@@Kolbra2004yeah id have to agree i never saw an acceleration from stop, starting from 1st gear, shifting up the gears. It was in a high gear trying to throttle from a stop which was the problem
@@Kolbra2004 I could but with mid drive motors its not recommended to do because they are very strong motors it puts too much stress on the drive train especially the chain. That why you need to downshift into PAS 1-3 and pedal start. I didn't know this when I purchased it.
Hey Richard, I agree with you that mid drives are not for you or me, who wants to shift constantly up and down, stop and go. Himiway is a gorgeous quality ebike but a mid drive, nah. I prefer the hub motor, throttle to get going and peddle from there with minimal shifting. Maybe check into the Radster by Rad Power Bikes, good quality nice looking ebike, hub motor not sure if it's torque or cadance sensor. Good luck with your next primary ebike!
I had a mid-drive bike before. I did not really care for it. Also if the chain breaks you are walking but with a hub motor if the chain breaks the hub motor can get you home. My personal favorite is the hub motor.
I am in touch with Puckipuppy. It looks like I am getting one of their ebikes soon. So probably not the trike anytime in the near future. It does look promising though.
For me, hub. If you like to upshift and downshift each time you need to stop or go, or slow down and speed up, then a mid drive is more powerful motor.
Great information, I have a mid drive Lectric xpremium. That's going to help me with starting off and slowing down. I love how it rides. Thank you so much for sharing what you learned.😊
Good video. My first ebike 8 years ago was a mid-drive iZip. It had no throttle. I learned very quickly to use the gears when coming to a busy highway crossing. But it was great for riding the country roads around my home. My current ebike is a Lectric 1.0 step through and it is fine. Thinking about the Lectric One now. Good luck!
This is one of the pitfalls of purchasing an Ebike online. You can't preride and then determine if it is a good fit. I have had a couple oif turds myself. It takes a real man to acknowledge when they've made a mistake. I appreciate your honesty . Lessons learned. I own a recumbent Catrike with a middrive Bafang. It has an IGH(internal geared hub 8 speed), without it I would been screwed, since it allows you to change the gears at a standstill.
Great honest review. Thank you for that. I see Himiway also offers this same bike but with a Torgue option instead of the Mid Drive. Do you think or know if the torque options eliminates or helps with the 0 to Go speeds and not having to down shift when stopped?
Richard, I finally got an A7 Pro mid-drive and I really like it. You only need to shift three or four gears. Not a big deal because it's kind of like shifting a motorcycle. The mid drives have more torque for going up hills than hub drives. That's why I got it. I ride it almost everyday and no issues yet.
I just saw that last night. I am very interested in it and sent them a message. We own and use often the Trixus Explorer and the first version Troxus Lynx. We like them a lot.
I spent many years as long distance, bicycle rider. You learn very quickly to keep the cadence the same speed peddling and use the gears to control that. I’m sorry to see that you didn’t enjoy riding that bicycle because I think it would be a wonderful bike ride. I live by Kennedy space Center or anywhere near that?
I'm in Manatee county. I agree for long distance rides that probably would work well. But I do a lot of stop and go riding where I live , so its just not for me.
I totally agree with you! I would never get a mid drive. Too much shifting. Pain in the neck. And you can only go so fast in each gear before having to shift again.
that's not how the cobra pro behaves. sounds like something that may be specific to the particular motor being used, rather than an aspect of all mid drives. the leaving in one gear thing is your deal breaker for using a bike that you need to actually shift.
I went from a rear hub 750w+throttle Radrover to Himiway Cobra Pro mid-drive. Exact same issues or learning curve going from rear hub to mid-drive. Took some time to always having to change gears with any mph change. It also takes me more time to reach top speed with a mid-drive compared to my rear hub+throttle. A big plus with the mid-drive is switching to tq sensor compared to cadence sensor with the Radrover. I can match speed so much easier when riding with the wife's rear hub Radcity.
Our riding styles are similar and, since learning the difference between hub and mid-drive bikes (which I did by watching videos like yours)...I know I'll NEVER get a mid-drive. Sorry you had to incur the loss. I'm sure you'll have no problem selling it. Good luck, Richard!
