Category: Electric Skateboard Reviews

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Raldey AT-V3s Review – The best affordable AT?

Previously, we have reviewed the Raldey MT-V3, and concluded that it is the best option for someone who is looking to buy an affordable Eskate for commutes (you can read it here).

This time, we are reviewing the Raldey Bamboo V3S-AT, a board that was designed to be the most affordable AT option. 

At $899, the Raldey Bamboo V3S-AT has all the assets to be a great AT board…. Or does it?

Raldey AT-V3s Review

  • Deck Size: 40-inch x 13-inch (96.5cm x 23cm)
  • Top Speed: 28.5mph (46kmh)
  • Range: 19miles (30km)
  • Battery Pack: 504Wh (Sanyo GA in a 10s4p, 14Ah)
  • Weight: 23.6lbs/ 10.7kg
  • Motor: 2 x 1500W belt motors.
  • Wheels: 165mm/ 195mm airless
  • Price: 899 USD
  • Features:
    • Remote with Telemetry,
    • Push to power-on,
    • IP 55 weatherproof.

Let’s look at the parts.

Deck – Bamboo???

Raldey Bamboo AT-V3s’ product page listed the deck material as “8-Layer Canadian Maple deck”. Meaning, it has absolutely nothing to do with Bamboo. I reach out to Raldey and they told me it’s actually Bamboo plies mixed with Maple plies. I don’t care. The deck has no flex and calling it bamboo deck brings no meaning, so let’s just not call it Raldey Bamboo from now on.

However, despite being a little bit shady on the marketing side, the deck is fine. It’s almost the same as the one used on the Raldey MT-V3. It’s wide and has a mild concave, which makes it comfortable for foot placement. But it’s definitely not flexible, thanks to the full-length plastic enclosure screwed to the deck. 

Wheels – Airless rubber wheels

There are 2 wheel options available, 165mm and 195mm. That’s around 6.5 inches and 7.6 inches. The review unit we get is rocking the 165mm wheels. These are airless rubber wheels, and we will talk a little bit more about the ride feel later. 

Trucks – Wide Double Kingpin

The trucks are 14-inch double kingpin trucks, which makes them slightly wider than the typical 12-inch truck found on competing AT boards, like the Wowgo AT 2 and Ownboard Bamboo AT.

We will talk about how well these double kingpin trucks fare later.

Electronic Speed Controller – Customised LingYi ESC

On the electronics side, Raldey is using a customised LingYi ESC featuring push to power-on.

Veteran Eskater would already know how the board rides just by knowing the ESC it uses, but we will talk more about it later.

Battery – 10s4p Sanyo GA

In the battery department, it is equipped with a Sanyo GA battery in 10s4p configuration, making a pack of 504wh batteries. Sanyo GA is a pretty competent cell for Eskate.

10s4p is also the typical size for most AT boards.

Motors – 6368 belt motor

The pair of 6368 belt motors are rated as 1500W each. They are top-mounted and allows the board to have more ground clearance. However, it does make the board more difficult to stand leaning to the wall.

Numbers for Raldey AT-V3s: Top speed and Range

Raldey did not put out a marketed top speed and range for the 165mm configuration, but for us, all these parts come together to give the Raldey AT-V3 a top speed of 23mph (37kmh) and a range of 20miles (33km), when riding fast on the pro and high modes. 

So, here comes the $899 dollar question – how well does the Raldey AT-V3 ride?

Speed control

First, let’s talk about speed control.

Raldey uses a customized LingYi ESC which has 4 acceleration modes and 4 brakes modes that can be adjusted independently from each other. We said this before and we will say it again, when it comes to acceleration. Ling Yi ESCs are meant to be ridden in the 3rd(High mode), but not the 4th(‘Pro’ Mode).

Pro modes have super strong acceleration with a less smooth curve, and the result is a jolty feel. In high mode, acceleration is smooth enough, while still being strong. No reason to go to the 4th mode unless you enjoy peeing your pants a little bit from time to time.

The braking is great, smooth, and has 4 different strength that cater to everyone’s individual tastes.

Ride feel

Next, let’s talk about the ride feel.

The stiff deck, plus airless rubber wheels that are super thin on the motor side, means the board felt rough on gravel and trails. Don’t get me wrong, the wheels are big enough to roll over these surfaces, the experience just isn’t fun, as the wheels and deck do little to cushion the vibrations. Obviously, it would be better if you are riding on the 195mm wheels, but we have no way of telling how much better. I am guessing not by much.

Regarding the torque, I know many of you aren’t a fan of 10s batteries, but for us, Raldey AT-V3s is plenty powerful. Good enough power for whatever hills we encountered during our ride.

The general riding experience on regular roads is fine, but we can’t help but notice some flaws in it. The trucks, though wide, are the type of double kingpin trucks that are on the twitchy and wobbly side. We are still able to get to top speed and live to tell about it, but it’s a bit sketchy. 

Although the Double Kingpin trucks allow a small turning radius, they, unfortunately, have a poor return to the center. Combining that with a stiff deck and hard wheels make carving less fun. Upgrading to a better set of bushings would probably solve this complaint though. 

Final Verdict: Best Budget AT Option?

With all that said, the final question to be asked is this: how is the Raldey AT-V3S as a budget AT option?

