Go anywhere with no fuss on the all-purpose Himiway Cruiser

By Bruce Brown Published September 22, 2023

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Are you looking for an e-bike that does a little bit of everything? The Himiway Cruiser isn’t the lightest, fastest, or cheapest e-bike you can buy today — and it’s not supposed to be. However, this versatile fat tire e-bike will take you where you want to go in relative comfort, and its often-discounted $1,700 price provides significant value without draining your bank account.

Built like a tank, but in a good way, the Himiway Cruiser can serve as a stalwart e-bike for commuting ,as well as an everyday ride for running errands, riding with friends, and just having fun.

If you revel in charging jumps on rock-strewn mountain trails or you need a compact, lightweight e-bike to transport easily, Himiway and other e-bike brands have better choices. However, if you want the highest use value from an all-purpose e-bike investment, theHimiway Cruiser’s return on investment can’t be beaten.

The Himiway Cruiser rides on 4-inch wide by 26-inch diameter, puncture-resistant Kenda fat tires with moderately knobby tread. E-bike manufacturers don’t just build fat tire bikes because they look cool; the tires aid both ride stability and rider comfort.

They may look fairly smooth compared to the aggressively knobbed rubber on the Super73-S Adventure Series e-bike, but the Himiway Cruiser’s wide tires help give the e-bike grip on forest paths, sand, gravel, stones, and even snow. You won’t want to take the Himiway too deep in the woods, but the tires also help provide a smooth ride on paved streets.

The Himiway Cruiser has a 25 mph top speed and a rated range of 35 to 60 miles per charge.

You can adjust the Himiway Cruiser’s front suspension fork preload level to your preference depending on how much travel you prefer when you hit bumps, or lock out the front suspension if you want to go faster at the cost of comfort. A Velo soft saddle also helps a bit when the road gets rough, but the fat tires contribute more to rider comfort than the front fork or the saddle.

Fat tires are also tall, relative to thinner e-bike tires, so you can cushion the ride by deflating the tires a bit from their maximum level. The Kendas on this e-bike can handle from 5 pounds per square inch (psi) to 30 psi. I found that 25 psi delivered a comfortable ride without compromising stability and handling, especially on hard surfaces.

Himiway matches a 750-watt brushless rear-hub electric motor with a 48-volt, 17.5Ah Samsung/LG lithium ion battery. Like many e-bikes, the Cruiser comes configured as a Class II e-bike, which limits the maximum speed to 20 miles per hour, but you can unlock 25 mph using the app. Range is rated between 35 and 60 miles per charge, and charging takes six to seven hours.

The Cruiser’s motor and battery power provide up to 80 Newton-meters (59 pound-feet) of torque for extra takeoff power in traffic and to make it up long grades. We have a lengthy, steep driveway that can stall underpowered e-bikes and e-scooters, but it only slowed the Himiway Cruiser a bit.

The Himiway Cruiser is an everyday-carry pocketknife of e-bikes. You’ll be surprised at how often you’ll ride it.

The Cruiser has a Shimano 7-speed gear shift system, and five pedal-assistance levels to pick your challenge, but you likely won’t want to pedal this beast far without battery assistance. For a challenging upper body workout, just try lifting the e-bike a few times: On my scale, it weighed in at 74.6 pounds.

Himiway’s range estimate of 35 to 60 miles is higher than that of many other fat tire e-bikes. The higher number is based on moderate speed using pedal assistance with lots of rider pedaling, and the lower number assumes heavy use of the Cruiser’s half-grip twist throttle. Range always varies based on innumerable factors from rider weight to wind, so it’s prudent to experiment with range before heading out on any trip longer than about 20 miles.

Assembling an e-bike isn’t always simple, so I was pleased to find a helpful manual that clearly depicted the e-bike’s parts and pieces. There’s also an excellent video on the Himiway website that demonstrates assembly.

I particularly appreciated the quick-release hub, which makes it relatively easy to install or remove the front wheel. Just flip the bike upside down on a protected surface (like a blanket), drop the wheel in place, and tighten with your hands. Most e-bikes use lug nuts, which require wrenches.

Unlike many competitors, Himiway includes fenders and a rear rack standard. You have to attach them, but it’s not difficult.

Himiway offers the Cruiser in two frame styles for the same $1,700 price: regular, and step-through, which come in black and white, respectively. I tested the regular tube style.

The Cruiser has a 28-inch minimum seat height that can accommodate riders from 5-feet, 3 inches to 6 feet, 5 inches tall. I’m 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 150 pounds, and found it easy to get on and off the Cruiser. Admittedly it would be a bit of a challenge if I was carrying cargo on the rear rack. The total payload of 350 pounds is significantly greater than many other e-bikes.

I like extra available space on the handlebars of my bikes so I can add mirrors and a smartphone holder, so I especially appreciated the Himiway’s relatively uncrowded, slightly curved handlebars. In the center, a backlit LCD display displays battery level, pedal assistance level, miles traveled, current and average speed, and real-time motor power expressed in watts. Leather-feel handgrips rest within easy reach of the mechanical disc brake levers. On the left, you get a small bell beside the five-button pedal-assistance level controller, and on the right are the half-twist throttle and the Shimano gear shifter.

I do have a couple of moderate gripes. Eight separate cables that gather on the front side of the handlebars could benefit from a more complete cable-wrapper to minimize clutter and prevent snags. Hydraulic disc brakes would also be preferable to the Himiway Cruiser’s mechanical brakes because hydraulics require less pull on the levers, but the 180mm discs are the right size for this bike’s weight and power.

The Himiway Cruiser is like an everyday pocketknife, in that you’ll be surprised at how often you’ll ride it. I enjoyed my time riding the Himiway Cruiser, and I heartily recommend it. It’s solidly built with commendable components, and Himiway backs the Cruiser with a two-year warranty and a 15-day return policy. If you’re looking for an easy to buy and ride e-bike for exercise, commuting, errands, and fun rides with friends, the Cruiser is a fine choice. With the proper accessories, it could be your sole form of urban transport — as long as you didn’t need to carry it up and down stairs.