Category: Electric Skateboard Reviews

Posted on by Sophia Tung

Hoyt St. EL1 Review – Beauty in the Details

Follow the discussion on Reddit here

Forward

Before I begin, I must disclose that I’ve had a long history with the EL1.

Hoyt St. first sent an EL1 to me all the way back in May of 2019. At first, they didn’t want me to write a review on it because they wanted to slowly ramp up production and had kinks to work out. Instead, Hoyt simply wanted me to test it really hard and see what I could do with it, then report back my opinions. I was happy to do this, and the conversation back and forth has been constant since then.

Today’s date is June 5th, 2020. It’s been a whole year plus some since I first stepped on the EL1. Hoyt has finally given me the OK to write my review. And I have some thoughts.

It’s All In The Details

The Hoyt EL1 is an unconventional package indeed. From the moment you open the box, the attention to detail is apparent. For example, each EL1 comes with a carrying bag. This isn’t your run of the mill carrying bag mind you. Not only did Hoyt custom design this bag specifically for the EL1, they also had the forethought to make the bag a part of the packaging as a replacement for your typical environmentally unfriendly styrofoam.

Inside the carrying/shipping bag, the remote control and charger is tucked away in their own specially designed pouches. Everything has a place, even the simple, well written, color printed instruction manual. Who even prints instruction manuals in color these days? Hoyt does apparently.

The details don’t stop at packaging. Everything about the board screams attention to detail. From the risk of death warning labels, to the slightly dimpled power indicator lights on the nose, to the tastefully engraved “Handcrafted In Oregon” and “Bamboo Revolution” badges on the underside of the enclosure sandwich which meets the topside to create one single flowing shape.

If it sounds a bit like I’m fangirling already, that’s because I am. I really like the design and shape of the board. I think it’s beautiful. I mean just look at those self tensioning motors mounts!

But all the detail in the world won’t make a difference if the end product is no good right?

Good Skating

What’s my definition of “good skating”? Well, for starters, the board must be comfortable. I don’t just mean the deck, although that does play a big part in it. I mean the wholistic experience. From the geometry in the concave of the deck to the ridefeel of the narrower contact patch and hardness of the wheel, the EL1 as a complete package is simply primed for good skating.

The non-flex, dropdown deck has just the right curves for you to brace against under hard acceleration and braking. The Caliber trucks lend themself to fairly precise carving and nuanced control. The Zoobomb wheels, while not the best urethane I’ve ever ridden, do a fine job of gripping the road and sliding out when you need them to. It’s clear that Hoyt put a major emphasis on designing something that skated well.

But the skate setup isn’t the only thing good here. In electric skateboarding we care about the electronics right? Why else would we be here?

Designed Dependability

Well I’m here to report that the electronics are great as well.

The EL1 (and indeed Hoyt’s entire future lineup) is built on VESC tech. The VESC, or Vedder Electronic Speed Controller, is a super capable, super powerful, open source speed controller design made specifically for applications such as electric skateboards, drones, scooters, robotics, and the like.

Why is this important? Well this means that the hardware in the Hoyt is endlessly configurable and extensible. Want telemetry logging? Stick a Bluetooth module in there. Want more powerful acceleration or braking or a different throttle curve? Just tune it.

Another advantage of the VESC is that it has been vetted in countless test cases by countless people in countless environments. Run within its hardware limits, it’s rock solid and dependable, and Hoyt has certainly harnessed its power well.

The particular VESC revision that Hoyt is running in their boards is the 4.12 hardware revision. This doesn’t really mean much to the end user, but for those who care, it means a couple things. First, it does really well at 10S (42V) but not so well at 12S (50.4V). Second, it doesn’t do well running in FOC (Field Oriented Control) mode, a motor control method that, while more refined in feeling, is more demanding for the controller than the alternative: BLDC (BrushLess Direct Current) control. Hoyt knows this, and so optimized their setup to play to the 4.12 hardware’s strengths. The result is great dependability.

Besides the controllers, the motors are also high quality and built to last. Hoyt sources their motors custom from KDE, a US based motor design and manufacturing firm specializing in military grade motors. These motors are built to withstand way higher than normal operating temperatures while performing at a high level, and I think it’s a testament to its engineering that I’ve never heard of anybody having issues with the motors specifically.

As an aside, this board is so reliable that it’s the one I lend out to experienced riders who ask me to borrow a board simply because I know they won’t break it even if they ride it hard. It’s also simply a great ride but you know. I digress.

