Tag: Chinese Electric Skateboards

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Wowgo 2S Review – The first Meepo rival

Wowgo 2s- Review

Foreword

Right after Meepo set the budget electric skateboard market on fire, one company jumped in almost immediately to offer an alternative. Enter Wowgo.

In the rough early days, Wowgo had been looked down upon as a mere imitator of Meepo, but the company endured and with time, established itself as not only a good alternative to Meepo, but to many, a superior option to the OG Meepo.

One product, in particular, was so good that it was hailed as the “Boosted-killer”, that’s the Wowgo 2s, the subject of today’s review.

Introduction to Wowgo

Wowgo came onto the scene right after the meteoric rise of MeepoBoard, a company which is also their geographical neighbor in ShenZhen.

Initially, there was a lot of animosity between the two company, as both were trying to capture the lucrative budget market.

This led to the Chinese electric skateboard arms race, with both companies having very short iteration cycles of upgrades, constantly fighting to be crowned the best budget electric skateboard.

Finally, after 3 iterations, Wowgo ultimately hit a home run with the Wowgo 2s, which even inspired a series of copycats of its own.
It was considered to be the best Chinese budget board for a very long time, some say it still is.

Wowgo 2s Review

Wowgo2s Specs

The Wowgo 2s has a pretty standard spec for boards in its segment:

  • Top Speed: 23.5mph (38kmh)
  • Range: 12mil (18.5km)
  • Weight: 16.7lbs (7.6kg)
  • Charge Time: 3 Hours
  • Features: Regenerative Braking, Swappable PU Sleeves (option available).
  • Price: around $419.99 USD (after delivery fee).

 

Build Quality

The Wowgo 2s came in a single box (not double boxed), but with a generous amount of padding put underneath the board.

Inside the box, everything was placed neatly and the foam padding was also cut out nicely. One of the better packaging jobs that I’ve seen from the Chinese budget brands.

The other things in the box were the tail lights, name cards, wall hanger, charger, remote, skate tool and extra foam pad for deck swaps – pretty standard for a Chinese budget brand.

Deck

The Wowgo 2s use an 8-ply maple deck that is flat with no concave.

There is some camber to the deck and with that a little bit of flex.

Personally, I prefer a deck with more flex and concave.
I guess that’s why Wowgo makes it so easy to deck swap!

The best part of the Wowgo deck is the ‘two-texture’ grip tape. The grip tape on the back-end of the board is rougher, thicker and it not only feels nice to step on but also helps to cushion against vibrations coming from the rigid back hub wheels.

(The old deck of the Wowgo 2 had a single layer of bamboo with 7 layers of maple, which gave more flex but was prone to breaking. I personally wish they would have kept the old deck cause god knows the new deck could use a little bit more flex)

Component Enclosures and ESC

The Wowgo 2s started the trend of using metal enclosures after seeing many plastic enclosures break.

The “two-enclosure” set up allows the deck to have more flex without damaging the components. Something I wish the Wowgo 2s deck took more advantage of by offering a flexier deck.

Inside the enclosure, the Wowgo 2s is using the HobbyWing Electronic Speed Controller that has become much more common now.

Fun Fact: The Wowgo 2s is the board that made the HobbyWing Electronic Speed Controller famous, which is now found with Ownboard, Verreal, Backfire G2s and Harvoo boards.

Oh, and that laser engraving the logo at the bottom of the deck? Nice touch!

Wheels

The Wowgo 2s uses 90mm wheels, which is the norm now.
90mm wheels will get you over most bumps and allow for riding on less-than-perfect roads.

You get to choose if you want the swappable PU on the hub motor or non-swappable.

My review unit had the non-swappable Pu sleeves and, to many, they are actually preferable as swappable PU sleeves can be more trouble than they are worth – considering vendors who use PU replaceable hubs often face issues like weird noises or screws popping off.

The 250w hub motors that the Wowgo 2s uses in the non-swappable PU version are the most common generic hubs we see from the Chinese market. Unlike most brands that started to put some graphic make up on their hubs, Wowgo has elected to keep its hubs plain.

They are known to work well so I have no complaints there.

The wheels come with generic Chinese bearings, not the best quality, but that is not the most important thing when you are not kick-pushing.

Trucks

The Wowgo 2s uses a popular generic truck, which is  a common choice among Chinese budget boards.

Nothing exciting about this pair of trucks really. They turn okay and are fairly stable.
At least they are not known to break.

The soft green stock bushing that come with the Wowgo 2s are pretty good.
Bushing upgrade will always improve the ride quality but I wouldn’t say the 2s is in dire need of them.

Build Quality

The Wowgo 2s is one of the more polished boards in the budget market.

From the unboxing experience to the polish of the board, the Wowgo 2s gets good marks.
I would expect as much from a brand that has been in the space since the beginning of the budget board craze.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

There are 3 ride modes:

  1. Slow mode with a top speed of 12.5mph/20kmh
  2. Middle mode with a top speed of 18.5mph/ 30kmh
  3. Fast mode with a top speed of 23.5mph/ 38kmh

There are two very widely used Electronic Speed Controllers available in the Chinese eskate market.
The one used by Wowgo, Ownboard, and Verreal is the HobbyWing ESC.
The one used by Meepo V2P and the Yeeplay is the ‘LingYi’ ESC.

Wowgo 2s made the HobbyWing ESC famous, and with good reason.

HobbyWing’s ESC is known to be one of the smoothest available. Some say even smoother than the Boosted ESC.

This electric speed controller gives the Wowgo 2s very precise, low latency, and consistent control, which makes for a comfortable ride.

The precision and lack of lag are what makes HobbyWing ESC special.
You can have the board accelerate as fast as you want or as gentle as you want by controlling the throttle. The board will react instantly and precisely.

This also allows more confident speed change when riding near the top speed.

However, if you are an absolute beginner that has poor throttle control, you might be very intimidated by this type of zippy control when starting out. As your thumb is the only thing stopping your board from zipping off, nothing is going to stop you from pushing down too hard on the throttle and falling.
This is because, by the virtue of no lag and precise control, this ESC doesn’t introduce speed ramping to smooth out speed change.

Don’t worry, the majority of Eskaters end up preferring this type of control in the long run, it just takes some getting used to.

Braking on the Hobbywing ESC is one of the smoothest on the market, with the caveat of possibly being too weak for some as it can’t brake to a stop when going down an incline.
Generally speaking, most skaters prefer this kind of smooth gentle braking but it’s a ‘bummer’ when you really need an emergency stop. I recommend all skaters learn to footbrake in order to not rely solely on electronic braking.

