Category: Product Reviews

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Chargiot Bomb – Boom or Bust?

Foreword and Introductions

Chargiot was not a brand under my radar when they first approached me to review this particular product – Chargiot Bomb. Apparently, they have been around for almost a year now, selling via Amazon and resellers such as www.ElectricSkateHQ.com (which has totally no connection with us, I am serious in this one.)

Initially reluctant to take on the review as I have just done one on a very similar product in Yecoo GT, Alex from Chargiot assured me that this is not a regular DIYeboard AT setup. This is something with a much more powerful battery, as well as motors which come with an App that allows tuning of the ESC. So I took the review.

After putting this big guy with flamboyant graphic design through its paces, these are my thoughts on it.

Chargiot Bomb

These are the marketed specs of the Chargiot Bomb:

  • Top Speed: 30mph/ 48kmh
  • Range: 15mil/ 24km
  • Weight: 22lbs/ 10kg
  • Charge Time: 4.5hrs
  • Features: 2 x 2400W motors, regenerative braking, handles up to 30% slope, Remote with telemetry, All Terrain ability, Bluetooth speakers.
  • Price: 999USD with shipping included.

Unboxing

Despite the very “in your face” design of the site and the board, the box and package come as plain as it could be. The board is well protected with foams and that’s all that matters really.

The board comes with a bash guard, a T-tool and the charger.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

Chargiot Bomb uses LingYi ESC and as its typical fashion, it comes with 4 acceleration modes and 4 braking modes. Chargiot added a little bit extra by allowing further adjustment of acceleration and braking (another 4 levels of adjustment on acceleration, braking and gearing).

Straight out of the box, Chargiot had all the settings adjusted to the highest power and that translated into less than perfectly smooth acceleration and weak to suddenly strong braking.

same issue here.

After failing to use the application from android and ending up borrowing an iPhone to adjust the setting, I managed to find a setting that I can live with.

With the adjusted setting, both the acceleration and braking are okay. It’s not perfectly smooth but not jarring either. Average, I would say. One particular trouble that I have is the board will give a jolty start when accelerating from a stop. Chargiot Bomb couldn’t transit from a halt to moving smoothly.

Stability

That said, however, my biggest gripe on the Chargiot Bomb is not the control but the set-up of the board. Most importantly, the biggest of all deck choice. Chargiot picked a 38.5 inches(98cm) deck with Kicktail, and while having a kicktail is one of the unique features that Bomb has, having a kicktail eats into the length of the wheelbase. What’s worse, one couldn’t practically place one’s foot on top of where the truck is because the AT wheels will bite into your shoes and the functional wheelbase is even shorter. At the end of the day, I was forced to ride with a stance not wider than I can have on a shortboard, which doesn’t help with balance.

The problem is compounded with the fact that Chargiot Bomb was pretty tall. It sits on 6″ wheels on a double riser. I felt as if I was riding on heels, and I don’t have the training of what Sookie has to do so.

One way to reclaim a wider stance is to rest the backfoot on the kicktail all the time. That did allow a more stable control and as the Bomb is heavy, you won’t get unwanted wheelies happening to you. However, this patch is not ideal for me as I find that it tired out my leg a lot faster and made turning difficult. On top of that, every minor adjustment of backfoot is wheelbite by shoe waiting to happen.

To compound the problem further, the truck uses a barrel and cone set-up which are pretty soft and made it wobbly at a highish speed. There is always the option of tightening the truck but that will instead make turning difficult. I never attempted to challenge the top-speed of Bomb, 18mph(30kmh) is about the highest I dare to go.

I’ve reached out to Chargiot complaining to them about the design and they’ve informed me that it was a conscious choice to allow the board to be more compact, and for the kicktail to have an extra benefit to be easily draggable (which is totally true… the height and handle on the kicktail made dragging it around so much easier; but I shouldn’t have more fun dragging the board around than I have riding it, should I?)

I totally get what they are trying to do.. I just completely disagree with it. In my opinion, an all terrain set-up and portability should be two mutually exclusive concepts. Trying to accomplish both of these will inevitably leave you in no man’s zone, which unfortunately is where I felt the Bombs are right now.

Chargiot team told me that they are planning to offer other options of wheels kits selections (eg. MBS 100mm), which by theory would address most of the issues I have with it. This would improve the board by eliminating wheel bites by shoes and allowing a wider stance, all while still being a capable semi-AT board.

107mm Flywheel set-up

So Chargiot sent me a set of 107mm flywheels. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a perfect system set-up, as the wheel pulley that I have wasn’t playing nicely with the 107mm wheels and the rest of the motor systems. The two pulleys are not aligned properly, resulting in skip belts. (I think.)

