Himiway Cobra Review – an E-Bike Cruiser with Huge Range
The Himiway Cobra offers some impressive performance and specifications at a very reasonable price – is it the perfect electric bike? We test it out……
What we like about the Himiway Cobra: Collossal range; Lots of power; Immense comfort; Superb grip; Great value for money.
What we don’t like about the Himiway Cobra: A rather weighty beast; Hill starts can be tricky; Not alot else….
Himiway Cobra Ebike
The world is rapidly changing and so is the way we move around. With increasing concerns about climate change and pollution, many people are turning to electric bikes as a more eco-friendly and cost-effective mode of transportation. Ebikes offer all the benefits of traditional bikes, plus the added advantage of a boost from an electric motor.
However, despite the many benefits of electric bikes, there are some common issues that often put people off. Budget ebikes, in particular, can have a limited range of around 20-25 miles, making them unsuitable for longer journeys. On the other hand, electric mountain bikes from top brands can easily cost upwards of £5000, making them prohibitively expensive for many people.
This is where the Himiway Cobra ebike comes in. The Cobra is a full-suspension electric bike designed for comfortable on-road and gentle off-roading. It’s optimized for riders who want a budget-friendly ebike with a large battery to give a great range. Himiway is a Chinese brand that sells ebikes in the USA, UK, and many other countries. They have built a solid reputation for offering electric bikes with huge range, thanks to packing in a large number of Samsung cells into their battery packs.
On the surface, the Cobra appears to be an impressive bike which should offer an ultra-smooth riding experience thanks to its 4.8 inch fat tyres. At a price point of £2499 in the UK, it seems to offer superb value for money when you factor in that it has front and rear suspension, an aluminium frame, hydraulic disc brakes and a motor churning out 86Nm of torque. What’s more, it has a massive 60-80 mile range, making it ideal for longer journeys. What’s not to like?
In this review, we will take an in-depth look at the Himiway Cobra. We’ll examine its size and dimensions, its key features, and our experience using it for over a month of testing in a range of UK conditions. We also look into potential drawbacks to be aware of and give our final verdict on whether it’s worth buying.
So, let’s dive in and take a closer look at the Himiway Cobra.
Himiway Cobra Ebike
Size and Dimensions
The Himiway Cobra has been designed to offer more power and carrying capacity than other budget e-bikes on the market. One of the key differentiators is its 180kg payload capacity, compared to the ~125kg limit of other budget bikes. This extra carrying capacity makes the Himiway Cobra a great option for those who need to transport larger items or heavier loads. To facilitate this, it has mountingpoints on the rear seatstays for a rack and panniers if you need to shift gear. It could probably also easily tow a bike trailer.
The extra carrying capacity does come at a cost. The Himiway Cobra is a heavy bike in itself, weighing a rather hefty 39kg. This weight is due to the powerful motor and huge battery used on the bike, and we’ll discuss the performance of these in more detail in a later section. The high weight of the Cobra can make the bike feel less nimble than some lighter e-bikes on the market, but we found that you quickly get used to it.
In terms of sizing, there’s only one frame size available. Himiway have designed the frame so that you can raise and lower the seat post very easily with a quick-release lock to fix it at the required height – as a result, the Cobra is suitable for riders between 5ft5” and 6ft5”. This size range should be ok for most riders, but it’s worth double checking to make sure you fall within the range before purchasing the bike.
The Cobra has a cool kick stand which can support the bike in an upright position, and you do feel like Marlon Brando in The Wild One when you sit on the bike, kick up the stand and set off. Himiway have included a large, comfortable saddle, which certainly makes longer rides more enjoyable for those of us who remember the hard saddles of yesteryear!
It’s worth noting that the Himiway Cobra uses 6061 aluminium for its frame. This is a common material used in bike frames and should provide a good balance of strength and weight. To be honest, I would not want a carbon frame on a bike of this weight – there would always be some risk in my mind of a frame snap over rough terrain.
Himiway Cobra Ebike
Himiway Cobra – Key Features
The Cobra offers a range of features which are extremely unusual to find in bikes at this price point. Let’s take a closer look at the standout factors and discuss what makes them useful to the average rider.