Stability & Maneuverability

The trucks were way too tight straight out of the box, making this a board that can just go straight!

It took quite a while for me to get to a configuration where the trucks were loose enough to give me a comfortable carve without being wobbly.

Otherwise, the generic trucks perform as expected, stable, not the most turny.

It gave a fairly stable ride at top speed.

A truck upgrade would probably improve the riding experience significantly, especially making carving and turning more enjoyable.

I personally prefer the Paris-truck clone use by the doppelganger Ownboard W1S. The Paris-truck clone is more turny and more fun to carve around, relatively less stable of course.

I would love a broader deck with some concave too. I think that would definitely improve both the stability and carving experience.

Vibration

With a less-flexy deck and a hub motor set up, the Wowgo 2s is only doing the minimum to combat vibration.

It’s not the worse, it’s just average.

Consider a wheel change, softer risers, and shoes with thicker soles if you are going to ride over rougher terrain.

Remote

The Wowgo 2S uses the standard Hobbywing remote that many many other Chinese eskate companies share. It has been tried and true as a great remote.

It’s ergonomic and fits nicely in the hand.

The dial is springy with a good amount of resistance for better control and it has a reasonable amount of travel.

It is a simple remote without many bells and whistles and of course, no disconnection issues so far.

Riding Experience

The riding experience on the Wowgo 2s is pretty well-rounded.

On the flip side, the “cup-half-empty” way to describe riding the Wowgo 2s is that the experience is pretty bland.

The speed control is safe and comfortable, the trucks allow non-aggressive carving, even the design is safe albeit without too much personality.

That is precisely the reason why the Wowgo 2S has been so well loved.
It is comfortable and feels safe in a well-rounded way.

Capability

The Wowgo 2s is on par in its capability with the other Chinese budget boards.
This means it has good value for money if compared to boards from any other segments.

 

Range

There are three battery options for the Wowgo 2s.

  • 4.0AH, Powerful Samsung (144wh) -12miles/ 19km range
  • 6.4AH Panasonic (230wh) – 14miles/ 22.5km range
  • 8.5AH Sanyo (306wh) – 18.5miles/ 30km range

The board that I reviewed had the 4.0AH standard battery.

I did around 11miles (18km) before the battery ran dry, but your mileage might differ based on weight.
For reference, I weigh 165lbs (75kg) and although I tried to ride at top speed whenever I could, most of the time I could only maintain a 14mph or so speed (22kmh).

(A heavy rider who rides at top speed can only expect about 7.5miles (12.5km) on a single charge.)

As the marketed range correlates with the battery size, (watt hour/10 = expected range in km)
I have no doubt that the marketed ranges on the other battery options are reasonable and not exaggerated.

Speed

Marketed top speed is 23.5mph/ 38kmh.

Again, I weigh 75kg or 165lbs and I can hit 24.5mph (40kmh).

On the last two bars of the battery, sag will set in and top speed will drop to around 18.5mph (30km).

Torque

The Wowgo 2s features dual 250W hub motors.

This is a very ubiquitous hub motor setup that can be seen in many many Chinese electric skateboards which climb everyday inclines pretty well.

Borrow an old photo from the archive. This is what a 15% incline looks like.

It passed the standard stop and go test on a 15% incline.

Customer Service

Customer service is a big part of any Eskate purchase, even for a “budget” brand.

Wowgo has been here for a while and has established a fairly good reputation so far.
All the budget brands from China, at this point in time, do have slips-up and complaints from time to time.

While not perfect, Wowgo customer service is generally good. Some slip-ups on repair, warranty and communications have been reported, but those are few and far between.

It is among the budget brands that I have confidence in.

Verdict

Retrospectively, the hype of Wowgo 2s during its arrival to the market is certainly justified.
Very smooth control, decent longboard parts makes it a very good choice for newcomers.
Seasoned eskater will either enjoy it as much or find it a very good base to tinker around with.

So, is the Wowgo 2s still the best affordable electric skateboard right now?

Well, maybe.

Although the initial advantage Wowgo 2s held has evaporated as competitors began to imitate its formula, Wowgo 2S certainly still is among the list of best budget boards to choose from.

That list includes boards like the Meepo V2, Ownboard W1s and Verreal F1, which are very similar to each other while also providing their own different special favors.

Click here to get $5 off

Visit Wowgo @ https://wowgoboard.com/

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

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Yeeplay M2S Review – Anything different?

Yeeplay M2S– Review

Foreword

It’s the end of 2018 and there are plenty budget board options coming from the Chinese Market.
Outside of the familiar four (Meepo, Ownboard, Wowgo, Verreal), countless others Chinese brand had popped up, trying to capture a slice of this market segment.

Many of those companies are questionable, but some have been around reasonably long – Yeeplay is one of them.

Yeeplay M2s the board we are reviewing today is the second generations of Yeeplay boards. Let’s see how it stacks up against the other Chinese budget board.

Introduction to Yeeplay

Shenzhen Yeeplay technology co., LTD is a very young company, founded on August 2017.

It was founded by a team of three. Mr. Yang, Rex, and Alan.

Mr. Yang was in the business of sports equipment when budget electric skateboard craze hit.

Already a skateboard enthusiast, Mr. Yang found 2 like-minded peers in Rex and Alan to create a eskate brand of their own – Yeeplay.

In case you are wondering, Yeeplay got its name from the Mandarin abbreviation for “Playing Together”. Basically, with Yeeplay the team hope to create something that could bring joy to everyone.

On the time of this writing, October 2018, Yeeplay has grown from a team of 3 to a team of 20.

Yeeplay M2s Review

Yeeplay M2s Specs

The Yeeplay M2s has a pretty standard spec for boards in this segment:

  • Top Speed: 25mph (40kmh)
  • Range: 12mil (18.5km)
  • Weight: 16.7lbs (7.6kg)
  • Charge Time: 3 Hours
  • Features: Swappable PU Sleeves, Regenerative Braking.
  • Price: around 430 USD (after delivery fee).

Build Quality

Yeeplay M2s came in a single box (not double boxed). To prevent damage in delivery (they are always handled roughly), Yeeplay slap on extra cardboard paddings underneath the box.
That did help, but also makes the package a bit unsightly, and a hassle to open up.

Inside the box, the board was pretty well packaged.
Although the PU of the wheels is swappable, the purchase doesn’t come with an extra set of it.
What’s included in the box are the tail lights, skate tool, name cards, wall hanger, charger, remote and extra foam pad for deck swapping – all are pretty standard for Chinese budget board.

Deck

Yeeplay M2s’ has a very oriental graphic design on the grip tape.
It will definitely leave a strong impression, even if you are not into that.

