Budget Electric Skateboard Archives - Electric Skateboard HQ

August 3, 2022August 4, 2022 by Ziyad Khairi

Meepo Shuffle S (Meepo V4S) Review – Best affordable Electric Skateboard? Maybe.

Meepo board is the OG in bringing us affordable options for electric skateboards and since 2017, it has been amongst the top choices for those who are looking for affordable electric skateboards. While their current best seller, Meepo V4 (Shuffle) was just released 10 months ago, Meepo decided to give us an update with the V4s (Shuffle S)… So, let’s see what the updates are, and if it gives Meepo further lead over other boards under $500.

Let’s get right through it!

Meepo Shuffle S (V4S) Build and Specs

Deck: 8-ply Canadian maple, 1-ply fiberglass; wide concave with a rocker profile
Electronic Speed Controller: LingYi ESC, push-to-start; 4 speed and braking modes
Motors: 540W hub motors
Marketed top speed: 29 mph (47 km/h)
Batteries: 4AH 144Wh or 288Wh
Marketed range: 10 miles (16km) or 18 miles (29km)
Trucks: Meepo’s 45° Shredder trucks
Wheels: 105*65mm, 78A donut wheels

The deck of the Meepo Shuffle S is made of 8-ply Canadian maple and 1-ply fiberglass. We can expect a mild flex to it but it compensates with a pretty deep and aggressive concave design. This helps in securing leg placement for great balance during a ride.

The deck also has a slight rocker profile which we’re a fan of. This form made the Meepo V4S feel closer to the ground.

Elegant Upgrade on Design

The upgrade of the board is focused on the design. From an orange toy-ish looking color scheme on the Meepo V4, The Meepo Shuffle S (V4S) took a more elegant approach, which we like better, especially on the graphics beneath the deck.

As for the electronic speed controller, the V4S uses the latest Lingyi ESC with a push-to-start feature. It has 4 speed and braking modes which can be adjusted separately. It does provide a smooth acceleration to the board, but is it as smooth as a Hobbywing ESC? We’ll talk about that later on.

Lower Rating of Motors and Bigger Wheels?

Another change Meepo did on the Shuffle S is using a lower rating for the motors. The Meepo Shuffle S uses dual 540W hub motors which might come as a surprise to Meepo V4 fans. The previous V4 uses dual 620W hub motors and Meepo claims that it’s a necessary sacrifice to allow using big 105mm donut wheels. I guess we will have to find out if going with a smaller wattage motor has any negative impact on torque and speed.

These are clones of the famous Cloudwheels which significantly reduce road vibrations. Will it have any effect on the power, though? We’ll find out later on.

The marketed top speed for the Meepo Shuffle S is 28.5mph or 46km/h. During our test, we managed to reach 28mph or 45km/h. This is a praiseworthy feat for a budget board.

What’s here to stay are the 45° Shredder Downhill Trucks. These trucks are known to be stable rather than carv-y.

To check out our review on Meepo V4 for comparison, click here.

Two Options for Batteries

So, did Meepo change anything for the batteries? The Meepo V4S is keeping the same two options for batteries: a normal 4AH 144Wh battery with a marketed range of 10 miles or 16km and an extended range version of 288Wh battery with a marketed range of 18 miles or 29km.

We received the basic version of the board, and our heavyweight 95kg rider managed to reach a maximum distance of 6 miles or 10km out of the 10 miles or 16km marketed range. It is nowhere near the marketed range but as usual, weight and speed play a huge factor in achieving the maximum possible range of a board.

Meepo also admits that using 105 mm wheels will sacrifice the range by a bit and they insist that everyone should get the ER version for more range.

On the bright side, the battery is fast charging. You can reach a full charge in just 30 minutes by purchasing a separate 8A fast charger for the board.

Now that we know all about the specs of the Meepo V4S, let’s talk about everything in action!

Meepo Shuffle S (V4S) Riding Experience

From the get-go, the Meepo V4S is a budget board on steroids! Riding around the V4S is super strong. So I guess, it does live up to the well-known Meepo reputation of delivering a bit of punch when it comes to acceleration and braking.

The controls are still smooth and are not entirely aggressive but beginners should be careful when riding the board for the first time. The board can catch you off guard with its punchy acceleration. With that said, this new Ling Yi ESC did a good job at delivering a smooth ride with the board but it still falls a bit behind the Wowgo 2S Max’s silky smooth 12S Hobbywing ESC.

Interested in Wowgo 2S Max? Click here.