9 місяців тому
Richard, I might be interested in purchasing it. I live in the Tampa Bay area. Where in Florida are you located and how much are you asking?
Richard, so glad i watch your videos. I was almost ready to buy a Ride1up with mid-drive because of great reviews and a great sale price as my first e-bike. And it doesn't even have a throttle! I'm pretty sure it is a great bike and a great deal, but I think what would be better for me would be a bike with a throttle with torque and cadence sensor -learned about that from your Troxus Lynx Plus review😅 Its just great there are so many different strokes for different folks.
Not sure why so many people complain about having to shift gears, as if it's a new thing. Every normal bicycle I've ever owned had gears. It's not a big transition to riding a mid drive. You wouldn't start in 10th gear on a normal 10 speed bicycle either. As far as your throttle goes, on my mid drive, it's tied to your PAS level. The higher the level, the more you get from the throttle. Not sure if that's the case with yours.
I just received a D5 yesterday, and haven't fully set it up yet, but now I don't even know what it is I bought. Mine has the huge 'case' between the crank arms, but it also has a huge hub on the rear wheel. So what do I have?
Hello! Did you happen to record your building of this bike? I have a Zebra D5 Pro and the mounting of the front tire seems to have a lot of play. Being just a throughbolt. Is that normal?
I wish I lived closer and had the time to go buy it. i would trade the convenience of throttle starting for the higher speed and range of what I currently ride.
Glad I watched this video before purchasing this exact bike model.Thanks for the information.I was that close to buying one,but something told me to look a little further into it.And I’m glad I did.👍✌️
I just picked up a pedal assist mid-drive. I love it. I come from riding an acoustic bike and already know to downshift when slowing down and come to a stop. I understand where you are coming from, for your type of riding it doesn't for tou. I can only suggest that you learn to shift like riding a regular bike and depend on the power assist mode, and you'll enjoy the bike more or just sell it.
Hey Richard, sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with this. I bought the initial Himiway Zebra hub drive last summer and have really enjoyed the bike. I thought that the added torque of the mid-drive motor would be an improvement; but as you say - that kind of depends on your riding style. It sounds like you probably should have picked up a Wired Freedom instead for enhanced throttle performance!
I'm a mid-drive, torque sensor, no throttle e-biker all the way I shift all the time and do it without thinking. You do need to shift, but I think this bike needs more power, it's heavy and has a lot of rolling resistance with those big treaded tires. At least a 750-watt if not 1,000 watt mid-drive motor. You'd still have to shift, but it would perform a lot better.
So there is a fundamental difference between mid drive and rear hub as far as throttle. A rear hub drive is not dependent on what gear you are in, the drive responds immediately and the same no matter what gear you are in. With a mid drive motor it matters a great deal what gear you are in as the motor drive is transferring the power to the rear wheel THROUGH the gears! You have to be in a lower gear to get fast response from the throttle. Yes, you have to use the gears! Apparently some people do not like to shift. I always have even when I use my rear hub drive bikes. Not an issue for me, but you can’t use a mid drive motor the same way you do a rear hub. It does take a little getting used to, but I love the power and overall this is a great bike for me.
Sorry to hear you didn’t like it. I have the same exact model Himiway and I love it. I’m 305 lbs and my throttle works quickly and the top speed is more than enough. I’m surprised you are having this issue.
Wow that honeymoon didn’t last long. Sorry Richard. I pulled the trigger and am waiting for my Henever dual motor to arrive. I bought it through your affiliate link. I hope I like it as much as you did on your review. If I don’t, at least I’m not out a bunch of money!
Mid drives are great for mountain/off road ebikes. I'm sorry this didn't work out for you. The Himiway Zebra was my first e-bike and it's still one of my favorites. It is a tank and so comfortable and dependable.
This e bike is excellent for those riders transitioning from a normal bike who needs help with the pedaling, and is used to using the gears all the time. Great top end speed.
Sorry this one didn't work out for you. I like the mid drive as it feels more natural. In low gear this thing climbs like a billy goat! It goes up any hill!! I rarely use the throttle as I have a Specialized E-MTB and there's no throttle on it so I forget about it most times.