Underneath that grip tape is a 38.2in x 9.4in (97cm x 24cm) eight ply maple deck.

Comparing to the other Chinese budget board, the Yeeplay M2s has a wider deck, which I really prefer as I find it comfortable to ride on.

There is also a progressive concave on the deck, which helps the feet to feel comfortable during rides.
It also makes turning easier.

There is a bit flex on the deck, so it helps a bit to combat vibrations.

Component Enclosure and ESC

Yeeplay M2s uses the most common remote and ESC pairing – the one which is the same as the Meepo V2P.

If you are familiar with the Meepo V2P’s ESC, you would know what to expect of Yeeplay’s ESC.
We will go over that in detail for those who aren’t familiar with them.

The M2s uses the typical double enclosures set-up to house its component. It uses the all-metal enclosures to prevent cracking, a problem that is commonly seen with plastic enclosures.

Wheels

Yeeplay M2s  goes for the industry standard 90mm wheels – which should get you over most bumps and allows for riding on less than perfect roads.

The 250w hub motors that Yeeplay M2s uses looks similar to the one uses by Winboard and Teamgee. They work well so I have no complaints on that.

Yeeplay doesn’t sell their own PU sleeve replacement at the moment of this writing, but it will be available on their site later.

The wheels come with generic Chinese bearings, not the best but it’s not the most important thing when you are not kick-pushing.

Trucks

Instead of going with a Caliber truck clone like the Ownboard, Wowgo, and Verreal, Yeeplay M2s goes with a Paris Truck clone.

And that makes turning on the M2s much easier, however, it sacrifices on stability making riding in top speed a little bit less comfortable.

The stock bushing that comes with the M2s are also from a lower quality generic Chinese brand.
As the result, turning on M2s feels less ‘elastic’ and less smooth as the bushing doesn’t push you back to level as well as branded bushings.

I highly recommend a bushing swap if you are going to use M2s for the long term.

Summary of Build Quality

The Yeeplay M2s is as well built as any other Chinese budget board, which at this day and age, is pretty good.

However, don’t expect stunning unboxing experience, or great polishing.

Yeeplay M2s is practically known generic parts put and package together neatly, and that should be your expectation when shopping in this market segment.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

There are 3 ride modes:

  1. Beginner mode with a top speed of 10mph/16kmh
  2. Eco mode with a top speed of 15mph/ 25kmh
  3. Expert mode with a top speed of 25mph/ 40kmh
  4. Pro mode with a top speed of 25mph/ 40kmh

There is two very widely uses Electronic Speed Controller available in Chinese eskate market.
The one used by Meepo V2P and the Yeeplay is called the ‘LingYi’ ESC.
The one used by Ownboard, Wowgo and Verreal is known as the HobbyWing ESC.

The behavior of ‘LingYi’ ESC is pretty well-known.

Let’s start by talking about the acceleration and deceleration.

Eskate component from China is constantly improving, that’s also true for the ‘LingYi’ ESC which received a firmware update just a while ago, further improving on the smoothness of the acceleration.

In the first 3 modes, the acceleration on the Yeeplay M2s is smooth and with no perceivable lag.
Unlike the Hobbywing ESC, which focuses more on the preciseness of the control, ‘LingYi’ ESC do try to smooth out the acceleration in the first 3 modes so you experience less jolt even if you push too hard on the throttle by accident.

This makes the beginner mode on Yeeplay M2s much beginner friendly than Hobbywing’s ESC, yet veteran wouldn’t felt bored by it as the expert mode still gives thrilling acceleration.

However, the braking on the ‘LingYi’ ESC is a lot stronger and harsher than the Hobbywing ESC.
You will appreciate that stronger braking when you REALLY NEED TO STOP, but at any other time, most will like the smoother and gentler braking of the Hobbywing ESC.

The control passed the newbie test – where I lend the board to a completely skateboard-naive person and they are able to learn to ride it within minutes. But the braking is what ruined it from them. They can accelerate but are afraid of the braking.

There are talks where the new “LingYi” ESC will allow switching of acceleration & deceleration curves, but the unit I receive doesn’t have that function just yet.

On the Pro mode though…
I don’t actually understand the benefit of the Pro mode in ‘LingYi ESC’, I feel like it is just an excuse to be raw. In Yeeplay M2s, Pro mode is jerky without any significant increase in acceleration speed. The top speed doesn’t change either, so why bother?

My advice is to skip the Pro mode and you won’t be missing anything.

Vibration

Yeeplay M2s handles vibrations okay-ly. Not too good, not too bad.

The deck is not flexy enough to eliminate vibration, but it is still better than other variation which has a completely rigid deck.

The 90mm wheels, softer riser do help to some extent.

Stability & Maneuverability

The maneuverability of the M2s is where it shines. Paris truck clone is more turny than their caliber truck clone counterparts. I advocate change to a better bushing to get the most out of it.

However, this does come with the expense of the stability of the board.
Without tightening the truck, I am not comfortable to ride on the top speed with the M2s despite the comfort of the broader deck.
Once the truck was tightened down, it became a lot better.

Again, this is where a bushing upgrade will do wonder for Yeeplay M2s.

Remote Control

Standard ‘Meepo’ remote that comes pairing with the ‘LingYi’ ESC.
Ergometric design that is comfortable in hand.

4-speed modes, with reverse function.

Nice wheel dial with a fair amount of travel.

No disconnection.

Summary of Riding Experience

The overall riding experience on Yeeplay M2s is fair.

I like the broad deck with healthy concave, good maneuverability, smooth acceleration, fair vibration dampening.

However, many would prefer smoother and less harsh braking, and some would trade the turny truck to something more stable.

Comparing it to the same generation Meepo, Ownboard, Wowgo, Verreal, AEboard, I would say Yeeplay M2s special flavor would be the turny trucks and broader deck.

Capability

Yeeplay M2s is on par in its capability with the other Chinese budget boards.
Meaning – good value for money if compared to boards from any other segments.

Range

Rider weight: 165lbs(75kg)

There are three battery options for the Yeeplay M2s.

  • 4.0AH, Powerful Samsung (154wh) -12miles/ 18km range
  • 5.8AH LG  (208wh)  – 13miles/ 21km range
  • 8.5AH Sanyo (306wh) – 18.5miles/ 30km range

The board that I am reviewing has 4.0AH standard battery, and it gets me to 11.5mph/18.5km on a rather conservative riding. Top speed when I got a clear stretch, around 12mph(20kmh) otherwise.

As the marketed range correlates with the battery size, (watt hour/10 = expected range in km)
I have no doubt that the marketed ranges on the other battery options are also reasonable and not exaggerated.

