Uncategorized - Electric Skateboard HQ

June 17, 2024June 19, 2024 by Paxson Lim

Veymax Roadster X4 Review – $439 electric longboard!

We’ve never heard of Veymax prior, but since we are committed to cover every board under $500, we have to give this $439 hub-board with clean design a try. We already have pretty good options in the all-rounded $399 Wowgo 2s Max and thrilling $439 Meepo v3s, so let’s see if the Veymax Roadster X4 has anything new to offer.

Read our review of the Wowgo 2s Max here.

Read our review of the Meepo V3s here.

Veymax Roadster X4 Specs:

Price	$439
Battery	12S2P 216Wh 18650 25P10S2P 288Wh 21700 Samsung 40T
Controller	LingYi 8.0 ESC
Top Speed	29 Mph (46 Kph)
Range	X4 model – 13 miles / 21kmX4S model – 17.4 miles / 28km
Deck	Canadian Maple and Fiberglass
Motor	550W*2 Hub drive
Net Weight	20.5lbs (9.3kg)

Deck – Canadian Maple and Fibreglass:

Starting with the deck, the deck of Roadster is made up of a mix of Canadian maple and fiberglass. It has a very wide deck, making it very comfortable to stand on, and a wider deck means added stability at high speeds, as well as comfort. The deck is a bit stiff with only a mild flex. Veymax also included nose and tail guards, which is also a nice touch,

Battery – 12S2P 216Wh 18650 25P:

Next, for the battery, you get two options: the X4 model comes with a standard 12s2p using 18650 25P cells, which totals 216Wh battery, while the X4S model comes with 10s2p using 21700 Samsung 40T, which totals 288Wh battery.

This is a little bit interesting as the standard model uses a 12s battery, while the upgraded version X4S uses a lesser 10s battery but with a better 21700 Samsung 40T. 21700 cells are obviously better, but the difference in power for both variants might be narrower than first thought. Anyway, we only received the X4 for the review, so we’ve no way of knowing how X4S compares.

The marketed range for the X4 model is 13 miles or 21km, while the X4S model is marketed to reach 18 miles (28km). Our range test on the Roadster X4 resulted in 17 miles or 27.36 km with a 119lbs (54 kg) rider riding fast. This is pretty surprising, and the first time, our range test yielded a range that was significantly higher than the marketed range. A heavier rider would probably get the marketed range and no more than that, but this is still pretty good news, considering most brands drastically overstates the range on their board.

ESC and Remote – LingYi 8.0 ESC:

Moving onto the ESC, Veymax went with a Lingyi 8.0 ESC on the Roadster. The Lingyi ESC has a push-to-turn-on feature, four speed modes, and four brake modes. It is paired with the generic Lingyi remote, which has an OLED display to show the speed, battery, and other info.

Motor – Dual 550W Hub Drive:

Next, powering the Roadster is a pair of 550W hub motors, which is about an average amount of power for any eskate in the under $500 price bracket. Hub motors have the upsides of being maintenance-free, and you can kick-push the board if you run out of battery. The Roadster is marketed at a top speed of 29 mph (46 kph), which is above average in the budget board category, and when we took it to the streets, we managed to hit the marketed top speed.

Trucks and Wheels – Reverse Kingpin trucks and 105mm Jellywheels:

Next, let’s talk about the trucks. They are 7.5-inch reverse kingpin trucks with a 45° base plate angle, and the bushings given are 92A durometer. The Roadster also comes with 105mm Jelly wheels, which looks to have a good tread and contact patch. This should help with vibration absorption and slight off-road use. making them big and chunky, which helps absorb vibrations.

Specs summary of the Roadster X4:

To sum it up, most of the specs are on par with the industry leaders – High top speed, above-average battery size, and good 550W motors. Giving entry-level hub boards 105mm wheels makes sense, as beginners to semi-experienced riders would value safety from sticks and stones and road vibrations more than the sticky smooth ride feel offered by premium PU wheels. Another cool feature of the Roadster is its LED tail lights that come with 6 mode settings for additional customization to your ride.

The Roadster weighs in at about 20.5 lbs (9.3 kg), which is a bit on the heavier side for a budget tier board, but it should help with its stability, which is always a plus.

