Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike review – Is this really a crotch rocket?

REVIEW – I was sent the Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike through a corporate miscommunication, rather than a commuter ebike. I was disappointed for a second or two, but then I saw that seat. They decided to let me test it and review it, and so began my love affair with what I have come to call “The Crotch Rocket.” The saga begins…

What is it?

The Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike is a dirt bike masquerading as an e-bike.

What’s in the box?

The box contains the Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike fully assembled, except for the front wheel, pedals, and handlebar. Pedals were in a separate box. Torx driver and wrenches are included.

Hardware specs

Design and features

The basic design of the Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike is that of a dirt bike, but there is a crank and pedals, so it has moped overtones. But if you squint, all you see is trail bike. But there are those pedals. More on those later.

There is a nice, clear readout mounted on the center. On the left handlebar, there is a 4-button controller (on/off, + and – for assist, and a memory reset for setting trip distance.)

There is also a thumb throttle, which has walk-assist – it will start moving without the pedals moving. It’s very easy to just ride the Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike without pedaling, but it’s also not hard to have the pedals add speed to your ride. And, if you have to walk through a crowd or up a path, the assist takes the bike’s weight off you.

On the right handlebar, there is a 9-gear Shimano shifter. Your index finger moves the gears up and your thumb downshifts. Nice little physical indicator under the bar. There’s also a warning bell that can be used to alert pedestrians of your presence (if they have enough situational awareness to not have noise-canceling headphones on along a public multi-use trail! Don’t even get me started!).

The aforementioned seat is cushioned and wide, and you could probably have someone ride behind you if you didn’t fill two-thirds of the max weight by yourself! I don’t know any waifs. Behind/under the rear of the seat is a brake light (DTRL) and a nice little hook for grabbing the unit to move it about.

Setup

When the Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike arrives, there is a lot of packing material that will need to be removed. A pair of wire cutters or network shears makes this a quick job. (So. Many. Cable ties!)

Then, you’ll need to mount the handlebars and the front wheel.

Assembly is not rocket science, but it does take a bit of time, especially getting the front fork and the axle aligned. I was able to do it alone, but you’ll need to be able to flip the bike over onto its handlebars to mount the axle, and it’s 88 pounds. You don’t really have to lift it, just manipulate it. The included manual will guide you through the steps of removing the shipping mount and installing the front tire. If you have a torque wrench you’ll be more secure. Otherwise, take your new bike to your favorite shop and have them adjust the torque in all the places. (I’m an REI Co-Op member, so all bike service is free. I just pay for parts. Highly recommended, if you have an REI with a Bike Shop near you!)

Performance

Once you’ve installed the front wheel and handlebars, you should be ready to go. The battery on my Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike was 100% charged on arrival, and I did several long-ish rides before I connected and charged. YMMV.

Once I assembled the electric bike, it took a few days for the weather to be bikeable. Then, on a beautiful late winter day, I hopped on the C5 and took the route to my work location.

I parked and went in to chat with a friend who is into bikes because he had asked to see this model. He couldn’t test it because he was on the clock, but suggested I ride further south on the American Tobacco Trail (ATT), a rail-to-trail project that goes through former tobacco farms that are now part of what we here in central North Carolina call the Research Triangle, or RTP. It’s all high-tech, biotech, hospitals, pharma, and medical research companies, and the huge numbers of employees that are moving to the area. All along the ATT, housing projects are going on, but the former train bed had a nice wooded buffer, so it’s mostly native trees and shrubs, with streams and hills all around. Since it’s a former railway, it’s flat for almost all of the route.

I rode 15 miles that day and didn’t even notice it! The Himiway C5 gives just enough boost to your pedaling that the hills are easily surmounted, even for my old body, which hasn’t ridden regularly in about ten years. I completed all the activity rings on my Apple Watch easily and smiled the whole way through it.

