When it comes to entry-level boards, the current norm is a 10s2p priced above $400. The Apsuboard V5 however, is a 14s2p board that is priced below $400. So, you get 8 more battery cells than your typical budget board for less price. Pretty sweet deal, yeah?
Apsuboard is a decent budget brand that has been around for quite a while too. So, is there anything that’s holding this board back from being the best budget board out there right now? Turns out, there is.
Apsuboard V5 Review
Let’s run through the specs and parts really quick, as usual.
Skate parts – Deck, Trucks, Wheels
The Apsuboard V5 uses a stiff and flat deck, composed of 7 ply maple and 1 ply bamboo. This thing has almost zero flex to it and has no concave.
The trucks, wheels, and enclosures are all off-the-shelf generic parts that are very commonly seen.
Electronics
For the electronic parts, it uses a LingYi Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) and pairs it with one of the LingYi ESC remotes. For those who still don’t know what to expect on LingYi ESC, we will talk more about that later.
The star of the day – the battery pack – is using 20R cells. Again, this is a 14s2p pack and hence this gives a total pack size of 201.6wh.
The Apsuboard V5 uses dual hubs, rated at 300W each.
Performance
This board has a marketed range of 12.5miles (20km), which we hit; and a marketed top speed of 28mph(46kmh) but we only hit 26mph(42kmh). While not the marketed numbers, this still ranks pretty highly amongst the entry-level boards.
Now, let’s jump right into the performance of the 14s2p battery. According to Apsuboard, their rationale for going with a 14s instead of the more common 10s battery, is to give the board more torque. A higher serial in a battery pack means higher voltage, equaling higher torque.
It makes sense, but what doesn’t make a lot of sense is pairing it with a pair of modest 300W motors, considering the best budget boards are pairing motors up to 560W on these batteries. On the contrary, you could say that all the high serial battery does, in this case, is compensate for the weaker motors, so that the V5 can stay on par with boards from the flagship budget brands.
And that’s how we feel riding the V5. The torque and power didn’t blow our minds, sadly, but it was as strong as any entry or mid-level board that uses better-rated motors.
The second benefit of going with a 14s battery is that the voltage sag is significantly less. Unlike 10s batteries, a 14s on the V5 performs just as well when the charge is low as when it’s full. Very little drop in power and speed.
Now that we have talked about the performance, it’s time to talk about the riding experience.
Riding Experience
This is where the board performs as expected, given the parts it uses. Besides having the awesome push-to-turn-on feature, using this generation of LingYi ESC gives the board smooth acceleration and smooth yet strong braking. As always, the acceleration and braking each have 4 modes that can be set independently of each other.
The generic trucks are average, they don’t feel very responsive and have poor rebound to center, so carving on this board wasn’t the most fun.
Regular 90mm wheels, dual hub motors, and a stiff deck means there is nothing to stop the board from vibrating like crazy when riding over rough roads. You already know that this is a common problem for hub motors, a problem that the Cloudwheels Donut is designed to solve. Lacking any concave on the board also means that it is difficult to know where our feet are at without looking, and that adds another layer of discomfort.
Verdict of Apsuboard V5
So, let’s tally up the score. The Apsuboard V5 went with a generic deck, trucks and wheels, which gives a riding experience that is at best considered average. The speed control is good, as expected from a current-gen LingYi ESC. The range and torque are above average amongst entry-level boards… and the most awesome thing about the Apsuboard V5 is the price – $369.
While the Apsuboard V5 likely isn’t the best budget board for everyone (most of us value a polished ride feel above all else); for someone who absolutely can’t stand voltage sags and perhaps is on the heavier side, I frankly don’t know of any other option for $369.
If you are interested in buying an Apsuboard, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “CN15″ during checkout to get $15 off! It will help you get a small monetary discount and helps us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
When it comes to electric skateboard bags, we’ve had the opportunity to try a few of them. Today, we will be reviewing the Atsabag, a bag by a brand from Singapore. One thing you should know about Atsabags is that they are expensive. Priced at $219 it’s half of the price of a good entry-level electric skateboard! This eskate hobby isn’t cheap eh. With that said, let’s see if the money is put to good use.
