Heybike Tyson Folding Electric Bike Review

The Heybike Tyson is a folding e-bike featuring a 750W motor, 48V 15Ah battery, and 20×4-inch fat tires. It is designed for urban and (limited) off-road use with the city dweller in mind, as the folding mechanism is a highlighted feature of the bicycle.

Packing a 750W punch, a top speed of 28 mph / 45 km/h, a battery that claims to go the distance (55 mi / 88 km, if you believe the specs), and those chunky fat tires, this 77 lb / 35 kg beast of a bike promises adventure in a folding package. But can it actually fold and go without throwing a tantrum? And does that promised range hold up when you’re not just cruising on flat asphalt?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Heybike Tyson.

Affiliate Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive small commissions for purchases made via these links at no additional cost to you. This helps pay the bills and keep the site up and running. Thank you for your support!

Pros and Cons

The Specs

The Heybike Tyson comes in a single size and three colors. The colors have no difference in size or function. This review is based on the currently available single size of the Heybike Tyson.

• Max Speed: 28 mph / 45 km/h
• Weight: 77 lb / 35 kg
• Tires: 20 x 4 in / 50.8 x 10.16 cm
• Length: 68.9 in / 175 cm
• Wheelbase: 46.8 in / 118.8 cm
• Top Tube Length: 24 in / 60.9 cm
• Handlebar Height: 46.8 in / 119 cm
• Maximum Seat Height: 35.8 in / 90.9 cm
• Minimum Seat Height: 31.5 in / 80 cm
• Charging Time: 4 to 6 hours
• Battery: UL 2271 Recognized 48V 15Ah, 720Wh
• Motor: 1400W peak output
• Bike Frame: Uni-Body Design & Magnesium Frame
• Display: TFT-LCD display
• Rear Cassette: Shimano 7 speed
• Brakes: Hydraulic Disc Brakes
• Front Fork: Hydraulic Suspension Front Fork, 65mm travel reported
• Wheels: One-piece wheels
• Throttle: Thumb Throttle
• Lights: LED headlight and taillight
• Kickstand: Alloy
• Pedal Assist: 5 levels
• Payload Capacity: 400 lb / 181 kg
• Colors: Obsidian, Navy Blue, Fern Green
• MSRP: $1,799

Photo Gallery

The Good

The Ride

Above all else, there is no denying that the Heybike Tyson is a pleasure to ride. Whether you are taking a mellow cruise down to the farmer’s market or want to rip around on dirt roads, you will enjoy the feel of this bike. The shock-absorbing full suspension makes rough roads feel quite comfortable, and I have found myself leaving the front suspension unlocked while riding around the city for the added comfort. The motor’s power has been impressive, and I find myself wanting to turn the settings up to five and easily cruise at speeds over 25 mph / 40 km/h. While it can feel a bit unwieldy at slower speeds because of its weight, once you get the bike moving, it handles exceptionally well, and I have been able to make some impressive maneuvers with it.

The Charging

While Heybike does not list the charging time on their website, when asked, they reported a charging time of 4-6 hours for the Tyson (using the standard charger), which has proved correct in my experience, coming in toward the middle of that range. I also like the ability to either remove the battery completely to charge or leave it in its housing and plug into the provided port. The standard charger is slightly larger than a computer charger, but I can easily take it with me if I want or need to charge it on the go. 

The Folding

We will get to the bike’s weight later, but specifically speaking to the folding process of the Heybike Tyson, it is a relatively simple process that takes less than two minutes once you have had a few reps of practice on it. While you should not expect this to fold down to fit in your carry-on suitcase, it has made it more convenient to store inside or in the corner of your garage. The one less-than-ideal caveat is that sometimes the cable housing within the bike has gotten caught while closing the bike, but that can be avoided when you are aware of it.

The Accessories

I did not buy or receive any of the accessories for the Heybike Tyson. However, at the time of writing this, Heybike is throwing in a complimentary large basket. I like the selection of gear you can easily add, which caters well to the individual who wants a one-stop shop for their needs. 

The Okay

The Assembly

The Tyson comes mostly assembled when it arrives at you in its large box. The only assembly required is the front wheel, the handlebars, the front light, and the fender. That being said, I found that aside from the handlebars, I struggled to attach these things to the bike—the instructions in the manual leave too much to the imagination. I was happy they had a video online, but I still found that I would have liked more detail. I have some background in bike repair and I was still confused about the front wheel assembly, specifically how tight the bolts should be and how much wiggle room you have for the front wheel screw. 