Overkill Acceleration Power

Once you get used to it, we are pretty sure that a lot of riders out there would appreciate the punchiness of this board. It turns out that the drop in motor wattage number doesn’t really affect the actual performance that much, since the V4 already has a pretty overkill acceleration power.

The deck is without a doubt the charming point of the V4S. It is nice to stand on with the lower ride height. The board’s concave is also very easy to feel while riding and secures your feet at all speed modes. The board is not flexible during rides, which highlights stability when riding at higher speeds.

The 105 mm Donut Wheels definitely did their job at absorbing road vibrations, especially on rough roads. But as we all know, hub motors are still hub motors and when the roads get shittier, you would still feel the vibrations traveling through your spine.

To check out our review on Cloudwheel Donuts, click here.

Shredder Trucks Are Geared Towards Stability

As always, Meepo’s 45° Shredder trucks are biased towards stability, while 50° trucks, such as the Poseidon trucks on the Wowgo 2s Max, would be more carv-y than stable.

With that said, it’s a nice pair of trucks. While the Shredder trucks do not rise to the level of branded trucks such as the Caliber II or Paris, they are definitely just as good as the other proprietary trucks found among affordable eskates. The trucks are decent for carving, have a good return to the center, and are absolutely stable to ride at top speed.

Big 105mm Wheels to the Rescue!

It has to be said that, Meepo’s 105mm semi-AT wheels are not Cloudwheels, and is not as good as the genuine Cloudwheels when it comes to ride smoothness.

However, at the end of the day, every millimeter helps when it comes to reducing road vibration. These 105mm wheels do make a huge difference, when compared to a 90mm (such as the one on original V4), when riding on bad roads.

Making 105mm a default wheel size is especially helpful for eskate beginners or commuters, who above all else, value “not flying off the board for failing to dodge a stick.”

Meepo Shuffle S VERDICT – Punchy Acceleration and Braking!

So, here comes the verdict. For a board retailing at 500 USD and is now priced lower at 419 USD with Meepo’s current sale, the V4S is a good board with a pretty great design and polish. The addition of 105 mm Wheels would probably split the crowd. For some, it sacrifices range and reduces carving fun; for others, especially beginners, it makes the board much more usable, comfortable and safe.Well, at least you can always shell out more and go with the ER version if range is a concern.

At the end of the day, Meepo V4s is still one of the top choices for an affordable $419 and THE CHOICE for anyone looking for a sub $500 board with big wheels, or a budget board with strong torque.

If you are interested in buying the Meepoboard, be sure to use our affiliate link here.
It will help us out and you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!

May 2, 2022May 21, 2022 by Paxson Lim

Tynee Board Classic Review – ‘safest choice’ under $500?

There are a lot of options for budget electric skateboards for less than $500. You’ll be spoiled with different combinations of specs, and it’ll be up to you which eskates match your style. The top pick at this time would no doubt be the WowGo 2s Max and the Meepo V4, but we’re not at the finish line yet. Say hello to the Tynee Board Classic, competing for the third spot. And who knows, for some rider it might even be THE board to get.

How good is the Tynee Board Classic? Well, spoiler alert, we think it is the boring safe choice for anyone looking for a comfortable budget electric skateboard. It also embodies the current standard for entry-level electric skateboards. First, let’s go through the specs.

Build and Specs

ESC: 10s Hobbywing ESC with smart power-on
Batteries: 5 Ah – 10s2p Samsung 25R; 8.7 Ah – 10s3p DMEGC 29E cell
Marketed range: 5 Ah – 12 miles or 19 km; 8.7 Ah – 22 miles or 35 km
Motors: 350W Hobbywing
Marketed top speed: 23 mph or 38 kph
Trucks: Tynee PE Trucks; upgraded from Paris V3
Wheels: 90mm street wheels; Cloudwheel Donuts compatible

Let’s begin with the electronic speed controller. Tynee Board Classic uses 10s Hobbywing ESC with smart power-on. For those who don’t know, Hobbywing ESC is now the most common choice and safe choice for speed control. It has always provided smooth and intuitive speed control.

As for the battery, there are two options. The Tynee Board Classic at $449 uses a 5 Ah Samsung 25R. This is a fairly common and good choice. The battery configuration is 10s2p, meaning it has a 180wh pack. Pull up the bubble chart, and you can see that 180wh is the median battery size you can expect from a sub-$500 board.