48 Volt Battery System
One of the most impressive features of the Himiway Cobra is its 48 volt battery system which supplies power to the motor. Most other e-bikes use 36 volt systems which are unable to give quite as much power over extended periods of time without stressing the cells.
With 20Ah of capacity at 48V, the Himiway battery provides an incredible 960Wh of capacity. This can give you up to 80 miles of range on a single charge which is extremely impressive in our view.
The battery pack uses Samsung cells which are widely considered to be the best on the market, providing exceptional performance and reliability. It’s designed to be easily removable using a key to first unlock it from the frame. You can take it with you to charge indoors which is handy as you will not want to lift this thing very far! You don’t have to worry about leaving your bike outside overnight, or trying to find a charging point when you’re out and about.
Motor Power
The Himiway Cobra is equipped with a 750W motor, which is located in the hub of the rear wheel. This motor is limited to 250W by software, but it can be unlocked if required (although this might void the warranty). If you do unlock the motor, you can also derestrict the bike for use on private land, allowing speeds of about 30mph to be achieved. Without derestriction, Himiway set the max speed at which you get pedal assist to be 15.5mph which is the current UK regulation. Slightly conservative in our view – the bike definitely needs as much oomph as it can get. Of course, if you pedal hard, you can get over the 15.5mph, but this is tricky due to the weight of the bike. We’ll definitely be looking into derestriction.
With 86Nm of torque from the motor, you’ll be able to tackle steep hills and headwinds with ease. Some riders prefer the motor to be located between the cranks for balance and power conservation, however on the Himiway it never feels like a problem.
Central Display and Control Panel
The Himiway Cobra features a clear central display that shows all the information you need to keep track of your ride. The display shows your current speed, range, power assist level (which ranges from 1 to 5), distance traveled, and other e-bike parameters. With this information at your fingertips, you’ll be able to manage your battery life and ensure you’re always getting the most out of your ride.
Thumb Throttle and Pedal Assist
The Himiway Cobra offers both a thumb throttle and pedal assist. The thumb throttle allows you to move the bike without pedaling, up to about 5mph. Once you start pedaling, the pedal assist will kick in, providing you with extra power and helping you reach your desired speed. You can change the level of assist in the password-protected settings, so you can customize your ride to suit your needs.
To turn on the ebike, simply use the bar-mounted control ring, which features an on/off button as well as up/down controls for the power assist. This makes it easy to get started and customize your ride to your liking.
Himiway Cobra Ebike
Gearing of the Himiway Cobra
The Himiway Cobra features a 7-speed Shimano Alivio drivetrain with decent shifters on the handlebars. There is a 44 tooth chainring at the cranks. On steep hills, it’s worth changing down gears to access the 86nm of torque from the electric motor. The gears work seamlessly with the electric motor, giving you the right amount of power when you need it most.
Fat Tyres and Disk Brakes All Round
26 inch wheels and huge 4.8 inch CST fat tires offer great grip on sand or other loose terrain. The Himiway Cobra is designed to be an all-terrain bike, capable of riding on a variety of surfaces. The wide tires provide stability and grip, making it easier for the rider to control the bike. Additionally, the bike’s full suspension system and comfortable saddle make it a great cruiser, even on long rides.
The Cobra has Hydraulic Tektro 180mm disk brakes fitted at the front and back. These brakes provide an impressive stopping power, even in wet conditions. In our opinion, they are also more reliable than mechanical disk brakes, which are found in many other electric bikes at this price. With 39kg of weight in this bike, plus the weight of the rider, you need some decent brakes to provide comfortable stopping distances.
Safety
Himiway supplies front and rear lights with the Cobra which are easily fitted. The front light can be switched on or off from the Himiway bar-mounted control ring. This is a great feature for riders who want to use the bike for commuting or for riding at night. The lights are bright and provide good visibility, making it safer for the rider to ride in low light conditions.
Himiway Cobra Ebike
Riding and Comfort - In Use
When we first rode the Himiway Cobra, we were struck by how smooth the ride was. This is due to the fat tires, full suspension, and the comfortable saddle. The fat tires allow for better shock absorption on rough terrain, while the full suspension ensures that bumps are minimized. The comfortable saddle also helps absorb any shocks that might be transmitted to the rider.
