For a new company to enter the eskate scene with a premium board, especially a premium shortboard, is a rather bold move, but that’s exactly what Basecamp has done with the Basecamp Ghost. In 2022, Basecamp had just begun producing electric skateboards, and in 2024, they will introduce the $1,599 Basecamp Ghost, an electric shortboard. Even though it’s on pre-order for $1,299, it’s still one of the most expensive electric shortboards available. We expect premium parts throughout the board because of the hefty price tag.
Basecamp Ghost Specifications
| Price | $1299 |
| Battery | 12S2P, Molicel P42A, 373 Wh, 8.4AH |
| Controller | Basecamp custom ESC |
| Top Speed | 34mph (55kph) |
| Range | 25 miles (40 km) |
| Deck | 31.1 inches T700 3K Carbon Fiber |
| Motor | Belt, 2 x 3000W Hobbywing 5255 |
| Net Weight | 19 LBS / 8.6 KG |
Deck: 31.1 inches T700 3K Carbon Fiber
Starting off with the deck, it’s a sleek 31.1-inch Carbon Fibre Deck with a unibody design and no bulging electronic enclosures. The deck of the Meepo Hurricane is also built of T700 3K Carbon Fibre, but unlike many carbon fiber decks, which are designed to be perfectly flat, the Ghost has a nice concave to it.
The Basecamp Ghost also has a tiny kicktail, which means two things:
1) It’s more for show than anything else, and
2) Despite the deck’s overall length of 31.1 inches, which is comparable to a mini-board, the wheelbase and stance are actually quite wide, resembling cruiser boards like the Tynee Stinger and Meepo Flow.
Click here to read our review of the Tynee Stinger.
Click her to read our review of the Meepo Flow.
This means it is far more stable than a typical mini board without expanding the footprint or compromising portability.
Portability is also a unique strength of this board; the carbon fiber material allows the deck to be lighter, and the whole board comes together at a carry-friendly 19 lbs or 8.6 KG.
Truck and Wheels: 7075 aluminum alloy and 90 MM 76A PU Wheels
Now let’s talk about trucks. These are high-quality CNC trucks that are engraved from 7075 aluminum alloy, so they should perform incredibly well and be a lot more durable than conventional cast trucks.
The wheels are 90 MM 76A PU Wheels and despite being advertised as the most comfortable wheels available, these seem very standard to us despite using the late-Boosted Hemotox technology.
Battery: 12S2P, Molicel P42A, 373 Wh
For the battery, Basecamp went with a 12S2P, Molicel P42A, 373 Wh. On one hand, this is pretty underwhelming for any board over $700, but on the other hand, a bigger battery will reduce the portability, which is one of the unique upsides Ghost has going for itself.
At the very least, it’s using the best cell possible with Molicel P42A. The Ghost is marketed at a range of 25 miles or 40 km. In our tests, we managed to reach 19 miles or 30 km with a 154 lbs or 70 kg rider riding fast modes 3 and 4, which is still a healthy range.
ESC: Basecamp Customized ESC
Moving onto the ESC, Basecamp decided to design their own for the Ghost.
Initially, we were wary of the claim, as there had been many small brands that launched boards with quote-unquote customized ESC but, in truth, were just using a version of Lingyi ESC.However, this is not the case with Ghost; what is within the Ghost gave us the impression of a VESC. It includes smart turn-on features, which let the board to switch on automatically when the remote is turned on, like many VESC do nowadays. It also came with 4-speed modes.
So we reached out to Basecamp, and they told us that it is an XESC and claims that it is superior to VESC. This Basecamp XESC does provide for the same customizing capabilities as a VESC, although we don’t like to compare the two. It allows for customization of almost everything, including swapping out motors, batteries, etc. And you can change the settings straight from the remote, very convenient. I think this is where Ghost tries to set itself apart and try to be as custom-friendly as possible, catering to the DIY crowd. Caution, though, the advanced customization with the pro settings will void the 1 year warranty, so play around at your own risk.
The remote is very nice, too, it’s very ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The throttle dial has a lot of travel, which always translates to more precise control.