Modularity

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the EL1 is the modularity aspect of its battery pack design.

When Hoyt first launched the EL1, they had gone where no other manufacturer had really gone before, and the EL1 battery packs are, in my opinion, the cleanest solution I’ve seen to the problem of battery modularity. With the main goal being the flyability of the board, Hoyt had specially designed 10S1P battery packs featuring individual BMS and battery level indicators. These battery packs slotted neatly into the belly of the board and connected to the main power rail using blade connectors. In my opinion, this is an incredibly clean, wire-free, and foolproof method for managing modular battery packs.

In an interesting turn of events however, Hoyt has recently decided to abandon the blade connector design for a more traditional XT60 connector for their battery packs. Hoyt tells me that they made this decision due to a small number of users reporting that the blade connectors were wearing out under intense stress and vibration. Although I’m sad to see the blade connectors go, I understand the reliability standpoint. The new XT60 design is more flexible while still retaining modularity. What’s more, it opens up the possibility of easily building your own battery packs.

The EL1 also allows the usual wheel and drivetrain gearing changes that usually comes with a belt driven board, and since you have direct access to the VESC’s settings with the EL1, I would even say that these choices combined with some settings adjustments are even more effective here. Hoyt is even going to offer 5″ pneumatic tire options as well as non-modular battery packs for increased range.

Performance

I will say that while it’s not the fastest board on the market topping out at 24mph-ish real world, Hoyt’s investment in engineering has certainly shone through in the end product.

Torque is great. I weigh around 125lb and live in San Francisco, one of the hilliest cities in the world. From my time spent with this board, I can report that this board has more than enough torque to get me up any hill. I’ve gladly let my friends try the EL1, and they all say the same thing. Plenty of power and good braking. Plus, I actually think it is “fast enough.”

And here we get to the only thing that reeeeaaally gets me about the EL1.

The range.

There’s no two ways about it: I think it’s lacking for a $2,000+ board. Realistically riding, I can get maybe 8-10 miles in the city, 12 if I really stretch it. If you’re on flatter ground with less stop and go traffic, that figure will improve, but honestly not by that much. Hoyt’s own range calculator suggests as much about the lacking range, so you should really understand your riding conditions before buying this board.

“But Sof,” you say, “what about flyability?” And that’s a fair question. After all, I did say that Hoyt had designed these packs with flight in mind. To that question I would reply that while the EL1 is indeed flyable, I wouldn’t buy it for a travel board.

There are other great options for travel boards (Unlimited x Loaded kit on a shortboard, Exway Wave) that are lighter and less cumbersome if that is really your main focus. I think the EL1 should be considered more a prosumer board that just happens to be flyable more than anything else, and in that sense, I think maintaining flyability was probably a misstep. You end up with range that doesn’t satisfy the prosumer and a pricepoint that doesn’t really jive with the more casual consumer.

While Hoyt is, as mentioned above, offering a single Samsung 40T 10S3P pack, I haven’t tested it for range. Theoretically, the 40T pack will provide just over 60% more capacity than the original three 10S1P modular 25R packs the board ships with, so extrapolating linearly I may get up to 13-16 of realistic, hard riding miles on a charge with the 40T pack. But I’m a believer of not buying products based on promised future upgrades, even when I have full faith the manufacturer will deliver on their promise, so I’ll make my conclusions when Hoyt starts shipping the 40T packs.

What About The Remote?

Yes, let’s talk about the remote.

The Hoyt Puck is arguably one of the more interesting, if not the most interesting, remotes in eskate. Inspired by slide pucks common in the world of downhill longboarding, the round, curved design is certainly unique and maybe even polarizing to some. When it was first introduced, many wondered just how well this remote would work in practice.

Honestly, I’ve grown to really like it. Despite its strange appearance, it’s comfortable to hold in the hand. I think it’s the first eskate remote to really take into consideration left handedness, with all buttons just as accessible when in left handed mode as in right handed mode. Hoyt offers weight options for the thumbwheel so you can adjust it to your preference as well.

Beyond ergonomics, in typical Hoyt fashion, the remote has proven to be absolutely rock solid in terms of performance and reliability. Ask anybody in the DIY community what remote they would recommend if you wanted a consistently reliable remote, and I’ll bet maybe 90% of them would say the Hoyt Puck. The Puck’s reliability is so well known, in fact, that other premium eskate manufacturers are offering the Hoyt Puck for their boards. Case in point: Lacroix’s customized Hoyt Pucks.

