Budget Electric Skateboard Archives - Page 2 of 13

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025 by Paxson Lim

Meepo Ampboard Review – $299, this couldn’t possibly be good.

A $299 board should be terrible, even if it’s by Meepo. And spoiler alert—the Meepo Amp board does indeed have plenty of shortcomings, but it’s also one of the most fun boards we’ve ever reviewed.

At a glance, the Meepo Amp board is a shorter longboard with drop-down brackets. It looks polished despite its $299 price tag, but there’s definitely a “price” you pay with this setup. Let’s run through the specs as usual.

Meepo Ampboard Specs:

Price	$299
Battery	63Wh, 7S1P battery
Controller	LingYi ESC
Top Speed	14 mph (22.5 km/h)
Range	9 miles (14.5 km) conservative, 5 miles (8 km) normal
Deck	33.74” Canadian maple + fiberglass
Motor	Single 540W hub motor
Weight	13.5lbs (6.1kg)

Deck – 33.74” Canadian Maple + Fiberglass:

Starting with the deck, the Ampboard is actually pretty short, at just 22 inches (57 cm), but the brackets extend the wheelbase, bringing the total length to 33 inches (85 cm).

It’s made from Canadian Maple and has a beautiful concave.

The deck has some flex, but you might wish it didn’t, as this setup offers almost no ground clearance. The design is intended to create an extremely low ride as your feet are just 32 mm from the ground. Pretty wild choice there, Meepo.

This super-low ride height is the defining feature of the Amp board, but there are other crazy design choices, so let’s move on.

Trucks – reverse kingpin Shredder trucks:

Mounted on a double-drop bracket, the Ampboard sports Meepo’s usual reverse kingpin Shredder trucks, which are solid trucks—responsive, yet stable—but stability might not even be necessary, considering how slow the board is. More on that sooner.

ESC and Battery – LingYi ESC and 7s1p 63Wh 2.5Ah Battery:

Closeup Photo of Meep Ampboard esc and battery enclosure

Photo of Meep Ampboard esc and battery enclosure

If you flip the board over, you’ll find a single enclosure housing both the battery and ESC. It’s thin and does its best to stay off the ground, but fails frequently and ends up with scratches. Luckily, it seems tough enough to handle the abuse. The slim enclosure also means a tiny battery, just 7s1p, translating to just 63Wh or 2.5Ah.

You’ll get about 9 miles (15 km) per charge if you’re conservative, and about 5 miles (8 km) in normal riding conditions. And because of this small battery, be prepared to kick-push the board frequently. It actually begs you to kick-push since the single hub motor creates almost no rolling resistance. And you’ll have to kick-push from a stop every time — not just to save battery, but also because a single hub motor takes forever to launch.

Also, since it’s using a LingYi ESC, the board automatically powers on once you start rolling.

LingYi ESCs typically deliver punchy acceleration on powerful dual hubs, but on this single hub setup, they have no choice but to feel gentle and smooth. The Amp board does come with Meepo’s new M6C remote which comes as a nice surprise, given this is Meepo’s cheapest board.

Motors and Wheels – 540W Single Hub Motor and Standard 94mm Wheels:

Powering the Ampboard is a single hub motor of 540W. Yes, single. You only get one of them.

It’ll get you up to 14 mph (22.5 km/h), which is just about faster than you can run, but only half as fast as Usain Bolt. To be fair, 14 mph is the legal limit in some places for personal mobility vehicles—good guy Meepo is just trying to help you to keep you out of trouble with the law.

And, forget about inclines with the Amp board, at least nothing steeper than you can comfortably kick-push up. Even if the board can manage, it’ll drain the battery so fast you’ll be pushing for the rest of the journey.

The standard wheels are 94 mm, not the 90mm shown here, but if you are willing to sacrifice even more torque and range, you can consider tinkering it to 105 mm wheels. This is important because of, well, ground clearance.

Ground Clearance:

If you love ultra-low ride height and are willing to sacrifice literally everything, the Amp board is exactly what you’re looking for. The clearance is so low that Meepo includes warnings: don’t ride over speed bumps, and don’t go down slopes. The board just can’t handle the angle.

