mid-tier Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Electric Skateboard HQ

November 5, 2024February 11, 2025 by Paxson Lim

OMW Hussar Review – $999, but rides like $1999

The OMW Hussar is a board that starts at $999 and is almost entirely customizable from the board’s flexibility, the trucks, and the different wheel options to build a ride that suits your needs.

OMW’s is having Black Friday sale starting on 1st November.
Cavalry boards will enjoy a $200 off and Hussar boards will enjoy a $100 off, compared to the original discounted price.

It means:
– Cavalry board with forged truck will be $1099,
– Cavalry board with CNC truck will be $1249;
– Hussar board with forged truck will be $899,
– Hussar board with CNC truck will be $1109.
(All with stock in USA. The discount code “EskateHQ” can be also used, which means extra $30 off for all the boards, enjoy!)

OMW Hussar Specs:

Price	Starts at $999
Battery	12s3p 21700 648Wh 21700 Samsung 50S battery
Controller	12s Hobbywing ESC
Top Speed	34 mph (55 kph)
Range	37.3 miles (60 km)
Deck	Carbon Fiber deck
Motor	6374 x2 / 165kv / Max Power – 3500W
Weight	33 lbs (15 kg)

Deck – Carbon Fiber Deck:

Starting with the deck, OMW is known for making carbon fiber decks that are actually flexible, as seen previously with the OMW Cavalry. The carbon fiber deck is not only relatively lightweight but should also be more durable than a bamboo composite deck. It features a double drop deck design with a wide concave.

As mentioned in the intro, the flexibility of the deck is customizable. Riders have three flex options to choose from, catering to various riding styles and weight preferences; whether you prefer a more flexible deck for absorbing road vibrations and improving comfort during long rides or a stiffer one for more control and stability.

The one we have is a 2B deck, recommended to us by OMW based on our weight, which is around 154 lbs (70 kg)

ESC, Remote, and Battery – Hobbywing ESC and 12s3p 21700 648Wh 21700 Samsung 50S battery

Next, just like with the OMWEV Cavalry, OMW stuck with what works by using the tried and true 12s Hobbywing ESC, which has become the gold standard for its smooth and intuitive control. It comes with four-speed modes and is paired with the standard Hobbywing remote, featuring an OLED display that provides real-time data such as speed and battery levels, and also has cruise control.

The Hussar also includes smart on/off technology, meaning the board powers up as soon as you power on the remote and you can also adjust performance settings via a mobile app.

The Hussar is powered by a 12s3p 21700 648Wh 21700 Samsung 50S battery, marketed to have a range of 37.3 miles (60 km).

Motor – Dual 6374 Belt Motors:

Speaking of power, the Hussar is equipped with dual 6374 belt motors generating a combined output of 8000W. While these numbers seem high on paper, they yield a comparatively modest top speed of 34 mph (55 kph), which we were able to reach in our test.

Trucks and Wheels:

The Hussar offers two truck options: a forged double kingpin truck or a CNC double kingpin truck for an additional $110. Upgrading to forged or CNC trucks can be beneficial for durability, as they outlast cast trucks. Given that the Hussar is the kind of board you’ll be riding hard in various conditions, opting for this upgrade might be worthwhile. The CNC version should be more precise and also allow the trucks to be configured with street wheels, whereas the forged trucks are only compatible with 150mm or 175mm pneumatic wheels.

Our CNC trucks came with the MAD Wheelz, so we will be testing this configuration. We’re already familiar with MAD Wheelz, it’s great to see them offered as a standard option here.

All things Lights:

The Hussar comes with bright headlights, offering up to 3600 lumens of output, tail lights that light up when braking, and RGB deck lights, which you can toggle by double-tapping the remote.

Specs Summary of the Hussar

Comparing battery sizes, the OMW Hussar may fall short next to value brands like Verreal’s RS Ultra and the Meepo Hurricane Bamboo. However, neither of those options includes forged trucks. Plus, upgrading from a bamboo to a carbon fiber deck typically adds about $100 in value, and having a flexible carbon fiber deck is even harder to put a price on.

At ESHQ, we love crunching numbers and finding the best specs for the dollar, and we tend to favor brands that pack a lot of value into their boards. So, we’re pretty happy to see that, despite being a premium brand, the specs on the OMW Hussar still hold their own against Meepo and Verreal. OMW isn’t horsing around with the Hussar—it offers a premium look and feel without charging a premium price.

Riding Experience on the OMW Hussar

The defining feature of the OMW Hussar is its potential for aggressive riding.