The only minor annoyance I have with the Puck is that there’s no board battery indicator on the remote itself. However, I’m ok with that actually when the Puck is paired with the EL1, as the EL1 features a sleek battery gauge right on the nose of the deck.

Hoyt says you should try the Puck before you knock it, and I really agree. It’s an ergonomic remote with a proven history of reliability. Plus it’s CNC’d out of Bamboo with an aluminum thumbwheel, comes in a variety of stains, and customizable with engravings. What other manufacturer would do this for individual remotes?

In Good Company

I want to take a moment to talk about Hoyt the company. Being a small operation, they can be uniquely personal about the products and services they offer. For example, in addition to the remote customizations, Hoyt offers a range of customization options for the EL1 itself from artwork directly applied on the deck to different wood stains to unique veneers to bespoke whole-deck laser map engravings. You can even get glass frit gripping on your deck: a high class upgrade to the usual boring grip tape offerings.

And that’s not all. A couple months ago, I got the message from Hoyt asking me to send in my EL1 for the blade connector to XT60 conversion. What surprised me was how painless the entire process was. There were no costs involved and the turnaround was fast. I’m told by various customers that they’ve had similar experiences with Hoyt and the services they provide.

I would also like to commend Hoyt for doing this blanket recall. I have many friends in the business of building and selling hardware, and they all tell me that one of their greatest fears is issuing a recall. In addition to the complexity of communicating with the customer and processing the hardware that comes in, Hoyt is taking on a huge financial loss for what seemed to me like a relatively minor issue. However, I think this just further speaks to the character of the company and the people who run it. In the end, they didn’t really have to do this. But they did, and I think that’s pretty awesome.

Hoyt even offers a free tune up service for customers for the first year after purchase. I mean come on! The deference that Hoyt shows to the customer is what really sets them apart in this industry, and I hope as they continue to grow as they maintain their level of service.

Wrapping Up

So what do I think about the EL1?

I think if you appreciate rideability, details, durability, and good engineering, you will like this board. I think if you are prioritizing miles per dollar, you should look elsewhere. I think the EL1 is, in the end, a tantalizing niche offering.

But most of all, I think the EL1 is a stepping stone platform for Hoyt’s future. With the EL1, Hoyt’s basically done a year long engineering verification on their platform, figuring out all the kinks and feeling out their style. I’ve been privy to their roadmap after the EL1, and Hoyt’s definitely gearing up to make a huge splash.

And when they do, I’ll be there to cheer for them.

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Raldey MT-V3 Review – Special to me.

You might not know it, but Raldey is actually a famous brand. They were the manufacturer for some of the big-name companies inside and outside of China. They also own the IP for electric skateboard manufacturing in China, so everybody in the eskate business knows about them.

And recently, Raldey has taken steps to enter the consumer market.

Before I performed my review, I had heard that there were flaws in the ride ‘feel’ for the other Raldey boards, so I didn’t get my hopes up. But after trying it… I am pretty excited to share what I found!

Radley MT-V3

Let’s cut to the chase and start by comparing the marketed specs with our test result.

  • Top Speed: 29mph/ 45kmh —— (Our test: 22mph/ 35kmh)
  • Range: 12mil/ 19km —— (Our test: 15.5 miles/ 25km)
    (7AH Sanyo GA, 10s2p)
    [Corrected]
  • Weight: 18.7lbs/ 8.5kg
  • Charge Time: 4H
  • Price: 599USD with shipping included.
  • Features: IP55 Waterproof, 120mm Semi-AT wheels, remote with telemetry, swappable PU-sleeves

Note: Raldey MT-V3 is selling at $599, which is in the same price bracket as the Exway Flex, Meepo NLS Pro and Backfire G3.

Now, let’s look at the parts used.

Deck

For the deck, Raldey uses an 8 ply Canada Maple deck with W concave, with a little bit of micro drop. My feet felt really comfortable on it. It has some flex to it, but nothing crazy, this isn’t a bamboo deck after all.

Enclosure

And this enclosure, I love it. It is a full-length plastic enclosure that has a look of carbon fiber. It allows the deck to flex, while keeping the internals protected. I especially love how this enclosure keeps the internals of the board neat and tidy – as a matter of fact, I plan to use it for many of my future DIY builds.