You can’t bounce on the deck, either, because any bounce and it bottoms out. With our even lower 90 mm prototype setup, even carving hard scrapes the side of the deck. Still, riding this low is as fun as it looks —you feel practically on the road.

What separates you and the road is really thin. It’s a very intimate, “real feel” kind of experience.

Spec Summary of the Meepo Ampboard

By now, it’s clear that the Amp board has some big weaknesses—but also standout strengths.

The super-low ground clearance is either a deal breaker or a key feature, depending on who you ask.
A small battery and single motor means limited power, but also makes the board incredibly light, at just 13.4 lbs (6.1 kg), like a regular longboard.
The price. There are many unpowered longboards that cost much more. And Meepo didn’t cut corners on the parts either.

Verdict on the Meepo Ampboard

Ride free. Push less.

With the Amp board, you’re free to ride—as long as the ground is flat. You’ll push less, but you will still have to push.

The Amp board is best categorized as an electric-assist board, reducing your need to kick-push, rather than a fully-powered electric skateboard. For 80% of riders, this is absolutely not the board to get. But if you love ultra-low ride height, nothing else comes close.

And if you’re choosing between a regular longboard and your first electric ride, why not start with this fun little guy?

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

June 15, 2025June 27, 2025 by Paxson Lim

Meepo V3 Max Review – Maximum value

We all know that Meepo made plenty of considerations in this 2025 version of their entry-level electric skateboard. We know this because we first reviewed the prototype, which then had its ESC changed, had its wheels changed, and had its motor upgraded.

And, at the end of the day, two numbers will probably define the board: the $454 price tag and the 324Wh battery.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves here. As usual, let’s run through the specs.

Meepo V3 Max Specs:

Price	$469 (with ESHQ15)
Battery	12S3P 324Wh battery
Controller	LingYi ESC
Top Speed	28 mph (45 km/h)
Range	20 miles (32 km)
Deck	8 ply maple + 1 ply bamboo veneer
Motor	2 x 800W (full magnetic hub)
Weight	19.8 lbs (9 kg)

Deck – 8 ply maple + 1 ply bamboo veneer:

Starting with the deck, Meepo V3 Max uses a 38” deck made from 8 layers of Canadian maple with 1 ply of bamboo veneers. It is a bit on the stiffer side, with only a very mild flex to it. And it has a modest concave profile, nothing too crazy here.

The V3 Max has a handle cut-out, as most entry-level electric skateboards do, which, again, while making the board look cheap, is actually infinitely convenient.

As per standard, tail guards are included even for budget electric skateboards now.

ESC – LingYi ESC:

Next, after dabbling with their own JK ESC, Meepo went back to Ling Yi ESC for this one. Which means the same old 4 speed modes and 4 brake modes that can be set independently of each other, meaning no smart power-on but push to start, where the board automatically powers on once it starts rolling.

This year’s Meepo does come with a new color remote, named M6C Remote, though, which is simple but fairly nice looking. But wait, this Ling Yi ESC has some new tricks up its sleeves too—it does allow advanced customization of each speed mode, so if the pro mode is too strong for you, you can always tone it down to your liking.

Battery – 12s3p 324Wh battery cell:

And beside the ESC enclosure, we have the highlight of the board—the 12s3p 324Wh battery cell. 12s3p for less than $500 is pretty much unheard of before this. For context, Meepo themselves were selling the V3 Extended Range at $599 previously. And the Extended Range series was using a smaller 288Wh battery.

Surveying across major electric skateboard brands, you will see that Meepo very intentionally priced this year’s V3 Max series to have the biggest pack in this price range.

This battery is marketed to go 20 miles (32km) in a single charge, and our 165lbs (75kg) test rider managed to get 19.5 miles (31km) riding fast.

Motors and Wheels – 800W dual hub motors and 90-94mm wheels???:

Another number that drew our attention was the 800W dual hub motors. While motor wattage never tells the full story on a motor’s power, rarely does an entry-level electric skateboard have motor wattages above 600W.