Here is my answer: The over-arching theme of the Raldey AT-V3S can be summarized as capable but not comfortable.

Yes, the wheels are big enough for all-terrain, but it’s not comfortable.

Yes, double kingpin trucks allows better carving, but the bushings and the rough wheels mean that it wasn’t the buttery smooth carving experience we would have loved to have.

Yes, the individual parts are great, and the board is IP 55 waterproof, but the over-all polish of the product is lacking, and this Raldey is not as pretty as some other brands.

In short, the Raldey AT V3S is a perfectly capable ride for any situation, and any terrain, but it’s not a refined one. For many, it would be worth spending a couple hundred dollars more for something pricier, but for those who want to pay the absolute minimum for an AT, this is a solid choice.

If you are interested in buying a Raldey, 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!

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Wowgo Knight (hub) Review – Now it’s the best.

In September 2020, Wowgo released a new product into its lineup – the Wowgo Knight.

Wowgo obviously didn’t think through the sales plan of the product. When we received the board, we weren’t immediately informed of the specs and price, that came later. This gives us a chance to form our opinion of the board without being sway by what’s on paper.

And from the outset, everything we see suggested to us that this is gonna be an entry-level board replacing the 2-year-old Wowgo 2s (our review here).

The board has a handle cut out that is sort of a tradition for entry-level boards; The board uses a 5AH battery, which is at the ballpark of most entry-level boards; also, non-branded truck, you get my point.

To our surprise, Wowgo launched the Knight at $499 for the hub variant, and $549 for the belt variant – $100 pricier than your typical budget board. This is even more surprising considering it was priced higher than the heavily discounted Wowgo 3 !

I teased Wowgo that they are stupid with the pricing (but politely of course), and much to my surprise, they dropped the price immediately to the current $429 (hub) and $489 (belt) [after discount].

I love this current pricing for the Wowgo Knight, even though I don’t love that I have to come back and update this review heavily in response to the price drop.

With the old price, it is difficult to explain what Wowgo Knights are good for: “A mid-tier board that is a bit weaker in performance, look budget-ish but is actually very high in quality and polish, especially for the internals components.”

With the new $429 price tag, it is now simple to talk about Wowgo Knight: “The best entry-level board for most people”.

Now, let me show you why.

Wowgo Knight (hub) (Standard) review

As usual, let’s start by taking a look at the specs.

As mentioned, Wowgo Knight (hub) has the spec that similar to most $400 boards. or maybe 10% better.

  • Deck Size: 38-inch x 9-inch (96.5cm x 23cm)
  • Top Speed: 24mph (39kmh)
  • Range: 12miles (20km)
  • Battery Pack: 180Wh (Samsung 25R in a 10s2p, 5Ah)
  • Weight: 16.7lbs/ 7.6kg
  • Motor: 2 x 560W hub motors.
  • Wheels: 90mm 78A
  • Price: 429 USD (after discount code)
  • Features:
    • Remote with Telemetry,
    • Smart power-on,
    • IP 53 weatherproof,
    • swappable PU sleeves.

Let’s take a look at the electronic components on the Wowgo Knight:

Motors – Tied as the best

Wowgo Knight (hub) uses a set of 540W hub motor. What does 540W means? The market standard for entry-level boards is to use 400W hubs, Backfire G2 Black 2020 for instance, has a pair of 400W hubs.

Meepo V3, which has been the most powerful budget board all this while has 540W motors too. Obviously having the most wattage in motor doesn’t automatically means the board is gonna be powerful, but not having a good motor obviously means the board won’t be powerful.

In real world riding, the acceleration of Wowgo didn’t blow us away. It’s not thrilling, its competent. It has no trouble going uphill and hitting it’s marketed top speed of 24mph (39kmh).

Battery – Samsung 25R

In the range department, the Wowgo Knight uses Samsung 25R batteries, in a 10s2p setting, that’s 5AH or 180wh and has a marketed range of 12miles (20kmh), which we managed to surpass in our range test.

Most budget board this day uses Samsung 20R in 10s2p configuration, making them a smaller 4AH and 144WH pack. Just like everything else, Wowgo Knights are better, slightly better.

ESC and Remote – All hail smart power-on!

Wowgo Knight comes with customised Hobbywing ESC, with smart power-on feature, which means the board will power-on automatically as you turn on the remote. I see this as the most important feature any board can have, just to quantify it in monetary terms – I’m willing to pay $50 extra for this feature alone.

It seems to me that Wowgo have some special relationship with Hobbywing, as so far this feature is only available for Exway and Wowgo.

Customized Hobbywing ESC on Wowgo also means perfect smoothness in both acceleration and braking. Perfect strength in both braking and acceleration too. Not a surprise, we already come to expect that from this new generation of Hobbywing ESC.

Also, this ESC has a smart feature that allows you to switch between belt drive and hub drive. This feature was first seen on the Exway Flex, and I consider this a gimmick more than anything. Most of us have already made up our minds on what drive train we like, and the ability to switch drive trains is a feature that most people wouldn’t use.

The only scenario where I see this being useful is for someone who is new to the sport, and who bought the hub variant and later down the line is convinced that belt is the way to go. This way they have the option of just buying a belt-drive instead of an entirely new board.