Good Deal for DMEGC 313wh Battery Pack

The other option at $509 is a bigger 313wh pack, configured at 10s3p with DMEGC 29E cell. While DMEGC cells are not well-known, a 313wh battery pack for $500 is a good deal.

The review unit we received at the headquarters is the 5AH Tynee Board Classic. This version has a marketed range of 12 miles or 19 km. When we tested it out, our 210lbs/95kg test rider managed to get 7.5 miles or 12 km out of it.

Both the marketed range and the tested range are typical for electric skateboards under $500. We weren’t able to test out the 8.7AH version, but it has a marketed range of 22 miles or 35 km.

To check out our review on the Tynee Board Mini, click here.

Cloudwheels Donut Compatible

Next, let’s talk about the motors. The Tynee Board Classic uses a set of 350W motors from Hobbywing. These are pretty average motors for this price range. The top speed is 23mph or 38km/h, which is again, typical.

As for the wheels, Tynee Board Classic has an option for 90mm street wheels and is also compatible with Cloudwheel Donuts.

The deck uses authentic Canadian maple with medium flex and mild concave. This is great news for those who enjoy a flexible deck for its smoother ride and better carving feel. Major competitors in the sub-$500 category chose stiffer decks.

Now, let’s go to the trucks. The Tynee Board Classic uses its proprietary Tynee PE trucks. From our previous reviews, these trucks have been fairly decent and consistent with stability. The Tynee PE trucks are also upgraded from the Paris V3.

The $449 and $509 versions of Tynee Board Classic weigh 15.4 lbs or 7.0 kg and are rated to be IP54 waterproof. Again, a waterproof rating doesn’t mean much in the electric skateboarding world. Perhaps the Tynee Classic is a tad bit more waterproof than its competitors, but we would never recommend riding the board when it’s wet outside.

Classic Specs for a Classic Ride

At this point, you might notice that the Tynee Board Classic has simply gone with what’s known to work. Besides offering an 8.7 Ah version, which is a great value for the price, both the motor and ESC are just typical choices that are common for the board’s price.

What sets Tynee Board Classic from its competitors would be its choice of electronic parts. We bet seasoned eskaters can already imagine what kind of ride profile the board has just by going through the specs on paper.

To check out our review on the Tynee Board Ultra, click here.

Riding Experience

Unsurprisingly, the Tynee Board Classic has super smooth acceleration and brakes thanks to Hobbywing ESC. Both acceleration and brakes are nice and strong. The 350W hub motors are quiet and competent. Although they are not the most powerful or thrilling motors, inclines are handled pretty well.

The board is quite nice for carving. The Tynee PE trucks, while inferior to branded premium trucks in responsiveness, are still nice and responsive with a good return to center. The trucks provide a stable ride even when going at full speed. I think most casual or beginner riders would appreciate Tynee going with a stable truck that allows an easy and relaxing ride.

What the Tynee Board Classic is bad at would be what all dual-hub boards are bad at—fighting road vibrations on rough pavements. Still, the Tynee Board Classic does a better job at it than most other dual hub boards thanks to the flexible deck. The flexible deck absorbs part of the shock, but it’s still very uncomfortable and will convince you to spend on Cloudwheel Donuts.

To check out our review on Cloudwheel Donuts, click here.

THE VERDICT

All in all, the Tynee Board Classic has competitive specs, adequate power, smooth acceleration, and stable rides, but is not exactly the most exciting board in town. It is, however, an affordable, comfortable, and competent electric longboard that suits someone who just wants a relaxing ride.

While the same praise could be sung louder for its competitor, WowGo 2s Max AKA our pick for the best budget electric skateboard at the moment, Tynee Board Classic offers a different ride taste with a flexible deck instead of WowGo’s stiff deck. Another flex the Tynee Board Classic has would be its bigger battery if you choose the 8.7 AH version.

If you’re the type to prefer a classic approach on eskate parts that have worked throughout the years, then the Tynee Board Classic is definitely a good choice for a good price.

RIDE SAFE, GUYS.

For more reviews, news, and discussions on electric skateboards, visit Electric Skateboard HQ!

March 10, 2022March 11, 2022 by Paxson Lim

Wowgo 2S Max Review – The best budget electric skateboard.

Not too long ago, we crowned the Wowgo 2S Pro as the best budget electric skateboard under $500. So imagine our surprise that just after 7 months, Wowgo find the need to one-up themselves and released Wowgo 2S Max as an update for the 2s Pro.