Between the prototype and production board, Meepo also upgraded the hubs from a half magnetic to a full-magnetic system, which should be better in performance and heat dissipation.

The V3 Max was marketed to go up to 28 MPH (45kph), which we had no problem reaching.

And the torque was pretty strong. We live in the world of belt drives now, so even the strongest hub motors wouldn’t have blown us away. But we can say that these hub drives have enough torque to make you not miss belt drives.

It can do steep hills without breaking a sweat. And Ling Yi ESC Pro mode made sure that you get your thrills of being rocketed forward when at full throttle from a standstill.

Fun fact: Did you know why Meepo named the board V3 Max instead of moving forward with V6, after already making V5? This is because V3’s over-the-top torque and thrill were so groundbreaking at that time that V3 is still a fan favorite to this day. That’s why Meepo was so insistent on keeping their V3 boards powerful with both the previous V3S and now the V3 Max.

What they began to do, for the first time, was to have mismatched sizes for the front wheels vs the back wheels. The front wheels of the Meepo V3 Max are both smaller at 90mm and narrower at 60 mm as compared to the back wheels, which use hub sleeves of 94mm and are 66mm wide.

The thicker back wheels reduce road vibrations through the stiff hub motors up to your leg, and wider back wheels give better grip. This actually does improve the riding experience, slightly, as one of the most frequent complaints of hub boards is how stiff the back wheels are and how badly they grip due to the stiffness.

I’m sure you could imagine a 2mm difference between front and back wheel height isn’t noticeable in any way, but it remains a mystery to us why Meepo doesn’t just make the front wheels 94mm too. Probably to save cost to hit that under $500 price tag, but we’re just guessing here.

For those who hate mismatching wheels, do know that the wheels are compatible with Cloudwheels, and the board certainly is powerful enough to drive bigger wheels—we know, we tried the 105mm prototype.

Trucks – Standard 7-Inch Reverse Kingpin Trucks:

As for the trucks, Meepo went with standard 7-inch reverse kingpin trucks with double barrel bushings. There isn’t much to be said about Meepo’s Shredder trucks—they are pretty good, pretty balanced between responsiveness and stability. It’s not as precise as the top-tier branded forged trucks, but it is easy to turn, fun to carve, and stable at top speed. You can’t ask for more from a budget board.

The back trucks on the V3 Max series are new and improved, though.

Usually, the back trucks are “press-fit” hub motors, which look like this—it actually relies on a bunch of screws to hold it to the “pseudo truck”.

And now, the back trucks are full axle, which look like this:

While we haven’t heard there were problems with the previous back truck, the new full axle hub motors would give us better peace of mind when it comes to mechanical stability.

Riding Experience of the Meepo V3 Max:

Speed control on the Meepo V3 Max is as smooth as it comes—intuitive. Thanks to the responsive trucks, carving around is fun. And the board gives you enough power to accelerate up to top speed with a push of the throttle. The acceleration remains strong at high speed all the way up to the top speed—we always feel like the board has enough muscle to go faster.

The ride is slightly smoother and slightly less vibrative compared to other versions of hub wheels, thanks to its meatier back wheels. It’s a marginal difference, frankly, but we are always happy to see attempts at improvement, however minor.

Verdict on the Meepo V3 Max:

To put it simply, until the competition catches up, the Meepo V3 Max is not only the board to get for electric skateboards under $500, but also for anyone considering getting their first electric skateboard, regardless of the budget.

A 12s3p at a price below $500 is hard to come by and if it does, they won’t be as put together as well as the Meepo V3 Max, with its full-axled rear trucks and powerful hub motors.

Good board at a great price. Period.

If you are interested in buying the Meepo, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESHQ15” 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!

June 4, 2025June 4, 2025 by Paxson Lim

Uditer Pixel Rider Review – Hey! It is actually a good electric skateboard!

The Uditer Pixel Rider might just be the most visually striking electric skateboard we’ve ever reviewed. Its standout feature? A fully customizable LED deck powered by the iPixel app. Users can choose from a variety of preset animations—or better yet, upload their own designs for a more personal touch. While the default graphics may not be to everyone’s taste, the ability to tailor the visuals gives it a creative edge.