Motor: Belt, 2 x 3000W Hobbywing 5255
Last but not least is the motors; the Basecamp Ghost uses a belt drive system with two 3000W Hobbywing 5255. These are pretty good motors and can go up to 34 mph or 55kph.In our tests, we managed to hit 30 mph or 48 kph before we ran out of road, but the board feels like it could really go to 55 kph, which is crazy for a shortboard.
Specs Summary:
To sum it up, Basecamp Ghost was well assembled and is truly built of high-quality components. Additionally, the board features a 1-year guarantee and an IP 65 waterproof rating.
Just going through the specs made it clear that this definitely wasn’t a board that budget shoppers would reach for, as a 12s2p battery for $1,299 is pretty steep. However, since people used to purchase Boosted for similar specs at a higher price, we know that some consumers are willing to pay more for a premium experience.
Riding Experience
Basecamp Ghost rides more like a cruiser board and less like a shortboard. The wheelbase is wider than most minis, and it reminds us of the Tynee Stinger and Meepo Flow we just reviewed, just with a narrower deck and a milder concave.
What Basecamp Ghost did better than those cruisers is the speed control. Whatever ESC Basecamp put into this board, it really does its job well, even better than the latest gen of Hobbywing ESC.
First, you get perfect smoothness in how the speed ramps up. Second, how the speed mode was designed makes sense too. The third speed mode allows you to access the highest top speed while accelerating smoothly up to the top speed. The 4th speed mode was configured to be very intuitive, too. It has a smooth and gentle initial initiation, but if you push the throttle all the way up, it gives you the extra power and the kick.
And, the throttle has a lot of travel and hence gives you more precise control of the acceleration. You can keep the throttle in the midpoint, and it’s already plenty strong, and there is a lot more room for you to push the dial all the way up, and the acceleration just ramps up precisely as strongly as you want it to. And if somehow you want the speed control to behave differently, you can always tinker with it yourself.
Power
Besides a better-than-most speed control, Basecamp Ghost is more powerful than most shortboards too, and we are expecting nothing less from a premium board at this price. The powerful dual 3000W Hobbywing motors do not let you down. For context, the Basecamp Ghost is still one of the most powerful mini boards we evaluated, but not being as mad as certain powerhouses like the Tynee Mini 3 Pro.
It can go up to 34 mph or 55 kph, and the setup is pretty stable. Although we do not have a long, straight, safe road to reach the board’s limits, we can imagine riding that fast on this 31-inch board. And that brings us to the point, the Basecamp Ghost prioritizes stability over responsiveness.
Responsiveness and Stability
Because of its longer wheelbase and lack of a kicktail, the board is more stable than the average micro board and rides like a 35-inch cruiser board with a kicktail. The CNC trucks are great; they are precise but also more biased toward stability than responsiveness. We think this leaning towards stability makes sense as Ghost clearly should be ridden fast, and any board this length has no problem turning tight corners anyway. Although carving is clearly not this board’s strong suit—it is not a longboard with a flexible deck and twin kingpin trucks— but it is still pretty enjoyable though.
Vibration
So, the riding experience on the Ghost is pretty amazing, however, it does have one weakness that came with the design, which is road vibration. With 90mm wheels and a carbon fiber deck, the board conducts unpleasant road vibrations too well. Additionally, since you would typically lay your foot squarely on top of the trucks, the vibration would pass directly from the wheels to the trucks to your knee. Although it can’t be helped, purchasing a small board comes with this inconvenience. Wearing larger wheels might be beneficial.
Verdict of Basecamp Ghost:
The Basecamp Ghost is undoubtedly a premium board and, hence not for everyone.
If you want a carbon fiber short cruiser that is light and portable, powerful and stable, with perfect speed control, then Basecamp Ghost will be what you build. It is also one of the rare non-boutique boards that are DIY-friendly, as it has an ESC that allows tinkering with its parts.
All in all, it is not a board that we value-counting plebs at ESHQ would buy, but if we are stealing one board from an electric shortboard store, we will definitely be taking this one.
If you are interested in buying the Basecamp be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $150 Off during checkout.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