The Lights

While it seems that e-bikes should come standard with a front and rear light, I am happy this is the case with the Heybike Tyson. The rear lights seem bright, and I like that there is a flicker to indicate that you are braking. The front light is sufficient to feel comfortable riding around where there are little to no street lights, but it certainly could be better. The Tyson has a neat turn signal feature to indicate if you are turning left or right, but I seldom use them and opt for the standard hand signals. I worry that most drivers would not be looking for a signal light on my bike, but I do see how that could be beneficial for night riding.

The Parts

There is no denying that the Tyson is a well-built machine capable of handling some pretty gnarly terrain. The suspension is cushy, the gearing has worked very well, and the brakes, while a little squeaky, are entirely reliable, even on the steep streets of San Francisco. This section gets bumped down from the good because there are several areas where a little more thought or quality would have gone a long way. Things like the thumb throttle button being a hard plastic that has cut into my finger, or the front light bolt stripping easily during assembly, to the pretty cheap pedals that do not feel great underfoot. Nothing that can’t be adjusted on my end, but enough to cast parts down to this section.

The Range

Heybike claims that the Tyson has a range of up to 55 mi / 88 km, and I will likely have to take them at their word here because the bike is too fun to ride at the top-end speeds to verify. While on level five speed, I have been able to easily get 24 mi / 38 km on my round-trip commute with over 1000 ft / 305 m of elevation change and still have a little juice left over. Given this, I do not see why you would not be able to get close to that 55-mi / 88-km mark on some of the less-than-super-fun speed levels. Do I wish I could get more range from the Tyson? Of course. Am I happy with the range I am getting so far? I think so. Am I worried about the battery’s longevity and its ability to hold its range? Very much. Heybike support reported that “Heybike lithium batteries typically last 500-800 charge cycles, which equates to 2-4 years under normal use” and provided information on battery etiquette, which I have not been following. Again, the bike is too fun to go slow, which is part of their recommendations… 

The Bad

The Weight

As mentioned above, once you get the Tyson moving, it comes into its own. The thing just wants to be in motion. The fun ends once you get to speeds at or close to zero. I have endearingly named my Tyson, “The Beast.” It becomes fairly unwieldy once stopped. I found myself getting an overuse injury in my hip flexor lugging the thing up and down stairs – I have stopped doing this. I have struggled to lift the bike into my van for transportation, and could see how many owners would simply be unable to do so. In some ways, it makes the ability to fold the bike down a moot point. That being said, if you can lift the thing (or complete a 10-week weight training program to do so), the cavity in the center of the bike is a convenient place to lift from (as well as lock the bike up).

The Battery Level Indicator

Heybike has chosen to report the battery level in percentages, but does not allow it to switch to “time/distance remaining.” This has been a source of frustration while riding the bike. While it could be a product of how I have been choosing to ride the bike (again, the thing is too fun to use on any of the unfun levels 1-3), the battery percentage swings are massive and have left me concerned about how much juice is actually left. I have seen as large as a 50% swing (from 80% to 30%) from flat to hill riding. While I understand that there will be a difference in battery performance when you start riding up a hill, I still don’t know what the levels designate in terms of time or distance, and I have had to guess. Only once have I ridden the battery down to 0%, and I would say on the positive side, it seems Heybike has a safety mechanism that allowed me to ride those last few miles home with a tiny amount of assistance, which went a very long way since the thing is tough to ride without any assistance.

Wrap Up

The Heybike Tyson is a good option for those looking for a solid e-bike for urban commuting. It also has a wild side, so you can let your hair down and feel alive.

With a price point of $1,799, it is neither the most expensive nor the cheapest option you could opt for, and it appears that the price tracks to its overall quality. Do not expect that because this is a folding bike, you can easily throw it around without much thought, as the weight is considerable. I will say this one last time: the bike is fun and capable, which is what Heybike can proudly hang its cap on.

Do you have questions, comments, or personal experience with the Heybike Tyson? Leave a comment below or get in touch, and let me know! Check out the Tyson here.

Rating + Recommendation