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Ownboard W2 Dual Belt Electric Skateboard US $597 Delivered ~AU $863 (Was US $697) @ Ownboard

900
OZBW2

I've had a blast with my Ownboard W2 and am using it daily for my 15km round trip commute. There was a previous deal on Ozbargain for the W2 when it was on preorder for $597US. I've managed to coax the rep into repeating that deal exclusively for Ozbargain ($100 off).

TLDR: I think its the best budget board under $1000 on the market currently, offering similar/better performance than a $2500 Boosted Stealth or $2000 Evolve GTR.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

Max Speed:
Beginner Mode: 12.5mph (20 km/h)
Middle Mode: 18.75mph (30 km/h)
Proficient Mode: 26mph (42 km/h)
Range on full charging:
SAMSUNG 30Q 9.0Ah: 14-16 miles(22.5~25.5 km)
Max Load: 120 kg (265lbs)
Max Hill Climb gradient: 30%
Weight: 8.2 kg (18.5lbs)
Deck: Fiberglass Bamboo, 389.05 inches, Flex designed
Motor: 5045 Dual Belt Motor, 83x52 mm, with 80A highly elastic PU-Wheels
Pulley: Exchangeable pulleys (36T 3M) with automatic belt tension adjustment function
Battery: Safe & Powerful Li-ion Battery by Samsung (18650 3P10S)
Charger: Output: 42V, 3A ,Charging time: 2-3 hours

WHAT IS IN THE BOX?
1 x completely assembled eBoard
1 x remote with USB charging cable
1 x extra foam for you to do deck swap
1 x certificated charger
1 x DC port charger adapter (US, AU, or EU plug up to your location)
1 x T-tool
1 x rear LED light
1 x user manual
1 dash-proof rubbers
1 x extra black gripe tape

Pad up as I take you through my Eskate journey…

With the recent change in QLD electric rideable laws I thought long and hard about getting a electric scooter or skateboard.
The Ozbargain favourite Xiaomi M365 scooter was tempting but I ultimately went for an electric skateboard.

The key deciding factor for me was enhanced portability of the skateboard – meaning I could take it easily on buses/trains/stowed away in the staff locker/staff rooms. Its the size of a normal longboard (38 inches) and can be carried in one hand with the handle – although it is fairly heavy at ~8kg, but still much better than a scooter (12.5kg). Very easy to do even in peak hour, where as the scooter I imagine would be tough on a packed bus/train.

Range and top speed is actually better than the Xiaomi scooter - I've hit a top speed of 49km/hr with a range of 25-30km and climbs 20-25% gradient hills without a sweat compared to the M365 where kick pushes are required for all but the gentlest inclines. Fun factor for the skateboard also has the scooter beat – drive and acceleration feels stronger and more direct IMO.

Main con of the skateboard over the scooter is stability and ease of use. Going 25km+/hr on a skateboard takes some practice and is not as easy initially as a scooter. After a few hours of practice, its definitely achievable though. I have come from a skateboarding/in line skating background in my youth so perhaps it was slightly easier for me. The missus isn't game to ride on it, whereas the scooter is more noob friendly and IMO easier than riding a bike.

I'm riding it ~8km along the V1 Bikeway to the city fairly easily without breaking a sweat. It's also easy to just ride the 1 km to the bus stop in case of rain.

Definitely recommend giving it a thought for QLDers and hopefully in other states when the government laws catch up to the 21st century.

In no particular order, these are the reputable chinese board manufacturers that are recommended:
- https://ownboard.net
- https://wowgoboard.com
- https://www.meepoboard.com/boards/
- https://www.backfireboards.com

They're all fairly comparable and are similar enough that it's a matter of personal preference which brand you get.

I'd avoid the no name ebay and Amazon sellers that are flogging 2+ years old tech with unreliable batteries. You can get lighter Penny Boards in the 3-5kg range, but IMO they're more like toys than actual commuting options. Just too small to be stable going over bumps/debris that you would find on a normal commute. Might be ok for a skate park.

I've had the Ownboard W2 now for a month now and have done about 200km on it . I preordered it during the $100 off period, so got it for $597USD. At this price, in my opinion its the best budget board for most people.

Prior to the W2 I had the Ownboard W1s, a decent hub motor board which is fairly representative of the best and most reputable china boards out there. Smooth Hobbywing ESC, option of a Sanyo battery and a decently flexible bamboo deck. The differences between the W1s and other similar offerings from Meepo, Wowgo, Backfire were fairly minimal and largely down to personal preference. With the W1s, I could get up to a max speed of ~40km/hr with a range of 25-30km riding pretty aggressively with the Sanyo battery.