Enclosure – Same as always.

Like every other brand, Wowgo Knight reuses the same enclosure for most of their board. Nice or not, you be the judge.

Oh, the board is IP 53 waterproof, which is pretty sweet.

Now let’s look at the skate parts of the Wowgo Knight

Deck – mild flex with handle cut out.

The Wowgo Knight uses a 38-inch deck made out of 8 ply real Canadian Maple. It has only a bit of flex to it and a mild concave, but my feet still feel comfortable on it.

The handle cut out is handy, but it does take some point away from the overall aesthetic of the board. Simply put, it makes the board look cheap.

The graphic of the grip tape is… again, subjective. I’m not a fan of it.

Truck – Paris clone

The trucks are not genuine Paris, but a Wowgo Paris clone. These Paris clones are good, but of course, not as good as the real Paris Truck.

It’s easy to carve and easy to turn with, but not as silky smooth as a genuine Paris Truck.

Let me illustrate it this way:

I went from Backfire G2 Black’s Caliber clone truck to the Wowgo Knight’s Paris Clone truck and I thought: “Wow, this one is so much better than the last one!”

Then I went from Wowgo Knights Paris Clone truck to Meepo’s NLS Boosted truck and I thought: “Wow, this one is so much better than the last one!”

(Note: My Paris Truck is not with me at the moment to do side by side comparison, but I remember Paris Truck to be as smooth as the Boosted Truck.)

Wheels – It’s fine.

The wheels are 78a 90mm. They are fine.

Riding Experience on the Knight

So, this is how I feel when riding the Wowgo Knight.

Speed control – Perfect

As mentioned, the speed control is perfect as expected from the latest customized Hobbywing ESC. Perfectly smooth acceleration and braking, good strength in both as well.

The stronger than average 540W dual hub certainly plays its role here.

Ride comfort – Almost great but..

The deck that has minor concave makes it comfortable for my feet. Remember the deck is on the stiffer side? Hub board + stiff deck = very uncomfortable ride on poorly paved roads.

There is no way around it, for instance, Meepo V3 has a pretty flex deck and it’s still felt terrible in poorly paved roads due to the thin PU sleeve on the hub wheels. Wowgo Knight doesn’t have the ‘assets’ to be comfortable on poor roads and it’s no surprise that it’s worse.

This is also why, Wowgo 3 felt comfortable and premium as the flex deck compensate for the road vibration coming from stiff hub motors; while Wowgo Knight felt almost ‘cheap’ when you ride it on super rough roads.

I imagine it would be a lot better in this situation for the belt version of Wowgo Knight. 4 real wheels absorb rough road signifcantly better than when you replace 2 of them with stiff hub wheels.

Again, as mentioned, another “weak point” of the Wowgo Knight would be the trucks. Saying them good or bad depends on your reference point. When it’s a $499 board, it’s a weak truck as we are comparing it to other mid-tier board with genuine Paris Truck (Wowgo 3) or genuine Caliber trucks (Backfire G3). When it’s $429, it is a freaking good truck as you are comparing them to other budget boards with much worse generic or clone trucks.

To elaborate further, the rebound of the trucks and the smoothness in turning is good, but still a level below genuine Paris. It’s probably the bushings. Again, if compared to genuine Paris or the Boosted trucks now on the NLS Belt, I would describe the feeling as being more like I’m steering the board instead of surfing on it.

Verdict: I rest my case.

Since 2017, the best budget board of the year would be determined by how this 3 company plays their card. Meepo, Backfire and Wowgo.

For 2020, all the cards has been played.

This year, all Meepo did was improving last year’s model Meepo V3 with an updated ESC and new remote. It is the right board for those who want the highest thrill and highest top speed.

On the other hand, Backfire refreshed its G2 Black and continues to be a beginner-friendly board with bigger 96mm wheels and a good polish.

Wowgo Knight, however, is undoubtedly the best option for most people having almost match the Meepo V3 in raw power, has a ride feel that is better than G2 Black, and a refined control that is as good as any mid-tier board. Plus it has smart power-on.

Well, I supposed it’s not a fair fight. After all, Wowgo Knight was shooting to be a mid-tier board, missed it, and landed amongst the budget boards.

If you are interested in buying a Wowgo, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here during checkout.
It will help you get $5 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!

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Meepo NLS Belt Review – So much Boosted in it, yet …

“Meepo should release a belt-driven board.” We hear that quite a lot in the forum. And ta-dah! Here it is.

Much unlike Meepo typical habit of getting product out of the door fast, the Belt Meepo was in the labor room for quite a while. In fact, 8 months ago I had already been shown the photo of the prototype belt Meepo.

Belt Meepo Prototype
The prototype for Belt Meepo.
Pretty different from what we have now.

A lot of things can happen in 8 months, especially when we are in the year 2020. Among the tragedies of 2020 was that Boosted went down.

Well, It’s the ultimate altruistic act to be an organ donor. The idea is, don’t let the most valuable parts of you die with you. So, when Boosted went down, Meepo became the recipient for the organ transplant. Basically, Meepo reached into Boosted’s grave and came out with the drive train system, the trucks, and the 85mm wheels. They transplanted them into a board of their own and creatively named it, the NLS Belt.