The voltage sag is there but wasn’t too bad. With 40% battery left the top speed dropped to an acceptable 18.5mph(30kmh), then to 12mph(20kmh) on the last 10%.

Speed

Marketed top speed is 25mph/ 40kmh.

I weight 75kg or 165lbs and I can hit that, but it does time to reach the top speed.
Acceleration on the last few mph is a bit labored, but it did get there eventually.

Torque

Yeeplay M2s has dual 250W hub motors, and those did pretty well.

The normal everyday incline is not going to be a trouble here.

It passed the standard stop and go test on a 15% incline.

Customer Service

Customer service is a big part of an eskate purchase, even for an affordable brand.

Yeeplay is relatively new to the market and is still in the process of establishing their brand and customer service.

There aren’t praises from the customers yet, neither are there complaints.

My interaction with the team behind Yeeplay has been reassuring, as they are responsive to questions and polite in exchanges.

Verdict

The budget boards war usually comes down with which ESC you prefer.

‘LingYi’ ESC with stronger, harsher braking but comes with smart turn on and the ability to stop on an incline or
Hobbywing ESC which is gentle in braking, without smart turn on and makes a noisier sound.

For references:
Boards with ‘LingYi” ESC – Yeeplay M2s, all the Meepos, Panther X3S.
Boards with Hobbywing ESC – Ownboard, Wowgo, Verreal, AEboard, Backfire.)

With that said, the biggest problem for Yeeplay M2s is that Meepo V2P exists.

Meepo at this point is a more mature company, and V2P has the shredder trucks and higher quality deck.
However, if you like a broader deck, turnier trucks, and metal enclosure, Yeeplay might be a better board for you.

I guess there is the added benefit that, as an early customer of a new brand, you will be treated royally by Yeeplay.

Unlike other unnamed boards from Alibaba, Yeeplay M2s is a valid budget board option, especially for those who felt Meepo, Wowgo, Ownboard, and Verreal are too mainstream.

As all Chinese budget board goes, Yeeplay M2s do provide more value for money than the eskates of any other market segments, and it is easy to mod the s**t out of it.

Use coupon code ‘YeeplayHQ’ during check out to get $25 off from on your purchase

Click here to visit Yeeplay

Posted on by Sophia Tung

Exway X1 – The New Golden Standard of the East?

Follow the discussion on Reddit here

If you want the TL;DR, see end of review

So What’s The Rub?

Many recreational vehicular hobbies follow a similar pattern of development. They almost always start out with a small group of super passionate people who manage to shoehorn something together that’s fun and exciting and gets the adrenaline going. Then, more of the same sort of DIY minded people come together, sharing expertise and experience, until there’s a sizable community.

Now a problem arises, where the DIY vehicles look and feel very DIY, with gotchas and wacky issues and weird configurations. So, inevitably, somebody starts making and selling parts that solve these issues. Pretty soon, manufacturing becomes serious business and companies start springing up providing ready-made parts. Reliability and consistency increases.

With the beginnings of market saturation taking place, the race to drive down the price while upping the quality starts. The main drivers in the beginning are usually boutique manufacturers who make high quality but expensive vehicles. Then as soon as there’s a market for such gear, the manufacturing wheels begin to turn in the East. Low budget, cheap products begin to pour in, saturating the market with wares. It usually takes the target audience a little bit to adapt. Those who will settle for the cheap products do, and those who want high quality and have a big budget continue to purchase expensive, quality products, or simply DIY.

But what about the people in the middle? What about the ones who are willing to spend a bit more for great quality but are unable to spend a lot for their gear?

I believe this is the stage at which electric skateboarding as a hobby is currently. At the high performance, high price end, we have Evolve Skateboards, Boosted Boards, Metroboard, and similar. At the low performance, low price end, we have the Meepos and Teemos of the eskate world. However, there’s a slowly emerging middle class that combines a sub $1k cost with performance, versatility, and quality. These boards are aiming to appeal to the section of the rider demographic who are willing to spend for more quality than one would get with cheap stuff but won’t cross the $1k line. Right now, there are very few players in this space. But manufacturers have been making moves, and already, Boosted Boards has all but cornered the market segment with their Mini series, with Backfire also trying to carve out their chunk of this space. But do they have a new challenger with Exway? Is the X1 a winning formula against the established heavyweights?

Hardware

The hardware on the X1 is seriously nice. America sourced Seismic Aeon downhill trucks, 90A Seismic bushing, and a contoured, stiff multilayered (bamboo, CA maple, fiberglass, carbon fiber) deck layup makes riding at speed controllable and responsive. The dual electronic speed controller or ESC, a collaborative effort between Exway R&D and Hobbywing (A long time player in the hobby hardware category), is directly configurable, updatable, and capable of pushing 110 amps peak in “Variable Frequency Soft-start” mode, or what we typically call “FOC” mode. The dual 1000 watt hub motors are developed in house and feature easily replaceable urethane (comes with both 80mm and 83mm sleeves standard). All this is driven by a 12S li-ion polymer battery that’s integrated into the deck, allowing for a deceptively thin profile. It’s really quite an impressive package.

 

Remote

The Exway remote is really my favorite remote by far. It’s ergonomic, solidly built, extremely responsive, and finished in a nice, matte, soft touch material that’s just amazing to run your hand over. It also features a bright OLED display that displays live updating telemetry for both the board and the remote, and is easily viewable in direct sunlight. In addition to all that, Exway also built in nice details, such as the ability to automatically turn on the board when you turn on the remote, ability to display the charge level of the board while the board is plugged in, and a whole settings panel that allows for fine grain adjustment of throttle min and maxes, pairing with different boards, and some other stuff regular users probably shouldn’t mess with to be honest. The remote also features a vibration motor that alerts you to speed mode changes, low battery, and a variety of other things you should be aware of while riding.

The user experience of the remote is great. There’s no lag at all, and control is precise and unfailing. Despite my best efforts, I was never able to make the remote disconnect no matter how many times I rode through areas that would usually make Evolve and Boosted remotes disconnect. This is the standard manufacturers should adhere to.

Technical Testing

Testride route:

Rider specs: 125lb, 5’6″

As part of my reviews, I perform a series of measured, purely technical tests on review units. These tests are meant to push the units to the extreme that their electronics can handle and reveal any problems that may have not been revealed by simple riding tests. Technical tests are done under the most favorable conditions possible.