Riding Experience on the Roadster X4:

Starting off with its speed control, the version of LingYi ESC that Veymax uses is probably one of the most current. It is perfectly smooth in both acceleration and braking, making it an intuitive board to ride, even for beginners.

And once you are accustomed to the board, you can turn up to the “Pro” mode, where the gloves come off. The highest “Pro” mode of the Ling Yi ESC gives a thrilling, quick acceleration, more so than your typical $400 electric longboard. It takes off really quickly and gets you to that 29mph top speed very quickly. I like to classify entry-level electric skateboards into two types: the relaxing kind, which wouldn’t hurt you, and the thrilling kind, which gives you a rush. Roadster X4 certainly falls into the latter category.

With the very high 28mph ( kmh) top speed, we have to talk about the stability of the ride.

First, the deck.The deck is about 1.5cm wider than Exway Flex and Meepo V4s. Having a wide deck to place our feet helps, and a stiff deck that doesn’t bounce around helps the board to feel stable during high speed. However, we do wish for more concave on the deck, Roadster only have a pretty mild concave on the very wide deck.

Another factor that affects the stability of the trucks is the trucks. The trucks are pretty average; they were pretty stable until they approached top speed, and we started to feel a bit of wobble around 28mph ( kmh). Tightening the truck would certainly help, but the truck was already pretty average in maneuverability and carving fun, too. Perhaps investing in a pair of better bushing would improve both these aspects. Veymax was well aware of these shortcomings and told us that new trucks are in the works.

Then, there are the wheels.

These 105mm Jellywheels are no cloudwheels. They are harder and don’t soak up as much vibration as we would hope. However, expecting cloudwheels to come in stock for a board just north of $400 might be asking a little bit too much. Compared to 90mm PU, which was the standard for this price, these 105mm were still less rough and more immune to pebbles when riding fast. There is safety in wheel size, and 105mm is better than 90mm in that one aspect.

Verdict – Should you buy the Veymax Roadster X4 ?

The Roadster is a pretty board that went for a ride profile similar to that of the Meepo V3s.

It’s definitely a thrilling board that has one of the highest top speeds in this category. Compared to the big dogs, the Veymax Roadster may be a little bit less refined when it comes to its trucks and deck, but it has a better range than most, and the practicality of its big 105mm wheels is another plus. It’s a good alternative to the Meepo V3s, especially if you like the practicality of big wheels.

If you are interested in buying the Veymax, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive 5% off during checkout.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!

February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 by Paxson Lim

Backfire Era 2 Review – Most portable

Backfire, one of the most reputable electric skateboard brands, had been struggling to stand out in the entry-level eskate market for a few years now. The Backfire G2 Black, though competent, was overshadowed by the likes of Wowgo 2s Max and Meepo V4s in both ride experience and performance.

So, at the end of 2022, Backfire tried again and released the Backfire Era 2—a $399 entry-level eskate that plays a different game. Instead of trying to compete in power and range, Era 2 was designed to focus on portability, making it a better fit for the urban commute or as a last-mile option.

Backfire Era 2 Build and Specs

Deck: Premium Canadian Maple and Fiberglass
Electronic Speed Controller: 10s Hobbywing ESC
Battery: 42V 180Wh Li-Polymer Battery
Marketed Range: 9 miles / 15 km
Motors: Dual 400W In-Hub Motors
Marketed Top Speed: 23 mph / 38 km/h
Trucks: 50° 8-inch Backfire Proprietary Trucks
Wheels: 90 mm Urethane Wheels

As usual, let’s start with the build and specs. The highlight of the board is undoubtedly the slim and thin build. The deck looks high quality with a stealthy design. It really looks good and going without an electronic enclosure at the bottom of the deck allows maximum ground clearance.

However, this design also comes with a tradeoff which is a very stiff deck. In fact, the 38” maple and fiberglass deck has zero flex in it which impacts the ride experience. Let’s talk about that later!

Lighter Than a Shortboard

On another note, the Backfire Era 2 deck does have a mild concave which secures your feet in place. We also noticed that instead of the usual 9.5-inch width, Backfire slimmed down the deck to make it 8.85 inches wide, further reducing its footprint.