Meepo fans should be glad that these proven parts are now part of the new Meepo board, but many were troubled when the specs of the new board were announced.

Meepo NLS Belt Review

See, priced at $699, The NLS Pro Belt was right in what we call the mid-tier price segment and a direct competitor to the Exway Flex and also the Backfire Zealot. This is not a great place to be for Team Meepo. In terms of customer service and delivery, these 2 competing brands are performing better than the Meepo, at least recently.

We thought the specs of the NLS Belt are worse than the competitors as well, but after a closer look, they actually weren’t. In reality, it’s only the top speed that’s lower.

  • Deck Size: 38-inch x 9-inch (96.5cm x 22.8cm)
  • Top Speed: 22.5mph (36km)
  • Range: 18miles (30km)
  • Battery Pack: 288Wh (Samsung 40T in a 10s2p, 8Ah)
  • Weight: 18lbs/ 8.2kg
  • Motor: 2 x 900W belt motors.
  • Wheels: 85mm 78A
  • Price: 699 USD

Let’s take a look at the electronic components:

Motors – Why so slow?

You see, the NLS Belt uses the same motors from the Boosted Stealth, rated at 900W each, but it only gives a top speed of 22.5mph (35kmh). This came as a surprise to many, including myself, as Meepo has traditionally been obsessed with speed, sometimes to a fault. But this time, apparently, what bottlenecked the top speed is the LingYi ESC, and also their choice of a larger gear ratio. We will talk more about the speed a bit later.

Battery – Good range with Samsung 40T

In the range department, the NLS Belt uses the same great ER battery, made of Samsung 40T in a 10s2p setting, that’s 288wh and has a marketed range of 18miles (30kmh), which we managed to hit in our range test.

ESC and Remote – Cosmetic upgrade.

The board comes with a LingYi ESC, and hence we get the push to start feature. What’s not typical of the LingYi ESC is the new and much better-looking remote. It’s slightly different than the updated Hobbywing remote but obviously takes some inspiration from the Boosted remote. It goes well with the whole Boosted theme.

Enclosure – Same as always.

The electronics are housed in Meepo’s usual plastic enclosure, which has a digital meter to show the battery percentage; a godsend when trying to know the battery % when charging the board.

Now let’s look at the skate parts of the NLS Belt, or you may say, of Boosted.

Deck – the same deck that was the best feature of NLS.

NLS Belt, of course, uses the same 38” flexy deck as the original NLS and it’s made out of 7 layers of bamboo and 2 layers of fiberglass. It has a mild concave, some camber, and a lot of flex.

Remember back when the original Meepo NLS was released, everybody was amazed by how good it is? Other brands have since caught up but personally, I still think it is one of the best if not THE BEST flexy deck from any Chinese brand.

Yeap, I like it more than Exway Flex’s deck, bite me.

It’s deliciously flexible and the mild concave will help to let you know where your feet are.

Remember the original NLS use to have the electrical cable visible below the grip tape, and the NLS Pro just remedied it by adding a foam layer below the grip tape it? The latest NLS doesn’t have that anymore, everything is smooth now. However, I’m really not a fan of the latest grip-tape design.

Old Original NLS and the cable bump underneath the griptape

Truck- Boosted

The C&C’ed trucks and bushings are also from Boosted, instead of Meepo’s Shredder trucks.

It’s funny how every Chinese Brand seems to use two sets of trucks now: Branded trucks for their premium model and proprietary trucks for the budget model.

  • Wowgo: Paris Trucks & Paris clone
  • Backfire: Caliber II & Caliber clone
  • Exway: Seismic & Exway Triss
  • now, Meepo: Boosted & Meepo Shredder (Bear Kodiak clone)

I like Shredder Trucks, a lot, but Boosted’s are better.

Wheels – Boosted

The Wheels are 85mm 78a, the same as Boosted 3rd gens.

Boosted 85mm wheels are good & comfortable; especially when going head to head with generic wheels from typical Chinese brands; but everybody knows that Caguama is better.

Riding Experience

So, those are the specs, and after going through that a seasoned eskater would probably have been able to predict how the NLS Belt would ride.

Top speed – Might be too slow for you

Let’s start on the weakest point, the top speed. There is no way around it, if you want a board that rides above 22.5mph (35kmh), then this will be a deal-breaker.

As mentioned, the limits on the top speed come from the LingYi ESC, but not from the motors. The choice of going with a larger gear ratio of 17 to 56, or 1:3.3 also means that Meepo prioritized torque over top speed. The NLS Belt will not accelerate past 22.5mph (35kmh), but it sure as hell will get you there fast.

Torque – this is the fun part

Meepo designed the board prioritizing torque over top speed, and this actually makes the NLS Belt very fun to ride.

I love how the board rockets off the starting line and left other riders in the dust (until they caught up eventually due to the higher top-speed). NLS belt would probably be the champion in many drag races. (How I wish @Skatemetric is still around to visualize the drag race.)

Let me put it this way, if you like the thrill of going fast without actually needing to be fast, NLS Belt will be purrrfect.

Speed Control – How’s LingYi ESC now?

Acceleration – good but can be better.

Another nitpick that I have with the NLS Belt would be the speed control on the LingYi ESC. First things first, for those who are uninitiated, LingYi ESC’s have 4 acceleration modes and 4 brake modes, independent of each other.