However, I am still able to get a general ride feel on the 107mm’s and I should say, the improvement is as much as expected.

The riding height is much lower and it felt much stable, though I still limit myself below 22mph(35kmh) as it got wobbly for me beyond that.
There was no longer wheel bite by shoes, and you can use the full length of the wheelbase as a standing platform now. 107mm wheels still allow semi-AT uses. For example, it crosses sharp speed bumps without issues and is comfortable on the poorer roads.

A change of wheel doesn’t improve on the speed controls, but it did improve on every other aspect of the ride. I honestly think Chargiot should put 107mm set-up as default, instead of going for the AT version.

Manoeuvrability

I know I said the truck was loose and wobbly, but it is pretty difficulty to turn due to the heaviness of the board. Again, I think this is something that improved significantly after changing to street wheels. Kickturns on the Bomb is pretty difficult to execute due to its weight. A better skater might incorporate it into normal rides but I know I can’t.

Vibration and Terrain capability

Despite my unhappiness with how the board handles, I have to say that it fights through terrain quite well. The 6″ honeycomb wheels and double riser soaks up small vibration completely and rolls through stones, sand, sticks and whatever without any issues. 107mm flywheels are A+ in handling rough pavement too, as expected.

The Bomb would have been a very good vehicle to roll through rough trails in AT if only it allowed a wider stance (deck swap?), but semi-AT uses with 107mm is pretty fine.

Range

I get around 14miles(23km) of range on the Chargiot Bomb.

10S5P 36V, 11Ah, 396Wh Samsung battery pack give me a 14miles(23km) of range. As I couldn’t test the top speed, I didn’t notice any significant sag until the very end of it.

On 107mm flywheels, 12miles(19km) only drain the battery to 66%. Wow.

*Rider weighs around 165lbs (70kg) and was riding in a mostly flat area in a warm climate. 

A closer look at the parts:

Deck

The deck is 7ply maples + 1 ply bamboo. The kicktail is not as functional for me as I thought it would, as the board is heavy and difficult to kickturn (this will change if you ever switch to 100mms). The handle cut out on the tails make the board very draggable when not riding. If there is such a prize, Chargiot bomb would win the prize for being the most draggable eskate ever.

There isn’t much concave on the deck.

Component Enclosures and ESC

The aluminum enclosure, though looks to have generic origin, has some fun spin on it. The ‘radioactive patterns’ are actually LEDs and can glow at night to help you to be seen. Inside the enclosure is also a Bluetooth speaker, which is not of the highest quality, but allows you to blast music to announce your presence.

Wheels

6″ honeycomb wheels works pretty well, almost as well as pneumatic wheels. I like them.

Trucks

Chargiot Bomb uses the generic mountainboard trucks that can be found in DIYeboard. It’s 250mm in hanger width. The stock bushing is a barrel and cone bushing which I blame for the truck unstableness. My opinion is that this set-up put the truck in a no man’s zone. Not turny enough for agility, yet not stable enough for high speed. On a 107mm, a correct tightness and bushing set would work fine, but it was never awesome.

Remote

This is the face of LingYi ESC now. It has a screen for telemetry, which shows current speed, battery and other settings.

The remote itself is pretty comfortable on hand and provides stable connection. As mentioned, there are 4 speed modes available separately for both acceleration and braking. The reverse function is available too.

Verdict

Can an all-terrain board be compact too? I don’t think so.
Chargiot Bomb in its default AT setup proves that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. The big 6″ airless honeycomb wheels are not comfortable on a kicktail deck that is limiting on the standing platform.

On a set of 107mm wheels, however, the board did achieve what the Chargiot team designed it to do.
107mm allows for semi-AT uses.
The shorter wheelbase with kicktail does allow the board to be more compact and allows the board to be dragged around like a luggage bag.
The battery and motor are big and powerful enough for torque and power.

Unfortunately, as the board felt pretty raw overall, be it in control, looks, the ride feels or even the phone app it uses, it couldn’t make it to the top of our list when it comes to boards to recommend.

Checkout Chargiot Bomb by clicking here.

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Meepo Mini 2 ER Review -What it is, and what it isn’t

Foreword and Introductions

While the competition in the budget electric skateboard segment has always been red hot, no company seems to put much thought into the short-board variant. Take the previous gen Meepo Mini and it’s longboard variant Meepo V2, they are just the same board with a different deck.

While the same story goes with Mini 2 ER. This time, however, as the deck of Mini 2 is the star of the show, Meepo Mini 2 is no longer hiding under the shadow of its longboard counterpart and one could even say it will steal the spotlight. (and also, the ESC is different, it’s Hobbyingwing.)

It’s good looking right?