From Wowgo 2s Pro to 2s Max:

The obvious key changes are

slight upgrade in motor wattage (500W -> 550W) and top speed (25mph ->28mph),
giving the option of 105mm Honeycomb wheels for an extra $120.
update in ESC

Unfortunately, the improvement doesn’t come free, as the $479 Wowgo 2S Max also saw a small price bump from $429 of the 2S Pro to $479.99 for the 2S Max. While it is a pretty foregone conclusion that the 2S Max will inherit the throne of being the best budget electric skateboard, we will have to examine if there is any flaw to the package.

As usual, let’s run through the specs to be clear about those theoretical upgrades…

Build and specs – Wowgo 2s Max

Deck: Canadian Maple, bamboo, and fiberglass; subtle concave with no camber/rocker
ESC: Hobbywing ESC; 4-speed modes, smart power-on
Marketed Top Speed: 28 mph / 45 kph
Motors: 550 W * 2 hub motors
Batteries: 12s2p, 5.0Ah, 50.4V
Marketed Range: 14.3 miles / 23 km (90mm wheels)
Trucks: Poseidon Trucks
Wheels: 90mm street wheels / 105mm honeycomb wheels
Board Weight: 18lbs / 8.2kg

Design & Deck – Wowgo 2s Max

The WowGo 2S Max’s deck is a combination of Canadian Maple, bamboo, and fiberglass. It only has a mild flex to it, and it’s even slightly stiffer than the 2S Pro. It also has a wide but subtle concave and is flat without any camber or rocker. As an upgrade, Wowgo put on a foam grip tape to improve vibration absorption for the 2S Max. However, this made the concave of the deck less prominent and our feet felt less secure during carving and rides.

The design on the grip tapes and the backside of the deck is pretty nice, too. The trident graphic gets to stay, and there’s another option of a new black design which looks pretty cool as well.

Trident underneath the deck (photo of 2s Pro)

For the electronic speed controller, the WowGo 2S Max used the 12s Hobbywing ESC which received minor updates from the one on 2S Pro. It also has the smart power-on feature, of course.

Hobbywing ESC Turbo

It is a given that speed control with the 12s Hobbywing ESC is going to be strong, silky smooth, and intuitive, but we are still looking to see if the “minor update” did anything to improve on that.

There are 4-speed modes, with the highest speed mode named Turbo.

And per usual, it uses the elegant remote that comes with telemetry.

Now, let’s look at the trucks. These are the same Poseidon trucks that Wowgo developed for the Wowgo 2S Pro. The trucks look to be Caliber II clones, are 8- inches 50° with 85 A bushing. From our previous review, we know it is a truck that prioritizes stability over maneuverability.

To check out our Wowgo 2S Pro review, click here.

Wowgo 2s Max have one of the strongest hubs

As for the motors, the 2S Max received a 50W boost per motor and now uses 550W dual hub motors. Judging by the numbers on paper, 550W motors will be amongst the strongest hub motors of all entry-level hub boards, with only the Meepo V4 Shuffle beating it at 620W x 2. To give you more context, most entry-level eskates use 400-450W hubs.

As a result, this 550W gave an improved marketed top speed of 28 mph (45 kph) and it did exactly that on our top-speed test.

There are also 105mm hub-sleeves and semi-all terrain wheels available. We will talk about how they perform later.

For the standard wheels, WowGo 2S Max is using 78A soft PU wheels, which is pretty usual for entry-level boards.

And when it comes to power, Wowgo 2S Max uses a 12S2P 5.0 AH battery. This gave a battery pack of 216wh in size and had a marketed range of 14.3miles (23km).

With regular street wheels, our 200lbs (90kg) test rider managed to get only 10miles(16km).
With the 105mm honeycomb wheels installed, our test rider got 8.6miles (14km) out of a full charge.

The range is exactly the same as what we get from the previous Wowgo 2S Pro which has very similar battery stats at 5.2AH. Although Wowgo kind of overstated the range, 10miles is the usual range for boards below $500, so we weren’t exactly disappointed or surprised here.

Battery size vs price, you can see that everybody <$500 has a similar battery size.
(Bubble size = motor wattage, bigger is more powerful)

The board weighed in at 18 lbs (8.2kg) and comes with a 6-month warranty.

Riding Experience of Wowgo 2s Max

Now that we know the build and specs, it’s time to ride!

First, let’s talk about speed control. Wowgo 2S Max’s speed and speed control are perfect as expected of the 12s Hobbywing ESC. Both acceleration and braking of the 2S Max are buttery smooth and intuitive. The brake strength is very strong, even stronger than the previous 2S Pro. This is great news as most riders eventually learn to love and prefer strong brakes, especially when the brakes are smooth and intuitive like they always are with Hobbywing ESC.

