August 13, 2018September 1, 2018 by Paxson Lim

Winboard Panther Review – A new benchmark for the mid-tier board.

Winboard Panther – Review

Foreword

After spending years in the OEM/ODM sphere, Winboard finally decides to join the action by launching their own line of products. This is no doubt going to be huge for us Eskate consumers as Winboard has been one of the biggest players in Eskate manufacturing with a long resume of working with brands such as LouBoard, and HaloBoard. It is also the manufacturer of the beautiful carbon fiber deck for the Predator Banshee – the same deck featured on the Lynx series.

On August 18th, Winboard is going to jump into the market with 2 lines of products, the shorterLynx, and the longer Panther. My buddy Drew has already reviewed the Lynx Challenge, this is my review of the Panther.

Let me start out by saying that I expect the Panther to be the benchmark for future mid-tier electric skateboards. And it’s not just because of the stunning graphics on the grip tape.

Introduction to WinBoard

Founded in 2015, Winboard has always been one of the top Eskate manufacturers specializing in carbon fiber materials and hub motors.

They have a variety of products available for purchase but their focus was never to sell directly to the consumer. For that reason, I have been very critical of buying their products as an individual buyer, due to the fact that you probably wouldn’t get any post-sale support.

And that’s why things got really interesting when Winboard set-up their retail branch, and it seems that they are really serious about it.

How serious?

They set up a fully functional website for retail.
They are launching two very competitive products simultaneously- the Lynx and the Panther, on August 18th 2018 – with a grand opening lucky draw to have a random 5% buyers get their boards for free. (and extend the original 6 months warranty to 1 years for free for all.)
They opened 4 branches worldwide to support sales and customer services – in theUS, Australia, Czech Republic, and Spain. Repairs and service will be handled by the local distributor (in the US, it will be at Las Vegas)

A big manufacturer, going into retail themselves with a head full of steam, I wouldn’t want to compete against that.

Winboard Panther Review

“Wow”.

Is what everyone says when first shown this board.

A lot of effort was put into designing a new grip tape graphic for the Lynx and the Panther, and I am sure you will agree with me that it was money well spent.

Call me superficial but the gorgeous graphic really did make me like the board better.
I felt proud to be seen riding this around on this gorgeous board, but looks aside, does it have any substance to it?

Winboard Panther Specs

The Winboard Panther is a very well rounded board.

Top Speed: 25mph (40kmh)
Range: 20mil (32km)
Weight: 17.5lbs (8kg)
Charge Time: 3 Hours
Features: IP 65 Waterproof, swappable PU Sleeves, Regenerative Braking.
Price: 749 USD.

Build Quality

Looking past the beautiful grip tape, the board doesn’t have a particularly innovative design. Unlike the Lynx, which rocked a carbon fiber deck to house everything, the Panther has a typical setup – a maple deck with an enclosure underneath spanning the length of the board.

All in all, the board is very presentable- from the sturdy built to the small graphics on the wheels, it is not hard to see that the board came from an experienced manufacturer.

Deck

The Panther features a maple deck with a nice concave.

It’s not too aggressive. Just nice enough for me to feel where my feet are and make controlling the board more comfortable.

It is, of course, a stiff deck by design as the board is using a single board-length enclosure underneath.

As usual, stiff decks help with stability at high speed while sacrificing the comfort of a flexy deck.
Considering that the Panther can go pretty fast, I think using a stiffer deck is a wise choice.

Wheels

The 90MM 76a wheels are big and soft.
90mm (and above) is the size that I like my wheels to be as I don’t have the smoothest roads where I live, and softer wheels help with rougher roads significantly.

The PU sleeves on the hub motor are swappable, an important feature that most modern hub-drives have.

Trucks

They look and felt sturdy. Closer inspection shows nothing wrong with them.
(No lopsided screw holes or anything like we found on our Lynx review unit)

Summary of Build Quality

The Panther looks and felt really solid.
Nothing I can complain about really. I couldn’t comment on the packaging as I was told that part wasn’t finalized yet.

By the looks of it, it is well worth it’s $749 price tag.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

There are 4 ride modes:

L mode with a top speed of 10mph/16kmh
M mode with a top speed of 20mph/ 32kmh
H mode with a top speed of 25mph/ 40kmh
H+ mode with a top speed of 25mph/ 40kmh, but with crazy acceleration.

Let’s start by talking about the acceleration and deceleration. I have to say, it’s very well configured.

I heard that Winboard had programmed the board to smooth out speed changes in an effort to eliminate jolts, and that effort is noticeable.

When pushing the throttle hard, the board will flow easily into the acceleration, even in H+ mode.

When letting go of the throttle, either by choice or by accident, the board doesn’t experience a sudden loss of speed. The board will ease out that deceleration smoothly.
Even trying to kill myself by going from full-throttle top speed to full braking, the board tries to ease me into it.
(But I have to admit, I didn’t commit to testing the full-throttle top speed to full throttle braking that strictly, I still pull the throttle back a bit before committing to full braking, because a previous test on another board sent me flying and I’m too chicken to do that test properly now.)

I think this configuration helps a lot in making newer riders feel safe, knowing that accidental input is not going to throw them off.
Some may like a more raw and untamed board, but that’s clearly not what Winboard is trying to be.

So, back to the 4 riding modes:

The L-mode is very gentle on both starting and braking – it passed what I call a newbie test, where I give the board to someone who has never ridden an Eskate before and see if they complain about anything.

I did it twice and both times, both newbies felt comfortable on the Panther within 5 min – not zooming around per-se but at least moving tentatively and starting to learn to turn.

Once the training wheels can be taken off, the M-mode is where the majority will spend time for relaxing rides and cruises. The acceleration and braking are still gentle, but less boring speed-wise.

H mode is where the veterans of Eskate will reside. Strong braking, quick acceleration.

And that H+ mode? I think it was made for the top 5% of veteran eskaters. Waayyyy too fast for me.
Good for drag races, but I don’t see myself using that, ever.

Vibration & Stability

Vibrations are tolerable on the Panther, even with the stiffer deck. I am not entirely sure what to point to but vibration on the road felt muffled on the Panther, perhaps due to the soft riser or perhaps it’s the softer, large wheels?

At 17.5lbs(8kg) Panther is not light but that heaviness makes riding it feel stable. The sturdiness makes the Panther a very comfortable ride at high speed.

Remote Control

One of the best remotes I’ve ever used.

It’s ergonomic and fits nicely in the hand.

The dial is springy and with a good amount of resistance for better control and has a reasonable amount of travel.

The remote also has a screen that shows all the important information – Battery life of remote and board, current speed, ride modes and even an odometer!

