Heybike Brawn Review: A Rugged E

The Heybike Brawn is a rugged and sleek e-bike that will carry you just about anywhere. Photo: Haro

Electric bikes are everywhere these days. They’re a great way to get around quickly and quietly, and as the technology progresses, we’re seeing e-bikes that go farther and faster. As with any blossoming market, though, it can be tough to find the one that’s right for you. There are seemingly un-ending options out there, all with slightly different features and styles. Depending on what you’re looking for, it can be hard to navigate the e-bike ocean. We’ve covered a lot of them here on The Inertia, but there are plenty more to look at. So here’s one more, the Heybike Brawn.

The Brawn is a fantastic looking e-bike. Rugged as all get out with clean lines and two different colorways, this class 3 e-bike features hydraulic suspension front forks, a hydraulic seat, and a hydraulic disc brake system that stops you on a dime. I recently took it to a tiny island off the coast of Vancouver and put it through its paces on dirt, gravel, and pavement, and it met all challenges, including a pile of children begging to be doubled. After that experience, I have a few thoughts.

Editor’s Note: For the next three days, the Heybike Brawn is available on Heybike.com for $1,599 with fenders and a rear rack included. The same deal is available on Amazon as well.

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When I first got the Heybike Brawn, I assumed I’d have to assemble it myself. I’ve done a handful of these reviews already, so I had the general gist of how they are put together, but the Brawn was the easiest so far. At first, it seems a little daunting — a lot of small pieces, a lot of zip ties, and a few little tools and extra bits of hardware. But once you pull it all out of the box and lay it out, it’s all fairly intuitive. The wiring is color coded. The instructions are clear and concise. It’s a breeze: put the tires on, set up the handlebars, get the pedals screwed on the right sides, attach the wires, and away you go. It took me just under twenty minutes from opening the box to my first ride down the street. And as far as looks go, the Brawn has a lot going for it. It’s not so flashy that it screams “look at me!” but its sleek looks are just flashy enough to turn a few discerning heads.

It’ll take you places, no matter what the ground beneath the tires is like. Photo: Haro

The Heybike Brawn is built to be off the beaten track. Its fat tires (26″x4.0″) dealt with any terrain, including soft sand, with ease, and the adjustable suspension made for a soft and comfortable ride over gnarled tree roots and deep pot holes. Like most e-bikes, the Brawn really shines on shorter rides, but with a 65-mile range, those shorter rides don’t actually need to be all that short. It’s also capable of carrying up to 400 pounds, so you can really load it up (or throw someone on the super-sturdy rear rack that currently comes included).



The Heybike Brawn is packed with bells and whistles. With a fully charged 48V 15Ah battery, riding with pedal assist — the easiest pedal assist I’ve found so far — you can hit speeds of up to 28 miles and hour. I haven’t ridden it until the battery dies just yet, but I rode it consistently for four days and came home with a half-drained battery. The Brawn’s headlight is massive and super bright, which is helpful not only for seeing what’s ahead of you but also for letting other vehicles know you’re coming. The display is easy to use and organized in a way that’s easy to use while riding. It can be linked to a smartphone as well, with an app that includes battery status, mileage, and even navigation.

Heybike also has a few little add-on features that are certainly worth getting. The rear rack, which doesn’t come stock, but can be packaged with the bike (see our editor’s note above) is a solid unit that feels more like an extra seat than a rear rack. Front and rear fenders keep the mud and water on the trail off your clothes so you don’t show up looking like you just fell in a mud puddle. There are also a plethora of upgrades to choose from that fit most Heybikes, including panniers, saddle bags, and baskets.

The fat tires shine on sand and loose rocks. Photo: Haro

Not all e-bikes are alike, and a review is not a review without pointing out a few cons. The Brawn, like the other Heybikes we’ve tested, has a slight lag in acceleration when using pedal assist. In a higher gear, the boost can be a little surprising. The fenders, after a week of riding, were slightly off kilter due to the metal frames that attach them to the bike frame, but are easily pushed back into place. It’s also a difficult bike to travel with, since it weighs nearly 80 pounds. Putting it on a bike rack on the back of a vehicle isn’t the easiest thing in the world. While the bike does give you the option to remove the battery for charging, it’s far easier to use the external charging port, so if you live somewhere with stairs and want to bring it in to charge, the weight of it is a hindrance.

The Heybike Brawn is a great choice for someone looking to get off-road. The tires are wide and beefy, and the range makes it possible for most people to get most of their daily errands done without breaking the bank at the gas station. It’s perfect way to travel longer distances at a relatively high rate of speed. The charging time might seem slightly long, but if you’ve planned your trip and have a place to plug in (if your trip is 65 miles away, anyway), you shouldn’t have any issues doing what you want to do and having a whole lot of fun doing it. The $1,799 price is reflective of some of the more middle-of-the-road e-bikes, but the Brawn has a little extra oomph and a little more distance than many other e-bikes in the price range.

Recommended height: 5’5″-6’6″Load capacity: 400 lbs.Handlebar Height: 46.9″Stand Height: 26″Top Tube Length: 22.4″Battery: 48V 15Ah

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Editor’s Note: For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here.