Appearances
When I unboxed the bag, my first reaction was, “Wow! This thing looks pretty!”; and my second reaction was “gosh this is going to be a complicated bag to review.”
Let me explain. The workmanship of Atsa bag is like nothing I’ve seen before. I’m not one that buys or owns any luxury bags, so I’m by no means an expert when it comes to fabrics, but I will describe the material used in an Atsa bag as – it looks beautiful, felt sturdy, and great in the hand, and perfectly sewn together.
Atsa says the bag is waterproof, and looking at the design, I have no doubts about that claim. I got another vanity boost when I took this bag to work and my colleague’s first reaction to seeing the bag was “Wow, cool bag, looks expensive” – well, it certainly has looks that match the price!
Functionality
70% for eskate, 30% for the office
Speaking of carrying the bag to work, I think the Atsa bag was designed specifically to be the perfect bag for your commute to work. The bag is packed full of useful features, including a laptop sleeve, which will be redundant if you are not planning to pack in a laptop or tablet. It used to be removable, well, not anymore 😢.
There are also elastic bands included for cable management, again, something for the office and not the skate park.
Atsabag’s 2 main compartments
The bag has 2 compartments, the back compartment where you carry your skate; and the big rucksack-like front compartment which itself has multiple pouches and is obviously where the once removable laptop sleeve goes. The rucksack-like front compartment can be accessed via the top or the front.
Top access
Front access
This is a thoughtful design, as top access would be difficult once you have strapped in the board.
Eskate carrying capability
But first and foremost, let’s talk about the board carrying capability of the bag. Atsabags have a very competent system designed to carry boards and hold them snuggly. Even monsters like the Trampa can go in it, but I imagine carrying such a huge board will never be comfortable. I also love how right off the bat, Atsa gave us 2 raincover sizes, for either longboards or shortboards. The rain cover also comes with its own pouches. Neat!
The helmet bag and carrying system are also built into the bag, which is convenient and 100% functional. Again, a neat feature! While carrying a big eskate around is never going to be comfortable, Atsabag did make it as comfortable as possible with the padded shoulder straps. Chest straps and hip straps can be used if you are looking to jump with this thing.
I would say that for carrying an Eskate, it can’t get any more comfortable than this.
Using the Atsabag
So, the ideal use case for an Atsabag is probably skating to and from work, a cafe, or on a grocery run. I imagine pairing an Atsabag with an electric shortboard such as the Meepo Mini 2 would be comfortable enough that you can tolerate an hour’s grocery run while carrying the board on your bag.
Other bells and whistles
Now back to the bag, besides the board carrying capabilities, the bag also has plenty of other features that I love to show off to everyone around me, especially the magnets.
First, there are magnetic buckles that automatically clasp; second, the once removable 17” laptop sleeve that has a magnetic opening to close itself and keep itself closed, then, there is another magnetic snap to lock the laptop sleeve inside the Atsabag; and obviously the top access opening also has a magnetic lining around it to keep it closed too.
Atsabag has about as many magnets as it has pouches, to the point where I have trouble utilizing them all. I especially don’t know what to do with the secret side pocket and the holder for the selfie stick designed for a 360 camera. I don’t have a 360 camera and I mount my GoPro on my helmet.
360 camera goes here
Summary:
So, after using this bag for a while, here are my thoughts:
If you are looking for a bag to carry your eskate during your commute to and from work, Starbucks, the shopping mall etc., Atsabag is perfectly designed for that. If you just want a bag to carry your board to and from your skate location, the Atsabag is again perfect for it but could be overkill, as you will likely only be using 70% of its full functionality; and if you just want a bag that looks really expensive to show off, Atsabag certainly has the look to do that for you as well. It is, after all, one of the most premium electric skateboards carry bags you can get out there.
Thanks, Atsa, for letting me review this! Now I know how the ladies feel when carrying around their LV bag.