I do enjoy your reviews. I have a couple hub drive ebikes & yeah they are ez to learn on & others pick it up fast. I do agree as those are Great for their purpose I like em and will use mine for their purpose. Im looking for a Logging road ebike - kinda back woods and long steep grades. my hub ebikes just dont do so well. [shucks] Ive looked at stronger hub drive ebikes 1000 to 1500 watt, but seen a couple vids and they tend to over heat on long grades (sigh) I was hoping, buut the good news is there are some good 2k & under strong hub drive ebikes that really shine on paved streets n rail trails - they go up to 40mph, but who wants to do that on a consistent drive the Airial kepler cruises ez @ 32 or so and its 1000K hub and a big back rack $1499 it looked good, untill I see its not a great steep grade climber, but fast on ez grades and 31+ on flat to mild Almost got it. [yeah its hub drive so you dont need to shift until you want to] :) Im thinking of a mid drive & this himiway D5 looks great to me. {yeah I know about the shifting needs} on a car I could shift after i stop, but on an ebike? you gotta move the tranny when shifting. Ive had old trucks without syncro & learned how to shift those without clutch use. I want an ebike just for true off road, so low to no traffic & no stop lights,nor stop signs. So shifting is a no pressure thing, required on a mid drive, Buut as you say, & I agree! its not so easy to remember to shift an ebike wnen you have to stop n go. even unexpected things make you stop in a neighborhood & on the open roads!?! gotta stop! gotta go! go now! get a horse you old duffer! lol yeah I got ebikes for that purpose [im the old duffer that dont wanna go] ;) I want a back woods purpose ebike. slow dont matter - I want to climb the hill & really top speed "might" be 20mph(?) on average 14 is fine for this tourist on a dirt road, no traffic - yeah Im thinking the D5 pro might be good for me. just 500 watt? Id prefer 750, But im prolly over thinking it.
It’s a 500W mid drive, same problem Lectric had with Xpremium, its just a low power mid drive. The controller probably only does 750W to 1000W peak. It will get blown away by any ordinary 750W hub motor. I bet some of those 750w and 1000W hub motor bikes you have are probably 1500W to 2000W peak. Especially that dual motor bike, i bet that one does ~ 3000W peak. So comparatively, this 500w motor doing maybe 1000w peak will feel weak, and require lots of shifting. Don’t bother with a mid drive if it’s 500W, it’ll suck. Mid drives aren’t for everyone. But There’s a vocal minority of fanboys always preaching about mid drives.
Just buy the older zebra with the rear hub motor my buddy has one over here in the uk,i ride the radrover 6 plus know as the radrhinho in the uk and out of the two the zebra is so nice its powerful and the throttle is great.but i love my rad but the himiway zebra is a powerful bike.
Richard, have you ever ridden a regular 10 speed bike where you have to downshift every time you come to a stop? This D5 Pro is the same way. What I would like you to do is demonstrate taking off from a dead stop using just the throttle in first gear. Can you do that? I would like to see that. I'm sorry to hear that Himiway is not going to put it on the market. Maybe they're going to change it to a 750w mid-drive for more power. If they do that they would have to update the chain and cassette to take the stress. Thanks for your video for showing me this.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you I have a Magicycle Deer up for sale that I will lose money on also considering I paid $2300 and they dropped the price to $1800 now and mine is used so I’ll have to ask $1500 and take $1300
I think you should have gone for a test ride first before buying a middrive bike. The slow start of the throttle is to avoid shredding the chain. Also, you will notie that a lot of the European bike makers do not have an throttle on their middrives. There's a reason why not to add a throttle to a middrive and I think Himiway made a mistake by adding it to this bike.
You & viewers need to understand the difference between a pedelec & motorcycle. A pedelec is an assisted bicycle under 700 watts. Anything you pedal needs to be lightweight & skinny - no fat tires that are just too heavy to begin with. Most pedelecs are mid drive to use the gears effectively while optimizing meager weight. Anything over 700 watts or throttle-equipped is a motorcycle. A motorcycle needs a throttle because its built heavier duty, & is too heavy to pedal. Its not a bicycle. Most of the 'bikes' I see in your garage are motorcycles, & you are just not accustomed to calling them so. Get over it. Apparently this 'bike' in question was designed confusingly by someone else who also didn't understand the difference. Its too heavy to pedal, requires power & throttle to move it, but was equipped as a fat bicycle with the weak mid motor. I believe you can expect expanded legislation & regulation with clearer definition between pedelecs & motorcycles. Get ready. Here it comes. Deservedly so. Sorry you just didn't realise all this sooner.