Thanks partly to that, the board is very lightweight at 16 lbs or 7.25kg. This is even lighter compared to some shortboards like the Tynee Mini 2.

Interested to learn more about Tynee Mini 2? Check out our review here.

Inside the deck is a 5.0ah, 180 wh LiPo battery pack that’s hidden underneath the grip tape. This provides the board with a moderate range claim of 9 miles or 15km. During our test, our 150 lbs rider managed to get 7 miles or 12 km when riding fast. This is nowhere impressive and is considered low range on today’s standard but hey, let’s not forget that this is a $399 board with a sleek design.

Better With 10s Hobbywing ESC

As for the ESC, Backfire Era 2 uses a 10s Hobbywing ESC with a smart turn-on feature which we really appreciate. Perhaps, Backfire decided to go for 10s ESC and battery to save some cost since the motor they went with wasn’t going to be able to capitalize on the 12s system anyways. The remote offers only 2-speed modes which are ECO and SPEED. It also comes with one turbo mode.

Speaking of motors, Backfire ERA 2 uses dual 400w hub motors which are good enough for daily rides but don’t scream power. Even the ‘turbo mode’, is honestly just a fancy name for 4th and highest-speed mode. Overall, the power is just modest.

Want to explore other eskates under $500? We got you! Check out our list here.

During our top speed test, we managed to hit exactly what Backfire advertised, which is 23 mph and 38 km/h. As we all know, that’s about the standard top speed for entry-level eskates.

The board also comes with standard 90MM Urethane wheels which aren’t particularly interesting. Although, they’re still a decent pair of wheels made of good quality and high rebound Urethane.

Last but not the least, Backfire ERA 2 went with the brand’s proprietary 50-degree trucks which are 8 inches in length.

So, that pretty much wraps up the specs of the board.

As you can see, the Backfire ERA 2 did not try to outperform any board in specs. Does this also mean the board rides poorly? Let’s get on the road and put Era 2 to the test!

Backfire Era 2 Riding Experience

As is the case with all Backfire boards, the acceleration of the Backfire ERA 2 is very smooth. Going with 10s instead of 12s Hobbywing ESC also goes to show that power is not a priority here. The acceleration and braking are equally gentle and smooth.

For context, most really strong hub boards use 500w motors. So, while wattage alone doesn’t tell a full story, the ERA 2 felt a little bit underwhelming in terms of power when compared to other boards that we tested like Meepo V4s and Wowgo 2s Max.

Great for Beginners and Urban Commuters

With that said, I can imagine beginners and casual riders preferring Backfire Era 2 exactly for its tameness and reduced risk of hurting themselves on a board that’s too strong for them.

The next important thing to consider is the ride feel, which brings us back to the deck. The concave is nice and it secures our feet in place. But as expected, the stiff deck suffers when we ride through rough road conditions. Since the deck is thinner in width than normal eskates, we felt very strong vibrations when cruising through poorly paved roads.

Cloudwheel Donuts for Extra Cushion

As we have guessed, this is the kind of board made for a sidewalk. So, if you have to ride on a poorly paved road, we highly recommend upgrading the wheels to 105MM Cloudwheel Donuts. It’s the only way the ride can be bearable.

To check if Cloudwheel Donuts are more your style, read our review here.

On smooth roads, however, Backfire ERA 2 not only rides smoothly but is also pretty fun to carve. Personally, if you’re not upgrading to Cloudwheels, we won’t recommend riding the board any more than 5 miles (8km) as your feet will probably be burning by that time.

The trucks are stable enough to support 23 mph of top speed and are pretty responsive when it comes to doing turns. Obviously, swapping to branded trucks like the Paris or Caliber II will make the board both more responsive and fun to carve. At $399, we really have no complaints about the board’s trucks.

Backfire Era 2 VERDICT – The Best for Urban Commute

To summarize, the Backfire Era 2 gave a decent riding experience on top of the sleek and polished look. Compared to other entry-level electric skateboards, the Era 2 is certainly not better in performance or even in ride feel.

It does have the advantage of being easier to carry around. Backfire will even give you a free carrying bag to emphasize portability. And, it’s prettier, at least in our eyes.

It’s not often that we see Backfire sacrifice specs for looks but the tradeoff makes perfect sense to us. If you are looking for a last-mile commute to and from bus or train stations, portability and looks trump power and top speed.