If you are interested in buying an Atsabag, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during checkout. It will help you get $20 off and helps us out too.
On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
If you have the habit of hanging out in Eskate Facebook groups, I bet you have seen a variety of meme ads by Beastboard. Well, Beastboard is a newer Chinese brand looking to get some traction in the market. As is always the case, you can expect good value for your money from a brand trying to establish its name, as long as you can also stomach the uncertainty when it comes to after-sales service.
Today, we are reviewing the Beastboard Viper, a $600 electric skateboard that packs a lot of punches.
Beastboard Viper Review
To get a clear picture, let’s run through the specs real quick.
Deck
The Beastboard Viper uses a 7-Layer Canadian Maple generic deck that’s commonly found on entry-level boards in the $400 range. It has only a little bit of flex to it and has zero concaves.
Trucks & Windwheels
While the Viper uses generic trucks, the wheel it uses is anything but generic.
Windwheel, it’s called. These unique 110mm wheels are the highlight of the board and the most memorable part of the brand. It has a honeycomb look that might make some uncomfortable but promises a comfortable ride. More on that later.
Electronic Speed Controller & Remote
As for the electronics, the Viper uses a 12s Hobbywing ESC, which means it comes with the latest Hobbywing remote that can read board telemetry.
Battery & Range
For the battery, it rocks a beefy pack of 12s4p 432wh batteries, but then cuts costs by going with generic 25R cells. Well, I can’t complain, they have to make the price work somehow. This gives the Viper a marketed range of 22 miles (36km), but we could only hit 20 miles (33km) in our test. Still very good.
Motors & Top speed
The Viper also uses a good pair of6065 5255 motors that were rated as 750W each. This gives a marketed top speed of 28mph (46kmh). We almost hit that top speed, just missed by a hair, so… almost.
What to think about the specs & parts?
In short, you can think of the Beastboard Viper as a budget board on steroids. The skate parts are pretty generic, but the 12s4p battery with corresponding 12s Hobbywing ESC are specs you expect to find on a board over $800. This duo promises great performance on both power and range, the remaining question would be on the riding experience, so let’s start with what the weird windwheels bring to the table.
Riding Experience with Windwheels
The Windwheels are Beastboard’s proprietary wheels that have this squishy honeycomb pattern. Individually they are priced at $159 per set. We were frankly very cynical of the windwheel design before the test and were expecting it to be just a gimmick. After all, the design isn’t very elegant, and putting holes into the wheels to make them soft seems to be such a primitive idea.
As it turns out, Windwheels are exactly what they were designed to be: 110mm wheels that take away bumps and cracks on the road. We think they are even better than Cloudwheels when it comes to softening the ride on rough roads, making the Beastboard Viper a very comfortable ride on rough roads even when the stiff deck doesn’t contribute anything to vibration dampening.
The windwheels have a fairly narrow surface area for contacting the ground, meaning that they will spin-out when starting from a stand-still in some off-road situations. However, the surface area is definitely big enough for most grass, gravel, and dirt roads situations.
While the wheels are a highlight, the other skate parts are pretty average and doesn’t contribute much to riding experience.
The other parts, as we said, are pretty average.
First of all, paired with the wheels are a set of generic reverse kingpin trucks that are decent. Carving with the Viper is not as fun as carving on something with branded trucks and a flexy deck. The deck also doesn’t have any concave to it, so our feet don’t feel the deck as well as we would like.
While the skate parts are pretty average, we like the electronic parts that the Beastboard Viper uses. The 12s Hobbywing ESC gives the perfect smoothness in speed control that everyone expected it would. Pairing a 12s ESC with big motors gives the board a super-powerful torque too, to the point where you need to be careful hitting the throttle when riding on the highest mode. Just because it’s smooth doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a huge punch.
While the 12s4p battery pack is not using the most amazing cells, (generic 25R), just by the virtue of their large size we didn’t notice much voltage sag on this one.
Verdict:
The Beastboard Viper, for the price of $599, will get you an amazingly specced board that has amazing torque, good range, and smooth speed control. It’s a semi-AT board that can handle the roughest roads and can occasionally go off-road as well.