There is also a cruise control mode available, press down the middle button and the board will maintain the same speed until you tell it otherwise.

Of course, no disconnection during testing. It’s a great remote.

Summary of Riding Experience

Oh I l love it, but it wasn’t perfect.

I set up my trucks to be on the tight side, to make it as stable as I could for speed, but even with it loose, I don’t see how the board could be as carvy and maneuverable as other eskates on the market.
Perhaps changing the trucks and bushing might help with that, but at the stock setting, the board doesn’t allow very tight carving.

Cruising on an open road at higher speeds is where the Panther truly shined.
Big carves on an open road, feeling stable on turns, reliable and comfortable control really helped to get the most enjoyability out of a nice cruise.

That stability and smooth control will also allow more conservative riders to expand their speed limit, and we all know eskating is more fun when it’s fast.

Capability

Panthers are amazing things.
The more I learn about them, the more they amaze me.

Panthers can run up to 50mph, and travel up to 20miles per day.
they can also leap up to 40 feet up! Crazy!

Ops! wrong Panther.

The Winboard Panther, the skateboard, er..hem, are very capable as well.
About as good as a real panther in range per charge, with a very good top speed; leaping ability though wasn’t specified by Winboard so I’m not too sure about that.

Range

The Winboard Panther is shipping with either a

9AH, Samsung 30Q 10S3P battery (324wh) or
10.5AH Samsung 35E 10S3P battery (378wh).

Same price and you get to choose.
Please refer to your nearest DIY guy/gurl or my short battery guide if you can’t make sense of the differences.

Both batteries should perform the similarly with this set-up but I personally prefer Samsung 30Q because it was what I received 😛 — and because it has better continuous current output.

The advertised range for the Panther is 20miles(32km). Which is by no means an inflated estimate and you can tell by the size of the battery.

My personal range test, running on a flat surface on mostly M-mode lasted me a bit more than the advertised 20miles (32km) before the battery went dead.

Of course, if you go full throttle top speed all of the time, you will get much less than 20miles(32km) range.

Voltage sag: Top speed began to drop to 40 km/h by the half bar, and at 36 km/h by 25%. It is still capable of going at a ride-able speed until the very end which is good!
(my weight 165lbs/ 75kg)

Speed

Marketed top speed is 25mph(40kmh).

Like the case of Drew with the Winboard Lynx, we both have no problem passing that. I hit 28 mph (45kmh) with a speed tuck.

Winboard told me they made the decision to market it as 25mph (40kmh) as they would rather under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around. This gets a brownie point from me!

Torque

I am not really worried about the torque that this board provides at all, and I can’t really find any hill that it can’t climb over.

My Standard stop and go test is on a 10% incline. No problem for the Panther. In fact, it’s not even breaking a sweat.

Retested on a 15% climb, and it still didn’t break a sweat doing a stop and go.

Notably, though, the board couldn’t brake to a stop while braking downhill. It can slow to almost a crawl, just not to a complete stop. Only a few boards we have tested have been able to achieve this feat.

Customer Service

The best prediction of the future is the past, and Winboard, at least the retail branch, has no past history to base any prediction on.

However, things have been done to make Winboard a safe recommendation, even on day 1.

For instance, they have installed local distributors around the world to handle customer service and repairs.

On top of that, they didn’t get any random Joe to man their businesses. They manage to get Michael Espinosa from the Esk8squad to be their brand ambassador in the US and to help with servicing, and that alone would be enough to assure me on the post-sale support.

Other Features

The Panther isn’t packed with features per se. It’s a relatively simple board.

It has swappable urethane on the hub motors, which is nice.
IP 65 waterproof rating that I am not going to risk testing. The board looks quite sealed against water getting in, but water is never good for an eskate. Think of the motors, think of the deck.
If you need head and tail lights, they do offer a 25% off coupon for Shredlights with purchase of the board.
(It’s a pretty good deal, in contrast our “EskateHQ” discount code will just get you 10% off. Check out our atypical Shredlight review on a OneWheel here.)

Verdict

The Eskate community has seen more unicorns than Shrek in fairy tale so it is often unwise to get too hype on a pre-launch product.

I am aware that “Winboard the manufacturer” has had some ‘disharmony’ with its business partners. With that said, this new “Winboard retail” has done enough to gain my trust and alleviate much of my concern:

They chose to skip the crowdfunding route which historically has been problematic for eskate projects.
They skipped the pre-order wait and released a products that are available right away and should be arriving at doorsteps within a month.
They planned out the way they would handle post-sale service, and they got a reputable eskater to be their ambassador.
They are being honest with specs, not trying to exploit those who are not in-the-know.
And from my dealings with the co-founder, she has a very anxious profile and cares a great deal about serving customers.

And, at the end of the day, the Winboard Panther is a great board. It looks elegant, it rides nicely and it’s powerful.

I have no doubt that this will be the benchmark of mid-priced electric skateboards in the future.

So, Winboard is trying to gain a reputation and consumer goodwill by selling their new products, the Lynx and the Panther, at below market price – leveraging the advantage they have as a big manufacturer.

They will launch on August 18th, 2018, and there will be a launch day promotion happening:

One in 20 random customers will get their boards for free.
Everyone get their warranty extended from 6 months to 1 year.

*Promotion only valid for customers who order on that day.

And of course, to top that up, use “EskateHQ” code during checkout to get an grip tape eraser, extra grip tape and Bones reds bearing.
(We know what our readers want. You’re welcome.)

Check out our review on Winboard Lynx

Lynx Infinity Review – By Samuel James

Click here to check out the Winboards

June 11, 2018October 23, 2019 by Paxson Lim

A beginner guide to electric skateboard battery

There are some questions that I have when I started out learning about eskate:
1) What are the things that separate good batteries from the bad batteries?
2) How could a non-DIYer read battery in commercially available boards?
3) How do you compare batteries on different brands of electric skateboards?

This post is written for newcomers to the electric skateboard world, riders who are not looking to build or tinker with their electric skateboard but nevertheless want to know what they are putting their money into and want a crash course to understand batteries and how to compare batteries between commercial boards.

For someone new, trying to understand the battery of an electric skateboard can be an overwhelming experience. Besides electrical terms such as “ampere”, “ampere hours”, “voltage watthours”, etc; we also see terms like “10s2p”, “18650 cells”, and “continuous discharge” that simply makes no sense to someone without a working knowledge of batteries.

I will try to make this short and concise, and hopefully, by the end of it, you will know what you are shopping for when you are looking at battery specifications.