Power and top speed are useless anyway when riding on city sidewalks or inside the campus. Why let yourself be burdened by the extra weight of a bigger battery when you don’t need the range, right?

In short, if you are looking for a simple, portable, nice-looking board from a reputable brand at a very good price, Backfire Era 2 is a very very good deal. Just don’t expect to win any drag race or keep up in group rides.

If you are interested in buying the Backfire, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive 5% off during checkout.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!

January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 by Ziyad Khairi

Exway Flex Pro Review – Punchy, Powerful, and Game-Changing?

Exway Flex Pro is the upgraded version of the Exway Flex ER. At $930 USD, it’s supposed to be faster, better and most notably, a lot more powerful.

by Electric Skateboard Malaysia

Exway also updated its mobile apps, the ExSkate, which is now more functional and has a prettier user interface. Exway Flex Pro also comes with a fast charger which is the latest gallium nitride. The GaN charger supports dual charging which we will talk more about later.

What we really want to talk about is the Exway Flex Pro’s peak output power at 2520W. Can it surpass its rival, the Meepo Voyager X, in ride experience and overall build? Let’s first go through the specs!

Exway Flex Pro Build and Specs

Deck: Flexible Composite; bamboo, maple, and fiberglass
Electronic Speed Controller: Exway Latest Gen ESC 3.0; R3 Remote
Batteries: 345Wh; Domestic 18650 cells
Marketed Range: 25 miles (40 km)
Motors: 2520W Belt
Marketed Speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
Trucks: 8” Proprietary Trist Trucks
Wheels: 90*64mm 76A Durometer
Other Features: ExSkate App, 210W GaN (gallium nitrate) fast charger

Starting with the unboxing experience, Exway Flex Pro’s packaging is decent but the goodies inside make it special.

The R3 remote is the latest from the Exway Flex Series. Exway updated the look with an ergonomic design and added features like route tracking, online and offline firmware updates, and Bluetooth 5.0. It now charges by USBC and what I like the most is that it shows the trip meter and odometer.

You also get the new gallium nitride (GaN) fast charger which is super sleek and beautiful. The fast charger can be combined with two more chargers like this one to get a full battery status in just one hour.

This is a game-changer in eskate builds although we weren’t able to test it out because our cable for it isn’t ready. Once it works, you should be able to charge the board and continue your long-distance ride.

Another board that can help you with range anxiety is the Exway Flex ER. Read the review here.

Premium Board Design

Looking at the design, the Exway Flex Pro looks strong with a black and gray theme just like the Boosted Stealth. For me, the design is a bit dull on the top side but beautiful on the bottom side. The polish of the board screams premium and the little details look nice.

The new flexible composite deck has a nice concave that will secure your feet in place. Its flexibility acts as a suspension and can allow the board to conquer rough road vibrations. The wheels are also bigger at 90mm, so this should also have an effect in cushioning your ride.

New ExSkate App to Customize Board Settings

Exway has designed the new ExSkate App for The Flex Pro and the Atlas Pro. The Exskate App allows you to customize the ride settings of the board and also shows the board’s information such as board temperature, mileage etc. For those who hate to install extra apps, fret not, you can also change the settings using the remote.

Exway Flex Pro Ride Experience

Exway Flex Pro is suitable for beginners that love speed. Cruising on rough road conditions won’t feel so bad because of the flexible deck. The bigger wheels are also nice.

All Exway boards are very water resistant—from the X1, X1 Pro, X1 Max, or Atlas, all of them have very good water resistance and can be used on rainy days with no technical issues. Exway Flex Pro is also water resistant but we don’t recommend riding through deep puddles. You should also be prepared for rusty bearings if you’re going to take on a few puddles.

For context, check out our Exway X1 Pro review here.

The new ESC should give you more power. We think you will definitely feel the kick on this board. Exway Flex Pro can go from 0 to 25 mph (40 km/h) in just two seconds. Amazing!

Compared to its rival the Meepo Voyager X, Voyager X still has a stronger power. Although, the smooth brake on Exway Flex Pro is something some of us prefer. The default break mode on the app is set at 3 but you can change it to 5 if you want to break immediately.