Just one glance and you will be able to tell that Meepo Mini 2 tries to be Boosted Mini. It uses the same dish shape deck, and opt for a similar graphic design. This results in a morally grey but aesthetically pleasing product. I am sensing this will divide the viewers, half of you will be disgusted by the move, the other half will be liking it.

Meepo Mini 2 ER

This the specs of the Meepo Mini 2 and ER (in bracket):

Mini 2:

  • Top Speed: 24mph/ 39kmh
  • Range: 11mil/ 18km
  • Weight: 16lbs/ 7.2kg
  • Charge Time: 2hrs
  • Price: 449USD with shipping included.

Mini 2 ER:

  • Top Speed: 29mph/ 46kmh
  • Range: 20mil/ 32km
  • Weight: 18lbs/ 8kg
  • Charge Time: 2hrs
  • Price: 629USD with shipping included.
  • Features for both: 2 hub motors, regenerative braking, handles up to 30% slope, NR remote (with built in torchlight), swappable PU.

Unboxing

As what I’ve received is a very early review unit (No.002) to be exact, mine doesn’t come with the new Boosted look-alike design. In fact, I felt a bit let down for not getting the prettier version, so I guess I know where I stand on the issue of design copying.

The board came with a T-tool some stickers and hand bands. The remote that comes right out of the box for me is an NR remote, which is cool. I wish Meepo would include a regular generic remote too, though, as NR remote can’t be pocketed, and as portability is one of the key things when it comes to a shortboard. Later I found out that, the inclusion of NR remote is, temporary, once the N2 remote is available, that will be in place substituting the NR remote.

Mold for N2 remote.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

The first thing I notice riding the Mini 2 ER is that, this thing is powerful.

The acceleration is thrillingly fast, ridiculously fast, it beats Boosted Mini S and Wowgo 3 in a drag race! This thing is ridiculously powerful I tell ya, my pal calls it Mini Raptor. It hits its marketed top speed in no time, 29mph(46kmh)!

Although fast, Mini 2 is still perfectly smooth as expected from a Hobbywing ESC. The braking is strong and smooth. Although all are using Hobbywing ESC, Mini 2 ESC is smooth and strong like the Backfire G2T’s unlike Wowgo 3’s which is a bit tamer. I like my brake strong.

It was at that moment I realized that: Mini 2 ER is not Meepo V3 in with smaller footprint, it is Meepo NLS Pro on a Boosted Mini deck. Think about it, it uses the same Hobbywing ESC and same 244wh battery as the NLS Pro. The only difference is deck and wheel size.

Stability & Maneuverability

Shortboards are not generally my favorites as I can’t do tricks, can’t utilize kicktail as good as any skater would, and aside from portability, why would anyone sacrifice the stability of longer wheelbase for no good reason?

Unlike my experience with other shortboards, however, Mini 2 ER rides like a longboard. The heaviness of the board, the larger wheel, the shredder trucks with new bushings that give more a floaty feeling and the bigger wheels comes together to give a very stable ride. The deck is also broad enough for me to feel nice and stable. I love broad decks. I can ride to the top speed, which is a ridiculous 29mph(46kmh) mind you, and only felt wobbly at the very peak of it. That’s without me needing to tighten the trucks. Who rides that fast on a shortboard anyways!

On the other hand, this also meant that unlike most shortboards which is made to be more agile, Mini 2 ER felt more ‘momentous’. It carves comfortably like a longboard but doesn’t change direction as crisply as a shortboard. Tight corners are still easy to navigate thanks to the short wheelbase and the kick tails, it just doesn’t feel crisp.

I think this is also one of the differences between Meepo Mini 2 and the Boosted Mini. Boosted Mini felt agile, while Meepo Mini 2 felt like a short longboard (am I allowed to put it this way?)

Vibration

While the riding the board has been more fun than expected, vibration handling of Meepo Mini 2 is only average, as expected from a hub motor shortboard where you stand directly above the trucks. It is not atrocious thanks to the thick riser pad and maybe the bushings, unlike some boards that are stiff as steel.

Riding on poor terrain is uncomfortable but tolerable. 3/5 or B grade.

Range

Meepo Mini 2 ER came with Samsung 40T in a 10s2p setting, making it an 8AH pack that total to 288wh. This is the same battery pack found in the new NLS Pro.

The base version of Mini 2 without the extended battery is using a typical 4.0AH 144wh set-up. According to my previous experience with other boards with a similar set-up, should give you around 9miles (14.5km) of range.

Top speed was tested separately. Unlike Samuel James who crashes every other week, I am much more reserved.

*Rider weighs around 176lbs (80kg) and was riding in a mostly flat area in a warm climate. 