1. Good Batteries VS Bad Batteries

Batteries have an impact on performance such as torque, speed as well as durability, life-cycle and safety. The quality of a battery pack also affects the significant of voltage sag.

Voltage sag – A phenomenon where you experience a drop in performance when the battery is asked to work harder or when the battery is drained to a certain level.
Some of the eskaters that use poorer batteries will see the board drop in both torque and top speed once the battery level drops below 50%.
Voltage Sag will happen to any battery, however, the better the quality of the battery and the stronger the battery pack, the lesser the impact the sag will have or later on in life the voltage sag occur.

One of the infamous battery stories that we see in the Eskate world involves the Evolve board battery.
The Evolve community found that the stock (10s1p prismatic pack Li-ion battery) was not performing up to the board’s premium tier. Evolve riders frequently found the board failed to handle inclines that it should be able to, given its powerful specs. At times, the battery level would also drop when going up hills, making the board automatically switch into a slower riding mode – something that frustrates countless Evolve riders.

Custom battery upgrades became a thing (see Kevin Dark the Battery Guy) and after the upgrades, the performance difference is day and night. The sag went away and performance dramatically improved. This is one example of how the quality and size of a battery pack can impact the performance of a board.

Another case study involves when Meepo first implemented a battery upgrade, going from v1.0 to v1.5, they saw an increased in top speed, torque and decreased in voltage sag. This all happened when the other parts of the board, including the size of the battery, were kept the same.

My point is, batteries can make or break an electric skateboard’s performance.

2. Understanding battery specifications

Right out of the gate, there are a few specifications that, once understood, can improve a person’s battery literacy.

Voltage(V)= The torque that a board gives. Also improves the efficiency of the battery hence range.
Industry standard = 36V.
If the voltage is too low, the board will not have enough torque.
If the voltage is too high, the motor/ ESC can not handle it.

Ampere(A)= The current that a battery can give. This affects the top speed.
Continuous discharge current = The ampere that the battery can provide continuously without overheating. Most electric skateboards need their batteries to be at least 30A continuous.

Ampere Hours(Ah)= The charge that a battery holds. This affects the range.
(Number of Ampere that a battery can put out if it was to fully discharge in one hour, hence Ampere/Hour)
1000mAH = 1Ah

Example of battery options listed in “Ah”

Ampere Hours is definitely one of the most used specs when a company markets their board.
It is also a more reliable reflection of the range than the marketed range, and it also shows you if a company is inflating their board’s range.

5700MAH battery out ranged 6500MAH battery? What?

WattHours(Wh = Ah * max voltage)= Size of the battery. The power that a battery can output in one hour.
WattHours is the total battery size and an even better indicator of range.
General rule of thumb is WattHours/ 10=Range(in km) .
Air travel regulation mostly limits battery to 99WH and under, though for different airlines different rules apply. Check out my eskate air-travel guide.

Series and Parallel (eg 10s1p, 12s2p) – are the configuration for how the battery cells are connected. How the cells connect impacts the Voltage and Amperes Hours. It’s a bit technical and more important to builders than buyers so I will not break it down in this article.

3. Understanding Battery Types

LiPo, Li-ion, and LiFePo are 3 types of battery that are commonly used on electric skateboards.

Among these 3, Li-ion battery is the most common among commercial boards, while LiPo more popular among hobbyist – and there are reasons for that.

LiPo

Li-Po (Lithium Polymer) batters are cheaper and have less voltage sag.

Li-Po, however, have significant downsides that limit their use in commercial boards.
For one, they are less safe and could start a fire if not handled properly – something that no company wants as a liability. They also require a user to drain the battery to a specific charge for storage, so they just aren’t for everyone. On top of that, they have a shorter life-cycle compared to a Li-ion and LiFePo4 battery.

As battery prices are pretty much fixed (for the moment), some companies will try to circumvent the size and price problem by using Li-Po instead of Li-ion eg, the Pomelo board is a recent example.

BMS

For DIY builders, it is important to know that using a Li-Po battery means you either need to install a BMS (Battery Management System) yourself or use a balanced charger to balance charge your Li-Po packs. Li-ion battery usually already come with BMS installed, so it is more of a plug and play.

Li-ion

So a Li-ion(Lithium-Ion) battery is basically what everyone is using right now. Although it is weaker than the LiPo as I mentioned, it has a longer lifecycle, is easier to handle and is a lot safer.

The 18650 cells and 26650 cell that you sometimes see in the battery conversation are just the types of the cell inside a Li-Ion pack, with 18650 being the most common cells used.

These cells are what’s inside a Lithium Ion battery pack.

LiFePo4

LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) is a newer battery technology that gives you the power of a LiPo and the lifecycle and safety of a Li-ion. Best of both worlds? What is the catch then?
There are two main downsides. One – they are expensive to produce and; two – they cannot be sourced easily so not many companies use them – Boosted and the Arc Boards being the main two who do.

4. Understanding Lithium-Ion Cells

I bet you have heard marketing phrase such as “Same battery that powered Tesla!”, “Powerful Sanyo!”.
For instance, Meepo are using the “Samsung 20R”, an upgrade from the old “LG MH1” while also offering the “Sanyo 20700B” for extended range. What do those brands and designations even mean?

Well, when a company is touting the battery they use in their pack, they are talking about the individual battery cells they use. Most of us are not aware that there are different batteries made by big and small brands, and they all have different performance.

Think of it as a smartphone, just like the Samsung Galaxy S9 is better than the Samsung Galaxy J7; the battery cell Samsung 20R is better than Samsung 35E. And LG, Sanyo, Panasonic and other smaller brand makes their own batteries of differing quality.

For non-enthusiasts, it’s quite difficult to know which battery is better, so beside relying on experts such as those found on the electric-skateboard builders forum, what we can do is either Google it or refer to a benchmark test from an e-cigarette forum.

However, since most eskate company are not disclosing which cells they use, reviews of a board’s performance are still probably the best test of the battery quality.

Final word

There is definitely a lot more knowledge behind batteries and if you want to know more, I suggest you check out the battery guide from the Esk8 builder forum.

Nonetheless, I hope this short guide helps to give you to at least an idea of what the marketers are saying when shopping for your electric skateboard and to help you see through inflated marketing stats.

May 27, 2018June 9, 2019 by Paxson Lim

Meepo Campus 2.0 – Review

Foreword

In the electric skateboard world, the budget board segment definitely sees the toughest competition. Brands from China are always trying to out-compete each other through upgrades, price, and customer support.

MeepoBoards, the company that ignited the affordable eskate market definitely has not stayed idle. Meepo refreshed its lineup just like the Boosted, and gave all its boards the 2.0 update – which includes improved remote, trucks, ESC, motors and of course – looks.