Mid-Drive E-Bikes are Totally dependent on the Drive Train (Cassette & Gearing system) for gearing & motor RPM, whereas Hub Drives are completely independent of the Drive Train and operate w/o the need to select a Gear Range. Mid-Drives REQUIRE the operator to select the Gearing for Road/Trail conditions when using the Throttle only, especially from a dead stop whereas Hub Motors don't care what gear you're in on startup. You never stated what gear you were trying to accelerate in from a dead stop using Throttle on your Mid-Drive. Also, a little known Fact about Electric Motors that E-Bike owners Should know, is that ALL Electric Motors produce their Best Torque at startup and the torque drops off from there. If you put a large load on an Electric Motor at startup, such as starting out in 4th gear w/ a Mid-Drive, the motor will experience an electric "stall" as a result of the fact that Electric Motors rely on the previous set of windings (induced magnetic force) to accelerate. If you impede startup w/ "tall" gearing, you're going to restrict the motors need to wind up to running RPM and you'll have the loss in performance you're describing here.
Mid drives are only good for electric mountain bikes in my humble opinion. They cost more than hub drives and and have many more moving parts that will cause trouble down the road. I have to admit I own both mid and hub drive e-bikes but I much prefer hub drives that have a throttle and God forbid the chain breaks while on a ride....you could still get home just with the throttle and motor....well thats my 2 cents on mid drives vs hub drives.
LoL, bad biking habits raises it's head again. ;-). (I.E. Not automatically down shifting when coming to a stop.) Edit: the programming on that Mid-drive does seem to be for a painfully slow start. I.E. it's a problem with the specific programming of the Mid-drives that Himiway chose and not Mid-drives in general. My bike the last few years has had a Pinion Gearbox, so I'm interested in the MGU. But sofar it seems to be only on high end e-bikes.
My biggest mistake was to buy a big dog and since they took my money and have not shipped it saying it ships in two daysYou should be warning people about the company service. Himiway is a company that lies to its customers. Just please let people know about the company they are dealing with.
If the company had sent a free 1,000+ dollar E-bike his review would have been two thumbs up, best bike he ever rode but since Himiway had the audacity to tell him no freebie he was going to make a negative review video out of spite.
IF YOU MISSED the first ride video where I demonstrate the throttle. Please check out this video. ua-cam.com/video/qR9QuRA0tJs/v-deo.html&t
Richard, in that video you had it in 9th gear not first gear.
@@Kolbra2004yeah id have to agree i never saw an acceleration from stop, starting from 1st gear, shifting up the gears. It was in a high gear trying to throttle from a stop which was the problem
Richard, could you make a short video on starting the D5 Pro from a dead stop using just throttle in first gear? That'd be much appreciated.
@@Kolbra2004 I could but with mid drive motors its not recommended to do because they are very strong motors it puts too much stress on the drive train especially the chain. That why you need to downshift into PAS 1-3 and pedal start. I didn't know this when I purchased it.
I'm tempted to drive to Florida just to buy that off you. I do like this bike. I'm in Minneapolis.
Nice riding weather down here
That would be a long drive :-)
Hey Richard, I agree with you that mid drives are not for you or me, who wants to shift constantly up and down, stop and go. Himiway is a gorgeous quality ebike but a mid drive, nah. I prefer the hub motor, throttle to get going and peddle from there with minimal shifting. Maybe check into the Radster by Rad Power Bikes, good quality nice looking ebike, hub motor not sure if it's torque or cadance sensor. Good luck with your next primary ebike!
I like the Radster as well. Seems to have very good performance for the price.
I had a mid-drive bike before. I did not really care for it. Also if the chain breaks you are walking but with a hub motor if the chain breaks the hub motor can get you home. My personal favorite is the hub motor.