Back to the Raldey, inside the enclosure, we have the ESC. Raldey told me this ESC is proprietary, and if it’s not, I sure can’t tell. It looks like a Hobbywing casing, but the remote pairs to a LingYi ESC and the board has a kick push to turn on just like any LingYi ESC.

Riding experiences on Raldey MT-V3

Speed Control

And since we are at it, let’s talk about the speed control. Simply put, I’m amazed by it. Whatever this thing is, it is absolutely smooth like any Hobbywing ESC; and both the acceleration and the braking are plenty strong, just like those of a LingYi ESC. For me, it is perfect.

Your standard LingYi ESC remote

Both acceleration and braking have 4 strength levels that you can adjust irrespective of each other. Personally, I put both acceleration and braking into the highest “pro” mode, as the speed changes are so precise and silky that I don’t need to tame it down.

Yes, I know there will be people who want the brakes to be even stronger, especially those who are accustomed to Pro strength braking in traditional LingYi ESC, but I’m sure they are in the minority here.

Power and Torque

Now, let’s talk about power. This pair of 900W hub motors only gets me to 22mph (35kmh), though I may not have tried hard enough on the top speed test – but anyhow, I’m usually not in a ‘need for speed’ mindset when I’m riding a semi-AT. What the Raldey MT V3 brings is not speed, but torque. Large wheels with hub motors usually mean poor torque, but this Raldey MT V3 is a BEAST when it comes to climbing hills. We rode up a pretty steep hill and it doesn’t even feel like a challenge to this board.

And when it comes to rough terrain, this good boy fit right in. 120mm Rubber wheels means a fairly good grip, and they take away lots of the vibrations. Let’s just say this is a more appropriate off-road wheel than the cloud wheels, which felt more delicate.

Trucks

The wide 9-inch truck is not branded and is nothing to write home about. The bushings were not the best, and the truck has a little bit of “slop” and doesn’t return to center as well as branded trucks and bushings. It is, however, wide and stable.

Why so excited? Verdict:

So, why am I so excited about this board?

When I started researching electric skateboards in 2016, my goal was to find myself a beginner-friendly eskate to commute in a small town with less than perfect roads. After 4 years, after reviewing countless eskates, I would say this Raldey board is the perfect board for that purpose.

Big wheels to handle poor roads, a stable ride that is easy to learn, plenty of range for commuting and great torque for uphill situations; Perfect control that allows half of my brain to turn off during rides, not too heavy to lug around, and waterproof in case it rains. Honestly, as a lazy person who doesn’t like to hold a screwdriver, I prefer hub motors that simply work, over belt drives that need more upkeep. Let’s put it this way: if I were to DIY myself a commuter board, it would end up almost exactly the same as Raldey MT-V3… well, maybe with better bushing.

Simply put, to anyone new to the hobby who is thinking about getting an eskate for commuting, this is the perfect board. Period.

If you are interested in buying an Raldey, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during check out.
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

Maxfind Max 4 Pro Review – Can it compete?

Maxfind, a Chinese brand that has been around since the beginning of time. A brand that delivers budget boards in nice packages for casual eskaters, but has always been ignored by eskate enthusiasts, as their price vs value proposition was not as high as the other Chinese brands. If you have read my previous takes on Chinese brand, you might have sensed that I hated the brand, that’s because their product and marketing strategies made me feel that they are just preying on the less informed buyers.

Well, that idea of mine has been shaken up with the new lineups that Maxfind introduced awhile ago, and today, we are going to talk about the Maxfind Max 4 Pro.

Maxfind Max 4 Pro

The specs are the least interesting part of the Max 4 Pro, so we’ll just quickly run through them.

  • Top Speed: 26mph/ 42kmh
  • Range: 15mil/ 25km (4.4AH Samsung 22p, 10s2p)
  • Weight: 16lbs/ 7.5kg
  • Charge Time: 120min
  • Price: 619USD with shipping included. (Ships from USA or China)
  • Features: IP65 Waterproof, hot-swappable battery, remote with telemetry, swappable PU-sleeves

Wait a second. You might be saying, “all the numbers sound like a typical entry-level board, EXCEPT that last one. The price!” Yes, the Max 4 Pro is retailing $200 pricier than your typical entry-level budget board, so what is Maxfind doing to justify the price?

Max 4 Pro is not actually, not your typical eskate, it’s more like a Drive Kit

First, the Maxfind Max 4 Pro is actually not a regular eskate, instead, it is a removable drive kit, marketed with a complementary deck. They are selling the DIY drive kit for $569. Drive kits that are designed to be slapped on any deck and instantly turn them into an Eskate have always been pricier. Mellow, Unlimited, Revel. All pricey.