To know more about electronic speed controllers (ESCs), click here.

Powerful Even With Semi-AT Wheels

When it comes to the torque, the 550W hub motors perform incredibly well. By using one of the strongest hub motors amongst the entry-level hub boards, Wowgo 2S Max is powerful enough for any hills on your path. Although the torque and thrill are still a step behind what a set of powerful belt motors could offer, the Wowgo 2S Max is still one of the strongest hub boards amongst all the entry-level boards we’ve tested.

Having a powerful motor is important especially when you plan to put on the bigger 105mm wheels. With the semi-AT wheels, torque, and braking from Wowgo 2s Max goes from quite strong to just “strong”. A board with lesser power would have a ride feel of “no power” at all if installed with semi-AT wheels.

Stability over responsiveness

When it comes to maneuvering the board, it was, unsurprisingly, the same as it was with the older 2S Pro. Carving is fairly fun but more on the tight side, as the Poseidon trucks prioritized stability over maneuverability. The board has a good return to center and feels very stable at high speed.

Honeycomb Wheels Reduces Around 20% of Road Vibrations

The honeycomb wheels are alright, too. On smooth roads, it’s less fun to carve with the 105mm honeycomb wheels as it takes away the silky smoothness of soft urethane wheels. On rough pavement, however, the honeycomb wheels definitely had an impact in reducing vibration at around 20%, in our opinion. This, plus the foam grip tape makes Wowgo 2S Max a good board for those who have the unfortunate fate of living where roads are terrible.

However, if we were to compare these Honeycomb wheels with the Cloudwheels Donut, we would prefer the Donuts over this ‘Cloudwheel-clone’, as Donuts are better in vibration dampening.

The VERDICT – Wowgo 2s Max

So, the verdict seems like the brand with the funny name has done it again. Wowgo is going to retain its throne three times in a row for making the best affordable electric skateboard (first, the Wowgo Knight, then the 2S Pro, now 2s Max.)

Wowgo 2S Max has the performance that either matched or outmatched its competitors, the ride feels that leads the affordable segment and the polish that is much beyond the asking price.

Simply put, for any rider who wants an entry-level affordable hub board, Wowgo 2S Max (for now) should be the first consideration.

If you are interested in buying the Wowgo, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive 5% off during check out.
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!

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Tynee Board Pro Review — 8.7AH, Belt-drive, $500?

You can say Tynee Board Pro is an Exway Flex Riot’s clone.
However, for a dual belt-drive electric skateboard to have an 8.7AH battery while only asking for $519, it deserves a closer look.

Tynee Who?

It is common for engineers from well-known and established brands to break away from the company they work with to craft something of their own.

That’s how the brand Tynee Board was born.

Although Tynee is a new brand, an eskate industry veteran founded the company, so you can trust that the product will skip the painful trial and error phase and be great right from day one.

To prove how ready they are, the lineup of Tynee Boards is anything but tiny.

They have lots of options for their collection, and today we will be reviewing the Tynee Board Pro.
Tynee Board Pro has two variants: a 5.0AH set-up for $489; and 8.7AH for $519.

The founder is more proud of the 8.7AH and that’s the one we will be reviewing today.

Tynee Board Pro 8.7AH – Build and Specs

The Tynee Board Pro’s deck is made of original Canadian maple with a mild flex and concave. The camber or rocker is flat, so you can expect that the board won’t be as flexible as Exway Flex Riot.

To check out our review on Exway Flex Riot, click here.

For the electronic speed controller, Tynee Board Pro uses Hobbywing ESC with a very handy and convenient smart power-on feature. Also, the controller has your usual 4-speed modes.

Motors – Hobbywing 5250 belt motors

Now let’s go to Tynee Board Pro’s motors. This eskate uses Hobbywing 5250 belt motors.

The board’s top speed is 23.6 mph or 38 km/h on a full charge, or 21 mph or 34 km/h on a half-charged battery. Not bad!

Battery – Bigger than average.

As mentioned, one of the specs that caught our attention is the battery size.

Tynee Board Pro also uses an 8.7 AH battery with 313.2 watt-hours. And frankly speaking, the version with 5 AH for $489 is not worth considering as everybody should just pay the extra $30 and go for the bigger battery pack.