Acceleration

It’s great. Deceptively quick, insanely smooth, and outruns a Boosted Stealth in casual testing. However, it’s worth noting that by default, the X1 actually comes with the highest speed mode, mode 4, set at only 80% power. This can be remedied by simply connecting to the board via the app and pushing the acceleration and braking sliders all the way to 100%. At 100%, I was very surprised at how mean the ramp-up gets. It’s still insanely smooth, but if you’re not careful you might slip off the back. Don’t ask me how I know this. Suffice to say, you will pretty much never want for torque.

Worth mentioning is the fact that as of mid-August, Exway has pushed out a firmware update for the board and remote that ups the max possible acceleration rampup. 100% acceleration is now even meaner.

Top Speed

Measured, my speedometer says 25mph going up a 5% hill grade. This is in line with Exway’s figures. It’s also notable that a friend who weights significantly more than I do (185 lbs) gets the same speed going up the same hill. In the same mid-August update I mentioned above, Exway has increased top speed to 27mph. That’s some speed.

Range

When I leave the X1 at its “recommended max settings”, or how it’s set up out of the box, I get around 9-10 miles of heavy riding in a very hilly city (San Francisco) with a bit to spare. In my opinion, this makes it a good mid range board. If you’re looking for something long range that will take you 20 miles on a charge, this is not it.

Braking

The brakes are pretty great. As with acceleration, control is precise and smooth. This is very important, as braking is paramount to rider safety. Strong, predictable brakes means a safer ride, and the X1’s brakes certainly make me feel safe. As of the same software update mid-August, the brakes are now even better. Braking distance is now significantly reduced and max braking power has been increased.

Stress Handling

As part of my acceleration tests, I do a series of full accelerating and full braking to test responsiveness, acceleration/braking curve, and power delivery. The X1 passes with no issues, and it still consistently impresses me with how nicely it handles this test.

Turning Radius

Unlike most boards available at retail, the X1 comes with quality hardware. Seismic’s bushings produce no slop and stay self lubricated, which means predictable maneuvering at both max and min speeds. All Seismic Aeon bushings will work here, which means you can dial your trucks exactly how you like. Personally, I prefer Seismic’s 86A bushings since I’m lighter, but the stock 90A Seismic bushing the X1 comes with are likely the way to go if you’re heavier.

Ride & User Experience

There’s really no debate here. The X1 is a great board to ride if you like speed and power. However, it’s also a great board if you want a thoughtful user experience. So many manufacturers ignore the user experience to their detriment, but here is where the X1 really shines. If you’ll allow me, I’m going to list a few things I really like about the X1’s UX:

  • Magnetic charge port with magnetic cover means that I can pull the board off my rack, have the charge port cover automatically snap back into place, and not have to worry about water ingress running through puddles.
  • Turning on the remote turns on the board as well. I never have to fumble around for the on button.
  • I can easily see the charge level down to the percentage when the board is plugged in and charging just by turning on the remote.
  • The remote’s display runs at 30fps, providing smooth animations and responsive feedback.
  • There’s a cruise control option as well as a reverse braking option, which enables the Exway to have a mode similar to Mellow’s Endless mode as well as Boosted’s braking reverse control scheme.

As an aside, I’d like to mention that for the initial review unit, Exway USA asked me to abuse the daylights out of it to see if it would break. It didn’t break and I never had a problem with it.

A Word On Customer Service

Historically, Chinese manufacturers have not been great with foreign customer service. It can often be a huge headache getting support, especially for a product category like electric skateboards, which tend to break down more often due to the nature of the sport. I personally have seen and heard many horror stories from various people of unanswered emails, unintelligible “Engrish”, and even refusal of support. However, I’m happy to report that I’ve had no such problems with Exway USA. They’ve been prompt in their communications and interactions with me (not that they’ve needed to take any significant action) and have a retail presence in many local skate shops on both the East and West coast, meaning getting help could be as easy as hitting up your local skate shop.

Verdict

So how does it stack up?

Well, I’ve had months of experience with the board now, and it’s performed admirably and held up exceedingly well to abuse. Since I’ve begun testing it, it’s gotten speed and control upgrades and new accessories (Exway now makes a shock absorbing grip tape for the X1). It’s become my go to board for running errands around the city. It’s slim, easy to handle, and easy to stow in tight spaces. It’s water resistant, easy to use, and even scratch resistant. I’m already chomping at the bit for a proper long range board from Exway with the same electronics and UX as the X1. But for $888 USD, what more do you want?

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Teamgee H6-Review

Foreword

Just as the winter ends, another wave of new electric skateboard began their marketing push. Teamgee H6 manages to stand out amongst the generic boards that are coming out from China with its pintail deck and stealth design.

Introduction of Teamgee

ShenZhen TeamGee Electronic Co., Ltd is a big established company in China. It has around 70 employees under its payroll, though only a dozen of core members work on the electric skateboard project.

Teamgee began its business as an OEM and ODM of various electronic components but it definitely didn’t limit itself there. For the past few years, Teamgee has established itself in the E-mobility world offering products such as the hoverboard, electrics-scooter and unicycle.

In 2016, they started to get into the electric skateboard business and have been selling fairly well in the Chinese market.

Teamgee electric skateboard project is the brainchild of the company owner, Mr. Sun, a 36-year-old gentleman with a receding hairline and a friendly vibe. Mr. Sun is not a skater but nonetheless an avid sports enthusiast. Like many of us, he found electric skateboard being much more fun as compared to the likes of the hoverboard. With the structure that Teamgee has, it is easy for them to get into the electric skateboard business so that was what they did.

Teamgee electric skateboards

Don’t let the emptiness in Teamgee web-store fool you into thinking that it has only the H6 to sell.
Teamgee has more than that, it has been selling a variety of eskate in the Chinese market and has even more of them in development, including an electric skateboard booster drive. The pintail H6 is the most recognizable by far and that was the reason why they chose to enter the international market with it.

The business owner, Mr. Sun has a particular insistence in the aesthetic design for his electric skateboard, wanting it to look and feel more like a regular longboard, hence the stealthy design. His passion towards creating an aesthetically pleasing electric skateboard is easy to see through the passionate way he spoke about board designs and the extent their team went through to make Teamgee board look the way it is.

We can all agree that the H6 looks pretty nice, can’t we?

But can it perform?

Teamgee H6 Review

Not aiming to be the most powerful, Teamgee H6 is at least decent in the specs department.

  • Top Speed: 18.5mph (30kmh)
  • Range: 10mil (16km)
  • Weight: 14lbs (6.3kg)
  • Charge Time: 2 hours
  • Features: Regenerative Braking, LED lights.
  • Price: 529 USD.

Build Quality

Right out of the box, Teamgee impressed with its looks and design.