However, we did find that the battery takes quite a long time to charge due to its high capacity. Charging the battery can take up to 10 hours, which can be a bit of a hassle if you need to use the bike again in a short amount of time. Despite this, we found that the huge battery lasts so long on a single charge, that it’s not necessary to charge it after every use – in fact, after multiple rides around the park of at least 20 miles in total, I had not dented the battery level from its five bars of power.
One thing that we did notice about the Himiway Cobra is the weight – at 39kg, this is not a bike for the faint-hearted, and means that you need some confidence when you first set off, as it feels like a Harley Davidson. It’s important to be sure that you can put your feet down easily and control the bike before taking it out for a ride. However, once you get used to the weight, it becomes much easier to control. I found myself loving the Cobra when I’d got used to the riding position and found it so easy to cruise around on.
Another issue we found with the Himiway Cobra is that it can be difficult to get the pedal assist to kick in when on a hill. The thumb throttle comes in useful for this by giving you a shove, but it would be nice if the pedal assist worked a bit better when starting on inclines. This can make steep hill starts a bit more challenging than they need to be.
The Shimano Alivio shifters on the Himiway Cobra work well enough, but they’re a fairly budget option. However, it’s nice to have Shimano on a bike costing only £2.5k. These shifters are easy to use and allow for smooth gear changes, which is important when riding off-road. I did hear a bit of chain noise on the Cobra, but nothing too distracting.
Despite these minor issues, we found the Himiway Cobra to be great fun to ride. It can go over any terrain with ease, so you can just point where you want to ride and go for it. The bike has plenty of power, but the cut-out at 15.5mph can be a bit irritating when riding on the road. We’re tempted to look into derestriction for use on private land, as this would allow us to get the full benefit of the bike’s power.
Himiway Cobra Ebike
Himiway Cobra - Conclusions
In my opinion, this bike is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a solid and quite reasonable-quality electric bike at a decent price. The Himiway Cobra offers impressive features at a fraction of the price of some of its competitors. This means that even those on a tight budget can enjoy the benefits of electric biking, without having to break the bank. The bike is well-built and designed to last, which means that buyers can expect to get a lot of use out of it.
I was particularly impressed with the bike’s 960Wh battery capacity, which provided me with plenty of power and range during my rides. This is important because it means that I didn’t have to worry about running out of battery power, even during longer rides. The 960Wh capacity is about the largest battery pack I’ve seen on an ebike, and to offer up to 80 mile range is exceptional. This feature is especially important for those who plan on using their electric bike for commuting or for longer rides.
The motor also performed admirably, providing decent torque and acceleration when I needed it most. This made it easy to tackle hills and inclines, which can be a challenge on some lower torqued ebikes. The motor is powerful enough to provide assistance when needed, but also doesn’t overpower the rider, which can sometimes be an issue. This balance of power and control is important because it means that riders can enjoy a smooth and enjoyable ride, without feeling like they are being pushed or pulled around by the motor.
One of the things I appreciated most about the bike was its comfortable ride. The suspension system did an excellent job of absorbing bumps and vibrations from the road, which made for a smooth and enjoyable ride. This is important because it means that riders can enjoy their ride without feeling uncomfortable or jolted around. A comfortable ride is especially important for those who plan on using their electric bike for commuting or for longer rides, as it can help to reduce fatigue and make the ride more enjoyable overall.
Any niggles?
Of course, there were a few minor issues that I noticed with the bike. For example, it is a bit on the heavy side, which can make it a tad cumbersome to maneuver at times. This is important to note because it means that riders may need to take extra care when turning or maneuvering the bike. Additionally, the charge time for the battery is longer than I would like due to the capacity on offer. This is important to note because it means that riders may need to plan ahead to ensure that their bike is fully charged before use. However, these issues were easily outweighed by the bike’s impressive performance and value.
Overall, I would highly recommend the Cobra to anyone looking for a reliable and enjoyable electric bike at a reasonable price. The Cobra offers exceptional value for the money, with impressive features and performance that are comparable to much more expensive electric bikes. Whether you plan on using it for commuting, leisure, or exercise, the Cobra is a great choice that is sure to provide you with many enjoyable rides to come.
Himiway Cobra Ebike
