 folding e-bike that delivers impressive performance, convenience, and style. Designed for urban commuters and adventure enthusiasts, the Tyson offers a dynamic and versatile riding experience with its advanced features and innovative design. The class-3 means it gets up to 28 mph instead of the 20 mpg limit of more common class 1 and class 2 bikes. This is most useful when riding on the road. Most of the time I prefer the safety of the sidewalk (which is allowed in many places as long as you are in class 2 mode and courteous to pedestrians).
My Son In Low on the Tyson!
At the heart of the Heybike Tyson is its powerful 750W brushless geared hub motor. I found it had lots of power, but sometimes it came on a little too strong. As I got used to the settings, I learned to adjust the power delivery to the situation at hand. With this motor, I could tackle steep hills as long as I was willing to assist.
One of the standout features of the Heybike Tyson is its folding capability, which adds a layer of convenience to its functionality. I found it easy to fold after a little practice. It folds into a pretty small space of a 3 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet, but many people will need help lifting it into their trunk or SUV, since it weights close to 80 pounds.
Equipped with a high-capacity 48V 15Ah lithium-ion battery, the Heybike Tyson offers an impressive range of up to 55 miles on a single charge. This generous range allows riders to embark on longer journeys with confidence, without the worry of running out of power. Additionally, the battery is seamlessly integrated into the downtube, maintaining the bike’s sleek and streamlined appearance.
The Heybike Tyson prioritizes rider comfort and stability. Its front suspension fork with a lockout function effectively absorbs bumps and vibrations, providing a smooth and enjoyable ride even on rough terrain. This feature reduces rider fatigue and ensures enhanced comfort during longer rides. The seat has hydraulic suspension and a comfortable padded seat. If you want even more cushioning, you could buy a seat post with a spring and damper. Even though it said the bike is good for heights of 5′ 3″ to 6′ 3″ and I’m only 6′ 1″, I might buy a longer seat post, since I can’t extend my legs as much as I’m used to for maximum leg power.
In terms of safety, the Heybike Tyson is equipped with powerful front and rear disc brakes, delivering reliable and responsive stopping power. Integrated front and rear LED lights and turn signals further enhance rider safety and visibility during low-light conditions or night rides.
The user-friendly interface of the Heybike Tyson includes an LCD display and control panel mounted on the handlebar. This intuitive display provides riders with real-time information, including speed, battery level, distance traveled, and more. The bike also features a thumb throttle and pedal-assist system with multiple levels of assistance, allowing riders to easily customize their riding experience based on their preferences and terrain conditions.
I found the layout and the comfort of the grips and hand controls very good. Everything was within easy reach and felt solid. The ride
The App
The most unique feature of the Tyson is its connectivity. Like a Tesla, it has both Bluetooth capability to connect to your phone and auto lock itself when you walk away and a 4G cellular connection.
- The Proximity Unlock feature is a little bit like the Tesla phone key feature, but it turns on the bike whenever you get close to the bike. I found it turning on the bike when I just walked by the bike and wasn’t planning on using it.
- The Auto Lock feature is intended to lock the bike if you are using it without the paired phone. When I rode the Tyson without my phone and had the feature enabled, it didn’t turn off. Hopefully they can fix this with a software update.
- The Anti-Theft track feature lets you track where the bike is (similar to a Tesla on the Tesla app). It worked great, but do be aware the bike has to be on to be tracked. You can remotely turn on the bike, but if the battery was removed (which wouldn’t be easy, since it can be locked into the frame), you wouldn’t be able to turn it on remotely and track it.
Dealer or No Dealer
When we are looking at cars, many of us have decided that we like the option of buying direct from the manufacturer, since dealers tend to add a lot of mark up and play financing games (like selling overpriced extended warranties) to increase their profits. But when something goes wrong, you need local service to fix it. Likewise, the E-Bike market has a mix of selling models. You can buy a bike off Amazon and have it shipped to you, but if something is wrong, you frequently have to email support, which is frequently not in the US. Or you can go here to find a local dealer that can sell you a fully assembled bike, sell you the accessories (although I’d recommend Amazon or Walmart for lower priced accessories) and do any tune ups or repairs if you aren’t comfortable doing them yourself.
Another important feature Heybike offers is Facebook, email or 7 day a week, 12 hours a day US based phone support. I tested the phone support since I was a little confused with some of the App features and I waited on hold for about a minute before talking to a person who could help me. I could tell they weren’t just reading a script, but actually understood their products! That is an important differentiator for busy people to be able to get an immediate answer and not have to wait a day or more for email support to answer your questions.
Specs
- Motor: 750 watt brushless gear motor, 48V Geared Hub
- Display: Integrated Display plus 4G Mobile App Sync
- Battery: 48V, 15Ah with 4 amp fast charger for 4 to 5 hour recharge time
- Brakes: Hydraulic Disc Brakes
- Fork: Hydraulic Lockout With Adjustable Preload
- Tires: 20″ x 4.0″
- Throttle: Right-hand Thumb Throttle
- Rear Rack: Heavy duty rack build preinstalledmounts
- Weight Capacity: 400 lb
- Weight: 77 lb
Conclusion
The Heybike Tyson electric bike offers a great combination of performance, convenience, and style for larger riders or those looking to carry a passenger on the back. Its powerful motor was useful when I took it off road onto trails. Its premium components like the hydraulic brakes reduce maintenance. Its folding feature is important to portability because it is too big and heavy for a standard bike rack and a heavy duty rack adds hundreds of dollars to the price, not to mention the increased wind resistance and that you have to have a trailer hitch. I think it is an excellent choice for a larger rider who wants power, speed, range and the ability to go off road with a comfortable ride. If this sounds like the bike for you, click this link and order from Heybike direct!
Smaller riders will likely be more comfortable with a lighter model like their popular Mars model if they want to maintain folding and off road capability. Riders looks for something that feels more like a road bike with lighter overall weight, larger diameter but narrower wheels should check out their Cityrun and Sola models.
Disclaimer: Heybike provided the Tyson to the author free of charge for the purposes of this review — if you’d like to purchase a Heybike, use this link to visit their website.
Disclosure: I am a shareholder in Tesla [TSLA], BYD [BYDDY], Nio [NIO], XPeng [XPEV], Hertz [HTZ], and several ARK ETFs. But I offer no investment advice of any sort here.
This article is sponsored by Heybike.
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