Everyone by now should know that a LingYi ESC on a Meepo board is meant to be ridden on the 3rd acceleration mode, the perfect balance of smooth and strong. Going over to the highest 4th pro mode means the board is too strong and too raw for comfort; it’s almost only for certain situations and for drag races – where you uncage the beast and don’t mind it being untamed.

However, even ignoring the intentionally harsh 4th-speed mode, the Meepo NLS Belt and the current LingYi ESC are still slightly less refined than the Hobbywing ESC. and it is more pronounced during uphill or when turning on rough surfaces. Many riders probably wouldn’t notice the difference, I didn’t, but my friends who also rode the board did notice it.

Brakes – Brakes are perfect.

The brakes are strong and smooth though, even the 1st braking mode is plenty strong, and the strongest 4th braking mode is still plenty smooth. I always set it on the strongest brake mode for myself, and the lightest mode when I let others ride it. Everybody is happy.

Ride feels – Boosted imbued

Now, let’s talk about how well the board controls, and this is where the Boosted parts come in. Carving and, maneuvering on the NLS Belt is as nice as it was on a Boosted board. Of course it is! It’s the same trucks and bushings after all. Read or watch one of the hundreds of Boosted Stealth reviews, and that’s exactly what you get with NLS Belt. In short, it’s very stable, very comfortable, and very smooth for carving.

The wheels are the same. The 78a 85mm wheels are the same set from the Boosted Stealth – and they are known to be soft, comfortable and durable. However, as mentioned, the fact is that the Orangatang Caguama is still better, and many Boosted riders did make the swap, so that’s what we did too on the NLS Belt. It’s an easy swap and makes the ride silky smooth.

For those who hate road vibration. NLS Belt has no trouble on rough pavement. With a Flexy deck and 4 soft wheels, the NLS Belt is one of the most comfortable boards when riding on a poorly paved road.

For those speed zealot – consider Cloudwheels

For diehard Meepo fans who can’t live without a higher top speed, the easy fix is to swap to bigger wheels. (The harder fix is swap the ESC)

This is what you get for switching to Cloudwheels:

  • Top speed increased to 27mph (43kmh)
  • Slightly reduced range: around 15miles (25km) of range [preliminary test]
  • Increase comfort in rough terrain and increase safety from pebbles
  • Less fun when carving.

The switch is super easy, as Cloudwheels’ has the Boosted pulley sets that work seamlessly (obviously) here. It will only take you 10min and … money [$129 (wheels) + $39.9 (Boosted pulleys)].

I’m pretty surprise why Meepo doesn’t just tear a page out of Backfire’s playbook and advertise the NLS Belt with Cloudwheels.

Disclaimer: We are obviously the affiliate partner of Cloudwheels (& almost every other Eskate stuff).

So, if you are interested in buying Cloudwheels, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during check out.
It will help you get a $10 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!

Boosted successor?

So, is the NLS Belt a good replacement for those who would’ve bought a Boosted?

Nope. People love Boosted not only for the riding experience but also for the brand and everything that comes with it; Meepo and the NLS Belt don’t have all of that yet. When it comes to style, product polish, or customer experience, Meepo isn’t on the same level as what Boosted was. What the NLS Belt is at the end of the day, is a board that’s most physically close to the Boosted, but is not, in any way, the successor of the Boosted experience.

Verdict:

Taking it outside of the Boosted comparison, the NLS Belt is in itself a board that’s great in everything but the top speed. Meepo could’ve reduced the gear ratio, sacrificed some torque, and allowed the board to hit the standard 25mph (40kmh) top speed, but they didn’t.

Trading off thrilling acceleration for a mere 2 mph increase in top speed is certainly a deal that many won’t knowingly make, but unfortunately, most people don’t think past the marketed stats. Or Meepo could, you know, upgrade the ESC, even if it means increasing the selling price.

But it is what it is. The NLS Belt today is not a board for those who can’t look past the lower top speed; but for everyone else, the thrilling acceleration, good range, and the great riding experience made possible by the use of Boosted parts, is indeed thoroughly enjoyable.

Check out NLS Belt product page by clicking here!

Posted on by Ziyad Khairi

Backfire G2 Black 2020 Review – Any surprises?

I consider Backfire to be among the Top 3 Chinese electric skateboard brands right now, and they are in the prime position to compete for the crown as the best entry-level electric longboard. With improving aftersales service and polish, the Backfire G2 Black, 2020 edition, could be a no brainer for anyone who is looking for a budget board.

Backfire G2 2020 Review – the Blackfire 20

The new Backfire G2 Black is a good representation and measure for what you can get with $419 in 2020.

  • Deck Size: 38-inch x 9-inch (97cm x 23cm)
  • Top Speed: 24mph (38km)
  • Range: 11-12.5miles (18-20km)
  • Battery Pack: 188Wh 10s2p (5.2Ah 42V)
  • Weight: 17lbs/ 7.8kg
  • Motor: 2 x 400W hub motors.
  • Wheels: 96mm 78A
  • Price: 399-419 USD

The Parts:

Deck

The Blackfire 20 uses a 38” (96.5cm) deck made out of fiberglass, bamboo, and maple. It has a tiny bit of flex, but when I was riding it, the board felt stiff.

