Himiway Zebra vs Cobra: 4 Differences Between These E-Fatties

The Short Answer

The Himiway Zebra and Cobra are electric fat bikes with some differences. The Cobra is heavier, has rear suspension, wider tires, and a longer wheelbase, making it better for rough terrain. The Zebra is a hardtail with front suspension. Recently, Himiway introduced the Cobra Pro with upgraded features.

So you want an electric fat bike? Himiway electric bikes are a popular choice for riders across the globe, and two of their models – the Zebra and the Cobra – look to offer plenty on paper.

But what are the differences between these fat-tire electric bikes, and how do those respective features impact the riding experience in the real world?

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This piece aims to help you see through the mass of specification tables and catchy headlines to find the best Himiway electric fat bike for you and your riding demands.

Who Are Himiway?

Himiway is an online retailer of electric bikes that sells right across the US, the UK and Europe. Their speciality is electric fat bikes or electric bikes with wide tyres and front suspension.

This combination delivers the fun and freedom of riding electric with none of the bone-jangling, teeth-chattering drawbacks of bikes without suspension or with narrow tyres. It also means you ride them where no other bike would go.

Himiway first came to our attention when Pete reviewed the Himiway Cruiser – a bike that opened his eyes to the amazing potential (and fun) of electric fat bikes.

They aim to differentiate themselves from their competition by offering electric bikes with large-capacity batteries. Whilst this increases the overall weight of Himiway electric bikes, it does mean that riders can enjoy riding their electric bike without visiting the plug socket daily.

On most of their electric bikes, Himiway uses Samsung or LG batteries. The batteries will continue to offer excellent capacity even after 1000 charging cycles.

Himiway Zebra vs Cobra

Featuring the same motor, battery, gearing system and brakes the Zebra and Cobra are similar in many ways. And like all Himiway bikes, the Zebra and the Cobra are sold with a 2-year warranty.

But when it comes to these two animal-inspired electric bikes there are some slight differences that are worth exploring.

Weight

The first difference between the Himiway Zebra and the Himiway Cobra is the overall bike weight. The Cobra tips the scales at 88lbs or 39kg – that’s 9lbs or 4kg heavier than the Zebra.

The extra weight is down to the rear suspension and wider tyres; that extra weight is more than acceptable, given that the Cobra will be even more comfortable riding extra sloppy singletrack or popping over the odd berm at your local trail centre or mountain bike park.

Suspension

We’ve weeded out another difference between these two electric fat bikes – it’s the suspension. The Himiway Zebra is a hardtail with a suspension fork up front. The Himiway Cobra, meanwhile, is a softail with a suspension unit at the front and the rear.

The rear suspension gives the Cobra the edge when the riding gets super rough. On extremely rutted or worn terrain, the full suspension unit should provide traction, giving you extra confidence to ride faster and have more fun.

Unfortunately, Himiway doesn’t list the travel (the amount the suspension unit moves) of the front fork on the Cobra and Zebra, but it’d be safe to assume that it’s the same unit. The lockout feature is a nice touch – this means that with a quick switch, the suspension unit won’t budge – ideal when riding on tarmac or other hard surfaces.

Tyres

Third up on our list of differences is the tyres on each bike. ‘Fat’ tyres are anything over 3.7″ and at 4″ the Zebra’s tyres are plenty wide enough to cope with pretty much everything you can throw at them.

In layman’s terms, the wider (or fatter) the tyre the cushier the ride. At 4.8″ the Cobra’s tyres are termed ‘super fat’ – they should float over almost any surface. Deep mud, sand and snow, within reason, should be no trouble for the Himiway Cobra.

Wheelbase

Hold on bike nerds, because this final difference is a tad techy! The wheelbase of a bike is the horizontal measurement between the two wheel axles. That length can determine how the bike rides and turns. In simple terms, the longer the measurement the more stable and planted the bike will feel to ride – especially at higher speeds on rougher ground.