But let’s be honest—cool lights alone won’t cut it. Priced at $425, the Uditer Pixel sits squarely in the entry-level category, where competition is fierce. To justify its place beyond novelty, it needs to back up the flashy visuals with solid performance.

So, let’s get into the specs, they actually looks promising.

Uditer Pixel Rider Specs:

Price	$425 (after $50 off with ESKATEHQ50)
Battery	10S3P 328Wh 7.8Ah
Controller	LingYi ESC
Top Speed	28 mph (45 km/h)
Range	20 miles (32 km)
Deck	Canadian maple + fiberglass composite
Motor	2 x 600W Hub motors
Weight	26.5lbs (12kg)

Deck – Canadian Maple and Fiberglass Composite:

Starting with the deck, this LED deck measures 38” and is made from Canadian Maple and Fiberglass. To no surprise, it’s completely stiff, and because of the embedded LED components, it’s also entirely flat. Not our favorite characteristic for a skateboard deck, but an unavoidable tradeoff to make the LED feature happen.

The good news is that the deck’s surface remains grippy despite lacking traditional grip tape. It feels like clear rubber placed over the LEDs, providing excellent grip, so no complaints here. The deck looks quite ordinary when the LEDs are off, similar to Cinderella after midnight, so you’ll likely keep them on all the time, which brings us to the battery.

Battery and ESC – 10S3P 328Wh 7.8Ah and LingYi ESC

Photo of Uditer Pixel Rider esc enclosure

Photo of Uditer Pixel Rider battery enclosure

To sustain the LED display, the Uditer Pixel Rider packs a respectable 10s3p battery with 328Wh and 7.8Ah capacity, which is above-average for boards under $500. To top it off, the battery is easily swappable, which gets a thumbs up from us.

The board is marketed to reach a 25-mile (40 km) range per charge, but realistically, you should expect about 18 miles (29 km) if you ride aggressively with the LEDs on.

Our only minor nitpick is the appearance of the battery enclosure, though the practicality of the swappable feature outweighs aesthetic concerns. I’m also not a fan of the orange silicone seals, but I’ll forgive this, as they provide an IP55 waterproof rating for the electronics.

Next to the battery enclosure is the ESC. It uses a LingYi ESC, featuring the familiar 4-speed modes and 4 independent brake modes. There’s no smart power-on feature, but it includes push-to-start functionality. The remote it uses is familiar. It’s nothing fancy but gets the job done.

Trucks – 8-inch reverse kingpin trucks:

Next, Uditer equipped the board with standard 8-inch reverse kingpin trucks. Nothing extraordinary here, but they’re decent. Although they lack the precision of premium trucks, they handle high speeds and carve adequately. Impressively, these are forged trucks rather than the less durable cast trucks typically found on boards under $700.

Motors And Wheels – Dual 600w Hub Motors And 105mm Wheels:

For the motors, the Pixel Rider comes with dual 600W hub motors. These are pretty big numbers, and while motor wattage never tells the full story about a motor’s power, most entry-level electric skateboards typically have motors rated below 600W.

It has a modest top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h), which we had no problem reaching.

Uditer also equipped the Pixel Rider with 105mm Cloudwheel clones, another pleasant surprise for a board priced under $500. The board definitely needs this cushioning, considering the completely stiff deck and hub motors. With 105mm wheels, road vibrations are still strong but considerably tolerable. It would’ve been a lot worse and borderline unrideable if it’s on 90 mm.

Riding Experience of the Uditer Pixel Rider:

Overall, the Pixel Rider provides a decent ride.

The LingYi ESC gives a smooth and intuitive control, though it didn’t come with the same punch and torque typically associated with LingYi systems. Which is also expected as this is a 10s setup instead of a 12s setup, and big wheels take away torque.

The dual 600W motors aren’t exhilarating but are sufficient to drive the 105mm wheels uphill comfortably. We didn’t actually feel anything amiss while riding the Pixel Rider; nothing felt lacking in the riding experience.