I think we are just pampered by having reviewed too many much more expensive boards, with better decks. The deck only has a tiny concave, so small that it’s barely noticeable. There is not much camber to it either, mostly a flat profile.

Trucks

Unlike their premium line-up, the G2 Black is not using Caliber II trucks, but instead it features Backfire’s own proprietary trucks. We will talk about how they ride shortly.

Wheels

Continuing the tradition, the Backfire G2 uses 96mm wheels with 83A. Most beginners love larger wheels sizes, so going with 96mm is appropriate for the niche it’s trying to serve.

Larger wheels can roll over bigger stuff, hence safer. It also helps to dampen some of those road vibrations when riding on rough pavement.

Battery & Range

The Backfire G2 Black uses 5.2AH battery pack, with non-branded cells in 10s2p configuration. That’s 187.2WH, and it promises a modest range of 12.5 miles (20km), which we are able to hit. Most brand has moved away from using genuine Samsung 20R for their budget line-up, as generic battery are not only cheaper but has better numbers on paper. So far, there is no noticeable performance drop, but will this translate to worse battery longevity? I’m afraid is a questions that can only time would answer.

In the budget board war, Blackfire 20’s batteries are slightly larger than it’s peers. To be precise, the standard is 4.0AH, while the Blackfire has 5.2AH. Again, showing that going with generic battery cell do give you an edge at least on the numbers.

Motors & Top Speed

Backfire G2 Black 2020 uses a set of 400W hub motors and that yield a top speed of 24mph (38km/h). We managed to hit the marketed top-speed during our test, no surprise here.

In 2020, 400W hubs are considered standard for entry-level board, as they are functionally strong enough; However, you indeed can find entry-level boards with stronger hubs. For instance, both the Meepo and Wowgo have 540W, and Meepo brags about them quite abit.

ESC and Speed Control

Blackfire 20 uses the latest Hobbywing ESC, which has the updated remote, but in usual Backfire tradition only 2-speed modes. No smart turn-on here, which is disappointing.

The Hobbywing ESC is buttery smooth, but you already know that. Everyone except beginners will be using the higher ‘Sport’ mode, as it is just as smooth as the Eco mode. The brakes are sufficiently strong here; at this point I am confident in the braking strength of Hobbywing ESCs. In fact, in 2020, I found that only the most generic Hobbywing ESC has weak brakes.

Ride Feel and Board Control

While going with Hobbywing ESC means you won’t be wrong with the speed control, the entire riding experience obviously are more than just the electronics.

First, let’s again talk about the trucks.

The Backfire proprietary trucks pale in comparison to branded trucks and came in on the tighter side. After loosening them up a bit, we would say this truck veers towards being more stable than carve-y.

Next, the deck. The fiberglass, bamboo and maple deck has only a little flex to it, and hence, again, not extraordinary for carving but great for cruising at high speed. I would love if the deck has a little bit more concave to it, so I could more easily feel my foot position without having to look down.

Stiff decks + hub motors also means the board is not the most fun to carve in and doesn’t lend much in reducing road vibration. As the previous-gen Backfire G2 Black, just a solid B in handling road vibration.

With that said, you can cruise in high speed on this thing pretty comfortably.

I get the feeling that Blackfire 20 is designed for with stability as the first consideration, something that I suppose would be a priority for newcomers to this hobby.

Summary

As a reviewer, Backfire G2 2020 is a very boring board. It has no special strength to talk about, no unique personality to angle on, and there is also not any glaring weakness to talk about.

But, please don’t confuse boring with bad.

Indeed, the Backfire G2 Black is mediocre when you compare it to higher-priced boards that have a better ride feel and far better performance, but for $419, the Backfire G2 Black 2020 delivers what it needs to deliver and some more.

It has comfortable and safe speed control, an above-average performance at the entry-level price and a top tier build quality and polish. Also, while not rated to be waterproof, the electronic components are themselves sealed, which should give good water resistance. While it has some trouble with rough road surfaces, it will ride just as nice as any board on regular roads.

Verdict

Good performance, pretty standard riding experience and top tier polish, Backfire G2 Black is undoubtedly a worthy contestant as the best entry-level electric longboard in current year and the year to come.

What’s more, while individual preference might mean everyone has a different pick as their best entry-level board, Backfire, at least at the time of this post, should come up on top when it comes to brands.
I hate to parrot their marketing pitch but, having a local warehouse in US and Europe is indeed a huge plus when it comes to delivery and aftersales service.

So yes, I do think the Backfire G2 2020 should be the standard that other entry-level boards would be compared to, and a safe pick for everyone.

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!

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Ecomobl ET Review – True AT?

Being an electric skateboard reviewer and getting the opportunity to sample a huge variety of different eskates is fun. However, I’ve never gotten my hands on any board that can be called a true off-road build.

Take the Wowgo AT 2, a board that we reviewed a while ago (spoiler alert! It’s great!). It has 7” pneumatic wheels and powerful motors that allow you transverse harsh terrain, but no one in their right mind would use it to climb a mountain trail. The board is too delicate for that.

That’s why, when Ecomobl offered to send us an Ecomobl ET for a review, I knew I needed to climb a mountain with it. It brags about being a “True All-Terrain Board” after all.