If that’s what you want and you are willing to, one, put up with average skate parts, which is something you can tinker with yourselves; and two, be amongst the first customers of a new brand, Beastboard Viper is a great deal. It indeed, is a beast of a board.
If you are interested in buying a Beastboard, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during checkout. It will help you get a $50 discount and helps us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
Let me guess, you were probably looking for a budget electric skateboard when you found the Backfire G2 Galaxy, 2020 version (the one with the Sony VCT6 Battery). If so, you might have wondered: what’s the difference between this Backfire G2 Galaxy, with a promotional price of $469, and the $60 cheaper Backfire G2 Black? And how does this compare to what we consider the defacto best budget board of 2020 – the Wowgo Knight, which also is priced at $469?
Well, to be clear about the comparison, let’s first look at the specs of the Backfire G2 Galaxy 2020.
Backfire G2 Galaxy 2020 review
Deck
The Backfire G2 Galaxy uses an 8-Layer Canadian Maple deck, identical to the one on the G2 Black. It only has a mild flex and a mild concave, again similar to the G2 Black.
Trucks, motors and wheels
The trucks are the same Backfire proprietary trucks; the motors are the same 400W dual hub motors, and the wheels are the same big 96mm wheels with 78A durometer. Even the weight of the board is the same, at 17lbs (7.8kg).
What’s different for the Backfire G2 Galaxy is the battery and the ESC.
Batteries & Range
The G2 Galaxy uses a Sony VTC6 battery in the 10s2p configuration. This gives a size of 6Ah and 216wh, which also means that the G2 Galaxy has one of the largest batteries you can find amongst entry-level boards selling below $500. Backfire gives the G2 Galaxy a marketed range of 15miles (24km), and we managed to hit that with our range test.
Electronic Speed Controller & Top Speed
Besides having a bigger battery, the only other difference is that the G2 Galaxy has a better, Customized, Hobbywing Electronic Speed Controller. This allows the G2 Galaxy to have a turbo mode and a higher top speed of 26mph (42kmh). We were able to hit this too, barely.
Now, that we have gone through the ingredients, let’s talk about how the food tasted.
Riding Experience of Backfire G2 Galaxy 2020
Riding the G2 Galaxy is very similar to riding the G2 Black. This means smooth acceleration and smooth braking, thanks to the Hobbywing ESC.
The G2 Galaxy has a 3rd Turbo mode which can be activated by pressing the Turbo button. With the turbo mode, you get an even stronger acceleration that’s still as smooth as it can be. This turbo mode has no time-out or cooldown period so it’s essentially just the third mode for the board.
Besides the upgrade in torque and the extra turbo mode, the other aspects of the G2 Galaxy are exactly the same as the G2 Black; so those who have already seen our review of the G2 Black will find me repeating myself here.
Maneuvrebility
Unlike their premium line-up, the G2 Galaxy and G2 Black are both NOT using Caliber II trucks, but instead, they feature Backfire’s own proprietary trucks. They pale in comparison to branded trucks and came in on the tighter side. After loosening them up a bit, we would still say this truck veers towards being more stable than carve-y. It’s not extraordinary for carving, but great for cruising at high speed.
Combining these trucks with the stiff deck, these two are more geared towards stability, something that I suppose would be a priority for newcomers to this hobby.
Road vibration
With that said, combining the stiff deck with the dual hubs can also be a recipe for an uncomfortable ride on rough roads. Thank goodness it has big, 96mm, wheels or it could’ve been worse.
Verdict:
So, what do we think about the Backfire Galaxy G2 2020, especially when compared to the G2 Black and the Wowgo Knight?
Well… This is what we think:
The Wowgo Knight has better trucks and an important, awesome feature in smart-power-on – where the board turns on automatically when you power on the remote. This makes us like the Wowgo Knight more.
The Backfire G2 Galaxy has a bigger battery, and this gives you 3 extra miles (5km) of range compared to the Wowgo Knight. Also, when it comes to post-sales service, I would say Backfire has a slight edge in that aspect.