Exway Flex Pro with Meepo Voyager side by side

As for the trucks, you guys know how we like Exway’s Proprietary Trist trucks. It’s very nimble and doesn’t wobble. It’s fun to carve and the return to the center is pretty good.

Reaching the top speed is a little scary on rough roads. If you try going from 12 to 25 mph (20 to 40 km/h), the standard truck setting is perfect. In spite of that, we managed to hit the marketed top speed at 31 mph (50 km/h), and going up a steep incline wasn’t any trouble.

Considering all the specs, Exway Flex Pro should be great for your typical commute. The maneuverability is smooth and the board glides well which is important in urban areas. It’s a really nice board with punchy acceleration and break.

Exway Flex Pro rough road — when it is rough

Exway Flex Pro wet road — when it is rough

On smooth roads, the Exway Flex Pro is a killer. You can install bigger wheels if you want some cushion on pebbled roads.

If you’re looking for a board with even bigger wheels, check out our Maxfind FF Belt review here.

Exway Flex Pro VERDICT – Expensive, worth the price?

Exway Flex Pro is undoubtedly a very good ride by a very good brand. However, is it that much better than the $749 Exway Flex ER? Let’s put it this way, is it worth it to pay more and sacrifice a little bit of range for more power?

You see, the range of Exway Flex Pro is 25 miles (40 km) while Exway Flex ER is 28 miles (45 km), but the difference in range is just because riding faster drains the battery quicker. While the difference in range is insignificant, the power on Exway Flex Pro is so much stronger and the acceleration so much more thrilling. I think it’s justified paying a little bit more for it.

And obviously, the add-ons that Flex Pro has and Flex ER don’t make it a very sweet deal. Slightly better deck, upgraded ExSkate app, new and faster chargers, and 90mm wheels are all things that make Exway Flex Pro one of the better buys right now.

If you are interested in buying the Exway, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $15 off during checkout.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!

December 24, 2020December 24, 2020 by Paxson Lim

Lights for Electric Skateboard Compare: Shredlights, Backfire Cannon II, Meepo’s Elumi, BoardBlazers.

So, you are looking for lights for your rides. A few years ago, Shredlights is the only company that’s making dedicated skateboard lights. Today, however, a few Chinese brands have developed their own lighting solution and today we are going to look at them too.

You may wonder, why not just get a regular bicycle light and maybe double-sided tape it onto the board? Well, if that works for you, great! But the lights may fell off in the middle of a ride, the vibration from the road may kill the light, and it’s ugly.

In this post, we’re going to compare the SL 200 Shredlights, the new backfire cannon II lights, the new Meepo lights, and the Board blazers. We are going to walk you through their difference: How they mount, the brightness, the light modes, how long they last, and the built quality.

Shredlights SL-200 = $49/ a pair
Meepo Elumi = $30/ a pair
Backfire Cannon II = $79.99/ a pair;
Boardblazers = $19.99/ set of four
~~(new) Shredlights SL-1000 = $79.99 for one (NOT included in this comparison)~~

Oh yeah, we didn’t include the new 1000 lumen Shredlight (SL-1000) here cause we haven’t received it yet. Oops. SL-1000 is pricey, $79.99 for a single light. It’s super bright – good for 100feet or 30m and pack full of useful features. (Including allowing a diffuser to be installed change the light’s spread)

You can learn more about Shredlight SL-1000 here.

Mounting System:

We’re going to start off with the mounting systems, and this is where the Shredlight shines the brightest.

The Shredlights have several types of mounts to choose from. This means that they are the most compatible lights for the majority of electric skateboards.

The Meepo Lights have only 1 mounting solution. Because these lights are flat, they only work best when mounted underneath the trucks. If your truck is raised, these will work as well.

The Backfire cannon II lights, on the other hand, are a single piece that will fit with the front trucks of most boards. Just like the Meepo lights, they are flat.

And the board blazers, they just rely on the magic of double-sided tape.

So, when it comes to mounting options, we have a clear winner. While the Meepo Lights are removable, like Shredlights, the mounting system is nowhere as fluid as the S lock on the Shredlights. Meepo light release system is a bit flawed, with the trigger release interfering with the deck.