Mine too, I learned the hard way.
Can you do a review on a Puckipuppy Huskey trike?
I am in touch with Puckipuppy. It looks like I am getting one of their ebikes soon. So probably not the trike anytime in the near future. It does look promising though.
hub motor or mid motor??? which is better???
For me, hub. If you like to upshift and downshift each time you need to stop or go, or slow down and speed up, then a mid drive is more powerful motor.
Great information, I have a mid drive Lectric xpremium. That's going to help me with starting off and slowing down. I love how it rides. Thank you so much for sharing what you learned.😊
Your welcome.
Richard now's a good time to sell it there on back order
Good video. My first ebike 8 years ago was a mid-drive iZip. It had no throttle. I learned very quickly to use the gears when coming to a busy highway crossing. But it was great for riding the country roads around my home. My current ebike is a Lectric 1.0 step through and it is fine. Thinking about the Lectric One now. Good luck!
This is one of the pitfalls of purchasing an Ebike online. You can't preride and then determine if it is a good fit. I have had a couple oif turds myself. It takes a real man to acknowledge when they've made a mistake. I appreciate your honesty . Lessons learned. I own a recumbent Catrike with a middrive Bafang. It has an IGH(internal geared hub 8 speed), without it I would been screwed, since it allows you to change the gears at a standstill.
Great honest review. Thank you for that. I see Himiway also offers this same bike but with a Torgue option instead of the Mid Drive. Do you think or know if the torque options eliminates or helps with the 0 to Go speeds and not having to down shift when stopped?
Hi. You said in the video that it is a 500 W motor. The specs say it is 750W. Can you confirm that was a mistake? I might be interested in buying.
Richard, I finally got an A7 Pro mid-drive and I really like it. You only need to shift three or four gears. Not a big deal because it's kind of like shifting a motorcycle. The mid drives have more torque for going up hills than hub drives. That's why I got it. I ride it almost everyday and no issues yet.
The new Troxus Lynx Plus has a switchable sensor. Interesting! Besides hydraulic brakes and color display!
I just saw that last night. I am very interested in it and sent them a message. We own and use often the Trixus Explorer and the first version Troxus Lynx. We like them a lot.
Thanks for being honest !
Why wouldn't you make the Andsky your bike of choice for now?
I do use it a lot, but it has a 16ah battery and how and where I ride, I need a 20ah minimum. I could always get another battery I suppose.
I spent many years as long distance, bicycle rider. You learn very quickly to keep the cadence the same speed peddling and use the gears to control that. I’m sorry to see that you didn’t enjoy riding that bicycle because I think it would be a wonderful bike ride. I live by Kennedy space Center or anywhere near that?
I'm in Manatee county. I agree for long distance rides that probably would work well. But I do a lot of stop and go riding where I live , so its just not for me.
I totally agree with you! I would never get a mid drive. Too much shifting. Pain in the neck. And you can only go so fast in each gear before having to shift again.
get a scooter lol
that's not how the cobra pro behaves. sounds like something that may be specific to the particular motor being used, rather than an aspect of all mid drives.
the leaving in one gear thing is your deal breaker for using a bike that you need to actually shift.
I went from a rear hub 750w+throttle Radrover to Himiway Cobra Pro mid-drive. Exact same issues or learning curve going from rear hub to mid-drive. Took some time to always having to change gears with any mph change. It also takes me more time to reach top speed with a mid-drive compared to my rear hub+throttle. A big plus with the mid-drive is switching to tq sensor compared to cadence sensor with the Radrover. I can match speed so much easier when riding with the wife's rear hub Radcity.
Thanks for sharing, glad I wasn't the only one feeling this way.
I got a question for you. Can it be converted to a rear hub motor?
Great video Rich, very informative. Thanks
Thank you.
Our riding styles are similar and, since learning the difference between hub and mid-drive bikes (which I did by watching videos like yours)...I know I'll NEVER get a mid-drive.
Sorry you had to incur the loss. I'm sure you'll have no problem selling it. Good luck, Richard!
Richard, I might be interested in purchasing it. I live in the Tampa Bay area. Where in Florida are you located and how much are you asking?
What is with an automatic Gearshift for you?