So, when should you consider Backfire G2 Black? Well, if the extra range, speed, and torque of the G2 Galaxy is of no use to you, why pay extra for it?
There’s your answer, hope this helps!
If you are interested in buying a Backfire, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during checkout. It will help you get a small monetary discount and helps us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
So, you are looking for lights for your rides. A few years ago, Shredlights is the only company that’s making dedicated skateboard lights. Today, however, a few Chinese brands have developed their own lighting solution and today we are going to look at them too.
You may wonder, why not just get a regular bicycle light and maybe double-sided tape it onto the board? Well, if that works for you, great! But the lights may fell off in the middle of a ride, the vibration from the road may kill the light, and it’s ugly.
In this post, we’re going to compare the SL 200 Shredlights, the new backfire cannon II lights, the new Meepo lights, and the Board blazers. We are going to walk you through their difference: How they mount, the brightness, the light modes, how long they last, and the built quality.
Oh yeah, we didn’t include the new 1000 lumen Shredlight (SL-1000) here cause we haven’t received it yet. Oops. SL-1000 is pricey, $79.99 for a single light. It’s super bright – good for 100feet or 30m and pack full of useful features. (Including allowing a diffuser to be installed change the light’s spread)
We’re going to start off with the mounting systems, and this is where the Shredlight shines the brightest.
The Shredlights have several types of mounts to choose from. This means that they are the most compatible lights for the majority of electric skateboards.
The Meepo Lights have only 1 mounting solution. Because these lights are flat, they only work best when mounted underneath the trucks. If your truck is raised, these will work as well.
The Backfire cannon II lights, on the other hand, are a single piece that will fit with the front trucks of most boards. Just like the Meepo lights, they are flat.
And the board blazers, they just rely on the magic of double-sided tape.
So, when it comes to mounting options, we have a clear winner. While the Meepo Lights are removable, like Shredlights, the mounting system is nowhere as fluid as the S lock on the Shredlights. Meepo light release system is a bit flawed, with the trigger release interfering with the deck.
Shredlights ‘S lock’ mount system is super fluid and allows you to remove and arm the lights in 2 seconds. Literally. This is super useful and allows the Shredlights to be used as a pocket flashlight as well. I have used my Shredlights as a flashlight many time, as well as mounting it to my bike when I went cycling at night. After all, they are really bright.
Note: If being safe is something you want to do, but spending time and energy mounting the light system & charging them before every ride aren’t, you might want to check out the board that came with an integrated lighting solution, such as the Ecomobls. (They make great AT boards that come with integrated bright lights.)
Brightness:
Shredlights SL-200 = 200 lumens;
Meepo Elumi = 300 lumens;
Backfire Cannon II = 300 lumens;
Boardblazers … = yes.
As you can see here, the Backfire’s light is super bright, in fact, it’s the brightest of all of them. Although the Meepo lights are also 300 lumens, they look less bright due to the scattered trajectory and wider spread. The Backfire Canon 2’s, living up to their name, blast 300 lumens at a focused spot, so they look brighter.
Meepo Elumi has more spread
Backfire Cannon II is more focused
The Shredlight SL-200 is 200 lumens bright, which is obviously less bright but bright enough. What Shredlight does better is that it features many different lighting modes and a much better way to switch between the modes.
Lighting modes:
Shredlights SL-200
3 brightness level + 3 types of pulsing modes.
Two-button for easy switching between modes.
Meepo Elumi = 300 lumens;
2 brightness level
3 modes: Simply On & 2 types of pulsing modes.
One button to rule them all.
Backfire Cannon II
One button to turn On & Off.
Boardblazers
Twist to turn on and off.
Backfire Cannon II: To turn Backfire Cannon II on and off is pretty straight forward, but it also means the choice is limited. You turn them on by pressing the button and turn them off by pressing it again, so there’s only 1 mode for the Canon II’s.