Many boards nowadays prioritize torque over top speed since that exhilarating launch from a standstill is hard to beat. The Hussar’s build is tailored to this experience. The truck, with a double kingpin design, is incredibly stable, making high-speed riding feel easy. In fact, we wish it could go faster because 34 mph didn’t feel fast when the board was this stable.

Another highlight is the strong braking system. While Hobbywing ESCs are known for their smooth and intuitive acceleration and braking, OMW has tuned the brakes on the Hussar to be more aggressive, allowing for more reckless riding with the reassurance that you can stop quickly if needed.

The CNC trucks also contribute to a more aggressive riding style. Though they don’t offer the most aggressive carving experience, they provide great stability while still allowing for precise control.

We love the deck, too. It’s wide, has a nice concave, and is comfortable to stand on. Having a flexible carbon fiber deck feels surreal, even though this isn’t the first OMW deck we’ve tried. That said, the carbon fiber deck doesn’t magically eliminate all road vibrations. With the 105mm MAD Wheelz setup, we still felt about 40% of the road vibrations.

Bamboo decks generally do a better job at absorbing vibrations, but a flexible carbon fiber deck is still leagues ahead compared to a stiff carbon fiber deck.

The board’s low ground clearance does cause it to bottom out occasionally, though not as much as other boards, like the Verreal RS Ultra. If you hate seeing scratches on your board’s enclosure, you might want to go for the 150mm or 175mm all-terrain wheels.

In terms of carving, the Hussar can make tight turns but offers less play than other double kingpin trucks. If you’re looking for a super carvy board, you might be disappointed, but most riders will appreciate the balanced configuration of these CNC trucks—they’re not too aggressive but stable enough for high-speed rides.

Verdict – of OMW Hussar

The OMW Hussar is a stunning board and a total thrill to ride. Its precision trucks and expertly tuned Hobbywing ESC deliver incredible control over speed and board.

And while OMW is a premium brand, $999 for a 12s3p carbon fiber board is about as good of a deal as you can get. So, if you are looking to buy an electric skateboard in the $1000 range, and 12s3p and 37 miles (60km) range are enough for you, this board should be one of your top picks, especially if you are looking for one with a flexible carbon fiber deck.

If you are interested in buying the OMW, 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!

October 13, 2024October 20, 2024 by Paxson Lim

Verreal RS Ultra Review – All these for just $999?

It has been a while since Verreal received many spotlights, and our team almost forgot the brand existed. For those unfamiliar with Verreal, it is an affordable brand that has been around since 2018.

Verreal has had a knack for keeping it simple, only investing in parts that had the most impact on the riding experience, skimping on everything secondary or cosmetic, and passing the end results to the customers at a very low price.

They started with Verreal F1, a fun $400 electric longboard that, despite its simplicity, was unique for using a drop deck and hence gave a fun low-to-the-ground ride feel.

We wrote about Verreal F1 many years ago here.

That being said, we haven’t heard much about the Verreal RS Ultra that we are reviewing today, but we are pretty much expecting the same formula. It retails for $1099 but with our discount code you can snag one for $999. But first, let’s run through the specs.

Verreal RS Ultra Specs:

Price	$999
Battery	12S4P 725.8Wh Molicel P42A 21700 cells (16.8Ah)
Controller	Hobbywing ESC
Top Speed	32 Mph (52 Kph)
Range	40 miles (60 km)
Deck	6-ply Canadian Maple 2- 2-ply Fiberglass, and 2-ply Bamboo
Motor	6374, 170kv, Dual 4000W Belt

Deck:

Starting with the deck, the RS Ultra has a double drop deck made from 6-ply Canadian maple 2- 2-ply fiberglass, and 2-ply bamboo. We love double drop decks, and the low-to-the-ground ride feels that double drop decks offer. The deck features a good W concave, which is very comfy and snug for foot placement.

We were expecting Verreal to skimp out on the quality of the deck, but this one looks like it was made with good material. The board-length enclosure, however, is bad news; it means the board has zero flex and is stiff as hell. While it’s good for those who like the responsive and stable feel of a stiff deck, it is bad news for us, as every team member of ESHQ would much prefer a flexible deck. But on second thought, with such low ground clearance, the board probably couldn’t afford to have flexibility anyway. So maybe this is a feature, not a bug.