Richard, so glad i watch your videos. I was almost ready to buy a Ride1up with mid-drive because of great reviews and a great sale price as my first e-bike. And it doesn't even have a throttle! I'm pretty sure it is a great bike and a great deal, but I think what would be better for me would be a bike with a throttle with torque and cadence sensor -learned about that from your Troxus Lynx Plus review😅 Its just great there are so many different strokes for different folks.
Not sure why so many people complain about having to shift gears, as if it's a new thing. Every normal bicycle I've ever owned had gears. It's not a big transition to riding a mid drive. You wouldn't start in 10th gear on a normal 10 speed bicycle either. As far as your throttle goes, on my mid drive, it's tied to your PAS level. The higher the level, the more you get from the throttle. Not sure if that's the case with yours.
I just received a D5 yesterday, and haven't fully set it up yet, but now I don't even know what it is I bought. Mine has the huge 'case' between the crank arms, but it also has a huge hub on the rear wheel. So what do I have?
Hello! Did you happen to record your building of this bike? I have a Zebra D5 Pro and the mounting of the front tire seems to have a lot of play. Being just a throughbolt. Is that normal?
I wish I lived closer and had the time to go buy it. i would trade the convenience of throttle starting for the higher speed and range of what I currently ride.
Glad I watched this video before purchasing this exact bike model.Thanks for the information.I was that close to buying one,but something told me to look a little further into it.And I’m glad I did.👍✌️
are you reselling the bike, am interested in buying it.
I just picked up a pedal assist mid-drive. I love it. I come from riding an acoustic bike and already know to downshift when slowing down and come to a stop. I understand where you are coming from, for your type of riding it doesn't for tou. I can only suggest that you learn to shift like riding a regular bike and depend on the power assist mode, and you'll enjoy the bike more or just sell it.
Buy The ONE, mine is ordered, can't wait!
Did you sell your Zebra Pro? If not, I’m interested.
It's a good looking bike. Sad to hear that it didn't work out for you.
Hey Richard, sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with this. I bought the initial Himiway Zebra hub drive last summer and have really enjoyed the bike. I thought that the added torque of the mid-drive motor would be an improvement; but as you say - that kind of depends on your riding style. It sounds like you probably should have picked up a Wired Freedom instead for enhanced throttle performance!
I'm a mid-drive, torque sensor, no throttle e-biker all the way I shift all the time and do it without thinking. You do need to shift, but I think this bike needs more power, it's heavy and has a lot of rolling resistance with those big treaded tires. At least a 750-watt if not 1,000 watt mid-drive motor. You'd still have to shift, but it would perform a lot better.
So there is a fundamental difference between mid drive and rear hub as far as throttle. A rear hub drive is not dependent on what gear you are in, the drive responds immediately and the same no matter what gear you are in. With a mid drive motor it matters a great deal what gear you are in as the motor drive is transferring the power to the rear wheel THROUGH the gears! You have to be in a lower gear to get fast response from the throttle. Yes, you have to use the gears! Apparently some people do not like to shift. I always have even when I use my rear hub drive bikes. Not an issue for me, but you can’t use a mid drive motor the same way you do a rear hub. It does take a little getting used to, but I love the power and overall this is a great bike for me.
Sorry to hear you didn’t like it. I have the same exact model Himiway and I love it. I’m 305 lbs and my throttle works quickly and the top speed is more than enough. I’m surprised you are having this issue.
Well that's interesting. Your throttle is working faster than mine? And its the D5 Pro?
Wow that honeymoon didn’t last long. Sorry Richard. I pulled the trigger and am waiting for my Henever dual motor to arrive. I bought it through your affiliate link. I hope I like it as much as you did on your review. If I don’t, at least I’m not out a bunch of money!
Mid drives are great for mountain/off road ebikes. I'm sorry this didn't work out for you. The Himiway Zebra was my first e-bike and it's still one of my favorites. It is a tank and so comfortable and dependable.
This e bike is excellent for those riders transitioning from a normal bike who needs help with the pedaling, and is used to using the gears all the time. Great top end speed.
Yep you are right I do a lot of city riding cars don't like bike slow take and the leg height
Sorry this one didn't work out for you.
