Review: Vamos El Hefe cruiser e-bicycle can reach 50km/h on and off the road

Vamos’ new fat-tyred El Hefe can reach speeds of up to 50km/h both on and off road, putting many mopeds to shame.

Whether this e-bike travels efficiently on beach sand is debateable.

Long before the El Hefe, cruiser-style bicycles belonged to a certain kind of person.

He was usually middle-aged, he wore what Gen Z describes as speed-dealer sunnies, racing car cap, baggy light denim jeans and white sneakers.

And riding around Sydney on the new electric cruiser-style mountain bike sure did draw a lot of looks from men who fit that description.

The El Hefe, fitted with four-inch tyres, is a cruiser on steroids.

The e-bike’s 48v, 16AH battery and 750W motor allows the rider to reach a top speed of 50km/h.

And in Sydney’s inner west The Australian almost did, reaching 49.8km/h in top mode.

That’s almost twice the legal limit for e-bikes and the limit of a standard moped in NSW. Of course, the bike won’t always reach that speed and, to meet current law, the El Hefe has several modes that can reduce the speed and switch between pedal assistance and using the half-grip twist throttle on the right hand side.

This Australian eBike cruiser can travel up to 50km on and off road.

Speaking of mopeds, the El Hefe sits slightly taller than the majority of cafe racers and scooters you see around city streets, including the Sol Invictus Mercury 250. It’s also longer than the Mercury, which means it’s a little hard to navigate in tight places.

With thick – or fat, as Vamos likes to say – tyres, the ability to steer is a little unorthodox at best. Not that anyone turns the wheel a great deal while cycling. Most turning requires the rider to lean.

The disc breaks worked well and, in my own opinion, should be standard on any e-bike given the speed they can travel when riding down hills.

The El Hefe, which has four-inch tyres, is like a cruiser on steroids.

Is this the kind of bike one would commute to work with? Probably not. And retailing between $2895 and $3495, its cost is probably double that of a year’s worth of public transport, depending on where you live.

When the El Hefe runs out of battery life, you are soon likely run out of steam. At 26kg, it’s not exactly the weight that will get you, but rather the bike’s shape and length.

However, at speeds of up to 50km/h, short-range trips would be a breeze.

The El Hefe has a travelling range of up to 70km in its top model, which The Australian tested.

Vamos markets the El Hefe as its premier off-road e-bike. The bicycle did handle quite well on dirt tracks and through parks. While its marketing may include pictures on the sand and a surfboard rack is available, I’d be sceptical about the efficiency.

More impressive than the speed is a recent deal that results in Vamos’s three-wheel electric counterpart being listed on the National Disability Insurance Scheme in an Australian first.

Eligible people can purchase the Papa Grande Pro Trike at a partial or fully discounted amount, the company says. That will help, as the price retails between $4620 and $5295.

In an Australian-first, Vamos' Papa Grande Pro Trike Bike can be bought under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The e-tricycle bears some similarity to the El Hefe in terms of parts, packed with a 250-500W Bafang motor and 21ah Li-ion Samsung battery, which supports a 100km range. The rear carrier supports up to 150kg.

Vamos co-founders Conrad Pattinson and Michael Fatouris said there were not enough mobility options available in the market.

“The level of independence this sort of vehicle provides is really important for physical and mental wellbeing,” Mr Pattinson said.