2024 HeyBike Ranger S Evaluate

The updated-for-2024 HeyBike Ranger S arrived on my doorstep in mid-October. Fortunately, Alberta has had a comparatively gentle fall, which has permitted me to make ample use of the native trails. More often than not, I journey “acoustically” on my Orbea Occam H30, however when reviewing an ebike, I spend extra time within the electrical saddle than not.

On condition that the Ranger S arrived in the course of an Albertan fall, I received to topic it to, erm, “journey it” in, various circumstances, together with after a number of inches of recent snow in freezing temperatures. I took the view of “What would this bike be like day by day?” and, if I’m sincere, I additionally hooned the snot out of it (they did equip it with the hub motor equal of a Hemi V8, in any case).

In case you’re brief on time, listed here are the 5 issues concerning the HeyBike Ranger S it’s good to know:

• The motor + throttle mixture is potent and quick – The Ranger S 1000 simply accelerates to its ruled pace restrict of 32 mph (51 kph) on flat terrain. The pace restrict might be adjusted by way of the HeyBike app (it’s also possible to set pace limits for every PAS setting if you wish to). The Ranger S is proscribed to twenty-eight mph / 45 kph in Canada.

• Using dynamics on clean terrain are surprisingly good, and even nice contemplating the folding type issue – Folding ebikes aren’t normally that a lot enjoyable to journey. Nonetheless, the Ranger S is fairly good, contemplating the shape issue and wheel dimension. It doesn’t carry out properly off-road, however with these wheels and fork, how may it?

• You’ll get nearer to 30 miles (48 km) of vary vs. the 55 miles (88 km) claimed – Whereas the Ranger S handles properly, it nonetheless solely comes with a bargain-basement 7-speed Shimano groupset and weighs 72 lbs; to climb any incline, you’ll be utilizing the motor and, contemplating how good this motor is, you’ll most likely be utilizing it loads.

• It folds and is comparatively compact, however placing it right into a automotive trunk is dicey – I may match it within the trunk of my 2017 Ford Fusion, however I couldn’t get it to lie flat sufficient to shut it. If you wish to transfer it round folded, you’ll want an SUV, van, or truck (or a trunk 10% larger than my Fusion’s).

• The 14.5 Ah (692 Wh) battery is UL licensed and detachable – It additionally has a devoted on/off change, which is ready to “off” when it first arrives. The battery might be charged by way of the included 4A quick charger on and off the bike.

In case you want a motorbike you possibly can fold and tuck away in a nook, however you continue to need that bike to haul ass if wanted, the Ranger S is a value-focused contender, rain, snow, or shine.

Phrases & Pictures: Cameron Martel 

HeyBike equipped the Ranger S at no-charge. We shouldn’t have a monetary relationship with HeyBike. All critiques are topic to our assessment insurance policies. Merchandise are scored primarily based on our hands-on experiences with it. I’m an avid biking fanatic (each “acoustic” and electrical) and have hands-on reviewed greater than 30 ebikes up to now.

2024 HeyBike Ranger S 1000W Specs

• MSRP: $1,699 USD / $2,299 CAD
• The place to Purchase: HeyBike web site (Canada)
• Guarantee: 30-day free trial, 2-year guarantee
• Prime Velocity: 32 mph / 55 kph (28 mph / 45 kph in Canada)
• eBike Class: Class 3 out of the field, lockable to class 2
• Vary: Claimed 55 miles / 88 km (wBW estimated 20 miles / 32 km)
• Bike Weight: 72 lbs / 32.7 kg (together with batteries)
• Weight capability: 400 lbs (181.5 kg)
• Motor: Generic 1,000-watt hub motor (1,800-watt peak)
• Torque: 100 Nm (est. 180 Nm peak)
• PAS: Torque, 5 -levels (app adjustable)
• Brakes: RSX hydraulic brakes w/ 180 mm rotors
• Gearing: Shimano Tourney 7-speed
• Battery: 48V 14.5 Ah (692 Wh), UL licensed
• Wheels & Tires: 20” x 4” magazine wheels and CST tires
• Different: Headlight, powered taillight, flip sign, electrical horn, entrance and rear fenders, rear rack

HeyBike Ranger S Unboxing & Meeting

The Ranger S is equivalent to each bike-in-a-box setup: you set within the handlebar and stem, entrance wheel, and seat, tighten the whole lot up, cost it, and alter the shifter and brakes as wanted.

I used to be shocked to see paint put on on the underside of the fork (it was packaged this manner), and I seen that I used to be lacking a few small elements (one hex bolt for the show mount and one nut for the front-fender connecting bolt). Fortunately, I had the spares that Fucare included with the Gemini X, and I received myself sorted on the fender (sadly, not the show).

Total, meeting was clean, and my brother and I had it sorted in about half-hour. If I didn’t have the spare nut, I might not have been capable of mount the entrance fender (or headlight). 