It offers a well-rounded ride, as any good entry-level electric skateboard should, without being particularly impressive in any aspect, which is also typical of most entry-level electric skateboards.

Verdict on the Uditer Pixel Rider:

Coming into this review, I was fully expecting the Uditer Pixel Rider to be a gimmicky board that would force buyers to choose between style and actual substance.

Then, we looked under the hood and found ourselves pretty impressed by the substance this $425 board brings to the table: a 10s3p swappable battery, forged trucks, and 105mm wheels. Even without the gimmicky LED deck, the Pixel Rider actually offers plenty for its price.

It also helps that the board delivers a riding experience that’s on par with any board under $500.

So, here’s our verdict: if you fancy yourself a board with an LED deck, go for it. And in case you’re worried about the brand, fret not—Uditer has been around for years now. They used to have some really … unusual products…, like the Uditer W3 back in 2021, but it’s good to see they’ve grown past that!

If you are interested in buying the Backfire, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $50 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 1, 2025February 1, 2025 by Paxson Lim

Meepo Edge Review – Highly recommended.

In November 2024, Meepo finally launched its first pair of affordable belt-driven electric skateboards: the Meepo Go and the Meepo Edge. Both of which are priced at just over $500.

We’ve already reviewed the longboard Meepo Go, so now it’s time to take a look at the Meepo Edge.

Meepo Edge Specs:

Price	$519
Battery	12S2P 345Wh battery using 21700 cells
Controller	JK ESC
Top Speed	26 mph (42 km/h)
Range	20 miles (32 km)
Deck	30” Bamboo and fiberglass composite
Motor	Dual 1500W 4230 belt motors

Deck – 30” Bamboo and fibreglass composite:

Starting with the deck, the Meepo Edge features a 30-inch deck with a mild concave. It comes with a kicktail with a pre-installed braking pad, so you don’t have to worry about damaging the tail when doing kick turns and tail brakes.

The deck is made of a bamboo and fibreglass composite, and we really like its simple, sleek design.

Battery – 12S2P 345Wh:

Next, let’s discuss the battery. The Meepo Edge is powered by a 12S2P 345Wh battery using 21700 cells, the same as the Meepo Go. This is also the same ER battery pack used in the Meepo V5 and Mini 5.

The marketed range is 20 miles (32 km), which is much more than the 10 miles (16 km) we’ve come to expect from a typical $400 entry-level electric skateboard. It also has a bit more juice than some other $500 boards.

It’s surprising to me that Meepo included a bigger battery instead of the typical 18650 cells and kept the price below $500. I thought that would have made the Meepo Edge easier to sell as an entry-level electric shortboard. However, it seems Meepo wanted to ensure that the board had enough power to accommodate heavier riders.

Speaking of which, let’s talk about power.

Motor – Dual 1500W 4230 belt motors:

The battery powers dual 1500W motors.

These 4230 motors can reach a top speed of 26 mph (42 km/h), which is pretty average for boards at this price. The board effortlessly achieves this speed.

That being said, it does also have this one annoying feature: the top two of the four-speed modes are locked for the first 6 miles (10 km) of riding as part of a mandatory “practice mode.” Unfortunately, there’s no way to bypass it. We’re hoping they remove this “feature” in the future.

But what’s nice about the Meepo Edge is not the top speed but the torque, which, for most people, is the biggest reason to upgrade from hub drives to belt drives. The board takes off quickly, is zappy, and is very fun to ride. Going uphill is practically effortless.

Most brands now prioritize torque over high-top speed, and we absolutely agree with that. Having more torque is also more fun and practical.

ESC and Remote – JK ESC:

For the ESC, the Meepo Edge uses the JK ESC, a new ESC developed by the ex-chief engineer of Hobbywing. Unsurprisingly, there are many similarities between the two. Both ESCs also have 4-speed modes and smart power-on features, where turning on the remote will automatically power on the board.

The new JK ESC also pairs with a new remote that is different from the typical Hobbywing or Lingyi remote. Some of the differences we didn’t like, for example, switching speed modes by double-pressing the power button do feel odd. But it’s a minor issue. What really matters is the speed control, and in our tests, the JK ESC is just as perfect as the Hobbywing ESC. Acceleration and braking are both super smooth and super precise. New riders will find this a very easy board to learn.