A few days later, I rode down to my local taco dive bar (their words, not mine!) because it’s a mile each way, and it was Margarita Monday™. Also, I knew Ian, the bartender, would want to test this bike out. He rides to work, too, and when he brought my drink out to the patio, he stopped short at the C5 tethered to the table. He marveled at it, and I asked if he wanted to take it for a spin around the parking lot. His eyes popped open, and he said – well, he said he wanted to – in very colorful terms. He popped inside to get his helmet, I gave him a few quick instructions, and he was off. For the next few minutes, every now and then, I would hear his laugh as he sped up and down the rows of cars. When he came back, he had a wide grin, and hollered, “Oh, yeah!” as he passed by.

That pretty much sums it up!

A week or two later, for my birthday, my daughters came over to ride down to the Taco Dive Bar to celebrate my birthday. The oldest (who used to teach Spin Classes in a local gym) was going to take “the acoustic” (my non-e-bike), but it had a flat tire. She said, “Fine, I’ll take the crotch rocket.” Her reaction was much like Ian’s, but she wanted the non-electric experience. She was surprised that you could get a good workout by not using the assist, but, with the flick of a switch, you are helped up hills by the amazing power of electricity!

There are a few little things that I am struggling to address. First, there’s no storage at all. Well, there’s a cup holder (see the bottle of water stored in the first video above and in the photo below), but nothing for a multi-tool, or a large water bottle, or anything else, and there’s not really a good place to put something to hold stuff in. It’s my cyclist mindset talking, but I want a rack where I can mount a bag, a pannier, etc. I don’t want to have to carry my groceries in a backpack.

Second, the turning radius. Due to the struts and whatnot on the front wheels, the front wheel only turns about 60º either way. Most bikes will turn at least 90º, and some even more. This is not while you’re riding, but while you’re managing the bike when parking or putting it into storage. I mentioned going to the aforementioned Taco Dive Bar – I found I had to back out of the patio area because there was no way to turn between the tables. All my other bikes can turn and be guided out more easily.

Lastly, there’s no way to lock it, short of removing the battery, which takes a degree in engineering. Sure, you can put a lock and chain on it, but there’s no way to prevent someone from turning it on and causing damage.
But, in general, this is a fun cruiser for trips long or short. It’s small enough for late teens through most average adults, and the pedal-assistance can help even those who by some definitions have reached geriatric status. (Come at me, haters!)

What I like about the Himiway C5 Electric Motorbike

• Full-length padded seat
• Very easy access to assist and throttle
• Long battery life/range

What I’d change

• Battery/bike can’t be locked
• Battery removal is difficult
• Limited turn radius

Final thoughts

I love bicycles. I have found, as I have gotten older, that eBikes offer even more enjoyment from this two-wheeled fun factory than the simple cranked chain device I’ve loved since early adolescence. I was offered a step-thru traditional bike from Himiway a while back and was accepted to be the review. Between the shipper and the publicity agent and my moving to a new location, shipments were crazy. When it finally arrived I was eager to rip it open and hit the trail. Imagine my surprise when, instead of a traditional leisure/commuter bike designed for step-thru access, I found an electric trail bike. I had fully opened the shipping container and started unpacking the pieces before I realized this was not the bike I had agreed to review. We contacted the agent, and they are sending the commuter bike for me to also review, but they asked for me to review this model. I accepted quickly. Do you know what hooked me? That wide, welcoming saddle.

Most bike seats are only slightly removed from being a torture device. When I buy a new bike, I always get one that has springs and padding and allows me to use what yogis call the “sit bones” to ride comfortably. But my True Believer™ bike friends deride me for this. The basic bicycle saddle is “supposed” to just be a place where you rest your hip bones, but I have nerves and skin and things that get in the way down there, so I don’t like that. When I saw the C5’s seat, I was reminded of my friend Chuckie’s bike when I was in sixth grade. He had a Stingray™ bike with a “banana” seat, and that thing was a blast to ride, even with the short crank and the tiny wheels and the “Chopper style” handlebars. You could sit on it for hours. The same thing happened with this bike: I got on and never wanted to get off. The first time I rode it, I did 15 miles and smiled every inch of the way! Everyone else who has ridden it has had the same reaction: screaming laughter. And that’s why I like bikes!

Price: $2299.00
Where to buy: Company Webstore and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Himiway. Himiway did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.