For the 8.7AH version, it’s marketed range is 21 miles or 35 km but unfortunately, our tested range is 11 miles or 18 km with a 200 lbs or 90 kg rider.

Although we can only conclude that Tynee Board Pro’s marketed range is grossly overstated, but 11 miles is probably what everyone should’ve expected from an 8.7AH battery on a belt-driven board. (Need I remind you that the Boosted had a similar battery range too?)

Trucks – Proprietary Trucks based on upgraded Paris V3

On maneuvering the board, Tynee Board Pro made their own proprietary truck – “Tynee PE trucks”. These trucks are based on the Paris V3. Although there’s no information on the bushing type, you can be pretty sure that carving is pretty nice thanks to a good return to the center.

It might be a tiny bit inferior to, let’s say, Exway Trist Trucks. The trucks have a good return to center and are biased towards stability.

For the wheels, Tynee Board Pro uses 90 MM x 62 MM wheels with a 78A in the durometer. This means that the Tynee Board Pro aims to soften the vibrations of rough roads. We’ll know later if it does the cushioning job right during the riding experience.

Another feature of the board is its IP 55 water resistance. Don’t go crazy with water, though. We all know that the water-resistance certification on eskates shouldn’t be fully trusted.

Now that we know the specs, it’s time to ride!

Riding experience

So, how does this baby rides?

As expected from Hobbywing ESC, the acceleration is buttery smooth, and the power is decently strong. You’ll also feel silky smooth braking, while still maintaining a strong hard stop. No surprises here.

Next, let’s talk about torque.
Well, you know you will never have to worry about torque with a dual belt set-up. Tynee Board Pro might not have the crazy torque as some belt-driven board such as the Beastboard Viper or Meepo NLS Belt, but it is on par with any belt drive that is not torque-obsessed (eg. Exway’s Flex/ Backfire Zealot) and stronger than any electric skateboard with hub motors.

Basically, not much of an adrenaline rush, but going uphill won’t be a problem.

The deck is on the stiff side with only mild flex, and I will leave it for you to decide if that speaks to you.
A stiffer deck gives the board a responsive control and felt more stable as compared to a flexy deck.
On the downside, vibrations from rough roads were less comfortable, even with 78 A durometer wheels, as the stiff deck didn’t help absorb the road vibrations. Still way better than hub-driven boards though!

Overall, the riding experience on the Tynee Board Pro is quite nice and rivals boards from the mid-market segments ($600-$700) – an impressive feat.

Now that we know the specs and ride feel, is Tynee Board Pro worth choosing over big famous brands?

THE VERDICT

As you can probably tell by now, we were very impressed with the price to value ratio.

If you’re shopping for a belt-driven board with a budget of $500, Tynee Board Pro is an easy recommendation and one of the best picks right now.

For its asking price, Tynee Board over-delivers both on the specs and on the riding experience.

To check out other budget boards this 2021, click our Youtube Video here.

Usually, we tend to be more reserved in recommending a new brand, but as Tynee is run by industry veterans who know what they are doing, that part is easily forgiven this time.

All in all, we like Tynee Board Pro and would recommend it to everyone.

Ride safe guys!

If you are interested in buying the Tynee Board, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $10 off 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!

August 20, 2021October 2, 2021 by Paxson Lim

Meepo V4 (Shuffle) Review – A new direction? (Updated)

Finally, Meepo launched Meepo V4 on 20th August.

After the wildly successful launch in 2017, the original Meepoboard kick-started the era of affordable eskate and soon earned itself a notorious reputation for being the most frequently refreshed product in this niche. Within 6 months, we saw Meepo V1.5 which was immediately followed by Meepo V1.51 then V2, V2 Plus, and finally V3 in 2019.

For a company that’s so addicted to rolling out marginal improvements in short succession, we were more than surprised when 2020 rolled past without a Meepo V4. Finally, in the fourth quarter of 2021, Meepo finally is putting up a new iteration for their best-selling line-up.

It has been a while, so this better be good.

Unboxing Meepo V4

And, Oh god this box is not a great start. I didn’t realize Meepo is selling from Toy’R’us now.

Luckily for Meepo this should be easily changed once they realized we are buying eskate for ourselves and not for our kids. If you like the design of the box, please leave a comment below to make your support known, or otherwise, I bet it wouldn’t last beyond the first batch.

Thankfully, the design of Meepo V4 is nothing like the box.

Meepo V4 Review – Specifications

Let’s take a quick look at the spec now.