Wheels – Orangatang Kegel wheels:

Speaking of acceleration, it feels sharp—partly thanks to the quote-unquote “smaller” 80mm wheels.

Meepo currently equips the Edge with orange Orangatang Kegel wheels, which have made a name for themselves in the community. They are soft, grippy, and a joy to ride on. Meepo may or may not change the wheels in the future, but we certainly hope they stick with these.

For those who want bigger wheels for rougher terrain, the Meepo Edge is compatible with Meepo Cyclone 105mm and 110mm wheels.

Trucks – 7-inch, 45-degree reverse kingpin truck:

As for the trucks, the Meepo Edge uses a familiar 7-inch, 45-degree reverse kingpin truck.

We recently tested the Tynee Mini 3 Max, which features wider 8-inch trucks optimized for speed and stability. In contrast, Meepo seems to have prioritized responsiveness and agility for the Edge with its standard 7-inch trucks—and that’s exactly what we experienced.

The board is easy to turn and fun to carve on. However, beginners might find it wobbly at high speeds unless they tighten the trucks.

That said, we’re fully on board with this configuration. Most people want a shortboard to be agile. If you’re chasing high speeds, you’d probably opt for a longboard or an all-terrain board.

Verdict of the Meepo Edge

At $519, the Meepo Edge stands out as the most affordable belt-driven electric shortboard on the market. If you’re considering shortboards with similar specs, you’d be looking at the Tynee Mini 3 or the Exway Wave Riot, both of which cost over $700.

Beyond being a fantastic value, the Meepo Edge is also a solid ride. It has enough power for heavier riders, is nimble and agile for urban commuting, and offers smooth control for first-time e-skaters.

Meepo Edge is a fun board to ride and an easy product to recommend.

Unless you’re looking for something highly specialized—like extreme top speeds or extraordinary range—the Meepo Edge should suit nine out of ten people who are looking for a shortboard.

If you are interested in buying the Meepo, 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!

October 18, 2024October 21, 2024 by Paxson Lim

Backfire Nalu Review – Premium, but only $349

Backfire is no stranger to launching new products through Kickstarter, and they’re doing it again with the Backfire Nalu. Currently priced at $349 on Kickstarter, the Backfire Nalu is an electric shortboard equipped with a surf skate truck.

Unlike most electric skateboards under $400, the Backfire Nalu has a very polished look with four designs to choose from, each with different graphics for the deck and light colors. Beyond its appearance, the Nalu seems to use quality components despite its current low $349 price tag. But first, let’s go over the build and specs, starting with a closer look at the deck.

Backfire Nalu Specs:

Price	$349
Battery	99Wh Lithium Polymer battery
Controller	Hobbywing ESC
Top Speed	16 Mph (25 Kph)
Range	12.5 miles (20 km)
Deck	Fibreglass and Maple composite
Motor	340W hub motors

Deck

Starting off with the deck, the Nalu’s deck is 30″ in length and 10” in width—a typical size for a shortboard. It features a usable kicktail and a healthy concave for more responsive control.

They’ve also added shock-absorbing grip tape, which is a nice touch since road vibrations can be particularly harsh on shortboards.

The deck is made from a fibreglass and maple composite, and it’s nice to see anti-collision pads included on the nose and tail to protect the beautiful deck. The transparent pads also allow the icy blue light strip to shine through.

It’s almost 2025, and it feels like every board now comes with integrated lights! Jokes aside, they definitely turn heads when you’re riding at night. If you’re on the shy side, you can turn off the lights by double-clicking the power button on the remote.

Double-clicking the power button also lets you cycle between three light modes: normal, breathing, and blinking.

For some riders, the ability to “go stealth mode” is exactly what they want from the Backfire Nalu. Thanks to its integrated ESC and battery and quiet, hidden hub motors, the board could easily pass as a regular shortboard.