Battery :

Next, hiding inside that full-length enclosure is a huge pack of 12s4p molicel P42A.
This means 16.8Ah at 725.8wh, which is a crazy big pack as we only expect 12s3p for a board at $999. And you can’t ask for better quality cells than the trusty Molicel P42A. The $999 package came with a standard 2.5A charger, and for $100 more, you can get the 6A charger, which halves the charging time to under 3 hours.

The Verreal RS Ultra has a marketed range of 40 miles or 60km. For context, this is 20% more range than the $1199 Exway Flex 2 Pro was marketed for with its 12s2p Samsung 50S 432wh battery.

ESC and Remote:

Moving onto the ESC, Verreal has always been sticking with the tried and true Hobbywing ESC which comes with four-speed settings, meaning, it has the exact same smoothness of control as premium brands that are priced a lot higher. For those who are not familiar with Hobbywing ESC, it is the most popular electronic speed controller that’s proven to deliver perfectly smooth and intuitive speed control. It also has a smart turn-on feature, meaning the board powers on automatically when the remote is turned on. It’s paired with the latest standard Hobbywing Remote, which is pretty comfortable and fairly good-looking.

Top speed locking feature:

The Verreal RS Ultra provides decent speed control options, with an easy-to-use limiter feature. You can cap the top speed at 20 km/h through a slightly tedious process with the remote, which might be useful if you’re commuting in areas with strict speed limits, like in some European countries. It’s practical, but the method for setting the limit—holding the throttle and tapping a button 10 times—feels a bit clunky. Unlocking the full speed is just as awkward. It gets the job done, but the design could have been a bit more intuitive.

Motor:

As for the motor, the RS Ultra is running on a hefty 6374, 170kv, Dual 4000W belt motor.
These are pretty solid specs for motors and more than capable of providing good torque for an all-terrain setup. We know that for a fact, as they are the exact same motors donned by the infamous Meepo Hurricane, and that board had already made a name for itself as one of the more powerful AT boards.

Read our review of the Meepo Hurricane here.

It’s marketed to reach a top speed of 32mph (52kmh), which we managed to hit in our tests.

As expected, if you want a bash guard for the motors, they are paid add-on, as Verreal tends to want to trim all the excess fat to keep the price to a minimum.

Trucks and Wheels:

As for the trucks, Verreal went with DKP cast trucks. While we would prefer a forged truck for a board that can go 32mph (52 kph), obviously, Verreal’s priority is to keep the retail price as low as possible.

Anyways, we hope that this DKP truck is at least amongst the better ones, which can balance ease of turning and stability well. We will find out in our ride test later.

The default setup of the Vereal RS Ultra came with 105mm Mad Wheels V2, but they also offer 150mm pneumatic wheels as an option. This is our first time riding on Mad Wheels, but these wheels have been making a name for themselves lately and many Chinese brands have started to use Mad Wheels as stock options for their mid to premium-priced boards. We look forward to trying them out for the first time.

Specs Summary – of the Verreal RS Ultra:

As we suspected, Verreal sticks to its usual modus operandi and gives us a board with a giant battery & powerful motors that are beyond what was expected at $999. But we were also surprised that we didn’t notice any corner cuts.

Unlike rubbish brands from Amazon or Aliexpress, Verreal is smart enough to insist on putting the gold standard Hobbywing ESC into their boards. Also, putting Mad Wheels V2 as the stock option wasn’t exactly a cost-cutting move.

That means as long as the truck is good and the skate parts come together well, the Verreal RS Ultra should be a decent, if not above average ride with amazing range and power.

Riding Experience on the Verreal RS Ultra

It took us just a minute on the board to know Verreal made great choices in putting the board together.

First, the low-riding height with the double-drop deck plus the double kingpin truck means that this board felt super agile and zappy.

The Mad Wheels were amazing too, they felt very similar to the Boosted 105s, whose OEM version had been making rounds recently. Maybe the Mad Wheels is even based on that, we were just guessing here But what we do know is that they are super soft and super grippy. They took away 80% of all the road vibrations, something that we thought would’ve been a death sentence to this board considering its full board length enclosure which gives the deck zero flex. With this setup, road vibration is barely felt. We also love the ride feel of its soft, grippy wheels. These soft wheels felt great when carving.

However, the wheels aren’t big enough to give us a safe ground clearance. We bottom out every time we ride over road bumps, and we wonder how long this enclosure is gonna survive, given that we ride in places with quite a lot of bumps. A 120mm wheels may give more leeway, but of course, you could just go with the 150mm pneumatic wheels option and never worry about bottoming out ever.