Board name: Meepo V4 (Shuffle)
Deck Length (inch and cm):36 inch (91.5cm)
Motors: 2 x 620W hub motors
ESC type (LingYi/ Customize/ VESC/ Others) :LingYi (LY-FOC 1.0)
Wheel: 90mm; 72A Durometer
Battery Type: 10S2P 2000mah , 144Wh
Marketed Top Speed in mph & kmh: 29mph /46KMH
Marketed Range in miles & km: 11 miles/18KM (Depend on riding style, weight, terrain, and weather. )
Charging time: 3.5-4H (30min with 8A fast charger)
Weight in lbs and kg: 17.2lbs /7.8KG
Warranty Duration: 6 months (180days)
Price: $469

Meepo V4 – Build

It has been quite a while before we reviewed our last Meepo, and it is a pleasant surprise to see the build quality and polish continues to improve as the year went by. Meepo V4 is a very polished board despite the $469 price tag.

Deck

The Meepo V4 deck is a combination of 8 plies Canadian maple and 1 ply fiberglass.

It has a pretty aggressive W concave, mild flexibility, and a slight rocker profile. I love decks with rocker profiles, I’ll explain later. The deck is also slightly shorter than most longboards, at 36” (typical e-longboard = 38”) which is supposed to help with storage.

Deck of Meepo V4 — Nice aggressive concave (but not too aggressive! unlike the one on Exway Flex)

Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)

For the electronic speed controller, Meepo V4 uses the latest-redesigned LingYi ESC (LY-FOC 1.0).

As always, it comes with a push to start feature. As always, LingYi ESC allows 4 acceleration modes and 4 braking mode to be set independently from each other. When it comes to smoothness, LingYi has been playing catch up with Hobbywing ESC since 2018. As the year goes by, they come close, and hopefully this time they manage to be as smooth as Hobbywing.

Battery

And when it comes to battery, Meepo V4 uses a 10S2P 4AH that’s rated at 144wh. 10s2p battery has been the standard for entry-level board eskate, but a slight disappointment when some of the latest budget eskate, like Meepo’s nemesis Wowgo’s 2s Pro is rocking 12s2p battery.

Anyhow, Meepo promised a modest 11miles or 18km range for the V4, and our range test yielded us 10 miles or 16 km.

On a related note, the battery allows fast charging which can reach a full charge in 30 minutes.

Trucks – Shredder trucks

For the trucks, Meepo re-do the mold for their proprietary Shredder truck. It’s a pair of 7 inches trucks that are 45°. The bushings are 90A. Meepo says they made a new, more precise mold, which they say should improve its performance. What I can say for sure is that it sure the hell looks better.

Hub and wheels

For the motors, Meepo V4 uses 640W dual hub motors. Typical Meepo, always trying to one-up everyone else when it comes to motor power. For reference, WowGo 2s Pro uses dual 500W motors; Backfire G2 Black uses dual 400W hubs, and the old Meepo V3 uses a pair of 540W hubs.

However, higher wattage doesn’t always mean better torque, especially when paired to a modest 10s2p battery. Something our ride test later would test..

These hub motors are currently not compatible with Cloudwheels donuts, but there is always a chance that they develop one.

The durometer for the front wheels are 72A, pretty soft, and the PU sleeve is rated to have 82A durometer.

Misc

It is worth mentioning that Meepo V4 does have IP6X certification which means dustproof and some water resistance.

Now that we know the build and specs, it’s time to ride!

Riding Experience on Meepo V4

The things Meepo V4 did well

After getting on the board for a while, it becomes apparent that V4 is designed with stability as the priority.

Let me explain:

The deck has an aggressive W shape concave and that helps to lock in our feet.
The rocker deck adds another level of comfort giving as the rocker curve gives our foot something to push against during speed changes.
Only having mild flex on the deck further adds to stability.
On top of that, the rocker deck also means lower ride height which further improves stability. Too bad the lower riding height is a double-edged sword as it also means a very low 44mm ground clearance, causing the enclosure to kiss the floor when we ride over speed bumps.

Meepo V4 enclosure scratched — Scratched

Meepo’s 45° Shredder truck was geared towards stability as compared to 50° trucks which was more carvy (eg: Wowgo 2s Pro’s Poseidon truck). All in all, the new Shredder truck is pretty good. While it does not rise to the level of branded trucks such as the Caliber II or Paris, it’s definitely as good as any other proprietary truck amongst affordable eskate. Decent for carving, good return to center, and absolutely stable to ride at top speed.