Whilst there’s no bike industry standard, the consensus is that if a bike’s wheelbase is larger than 50″ or 1250mm it is deemed ‘long. The Cobra then is one of those bikes, but that’s not surprising when you consider its entire specification list. The rear, suspension and wider tyres – they’ve all been chosen by Himiway to help make the bike fast, yet comfortable to ride on all surfaces.

Because both the Zebra and the Cobra are electric and are equipped with powerful motors you can ride at high speed off-road so having a confidence-inspiring ride is of great importance.

Himiway Cobra vs Cobra Pro

Recently Himiway has produced an uprated version of the Cobra electric fat bike. This model, named the Cobra Pro, sets a new bar for Himiway as an electric bike manufacturer.

The Cobra Pro uses a mid-mount electric motor as opposed to the rear-wheel hub motor on the Cobra. This mid-mount motor, made by Bafang, will feel more natural to ride and at 1000W (rather than 750W on the Cobra) the Cobra Pro is even more capable off-road.

To further aid the bike’s off-road capabilities the Cobra Pro features 10-speed Shimano gearing. Use them to their full capability, along with the 5-speed electric assistance and even the toughest off-road hills will be no match for the Cobra Pro.

Himiway Zebra

• £1,999
• $1,999
• €2,299

Prices are approximate

Weight: 35.8kg (79lbs)

Wattage: 750W (250W in UK & EU)

Range: 60-80 miles

Gears: 7-speed 

Standard and step-through frame options

Long range

Throttle option

The Zebra is an uprated version of Himiway’s Cruiser electric fat bike. Like the Cruiser, the Zebra has 26” wheels with 4” tyres providing traction and forward motion in slippery snow or sloppy mud. 

But unlike the Cruiser, the Zebra has an uprated battery to deliver a longer riding range – that means less time between charges and more fun out on two wheels.

Pros

• Two frame types are available
• Lights, ‘guards and rack included
• Massive 960Wh battery

Cons

• Only one frame colour
• 7 speed gearing might not be enough for some

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Himiway Cobra

• £2,499
• $2,399
• €2,699

Prices are approximate

Weight: 39.9kg (88lbs)

Wattage: 750W (250W in UK & EU)

Range: 60-80 miles

Gears: 7-speed 

Throttle option

Dual suspension

Super fat 4.8″ tyres

Rolling with extra wide tyres and suspension front and rear, the Cobra is an electric bike you can ride just about anywhere – plus with Himiway’s large capacity battery you can go for longer too.

The 750W motor (250W in UK & EU) provides excellent pedalling support on all surfaces too. Plus, there are 5 assistance modes to choose from. Select the lowest with a big workout or choose the highest assistance and sit back and enjoy the ride.

Pros

• One size fits a variety of riders
• Equipped with lights
• Two frame colours

Cons

• Dual suspension and wide tyres does increase weight
• No mudguards as standard

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Himiway Cobra Pro

• $3,999

Prices are approximate

Weight: 39.9kgs (88lbs)

Wattage: 1000W (USA only)

Range: 60-80 miles

Gears: 10-speed 

1000W mid-drive motor

Air suspension front fork

Throttle option

Himiway has upped its electric mountain bike game with the Cobra Pro. Unlike the Cobra, the Cobra Pro has a mid-mount (or crank) motor rather than one in the rear wheel. Mid-mount motors are known to be smooth and slick accelerators.

The motor pumps out an eye-watering 1000W. Couple that with the full suspension (softtail) and super fat tyres and the Cobra Pro is a bike that’s capable (and fun) on any terrain.

Pros

• The torque sensor offers a great ride feel
• Huge 160Nm of torque
• Full-colour display

Cons

• Heavy
• Only available in US

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See More Himiway Bikes

As well as mighty fat electric bikes like the Zebra and Cobra, Himiway also have an extensive range of affordable electric bikes, ranging from the super-compact Pony, the city-dwelling Rambler and the dual-battery 100-mile monster: the Himiway Rhino.