Himiway Zebra E-Bike Review: Fantastic Fat Tire Heavy Hauler
With a 400-pound payload capacity and an all-terrain design, the premium Zebra is up for whatever, and it's reasonably priced, too.
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The Himiway Zebra is a rarity: a big e-bike with an even bigger payload capacity. You see, e-bikes get used for more than getting one person from A to B. They're used for food and package deliveries, transporting supplies and other cargo and, of course, for transporting other people. But the maximum capacity on most e-bikes I've tested is around 300 pounds. This means each passenger would have to be around 150 pounds without any additional gear, like a backpack. I know manufacturers leave some wiggle room with these claims, but why risk your safety or bike? The Himiway Zebra gives you much more than wiggle room, and its all-terrain design lets you carry more on the street, over sand and gravel, and even through snow.
Design
The Himiway Zebra comes in two models: a step-through and a step-over frame. The Zebra frame is constructed of 6061 aluminum (it's both lightweight and durable, and also recyclable). The frame tubing is thicker on the Zebra, and it's visibly noticeable. Though it adds some weight -- the bike is 79 pounds -- it increases the overall payload the Himiway Zebra can support, a max payload of 400 pounds. In addition, it comes with an alloy front suspension fork with lockout and adjustment. The Zebra rolls on 26-by-4-inch Kenda fat tires.
All Zebra orders are currently shipping with front and rear fenders, a rear rack and a repair tool. The Zebra comes in white for the step-through version and California (purple/blue), Florida (light and dark blue) and gray for the step-over. The paint finish is nice, and the Zebra name branding is on the top tube, with Himiway on the down tube.
The assembly of the bike was simple: Attach the handlebars, pedals and front wheel, along with the fenders and rear rack. Himiway even has an unboxing and assembly video to help.
Features
The Zebra has a pedal assist and a half-twist throttle along a Shimano seven-speed gearshift system. A bike this size needs good stopping power, and the Zebra's got it: 180mm Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. There's a 48-volt LED headlight, Himiway-branded brake light for those low-light rides, and a reflective ring around the tire and front and rear and pedal reflectors. The SR saddle is wide and comfortable for long rides and also has a quick release, making sharing convenient. The Zebra does come with a bell, but I prefer electric horns on any micro-mobility because it's important to be seen and heard. A bell doesn't cut it on busy streets with pedestrians and cars.
The Zebra's backlit display is simple and easy to see in sunlight. It shows the current speed, battery level, trip and total miles, wattmeter (displays motor output in real-time), and assist level. The control console is simple as well, with plus and minus symbols to increase or decrease assistance, a power button, an info button and lights. A USB-A charge port is under the display -- always a welcome addition.
The grips are comfortable and made from faux leather. The included fenders are plastic, but I'm still a fan. Metal fenders tend to make some noise as they break in and are easily scratched. The rear rack is great for strapping on a backpack. Himiway has several transport options for those needing more, from baskets to cargo trailers.
Performance
I tested the Zebra in Minnesota on and off road, and it was great. Some locals I talked to said it would be good for hunting trips, especially with the cargo trailer option Himiway sells. Rather than parking and walking their gear, they could easily load up the trailer and pedal or throttle to their destination.
Remember, this is a 79-pound e-bike, so riding up an incline without assistance is a workout. Luckily it has five levels of pedal assist. It's propelled by a 750-watt motor that's powered by a lockable, removable 48-volt Samsung/LG battery. It takes six to seven hours for a full charge. The hub motor is one area Himiway improved on the previous model, the Himiway Cruiser, with better heat dissipation and a max of 86Nm of torque. The bike controller is no longer exposed and is now tucked away in the bottom bracket.
Another option is the half-twist throttle (the hand grip is half throttle, half grip), which can be used at any time or any assist level. I use the throttle only for takeoffs uphill or when carrying a heavy load to get some forward momentum; for the most part, I prefer to pedal. Himiway says riders can get 60-80 travel miles per charge. This depends on certain factors such as rider size, terrain, assistance and riding style. In my use case, I saw closer to 45 miles travel distance, but that's with excessive throttle use on hills and higher assist modes, which is still good for a bike of this size and a plus-size rider like myself. The Zebra can get up to 25 mph via pedal assistance.
Mostly, the ride quality was quiet, except for riding on concrete, due to the knobby tires on a solid surface. But in the grass or dirt, that isn't an issue. In terms of handling, the bike cornered well and had good acceleration. The front suspension, along with the wide seat, made off-roading bearable and helped make riding on back roads really fun. The handlebars aren't too wide, and they keep the bike stable going down steep hills and bumpy dunes. The 180mm hydraulic disc brakes performed well, too, with enough stopping power to keep me out of trouble.
The Himiway Zebra is a solid all-season e-bike with good performance, and it's reasonably priced at $1,799. Because of its weight, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone in a walk-up apartment. But that extra weight makes it possible to haul much more than your average fat-tire e-bike can. Plus, Himiway also offers some decent accessories to ease your day-to-day tasks.