My main complaints with the W1s were ride comfort, acceleration and hill climb ability - all which are a night and day difference on the belt driven W2. In particular, ride comfort on the hub motor board was in my opinion its biggest weakness. We're not allowed to ride on main roads in QLD and are relegated to bike paths and foot paths. These are usually built with large concrete slabs which become uneven over time, with raised edges and lips. Most of my daily 15km round trip is done on this, rather than paved bitumen/asphalt. Riding more than 30-35km/hr on these surfaces results in nasty bumps and feelings of instability where the rear ends jumps and skips all over the place. As such, most of my commute is slowing down before a bump, bracing and then accelerating again. With the W2, the increased ride comfort means I can floor the accelerator pretty much the whole ride. I feel confident going 35-40km/hr+ over these same areas. This has increased my average speed of my commute by 5km/hr (25km/hr—>30km/hr), a huge increase.

I have made some small upgrades to the W2 since I got it to increase the ride comfort even further. I swapped out the trucks and wheels to Paris V2s and ABEC 11 97mm Reflys respectively. One of the bearings was also a bit squeaky out of the box, so I changed everything over to Zealous sealed bearings so I wouldn't need to worry about them ever again. I simply can't say enough about the improvement in ride comfort the W2 is over the W1s and probably any other hub motor board. I can floor it the whole ride and my feet aren't numb by the end of the commute. It inspires so much confidence and riding is so much more fun when you're not bracing and needing to be super vigilant over every minute bump/crack.

Acceleration, hill climbing ability and top speed is also very impressive and markedly better on the W2. It hits max speed much quicker and I'm going up hills 10km/hr faster where the previous hub motors really struggled.The top speed I've hit was 49km/hr on a flat, and I can achieve 46km/hr consistently when flooring it. Most importantly it feels super stable at these speeds, whereas the W1s was very harsh and wobbly (particularly the rear) and didn't inspire a lot of confidence. On the stock 83mm wheels, a member on the discord channel was getting 42-44km/hr. Brakes are also slightly stronger than the hub motor boards but I try not to do too much hard braking to avoid excessive wear on the belts.

Range is also surprisingly good with the Samsung 30Q 9AH 10s3p battery. I'm 60kg (65kg with backpack) and I can easily do 25km riding flat out (average speed 30km/hr) with ~10% left. Being a tad more conservative, 30km would be pretty achievable - the same as my W1s with the Sanyo battery.

What are some of the negatives/areas for improvement I hear you ask?

  • The battery enclosures are plastic instead of metal but feel pretty solid. I haven't had any scratches on it yet after 150km. Conversely, the motor and wheel pulleys are metal which is nice. They were previously plastic on the pre-production model.

  • The supposedly improved flex deck (bamboo and fibreglass instead of maple) is pretty similar to the W1s to be honest. Maybe a hair more flexy but not by much. They now have some padded foam grip tape (looks similar to the Exway X1 Pro) which doesn't do an awful lot. Still not a lot of concave on the deck. I'm never falling off the deck, but more concave is always better. Its not awful by any means but you're into some light assembly work you could buy the W2 Kit without the deck for $516 and put it on a loaded vanguard deck for better carving.

  • QA/QC: My board and also another person's board on the Eskate discord came with unequal truck axle shaft lengths on the rear. You probably wouldn't notice it if you stuck with the default green 83mm ABEC clone wheels, but it becomes important if you're planning to swap wheels. In order to avoid wheel rub on the belt drive cover with the larger 97mm wheels, you need to fit some some additional washers (spares come with the board). One side fits 2, the other side only fits 1. I learnt this the hard way as I initially put 2 washers on the shorter shaft length, which resulted in the nylon wheel nut only being engaged ~50% of the thread. This resulted in a catastrophic failure during one of my early rides where the rear drive wheel fell right off the shaft at 35km/hr. Fortunately I was wearing my full face helmet and pads so I escaped largely unhurt aside from some hip bruising! I managed to fix it with just putting one washer on the shorter axle length side and a new wheel nut. I also used some blue Loctite to be doubly sure if wouldn't come loose. With the one washer it engages the nylon threads of the nut ~90% of the way. I haven't had any issues since, but I still periodically check it before all my rides. I'm not sure if this is an isolated issue due to poor QA/QC or a design issue. If you intend to change to larger wheels, be aware of this!

  • Support: Support is hit and miss. Probably not too dissimilar to any other budget provider which isn't Boosted, Backfire or Exway (who charge a bit more). The belt drive system they've based it off is the tried and tested system from Boosted. The Esc is Hobby wing and the batteries they've also been using in their other boards - ie it's all been proven reliable. Most of the issues I've seen people having on the forums are wear and tear or water ingress from riding in the rain.

  • Waterproofing - Foam around the enclosures is not the highest quality (same as all the other China boards). You could buy thicker closed cell neoprene to put underneath the enclosures, or just use some black silicon sealant around the edges of the enclosure to enhance the water resistance. I was caught in a small shower during a ride and had no issues. This video here explains it very well ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOp739GFB1U&t=57s ). They used 0.3" thick closed cell neoprene.

  • Delivery time - 3 weeks from ordering to delivery. It took 1 week to ship from the warehouse and 2 weeks to deliver. Bear in mind I ordered during the pre-order period and it had to go from China. Not sure if there are any US stock in warehouses at the moment like they have for the W1s.

  • Belts and pulley are 3M (same as Boosted) instead of the more popular and widely available 5M that is used in the DIY scene.