While these improvements have helped to maintain Meepo’s position as the leading affordable brand in the eskate market, the most interesting news that comes with the update is the revival of the Meepo Campus in the form of the Meepo Campus 2.0.

This is the board we will be reviewing today.

Introduction to MeepoBoard

MeepoBoard’s story is something that many of us are very familiar with, but for the sake of those who aren’t, it is worth retelling.

MeepoBoard is undoubtedly the most popular budget board brand in the market right now, but the story of how the eskate giant came to be, surprisingly, is a Cinderella story.
The founder of MeepoBoard, Kieran, was a young engineer who worked sales in an electric skateboard company. Disagreeing with the company’s focus on pushing sales while disregarding quality, Kieran decided to try his luck in selling a self-assembled board on Youtube. After a few successful sales, he decided to set up his own eskate brand with a focus on affordability, practicality and customer satisfaction.

In a world where any electric skateboard under $700 was either a toy or thrash, Kieran’s Meepo was asking for half of that price while delivering decent performance. Kieran figured with word of mouth , existing customers vouching for the quality of the Meepo and his post-sales service, MeepoBoard could break the hesitance of international buyers towards cheap Chinese Boards.

True enough, a dozen positive customer reviews on Redditt and a featured interview post with us later, the floodgate was opened. With weekly orders in the hundreds and customers lining up – willing to wait for months to get their Meepo, MeepoBoard has not only established itself but also set up the affordable eskate market as we know it.

With the meteoric rise of the MeepoBoard, other Chinese electric skateboard manufacturers have moved into the niche and “Meepo-clones” have become a thing.
And now, thanks to the affordable electric skateboard movement that Meepo created, anyone can own an electric skateboard.

Meepo Campus

The last generation of the Meepo Campus was a nickel board series known as the Meepo Penny.

It was never supposed to be the focal point of MeepoBoard, but many still seek out this lesser known little brother of the Meepo for its form factor and price.

The Meepo Penny later received some upgrades to become Meepo Campus, which was often sought after for the same reasons.

Because the Meepo Penny and the Meepo Campus weren’t very powerful boards, Kieran thought that the board might not be right for a lot of people and chose not to market it heavily.

Hence, when the 30” Meepo Board became available, the Campus was quietly discontinued.
Well, that didn’t last long!
To Meepo fans delight, the Campus board has been brought back to life with the 2.0 update.

Is it any good though? read on.

Meepo Campus 2.0 Review

So how did the Meepo Campus 2.0 come to be?

Well, apparently the Campus 2.0 was designed by Kieran for his wife’s commute. Aimed to be lighter, tamer and beginner friendly, the Campus 2.0 kept the portable mindset that the Campus series was known for with tons of other improvements.

Meepo Campus 2.0 Specs

The Meepo Campus 2 saw lots of improvement in specs but also gained some weight.

Top Speed: 18mph (30kmh)
Range: 10mil (16km)
Weight: 12.5lbs (5.5kg)
Charge Time: 2 Hours
Features: Weatherproof, Regenerative Braking.
Price: 299 USD.

Build Quality

This is 2018 and cheap Chinese Boards are not cheap in quality anymore.
From the packaging to the finishing, 2nd Gen Meepo is evolving from its garage-made origin.

From the carrying handle of the box to the fitting cut out from the protective foam, the Meepo Campus 2.0 looks good right off the bat.

While the makeshift A4 printed instruction manual and the lack of design on the instruction booklet were two dead give-aways of Meepo’s garage-made origin, they also remind us that Meepo’s priority has always been affordability and practicality with polish being something extra.

Deck

The Campus 2 come with a broad 32” Canadian maple deck with a kicktail.
It has a slight concave to it and feels good underfoot.

Instead of a regular grip tape, the Campus 2.0 uses a non-abrasive foam tape.

I am sure there are skaters who would prefer a regular grip tape but this foam tape worked for me (and my pants, my car seat, my skateboard carrying bag – they all hate the regular sandpaper grip tape).

The foam tape definitely wears faster than regular grip tapes, but its a tradeoff I am willing to make.
I wonder if it makes doing tricks harder though?

Wheels

The 83MM 78a wheels were great. They’re soft, big (for a skateboard this size anyway), and all yellow.
(not sure how I feel about the color though.)

Trucks

The 2nd generation Meepo boards have upgraded trucks. The Campus 2.0 trucks are now beefier compare to the 1st gen Meepo.

Time to put rest to the thought that Meepo doesn’t have good trucks.

ESC

With an updated ESC, the Meepo Campus retained the popular smart turn on feature (board turns on when pushed). The board will also turn itself off if left idle with the remote off, and I really love this power switch button.

Summary of Build Quality

The Meepo Campus 2.0 is a beautiful product.
The finish is great, the parts look good, and everything was put together solidly.
By looking at it, you wouldn’t believe that this puppy costs under $300 bucks. Impressive!

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

All of the 2nd Gen Meepo boards come with 4 riding mode, Beginner, Eco, Expert and Pro.
But to be honest, the Meepo Campus 2.0 probably doesn’t need them.
The Meepo Campus 2.0 has only one hub motor and a single hub motor can only do so much for acceleration and braking.

All of the riding modes come with gentle acceleration and deceleration, and only the pro-mode has a little kick during acceleration.

This is definitely a beginner’s board. The acceleration is very gentle, even in pro-mode – too weak for someone who likes the thrill of a fast start, but good for someone who wants absolutely no risk of falling.

Kick pushing to start is definitely a good idea.
Braking is definitely gentle and butter smooth, say goodbye to the braking jerk of the previous gen Meepos. The downside? It is weak. Takes a long time to brake to a full stop and full braking down a hill is not possible, it can only slow you down to a safe speed so that you can walk off the board.
Again, single hub motor has its limitation.

Vibration & Stability

Single hub motor = three 83mm 78a soft skateboard wheels = better vibration dampening and more comfortable ride.

However, you will definitely be standing on top of the truck so your legs will feel every vibration.
Riding it on cobblestone and poorer road surfaces feels… acceptable, but definitely not as good as most larger electric longboards.
The Campus 2.0 has a broad deck and feels stabler than most longboards once you tighten the trucks. You can’t go fast enough to become very unstable anyway.

Tight maneuvers are what the Campus 2.0 does best.
With the short wheelbase, the turning radius is great, perfect to navigate around tight spaces.
What’s more, there is a kicktail for kick turns.

There is, however, a risk of wheel bite. The board has wheel wells but unfortunately, at the tightest turn, the wheels will still bite. I decided to tighten the trucks, sacrifice maneuverability for safety and sure enough, after the truck have been tightened, I can’t get the wheels to bite anymore.