I like the mid drive as it feels more natural. In low gear this thing climbs like a billy goat! It goes up any hill!!
I rarely use the throttle as I have a Specialized E-MTB and there's no throttle on it so I forget about it most times.
I do enjoy your reviews.
I have a couple hub drive ebikes & yeah they are ez to learn on & others pick it up fast.
I do agree as those are Great for their purpose
I like em and will use mine for their purpose.
Im looking for a Logging road ebike - kinda back woods and long steep grades. my hub ebikes just dont do so well. [shucks]
Ive looked at stronger hub drive ebikes 1000 to 1500 watt, but seen a couple vids and they tend to over heat on long grades (sigh) I was hoping, buut
the good news is there are some good 2k & under strong hub drive ebikes that really shine on paved streets n rail trails - they go up to 40mph, but who wants to do that on a consistent drive
the Airial kepler cruises ez @ 32 or so and its 1000K hub and a big back rack $1499
it looked good, untill I see its not a great steep grade climber, but fast on ez grades and 31+ on flat to mild
Almost got it. [yeah its hub drive so you dont need to shift until you want to] :)
Im thinking of a mid drive & this himiway D5 looks great to me. {yeah I know about the shifting needs}
on a car I could shift after i stop, but on an ebike? you gotta move the tranny when shifting.
Ive had old trucks without syncro & learned how to shift those without clutch use.
I want an ebike just for true off road, so low to no traffic & no stop lights,nor stop signs.
So shifting is a no pressure thing, required on a mid drive, Buut as you say, & I agree! its not so easy to remember to shift an ebike wnen you have to stop n go. even unexpected things make you stop in a neighborhood & on the open roads!?! gotta stop! gotta go! go now! get a horse you old duffer! lol
yeah I got ebikes for that purpose [im the old duffer that dont wanna go] ;)
I want a back woods purpose ebike. slow dont matter - I want to climb the hill & really top speed "might" be 20mph(?) on average 14 is fine for this tourist on a dirt road, no traffic -
yeah Im thinking the D5 pro might be good for me. just 500 watt? Id prefer 750, But im prolly over thinking it.
Keep on looking you'll find the almost perfect bike their ton of them
Plenty to choose from for sure.
It’s a 500W mid drive, same problem Lectric had with Xpremium, its just a low power mid drive. The controller probably only does 750W to 1000W peak. It will get blown away by any ordinary 750W hub motor. I bet some of those 750w and 1000W hub motor bikes you have are probably 1500W to 2000W peak. Especially that dual motor bike, i bet that one does ~ 3000W peak. So comparatively, this 500w motor doing maybe 1000w peak will feel weak, and require lots of shifting. Don’t bother with a mid drive if it’s 500W, it’ll suck. Mid drives aren’t for everyone. But There’s a vocal minority of fanboys always preaching about mid drives.
It has 130 nm of torque, verse the 86 nm 750 watt hub drive.
My mustache ebike is a mid drive only ,because there is no throttle ,I use the 10 speed Deore.
Just buy the older zebra with the rear hub motor my buddy has one over here in the uk,i ride the radrover 6 plus know as the radrhinho in the uk and out of the two the zebra is so nice its powerful and the throttle is great.but i love my rad but the himiway zebra is a powerful bike.
I love my BOSCH motor and battery
I put a speed box inside the motor to make it more faster then 20miles per hr[32km]
the normal one not the d5 would be a better option then
The throttle looks so flimsy and cheap.
Richard, have you ever ridden a regular 10 speed bike where you have to downshift every time you come to a stop? This D5 Pro is the same way. What I would like you to do is demonstrate taking off from a dead stop using just the throttle in first gear. Can you do that? I would like to see that. I'm sorry to hear that Himiway is not going to put it on the market. Maybe they're going to change it to a 750w mid-drive for more power. If they do that they would have to update the chain and cassette to take the stress. Thanks for your video for showing me this.
