HeyBike Brawn E-Bike Review, 2024

Intro

All-terrain e-bikes are arguably the most popular style of e-bike being produced today, given how many companies produce them, as well as the fact that there are companies that produce nothing but all-terrain e-bikes. As we will see in our HeyBike Brawn review, there are reasons why this style of e-bike has become so popular, and this e-bike pays attention to those features while also presenting a different take on what an all-terrain e-bike can be.

The basics of the HeyBike Brawn are straightforward enough. It is built around a 750W brushless, geared hub motor, an 864Wh battery, a 7-speed drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, 4-in.-wide tires and a motorcycle-style dual-crown fork. It comes equipped with front and rear lights as well.

It comes with a LCD display that makes terrific use of the screen space. It’s mounted over the stem where it is easy to view while riding. In a single glance, riders can check out their present speed, battery level, distance covered and PAS level.

We often see e-bikes that promote their payload capacity, but when we look at the fine print we sometimes find out things like the rear rack’s capacity is factored into the bike’s total payload. The HeyBike Brawn lives up to its name in an important way: It has a payload capacity of 400 lbs. and all of that can be rider, which makes the HeyBike Brawn a truly brawny bike.

There’s plenty to check out, so let’s take a deeper look.

E-Bike Category: All-terrain

Who the HeyBike Brawn Electric Bike Is for:

It’s well-suited to anyone who wants a versatile e-bike with a motor powerful enough to deliver Class 3 speeds and make short work of commutes.

HeyBike Brawn E-Bike Specs

• Battery: 48V, 864Wh
• Expected Range: 45 mi. on throttle, 65 mi. on PAS, estimated
• Charger: 48V, 4A
• Motor: 750W brushless, geared hub motor
• Pedal Assist:
• Throttle: Included
• Display: LCD
• Headlight: Included
• Taillight: Included (in saddle)
• Frame: 6061 Aluminum
• Fork: Air/oil suspension fork
• Fenders: N/A
• Kickstand: Included
• Handlebars: Alloy
• Grips: Rubber
• Drivetrain: Shimano
• Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors
• Pedals: Alloy with reflectors
• Saddle: Cushioned
• Tires: 26 x 4-in.

In-Depth HeyBike Brawn Review

HeyBike Brawn Review: Comfort, Handling, and Ride Qualities

The HeyBike Brawn is an all-terrain e-bike with big, fat, 4-in.-wide tires. With such big tires, a suspension fork and padded saddle, this is meant to be a very comfortable e-bike with the ability to take the rider down dirt roads and some trails. All-terrain e-bikes like the HeyBike Brawn can lend an especially comfortable ride on the road. They all-but make potholes and driveway lips disappear.

These bikes handle in a somewhat leisurely fashion. This is closer to the cruiser end of handling than the zippy handling of a folding e-bike. Considering that this is a Class 3 e-bike (more on that in a second) that can help propel riders up to a 28 mph cruising speed, relaxed handling like all-terrain e-bikes have is good. An e-bike that’s nervous at higher speeds isn’t much fun.

HeyBike included a feature on the Brawn that we don’t often see on e-bikes in this price range. They spec’d a dropper post. That is, the seatpost has a mechanism inside it that will allow the seat to be raised and lowered by depressing a lever on the handlebar. The lever pulls a cable which releases the lock inside the seatpost and the seat can be lowered by sitting on it with the lever depressed. Most seatposts have either a steel spring or an air/oil spring like those found in many suspension forks that will return the seat to its maximum height when the lever is depressed and there’s no weight on the saddle.

Dropper posts are largely considered necessities on eMTBs, because of the steep terrain mountain bikers will ride. Lowering the saddle prior to a steep descent allows the rider to drop their center of gravity, making descents much easier. Dropper posts can also be used to enable riders to quickly change saddle height on an e-bike, so that riders of different heights can easily ride the same e-bike.

