Superhuman Bandit II E-Bike Review, 2024

As the test rider, I used PAS 2 when riding the Bandit in the Minimum PAS Range Test. I managed to take the bike 71.2 miles, before the battery ran out, in a time of 5:18, and average speed of 13.4 mph. We were surprised by this good result because 92 lbs moped bikes, using a 750W motor and 840Wh battery don’t always go this far.

In the Maximum PAS Range Test, using PAS 5, test riders Trenton and Brenden pulled off yet another surprising result by going 49.1 miles, in a time of 3:30, and an average speed of 14.02 mph. Forty nine miles is a really good distance to get out of a moped-style e-bike running at maximum speed and with the rider pedaling the whole ride.

We have two parts we do on the Hill Test. The first part measures the motor’s raw power by using the throttle only, and no pedaling, to climb the hill. In the second part we use PAS 5 and contribute only basic pedaling. This tells us how well this bike works with a rider who doesn’t pedal hard going up the hill.

In the first part of our test, using throttle only, shows us what kind of raw power this 750W motor can muster. If a bike is going to fail one part of our test, this is the one. But our test rider Justin reached the top in 76 seconds, and an average speed of 14.3 mph. This was a great result and everyone who test rode this bike was not surprised to see the Bandit had the necessary torque to reach the top of Hell Hole.

The second part of the hill test involves the pedaling up Hell Hole using the highest pedal assist available, which was PAS 5 on the Bandit II. Again, this bike performed as expected, with Justin topping the hill in 73 seconds, at an average speed of 14.9 mph. This was another good result for this type of bike. And the best part is the Bandit II faced the challenge of Hell Hole and made it to the top both times.

Our test rider, Justin, appreciated how easy it was to pedal the Bandit up Hell Hole, thanks to speeds produced by the 750W Bafang motor. It feels like the Superhuman has the Bandit II calibrated so that the motor handles a lot of the workload, giving the rider more opportunities to enjoy the ride without working up a sweat doing serious pedaling. Whether using the PAS or the throttle, the motor cranked out enough power to keep the average speed pretty close on both rides. The only real difference was that the motor ate up more battery power on the Hill Climb’s throttle test than on the Hill Climb’s PAS pedal test.

So, the key takeaway here is the motor will still give you love and decent speeds if you’re using the throttle instead of pedaling.

In our brake safety test we examine the brakes, how safe they feel, how comfortable they are, and whether they’re reliable. Using a closed course for added safety, our test rider, Griffin, pedals the bike up to 20 mph before hitting the brakes and coming to a complete stop. Our team measures the distance before Griffin runs the test at least three times for calculating an average.

On the Bandit II we saw an average stopping distance of 20’ 3”, which turned out to be an impressive result. The average for all moped style e-bikes that have mechanical brakes is currently 22’ 3″, so this Bandit proved it has strong stopping power, in comparison to its counterparts.

The brake setup on the Superhuman Bandit II is the Tektro Aries mechanical disc system, with a rotor diameter of 180mm, and a thickness of 2.0mm. As a certified bike mechanic, I understand why these mechanical brakes cannot perform at the same caliber of similarly sized hydraulic disc brakes, and I would still rather have hydraulic brakes if this were my bike. But I was also satisfied with its performance and would gladly ride this bike again and again.

I rode this bike almost 90 miles (71 miles were when I rode the Range Test), and I was satisfied with this bike’s braking performance. In my rides I faced situations where I had to stop quickly, and times when I had to hold the brake for some long downhill slowdowns, and I was impressed.

The Ride Quality test answers the question of how this bike feels while riding it. As a moped style e-bike, with a 6” riser handlebar, the Bandit gives the rider an upright posture, with relaxed arms extended. My torso was straight up the whole time and my arms felt pretty relaxed while I used the 17.9” reach to easily grab the rubber grips. The stem is not adjustable but you can loosen the clamp bolts and swivel the handlebar fore and aft if you need a little more (or little less) reach.

Sitting upright meant that my lower back and shoulders felt fine after long rides because I never had to lean forward at a slant and I didn’t need to push into the handlebar when making turns or riding into curves.

There are some minor things that we’d like to see changed, like the top gear in the rear cassette, hydraulic brakes instead of mechanical, and a seat arrangement that works better for the pedaler, but aren’t issues to sour a purchase. But with that opinion, others could see this as less significant and as a mere byproduct of owning and riding a moped bike like the Bandit II.

Moped riders know what they like, and should be pretty happy with the Superhuman Bandit II. This bike delivers a smooth ride, long distance, and throttle power. Riders looking for something with more street credentials will especially enjoy this bike. And newcomers can love this bike thanks to how easy it rides, especially with the throttle. If you are interested in purchasing the bike, or curious to learn more about it, please follow the link above to the Bandit II’s page on the Superhuman website.

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Superhuman Bandit II.