REVIEW – If you’ve spent any time on an ebike, I don’t have to tell you how fun they are. I have a few now and with or without pedals they simply put a smile on your face while getting you where you need to go, or just out and around for the day. When I saw the C1 from Himiway the first time, I knew that any kid would be grinning ear to ear and boy was I right. Let’s roll.
What is it?
The Himiway C1 is an electrified version of a kid’s strider bike (no pedals) with a battery, rear wheel motor and throttle aimed at smaller kids from 4-12 years old.
What’s in the box?
- Himiway C1 Kids eBike
- Battery charger
- Keys for battery removal
- Bell and headlight
- Spare screws
- Rubber duck with helmet, propeller and charms
- Instruction manual
Hardware specs
Battery: 360 Wh Samsung or LG battery
Motor: 350W rear hub
Throttle: Right hand w/ display
Modes: 7 / 13 / 15 mph
Range: 45-50 miles (rider weight, mode and terrain dependent)
Brake: Left side hydraulic rear brake plus electronic hub deceleration when throttle release
Wheels: 16″ with 3″ tires
Weight: 32 lbs and small enough to fit in a trunk easily
Design and features
The Himiway C1 is moto-inspired kid’s throttle-powered eBike with 16″ wheels, burly tires and seriously cool styling.
The C1 is available in Cyan, Bluish Gray, Coral or White. All models have a 350w rear motor, under-seat battery and hydraulic rear brake.
Setup
To the build…
After unpacking the Himiway C1 Kids eBike, flip down the kickstand and stand it up. As you can see, it’s mostly pre-assembled and the handlebar’s cables are all pre-connected.
Using the provided multitool, remove all 4 bolts from the stem’s faceplate, insert the bars and then reinstall the bolts loosely. Center the bar left/right and then adjust the angle fore/aft for preference. A good starting point is to line them up so they are about parallel with the fork.
The cable grommet may have popped out during shipping as shown here. Slide it down the cables and work it into place by seating the edge all the way around.
You will want to adjust the angle of the brake lever and throttle. Use the tool to loosen the clamp of each and rotate forward around 30º as a starting point. This is totally a user preference, but in general you don’t want to have to adjust your wrist angles to use the controls while riding.
Install the bell, the headlight, air up the tires to the spec printed on the tire sidewalls and plug in the charger to top off the battery and you are good to go.
Performance
This is my friend Harper. He’s 8 years old, 4 feet tall and 60 pounds. Himiway states that the C1 is for kids 4-12 years old, 3’3″-4’9″ tall, and can hold up to 16o pounds. Harper is clearly in a sweet spot for size and fit on the C1. There’s lots of room to adjust your riding position on the bike sliding forward or backward, and the low seat lets your put your feet flat on the ground.
The Himiway C1 Kids eBike is very stable due to the weight of the battery and rear motor. As a result it’s very predictable when steering and becoming familiar with throttle usage which you can see here.
The power button is at the top of the display facing forward. A long press turns it on or off. The number displays the speed while riding. The segmented bars at the bottom display the remaining battery range. The square indicator at the top left is the mode. It is adjusted by single presses of the button at the bottom of the display facing rearward. Each of the three modes limits the top speed. Mode 1 = 7mph. | 2 = 13mph | 3= 15mph. The throttle is thumb actuated and brings on the smiles.
Mode 1 feels pretty safe and is great for getting a feel for the bike of if the rider is still learning how to react to steering or obstacle avoidance. Mode 2 is a pretty big jump to 13mph from 7mph. I would have liked to see this be at 10 or 11mph to have it be a true middle speed. 15mph mode 3 is where most kids will want this once they are at the skill level required to operate safely.
I will say that the mode button could be better placed as it’s easy to accidentally discover the mode button when trying to use the throttle. I’d like to see a parental mode where you can chose to lock the bike in a particular mode as 15mph is quite fast when a rider is not ready for it.
That said, when it comes time to stop, the C1 excels. First there’s and electronic brake that immediately reduces speed when the throttle is released much like on electric cars. Second, the rear hand brake is hydraulic. This is usually reserved for bikes a step or two up in a line up. It allows less hand strength to generate stopping power on the disc at the rear wheel. Super important on a kids bike where little fingers might not be that strong.
Smiles for days. I sure wish these had existed when I was little. It also looks right at home next to a big version.
Here’s a video to walk through using the Himiway C1 Kids eBike where you can see the controls and the speed in the different modes. Note that my kid (who’s no longer a kid) is clearly too large for the C1 being way beyond the height and age range, but right at the weight limit.
What I like
- Great quality and solid build, and very cool styling
- Simple operation, multiple speeds and hydraulic rear brake
- At 32 lbs, easy to lift into a trunk to head to the park
What I’d change
- Add a parental lockout for the speed levels
Final thoughts
The Himiway C1 Kids eBike is a seriously cool little ebike for the seriously cool little kid in your life. This thing is easy to ride, has plenty of room for growth and will help teach valuable balance and agility lessons. The build quality is top notch and you’re guaranteed smiles in return.
Price: $799.00
Where to buy: Himiway or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Himway.