  • True All Terrain huh
  • Extra Griptape? Yeah, definitely needed that.

Ecomobl?

Hold on, let’s rewind a bit. “Who is this Ecomobl,” you may be asking. Honestly, I had to do some research on the brand before agreeing to do this review. Being a little bit reserved is always good when a brand’s flagship product looks like a copy of another brand’s products. Let’s introduce the elephant in the room: the Ecomobl M24 looks like a Bajaboard, with the upside of being $1000 cheaper and more available outside of Australia.

After doing a little bit of digging, I found that although Ecomobl itself is pretty new to most of us and to the consumer markets, they have actually been manufacturing and supplying Eskate parts to other eskate brands for a while now. In 2020, word of mouth started to spread, people started taking chances on their product and so far, the after-sale service has really been on point. Something like a ratio of 10 praises to 1 complaint.

Want to see it for yourself?
Check out Ecomobl Owner’s Group and Ecomobl Official group.

Ecomobl ET Review

Now that we’ve talked about the brand, let’s talk about the board, the Ecomobl ET. This is not their flagship product, that would be the Baja-like M24; but in my opinion, the ET is a very important board not only for Ecomobl but for the eskate community as a whole.

Why?

This is the cheapest it gets for you to get something that can climb a mountain trail – I’m not talking about grass, stick, and stones; I’m talking about sand, mud, rocks and huge cracks on a steep incline. So, if this board turns out to be good, it might serve as a gateway drug between street eskating and mountain eskating. A lot of wallets are at risk here.

  • Deck Size: 39-inch x 9.8-inch (99cm x 25cm)
  • Top Speed: 35mph/56km
  • Range: 20-25miles/32-40km
  • Battery Pack: 648Wh 12s3p Samsung 50E (or Samsung 40T)
  • Weight: 27lbs/12.2kg
  • Motor: 2 x 2000W planetary gear drive.
  • Wheels: 6″ airless rubber wheels (150mm)
  • Features: 
    • LingYi ESC with push to turn on.
      • The option of Range-focus ESC or Power-focus ESC
    • Integrated board light, headlight and taillights.
    • IP 56 Waterproof
  • Price: 1159 USD

By the way, the review unit that I receive is with the Samsung 50E batteries and with Range Focus ESC.

We will talk about their potential differences when we speak about the range.

First, let me show you the parts:

Deck

Ecomobl ET uses a 39 inch deck with aggressive drop. There is some nice concave to it so you know where you feet are. Aggressive drop deck not only makes the ride lower and more stable, the drop also serves as a step for you to place your feet during steep incline or decline. Nice!

Even with the aggressive drop, there is a 4″ (10cm) ground clearance. That’s pretty enough for most terrain.

Enclosure

Using a full length aluminium enclosure means you can forget about having any flex on the deck. I don’t know if I can fault them for going with the aluminium enclosure as you do need something that’s strong enough to withstand abuse, and this enclosure is that. It’s also pretty well sealed, giving me a peace of mind when riding not only through puddle but through muds.

This also makes cleaning the board a much easier process.
It’s IP 56 waterproof.

Trucks

Ecomobl ET uses a 15″ (38cm) (in axle width) trucks.
Right out of the box, the trucks are too loose and it takes me a while to find the right tightness on the trucks. With the right truck tightness, I got a pretty good balance between stability and maneuvrebility.

I think upgrading the bushing would further improve it.

Wheels

(150mm) 6″ airless rubber wheels can indeed roll over anything that’s meant to be rolled over. Pneumatic wheels are softer, that’s for sure, but airless wheel don’t get punctured when riding over dodgy terrain.

Planetary Gear Drive

Ecomobl ET uses a gear drive that I’ve never seen before. They call it planetary gear drive and they are 2000W per piece.

Besides looking fascinating when spinning, the gear drive makes a loud, rather sharp mechanical noise when accelerating.

It also freerolls okay-ly, meaning not as resistant as a belt-motor but not as freely as a hub or a regular gear drive.

Battery

As mentioned, there is two battery variant both in 12s3p settings:

  • Samsung 50E in 15 AH setting (648wh) or
  • Samsung 40T in 14 AH setting (518wh)

Although Samsung 50E has a higher AH rating (5000mah vs 4000mah in 40T), Samsung 40T is actually considered a better cell as it has less voltage sag.

It means, with Samsung 40T, the board stays “stronger” when battery drains, meaning happier ride and it might still give you almost the same range as the theoretically bigger pack of Samsung 50E anyways!

PS: My review unit has Samsung 50E.

ESC

As mentioned, there are 2 version of ESC.

  • Range focus ESC
  • Power focus ESC

Both are LingYi ESC; the differences lies just within the settings.

PS: My review unit has the Range focus ESC.

Remotes

Standard LingYi ESC remote with telemetry, and the standard mislabelled reverse button.

The reverse button is speed mode, double tap power button to reverse.

The remote needs no further introduction. It’s comfortable in hand; it has good connectivity.

I just wish it look cooler.

Lights

Ecomobl ETs come with integrated lighting systems. You can turn it on or off by holding the reverse button for 3 second.

The lights are cool, and very very useful. They are the headlight, board lights and taillights.

The board lights are an LED stripes lining the enclosure, they are purple. I hate that colour, I wish it was white or yellow or red or anything not purple.