Shredlights ‘S lock’ mount system is super fluid and allows you to remove and arm the lights in 2 seconds. Literally. This is super useful and allows the Shredlights to be used as a pocket flashlight as well. I have used my Shredlights as a flashlight many time, as well as mounting it to my bike when I went cycling at night. After all, they are really bright.

Note: If being safe is something you want to do, but spending time and energy mounting the light system & charging them before every ride aren’t, you might want to check out the board that came with an integrated lighting solution, such as the Ecomobls. (They make great AT boards that come with integrated bright lights.)

Brightness:

Shredlights SL-200 = 200 lumens;
Meepo Elumi = 300 lumens;
Backfire Cannon II = 300 lumens;
Boardblazers … = yes.

As you can see here, the Backfire’s light is super bright, in fact, it’s the brightest of all of them. Although the Meepo lights are also 300 lumens, they look less bright due to the scattered trajectory and wider spread. The Backfire Canon 2’s, living up to their name, blast 300 lumens at a focused spot, so they look brighter.

The Shredlight SL-200 is 200 lumens bright, which is obviously less bright but bright enough. What Shredlight does better is that it features many different lighting modes and a much better way to switch between the modes.

Lighting modes:

Shredlights SL-200
- 3 brightness level + 3 types of pulsing modes.
- Two-button for easy switching between modes.
Meepo Elumi = 300 lumens;
- 2 brightness level
- 3 modes: Simply On & 2 types of pulsing modes.
- One button to rule them all.
Backfire Cannon II
- One button to turn On & Off.
Boardblazers
- Twist to turn on and off.

Backfire Cannon II: To turn Backfire Cannon II on and off is pretty straight forward, but it also means the choice is limited. You turn them on by pressing the button and turn them off by pressing it again, so there’s only 1 mode for the Canon II’s.

SL-200: The SL 200 is also super bright but features various lighting modes. While the Backfire Cannon II lights simply turn on and off, the SL 200 has two buttons for you to cycle through various lighting modes. There are 3 different brightness levels and then 3 pulsing modes. In total, you have 6 different modes to choose from.

The Meepo Elumi: These lights also have multiple lighting modes, but again it’s nowhere close to the Shredlights. There’s only 1 button on it, so the process of cycling through the modes is a bit inconvenient. You press it once to turn it on, again and it dims, a third time to switch off the lights. Pressing and holding the button puts it in pulsing mode, again for flashing mode, and once more to turn off the lights. Sounds complicated, right?

The Boardblazers: Boardblazers on the other hand, turn on by twisting it like a bottle cap. When turned on, the lights will pulse between various colors. It looks like RGB lights from a gaming computer. Pretty cool, right?

Battery Duration:

Shredlights SL-200 = 3 Hours (Bright mode);
Meepo Elumi = 2 Hours (Bright mode); 4 Hours (Dim mode)
Backfire Cannon II = 3.5 Hours
Boardblazers = Battery powered.

The SL 200 and the Meepo lights have the advantage here. Yes, if you blast full brightness out of them, they will only last for 2-3 hours. That’s way less than the backfire canon 2 lights. But… Because you can toggle through various lighting modes, you can save a lot of battery power. If you use the 2nd brightness level, they will last up to 6 hours! For the Shredlights, if you dim them further, they can last up to 25 hours! That’s longer than a day’s worth of light. Now that is Impressive!

Board Blazers though. They are powered by non-rechargeable cells. We’re not sure how long they can last exactly, but we would bet the non-rechargeable cells can last a whole lot longer. Probably 72 hours straight? The battery cells they use are very common and easily available at any grocery store.

Build Quality

The Backfire Canon II lights and the Meepo lights are very similar here. Both of them have a metal body. They are both bulky and about 30% heavier than the Shredlights. They felt solid and high quality but… The rubber coating on the Shredlights is far more comfortable to hold.

I think going with rubber is the better option here. We think the reason that Shredlights survive intense road vibrations, is partly thanks to this rubber coating (Rubber keeps everything safe eh!). It protects the components and smooths out the vibrations a whole lot. Board blazers on the other hand are just plastic. Imagine a transparent water bottle cap. No joke, that’s actually an accurate depiction of it. At first, we were very skeptical of how well the board blazers could survive road vibrations, but…after riding with it off road, it survives, and we haven’t had any issues!