The battery is hot-swappable

The Max 4 Pro comes with all the benefits of being a drive kit. It has an easy hot-swappable battery, you just need to undo a thumbscrew, and voila, the battery can just slide out. Maxfind also included an extra charging cable to charge the battery separately, which is a nice touch too!

It’s waterproof

The second justification of the price is that the Max 4 Pro is waterproofed. (IP X7 on the ESC, and IP65 on both the battery and hub motors). I don’t know how much faith you can put into any eskate company’s IP rating claims, but at least you don’t have to worry if you accidentally spill coffee on it.

It’s pretty well polished

Finally, Maxfind did show their manufacturing prowess and gave their boards a good polish. The Max 4 Pro is beautifully packaged, and it’s 8 ply maple deck with carbon fiber coating is just beautiful. It uses a metal enclosure. The trucks, bushings, and bearings are not branded but look high quality nonetheless.

Premium = Customer service?

In Maxfind’s case, I’m not sure about that. It’s not to say that the company has any bad reputation, it just that I have never heard anyone singing their praises, and for a brand that’s been out there for so long, there should really be people singing their praises.

Field test: (Did all this translate into good ride feel?)

Deck:

I know, it looks pretty flexible but it’s maples.

The 8-ply maple deck is flat, without concave, but still does a good job keeping my feet comfortable. It has only a mild flex in it, which helps maintain stability, but unfortunately does not improve vibration.

Speed control:

Acceleration and braking are intuitive and smooth, as expected from a Hobbywing ESC. Maxfind did make some adjustments, however, especially on the braking for the Max 4 Pro. Unlike generic Hobbywing ESCs, which traditionally have dangerously weak brakes, the strength and smoothness on the Max 4 are exactly how we like it.

Carving:

Carving on these pairs of Caliber II clones is a pretty great experience, and fairly stable, even when riding at top speed.

Range test:

The removable battery pack is made of 4.4AH Samsung 22P cells in 10s2p configuration. It has a marketed range of 15miles (24km) but – our range test got us to only 11.5 miles (18.5km) riding in top mood throughout. I know, the result surprised no one as these are pretty standard numbers for most 4AH entry-level board.

Top-speed:

We hit the 26mph (40kmh) top-speed, which surprised no one. After all, the Max 4 Pro has a pair of 750W hub motors (with removable sleeves) and that’s stronger than most entry-level and mid-range hubs. The stronger hubs did translate to our ride when it comes to conquering rougher terrain and hills.

Misc:

By the way, I like how most boards have bigger wheels now. The board uses large 96mm wheels, which are safer for beginners but can also help ease the vibration on rough roads. We’ve said that Max 4 Pro wasn’t GREAT when it comes to handling vibration, so imagine how much worse it would be if they chose to use the 80mms on it.

Did he die?

Verdict:

Max 4 Pro is still not about price vs value proposition. Think of it this way –

For $619, you get a package that:

  • Shares the same spec with regular $400 entry-level eskate, but
  • Waterproof,
  • Hot-swappable battery,
  • Easy deck swap (It’s a drive kit!)
  • Slightly better ride feel (and torque)
  • Better polish

I’d say it’s worthy of the price.

All in all, the Max 4 Pro is a nice board that we enjoyed, but I suspect that many buyers would opt for the $569 Drive Kit Pro, as it’s actually the real MVP here.

If you are interested in buying a Maxfind, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during check out.
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!

Oh, one Quick note on Max 4 normie (AKA not Pro)

The Maxfind 4 standard (without the ‘Pro’) is $100 cheaper, but it has weaker hubs, smaller 90mm wheels, and a generic Hobbywing ESC without the OLED Remote. Just think of it as your typical Hobbywing budget board with a $100 price premium for also being a drive kit and having good polish.


Posted on by Paxson Lim

Meepo V3 Review – Still the Budget Champ in 2020?

Foreword/Introduction

It seems like Meepo releases a new budget board every half year. We have the Original Meepoboard, Meepo 1.5, Meepo V2 &V2P and finally, in 2019, Meepo V3. Seeing that Meepo refreshes their product lines very frequently, we were pretty surprised that the V3 is still here to stay as of March 2020! Meepo, however, makes the Meepo V3 an even more appetizing deal now that there is a sea-shipping option that slashes the price down to $379 (as long as you are willing to wait a month for it to arrive.)