HeyBike Brawn Review: Motor, Battery, and Drivetrain Performance

As a Class 3 e-bike, the HeyBike Brawn needed a powerful motor to reach 28 mph. HeyBike spec’d a 750W hub motor, in keeping with their competitors. No word from the company on just how much torque the motor produces, though.

The HeyBike Brawn promises sizable range; it carries a 48V, 864Wh battery. The company reports that a 165-lb. rider was able to throttle the e-bike for 45 mi. Riders who pedal may cover a total estimated range of 65 mi. These results may differ from what buyers experience due to terrain and total payload weight.

HeyBike equipped the Brawn with a 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain. We see this drivetrain frequently and it provides reliable performance in moderately hilly terrain. The gear range is a little narrow for anyone who has to face steep hills.

HeyBike Brawn Review: Braking, Safety & Warranty

A rider’s sense of control is tied to how well an e-bike brakes. There’s more to braking than just stopping. A rider needs to be able to slow for turns as well as for passing pedestrians and other riders. The easier this is to do, the more confident the rider will feel. HeyBike gave the Brawn Tektro hydraulic disc brakes and matched them with 180mm rotors, a solid setup that gives great performance.

Our biggest concerns regarding the safety of any e-bike are the reliability of the electronic components and how easy it is to control the e-bike while riding. Any time we have real concerns about an e-bike’s electronics, we will skip the review and choose a different e-bike. Other concerns that arise aren’t as cut and dry. Smaller riders can sometimes struggle with especially heavy e-bikes. The HeyBike Brawn tips the scales at 78 lbs.; that’s on the heavier side, but we’ve certainly seen heavier. Another concern is how well an e-bike will fit a smaller rider; an especially long reach can make an e-bike both uncomfortable and difficult to handle. HeyBike suggests the riders most appropriate to the Brawn will fall between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet 6 inches which, while it will leave out many riders, does seem to reasonably reflect this e-bike’s sizing.

HeyBike offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. That guarantee is based on the purchase date, so even if there are any hitches in shipping or assembly, the clock is still ticking. The warranty is a very typical one-year for the frame, fork, components, motor and battery. Buyers can choose to purchase an additional one, two or three-year warranty.

HeyBike Brawn Review: Recommendation/Final Verdict

As we said at the opening of this review, all-terrain e-bikes have become a very popular segment of the e-bike market. The fact is, it’s easy to find an all-terrain e-bike with a 750W motor, big tires and a suspension fork. There are a few details about the HeyBike Brawn that make it a different sort of all-terrain e-bike.

Let’s start with a difference that may surprise: For the rider who plans to ride their e-bike off-road regularly, the fact that HeyBike is not including fenders is a plus. On e-bikes shipped with 4-in. tires and fenders we rarely see what we would consider adequate clearance between the tires and the fenders. The issue is that while there’s enough clearance for riding through a puddle or even in the rain, any collection of mud will pack up under the fender and bring the e-bike to a stop. By not including fenders, HeyBike is delivering an e-bike that is suited to off-road riding on softer surfaces (including mud).

HeyBike also chose to spec a style of suspension fork we don’t typically see on all-terrain e-bikes. Dual-crown forks come from the motorcycle world. It lends a very cool look that is enhanced by the big headlight. In cycling, dual-crown forks were initially designed for downhill bikes (think Redbull). This is a simplified version of that design, but what it offers the rider is greater control over and input from the front wheel. That means more confident handling.

All-terrain bikes like the HeyBike Brawn can be a really safe bet for someone purchasing their first e-bike. A common experience among first time buyers is to look at the many things people do with e-bikes—commuting, errang-running, exploring off-road—and think, “Heck, I’d like a little of all of that.” An Class 3 all-terrain e-bike like the HeyBike Brawn can light out for the back 40 and make short work of a daily commute.

Thank you for reading through our review of the HeyBike Brawn. Still have further questions? Wondering how it compares to a similar e-bike we’ve reviewed? Let us know in the comments below!