Meeting Walkthrough Video

Notes

• Sadly, my Ranger S was lacking a number of nuts and bolts (one hex bolt for the show and one washer/nut for the entrance fender. 
• Verify the whole lot earlier than you assemble it in case you want spare elements from HeyBike.
• If it’s your first time assembling a bike-in-a-box, plan for about an hour.

2024 HeyBike Ranger S Aesthetics & Design

Identical to genetics play a significant function in your general look, the shape issue of a motorbike will solely let a designer achieve this a lot visually. Folding bikes aren’t precisely lookers, irrespective of the way you therapeutic massage their silhouette.

The Ranger S appears higher than most folding ebikes. It is available in 4 high-pop colours (merlot crimson, stone blue, metallic sand, shark gray), and in my colorblind opinion, crimson is the best-looking of them. 

The thick downtube helps the step-thru folding body keep away from wanting wimpy (which is how I felt concerning the step-thru body on the KBO Compact folding ebike I reviewed earlier this yr). Commuter-focused facilities embrace the entrance/rear fenders, headlight/taillight, and built-in flip indicators. Additionally included is an digital horn, which manages to be each quiet and obnoxious concurrently. I might enormously want a reasonable bell.

Total, the design is inoffensive and doubtless pretty much as good as a folding ebike at this value level will get.

What’s the 2024 HeyBike Ranger S Prefer to Journey?

The thumb throttle is on the precise bars and responds to your inputs, whether or not delicate or in any other case. You might be light and coast alongside, or you possibly can mash it and rocket to its high pace. Until the slope is steep, the Ranger S by no means needs for acceleration.

The Ranger S 1000 accelerates briskly sufficient that the body noticeably squats. Positive, the low-rent suspension fork performs a job right here, however Ranger S can be genuinely quick. It’s virtually as quick because the Himiway Cobra Professional, which sports activities a 1000-watt mid-drive. 

So, it’s protected to say that the Ranger S 1000-watt hauls ass.

Dealing with and driving dynamics are common for the section, although not fairly pretty much as good because the Floor 604 Twist I reviewed final yr (which contains a inflexible fork and higher parts). 

The Ranger S prefers to be ridden on pavement or well-manicured trails, however it’s going to deal with light off-road driving if it has to.

Like different bikes that use small-diameter wheels, slim handlebars, and cheaply-made no-name suspension, the Ranger S can get squirrely and bouncy if you happen to stress the suspension, particularly off-road. It’s usually much less comfy than HeyBike’s different folder, the full-suspension Tyson. 

If you pair the hot-rod motor with a torque sensor, you get instant, however delicate, pedal help on demand. It’s higher than any cadence-equipped bike, and due to how a lot energy the bike is sporting, you possibly can flip any journey right into a leisurely coast if you happen to please.

The Ranger S won’t maintain as much as off-road driving. Something past comparatively flat grime singletracks will put an excessive amount of stress on the stem and body hinge mechanisms, by no means thoughts that the suspension can be unable to maintain up. It’ll deal with the grime and gravel simply effective however will wrestle when traversing roots, rocks, and different particles. 

HeyBike claims a spread of as much as 55 miles, however I don’t see the way you’d get wherever close to that until you spend most of your time driving with no pedal help. Given the gearing, you’ll virtually at all times have pedal help enabled.

Using aggressively within the snow, I dropped the battery to 30% life after about 12.5 miles / 20 km of throttle-only driving. I may see you getting perhaps thrice that on paved flat floor, however the motor is simply too highly effective so that you can get 55 miles off of a 14.5 Ah battery.

Winter Using the Ranger S

You don’t put 4” sort-of knobby tires on a motorbike like this and ship it to a northern local weather with the expectation that it gained’t get chilly, in any case. In that spirit, the primary snowfall the Ranger S noticed was about 8” of it in -10c (14f).

The suspension fork didn’t love the chilly. Within the chilly, it’s squeakier and fewer performant, although not so unhealthy as to say it’s unsafe or unusable. To compensate for the slight loss in suspension efficiency, I dropped the tire stress to eight psi.

The tires are a gentle all-terrain tread and aren’t significantly knobby. They did okay within the snow. It’s ok that I might be comfy driving on them in gentle to reasonable snow circumstances. 8” is a bit a lot, however the Ranger S can have no downside navigating a number of inches of snow.

Grip is okay, however it’s important to watch the rear wheel because the hub motor will break traction effortlessly.

I’m delighted to report that the fenders do a fantastic job maintaining you and the bike clear. My rides within the snow don’t finish with me coming within the storage door with my again coated in snow (which might’t be stated for the rear fender on the Himiway C5 I reviewed earlier this yr).

In actual fact, with the tires at a pleasant low stress, the Ranger S is an absolute hoot to hoon round within the snow. Please don’t take my phrase for it, although: give it a go for your self. 

Notice: journey your bike responsibly. It’s not my fault if you happen to harm your self slipping on ice!

