Product Reviews - Electric Skateboard HQ

July 9, 2021July 22, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Wowgo 2S Pro Review- the gold standard of budget eskate??

Today we will be reviewing the WowGo 2S Pro—a $429 electric skateboard that aims to be the leader of the best budget boards in the market.

Before the WowGo 2S Pro replaced WowGo Knight on the shelf, WowGo Knight was our reigning champion for the best budget electric skateboard.

So being a theoretical upgrade over the Knight, 2S Pro should inherit that throne, right?

As usual, let’s run through the specs.

Build and specs:

Wowgo 2s Pro specification chart — *red = tested number

Deck: Canadian maple + Bamboo + Fiberglass; mild flexible deck; wide mild concave; flat camber/rocker
Electric speed controller: 12s Hobbywing ESC with smart power-on; remote with telemetry, 4 speed modes
Trucks: Poseidon Trucks by WowGo, 50° front truck, 8 inches, Reverse Kingpin
Bushing type: 85 A
Motor: 500W dual hub motor (not compatible with Cloudwheel Donuts)
Marketed top speed: 25 mph or 40 kph
Battery: 12S2P 5.2 AH battery
Marketed range: 15-16 miles or 24-28 km
Wheels: 78 A soft PU wheels

The deck of WowGo 2S Pro is a combination of Canadian Maple, bamboo, and fiberglass. A mild flex can be expected on this board. To secure your feet, the board features a wide but subtle concave, and it’s flat without any camber or rocker.

Most entry-level boards try to put as much flex on their deck as possible, unlike the 2S Pro. At the end of the day, your personal preference would probably decide on how you feel about the choice, but after reviewing so many budget electric skateboards that went for the similar flexi-deck ride feel, we are just happy to see variations among entry-level eskates.

You can also notice that the design underneath the board is a head-turner.

If you’re familiar with the Loaded Vanguard, WowGo 2S Pro feels like it has the same approach in design. Do you like it? We think it’s dope!

The WowGo 2S Pro also uses the 12s Hobbywing ESC with a smart power-on feature for the board’s electronic speed controller.

We all know how silky smooth the 12s Hobbywing ESC is, and how convenient the smart power-on feature is for your rides.

It’s no surprise that WowGo went with what works. If it ain’t broken, why fix it?

Stable at turbo mode

There are 4 speed modes, with the highest speed mode as Turbo, and the remote is the generic Hobbywing ESC remote with telemetry.

The WowGo remote’s design has always been our favorite. It’s not different from your generic remote when it comes to function, but the way it looks is elegant.

The trucks, on the other hand, are something more special. These are reverse kingpin trucks especially made by WowGo and they call it the Poseidon Truck. The Poseidon Trucks are 8 inches and are 50° at the front. It also has a bushing type of 85 A.

Poseidon Trucks

These trucks look like a Caliber II clone instead of the Paris clone that was on the previous entry-level WowGo boards.

With this kind of choice, we bet the Poseidon truck is more likely going to prioritize stability over maneuverability. We will go deeper into that when we talk about the riding experience.

The WowGo 2S Pro also uses 500W dual hub motors. This is where WowGo took a tiny step back by going with a weaker motor than its predecessor, WowGo Knight, which was using a 540W motor. Still, this 500W is quite good compared to other budget boards.

For reference, WowGo’s fiercest competitor such as Meepo V3 uses 540W hubs, but Backfire G2 Black only has 400W hubs.

To check out Meepo V3’s review, click here.

The marketed top speed is 25 mph or 40 kph and in our tested top speed, it hit 26 mph or 42 kph. Awesome!

As for the sleeves of the hub, it’s sad to say that they aren’t compatible with Cloudwheel Donuts.

Don’t worry though, because WowGo is working on a similar semi-AT sleeve which will be released in a couple of months.

For the wheels, WowGo 2S Pro is using the standard for entry-level boards—78A soft PU wheels.

And let’s not forget about power. The WowGo 2S Pro uses a 12S2P 5.2 AH battery. The marketed range is 15-16 miles or 24-28 km and our tested range reached 11 miles or 17 km.

WowGo kind of made an overstatement with the range, but also note that 11 mph is the usual range for most entry-level boards that have a 2p configuration. This is nothing new for us.

Another thing we observed is that WowGo 2S Pro didn’t provide any waterproof certification.

We learned not to trust the “water certification,” anyway, so it doesn’t mean much.

Basically, WowGo is just emphasizing that it’s never a good idea to ride when it’s wet outside.

For a sneak peek at how WowGo 2S Pro can ride on dry pavements, click here.

Riding experience

All build and specs considered, it’s time to ride!

As expected of the 12s Hobbywing ESC, WowGo 2S Pro’s speed and speed control are perfect.

Both the acceleration and braking of the 2S Pro are silky smooth and intuitive. The brake strength is pretty strong, too.

The 500W hub motor’s torque also performs well. By using one of the strongest hub motors amongst the entry-level hub boards, WowGo 2S Pro can conquer any humps on the road.