So,
the deck is great for stability, and the trucks are geared towards stability, how’s the ESC? Will the LingYI ESC, which traditionally leans towards raw and powerful, screw up the stability theme for Meepo V4?

Surprisingly, no! I am happy to say that, after 3 years and countless iterations, we finally reach the point where this (LY-FOC 1.0) version of LingYi ESC is indistinguishable from Hobbywing ESC when it comes to control-smoothness. The speed control of Meepo V4 is now as smooth as it can be while still being as strong as it always was.

Finally.

Typical Meepo, this board is freaking strong

Initially, I even found the new LingYi ESC to be boringly safe, with no ‘punch’.

Yes, it’s now as smooth as a Hobbywing ESC, but this was actually a disappointment for a Meepo die-hard who loves Meepo for its obsession with power, torque, and thrill.

If you recall, Meepo V3 was and still is one of the if not the most powerful entry-level electric skateboard out there. Meepo was so obsessed with power that it was willing to sacrifice ride comfort for it when they reduced the hub wheels PU sleeve’s thickness in order to make space for a pair of giant 540W motors. Some Meepo diehard love them for it, and those diehard fans would probably feel disappointed here.

And then, just after I posted my article review essentially calling the Meepo V4 a “PG 13 beginner-friendly toy”, I was informed by the Meepo team that I wasn’t sent the production ESC. The prototype ESC that all of us reviewers get had its power capped, and wouldn’t give us the full power that the real V4 in production would.

So, our team decided not to make assumptions and waited for the real ESC.

After switching over to the new ESC I found myself cursing the Meepo team, because I now had to rewrite half of my review, as my conclusion on its power did a 180.

After changing to the actual ESC, the Meepo V4 showed its true colors, unleashing the absolute beast that we always expect Meepo to be.

Going for the highest speed mode, the board is freaking strong, with powerful acceleration that would knock you off if you are not prepared for it. The braking is very strong too, smooth, but very strong. Thankfully, for those who prefer relaxing rides, the third acceleration mode and 2nd brake mode have kept their gentle profile.

In the end, the Meepo V4’s modest 10s2p did not end up bottlenecking the dual 640W motors, as the hubs still delivered some of the most powerful acceleration you can find amongst hub-driven boards, and this is now the most powerful hub board we know of at the sub-$500 price point.

To put the torque in context, the Meepo V4’s acceleration is about 30% stronger than its fiercest rival, the Wowgo 2s Pro. Being hub-driven, the Meepo V4 might not have the torque that a typical dual belt drive eskate has, however, the Meepo V4 does have a steeper acceleration curve, giving it a more thrilling start than an average belt-driven board when drag racing on a flat surface.

Writing undertneath Meepo V4 — You don’t say

Some other stuffs:

When designing the V4, Kieran (Meepo founder) says he notices his team members favor shorter boards when picking their ride. A longer board although should provide more comfort, his team member ends up always picking shorter boards as they are more practical to use: easier to bring around, fit more car trunks, and allowing tighter turns in urban commute. Hence, when he designed Meepo V4, it was aimed to have all the practicality of a shortboard, and compromised on that by adding 6 more inches for more comfortable rides.

Meepo V4 on poor road — Imagine riding through this with an electric shortboard

And the V4 is indeed more comfortable than a shortboard especially when riding on rough pavements. On poor road, it is ‘merely uncomfortable’ due to the dual hub and stiffer deck, as opposed to agonizing when riding through the same road with hub-shortboards.

Verdict – Who should get Meepo V4?

So, to summarize. The Meepo V4 might not have the biggest battery for its price, but when everything is said and done, it’s more well-rounded, more versatile than ever, while still being as thrilling as we always wanted it to be.

While its nemesis, the Wowgo 2s Pro (another top pick for an entry-level board), has a slight edge in battery size and carving fun; the Meepo V4 excels on both sides of the extremes.

On the one hand, new riders will value the gentle ride and stability the Meepo V4 provides, with its stable trucks, lower ride height, and relaxing control in the lower speed modes. At the other extreme, the V4 became a thrilling beast once you turn the speed and brake modes to the max. Thrilling acceleration, strong brakes, everything that gets your adrenaline pumping.

The Meepo V4 might also be well suited for another often-forgotten group, the eskate commuters. This is due to its 30-minute quick-charge option; as well as it’s shorter length, allowing for tighter turns on sidewalks, easier handling, and a better fit in a car trunk..

All in all, for under $500, the Meepo V4 is among the top 2, if not the top choice in the market right now.

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