*I have contacted Kieran on this and was informed that they are now using a harder bushing to prevent wheel bite. They are also installing a higher riser and making a bigger wheel well .

Remote Control

The remote is definitely more ergometric and better looking.

It uses a dial to allow finer acceleration control.

As I mentioned, there are 4 riding modes. Changing the riding modes mid-ride is even possible!

The remote also features an LED indicator showing the board and remote battery as well as a reverse button.

Nothing too fancy and of course, no disconnection issues.

Summary of Riding Experience

With smooth acceleration and braking, soft bushings, good maneuverability, the Meepo Campus is both fun to ride and practical as a mobility device.

It cannot provide the thrill of a high-speed ride but the campus 2.0 is definitely good enough for a leisurely slow ride.

If I am being totally honest, the lack of adrenaline rush is what makes the Campus 2.0 my current personal favorite Eskate – I have a peace of mind when I am on it.

Beginners and non-skaters would definitely appreciate the configuration.

Capability

Range

Can’t be a good last mile option if it can’t go many miles, can it?
The Meepo Campus 2.0 is using a 4AH, Sanyo 10S1P, 144wh battery and
is advertised with a serviceable 10mile(16km) range.

My personal range test, running on a flat surface between 9 to 15 mph (15-25kmh) lasted me around
13miles(22km) before the battery went dry. There is almost no voltage sag either!
(my weight 165lbs/ 75kg)

The range is definitely an upgrade from the original Meepo Campus.

Speed

Speed is definitely not the priority for Campus 2.0.

That said, it can still get up to 18mph(30kmh). (Full speed tuck, with a little help from the wind.)
Even then, as the acceleration is slow, you will definitely still get dusted if you choose to take the Campus 2.0 to a group ride.

But considering what its made for, sidewalks, and within building compounds, the top speed is definitely sufficient.

Torque

Its called Meepo Campus and campuses are supposed to be flat.
The Meepo Campus is definitely torque-challenged and could not perform a stop and go on a multistorey car park ramp. To my surprise, it did manage to hold the board to a stop and not continue rolling.

Stop and go on this incline, however, didn’t seem to challenge the board at all. It went up from resting position without a problem.

Riding modes affect the torque as well. If you are facing any incline, any at all, you should be using only the expert or pro mode. Other modes handicap the Campus 2 so much that it can’t start from an imperceptible incline with you on it.

Honestly, I was expecting a far worse performance from a single hub motor board but I actually find the results acceptable.

With that being said, torque is definitely the biggest limitation of the Campus 2.0, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone heavy or who lives in hilly areas.

Customer Service

Customer service doesn’t come with a board at this price, unless it has a Meepo logo on it.

Product quality and post-sale service are what separates an affordable electric skateboard from a toy that you use for a single weekend then store away in the garage, never to see daylight again.

Simply put, the Meepo Campus 2.0 is the cheapest electric skateboard on the market that meets the customer service requirement, and hence the only electric skateboard I can recommend at this price point.

Other Features

It has smart turn on. Auto shut-off.
Has a non-abrasive grip tape and that’s pretty much it.
Nothing fancy, all the budget probably went into making the core part of the electric skateboard.

Verdict

Meepo makes eskates that allow everyone to ride, and the Meepo Campus 2.0 is the epitome of that, pushing the affordability to the extreme.

The Campus 2 is an easy recommendation. With good value and an insane price, the value per dollar ratio is just through the roof.

Not to take away the fact that the board is pretty good but with this price tag, you won’t do too bad even if you just buy the board to salvage its parts – and per usual, tinkering and upgrades are always easy with the Meepos.

It is perfect for beginners, for children and for someone who just wants to experience eskating.
It’s also perfect for someone who doesn’t need torque and doesn’t care about top speed.

For the above reasons, the Meepo Campus 2 is at the moment, my favorite board. Its performance is enough for me in most situations and its portability and ease of handling (that non-abrasive grip tape makes a difference) make it my go-to choice for last-mile commuting and rides within building compounds.
(Well, technically my favorite board at the moment is Arc Aileron V2 but it costs 3x more.)

With that said, it is important for me to make it clear that Meepo Campus 2.0 is definitely NOT a beast. It’s a tame puppy. It fetches your newspaper and makes life fun and won’t hurt you, but don’t ever expect it to outperform any big dogs. At least not without some tinkering.

$299 used to get you a toy, well, not anymore.

Wanna hear bad news? It is only available in the USA.

P.S: You can even get it from Amazon!

Check out Meepo Campus 2.0

To know more about MeepoBoards, click here.

For those who are from a European country, you can choose to shop from a local dealer – Speedio.
Speedio is an Electric Skateboard re-seller based in the Czech Republic. While you do pay a little premium, they offer a 2-year warranty, local support, and fast 2-5 days shipping.

May 14, 2018May 18, 2018 by Paxson Lim

Arc Aileron 2.0 – Review

Foreword

Not the most flashy company, Arc Board EV from Singapore has been putting out quality boards since the launch of their Arc Penny(AKA Arc Board) on 30th August 2016. Following the success of Arc Penny, the Arc team launched the original Arc Aileron, which is also regarded as one of the best electric shortboard available to the market.

Throughout the years and with this 2 main products, Arc has established itself as a trustworthy brand that makes good boards.

Fast forward to the 2nd April 2018, the Arc team announced not one but two up-coming new products, the Arc Finix and Arc Aileron 2.0.
Both of this boards will be rocking the new “Arc Fusion” geared drive designed by the Arc team.
This is exciting as the Arc Aileron V2 will be among the first geared drive powered electric skateboard to hit the market.

I was given the chance to thoroughly test out the pre-production model of the Arc Aileron V2 and get a taste of how well the Arc Fusion drive works, and spoiler alert, its good!

Introduction of Arc Board EV

Being near from Singapore where Arc Board EV is based, I am quite familiar with the Arc team.
In fact, I was given the opportunity to visit their operation in Singapore earlier this year and wrote a story on this small yet respectable start-up.

*Click to read more about the entrepreneur story of Arc Board EV.*

Though not a very talked about brand in the global Eskate community, the Arc team has gained the trust of those who paid any attention to them. They are a small team of electric skateboard start-up that doesn’t try to do too much, yet everything they did, they did it well.

Ever since they first launched their Kickstarter Campaign on the original Arc Penny in August 2016, Arc team has never let their customers down.
Always on-time in delivering great quality products and follow up that with great customer service, the Arc team is well-loved by the community it serves.