Although the torque and the thrill are still a step behind what a set of powerful belt motors would offer, WowGo 2S Pro is still one of the strongest hub boards amongst all the entry-level boards we tested.

When it comes to maneuvering the board, carving is fairly fun but more on the tight side.

The Poseidon trucks rebound to center well, and are very stable at high speed.

WowGo 2S Pro definitely favors stability over maneuverability, as it is often the case with Caliber II clones.

To help you picture it out, Poseidon trucks are not as good as genuine Paris Trucks or genuine Caliber II trucks.

But when put alongside with entry-level boards, the Poseidon truck is definitely on par with other good proprietary trucks such as Exway’s Trist truck or Meepo’s Shredder Trucks.

To round up the riding experience, WowGo 2S Pro is a great ride that both beginners and veterans will enjoy.

The wide deck with mild concave is comfortable and helps with both control and knowing your foot position.

The board is both powerful and smooth in speed controls.

The stability from the trucks allows us to go on turbo speed with confidence. The stiffer deck also adds to that stability.

Carving, while not experienced to the fullest, is still very enjoyable thanks to the decent trucks.

For a better comparison, WowGo 2S Pro rides pretty similarly to the WowGo 3. But with a more flexi-deck and genuine Paris truck, WowGo 3 obviously is more fun for carving.

We should also note that the 2S Pro freerolls well, so we guess they probably used good bearings for this one.

If we were to nitpick anything on the 2S Pro, it would probably be its vibration dampening ability, which again, is no surprise for a hub board.

The soft wheels and composite deck did a bit to cushion all the vibration from riding over rough roads. It’s… better than we expected, but we did have a pretty low expectation on this part, to begin with.

We are hoping that, in the future, the Cloudwheel-ish PU sleeves that WowGo is developing will be a good option for those who couldn’t tolerate the vibration.

So, what’s the verdict on the WowGo 2s Pro?

THE VERDICT

Did WowGo 2S Pro inherit the throne from the WowGo Knight as the best budget board?

Well, yes.

It seems to me that WowGo knows what they are doing with WowGo 2S Pro. After all, they were the first among the earliest and most reputable budget brands.

When it comes to entry-level boards under $450, Wowgo 2S Pro now replaced the gold standard that was previously set by the WowGo Knight.

The board’s performance definitely matches its competitors, and the ride feel leads the affordable segment. WowGo 2S Pro’s polish is much beyond the asking price.

Simply put, for any rider that wants an entry-level affordable hub board, Wowgo 2s Pro, for now, should be the first consideration.

Ride safe, guys!

If you are interested in buying a Wowgo, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and receive $5 off 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!

June 12, 2021June 14, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Ecomobl ET2 Review – Powerful AT board! Too powerful?

Today we will be reviewing the Ecomobl ET2, a $1599 All-Terrain electric skateboard powered by two planetary gear drives.

For those who don’t know, Ecomobl is very competent at one thing—making powerful monster machines capable of traversing the harshest terrain. They’re a brand that focuses on creating supreme All-Terrain boards, and they do not disappoint.

We’ve reviewed the Ecomobl ET a while back, and liked it, so we are pretty excited to see how this new and improved second version is going to be.

Let us run through the specs first!

Build and specs

Deck: Canadian Maple with a wide concave and aggressive drop, IP56 waterproof
Electronic Speed Controller: 12s LingYi ESC
Battery: Samsung 40T cells (out of stock); Lishen 21700 cells LR2170SF (temporary)
Marketed range: 20-25 mph (32-40 kph)
Motors: Dual 3050W motors, 6374 Dual planetary gear drive motors, 190 kV
Marketed top speed: 35mph (56kph)
Wheels: 200mm airless rubber wheels
Trucks: 18” wide all-terrain trucks
Weight: 37 lbs (16.7 kg)
Lights: Headlights and Taillights (remote controlled)

Deck

Ecomobl ET2’s deck is made of Canadian Maple with a wide concave. The full-length metal enclosure underneath the deck made the board completely rock solid. It’s impossible to flex.

What the deck flexes, though, is its aggressive drop. This drop allows a lower ride height and also functions as a foot stopper. When going on or off a steep incline, you can also use it as a step.

Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) & Remote

For the electronic speed controller, 12s LingYi ESC was used and paired with a specialized remote. On its LED screen, you’ll see your range, speed, and battery percentage.

Functionality-wise, the remote is superb. By design though, the plastic material felt cheap. We don’t admire the remote that much but it’s still comfortable on the hand and doesn’t disconnect.

Choosing a LingYi ESC also means the board has a push-to-power-on feature—a very handy and welcome function.

Battery & Range

For the battery, ET2 will be using Samsung 40T cells. Samsung ran out of stock for these batteries, so in the meantime, Ecomobl is using Lishen 21700 cells.

ET2 is also on a $100 discount for this product since Lishen batteries are less recognized. According to an internet listing, Lishen batteries have a rate of 4.5 mAh per cell.