Meepo V3

  • Top Speed: 28mph/ 45kmh
  • Range: 11mil/ 18km
  • Weight: 16lbs/ 7.2kg
  • Charge Time: 3hrs
  • Price: 429USD with shipping included.
  • Features: 2 hub motors, regenerative braking, handles up to 30% slope, MR remote (with telemetry), swappable PU.

Unboxing

This time around, we are happy to say that Meepo has continued to improve in terms of packaging and design compared to their previous packaging styles. The Meepo V3 was nicely packaged in a smooth black ‘shoe-box’ with professional graphic design details. It’s good to see that they’re constantly improving, especially in the little things that we pay attention to.

As for what’s inside the box, the Meepo V3 comes with a handheld remote control with a screen (MR remote), 2 different sets of bushings – softer 83A (white) and harder 96A (blue) – that you can swap easily for your pleasure which is a great move (the one installed are 90A in yellow), T-tools, a board charger, and a bunch of cool stickers for the deck. 

Riding Experience

Acceleration and Braking

In the realm of budget electric skateboards, LingYi ESC has always been lagging behind Hobbywing ESC when it comes to perfect control smoothness. Hence, we were very sceptical when Meepo announced that they would be sticking to LingYi ESC on the Meepo V3, especially when some of their lineups have moved on to Hobbywing ESC and they were well received too. 

Although they promised that this latest iteration of LingYi ESC would be as smooth as Hobbywing’s, we weren’t that convinced initially. Some of the other boards we tested that still uses the LingYi ESC were pretty subpar so our expectations were low.

Surprise, surprise. Turns out, this latest iteration of LingYi ESC that the Meepo V3 uses is as good as promised and it’s the most pleasant surprise we’ve received from the V3 yet.

The acceleration is almost as smooth as the Hobbywing ESC in the first 3 speed modes, while the pro mode offers a much punchier acceleration, intended for those with more ‘extreme’ tastes. Not something that I use much but still appreciated. Side by side comparison with Hobbywing ESC will have the LingYi ESC felt a little bit ‘less refine’ than the Hobbwing ESC.

Update: Kieran (Meepo’s creator) later point out that the lack of ‘refinement in smoothness’ is mainly due to how LingYi ESC performs when the board re-accelerate from cruising – it usually accelerated more abruptly. A yet newer LingYi iteration released in July 2019 addressed the issue via a firmware update name “Flux”. So, I expect the Meepo V3 after July 2019 to have acceleration as refined as those of Hobbywing ESC.

The braking, which traditionally was the Achilles heel of LingYi ESC, is now more than perfect too. It’s gradual and strong, stronger than any Hobbywing variation but still perfectly smooth and under control which is great for riders. 

The Meepo V3 is designed to be the first one that takes off from the line and in pro mode, the acceleration is indeed very punchy and thrilling. The board boasts a 0 to 30km in 4.5 seconds, which almost halves the time of what it took for the V2. We didn’t actually objectively test this out, but the acceleration indeed felt very powerful.

To test out the difference between the latest iteration of Hobbywing ESC vs this latest iteration of LingYi ESC, we tested V3 (LingYi ESC) side by side with the NLS Pro in 90mm wheels (Hobbywing ESC) and the result is pretty surprising.

We expect V3 to outperform NLS Pro in a drag race, as LingYi ESC felt punchier, however, that didn’t happen. Though V3 felt punchier, it actually only accelerated just as fast as an NLS Pro in 90mm hub. Our conclusion is, on acceleration, the slight sacrifice of smoothness of V3 doesn’t translate to better acceleration. Sad.

Honestly, part of me actually prefers this LingYi ESC over Hobbywing ESC as I like strong brakes and LingYi ESC still has the smart turn-on features that Hobbywing ESC doesn’t. And the difference between smoothness is almost negligible now. I think many would share the same preference so finally and for once, Hobbywing ESC doesn’t reign supreme anymore.

Stability and Maneuverability

All in all, the shredder trucks and double tall barrel bushing that Meepo always uses are pretty nice. You can change the bushings according to your preference and your weight to have a setup that suits you the best, I suggest most people try out the 96A blue as for a 150lbs (68kg) me the yellow felt too soft.

Carving on the Meepo V3 is fun thanks to the flexible deck and it’s pretty stable for me. For instance, I can keep near the top speed quite comfortably once I switch to a harder bushing. We are also able to hit the top speed of 28mph(45kmh). (our sports tracker record 28.3mph/ 45.7kmh as the top speed!].