Ecomobl reps describe this color as electric blue and maybe it is in some situations but let’s face it; it’s purple.

The headlights are white and they are bright enough. Not as bright as the Shredlights or the Backfire Canon headlight but they are good enough.

The tail lights are slightly angled upward so it is visible to anyone behind you. They are red, of course.

All 3 light systems lit up every time you engage the brakes, much like how it is on a car, even if you didn’t switch them on. And as far as I know, there is no way to make them stay off.

Q1: Is the Ecomobl ET a capable mountain trail hiking board?

Yeap!

I rode the ET up a rough mountain trail through mud and sand, stones and cracks, and it can handle them, which is amazing!

This is the first time that I was able to ride on a path like this and it is really something else. Now I understand why mountain biking and mountain boarding are popular. And finally, it is a $1000 production board that can hang with the likes of the Trampa DIY build that’s at least 2 times the price!

The big wheels were able to handle all of the cracks I faced, and the 2000w planetary gear drive motor is strong enough to handle any incline as long as the wheels get traction. The aggressive drop on the decks serves as a step during sleep inclines or declines, and hence allows me to keep myself onboard both uphill and downhill.

The super-stiff deck does take some fun out of a street ride, but I think it is a logical choice for a board that is designed to go on a mountain trail. A flex deck would have bounced me off the board like a trampoline.

The 6” airless wheels are second best in cushioning the vibrations from rough terrain. Pneumatic wheels are, after all, the gold standard.

The airless 6” wheels nonetheless did a decent job and make stone and pebble roads at least tolerable. Plus, you don’t have to worry about puncturing them and ruining the rest of your trip, where you are forced to drag your board downhill as a punctured wheel means it impossible to make turns. Don’t ask me how I know…

Pneumatic wheels are comfortable, but also runs a risk of flat tire.

Q2: How smooth is the speed control?

Does the LingYi ESC do well in the Ecomobl ET? Throughout the years, and after … was it 7 iterations? … LingYi ESCs have become very close to Hobbywing ESCs when it comes to control smoothness. It is now at the point where they are difficult to differentiate from one another. The stereotype that LingYi ESCs are jerky and strong, while Hobbywing ESCs are smooth but weak, is no longer true.

However, I have to take that back when it comes to the Ecomobl ET. The control of the Ecomobl ET, with its LingYi ESC, is very stereotypical of that raw and punchy feeling, as compared to, for example, the Hobbywing ESC on the Wowgo AT 2 – or even those of the customized LingYi ESC on the Raldey MT-V3.

I am guessing that the powerful motor accentuates the jolt and makes the imperfections much more obvious. With that said, the control of the Ecomobl ET still fell within what I would consider as “Smooth enough that I can relax while riding it” – but perfectly smooth it is not. The Brakes are strong, however, and that I like.

Q3: Is the Ecomobl ET fun to ride?

Depends on your definition of fun, actually. If your idea of a good AT ride is a buttery smooth ride, with the smooth carving of double kingpin trucks, then Ecomobl ET is definitely not it. Your ideal board would be something like the Evolve or Wowgo AT 2.

If you want a board that seemingly has the power of a jeep, can handle terrain like a jeep, and will make loud mechanical sounds when it accelerates, the Ecomobl ET would be a great board for you.

Maneuverability is good, it turns easily and unlike Trampa Builds, making a U-turn on a double lane road is possible with the Ecomobl ET. Everything is great, provided you find the right tightness and configuration on the trucks and bushings. The trucks are very loose when they arrive, and if not tightened things could get sketchy when riding fast.

Now, let’s talk about the numbers.

Top Speed

First, let’s talk about the top speed, others have told me that hitting the marketed top speed of 35mph or 56kmh is possible, but 33mph (53kmh) is a more reasonable expectation. I did not try the top speed as I kinda value my life… but I can say that the board felt it had a lot more to give when I hit 25mph (40kmh), even when there were only 2 bars of battery left; and with the trucks tightened it felt very stable at that speed.

Range

I hit 17miles (28km) and still had 1.5 bars of battery left, so I have no doubt it can hit the 20miles(32km), the lower end of the marketed range.

Again, my battery is a Samsung 50E pack and theoretically, the newer Samsung 40T pack would have less voltage sag and allow the board to retain a stronger torque even when the battery is low, and maybe even better longevity. This is not to say that I’m not satisfied with the Samsung 50E packs though, they work fine for me.

Verdict: Is Ecomobl ET good?

So, the verdict. Why do I like a $1200 board that’s not perfectly smooth in control, that’s not buttery smooth in carving, that has no flex in it, and has a motor that screams like a rusted motorcycle?

It is because no matter the faults, at the end of the day, it is one of the few boards on the market, that can be abused to climb a muddy mountain trail. The high I got from doing that is really something else.

Plus, even when riding on road, not needing to worry about road condition, puddles, belt-maintenance and about keeping the lights charged are just wonderful for a lazy person like me.

So yes, I think a lot of people would be really happy with the Ecomobl ET.

Check out the Ecomobl ET product page by clicking here.

If you are interested in buying an Ecomobl, be sure to use code: “Electric Skateboard HQ 5％OFF” during checkout.
It will help you get a pretty significant 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!