However! Over time, the twist switch to turn the lights on and off has become rough due to the dirt and sand stuck in the groove.

Summary:

Backfire’s Cannon II: 79.99 USD for a pair. It’s the brightest among all of the lights we tested and will illuminate every single pothole out there. When it comes to seeing and be seen, you got both of them. But… it’s screwed onto the board permanently unless you enjoy screwing and unscrewing it every single time. I’ll pass on this one.

Meepo’s Elumi: Second brightest, they cover a wider field of view but this also means that it is less focused in the center. It’s removable with the mount and it has a few lighting modes. The user experience is not that great, but again, when it comes to seeing and be seen? It nailed both of them. The best part of it is the price, it’s the cheapest solution at $30! For those who are not keen to spend any more than they need to, Meepo’s Elumi is the way to go.

Shredlight SL-200: For those who don’t mind paying a little bit more for the best user experience, Shredlight is the way to go. While the SL 200 from Shredlight is not the brightest, it’s still super bright and is more than enough. Just as with the Backfire and Meepo lights, you will see and be seen.

The SL 200 is 49.99 USD a pair and is available in either white or red. For 99.99 USD you can get a set of 2 pairs, a pair of white lights to illuminate the front, and a pair of reds to help others see you from a mile behind.

The S Lock mounting system is a masterpiece and works really well. In 2 seconds, you can detach the lights from the board in case you want to use them as a flashlight or on a camping trip. This also makes charging much easier, and if you have multiple boards, you can install mounts on each one of them and you can easily move the lights from one board to another. You could also mount it on your helmets.

Board blazers: They are 19.99 USD per pack, and each pack contains 4 led lights. It makes your board look futuristic and cool at night, but it only helps with the “be seen” part. Board blazers are not meant for lighting the path ahead of you. They do help your board to look blazing good at night, but… only at night. In the daytime… it kind of looks like … I will leave it to your imagination.

Click to go to product page:

Boardblazers ($19.99) or buy from Amazon
Meepo Elumi ($30.99)
Shredlights SL 200 ($49.99) [use code: ESKATEHQ for 10% off]
Backfire Cannon II ($79.99)

September 5, 2020February 6, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Wowgo AT2 Review – One more shot, did it count?

Introductions

Designing a new product can be scary. After all, you can never know if something new might turn out to be a dud. But I guess we all know the proven formula to make a great electric skateboard:

7-inch pneumatic wheels with the ability to swap to street setup +
Dual Belt drive +
Double drop deck +
Double Kingpin Trucks

Give the board a pack of 10s4p batteries and throw in some hexagon-grip-tape design and you’ve got yourself a very, very effective formula. The same formula that Evolve has been cooking for almost a decade now.

It wasn’t until 2019 that we start seeing brands copy this formula. Personally, I’m surprised it took these companies so long, but there are only a few notable attempts: Backfire Ranger X1 and now X2 did it with hub motors; Ownboard Bamboo AT made an attempt that we like, and then there was the first Wowgo AT.

Wowgo AT 2 Review

We never reviewed the Wowgo AT and we know we don’t need to, because right from the get-go everyone who took a glimpse of that board knows it’s troubled. To say the least, it had a very problematic rear truck that made it a poor ride.

Long story short, they tried again with Version Two and made lots of changes this time. Now let’s run through the specs of Wowgo AT 2 real quick.

Size: 38-inch long board
Top Speed: 25mph/40km
Range: 22miles/35km
Battery Pack: 504Wh 10s4p Sanyo battery
Weight: 30lbs/13.5kg
Features:
- Flexy deck made out of fiberglass, bamboo, and maple wood.
- Double kingpin trucks.
- Dual 6368 1500W motors.
- Hobbywing ESC with smart turn on.
- Two wheel-configurations are available:
  - 175mm pneumatic wheels or
  - 120mm cloud wheels.
Price: 1099.99 USD

Unboxing

Wowgo AT 2 gave me a few of small but nice surprises.

During the unboxing, I was surprised that they included a wheel pump in the box, a funny nice gesture. A bigger surprise came when I found out that it has the smart turn-on feature previously never seen outside of Exway.