Another thing that was better than we had expected was the Hobbywing ESC.
We expected Verreal to just “throw in the latest stock Hobbywing ESC and call it a day”, but they seem to also put some good customization into it, and the fastest S+ mode is more powerful than what the default Hobbywing ESC typically feels. This is great as the lower riding height makes it easy to maintain balance; hence, the extra kicks make it extra fun without any downside.

Speaking of balance, we are happy to find that the double kingpin trucks here are amongst the good ones that found a good balance between ease of turning and stability. Carving on the Verreal RS Ultra is really fun, yet we can ride fairly fast at around 28mph (45 kph) without wobbles and without the need to further tighten the trucks.

All in all, when it comes to the riding experience, there’s nothing that we can point to that was the second class to a premium brand. Whether it is the power, manoeuvrability, responsiveness or ride comfort, Verreal RS Ultra is at the same level as any premium board. Thanks to the aggressively low riding height, it is an even more interesting ride compared to most boards.

Verdict of the Verreal RS Ultra:

Verreal has been an afterthought to us for a few years now, so we are pretty surprised by how much we like the RS Ultra. Compared to its quote-unquote full-priced competitors, we didn’t see any obvious flaws with the RS Ultra, except perhaps it went with cast-truck instead of forged trucks. While the board doesn’t have the tip-top polish and packaging and has less bells and whistles than other 2024 boards, like the recent trend of adding RGB lights, our riding experience on it has been nothing but top-tier. Factoring the big battery that it has, we could safely say that, at $1099 ($999 with our discount code, btw), nothing currently beats the value that the Verreal RS Ultra offers.

If you are interested in buying the Verreal, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $100 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!

August 20, 2024August 20, 2024 by Paxson Lim

Voyager Limited X Review

Today, we are reviewing the Meepo Voyager X Limited which started as a limited version of the Meepo Voyager X but will not be a limited edition board. This version comes with some upgrades, including swapping the belt drive for a gear drive, adding some flair with the LED strip along the deck, and an updated ESC and remote pairing.

We are usually not too excited about the facelift version of products we’ve already reviewed but we liked the original Voyager X, which was a polished ride capable of explosive torque upon the push of the throttle. We didn’t think a few upgrades would be worth a revisit, but boy, were we wrong. The X Limited has so much to offer.

Read our review of the OG Meepo Voyager X here.

Voyager Limited X Specs:

Price	$1099
Battery	12S3P Molicel P42A 544Wh
Controller	12s Lingyi ESC
Top Speed	23.6 Mph (38 Kph)
Range	15.5 miles (25 km)
Deck	Bamboo and Fibreglass Composite deck
Motor	6358 Dual 2800W gear drive

Deck – Bamboo and Fibreglass Composite:

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited deck lights

Starting with the deck, this one is very similar to the Voyager X, which is a comfortable deck that we liked. It is made of a bamboo and fibreglass composite that has good flexibility. The Voyager X Limited keeps the pleasing design of the original Meepo Voyager but adds a nice-looking ambient LED strip along the edge of the deck which gives it a bright golden halo around the board.

The deck has a medium flex and a nice wide concave, making our feet feel nice and snug.

ESC and Remote – 12s Lingyi ESC and M6s remote:

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited esc enclosure

Next, for the ESC, Meepo went with a 12s Lingyi ESC, which has a push-to-turn-on feature. Meepo paired it with the new M6s remote, which comes with a new functionality allowing in-depth customization of top speed and acceleration strength. These are very nice features, especially when the Lingyi ESC was already capable of super powerful acceleration that not everyone can master, but there are also a few things we didn’t like.

The remote feels cheap and plasticky and lacks the typical silicone grip on the enclosure. But what’s more annoying is you have to double-click the buttons to change the speed, which does take some getting used to.

Motor – 6358 Dual 2800w Gear Drive:

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited gear drive motors

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited gear drive

As for the motors, the X Limited is equipped with some hefty 6358 Dual 2800W gear drive motors. As we all know, gear drives are some of the strongest types of e-skate motors, and these are advertised to be able to hit a top speed of 37 mph (60 kph), which is pretty crazy. You have to move over to all-terrain territory to find boards that can go that fast, and certainly not at this price.

In our test, we didn’t have the guts to go THAT fast, but we can certainly say that the board gets to 31 mph (50 kph) with ease and looks like it has no problem getting to 37 mph. It’s scarily fast!