The Arc Line-Up

Listing in the upcoming Arc Aileron V2 and Arc Finix, the Arc team will soon to have 4 products in the line-up: The Arc Penny, Arc Aileron V1, Arc Aileron V2 and the Arc Finix.

While I consider Arc Penny the best electric penny board on the market and Arc Aileron V1 great shortboard balancing riding comfort and portability, the Arc boards were seemingly at risk to be drowned out by competition as more and more new eskate show up with crazy specs and crazier price. This changed with the announcement of Arc Aileron V2 and Arc Finix.

Arc team has chosen to answer the competition through innovation. Their in-house designed geared drive motor, the Arc fusion drive, is looking to give them a significant competitive edge.

While the much anticipated Arc Finix, which should be available by the end of this year, will use a dual motor set-up with two Arc fusion drive; the Arc Aileron V2 will be powered by single Arc fusion drive and be one of the first geared drive board to lead this post-hub motor era.

Arc Aileron V2 Review

So how does Arc Aileron V2 came to be?

“Among all the ideas we have, we choose to go forward with the Arc Aileron V2 and the fusion drive to solve a problem I have – the need for more range. I tried to ride to the office with the original Arc Aileron and couldn’t get all the way through.”

“The fusion drive, on top of many performance improvements, solve the range issue. By changing the belt drive to a more efficient geared drive gives you 2 times the range.”

“Instead of being the last mile solution, we want the Arc Aileron V2 to go the ‘full miles’, so you can skip the MRT or bus and just skate the whole way to your destination on the V2”

Paraphrasing Hung Yi from Arc team

Arc Aileron V2 Specs

Arc Aileron V2 is all-rounded in specs.

Top Speed: 25mph (40kmh)
Range: 19mil (30km)
Weight: 12.1lbs (5.5kg)
Charge Time: 70min
Features: Weatherproof, Regenerative Braking.
Price: less than 1400 USD.

Build Quality

Arc Aileron might be one of the toughest board on the market right now.
It has an industrial black and grey look with none of those fancy color scheme and rounded edges.

The look of the Arc boards definitely reflected Arc team’s philosophy – substances over style.

Deck

The Arc Aileron V2 continue the use of Aileron carbon fiber deck from 121C.

The aerospace grade pure carbon fiber deck allows the deck to be lighter and thinner, something that helped Arc Aileron to be the lightest electric shortboard in the market.

Impressive.

This carbon fiber deck is also very durable. It might be the only skateboard deck that could survive being run over by a car, something that seems to happen more than a few times these recent months… (stay safe guys.)

Fusion Drive

The Arc Aileron V2 will be the first board to use the newly developed geared drive – Arc Fusion Drive.

A few electric skateboard company has their own iteration of the geared drive motor: the Carvon has had theirs for a while now and JED board has been making it their marketing focal point for the delayed JED board.
None of those product has yet to make a significant impact on the mass market so it was so surprising when the Arc team announced that they have a market-ready geared drive!
(note: Carvon’s geared drive is available for purchase, but its complete eskate is currently stuck in delay hell.)
(note2: JED board which made famous the geared drive through its marketing effort is just beginning to start its production phase. So it’s likely that the V2 is going to be available around the same time (June) as the JED preorders (scheduled May but most likely will see slight delays.)

Apparently, the Arc team have been keeping the Arc Fusion R&D close to their chest for a good half year now.

If you are not interested in the geared drives, well, you should!

A lot of words are needed to explain about the geared drive so I will skip the explaining of what they are (think belt drive without the belt) and straight to what it means for the user.

Basically, with geared drive, you have a system that is more efficient while requires less maintenance compares to a belt drive. The geared drive also allows the use of standard longboard wheels – meaning significantly smoother rides. It also made possible the easy swapping of wheels and interchangeable AT/street set-up. These are the things that hub motor could not do.
The geared drive system also retains the responsive feel and instant acceleration that only belt-drives and high-end hub motors can offer.
On the other hand, unlike the belt motor, geared drive free-rolls well. In fact, it free-rolls better than a hub motor!

One of the criticisms of the geared drive as made famous by JED board is having a high-pitch steel to steel grind noise. Hence, many are waiting to hear how the Arc Fusion drive sounds.
After testing out the V2 myself, I am happy to report that Arc Fusion drive is only as noisy as a regular belt drive motor, no high-pitch noise.

Another concern that I have for a geared drive is their durability, especially when Arc Aileron V2 is the ‘virgin voyage’ of a new motor system.

While it is a good comfort to know that Arc team has been running its Arc Fusion drive under the radar for 4 months now, the real comfort lies with knowing that I can trust the team to have my back should there be issues down the line.

That’s the importance of buying from people you trust.

Wheels

With the V2, Arc team finally upgraded the wheels of their boards from 70mm to 90mm. Undoubtedly, it is a move that they were forced to make to allow more ground clearance for the board.
The bigger wheel took abit away from that agile feel I experience from the V1 but allows the board to skate on less than perfect road.

I found wheels size and durometer matters most in dampening vibration and in the case of V2, the four big soft 90mm 75a wheels smooth out vibration better than an ultra flex deck on a hub motor would.

Love the change.

Summary

With the aerospace grade pure carbon fiber deck from 121C, CNC part made in Singapore by REI Promax and with every unit assembled by the Arc-Team themselves, the Arc Aileron’s quality is one of its brightest points.

They have the track record to prove it too.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

With a well-tuned VESC, the Arc Aileron V2 has a butter smooth acceleration and deceleration curve.
There is no surprise considering the Arc team already manage to nail that in the 1st gen Arc Aileron.

By using the geared drive, the Arc Aileron retained that instant & responsive acceleration that belt-drives are known for. When releasing the acceleration, there are no jolts, and the board free-wheeled so well that it felt as if it might never stop. Significantly better than hubs.

I used to be so nervous trying to brake on an electric skateboard, yet for the Arc Aileron V2, there is no such concern. There were no jolts felt. 100% smooth – I promise.

While most of the skateboard has 2 or even 5 riding modes to cater to different needs, Arc Aileron V2 doesn’t have that and doesn’t need that. It is too easy to control the rate of acceleration and the top speed with the remote dial and you won’t even be thinking about the ride modes.
It was only when I was writing the review that it dawned on me that Arc Aileron V2 doesn’t have different speed modes.

The control is just that awesome.

10/10 man. Bravo.

Vibration & Stability

As per usual, we took the Arc Aileron V2 to a cobblestone road to test out how it handles vibration.

As mentioned prior, the Arc Aileron V2 is quite well in handling vibration.
Though the carbon fiber deck is not known to be the most flexible, the 75a 90mm wheels really help in dampening vibration.