Samsung 40T cells (out of stock); Lishen 21700 cells LR2170SF (temporary)

The review unit we received is running on a Lishen battery, so you can expect a better performance if you’re watching this in the future and Samsung 40T is being used.

For the Lishen configuration, ET2 went with 12s4p 21700 cells which can give you 18 AH and 777.6 WH.

Our tested range hit 18 miles or 29 km which is not bad for a marketed range of 20-25 miles.

The range was not the focus of ET2, after all. Compared to the first-gen ET which will run you a marathon, ET2 was configured to prioritize power.

Dual 3050W motors, 6374 Dual planetary gear drive motors, 190 kV

Motors & Power

Ecomobl ET2 used dual 3050W motors and 6374 dual planetary gear drive motors with 190 Kilovolts.

Want to know what part Ecomobl does the best? Check out their planetary gear drive.

Ecomobl’s planetary gear drive has a very strong torque without the belt. It has a similar function with belt motors, but it’s actually built into the wheels. These babies will scream a high pitch noise when running and won’t roll freely as hub motors.

But how competent is ET2’s motor, on paper?

To help you picture it out, the first version, ET, has 2000W motors which already felt extreme for us.

ET2 has a marketed top speed of 35mph or 56 kph but we didn’t try it out because we wanted to stay alive.

From every factor the board revealed during our test, we expect a top speed of 28-31 miles or 45-50 kilometers per hour, and that’s intense.

Wheels

The wheels are 200mm airless rubber wheels. The thread patterns are more aggressive in this version, and the wheels are noticeably thicker. Did it affect the ride? We’ll talk about that later.

Trucks

The trucks are much wider than your typical All-Terrain trucks. They’re 18 inches wide and are 3 inches wider than Ecomobl ET. The wider the trucks, the more stability there should be.

Weight & Other Features

Ecomobl ET2 also weighs 37 lbs or 16.7 kg which is nothing new with beast machines like these. It also has a built-in headlight and taillight which can be turned on and off using the remote. Pretty convenient! Compared to the original ET though, ET2 did not come with the board-length underglow light, which will definitely be missed.

The board is also IP56 waterproof with a fine-looking polish.

If you ask us, this board can surely be your wingman with all the attention you’ll attract. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.

You can also check out Ecomobl ET2’s unboxing here.

Now, it’s time to ride!

Riding experience

ET2 has 4 speed and brake modes that you can configure independently. When it comes to smoothness, I’ve got to say that Ecomobl ET2 was a little bit rough on the edges.

LingYi ESC’s jerkiness in control, in our opinion, gets worse when paired with a tougher motor.

You would love what ET2 has in store for you if you’re a fan of punchy and powerful rides, but if you want a chill one? ET2 will be a bummer.

Of course, the acceleration on the 1st and 2nd modes is pretty gentle. However, do know that the top speed is capped pretty low with the first 2 acceleration modes, so you would need to go into 3rd mode to ride faster.

The brakes are strong and fine. Most eskaters will probably choose the 1st or 2nd braking mode as they are both smooth and strong.

When maneuvering ET2, the trucks came in pretty loose from the package. We chose to tighten it to the max. After doing that, we found that these 18-inch trucks are pretty solid.

Turning was effortless, allowing the board to have a good turning radius and comfortable carving. We did get great stability with the wider trucks, but we expect a heavier rider might need to swap a bushing here.

From our modding experience, we know that a wider truck actually requires a harder bushing, and a regular 100A bushing probably will still be too soft for someone who weighs heavier than us scrawny Asians.

Overkill on the streets

As you can guess, Ecomobl ET2 is overkill when riding on typical streets. You might be thinking of giving away some of the power in exchange for greater control smoothness, especially if you ride on regular roads most of the time.

Even if the wide trucks provided lots of stability, we weren’t able to push the board to its limit because of the harsh control.

The big wheels helped eliminate vibrations from the road, but it’s not the most fun carving machine, either. Let’s not forget that ET2 is still a heavy AT board.

Where the Ecomobl ET2 gets more spotlight would be in off-road situations. The motors are powerful enough to conquer any steep incline. Combine that with big 200mm wheels and you can ride through almost any terrain.

The stiff deck also adds stability on rough roads. You might bounce off the board when riding through bumps and rocks if the deck is flexible. Yikes.

Aggressive drop

The aggressive drop on the deck acts as a foot stopper and gives you more balance on the board. If you want to change your foot position, the drop also acts as a step when going up and down steep inclines.

Unlike pneumatic wheels, the 200mm airless wheels won’t cushion the vibrations when riding on rocks, but the vibrations are still tolerable.

We always prefer pneumatic tires over airless rubber tires, but at least with airless rubber tires, you won’t be concerned with puncturing the wheels or maintaining tire pressure.

If there’s one place the Ecomobl ET and ET2 should avoid, that place would be the beach. Sand will get caught in the exposed gear drive easily.

So what’s our verdict?

THE VERDICT

Is ET2 really an upgrade of the first version or nah?

Ecomobl ET2 got better at what it’s meant to do: to be a powerful off-road electric skateboard.

