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!