On the downside, the deck doesn’t have any concave to it so it doesn’t help to “grip” your foot during rides. So when my feet were numb during the cobblestone ride, a concave deck might help and ease the feeling of my feet slipping off the deck.
But obviously, you can’t have a thin carbon fiber deck and still ask for it to have concave too, can you?

Remote Control

Using a single dial with plenty of throws, Arc version of eskate remote is among the best out there.
The remote is big and simple in design.

I think the size works for me and I find it very comfortable to hold in hand.

No disconnection of course. And they have chosen to disable the reverse function, a change that I am fans of.

As I mentioned, it is so easy to fine tune the acceleration, braking and top speed that the V2 doesn’t need speed mode to help with the control.

By the way, its using AA battery instead of lithium.

Summary of Riding Experience

Arc Aileron V2 offers the best riding experience one can ask from a shortboard. Riding on the V2, I couldn’t think of anything to improve it on. Good in tight maneuver and awesome in cruising, the V2 does its job perfectly.

The acceleration and deceleration are both so easy to control that I am confident it suits both newbie and the pros.

Capability

Range

19miles or 30kmh range is exactly what an efficient geared drive motor can do – doubling the range of a belt drive system.

Speed

In our testing, the Arc Aileron V2 can reach 23mph (38kmh) for a 165lbs(75kg) rider in a normal stance.
This means that the marketing top speed of 25mph(40kmh) is definitely achievable with a (155lbs)70kg rider in a speed tuck. It’s not something I would want to do on a shortboard deck but hey, you do you!

Torque

The Arc Aileron V2 is marketed to handle 19% uphill climb.

In my standard uphill hill test, the V2 is able to conquer the incline if given a running start.
It couldn’t do a stop-and-go on a steep incline. It is a single drive electric skateboard after all.

Note: If given too big of a load, the geared drive will sputter. This is bad for the motor so it is best not to abuse it.

Customer Service

Customer service is a bright spot for the Arc team. They have been here for a while and their track record has been perfect.

Customer for Singapore has a fast and easy access to the Arc team (its a city-state after all).
For international customers, the Arc team works with other people and company around the world to provide better and faster repair service.

If you are from the US, Long-Hair-Boy will be the one helping the repair if something goes wrong with your Arc while for EU customers, Cedric from Unikboards will be handling the repair and warranty.
Last but not least, the customers from South East Asia and Australia will still be nearest to Arc team and will be serviced by the team themselves.

Other Features

The Arc boards are usually simple boards without much belts and whistles.

The Arc Aileron V2 kept the same philosophy. No smartphone app, no built-in LED.
Just a tough electric skateboard.

Portability

The best part of the Arc Aileron V2 is the portability. At 12lbs(5.5kg), it is only second to the belt-drive Arc Aileron V1 (9.5lbs/ 4.3kg) for the top places as the lightest electric shortboard.

Verdict

While the original Arc Aileron has its niche, the electric shortboard market was seeing fierce competition and the Arc team needed to make a move.

The Arc Aileron V2 with its geared drive is the perfect solution. Instead of going into a price & specs war, Arc team decided to lead the electric skateboard market with their new geared drive technology.

Amongst all the shortboard in the market, I would place the Aileron V2 as a better board over even the recently announced Boosted Mini X. Aileron V2 is simply better in performance and more practical to travel around with considering the weight.
Aileron V2 is also on par with quality and ride feel comparing to the Boosted.
Well, V2 cost $300 more than the Boosted Mini X so it would be only reasonable to expect a better value.

Although as a single drive electric skateboard, the Arc Aileron V2 is not the best hill climber, it is still the perfect electric shortboard for a lot of people.
It can be fast for the pros and it can be tame for the noobs.
It is light enough to travel around and comfortable enough to cruise.

Arc Aileron V2 also has the customer service and the build quality to give the peace of mind.

If you are in the market for an electric shortboard, there shouldn’t be a lot of reason to turn down the V2 if the $1300 price-tag is within your budget.

Check out Arc Aileron V2

May 7, 2018August 16, 2018 by Paxson Lim

Teamgee H6-Review

Foreword

Just as the winter ends, another wave of new electric skateboard began their marketing push. Teamgee H6 manages to stand out amongst the generic boards that are coming out from China with its pintail deck and stealth design.

Introduction of Teamgee

ShenZhen TeamGee Electronic Co., Ltd is a big established company in China. It has around 70 employees under its payroll, though only a dozen of core members work on the electric skateboard project.

Teamgee began its business as an OEM and ODM of various electronic components but it definitely didn’t limit itself there. For the past few years, Teamgee has established itself in the E-mobility world offering products such as the hoverboard, electrics-scooter and unicycle.

In 2016, they started to get into the electric skateboard business and have been selling fairly well in the Chinese market.

Teamgee electric skateboard project is the brainchild of the company owner, Mr. Sun, a 36-year-old gentleman with a receding hairline and a friendly vibe. Mr. Sun is not a skater but nonetheless an avid sports enthusiast. Like many of us, he found electric skateboard being much more fun as compared to the likes of the hoverboard. With the structure that Teamgee has, it is easy for them to get into the electric skateboard business so that was what they did.

Teamgee electric skateboards

Don’t let the emptiness in Teamgee web-store fool you into thinking that it has only the H6 to sell.
Teamgee has more than that, it has been selling a variety of eskate in the Chinese market and has even more of them in development, including an electric skateboard booster drive. The pintail H6 is the most recognizable by far and that was the reason why they chose to enter the international market with it.

The business owner, Mr. Sun has a particular insistence in the aesthetic design for his electric skateboard, wanting it to look and feel more like a regular longboard, hence the stealthy design. His passion towards creating an aesthetically pleasing electric skateboard is easy to see through the passionate way he spoke about board designs and the extent their team went through to make Teamgee board look the way it is.

We can all agree that the H6 looks pretty nice, can’t we?

But can it perform?

Teamgee H6 Review

Not aiming to be the most powerful, Teamgee H6 is at least decent in the specs department.

Top Speed: 18.5mph (30kmh)
Range: 10mil (16km)
Weight: 14lbs (6.3kg)
Charge Time: 2 hours
Features: Regenerative Braking, LED lights.
Price: 529 USD.

Build Quality

Right out of the box, Teamgee impressed with its looks and design.

The sleek design without any protruding component boxes also means the board has a very solid feel in hand.
The appearance of the board is definitely among the best in its price category. Though a little hot glue residual on the connecting wires serves to remind that this is, at the end of the day, a $500 board and not quite at the Boosted level in finishing.