Coming from ET, the second version ET2 became so specific for off-road use that, sadly, it’s not as versatile as it used to be.

While ET2 got better at being an off-road beast, it also got worse at being a relaxed ride on regular streets. But hey, it’s what it’s designed to do. Also, compared to the original ET and most all-terrain boards in the market, ET2 is much stronger and powerful while also having wider trucks and larger wheels.

This makes ET2 an excellent choice for those who love power and off-road rides or heavier riders who are looking for a board with maximum torque. However, being an even more powerful beast means ET2 won’t go easy on you on a common road.

If you want the strongest monster for off-road use, ET2 fits the bill well.
If you want a versatile board that is still wildly powerful, the tamer first version of Ecomobl ET may already be enough.

To check out our review on Ecomobl ET, click here.

If you are interested in buying an Ecomobl, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “Electric Skateboard HQ 5％OFF” during check out.
It will help you get a 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!

May 22, 2021May 22, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Ownboard W2 Pro Review – should it get some hype?

Today, we will be reviewing the Ownboard W2 Pro.

It’s a $699 USD dual belt-drive electric skateboard that’s the newest flagship of Ownboard.

Ownboard hasn’t been given much attention lately, and they had a pretty rough 2020. Their Bamboo AT took a backseat to Wowgo’s AT2; while in the mid-tier segment, the Exway Flex and Backfire Zealot stole the scene from their W2 model.

So can their latest flagship, Ownboard W2 Pro, help them get the spotlight this time?

Ownboard W2 Pro is the big brother of W2 and is designed to challenge the Backfire Zealot and Exway Flex’s overall performance.

That’s why it’s not a big news for both the price and specs of Ownboard W2 Pro compete against the Backfire Zealot—the best midtier longboard available right now, at least from our perspective.

Will the W2 Pro compete against the top dogs this time around?

As usual, let’s run through the specs first.

Build and Specs

Deck: Bamboo + fiberglass, flexible, no concave, camber/rocker profile
Electronic Speed Controller (ESC): 12s Hobbywing ESC
Marketed Top Speed: 26mph (42 km/h)
Battery: 12s2p 21700 cells, 8.0Ah and 345.6 wh
Marketed Range: 18.5 miles (30km)
Wheels: 105mm Cloudwheels, 40T Abec pulley, can be changed with other pulleys (32T Abec pulley and 36T Kegel pulley)
Trucks: Paris clone (customized with PU ring)
Weight: 19.5 lbs (8.8 kg)

The Ownboard W2 Pro uses a flexible deck that’s made up of bamboo and fiberglass. It has no concave and gives a flat profile.

The board also uses the 12s Hobbywing for the electronic speed controller (ESC) and paired it with a generic OLED remote.

If you’re familiar with Hobbywing ESC, you would already know that this speed controller will give you silky smooth acceleration and braking, with intuitive control.

This is an older generation of the Hobbywing ESC, though, which means it has no smart power-on feature.

For the battery, the Ownboard W2 Pro uses 12s2p 21700 cells that will give you 8.0 AH and 345.6 WH. The marketed range is 18.5 miles or 30 km and we managed to hit 19miles or 31 km. Pretty cool!

The W2 Pro also went with aluminum alloy die-casting for the battery enclosure as compared with the usual plastic enclosure for durability.

And for higher power density, Ownboard W2 Pro uses dual 750W motors with 160 Kilo-volts and 5255 dual belt motors. These belt motors are similarly rated to the one on Backfire Zealot.

To know more about the Backfire Zealot, click here.

In our speed test, we were able to hit its top speed of 26mph or 42 km/h.

Now, let’s move on to the wheels.

Choose your own wheels

The Ownboard W2 Pro uses 105 mm Cloudwheels which have a good ceramic bearing. These are good semi-all terrain wheels that can handle most road conditions.

If you prefer a different style, Ownboard also made a few different wheel pulleys available to purchase so you can change your wheels effortlessly.

The available pulleys are the 32T Abec pulley and 36T Kegel pulley. The board comes with the 40T Abec pulleys for the Cloudwheels.

Ownboard also gave a few tips such as pairing 90 mm wheels with the 32T Abec and at least 100 mm or bigger wheels for the 36T Kegel. Torqueboard or Boa’s 110 mm wheels are among the recommended options for the 36T Kegel pulley.

Suggestions aside, you still have the freedom to choose any type of wheels on your checklist since the pulleys are available.

You can even experiment with Windwheels! They are wonderful in handling road vibrations, too.

Customized Paris clone trucks

The trucks are a Paris clone with a few adjustments. Many of the boards in this price range use branded trucks so this might be a disappointment for some. For instance, Wowgo 3 uses genuine Paris trucks while Backfire uses Caliber II. As for Exway, they have their own proprietary Trist trucks, while Meepo uses unbranded OEM Boosted trucks for their NLS belt.

But branded or not, the important thing is still on how well the truck performs. We’ll talk about that later in the riding experience.

Lastly, the Ownboard W2 Pro weighs 19.4 lbs or 8.8 kg.