A closer look at the parts:

Deck

The deck of Meepo Mini 2 shouted Boosted Mini. A side by side comparison reveals that the only similarity between these two is the dimension and the shape. Even then, this is a great deck following the design principle of Boosted Mini’s.

Meepo uses 7 plies Canadian maple for this short deck. The dish shape concave are comfortable for the feet, and the deck is pretty broad at 9″ (22.8cm).

As mentioned, there isn’t much room to allow for flex, as the electronic component occupied the whole length of the board. The final version of Mini 2 doesn’t come with a tail guard, yet.

Component Enclosures and ESC

Flipping the deck onto it’s back, we see the typical 2 enclosure set up. Mini 2 uses the same casing as the NLS and V3.

The enclosure is made out of plastics, not aluminum. There is a heat sink in the ESC enclosure. It looks pretty, no more generic parts.

Wheels

As expected, these are the same hub and wheel that you can find on the Meepo V3. The front wheel is of 78A durometer and the back is the normal stiff hub that we are so used to.

I am guessing the choice of 90mm over the size of 80 or 83mm wheels is of 3 main reasons.
Reason one, the majority of Meepo riders prefer larger wheels to combat unpredictable road condition. You may not agree on this but most people still prefer big wheel over smaller wheels for more ease of mind when rolling over stuff.
Reason two, hub motors are stiff, and giving it extra 10mm helps to soften vibration by a little bit more.
Reason three, 90mm hub have more power in them, and Meepo Mini 2 clearly values power over finesse.

In my opinion, not using 83mm wheels is one of the reason the board felt a tad bit less agile as compare to, for example, Boosted Mini. The need to use a higher riser to prevent wheel bites also means a slightly higher ride height.

Trucks

In my NLS review, I complained about how Shredder trucks felt too soft with the stock bushing. Macroon bushing seems to be able to address that. At least I find no need to swap the bushing.

For those who don’t know, I think Shredder truck is the best truck we have outside of branded stuffs, and the new bushing definitely further improve that experience.

I’m no expert in bushing so please take my opinion here with a grain of salt: I felt Macroon bushing is soft and floaty, it give a comfortable control, but not that zealous in returning you to center, which leads to the feeling of less agile and more momentous. I am not saying that is a negative thing, it’s just different. Again, don’t quote me on the bushing stuff.

Remote

This is NR remote type B.

It doesn’t pair with your LingYi ESC board -V3, NLS, but pairs with all Hobbywing ESC boards -NLS Pro, Classic, City Rider etc.

It has 3 speed mode with different top speed.
It has a torch light built in for night ride.
It has a reverse button, but you have to hold it to activate it.

Don’t be fool by the look, NR remote felt surprisingly comfortable in hand. The throttle dial is big, springing and comfortable.

The only downside of NR remote is that it don’t fit easily in the pocket.

According from what I learnt from Kieran, Meepo Mini 2 is going to ship with the new N2 remote once it is available, in place of the NR remote. N2 is a look-alike of Boosted remote, but we haven’t got any details on that yet.

Verdict

Meepo Mini 2 ER is obsessed to be the most powerful board in a 30-inch body, and I think it is. For enthusiasts that love speed and torque and want it in a compacted package, Meepo Mini 2 ER fit the bill, maybe even better than Boosted Mini X. I thought I would never pick a shortboard for a cruise or group ride but with Mini 2 ER, I would.

On the other hand, an 18lbs(8kg) body means it is not going to be the most portable companion for someone to travel around with. It is heavy. This is the exact situation with Boosted Mini X.
The base version Meepo Mini 2 at 16lbs/ 7.2kg is a bit lighter and slightly more suited for portable use, mirroring Boosted Mini S.

Let me put them side by side below for ya.

Granted, those who are browsing Boosted probably have very different needs than those shopping for a Meepo. All things considered, I can say Meepo Mini 2 ER is pretty damn good.

Checkout MeepoBoards by clicking here.

Updates:

Earlier this week Kieran announced that the Mini 2 ER will be using the LingYi ESC (the same in V3) while the Mini 2 will be sticking with the Hobbywing ESC.

With the changes, you can expect the following:

  • Acceleration in drag race = Similar Acceleration smoothness in pro mode =-5%
  • Braking strength = significantly increased
  • Braking smoothness = Depending on which braking mode you choose, similar in mode 1.
  • Other changes,
    • remote with screen and telemetry (MR remote, bye bye N3 remote)
    • The kick to turn on feature will be available on Mini 2 ER. (This is very important for me as I use it for multiple short rides with stops in between, no need to bend down to reach for the power button is a god-send.)