The sleek design without any protruding component boxes also means the board has a very solid feel in hand.
The appearance of the board is definitely among the best in its price category. Though a little hot glue residual on the connecting wires serves to remind that this is, at the end of the day, a $500 board and not quite at the Boosted level in finishing.

Weight:

Not to let the sleek designs fool you to think that the board is light.
It is not heavy at 14lbs (6.3kg) but definitely not something you want to be carrying around for an extended time.

Deck:

Pintail deck aren’t often seen in electric skateboard market and the Teamgee H6 is definitely the first one in this price range.

The pintail deck was made from Canadian maple and not-surprisingly, it is stiff – considering all the electronic components were housed inside the deck, it would be foolish to expect otherwise.

The pintail deck has a slight concave to it.
Compares it to a flat deck, the concave definitely helps with the control and feel of the deck.

If you are on the taller side, say 5’9 (180cm), you might find the deck too narrow for comfort.
I am 5’7 (175cm) and the deck works well for me.

The graphic design on the deck was something that Teamgee put a lot of effort into. Even if the design doesn’t work for you, it is difficult to argue that the H6 stands out amongst your typical eskates.

Wheels:

Teamgee H6 chose to use 83mm 83A wheels.
The design of the board simply doesn’t allow any bigger wheels as with 83mm, wheel bites are already happening at full-lean in low speed.

(The team told me that in the future, they will have wheel-well on deck to prevent wheel bites.)

The hub motor urethane sleeves are replaceable so that is a plus.

Summary:

Beautifully designed, the Teamgee H6 is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing electric skateboards out there. Both the build quality and finishing while not perfect, are good.
Keep in mind, this is, after all, a mid-range board.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

Straight out of the box, it definitely took me awhile to get familiar with the H6.

It has a perceptible delay in acceleration and braking. The team told me it was designed that way to cater to a less experienced crowd. Although I don’t see how that would help, my wife seems to like this configuration better than the other boards I have.. well (that puzzled me a lot, actually.). Shrugged…

The delay is even more noticeable when going from braking to acceleration. That means if you flip the throttle back and forth very fast, the board would not move at all. (Just something that I notice).

Thankfully, that was something that I get used to quickly.

Anyways, the H6 has 2 speed modes, high and low.

In the low-speed mode, acceleration and deceleration are one of the tamest I’ve experienced.
Combine it with a gentle top speed of 11mph(17kmh) in the low-speed mode, the H6 is well suited for beginners to comfortable cruise around in.
In the high-speed mode, however, the acceleration and braking are significantly stronger. Its still within the control of a seasoned eskater, but definitely not for the casuals.

Vibration & Stability

A stiff deck and a (relatively) small wheel mean that Teamgee H6 is not the best board to ride on bad roads. Riding the H6 on cobblestone, I can feel each of the vibration.
The 83mm wheels also put a limit on how big a bump you can roll over.

In my opinion, the board is configured to give the best cruising experience on low speed with its soft bushing that makes carving better.

While the board won’t challenge your balance in low-speed mode, it is a different story in high-speed mode. Bear in mind the pintail deck of the H6 is more narrow and the truck-based is shorter than your regular 38″ longboard deck, so going 20mph(32kmh) felt to me like riding on a rocket broomstick. On the other hand, an eskate veteran who was accustomed to highspeed riding will definitely have no problem with a measly 20mph.

Remote Control

For international buyers, Teamgee H6 comes with a new remote, which is cool.

Well, because the old remote is really bad in both look, feels and function.

This new remote is pretty good.

First of all, the soft rubber feels really good in the hand.
Secondly, it has a small screen that shows speed, and battery life.
It also has a LED light on the top, something that might be useful from time to time.

This remote use a dial in the middle, it has a pretty short throw limiting the fine control you can have with it.

There is also a cruise-control feature build into this remote. By pressing the dial twice, the H6 will lock the current speed and allow you to cruise along without holding on the dial. Simply move the dial again in either direction to disengage the cruise control.

It’s a nice feature and but kinda dangerous for those who are oblivious to it, as the board might speed-on unintendedly if you accidentally engage the cruise control.

Summary of Riding Experience

I never tried surfing but cruising and carving on this pintail deck definitely feels the way I think surfing would feel.

The H6 are designed for cruising and carving around big smooth roads and it really shines in that setting. Engage the board in cruise control and all that left to do is to enjoy the carves.

For other use, however, the board is just passable. There is more powerful and stabler board for high speed and there is lighter and agiler board for navigating city sidewalks.

Capability

Range

Obviously, the range of the board depends on your weight, your riding style, and the temperature.

The 3.5Ah battery is advertised to give 10miles(16km).

If you are blasting at its top speed all the time, the board will last you around 7.5miles(12km). On the other hand, just cruising around in the low-speed mode will still leave you with half of the battery after doing the advertised 10miles(16km).

Note: I am 165lb(75kg) and this was tested in a typical hot tropical weather.

Speed

Teamgee H6 has advertised top speed of 18.5mph(30kmh).

With speed tuck, I can get the board to accelerate up to 20mph(32kmh).

The low-speed mode has its top speed set at 11mph(17kmh). A comfortable speed to cruise around in.

Torque

I did the standard stop and go test on the hill and the board did admirably. It can brake into a full stop on the incline and continue up the hill without rolling backward.

Comparing it to other board in the similar price, it handles hills considerably better.

Passed with flying color.

Customer Service

Teamgee is a new company and the customer service is, well, unproven.

The effort is definitely there – they have set-up a US hotline to service US customers better.
For the rest of the world, the customer service will be via email.

I do foresee the company to struggle a bit in the near future before they get more seasoned in servicing international customer. If tip-top post-sale service is a must to you, do check back this post in a few months and I will update this section once the company proved itself.

Verdict

So, would I recommend Teamgee H6 to anyone? How does it stack up against boards of its tier?

While Teamgee H6 takes a backseat to Meepo-Wowgo-Ownboard in performance, it definitely is miles ahead in aesthetic and looks.

The surf like carving experience and the sleek design is something unique that only the H6 offers.

I, however, do not think the board suits well to a big tall person as they might find the deck too narrow and the stock bushing too soft.

To summarize, I would recommend the Teamgee H6 to someone who looks to cruise around in comfortable speed and in good roads.
Or to anyone who really needs to eskate under the radar.
Or to anyone who really likes that design.

Looks elsewhere if you are tall, big, need for speed, rides on bad roads or are looking for a very portable board.

Teamgee Official Site
Use “EskateHQ” affiliate code during check out to get 10% off.

 

Note: Post-sale service is a thing that I put into heavy consideration when recommending a board.
Though Teamgee seems to genuinely care about building a brand,  I couldn’t just take their words for it.