Overall, the board is pretty polished, not as refined as most premium boards obviously, but for $699, it’s fine.

Now it’s time to ride!

Riding experience

The Ownboard W2 Pro has 3-speed modes that are perfectly smooth. The top speed mode has very steady yet effortless acceleration and brakes.

To be honest, the W2 Pro goes up on our list of tested boards with the strongest torque in the mid-range category. We’ll go ahead and say that this ride is as strong as the Beastboard Viper—another power freak we tested. We were amazed!

To learn more about the Beastboard Viper, click here.

Even with a low battery, the W2 Pro’s torque remains strong, but the top speed will be capped at 20.5mph or 33 km/h.

The board isn’t difficult to maneuver, either. The Paris clone truck Ownboard used is not the same as the average Paris clone. Ownboard made some modifications to the truck, as the result, the trucks are actually very good! In our opinion, it is surprisingly on the same level as with Exway’s Trist Trucks.

The rebound to the center is good, and the board ride is very secure at high speed. Carving is superb and fun with the W2 Pro. The board is very responsive.

On the downside, the lack of concave on the deck did make us feel hesitant when riding at top speed. We had trouble gripping with our foot position, and that took away the cool vibe.

Still, if you consider the great combination of smooth control + a flexible deck + good quality trucks, then you would get a board that does wonders for carving.

So how was the ride with Ownboard’s W2 Pro on smooth and rough roads?

Here’s what we got:

On a smooth road, the narrow contact patch of the Cloudwheels took away the sticky, grippy smoothness of the ride. This made carving less fun as compared with your regular street wheels, thankfully, Ownboard W2 Pro allows you to change into regular street wheels easily.

When riding on rough roads, this is where the 105 mm Cloudwheels shines. These wheels won’t break a sweat on crossing over bumps and holes, and they cushion you in the vibrations safely.

Finally, here’s our verdict.

THE VERDICT

All specs and riding experience considered, should Ownboard finally get some hype in the eskate community?

Definitely.

Ownboard W2 Pro is a board that deserves more attention. The board combines power and smoothness perfectly. Plus, this baby is great in both performance and riding experience.

However, is it great enough to outdo the Backfire Zealot as the best electric skateboard under $700?

Well, that depends.

Backfire is still the champ when it comes to delivery and post-sale service.
Ownboard may come weaker in both brand and polish, but they make up for it by offering more value for your buck.
With Cloudwheels coming in stock for the Ownboard W2 Pro and not on Backfire Zealot, you get to save $150 on the Cloudwheels by choosing Ownboard—especially if your goal is to have a semi-AT board on the go.

The Ownboard W2 Pro is much stronger in torque, too.

So the big deciding factor is, will you pick polish or value?

While the Ownboard W2 Pro and Backfire Zealot are pretty much tie in most aspects, I suspect most of us will find the more polished Zealot an overall better choice. However, the Ownboard W2 Pro might suit you better if you want something with stronger acceleration or prefer Cloudwheels to come in pre-installed.

So while Ownboard W2 Pro won’t replace Backfire Zealot on our Best Electric Skateboard list just yet, it’s nonetheless a very good choice worthy of your attention.

If you are interested in buying an Ownbaord, 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!

May 8, 2021May 8, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Maxfind M6 Drive Kit Review – All-terrain? Booster Drive?

Today, we will be reviewing the Maxfind M6 Drive Kit.

This is an $869 (USD) all-terrain electric skateboard drive kit. To those who are new to the e-skate hobby, a drive kit is what you attach on skateboards or longboard decks to instantly transform them into an electric skateboard.

Aside from Maxfind, other notable drive kits in the e-skate scene are Loaded x Unlimited, Mellow Drive, and Revel kits, but Maxfind M6 Drive Kit challenges its competitors for being the only all-terrain drive kit on the market.

So if there’s a pretty awesome deck you want to use, and don’t mind the effort of drilling 6 screw holes on the deck, the M6 Drive kit is an option.

Will it be a good option though? Let’s find out!

Let’s take a look at the specs first.

Build and Specs

ESC: 10s Hobbywing ESC
Battery: 10s2p Samsung 30Q cells (6.0Ah and 216 wh), Hot-swappable
Marketed range: 16km
Motors: Dual 1200W hub motors
Top speed: 38km/h
Wheels: 6.5 in airless rubber wheels
Trucks: Double Kingpin, 11.4 in, 98a bushings
Weight: 18.7lbs or 8.5kg (deck not included)

Electronic Speed Controller

The Maxfind M6 Drive Kit uses a 10s Hobbywing Electronic Speed Controller. Those who are familiar with the Hobbywing ESC already know that this speed controller allows exceptionally smooth acceleration and braking, with intuitive control.

Maxfind M6 Drive Kit uses Old-gen Hobbywing ESC

Unfortunately, this is an older generation of Hobbywing ESC, which means this kit has no smart power-on. Smart power-on is a very convenient feature if you want the board to turn on with just a press on the remote.

To know more about electronic speed controllers, click here.