Posted on by Drew Frayre

The MaxFind Max 2 – Dual Review

When you look at the MaxFind Max 2, you may be struck by its appearance. This board looks more like a piece of stolen alien technology or a prototype government aircraft than it looks like a skateboard. The all-black diamond-cut fiberglass deck is sleek, sexy and utterly smooth to the touch, and the grip tape is…not there.

Instead of traditional grip tape, MaxFind has elected to have their board’s riding surface comprised of a synthetic PVC material.

After riding it for a couple of weeks, I am confident in its ability to hold you to the board for light cruising. I would not take this board into a downhill race or attempt to do any slides with just this material for grip, but for fair-weather commuting, it should do the job while avoiding scuffing your favorite pair of sneaks.

While we are looking at the exterior of this board, get a look at THESE:

To keep up with the prototype aircraft aesthetic, it appears that MaxFind have elected to bolt two jet turbines to the back of their latest board. I have to admit that even I was a little intimidated by these formidable hub motors. It is worth noting that this particular model runs 90mm wheels, and it seems that a good 80mm of them is taken up by these enormous cheese-grater vents.

This all makes sense when you take size of the dual 1000w motors into effect. Motors like this need to be kept cool, and in order to keep cool they need to breathe, and breathe, they do! I was able to find a (long) bike path and run this board at full speed for nearly 2 minutes at 21mph without experiencing a reduction in speed. (MaxFind advertises this board’s max speed as 23mph, but I found the top speed to be a bit lower with my 190-pound frame on it.)

The big vents in the wheels should not be a problem for water intrusion however, as the board is IP65 waterproof. I was concerned about water getting into the hub motors when I first got the board, but was assured that the motors are fully encased inside the wheels. This seems to be the case, as I have not had an issue with moisture yet, despite riding this board on several wet days and this awesome bit of footy released by the manufacturer:

(Note: I do not condone trying to empty your home pool with this board.)

While looking at the beefy motors, your eye might also be drawn to the equally beefy trucks. I have to admit that these cast trucks look GOOD. The stealth black, sharp angles and geometry reminiscent of Caliber make for a seriously impressive truck, and I haven’t managed to snap or even really dent mine yet, so it looks like they can really take some abuse!

MaxFind could really benefit from some in-house skater expertise though. When my review unit arrived in the mail, the trucks were tight and unresponsive. After a quick switch up of the stock bushings (dead and reboundless), I had the MaxFind turning a bit better. I hesitate to make this setup more carvy, as the 90mm wheels are definitely a risk for wheelbite, one of my biggest skateboarding demons. Luckily, the unique shape of the MaxFind deck gives you some wheel-wells to help avoid this particular problem.

This is probably a good spot to talk about the ride. Right off the bat, I noticed that this board feels like it is geared HIGH. For those of you that do not drive manual cars, this means that the board has less torque at lower speeds, and achieves a higher top speed. I vastly prefer this type of ride to boards that have jerky low-speed acceleration *cough* WinBoard *cough* as it allows for a much smoother takeoff, and a higher cruising speed.

Once you fix the trucks, this board carves well, and rides really smooth on the huge 90mm wheels. I found myself really enjoying light carving, even at higher speeds, though the lack of concave on the deck was a little unsettling. I chalk this more to my downhill background than anything, I know that people have been beach cruising on pin-tails for a long time and carving without concave since before I was born.  

Speaking of board feeling, this board feels LIGHT! At 13.6 pounds, this bad boy comes in even lighter than its Meepo and Boosted counterparts. I loved having this board as my commuting buddy for a couple weeks, as it was exceedingly easy to jump on a bus, train, or up a flight of stairs without too much hassle. I will often not bring an eskate or EUC into the city when I am meeting up with Muggle (non-riding) friends, as I know that I will be schlepping whatever I rode around with me all day. This was not the case with the MaxFind, as it was easy enough to pop under my arm and walk around with.

NOTE: Before closing out this interview, I am compelled to note that the reports of support for MaxFind’s customers have been…sketchy to say the least. We have had multiple reports to EskateHQ of customers who have reached out to MaxFind about issues with their boards, only to be met radio silence. I did not have an issue with my board over the 3 weeks that I tested it, but the lack of support is something that should be taken into effect when making a purchase decision.

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Yecoo GT – Does this budget 2 in 1 worth your time?

Update: Yecoo team reached out and notify that they have taken the feedback to heart, and is in the process of addressing some of the lowlights. For now, the battery has already been upgraded to an even larger 10s5p 36V 11Ah Samsung battery, with a plan to further upgrade to a 15Ah & 17.5Ah option.
The grip tape design was also revised and looks to the better now.

Yecoo, a Chinese brand previously unheard of reached out to us to review one of their product Yecoo GT. I’ve never reviewed a budget 2 in 1 before and enthusiastically agreed to it. Who doesn’t like a good 2 in 1, could Yecoo GT hold a candle to the Evolves?