I hope my reader can help me keep track of Teamgee post-sales service by CC-ing [email protected] when you are dealing with Teamgee’s customer service.
I will also do my best to make sure my reader gets taken care of.

I hope this helps. =)

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Onan X2 Review- The booster to electrify your skateboard

 

The most popular thing to do in the electric skateboard world right now could probably be – swapping the deck of the Meepo Board.

Sometimes I wonder, if you already have a good longboard deck lying around, why not just buy a booster to convert it into an electric skateboard?
It’s a 15 minutes work and voila, an electric skateboard with your favorite deck!

So, for electric skateboard booster, there are actually quite a few of them in the market.
However, only 3 of them seems to matters.

1st and for most, people talk about how Mellow is great but super expensive.
2nd, people talk about how Landwheel is very ambitious but unreliable.
And last but not least we have the Onan.

Onan – Background

Onan is manufactured by Guangzhou WOW Electric Technology Co., Ltd.
A company founded in 2006.
They do Electric skateboard, Electric scooter, Electric Bikes etc.

On April 2016, Onan arrived at electric skateboard scene with their Onan X1 Booster.

Onan X1 is rather unexciting.
Not going fast enough for most of the people and not going far enough either.
It was, however, reliable and affordable. (Looking to buy one? Too bad it was discontinued.)

Onan X2 arrived at the market at Oct 2016.
It was made for people who demanded a powerful booster.
It has a top speed that, for me, are well into the ‘danger zone’ and it also has more torque compares to the X1.
This is the Booster that Onan sent me for review.

Onan X3 arrived at the market in April of 2017. It was meant for people who didn’t need to go that fast or to climb that steep. (Someone like me, actually), and doesn’t need the big 93mm wheels that Onan X2 has. It is $100 cheaper than X2.

Distributors:
To facilitate their sales and service, Onan has enlisted a few reseller such as Griffin Boards, Ivory Boards, Nuffboards and Flight Mode.

The wonderful part of this arrangement is, the reseller could and did work as an extra level of quality control, and also act as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the skaters – something that other China Eskate manufacturers could very well use, seeing that they are known to have their PR efforts backfire on them.

Onan and Mellow

Let’s address the elephant in the room.

Some people say that Onan is just a copycat of the Mellow Drive, for obvious reason.
They look similar, share the same color scheme and have similar features.

Mellow first made popular the concept of Electric Booster back on 12 May 2015 when they launched their Kickstarter project.
However, delays after delays, they only manage to ship the Mellow Drive around August 2017.

Meanwhile, Onan took the concept of the electric skateboard booster and designed the Onan X1. Without missing a beat, they started shipping Onan X1 in April 2016, more than a year earlier before the day Mellow Drive finally arrives.

Onan claims their design is not a copy of the Mellow Drive (of course it wasn’t, the designs of those boosters are very different).
Today, Onan also is very reluctant to be associated with the Mellow (probably for legal reasons), but I doubt their similarity with the much more recognizable Mellow is bothering them that much.

I mean, if it’s hurting them somehow, why don’t they just… you know.. don’t use blue and black?

Anyways, I believe no one will mistakenly buy a $600 Onan thinking it is a $1600 Mellow, so I don’t see any ethical problem just for being born from the same concept.

Competition benefits us all, after all.

Onan X2 Review

China Boards always comes with amazing specs with an amazing price.

Onan X2 is no exception, especially if you intend to compare it to the Mellow Drive:

  • Top Speed: 25mph (40kmh)
  • Range: 6mil (10km)
  • Weight: 9.9lbs (4.5kg)
  • Charge Time: 1.5-2.5 hrs
  • Features: Swappable battery, Flight compatible, 2 hub motors, waterproof, Regenerative braking, handles up to 25% slope.
  • Price: Around 600 USD

Riding Experience:

The great thing about electric skateboard booster is, you can slap it on any deck and it will automatically turn it into an electric skateboard.
But this is exactly the exhibit A for a case of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.
There is a reason why Meepo-deck-swap is such a trend right now!

The absolute truth of electric skateboard is, the deck is one of the most important deciding factors of the riding experience, and a shitty deck is going to give you a shitty ride.

Allow me to share with you how I started playing around with the Onan X2.

Could not fit

 

I tried putting the X2 on my penny board.
I couldn’t get it to fit, the battery case is just too big to also fit in the front truck.
(A nickel board is the smallest deck it could fit, I think.)

 

 

 

So I got myself a second-hand regular skateboard and put X2 on.

Barely fits

 

And damn, the riding experience is HORRIBLE.
The wheelbase is so narrow that each acceleration and deceleration threaten to throw me off the board.

Every acceleration, the nose will lift and with every brake, the tail will lift, and I struggle to balance on it.

The stiff deck of the skateboard also makes poor road UNBEARABLE.
I was riding outside hospital carpark with poorly maintained asphalt and it’s so AGONIZING I feel like admitting myself into the hospital.

Obviously, it is totally unfair to Onan X2 if I don’t give it a serviceable deck for review.
I don’t have a good longboard deck lying around so I did what I could… I gutted my Meepo’s Deck and put on the Onan X2.

It’s not a Meepo. It’s an Onan X2.

 

Well, with a longboard deck, Onan X2 rides significantly more comfortable.
With the wider wheelbase, I no longer feel that the acceleration and deceleration were too jerky.
The rides were basically very similar to Meepo’s.
Vibration problem on cobblestone road also much reduced with a more flexible deck.
(Yes, as average as Meepo’s deck maybe, it is still better than a cheap skateboard deck that my friend probably bought from a supermarket.)

The take-home message here is – The Deck Matters!

Eventually, I get used to riding on the Onan X2 on that stiff cheap skateboard deck. On smooth roads, and after learning to position my body weight better, the rides become more relaxed.
Still, wouldn’t recommend it for beginner eskaters to put the X2 on a small deck. It’s just not as comfortable.

Acceleration and Deceleration

I felt like the acceleration and deceleration of Onan is a tiny bit joltier than other boards like Backfire and Meepo. Perhaps this is also due to how the remote was designed, more on that later.

However, with time, I actually find myself getting used to the acceleration and deceleration.
Still don’t like the remote though. Never will.

The brake will give a soft electrical buzz like “eeeeeeee” when you are applying it.
The harder you apply the brake, the louder the buzz.

I am not sure if the braking noise a side product of the regenerative braking or it was by design, but I love that the sound was there.
It gave me feedback on how hard I was braking, useful especially when braking downhill.