Hot-swappable battery

For the battery, M6 Drive uses 10s2p Samsung 30Q cells, which means you’ll get 6.0 Amp-hours and 216 watt-hours. These are genuine Samsung cells, and Maxfind cited it as the reason behind their higher cost. Hence, the price tag.

Using a better cell might make the battery last longer, but it definitely didn’t help increase M6’s range. The kit’s marketed range is 10miles or 16km, but we only got 7.5 miles or 12km out of it.

The batteries are hot-swappable, though. So, you can technically ride for hours as long as you carry extra battery packs. However, the batteries are pretty expensive and will cost you $200 for each extra pack.

Dual Hub Motors

Next, let’s talk about the motors. This drive kit uses Dual 1200W hub motors. Hub motors don’t require belts and are less prone to maintenance. Another plus for hub drives is that they sound quieter than belt motors.

However, a hub drive has less torque than a belt drive or gear drive, that’s why we rarely see it in an all-terrain set-up. We’re pretty excited to test how well the dual 1200W motors will perform in an off-road setting, given that it has less torque for acceleration.

Close-up of the Maxfind M6 Drive Kit Dual Hub Motor

The marketed speed specs are 23mph or 38km/h, and we managed to hit that.

Airless Rubber Wheels

For the wheels, the M6 kit uses 6.5-inches airless rubber wheels. You won’t need to worry about the tire pressure, nor puncturing them.

On the downside, you can expect a more bumpy ride, but the wheels are definitely big enough to roll over anything on a paved road.

Double Kingpin Trucks

For the truck, the Maxfind M6 Kit uses 11.4-inch Double Kingpin Trucks with 98a bushing. Reverse kingpin trucks are more commonly used for all-terrain, so we’re also interested in how this set-up will play out.

For those who don’t know, Double Kingpin Trucks allow easier changes in direction with tighter turns.

However, after reviewing more than a few DKP trucks, we know that the quality between good and bad Double Kingpin trucks is very far from each other. The good ones have great rebound to the center which allows easy turns while still being very stable. The less great ones, however, are twitchy and can feel unstable during high speed.

Unfortunately, we are very familiar with Maxfind’s DKP trucks and know that it belongs to the latter group.

To know more about electric skateboard trucks, click here.

Lighter than most all-terrain eskates

The drive kit weighs 18.7lbs or 8.5kg alone. After slapping the drive kit onto our drop-through maple deck, the board only weighs 23lbs or 10.5 kg. This is considered very light!

Maxfind M6 Drive Kit is a Lightweight All-terrain Electric Skateboard

Most all-terrain boards weigh around 28lbs or 13kg. With a smaller battery pack than your usual all-terrain boards, the lighter weight is probably an unexpected benefit.

Riding Experience

Now that we’ve gone through the build and specs, it’s time to ride!

Maxfind M6 Drive Kit on a drop-through maple deck with camou grip tape

Obviously, a huge part of your riding experience will depend on what deck you use.

In our review, we used a drop-through deck that’s rather stiff, but we think the best deck for this would probably be an aggressive double drop deck, since the drive kit is very slim in profile, and wouldn’t need much ground clearance. Plus, a lower riding height will make the board ride more stable, compensating for the twitchiness of the trucks.

Twitchy trucks have poor rebound and won’t help you return to the center easily. You might get a feeling of swaying when turning. The 98a bushing is supposed to be tight and hard, but it didn’t help much, and changing the bushing would probably improve its quality.

TAKE NOTE: the board side bushing can’t be tightened by the T-tool provided by Maxfind, so you would need to find a spanner and adjust the tightness yourself.

When it comes to speed control, the acceleration and braking have 4 speed modes. And as always, every speed mode is perfectly smooth with Hobbywing ESC. This speed controller may not always be powerful, but no such worries for the M6 Kits. The acceleration and brakes are both very strong in the top speed mode.

Better than street wheels

When it comes to all-terrain performance, the 6.5-inch wheels perform well on rough roads. These are airless rubber wheels, so they weren’t as good as pneumatic wheels, but even then they’re still much better than Cloudwheels, Windwheels, or any street wheels. You will still feel the vibrations, but it won’t be uncomfortable.

Comparing the experience to pneumatic wheels however, I found the airless rubber wheels less impressive. But when compared with your typical street wheels, these are much better.

We tried it on sand, grass, and rough roads with gravel or rocks.

Riding on sand is fine. There was enough torque from the motors to handle it. The same goes for grass. The motors are powerful enough to go through thick grass and coconut husk. It’s just not strong enough for gravel or small rocks.

THE VERDICT

Now that we know the quality of the build and specs, will the process of slapping this drive kit on a board of your choosing be worth it?

The Maxfind M6 Drive kit is a decent drive kit that offers decent performance. Its worst flaw would be the truck, but it can be fixed by swapping in your own bushing.

The rather small battery pack is not a big deal, since the battery can be easily swapped out in the middle of the ride. And going with a smaller battery looks pretty sleek. It doesn’t only allow more clearance, it’s also lighter in weight.