I’m also mildly impressed that Wowgo had stepped up on the polish of the board, again. From the hexagon absorptive grip-tape, they use to the overall feel and look of the enclosure, couldn’t find any blemishes. All Chinese brands had been upping the ante in the product polish, but for the past 1 year, Wowgo seems to go slightly further in this aspect than the rest (especially since Wowgo 3).

Let’s put it this way, everything about Wowgo AT 2 felt really premium, and the only thing that doesn’t feel premium about it … is unfortunately the quirky brand name.

Of course, good specs and polished finish are just the qualifiers when a board costs as much as $1099.99 especially when the consistency and ease of access to aftersales service can and is a valid concern, an issue that’s unfortunately plaguing most if not all of the Chinese brands.

In short, besides looking pretty, the riding experience has to be really good too!

Riding Experience

i. Acceleration & Breaking

Unsurprising, but equally worth mentioning, is the control. Wowgo uses a customized Hobbywing ESC where we expected smooth acceleration and smooth braking, and that’s exactly what we got.

Customized Hobbywing has a tendency to have weak brakes, but for the Wowgo AT 2, the brake is actually pretty strong. No complaints here.

ii. Vibration

Duh.

You obviously couldn’t find a much better board to combat road vibration than a board with pneumatic wheels, is belt-driven and has flex in the deck.

iii. Top Speed

The marketed top speed is 25mph (40km). We manage to hit that.

That’s not impressive. What’s impressive is that for a board that uses dual kingpin trucks, Wowgo AT 2 felt really stable cruising near top speed, in AT configuration.

This is not how I felt riding on other DKP trucks, like the similarly built and priced Ownboard Bamboo AT, for example, that board doesn’t felt stable in AT wheels despite having more aggressive drop deck and lower ride height.

Stability concern is such a none issue that switching to the 120mm Cloudwheels seems unnecessary. You get more safety with the AT wheels anyways.

iv. Range

And the marketed range is 22miles (35km).

We were able to hit that number. It’s a big pack of Sanyo GA 18500, 504Wh, in 10s4p configuration after-all.

On a side note: Evolve Bamboo GTR also uses a 504wh pack, 10s4p configuration, Samsung 35E cells. It’s marketed range is 19miles (30km) and we hit around 20-21miles on it too.

A closer look at the parts

i. Deck

Wowgo AT2 has a less aggressive drop-deck and hence a higher ride height, so it should, in theory, be even more twitchy. But that wasn’t the case; the truck is configured so well right out of the box, and thanks to the harder bushing it is actually the most stable dual kingpin we’ve ever tried.

The slightly concave double drop down deck is really comfortable to stand on, and road vibration is never better countered than with pneumatic wheels, flex deck, and absorptive grip tape.

iii. Trucks

As mentioned, the dual kingpin truck is very well configured, probably partly thanks to the harder bushing it is using? One of the most stable dual kingpin we’ve ever tried.

iii. Electronic components

The brain of the board is the Hobbywing ESC with a smart turn on. Meaning, the board turns on just by turning on the remote. This is a big deal.

I feel like a nerd for saying this but I love the components case. It’s plastic but it’s pretty and elegant looking. No more off the shelf parts this time.

iv. Remote

Single-button remote with telemetry reading. Comfortable on hand.
The connectivity range seems to be shorter on this one than other remote, bring it a few feet away from the board and it will vibrate and disconnect.

iv. Wheel

Two wheel-configurations are available – 175mm pneumatic wheels or 120mm cloud wheels.

By the way, this thing weighs in at almost 30lbs (13.5kg), in AT set-up, and switching to cloud wheels is just gonna slice a pound or two off it. In short, it’s heavy.

Let me repeat myself here, if you are picking between Cloudwheels set-up or pneumatic AT set-up, go pneumatic.

Verdict

The Wowgo team deserves a pat on their back for the AT2; it has respectable specs and it has a top-notch feel to back it up. For those who have strong feelings against Evolve, this is the board to get. For those who don’t have strong feelings against Evolve, this might still be a better choice after considering Hobbywing ESC gives you better overall control and smoothness, and the smart-turn-on feature is huge.

If you’re willing to put up with average after-sale service and the woefully unpredictable shipping time during this pandemic, you certainly won’t be disappointed by this one.

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