Thanks for the question. I did that in my riding video. ua-cam.com/video/qR9QuRA0tJs/v-deo.html&t
It has kmc e-bike chain designed to handle more torque , and the D5 pro is on the market.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you I have a Magicycle Deer up for sale that I will lose money on also considering I paid $2300 and they dropped the price to $1800 now and mine is used so I’ll have to ask $1500 and take $1300
Wow!!! I can't believe what I'm hearing, I know how much You love this Bike. So Sorry My Brother
Yeah, I "wanted" to like the bike. But its not for me.
I think you should have gone for a test ride first before buying a middrive bike. The slow start of the throttle is to avoid shredding the chain. Also, you will notie that a lot of the European bike makers do not have an throttle on their middrives. There's a reason why not to add a throttle to a middrive and I think Himiway made a mistake by adding it to this bike.
This feels like you're blaming the bike because you didn't do your homework. The bike works as it was intended.
Informative. No mid drive for me. It’s supposed to be fun.
so using a bike like how it is supose to be is not fun LOL.. get a scooter
Live and learn, I personally would never get a mid drive for various reasons
You & viewers need to understand the difference between a pedelec & motorcycle. A pedelec is an assisted bicycle under 700 watts. Anything you pedal needs to be lightweight & skinny - no fat tires that are just too heavy to begin with. Most pedelecs are mid drive to use the gears effectively while optimizing meager weight.
Anything over 700 watts or throttle-equipped is a motorcycle. A motorcycle needs a throttle because its built heavier duty, & is too heavy to pedal. Its not a bicycle.
Most of the 'bikes' I see in your garage are motorcycles, & you are just not accustomed to calling them so. Get over it.
Apparently this 'bike' in question was designed confusingly by someone else who also didn't understand the difference. Its too heavy to pedal, requires power & throttle to move it, but was equipped as a fat bicycle with the weak mid motor.
I believe you can expect expanded legislation & regulation with clearer definition between pedelecs & motorcycles. Get ready. Here it comes. Deservedly so. Sorry you just didn't realise all this sooner.
Mid-Drive E-Bikes are Totally dependent on the Drive Train (Cassette & Gearing system) for gearing & motor RPM, whereas Hub Drives are completely independent of the Drive Train and operate w/o the need to select a Gear Range. Mid-Drives REQUIRE the operator to select the Gearing for Road/Trail conditions when using the Throttle only, especially from a dead stop whereas Hub Motors don't care what gear you're in on startup.
You never stated what gear you were trying to accelerate in from a dead stop using Throttle on your Mid-Drive. Also, a little known Fact about Electric Motors that E-Bike owners Should know, is that ALL Electric Motors produce their Best Torque at startup and the torque drops off from there. If you put a large load on an Electric Motor at startup, such as starting out in 4th gear w/ a Mid-Drive, the motor will experience an electric "stall" as a result of the fact that Electric Motors rely on the previous set of windings (induced magnetic force) to accelerate. If you impede startup w/ "tall" gearing, you're going to restrict the motors need to wind up to running RPM and you'll have the loss in performance you're describing here.
Mid drives are only good for electric mountain bikes in my humble opinion. They cost more than hub drives and and have many more moving parts that will cause trouble down the road. I have to admit I own both mid and hub drive e-bikes but I much prefer hub drives that have a throttle and God forbid the chain breaks while on a ride....you could still get home just with the throttle and motor....well thats my 2 cents on mid drives vs hub drives.
Have to treat it like a stick shift car
LoL, bad biking habits raises it's head again. ;-). (I.E. Not automatically down shifting when coming to a stop.)
Edit: the programming on that Mid-drive does seem to be for a painfully slow start. I.E. it's a problem with the specific programming of the Mid-drives that Himiway chose and not Mid-drives in general.
My bike the last few years has had a Pinion Gearbox, so I'm interested in the MGU. But sofar it seems to be only on high end e-bikes.
My biggest mistake was to buy a big dog and since they took my money and have not shipped it saying it ships in two daysYou should be warning people about the company service. Himiway is a company that lies to its customers. Just please let people know about the company they are dealing with.
When did you purchase it? How long have you been waiting?
Happy Esther Richard you guys have a good one 🥚
If the company had sent a free 1,000+ dollar E-bike his review would have been two thumbs up, best bike he ever rode but since Himiway had the audacity to tell him no freebie he was going to make a negative review video out of spite.
Buy a motor cycle.