On the value side of things, being able to choose an awesome deck is a factor that you are obviously paying extra for. Maxfind M6 Drive Kits go around the same price when compared to similar performing, yet completely built AT boards that come with a deck.

For example, Maxfind’s own FF Plus – All-Terrain comes with a pretty sweet carbon fiber finish flexible deck, and only costs a hundred dollar extra! ($969). Unless you are very insistent on using your preferred deck, going with the FF Plus or another brand’s complete build would probably be a better option.

As a person who doesn’t want to hold a screwdriver unless I absolutely have to, an all-terrain drive kit is not that appealing to me. However, if you have a bad-ass deck that you want to convert into an all-terrain eskate, the M6 Drive Kit is currently your only choice. It is the only all-terrain drive kit on the market, after all. At least it is a reasonably decent one, and has a US warehouse to provide fast shipping.

If you are interested in buying a Maxfind, 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!

April 20, 2021April 21, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Propel X4s Review – Unlock all path

Today, we will be reviewing the Propel X4S, a heavy-duty all-terrain electric skateboard by Propel EV.

Propel EV is not a new company; it’s one that was previously named Cycleagle and has been making prototype all-terrain electric skateboards for more than 5 years now. From what I know, they have a solid founding team, and what I have heard about them from others is not much different from what they write about themselves on their own website.

Propel EV makes heavy-duty all-terrain electric skateboards, or put simply, Baja-clones. They are trying to break into the market with the Propel X4S which is selling for $2650 now with 2 batteries. While this is a hefty price, Propel X4s is still more than $1000 cheaper when compared to a Bajaboard; and if it can sing “everything you can be I can be better” to the Bajaboard, then it deserves some serious attention.

So, is Propel X4s a good enough heavy duty all terrain machine? Let’s find out.

Propel X4S Specs and Built

Let’s talk about build details and specs. What are we really getting for Propel X4S nearly 3 grand price tag?

Carbon Fiber Deck: 46.4 inches (1180mm) long & 22 inches (560mm) wide
Electronic Speed Controller: Customized LingYi ESC
Belt Motors: four 1500W, size 6374
Top Speed: 27mph (45kmh).
Battery: 10s6p Samsung 35E (came with 2)
Range: 17 miles (27km) x 2 batteries
Wheels: 10-inch pneumatic tires
Suspension System: Vertical Shock Absorption
Weight: 60lb/27kg
Price: $2650 (extra battery included)

I have to emphasize that this board is HUGE.

It weighs 60lb (27kg), and its carbon fiber deck is 46.4 inches (1180mm) long and 22 inches (560mm) wide. If you’re driving a hatchback (I am), this board might not fit in your trunk (it almost doesn’t!).

Deck

It also has a gorgeous carbon fiber deck with a very aggressive concave to give you better control.

Wheels

For the monster wheels, it uses giant 10-inch pneumatic tires. You can rollover just about anything! Propel X4S will let you traverse nearly any terrain.

Suspension Systems

Next, let’s focus on the suspension system.

For the Propel, or any Baja clone, the ultimate battle is obviously their ability to handle shocks and bumps from very rough terrain.

Propel X4S’ suspension has been built to handle vertical shock absorption.

The vertical shock absorption can be adjusted if desired. All you have to do is adjust the spring load on the coils. These coils will control how much vertical bounce you have on the deck.

Think of it as a replacement for the deck flexibility in any regular longboard deck.

SPOILER ALERT: this kind of suspension system is really awesome! We can officially state that there is ZERO vibration, no matter how crazy the terrain is!

There is another set of springs that controls the turning of the board.

These springs are the ones below the board which can be easily tightened and compressed.

Like the bushings on a truck hanger, the more you tighten these springs, the stiffer your board will be.

Having tight springs on the Propel X4S means less turning radius for you, but will surely make the ride feel more solid at top speed.

If you loosen the turning springs, your ride will be more carvey. Depending on what you prefer, adjust the springs according to your weight and particular needs.

It’s advised to adjust them a couple turns down from stock, but ultimately this is a matter of rider preference.

4 WD & huge Battery

The Propel wants to equip you with enough power to cross through the harshest terrain.

The X4S uses four 1500W belt motors with the size of 6374, combined with the 10s6p Samsung 35E battery. This power gives the board enough torque to pick up the steepest incline I can find on a mountain trail at a top speed of 27mph (45kmh).

The standard price of $2650 comes with 2 battery packs, and each will last you 17 miles (27km) in range.

In our range test, we managed to get 2 more miles out of each battery, putting the total range of both packs at 37 miles(60km). Pretty solid!

Electronic Speed Control (ESC)

Last but not least, the electronic speed controller of this board uses a Customized LingYi ESC.

Well, good to see a familiar part in a machine that’s anything but familiar to us, and the only part that we have criticism for.

First, on the remote. Propel uses the generic LingYi ESC remote with telemetry on it – that generic LingYi Remote that has mislabelled the speed-mode button as “reverse” button, but everyone was so used to it at this point that it no longer bothers us.