Yecoo GT Review

Right off the bat, my test show the marketed spec has been slighty inflated. So the chart and below is the tested specs of the Yecoo GT:

  • Top Speed: 21mph (35kmh)
  • Range: AT – 6miles (10km)
    83mm – 10 miles (16km)
  • Weight: AT – 19.6lbs (8.9kg)
    83mm – 16lbs (7.3kg)
  • Charge Time: 5hrs
  • Features: 2 belt motors, regenerative braking, handles up to 20% slope, swappable PU.
  • Price: 599USD with shipping included.

Build Quality

First thing first, let’s go through the superficial stuff.

Packaging

Everything is pretty rudimentarily packed.
I love how the square foams are cut out and place around the wheels to keep the board in place in the box, I think it’s cute.

The package did come with a full set of 83mm wheels and it’s set of belt and pulley. I am happy that it is included.

Other than that, we have all the usual stuff, T-tool, remote, and chargers.

Update: The packaging has since then received a much needed improvement.

New looks and packaging for Yecoo GT

Deck

Yecoo GT’s deck is a pretty standard generic long board deck with handle cut out. Being generic doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s pretty comfortable.

It has a little nice concave to it and a tiny bit of flex to it.

Component Enclosures and ESC

Flipping the deck onto it’s back, we see the typical generic 2 enclosure set up. These are the plastic enclosure made famous by the original Meepo board. Inside them, houses the LingYi ESC and a 6s4p battery pack.

Knowing this pairing, some of you should already know what the performance would be like, but please read on!

The new battery enclosure for Yecoo GT is much bigger, due to bigger battery.

Wheels

The AT wheels are a set of 150mm silicon wheels. It’s not pneumatic tires. They are big, heavy, and they actually perform pretty well in rough terrain.

Being a 2 in 1, you can easily switch to the street set-up. The board comes with 83mm street wheels that are pretty meh in quality but of course it is up to you to switch to anything with a flywheel core.

Motor

The motor on the GT is a pair of 1000W 5065 outrunner motor.

Trucks

This is a pair of 250mm trucks that are used in many Chinese budget AT boards, they are okay.

What’s seems to puzzling to me is the use of barrel and cone bushing here. Granted that helps the board to turn more but it felt pretty weird riding tall with an AT set-up, yet the truck is so soft and unsteady. I have to tighten the trucks a bit for the ride to be steadier, that is to the detriment of maneuverability and increasing the turn radius; hard to get it right.

On the contrary, I find the truck set-up very comfortable on the street setup. Barrel and cone bushing gives a good amount of lean, wide truck, and low riding height make the board stable.

Remote

Pretty commonly used remote. It has 3 speed modes and 3 brake strength.

You can toggle between the speed mode by using the slides on the side of the remote. Brake mode can be toggled by pressing the power button while holding the throttle all the way back.

My suggestio, just stick with the lowest brake mode.

Capability

Range

While the marketing material rated the board as 6AH, I was dissapointed to learn that it was actually a 6s3p set-up. This means that Yecoo GT has a 144wh battery pack, which is the size of all base version Chinese budget board uses.

The AT wheels set-up got me 6.5miles (10.5km) before the battery ran out.
The Street set-up with 83mm wheels got me 10miles(16km).

I would expect worse from a 144wh battery on a belt drive but I guess limiting the top speed and power does help to get more range out of the Yecoo GT.

*I weigh around 154lbs (70kg) and was riding in a mostly flat area in a warm climate. 

Update: With the upgrade to 10s5p 36V 11Ah Samsung battery, the range and torque should see significant improvement.

Speed and Torque

I could only reach 21mph(35kmh) with the street set up.
With the AT-setup, I manage to reach a little bit less than that and hit 20.8mph(33.5km).

While I would like to be able to go faster in the street set-up, I am not looking to push the speed limit in AT, as riding high off the ground with a loose truck feels pretty sketchy!

23% hill, can’t get up

With a 6s4p set up, I’m betting the torque is gonna take a hit, and it did. On the AT set-up, Yecoo GT is unable to climb through a 23% graded hill. It almost can, almost.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

Yecoo GT uses an older version of LingYi ESC and it has similar behavior. The smoothness of acceleration is pretty fair in street set up but in the AT set up the board seems to have trouble deliveing enough power to the motors, hence a slow throttle push will result in a ‘hesitant start’.

Braking curve is not the most intuitive with low brake strength initially and sudden ramping up of brake strength, when the throttle was pulled further back.

You can choose different brake strength in the setting by pulling the throttle back and pressing the power button, however, I don’t see the need to go beyond the lowest mode, as higher brake strength would just accentuate the problem.