Vibration

Unfortunately, vibration is where the V3 is weak.

The V3’s priority is torque and power, and this leads to choosing the biggest hub. But a bigger hub motor also means there’s only a very thin layer of urethane between the motor and the ground so the vibration dampening ability is pretty poor. 

Despite using a fairly flexible deck, the Meepo V3 is not the most comfortable board when riding in less than perfect roads, which is quite unfortunate given that its siblings from Classic to NLS Pro all did quite well in this aspect.

Thankfully, there’s the option of buying and switching to 100mm hubs sleeve and wheels which would really improve this feature but in terms of the on-stock version 90mm, the Meepo V3 gets a B-/C+ from me when it comes to vibration handling.

Range

The Meepo V3 uses a 10S2P Battery Pack with a 20R cell which gets me 18.9km, about the range the base model Meepos aim to achieve. It’s not too bad as it’s sufficient for most people and more than most belt-driven electric skateboards as hub motors are much more energy efficient.

A closer look at the parts

Deck

The Meepo V3 uses 7 layers of true Canadian maple which are pretty flexible, but not as flexible as the deck on the NLS. Although with a deck this flexible, you can actually smash the enclosure to the ground if you jump on the deck.

With that though, it’s still a Vanguard clone as it has the same design as the previous gen. There’s a very subtle concave to help your feet feel comfortable on it, and the handle cut out might turn some people off but those who have used it before would know how practical it is.

Component Enclosures and ESC

As expected, this is the same plastic enclosure found on the other Meepos. They’re really strong and lighter than aluminium, but only time will tell if they’ll crack on the screw holes but so far I haven’t heard any incidents of that happening. Fingers crossed! The battery indicator is outside too, which is a good touch because I’d love to know how much the battery has charged up when charging.

Wheels

The Meepo V3 uses 90mm wheels with 78A durometer wheels. The PU sleeve on the hub motor wheels is swappable, and can be swapped to 100mm sets which as mentioned before, should make navigating on poor road more comfortable.

look how thin the PU sleeves are.

The bearings that the Meepo board uses, although not branded, are surprisingly good. They spin forever when put on freerolls, so that’s a win for us.

Trucks

I’m echoing my review of the Meepo Mini 2 ER’s trucks for this one too, but adding on that the stock bushing for the Meepo V3 (yellow 90A) might be too soft for most people. My suggestion would be to switch over to 96A if you weigh anywhere more than 150lbs(70kg).

As a personal preference though, I’d rather Meepo ship the 90A, 96A, and 100A than the 83A, 90A, and 96A that they’re currently shipping now. 

Remote

The V3 uses the MR remote, a remote with a screen. It’s the new face of LingYi ESC now but Meepo’s version is using soft-touch plastic as a finish so it feels nice to hold and it’s quite comfortable (read: ergonomic) to grip. 

The remote allows the separate adjustments of acceleration and braking modes without disconnection. Although the ‘reverse’ label is mislabeled which can be confusing to some, it’s actually the speed mode. You move into reverse instead by double-tapping the power button.

Verdict

From the original to V1.5 to V2, Meepo’s ‘version’ lineups have always been the de facto face of budget electric skateboards. Judging from what we’ve reviewed and experienced though, we can see that the V3 is likely to carry that torch from the V2 and continue to be the most popular budget board in the community.

With the improvement of the current LingYi ESC, together, it elevates the V3 to another level. The first 3 speed modes are almost perfectly smooth, along with its aggressive, punchy acceleration for thrillseekers. 

As per Meepo’s typical fashion of pushing the envelope just a little bit further, the V3 tried to maximize the power and torque by using a stronger and bigger hub. Although it was achieved with impressive acceleration and hill climb ability, unfortunately, it resulted in its bigger weakness – a stiff hub with a thin urethane sleeve that led to a really rough ride on poor roads. 

Thankfully, there’s always the option to switch to 100mm wheels to save the day. You can see the V3 as a watered-down NLS Pro as it falls a bit short of the refinement that we experience from the NLS Pro in both ride feel and specs, but a watered-down NLS Pro is still a very good deal for $429 if you ask me. And for those who have the patience for sea-shipping, the V3 at $379 is without any doubt, the best deal for a budget board that anyone can dream of.

Overall, the Meepo V3 has every reason to retain the throne as one of the most popular budget electric skateboards as its polish, feel for ride, and sheer performance are still second to none in the realm of $400 entry-level boards.