While the remote is 100% in functionality—comfortable in hand and doesn’t disconnect; given the price though, we expected something classier to match the rest of this polished board.

Obviously, this was just a small disappointment that Propel EV could easily fix in the future. Next, let’s talk about the riding experience and speed control with LingYi ESC.

Riding Experience – Speed control

The Ling Yi ESC has its usual 4 acceleration modes and 4 brakes modes, independent of each other.

After reviewing a few boards that feature LingYi ESCs, we noticed that this speed controller’s ‘roughness’ increases as the board includes bigger motors.

A LingYi ESC will maneuver with near-perfect smoothness in both acceleration and deceleration for your usual dual hub electric skateboard; but since Propel X4s has more and bigger motors, the board speed control is 3rd and 4th speed modes are anything but silky smooth. There is a rawness in it, those who like it describe it as punchy and powerful; those who don’t like it will describe it as jerky. With that said, it honestly isn’t a big deal. Smoothness comes second to power for boards that specialize in all-terrain uses, and the 1st and 2nd-speed modes are gentle enough for even the very beginners.

Initially, I was a little bit bothered by the rawness of the control, you see, I knew LingYi ESC was always gonna be raw and punchy on the Pro-mode, and I for one never ride LingYi on Pro mode, I usually stick to 3rd speed mode (High mode). However, with the Propel X4s I was forced to ride on Pro mode, or so I thought, as I was climbing pretty steep inclines on mud and rock trails, and I thought I need all the power I could get.

towing Trampa uphill, on mere 2nd speed mode? Easy.

Then, somewhere in the middle of the ride, I realized that to have enough power to climb a 30% incline, from a standstill, staying on 2nd speed mode (medium speed mode) would be more than enough for Propel X4s. The same is true for braking while going downhill. 2nd braking mode is strong enough to slowly brakes to a complete stop. That’s a game-changer for me!

Now, when I am running on a challenging trail, I would just put on Medium speed mode. Control smoothness is no longer a problem! With the power of 4 wheel drives, Propel X4s can climb up an incline, merely using the 2nd-speed mode, from a standstill, and doesn’t even feel like it’s trying. It’s an amazing feeling!

Turning and Carving

Stepping on the board, you will immediately feel its height off the ground. The deck is wide, and the concave locks your feet in place.

Turning on the board is easy and feels tight. Propel X4s actually turns easier for me than Trampa or Lacroix. I can carve on it, better than when I was on Trampa or Lacroix, but obviously still a lot less fun than carving on a regular skate truck. Interestingly, despite looking completely different than a regular longboard, a heavy-duty all-terrain board like the Propel actually rides and controls exactly the same as a regular eskate.

Returning to the center is great as well, and that adds to stability on high speed, not that it was a concern in the first place. Heavy board tends to feel stable for me, and Propel X4s was 3 time heavier than a regular eskate..

Road vibration

The suspension system works really well, as expected.

10-inch pneumatic wheels plus vertical suspension system work together and took away all the vibration you can feel from the road. The feeling is very similar to riding in a car. You won’t feel any gravel, and you can’t tell how poorly the road was paved. When you run into a bump or hole, the entire platform absorbs the shock and bounces up and down. You won’t feel the shock, but you would still need to be careful not to be bumped off the deck, especially when you hit something with just one of the wheels and the board tilts a little bit.

When encountering obstacles like curbs, you can just ride over them without second thoughts. The clearance of the board is also designed to be high enough without having curbs bumping the bottom of the deck.

When running on off-road trails, a heavy-duty all-terrain board such as this will truly shine. The different between this, and the other all-terrain board be it Evolve, Trampa or Ecomobl ET, is that with this, you stop avoiding obstacles. The board can and will roll over anything, and will climb anything.

As the shock absorbers in each wheel are independent of each other, all 4 wheels will still be in contact with the ground (or try their best) even when riding on uneven terrain.

As mentioned, even with just the 2nd speed mode, you can start from a complete stop when riding up a steep hill. Going down the hill, the super-strong brakes will allow the board to stop completely. The board can do anything, and the only limit will be your ability to stay on the board and not falling off. By the way, Propel team, if you are reading this, please build in foot bindings, please.

With that said, on a regular road, you can throttle up and let your mind wander. Nothing on the road can threaten you. Even a reckless driver would have their eyeballs stuck on this extraordinary monster under your feet.

(Disclaimer: Please do still pay attention to your safety while riding, you might still hit a dog or something.)

THE VERDICT

All build, specs, and perks considered, should you get a Propel X4S?

I guess at this point, you already know the answer.

If you are in the market for a heavy-duty all-terrain vehicle, the Propel X4s is going to be great for you. It has everything that you need to help you enjoy yourselves on mountain trails; it’s well built by a legit company and has a good price. However, if you’re looking for a regular longboard ride for flat surface roads, then Propel X4s is obviously a little too much.

The experience would be like choosing to drive a tank just because the road has some potholes along the way. The thing is 60lb after all!

If you are interested in buying a Propel, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during checkout.
It will help you get a 3% 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!