Stability & Maneuverability

On the topic of stability and maneuverability, the nature of 2 in 1 presented Yecoo GT a dilemma.

Generally speaking, AT set-up would have a ‘tighter’ truck set-up to allow more stability, as you know, you will be riding quite high off the ground and in all kinds of terrain. This is why true AT trucks are often so difficult to turn. On the other hand, you will want a street set-up to have a loose truck, that allows you to have plenty of leans so you can have as much fun carving as possible.

In my opinion, Yecoo GT is set-up to be a pretty good longboard. I love wide trucks, and while 250mm trucks on 83mm wheels are a bit of overkill, that is the kind of overkill that I enjoy riding. The street setup is pretty maneuverable and very stable, thanks to the super wide truck. The barrel and cone bushing also allows the board to lean and turn easily.

Going from street setup to AT setup however, the story changed. For me, the AT set-up ride too high for my comfort level; plus a barrel and cone sacrifice stability for more turns and it just made the board unsteady.

Vibration & Terrain

Besides learning that I love wide trucks, the second thing I learned from Yecoo GT is that 6.5″ silicon tires are pretty good. It handles vibration and challenging terrain pretty well, almost as well as the standard pneumatic tires.

If you feel comfortable with the riding high off the ground and the inconsistent control behavior in AT set-up, Yecoo GT actually is pretty good in getting you through places.

  • Stones
  • Poor roads

Verdict

Everything about the Yecoo GT is pretty raw. From the packaging to the design to the control.

It is both too underpowered to be good AT board and too uncomfortable for a regular cruise ride. The big 6.5″ wheels are good enough to handle some really treacherous road, as long as you can stay on it.

As a street set-up, GT is a comfortable ride competing well with the most entry-level budget board. It is, however, not priced at the entry level.
Yecoo does have another product, GTS, which address some of the shortcomings of GT by using 10s3p battery pack and double barrel bushings for a more stable ride. So perhaps look that way?

Anyways, you can use our discount code ‘ESKATEHQ’ to receive a free battery upgrade when buying a Yecoo GT.

Visit Yecoo Board by clicking here.


Posted on by Paxson Lim

Wowgo 3 Review – It’s Butter

Foreword and Introductions

It seems like every budget brand is beginning to move up the price ladder by offering something around the mid-tier $599 marks.

Wowgo 3 is not a reiteration of the Wowgo 2s but a separate lineup on its own. Just by going through the marketing material, one would notice that every part of the board have been upgraded from the Wowgo 2s; be it the battery, the deck, the wheels, or the ESC. Of course, the most notable upgrade must have been the trucks, they are Paris trucks now!

Wowgo 3 Review

This the specs of the Wowgo 3:

  • Top Speed: 24mph (39kmh)
  • Range: 14mil (22.5km)
  • Weight: 17.2lbs (7.8kg)
  • Charge Time: 3hrs
  • Features: 2 hub motors, regenerative braking, handles up to 30% slope, remote with telemetry, swappable PU.
  • Price: 599USD with shipping included.

Build Quality

Packaging

Nothing much to comment on; everything was unsophisticatedly but neatly packed.

The board came with a wall hanger, 2 spare PU sleeves, a T-tool, a generic tail-lights, and the obligatory extra foam pads for deck swaps.

Deck

One might remember that I was a huge critic of Wowgo 2s’s flat deck.

Not to worry, Wowgo 3 deck is a huge improvement. The bamboo + fiber glass deck provide very good flex. The deck is no longer flat, with some subtle concave to help your feet feel comfortable on it.

I especially love the minimalistic design on the grip tape. Overall, I really like this deck.

Component Enclosures and ESC

Flipping the deck onto it’s back, we see the typical 2 enclosure set up. No more generic parts, looks like everyone is moving into developing their own proprietary parts now! Good.

The enclosure is made out of plastics, not aluminium. Wowgo said it is a strong plastic and it certainly felt like it. Will it break with abuse? That I can’t tell.

Wheels

The wheels on Wowgo 3 are significantly better than the one they used for the previous generation. They are 90mm and rated at 78A, I feel they are grippy and comfortable.

The PU sleeve on the hub motor is swappable.

There will be more on how the wheels impact the riding experience later.

Trucks

“Put a Paris truck on it and you will thank me later.” is a very popular advise in the eskate community during the rise of Chinese budget board. I guess the team behind Wowgo heard that too and decide to act on it.

Wowgo 3 uses genuine Paris truck for the front truck, and it indeed helps to transcend the riding experience to another level. This is to me, one of the most important upgrades from the Wowgo 2s, as you might recall, I hate the generic truck from the Wowgo 2s – I find the 2s difficult to turn with that pair of generic trucks.