Weight:

Not to let the sleek designs fool you to think that the board is light.
It is not heavy at 14lbs (6.3kg) but definitely not something you want to be carrying around for an extended time.

Deck:

Pintail deck aren’t often seen in electric skateboard market and the Teamgee H6 is definitely the first one in this price range.

The pintail deck was made from Canadian maple and not-surprisingly, it is stiff – considering all the electronic components were housed inside the deck, it would be foolish to expect otherwise.

The pintail deck has a slight concave to it.
Compares it to a flat deck, the concave definitely helps with the control and feel of the deck.

If you are on the taller side, say 5’9 (180cm), you might find the deck too narrow for comfort.
I am 5’7 (175cm) and the deck works well for me.

The graphic design on the deck was something that Teamgee put a lot of effort into. Even if the design doesn’t work for you, it is difficult to argue that the H6 stands out amongst your typical eskates.

Wheels:

Teamgee H6 chose to use 83mm 83A wheels.
The design of the board simply doesn’t allow any bigger wheels as with 83mm, wheel bites are already happening at full-lean in low speed.

(The team told me that in the future, they will have wheel-well on deck to prevent wheel bites.)

The hub motor urethane sleeves are replaceable so that is a plus.

Summary:

Beautifully designed, the Teamgee H6 is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing electric skateboards out there. Both the build quality and finishing while not perfect, are good.
Keep in mind, this is, after all, a mid-range board.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

Straight out of the box, it definitely took me awhile to get familiar with the H6.

It has a perceptible delay in acceleration and braking. The team told me it was designed that way to cater to a less experienced crowd. Although I don’t see how that would help, my wife seems to like this configuration better than the other boards I have.. well (that puzzled me a lot, actually.). Shrugged…

The delay is even more noticeable when going from braking to acceleration. That means if you flip the throttle back and forth very fast, the board would not move at all. (Just something that I notice).

Thankfully, that was something that I get used to quickly.

Anyways, the H6 has 2 speed modes, high and low.

In the low-speed mode, acceleration and deceleration are one of the tamest I’ve experienced.
Combine it with a gentle top speed of 11mph(17kmh) in the low-speed mode, the H6 is well suited for beginners to comfortable cruise around in.
In the high-speed mode, however, the acceleration and braking are significantly stronger. Its still within the control of a seasoned eskater, but definitely not for the casuals.

Vibration & Stability

A stiff deck and a (relatively) small wheel mean that Teamgee H6 is not the best board to ride on bad roads. Riding the H6 on cobblestone, I can feel each of the vibration.
The 83mm wheels also put a limit on how big a bump you can roll over.

In my opinion, the board is configured to give the best cruising experience on low speed with its soft bushing that makes carving better.

While the board won’t challenge your balance in low-speed mode, it is a different story in high-speed mode. Bear in mind the pintail deck of the H6 is more narrow and the truck-based is shorter than your regular 38″ longboard deck, so going 20mph(32kmh) felt to me like riding on a rocket broomstick. On the other hand, an eskate veteran who was accustomed to highspeed riding will definitely have no problem with a measly 20mph.

Remote Control

For international buyers, Teamgee H6 comes with a new remote, which is cool.

Well, because the old remote is really bad in both look, feels and function.

This new remote is pretty good.

First of all, the soft rubber feels really good in the hand.
Secondly, it has a small screen that shows speed, and battery life.
It also has a LED light on the top, something that might be useful from time to time.

This remote use a dial in the middle, it has a pretty short throw limiting the fine control you can have with it.

There is also a cruise-control feature build into this remote. By pressing the dial twice, the H6 will lock the current speed and allow you to cruise along without holding on the dial. Simply move the dial again in either direction to disengage the cruise control.

It’s a nice feature and but kinda dangerous for those who are oblivious to it, as the board might speed-on unintendedly if you accidentally engage the cruise control.

Summary of Riding Experience

I never tried surfing but cruising and carving on this pintail deck definitely feels the way I think surfing would feel.

The H6 are designed for cruising and carving around big smooth roads and it really shines in that setting. Engage the board in cruise control and all that left to do is to enjoy the carves.

For other use, however, the board is just passable. There is more powerful and stabler board for high speed and there is lighter and agiler board for navigating city sidewalks.

Capability

Range

Obviously, the range of the board depends on your weight, your riding style, and the temperature.

The 3.5Ah battery is advertised to give 10miles(16km).

If you are blasting at its top speed all the time, the board will last you around 7.5miles(12km). On the other hand, just cruising around in the low-speed mode will still leave you with half of the battery after doing the advertised 10miles(16km).

Note: I am 165lb(75kg) and this was tested in a typical hot tropical weather.

Speed

Teamgee H6 has advertised top speed of 18.5mph(30kmh).

With speed tuck, I can get the board to accelerate up to 20mph(32kmh).

The low-speed mode has its top speed set at 11mph(17kmh). A comfortable speed to cruise around in.

Torque

I did the standard stop and go test on the hill and the board did admirably. It can brake into a full stop on the incline and continue up the hill without rolling backward.

Comparing it to other board in the similar price, it handles hills considerably better.

Passed with flying color.

Customer Service

Teamgee is a new company and the customer service is, well, unproven.

The effort is definitely there – they have set-up a US hotline to service US customers better.
For the rest of the world, the customer service will be via email.

I do foresee the company to struggle a bit in the near future before they get more seasoned in servicing international customer. If tip-top post-sale service is a must to you, do check back this post in a few months and I will update this section once the company proved itself.

Verdict

So, would I recommend Teamgee H6 to anyone? How does it stack up against boards of its tier?

While Teamgee H6 takes a backseat to Meepo-Wowgo-Ownboard in performance, it definitely is miles ahead in aesthetic and looks.

The surf like carving experience and the sleek design is something unique that only the H6 offers.

I, however, do not think the board suits well to a big tall person as they might find the deck too narrow and the stock bushing too soft.

To summarize, I would recommend the Teamgee H6 to someone who looks to cruise around in comfortable speed and in good roads.
Or to anyone who really needs to eskate under the radar.
Or to anyone who really likes that design.

Looks elsewhere if you are tall, big, need for speed, rides on bad roads or are looking for a very portable board.

Teamgee Official Site
Use “EskateHQ” affiliate code during check out to get 10% off.

Note: Post-sale service is a thing that I put into heavy consideration when recommending a board.
Though Teamgee seems to genuinely care about building a brand, I couldn’t just take their words for it.

I hope my reader can help me keep track of Teamgee post-sales service by CC-ing [email protected] when you are dealing with Teamgee’s customer service.
I will also do my best to make sure my reader gets taken care of.

I hope this helps. =)