HeyBike Brawn - pros and cons

[MattBrawn]

Recently I purchased a HeyBike Brawn.







Mostly good things to say because it does what I need it to do.















Pros:







It's fast. Up to 28mph if the battery is fully charged (52v).







I love how it looks. It had the cool factor without having to build one from various components myself.







Comfortable geometry and the dropper seatpost is a huge plus.







I can easily motor over curbs! No more lifting the front wheel. I can take short cuts! It's not as comfy as full suspension but this bike does feel solid and I do trust it.







Easy to use the app and adjust the top speed.







Headlight looks cool and it's actually focused into a beam.







Grips clamp onto the bars.







Battery is inside the downtube so it looks like a normal bike - although it still gets plenty of looks.







Tail light has a Red AND Blue flashing feature! I'm basically able to go through intersections like these police do.







Cons:





Front wheel is not centered - closer to the brake rotor side by 3/16". I get speed wobbles if I try to ride with my hands off the bars.


Head tube is not plumb to the rest of the bike.
thats a big deal!




Couple allen bolts were loose but for me that's hardly an issue because I naturally go over everything again.







Fat tires go "wow wow wow wow" but that's probably just the way those are.







I wish the tail light was wired to the main battery like the headlight is...







Horn is not loud enough to make people scared and swerve and crash into a phone pole.

 

[Smaug]

Are the brakes squeaky? ...becuase they were REALLY squeaky on my heybike Ranger.

But it was a good bike anyway.

 

[Arthur E]

I’ve got an extra battery for the green Heybike brawn only been used twice I will let it go cheap . I bought a black Heybike brawn which has a different battery leave your info if your interested . Arthur E

 

[MattBrawn]

Are the brakes squeaky? ...becuase they were REALLY squeaky on my heybike Ranger.

But it was a good bike anyway.

Yeah they are now.
I am on my second set of pads and these are the semi-metallic kind off Amazon.
I'm going to try the ceramic ones next.

 

[MattBrawn]

I’ve got an extra battery for the green Heybike brawn only been used twice I will let it go cheap . I bought a black Heybike brawn which has a different battery leave your info if your interested . Arthur E

Arthur - I sent you a private message.
Thank you sir.

 

[Smaug]

Yeah they are now.
I am on my second set of pads and these are the semi-metallic kind off Amazon.
I'm going to try the ceramic ones next.

Ceramic will tear up your rotors. Stock with organic or semi-metallic.

 

[MattBrawn]

I agree but in my opinion brakes are a wear item and easily replaced.
My understanding is that the ceramic pads are best for long steep grades/heavy braking because of their heat resistance and ability to not glaze over and have brake fade.
Organic pads are said to have a better initial bite.
I guess it all depends on riding preference.

 

[Smaug]

I agree but in my opinion brakes are a wear item and easily replaced.
My understanding is that the ceramic pads are best for long steep grades/heavy braking because of their heat resistance and ability to not glaze over and have brake fade.
Organic pads are said to have a better initial bite.
I guess it all depends on riding preference.

My understanding is that ceramic pads are designed to go with ceramic rotors. We know ceramic is MUCH harder than the mild steel used on brake rotors. That means the rotors will be the parts that wear out instead of the pads, which is not what you want. Well, it's not what *I* want anyway!

Go for it though, since you have your heart set on it. You may want to keep a spare set of rotors in stock though...

 

[MattBrawn]

My understanding is that ceramic pads are designed to go with ceramic rotors. We know ceramic is MUCH harder than the mild steel used on brake rotors. That means the rotors will be the parts that wear out instead of the pads, which is not what you want. Well, it's not what *I* want anyway!

Go for it though, since you have your heart set on it. You may want to keep a spare set of rotors in stock though...

Ceramic rotors? I've been a mechanic for 20 years and never heard of those. Interesting.
I do know that larger rotors have proven to offer better stopping power.

 

[HumanPerson]

Those ceramic pads are really good for riding in wet weather/puddles/constant water

 

[Smaug]

Ceramic rotors? I've been a mechanic for 20 years and never heard of those. Interesting.
I do know that larger rotors have proven to offer better stopping power.

Ceramic rotors are used in race cars.

If you’re a mechanic then I defer to your superior knowledge on the subject.

 

[Stevestikihut]

Just bought a 1 year old Brawn, too much bike for former owner, only 90 hours on it. So far so good, easy learning curve but…the color! Monkey cage green! Has anyone considered repainting theirs? I’m having a bit of trouble getting used to making hard turns at speed, it’s those 4 inch tires! While going slow it turns great but as the speed increases, so does the turning radius. Not complaining but it has made for a couple tense moments when I had to swing much farther out in traffic than planned.
Speaking of tires, has anyone fixed or replaced a tube? I’m definitely going to carry the tools and a spare tube on longer rides…mmmm, wonder if I can get AAA to come change a tire?

 

[HumanPerson]

Hey Welcome to the forums!

 

[MattBrawn]

Just bought a 1 year old Brawn, too much bike for former owner, only 90 hours on it. So far so good, easy learning curve but…the color! Monkey cage green! Has anyone considered repainting theirs? I’m having a bit of trouble getting used to making hard turns at speed, it’s those 4 inch tires! While going slow it turns great but as the speed increases, so does the turning radius. Not complaining but it has made for a couple tense moments when I had to swing much farther out in traffic than planned.
Speaking of tires, has anyone fixed or replaced a tube? I’m definitely going to carry the tools and a spare tube on longer rides…mmmm, wonder if I can get AAA to come change a tire?

90 hours or 90 miles?
Just curious, what did you pay for a used ebike like that? I'm thinking about repainting mine to sell it. I wish the shade of green was different but really I was just annoyed that the paint easily chipped and had a matte finish. Does not wipe clean like a clear coat. Well, and I've been annoyed that the head tube is misaligned and they tried to make up for it by adding two nuts in one side of the wheel - you should be able to ride a bike hands free and not veer off. Also, Heybike would not take it back even if I shipped them only the frame. Small complaints are common with most purchases but this was not cool. I've switched to a FreeSky Swift Horse and really like it. The batteries are similar enough to work in each bike but they Heybike charger will not charge the FreeSky. Probably because the Swift Horse uses a safer/slower 3amp charger.
Anyway, the head tube angle on these bikes.... It is very steep. Easy to get speed wobbles, that's why a cruiser motorcycle or chopper has a lot more rake. I bought a cheap steering stabilizer and once I install it I'll let y'all know how it has helped. One thing that may help in the corners is to slam the seat all the way down to lower your center of gravity. I think we all forget the speed difference compared to conventional bikes and another thing to note is that with these fat tires being twice as wide, they are not cutting through a sharp turn like a knife. Rather, the outside edge (2" off center) is making contact and that has a tendency to pull the handlebars back to center.
Disclaimer: opinions may vary and I am trying to share what I've perceived and learned.
AAA does offer bike service but I recommend buying one quality wrench that can remove the wheel and buying the 4" tubes. Tire sealant is an option and has worked well for me but it is a lot of weight to get rolling and also to get stopped. Of course you can pull the tube out and patch it but I like to patch it when I have more time.