Battery

Next, the battery inside the deck is a 99Wh Lithium Polymer battery. Its size makes it flight-friendly, though we recommend double-checking with your airline.

It’s worth noting that Backfire likely opted for a LiPo battery instead of Lithium-Ion to provide more punch in a smaller size. Most boards with deck-integrated batteries use LiPo for this reason. We love Lithium-Ion batteries for their longevity and safety, but Backfire has been using LiPo in boards like the Hammer Sledge, and we haven’t heard any negative reports. So, our concerns seem to have been overblown.

The battery is marketed at a range of 12.5 miles (20 km) on a single charge. It takes 2 hours to fully charge with a standard charger or just 55 minutes with a GaN fast charger.

ESC and Remote

Moving on to the ESC, the Backfire Nalu uses the standard Hobbywing ESC—thankfully.

We were a bit worried that Backfire might pull an “Exway Ripple” and use a LingYi ESC instead.

While LingYi ESCs are smooth, especially on casual boards with hub motors, we always prefer the slightly more refined and intuitive control of the Hobbywing ESC, not to mention the better-looking remote that Backfire typically pairs with their boards.

Motor and Wheels

As for the motors, the Backfire Nalu features a pair of 340W hub motors, and it’s marketed to reach a top speed of 16mph (25km/h). While this isn’t fast by any means, it’s a comfortable cruising speed for sidewalks. The motors are pretty quiet, which fits with the stealth theme.

The Nalu’s wheels are 80mm, which is quite typical for a shortboard. This gives the board a nimble feel but may limit your ride to sidewalks or well-paved roads.

Trucks

One unique aspect of the Nalu is the Surfskate front truck. And it’s not just any surf truck—it’s a forged CNC-precision surf truck. I’m not sure how necessary it is to use such a durable forged truck for something that tops out at 16mph, but I guess Backfire didn’t want to leave any room for accusations of skimping on quality.

Specs Summary of the Backfire Nalu

Many brands have tried to make their shortboards as light as possible. A recent example is the Exway Ripple, which weighs 13.1 lbs (5.9 kg). The Backfire Nalu beats it, weighing just 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg). Both boards are pretty refined, but Backfire uses the Hobbywing ESC, slightly larger 80mm wheels compared to the Ripple’s 75mm, and a Surfskate front truck instead of a traditional reverse kingpin truck like the Ripple.

But I have to say, when it comes to shaving weight, both of these boards lose to our DIY Orbiter Shrink, which weighed only 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and was only slightly less polished.

Riding Experience on the Backfire Nalu

The Backfire Nalu rides as expected, for the most part. Speed control is super smooth. Braking and acceleration are comfortable and intuitive thanks to the Hobbywing ESC.

What takes time to get used to is the Surfskate truck. It could be the short truck hanger or just how Surfskate trucks behave, but when we leaned hard to turn, the board would topple over if we leaned past a certain tipping point. It took us some time to learn that tipping point and to stay within it.

Once we got past that, we really enjoyed what the board offered, a super nimble and responsive ride. It’s fun to carve with the Nalu, as the trucks are so quick. You can thread through pedestrians with ease. Not that you should, but you could if you wanted to. For even tighter turns, you can always use kick turns.

The good news is, even with the Surfskate trucks, the Backfire Nalu is completely stable at its top speed, which is not so much of a challenging feat. After all, the top speed is only 16mph.

As expected, road vibration is pretty strong; the shock-absorbing grip tape can only do so much. But we don’t really blame the board for this, as it wasn’t designed for rough roads anyway.

Verdict – Backfire Nalu

So what is the verdict? The Backfire Nalu was designed to be a portable ride that performs well and looks good, and it achieves just that. With forged trucks, excellent build quality, and pretty lights, we predict that the Backfire Nalu will retail for $469 after the crowdfunding campaign ends. So, it’s an amazing value if you can grab it at the current crowdfunding price.

We don’t usually see eye to eye with how Backfire makes their products but we love this one in particular. The Backfire Nalu makes sense to a lot of people. Beginners will find it easy to ride, and veterans will appreciate its agility. And at this current $349 price point, it definitely will sell like hotcakes.

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!