Check out Meepo V3 by click here.

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Apsuboard V3 Review – The most affordable Electric Skateboard.

Back in 2018, we saw the first wave of budget electric skateboards. Retailing below $400, the typical budget electric skateboard back then was raw but serviceable.

In the past 3 years however, we have seen that their quality has improved, and the price slowly hiked. Today, most budget boards retail at around $450. There are a few exceptions, and the star of today’s review Apsuboard V3 is one of them.

The Apsuboard V3 takes the price war to an extreme, it retails at $319 with shipping included, undercutting all of its competitors. Although they aren’t among the biggest Chinese brands, Apsuboard has been around for a couple of years now and has always been a brand that focuses on value per dollar. They also do have some good products, for instance, we consider the $465 Apsuboard’s X1 to be the best budget belt drive on the market right now.

Apsuboard V3 Review

So, back to the V3. What corner did they cut to get to this price?
The answer is – a little bit of everything.

Speed Control

The Apsuboard V3 uses LingYi ESC as its speed controller. Those who had ridden a LingYi ESC board will find the control similar. It has 4 acceleration modes and 4 brakes mode that can be chosen independently from each other. However, Apsuboard perhaps is using an earlier generation of LingYi ESC as the controls do feel a little more raw than the current-gen ESCs, nothing too jarring but noticeably less refined.

Acceleration in the 1st and 2nd modes are beginner-friendly;
3rd mode is for the veteran and 4th mode for the thrill-seekers. With the adjustable brakes, beginners can start with soft brakes and gradually move up the strength. At maximum strength, brakes with LingYi ESC can be pretty tight. Last but not least, LingYi ESC comes with everyone’s favorite feature ‘kick to turn’ on. A very handy feature indeed.

Update:
I’ve suggested Apsuboard to make Hobbywing ESC available as an option to the base version of V3 (LingYi ESC), and they took that suggestion. Starting from now, for $20 extra and a total price of $339, the V3 will come with standard Hobbywing ESC. For those who don’t know, Hobbywing ESC would be silky smooth in both acceleration and braking and would be my recommendation for most beginners. The trade-off would be softer brakes and going without the kick-to-turn on feature.

With that said, I believe the Hobbywing version would be a better version.

Motors & Wheels & Decks

Enough about the ESC, next we move on to the hubs. The 250W 90mm hub motors are pretty weak when it comes to torque and acceleration and they can be noisy. Even a medium slope will be a challenge to overcome.

The front wheels aren’t the softest, and that, plus the hub motors and the stiff deck, makes the V3 an uncomfortable ride on rough roads. However, the deck does have a subtle concave to it, which is a plus point.

Trucks

Other than that, the other parts on the V3 are pretty generic. A pair of generic trucks, generic enclosures, and one of the nicer generic remotes that features telemetry readings.

Summary:

Riding the Apsuboard V3, I feel like I’m back in 2018, when every budget board was raw and purely functional. As mentioned, the controls on the V3 are only satisfactory, turning and carving with the generic trucks felt pretty average as well. This is somewhat subpar compared to major Chinese brands, which have all pretty much transitioned into using proprietary trucks for their budget line-up, and genuine brands for their more premium feel. What’s on par for the V3 is the battery. 10s2p 20R cells are still the standard in budget boards, and Apsuboard put them into the V3 too. They give it a 9 mile or 15km range. Since we’re talking about numbers, the top speed we got is a modest but adequate 23mph or 37kmh.

Verdict:

With all of that said, what is my opinion of the Apsuboard V3?

Remember in 2017, the first Meepo came out for $380 after shipping and everyone went crazy for it? The Apsuboard V3 is almost the exact same board, selling at an even lower price, but featuring a bit more polish! The only thing that changed compared to 2017 is that we have options now in the sub-$500 range, so those who weren’t about to compromise don’t need to.

Still, the beauty of a truly affordable board transcends time. For those of you who want the biggest value per price, or doesn’t mind an unrefined riding experience, you would be happy with the Apsuboard V3. It is certainly cheaper than all of the parts combined if bought individually, and the parts certainly come together to be a decent board. If I was building a board and concerned only with the price, I would probably build it the same way.

So, if $300 is your budget, or you just want a simple electric skateboard – the Apsuboard V3 is a great option. Think about it, a single VESC would cost you almost as much!

Click to check out Apsuboard V3.