Capability

Range

Wowgo 3 uses one of the best cells in Samsung 30Q to build its 10s2P battery pack(216wh). Referring to the math of 10wh=1km range, the marketed range of 14mil (22.5km) is pretty reasonable.

Putting that into the test, a fully charged Wowgo 3 takes me 15.5miles (25km) before finally stops.

The board still retained a top speed of 18.5mph(30kmh) up to the very last miles of the ride, that’s pretty good!

*I weigh around 154lbs (70kg) and was riding in a mostly flat area in a warm climate. 

Speed and Torque

Unlike the other boards of this price segment, Wowgo 3 has no intention to duke it out in the top speed department. It keeps the very modest top speed of 24mph(39kmh) of the Wowgo 2s.

Of course, it hit that top speed effortlessly.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

Wowgo 3 uses a customized version of the Hobbywing ESC. As expected, Hobbywing ESC delivers a butter smooth acceleration and deceleration.

What’s worth mentioning here is the addition of the fourth mode, Turbo mode. Unlike the Turbo mode found in Backfire G2T, this Turbo mode does not have a time limit and doesn’t require cooldown. This basically means a fourth speed mode that provides a more aggressive acceleration, and indeed it does! The board picks up speed pretty effortlessly, bringing you to top speed fairly quickly. Not as fast as a belt driven board, or a VESC but pretty fast.

Braking on the Wowgo 3 is smooth and comfortable. It is stronger than the Wowgo 2s and any board on the last gen Hobbywing ESC, I would prefer it to be a tad bit stronger.

Stability & Maneuverability

It seems to me that all $599 board has their own focus and specialty. Wowgo 3 focus is on relaxing ride and maximum fun in carving. Flexible deck and Paris trucks both are ingredient that Wowgo choose to create this favor. Paris truck is known to give fluid and have a comfortable carve, while not sacrificing the stability. Flexible deck makes riding around comfortable, and carving fun.

For a not so aggressive top speed of 24mph(39kmh), stability is no concern at all. At no point do I feel wobbly or at risk of being bounced off of the flexible deck.

The use of soft 78A 90mm wheels further improves the smooth buttery feeling of the ride. I myself find 90mm the best in general use for hub boards. While, 80-83mm are too small for bumps and cracks and vibrations, 96-107mm rides too tall and scarifies too much torque.

Vibration

So with the 90mm soft wheels (78A) and the flexible deck, Wowgo 3 does pretty well in absorbing vibrations from poorly paved road. Of course, it is still no match against belt-driven boards that has 4 true wheels or big wheels of 96mm+ size but amongst all hub-drives that are with 90mm wheels, this is among the best in reducing vibration.

For me, Wowgo 3 scores an A- in vibration handling.

Remote

Wowgo 3 uses a very elegantly designed remote. The shape and the soft-rubber finish give it a very premium feel. The design is really ergometric and feels nice in hand.

It has a screen that shows top speed, odometer, and battery percentage.

It only has one button that controls everything:

Single press changes the speed modes.
Double press changes the forward/reverse.
Long press to turn on and off.
Holding it to go into pair modes.

Speed modes:

  1. Slow mode: 0-12miles/h(0-20km/h) 
  2. Normal mode: 0-18miles/h(0-30km/h) 
  3. Fast mode: 0-24miles/h(0-39km/h) 
  4. Turbo mode: 0-24miles/h(0-39km/h)

Customer Service

There isn’t much that I can say about Wowgo’s customer service.
Wowgo is now one of the most established electric skateboard brands from China, and their post-sale service is considered reliable.

Unfortunately, all the post-sale service is still based in China but the company seems to be doing pretty well performing their post-sales duty. Sure, there is still some occasional complaints heard from time to time, those are usually drowned amongst the cheers of satisfied customers.

So, not amazing but good.

Verdict

Wowgo 3 has a clear design focus. The same design focus that makes the Boosted popular to be a very comfortable ride for the last mile solution.

It doesn’t try to push the envelope in top speed, torque, range, or wheel size. The result might not be exciting, even boring for some but I believe this is a deliberate design choice that Wowgo made, so that the Wowgo 3 can be the most comfortable ride you can find, at any price.

I think they succeed in their vision. Wowgo 3 is, as mentioned in the title, is butter. The control is buttery smooth. Carving all around is buttery smooth. Everything just felt so smooth.

As always, we have secured a small discount code for our fellow readers:
Click to receive $5 off Wowgo 3

For those who are from a European country, you can choose to shop from a local dealer – Speedio.
Speedio is an Electric Skateboard re-seller based in the Czech Republic. While you do pay a little premium, they offer a 2-year warranty, local support, and fast 2-5 days shipping.