The Buzz Drone is a budget price, motorcycle-style e-bike with a flashy style that kids and teenagers will love. It looks cool, rides fine, and the price is low—but in comparison to e-bikes in general, it's strictly kid stuff.
I was puzzled by the Buzz Drone e-bike at first. It looks like one of those souped-up moto-style e-bikes that tears down the bike path way too fast, but it doesn’t have the power to match its looks. It reminded me of the flashy Huffys from my childhood—banana seats and flame decals on wallet-friendly, heavy bikes. Turns out, it's not a coincidence. Buzz and Huffy share a parent company, so the Drone is basically a modern Huffy Dragster—built to look like a badass racer, but designed to ride like a safer, more sensible option. It’s the kind of e-bike a 14-year-old would be thrilled to get for Christmas, but that parents might actually approve of.
The Buzz Drone's stylish design
The best thing about the Buzz Drone is its look. It’s styled like a scooter or moped, with a long seat, oversize headlamp, and 4-inch fat-tires on 20” rims. I love the red-glitter paint job, the embossed bee logo on the seat, and the low-slung vibe. There’s even a built-in nylon bag to pack your lunch in.
The Drone's step-through frame makes getting on and off easy, and the close-to-the-ground posture feels very controllable. Overall, it’s cool, like a rhoided-out Vespa or something, so if that’s the style you’re looking for, you found it, and for a low price. This is one of the only Moto-style e-bikes you’re likely to find at under $1,500.
While I like the look of the bike, the motorcycle-styling means that the seat height is not adjustable. The manufacturer says it’s for "most riders,” but it’s really for smaller people. I’m 5’8” and the pedals are too close for me. I can’t imagine being 6’ and trying to push this thing. Pedaling is a little beside the point though; while the Drone comes with a six-speed Shimano drivetrain, it will not be used often. This bike is meant to be powered by its throttle, so let's get into the Drone’s performance.
The performance: Fine, I guess
The Drone’s 500watt rear-drive motor is pushing a 66-pound bike, and the tires are 4” wide, so overall, it feels a little underpowered (which again, seems to be the point). But even with its relatively paltry power output, it’s fun to ride, in a somewhat goofy way. I liked zipping around the neighborhood on my candy-apple red, low slung machine. Even if it never blew anyone’s doors off, the Drone performed reliably and solidly throughout my testing, with no issues in terms of either the mechanical or the electrical parts of the bike. The ride is comfortable and stable, and it's particularly smooth if you let a little air out of the fat tires and run them lower then the highest PSI.
Most of the e-bikes I’ve reviewed for Lifehacker are either Class 3, (throttle or pedal assist up to 20 mph, then pedal assist up to 28mph) like the Aventon Pace 500.3 or Class 1 (no throttle, and a top assisted speak of 20 mph) like the Tenways CGO600 Pro. The Buzz Drone is a Class 2. It has a throttle, but the speed tops out, for both pedal assist and throttle, at a relatively safe 20mph (at least on paper—in real life, it seems the speed limiter seemed to set at about 18 or 19 mph). And it takes it time to get there. In terms of torque, you’re not going to be jumping off the line with this bike. Burying the thumb throttle results in a gentle ramp-up to top speed instead of a leap forward. Nice and safe, great for beginners or kids.
In terms of pedal engagement, it’s not great. There’s a too-long pause between spinning a pedal and the engine kicking in, and the throttle won’t turn on from a dead stop, so you have to turn the cranks to get the motor to start. Again, it’s safer that way, but it’s annoying on a bike for which the pedals seem an afterthought.
The handling isn't highly responsive or anything, but it's alright. It never feels like an unmanageable bike to maneuver. The disc brakes are fine too. They're mechanical, and they do their job, but with less finesse than hydraulic brakes would. But the stopping power, like most everything else here, is fine.
As far as hills go, it’s a bit of a challenge. While the motor performed well for a 500 watt output, but this is not a hill-killer of an e-bike. When you feel it slowing on uphills, you want to provide some pedal assistance, but the pedaling can be really uncomfortable, given the set seat height.
Not really all-terrain (there are a lot of terrains out there)
A front suspension fork and wide, knobby tires suggest a rugged, all terrain bike, but I didn’t feel comfortable riding this bike on anything more gnarly than a hard-packed dirt road. It worked admirably in that situation, but the front fork is not adjustable, and I’m way heavier than its intended users. I’m also not 14 anymore, and I'm aware of how easily things can go south. The Buzz Drone’s electrical system and battery is meets UL 2849 standards, but it’s not rated for mountain biking.
Display and battery life: Serviceable
The Buzz Drone’s center-mounted, black and white display is functional, if last-gen looking. It tells you what you need to know with no frills, including speed, pedal assist level, and battery life. There’s no app support or anything like that—to be expect with a “budget” e-bike.
The battery life for the Drone is not the greatest. The manufacturer says it lasts “up to 40 miles,” but this is, uh, optimistic. I got more like 20 miles with just the throttle, but I'm not light. Shorter battery life probably won’t be a problem for most—it’s designed for the neighborhood, not the open road—but the battery gauge is a problem. Battery gauges aren’t reliable like gas gauges by their nature, but the Buzz Drone’s is particularly wonky. It’s a ballpark estimate that fluctuates wildly. One moment you’ll have 67% battery power, the next, it’s down to 35% and then back up to 51%. So you'll have to be aware of your power level, because you don't want to be pedaling this thing home.
Assembly: Extremely easy
This seems like a “Christmas gift” style e-bike, so let me reassure parents: The assembly is simple. You basically put the pedals on and install the front fork. It took me about 45 minutes, all told, with nothing surprising or overly annoying.
The bottom line: Is it a good bike for the price?
Yes and no. If you’re looking for a more “serious” bike, and you (or your kid) are not married to the unique styling, you could do better for a comparable price. For instance, the Lectric Xpeak 2.0 is a fat-tired bike that is certified for mountain biking, features a more powerful motor, a bigger battery, adjustable front suspension, and an adjustable seat, and its list price of $1,726 is only about $300 more than the Buzz Drone’s price of $1,399.00. (It should be noted that both bikes seem perpetually "on sale," though. The Drone's price right now is $1,099.00)
On the other hand, I'm not aware of are any other “name brand” bike in this price range styled like a moped, so if you (or your kid) want the flashy looks, and you're OK with the minor headaches that come with this e-bike, it's a great deal.
Given its target—moto styling on a lower priced e-bike—it’s hard to compare the Buzz Drone to other bikes I’ve reviewed. Since this this bike is made for kids and teens, I tried to try to factor in the "cool bike, bro" aspects of it in the score, so I rated it 3 stars: Two for being an average e-bike with some annoying issues (seat height, battery gauge), with an extra point added for the cool look.
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