Battery – 12S3P Molicel P42A 544Wh:

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited battery charger

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited battery enclosure

Moving on to the battery, the X Limited runs on a solid 12S3P Molicel P42A 544Wh battery, the exact same one as the Meepo Voyager X. This board is marketed to have a range of up to 30.5 miles (49 km) and in our tests, we managed to rack up 30 miles (48 km) with our 154 lbs (70 kg) rider riding fast. These are great results and very similar to the range we got from the OG Voyager X. We were expecting the change to a gear drive might give better range, as it should be more efficient, but I guess any fuel saved from eliminating the belt has been offset by using more powerful motors.

Truck and Wheels – Forged, of course:

Photo of Meepo Voyager X Limited trucks and wheels

Next, for the truck and wheels, Meepo went with their own forged 50-degree Reverse Kingpin Shredder trucks. We came to expect forged trucks for boards that cross the $1000 mark, as boards at this price are capable of going really fast, and die-cast trucks are less durable and can even pose a safety risk.

Meepo also kept the motor mount part of the truck in silver steel color, as if to make it clear that these are forged trucks. I personally like the look; some don’t.

The Voyager X Limited came with some white 90mm 78A wheels. It’s graded as 78A, but it doesn’t feel that soft. More on that later.

The board weighs in at 24 lbs or 11 kg.

Meepo Voyager X Limited Spec Summary:

For $1099, the Voyager X Limited has the craziest top speed in the $1000 category. Its range is pretty great for the price too.

If you compare it to the Voyager X, which is still selling at $949, picking this X Limited version is definitely a no-brainer. The gear drive upgrade itself is perhaps worth the $200 extra, and on top of that, you get the pretty ambient lights, the latest ESC which allows for in-depth ride profile customization, and a fast charger.

It’s no wonder the Voyager X Limited has been running out of stock. It is too fast, too pretty, and too much value to be selling at $1099. But does it have a ride quality that matches the looks and specs? Let’s hit the road and see how it rides.

Riding Experience of the Meepo Voyager X:

Meepo has traditionally designed their boards to be fast and aggressive, and it is immediately clear to us that they went to another level with the Voyager X Limited. If you’re a newbie or someone who just prefers to ride slow and safe, this is not the board for you. It’s not that the board is incapable of a smooth and easy ride, but you will be wasting what the Voyager Limited is capable of. Riding slow on a Voyager Limited is like buying a muscle car just for commuting to work, and the Voyager X Limited is indeed the muscle car of the e-skate world.

To illustrate how much muscle the board has, we tried mini drag races with motorcycles and won with the Voyager Limited, no cap. Its punch rivals some of the four-wheel drives we tested.

Regarding speed control, the first two modes of this Lingyi ESC are as smooth and intuitive as the gold standard set by Hobbywing ESCs. The third and fourth modes are very aggressive by default, with less linear acceleration and more of an exponential acceleration ramp. By default, the fourth mode is just bonkers. You really need to brace yourself and press hard on your front foot upon pulling the throttle, as this is definitely a treat for speed demons. You can go with the second mode if you want a more relaxed ride or obviously cop out by tuning down the acceleration strength from the remote.

This is a very powerful board; fortunately, it also has good trucks capable of harnessing that power. The CNC Forged Shredder trucks are outstanding. Stable at high speed, and precise and responsive for carving.

The deck also adds to the carving fun. While the board specializes in torque and speed, this does not take away from how comfortable the board is on a regular chill ride. Its medium flex, comfortable concave, and responsive trucks come together really well, and we enjoy riding the Voyager Limited slow almost as much as we enjoy rocketing off with it.

Now, it sounds much like an ad for the board, so let’s shift gears to talking about what we don’t like about it. First of all, these are not our favorite wheels in the world. They are similar to Boa wheels, we guess? They are too hard for our liking and don’t feel as grippy. We would much prefer Meepo to equip the board with their Cyclone 105mm wheels, which are soft and sweet. The Voyager is not bad at reducing road vibration, but going with soft grippy 105mm wheels would improve it that much more.

We already said we don’t like the remote, but we also much prefer the smart power-on of a Hobbywing ESC versus the push-to-start feature of the Lingyi ESC.

Verdict:

I think the Meepo Voyager X Limited is a winner. On paper, it packs great specs for the price it’s asking. Great battery, over-the-top top speed, beautiful lights, and it even comes with a fast charger. On the road, it is as enjoyable as any premium board to ride slow and carve around; yet it blows everyone out of the park when it comes to exhilarating acceleration and crazily ‘unsafe’ top speed.

If you like powerful electric skateboards, this one is for you. Do ride safely though!

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!