I feel that the brake of Onan X2 wasn’t that strong. The brake doesn’t lock the wheel but just increase the rolling resistance. I could not trust the brake to stop the board completely when riding downhill.
It could slow almost to a halt alright, just not completely stopping to a halt 100% of the time.

Onan X2 doesn’t brake downhill if it has a full battery, same as most of the board.

Wheels

Onans X2 wheels versus penny boards wheels.

It’s kind of personal preference but I love big wheel more. (Probably because most of the road we have here are bad).

93mm wheel means water hose, small branches aren’t going to throw you off the board. A poor road is much more manageable with bigger wheels too.

The urethane on the motor wheel on Onan’s Booster is exchangeable, they even gave you a pair of them out of the box. Awesome.

Remote

Not a big fan of remotes that uses a dial to control the speed.

With this kind of remote, I feel like I am controlling the speed, not the acceleration.

Pushed the dial all the way up from standing still and the board tried to get me to the max speed at that very instance. Scary as hell.
Accidentally removed my finger from the dial -> the dial sprang back to center position -> the board decelerated significantly at that instance that it was also scary as hell.

I get very anxious with this remote. But no disconnection, no delay (unless the battery is low.)

Overall

The riding experience of Onan X2 could be good or could be bad, depending on what deck you married it to.
I would love a different remote and if the acceleration and deceleration are 10% gentler, but with a longer, let’s say 44 inches deck, the acceleration, and deceleration might be just right the way it is.

In short:

Riding experience of Onan X2 is basically decided by the deck that you put it on.
The jerkier acceleration and deceleration means beginner won’t like it as much, but one would get used to that.

Built Quality:

Onan X2 has a premium feel from the get-go.

The packaging is nice. The finishing is pristine.

The steel that they use for the motor unit & battery case is very heavy, giving it a sturdy and expensive feeling.
The trucks also look and feel strong and beefy.

Heavy in the hand.

Not bad, in fact, quite good!

Except the remote somehow breaks open for no reason, I don’t remember ever dropping it…

Range:

All the Onans can be fitted with 2 types of battery.

  1. X-BP10 battery pack with 90WH battery cell (making it flight compatible)
    the marketed range is 7.5-9 miles (12-15km)
  2. X-BP20 battery pack with 158.4WH,
    the marketed range is 15.5-17 miles (25-28km)

The range of Onan’s boosters really varies according to riding condition, but the consensus is the range was grossly inflated.

The one that I got was the larger, X-BP20 battery pack.
For me, I get it at around 8 miles (12.8km) before almost fully drained the battery.

The range may not be the best but considering that you can carry extra batteries with you ($139.99 per battery), this is forgivable.

Speed:

I am not one that is comfortable to challenge 25mph(40kmh) on an electric skateboard, especially with the smaller deck I have.

The highest speed that I felt comfortable is around 20mph (30kmh) and I could reach there with Onan X2 with a lot of holding back. I weigh 75kg. (165lbs)

That speed 20mph (30kmh) however, is my friend Arne Bernheim’s max speed in his youtube review. However, he weighs 90kg+ (200lbs).

The top speed from the community varies between 20mph to 25mph (30-40kmh).
It definitely is fast enough for me.

Onan X2’s range and top speed amongst all boards. (Click to enlarge)

Torque:

During normal riding, Onan X2 can handles most hill no problem.

However, when I did the stop and go test on a parking lot incline ramp as I did for Backfire Galaxy, it actually couldn’t do it.

[WPGP gif_id=”827″ width=”250″]

It could definitely climb through it if I maintain the speed, but Onan X2 can’t start it’s climb in the middle of the slope.

The torque seems to suffer most when the battery is low. When the battery is at its last bar, it can’t climb hill nearly as well.

I heard of worries that the motor might overheat after a long uphill climb.
So I found myself a small hill that has an over 10-minute climb, to test that out.

The motor wasn’t even warm to touch at the end of the test, so I don’t think it would cause any problem in real-world use.

Customer Service:

Onan’s customers’ service is quite good. Had heard praises of them, haven’t heard any complaints.

As I have mentioned, the presence of reseller also adds to the customer service.
It’s worth mentioning that one of their reseller Griffin-Boards is very active in Reddit and always shows up to answer questions and provide information.

You could definitely have peace of mind if you choose to buy from Onan themselves, or from one of their resellers.

Other Features:

The swappable battery is definitely the best ‘other features’ Onan has.
I am a bit surprised that it hasn’t become an industry standard.

If you plan to bring your eskate on the plane. The smaller battery pack X-BP10 is a 90WH battery, making it flight compatible. Even the larger X-BP20 battery pack is 158WH and is allowed by some of the airlines.
(See my guide on flying with electric skateboard here.)

Onan’s boosters were also graded to be waterproof.
I did not try to submerge the booster into the water but the way it was designed, it can definitely handle splashes no problem.
You don’t want to ride an electric skateboard in the rain anyways, skateboard wheels are very slippery when wet and you will probably damage your deck when the moisture seeps in.

Issues:

The earlier version seems to have a problem where there were sparks when charging. It was said to be solved now. I did not encounter this problem.

As mentioned, the earlier version of Onan X2 also seems to have the problem of motor dying due to overheating when climbing hills that are too steep for too long. Haven’t heard of that problem for awhile. Again, I didn’t experience that problem.

As mentioned, Onan X2 also can’t brake downhill with a full battery. This is most definitely true.

Verdict:

Onan’s boosters is an easy recommendation for someone who already owns a good longboard deck and wants to convert it into an electric skateboard.
For most of the people who don’t exactly need high torque and high speed, Onan X3 is probably the way to go. By going from X2 to X3, you save $100 and shave 500gram off the total weight.

Go for X2 if you don’t want to sacrifices on speed and torque.

However, if you don’t have a good longboard deck sitting around, there is little reason to spend $600 on an electric skateboard booster when there are a lot of good ‘Completes Electric Skateboards’ in the market right now.

For a budget longboard, there are the Meepo Board, Backfire Galaxy.
For a budget shortboard, there are Torque Speedster and the Arc Aileron or you can back the Riptide.
For a budget penny board, there are the Meepo Penny, Arc Board and the Walnutt Spectra Mini.

But that is the point, isn’t it? Onan’s booster may not be the best choice for electric skateboard of any size, but it could be at any size at different times.

TL;DR 
If you have a Sector 9 or a Loaded deck lying around that you want to make into an electric skateboard, and you want the board to go fast, and you don’t have $1500 to buy a Mellow, Onan X2 is kind of the only legit choice right now.

Links:
Onan official site
Onan as Griffin Board
Onan on Amazon
Onan on Alibaba