HeyBike Ranger S 1000W Construct High quality & Elements

Whereas the construct high quality is okay general, my Ranger S got here lacking a few minor bolts and nuts. I’ve additionally seen that I’ve to test and tighten the stem bolt each couple of rides, or else the stem feels unfastened. 

The pedals are largely forgettable and are ineffective at gripping your sneakers. In case you pedal aggressively, your ft will slip and slide in every single place. They’re okay to make use of as platforms if you happen to’re driving the Ranger like a scooter, although.

Like most heavy ebikes, I’d have most well-liked HeyBike use a thru-axle vs. a dropout axle. At 72 lbs, the Ranger S is heavy, and a thru-axle is best geared up to deal with the stresses of that a lot weight.

Brakes

The RSX two-piston calipers are paired with 180 mm rotors. This hydraulic brake setup provides first rate stopping efficiency in most driving circumstances, although I wouldn’t depend on them to carry out properly for downhill or aggressive technical driving… not that you need to be taking the Ranger S there, anyway.

The brake setup is definitely accessible and serviceable, although, and substitute elements are cheap. I can’t communicate to the long-term sturdiness of the RSX calipers, and experiences on-line are combined.

Drivetrain & Groupset

The Shimano Tourney groupset is quite common on entry-level ebikes, so it’s not stunning to see it right here on the Ranger S. It shifts effective, although the gear vary is fairly limiting for non-assisted driving. The shortage of correct climbing gearing signifies that you’ll be reliant on the motor if you wish to go up something, and at 72 lbs, you’ll remorse it if/if you run out of energy.

Suspension

The coil suspension fork provides preload adjustment and lockout. It’s not a fantastic performer, with little or no journey and a springy really feel that turns into exhausting to overlook as quickly because the terrain isn’t clean.

Frustratingly, with the suspension set extensive open, it doesn’t really feel mushy… it simply feels extra bouncy. Resulting from this,  I usually go away the suspension set to the center and alter the stress on the tires if I wish to additional soften it. 

The Ranger S feels fairly stable with the suspension locked out. Its beefy body and strong hinge mechanism assist compensate for the truth that, , it’s received a hinge in the course of it.

Wheels & Tires

The 20” magazine wheels are enticing, but in addition heavy.. Going with a extra conventional rim may have most likely saved 8 or 10 lbs, which might have been my desire from a driving dynamics/expertise perspective. Visually, I perceive why HeyBike selected to make use of magazine wheels, which have a extra substantial and strong look.

The 4” extensive CST tires have an acceptable tread sample for many on-road and light-weight off-road settings. If it’s good to journey in sand or snow often, you’ll wish to swap these tires out for one thing chunkier.

Show & Settings

The colour show is minimalist and, sadly, not that adjustable on the bike.

To customise show settings, you’ll want to make use of the HeyBike app. The app itself is fairly simple (the Ranger S related to my Google Pixel 8 Professional in about 5 seconds), however ought to HeyBike discontinue supporting the app, you will discover your self locked out of some essential features.

Just a few issues concerning the show and app:

• The battery cost indicator will not be correct. One minute I’ve 5 bars, the following I’ve two (and the app says I’ve 88%). Effectively, which is it?
• You need to reset the journey settings by way of the app
• The app has three brightness ranges: darkish, regular, and light-weight. In follow, all have been a bit too dim for daylight legibility when sporting polarized sun shades.
• The app means that you can alter the max pace, show items, PAS settings, pace settings per PAS stage, and extra. It’s pretty deep and labored flawlessly for me.
• The app additionally has route monitoring and safety features, however I’ve not used them sufficient to offer enough perspective.

Hinge Mechanisms

The stem and body hinge have a security mechanism to stop unintentional hinge opening. They’re straightforward to function and really feel ok in follow, although I might like to see some sort of guide interlock to ensure the stem hinge can’t open with out my say-so.

It is a folding bike, so that you shouldn’t ship it down a mountain. However for the place you’re purported to journey the Ranger S, the stem and body are up for the duty.

Verify the stem bolt after every journey, because it’s a single level of failure for the bike and may loosen over time (particularly throughout off-road or aggressive driving).

At $1,800, the Ranger S 1000W is Most likely the Finest Bang for Your Buck Folding eBike on the Market

Whereas this assessment has deservedly identified a few areas HeyBike may enhance, the Ranger S stays among the finest folding ebikes available on the market at this value level. It’d even be one of the best one at this value level.

Its V8-esque motor places out gobs of torque, and the torque-sensing drivetrain and comparatively secure body will allow you to use all of it. The Ranger S is a real good time and is glad to tear up the tarmac.

Nonetheless, all that energy comes at a value: vary. HeyBike claims 55 miles (88.5 km), however my expertise means that about half that may be a extra affordable quantity. And, as I discovered the exhausting means, even much less if you’re getting throttle-happy in 8” of snow.

It’s not good, however the up to date 2024 HeyBike Ranger S is an effective performer and positively on the high of “worth for cash” vary. In case you’re searching for a folder, you must take a look at this one.