SL-200: The SL 200 is also super bright but features various lighting modes. While the Backfire Cannon II lights simply turn on and off, the SL 200 has two buttons for you to cycle through various lighting modes. There are 3 different brightness levels and then 3 pulsing modes. In total, you have 6 different modes to choose from.
The Meepo Elumi: These lights also have multiple lighting modes, but again it’s nowhere close to the Shredlights. There’s only 1 button on it, so the process of cycling through the modes is a bit inconvenient. You press it once to turn it on, again and it dims, a third time to switch off the lights. Pressing and holding the button puts it in pulsing mode, again for flashing mode, and once more to turn off the lights. Sounds complicated, right?
The Boardblazers: Boardblazers on the other hand, turn on by twisting it like a bottle cap. When turned on, the lights will pulse between various colors. It looks like RGB lights from a gaming computer. Pretty cool, right?
The SL 200 and the Meepo lights have the advantage here. Yes, if you blast full brightness out of them, they will only last for 2-3 hours. That’s way less than the backfire canon 2 lights. But… Because you can toggle through various lighting modes, you can save a lot of battery power. If you use the 2nd brightness level, they will last up to 6 hours! For the Shredlights, if you dim them further, they can last up to 25 hours! That’s longer than a day’s worth of light. Now that is Impressive!
Board Blazers though. They are powered by non-rechargeable cells. We’re not sure how long they can last exactly, but we would bet the non-rechargeable cells can last a whole lot longer. Probably 72 hours straight? The battery cells they use are very common and easily available at any grocery store.
Build Quality
The Backfire Canon II lights and the Meepo lights are very similar here. Both of them have a metal body. They are both bulky and about 30% heavier than the Shredlights. They felt solid and high quality but… The rubber coating on the Shredlights is far more comfortable to hold.
I think going with rubber is the better option here. We think the reason that Shredlights survive intense road vibrations, is partly thanks to this rubber coating (Rubber keeps everything safe eh!). It protects the components and smooths out the vibrations a whole lot. Board blazers on the other hand are just plastic. Imagine a transparent water bottle cap. No joke, that’s actually an accurate depiction of it. At first, we were very skeptical of how well the board blazers could survive road vibrations, but…after riding with it off road, it survives, and we haven’t had any issues!
However! Over time, the twist switch to turn the lights on and off has become rough due to the dirt and sand stuck in the groove.
Summary:
Backfire’s Cannon II: 79.99 USD for a pair. It’s the brightest among all of the lights we tested and will illuminate every single pothole out there. When it comes to seeing and be seen, you got both of them. But… it’s screwed onto the board permanently unless you enjoy screwing and unscrewing it every single time. I’ll pass on this one.
Meepo’s Elumi: Second brightest, they cover a wider field of view but this also means that it is less focused in the center. It’s removable with the mount and it has a few lighting modes. The user experience is not that great, but again, when it comes to seeing and be seen? It nailed both of them. The best part of it is the price, it’s the cheapest solution at $30! For those who are not keen to spend any more than they need to, Meepo’s Elumi is the way to go.
Shredlight SL-200:For those who don’t mind paying a little bit more for the best user experience, Shredlight is the way to go. While the SL 200 from Shredlight is not the brightest, it’s still super bright and is more than enough. Just as with the Backfire and Meepo lights, you will see and be seen.
The SL 200 is 49.99 USD a pair and is available in either white or red. For 99.99 USD you can get a set of 2 pairs, a pair of white lights to illuminate the front, and a pair of reds to help others see you from a mile behind.
The S Lock mounting system is a masterpiece and works really well. In 2 seconds, you can detach the lights from the board in case you want to use them as a flashlight or on a camping trip. This also makes charging much easier, and if you have multiple boards, you can install mounts on each one of them and you can easily move the lights from one board to another. You could also mount it on your helmets.
Board blazers: They are 19.99 USD per pack, and each pack contains 4 led lights. It makes your board look futuristic and cool at night, but it only helps with the “be seen” part. Board blazers are not meant for lighting the path ahead of you. They do help your board to look blazing good at night, but… only at night. In the daytime… it kind of looks like … I will leave it to your imagination.