TLDR: In my opinion, I think this is the best budget board under $1000 for most people, especially commuters.

Pros:

  • Belt drive offers the best ride comfort short of pneumatic tyres. It really is a night and day difference that and a hub motor driven board. More comfort means more confidence to floor it over urban environments and less foot fatigue. I'm not the biggest carver, but carving is easier than on the W1s as I can keep the trucks looser due to the increased stability.

  • Adjustable belt tensioners means reduced belt wear

  • Amazing top speed (49km/hr), acceleration, hill climb all the while not sacrificing range or having appreciable voltage sag (looking at you Exway X1 Pro :P)

  • Smooth Hobbywing ESC not the binary cheaper LiYing ESC that plagues most Meepos and other budget boards.

  • Reliable board with dependable quality components from a generally reliable China board brand - Boosted clone belt drive motors, Samsung 30Q batteries, Hobbywing ESC.

  • Metal wheel and motor pulleys. ABEC compatible from the get go. Kegel wheel pulleys are also in the works for those preferring Orangatang Caguamas.

Cons:

  • QA/QC could be better - beware if you're planning to change to larger wheels.

I was initially the biggest sceptic but after using one I think it's definitely worthwhile getting a belt drive over a hub motor board. Fortunately /unfortunately, Ownboard is the only one offering it at the moment. If other manufacturer's are smart, this is definitely a trend they should jump on.

The ride comfort, top speed and acceleration cannot be understated. It will tide me over until one day I can justify the $4500-$5000 for importing a Kaly/Lacroix. In QLD, with them being illegal on the road, its a hard cost for me to justify. For footpaths and bikeways, the W2 is probably as fast as I would want to go.

Happy to answer any questions on electric skateboards should people have any :)
Definitely give it a thought :)

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closed Comments

  • +2

    Where's my hoverboard?

  • +11

    Appreciate the detailed writeup!

    To be quite honest I am surprised at the specs of this Ownboard. On the surface it uses pretty much the same standard parts from every other China board such as backfire, Meepo etc. Same deck, same ESC, same generic trucks, but now with a significantly better Samsung 30Q 10s3p and belt drive! Although the motors are unfortunately quite small (5045…) everything else looks good for the price!

    Also the differences between this and boosted are further apart than you make out. This Ownboard has a 324Wh battery which already makes it have much better range! To their further credit they even provide the manufacture rated discharge for the 30Q (15A), which is in reality quite a conservative rating.

    If people are interested in potentially saving a buck the W2 kit without the generic China deck is better value, 2nd hand Vanguard's can be had very affordably and would be miles better than the stock deck.

    I almost pulled the trigger on the $800 Exway X1 directly from CrazyHobbies (Sydney based, much quicker shipping) although this has me intrigued.

    Question OP I couldn't seem to find the kit w/out the deck on the website, any ideas? How long did shipping take for you?

    • +1

      You can send them a message on their website. It's $514 USD sans deck. Then get either a loaded vanguard or wowgo 3 deck ($164 USD - very flexy, has cables and cable guides predrilled in the board). This and swapping out the trucks to Paris v2 would improve the carving if that's what you really like as well. Out of interest where do you find cheap Vanguard Decks? I wish I was more DIY savy.

      Shipping took 3 weeks total. 1 week to ship, 2 weeks in transit.

      The Exway was also top on my list prior to discovering this budget belt drive board. The range, voltage sag, hub motors on a stiff deck turned me off. At a similar cost, if you can deal with the lack of local warranty, the Ownboard W2 beats it everywhere imo.

      • Ah cool I may end up sending them a message then!

        I'm primarily interested in the kit version since I already have a loaded vanguard that I currently push, I purchased it through Gumtree for 80 bucks ;) It did take awhile to find one at that price.

        The stiff deck and hubs on the Exway were actually selling points for me since it's by far the most stealthy board (integrated electronics, hubs, FOC) and since the laws are shiet in Sydney it made sense to get something that would fly under the radar. But the issues you mentioned were definitely big downsides for me. Hence why I may get the Ownboard! Thanks for the post ;)

        • +1

          Bought the Exway from crazy hobbies Ebay for 850 (10% Ebay code). Great board.

        • How difficult was it to mount all of this stuff onto a new deck? Biggest thing I'd be worried about is the water proofing.

          • @Vahtooch: Not hard at all. T-tool and a screw driver. I used some silicon caulk for some additional water proofing along the encasing.

            • @plasmapuff: Oh that does sound super simple. Apparently they aren't shipping kits till next month but the lady said it would be $612 which is pretty damn good if that's in AUD.

              Though the getting $100USD off the total price sort of pays for the board to be free and then some if you can't apply that to the kit.

      • +1

        Also good luck on the Lacroix investment! That's some steep asking price to get it here but boi oh boii woweee does it look focking amazing :O

  • +24

    +1 for the informative and detailed post alone

    • Ditto

  • should I buy this instead of a 2nd hand evolve skateboard for the same price

    • +6

      I'd avoid old Evolve boards personally. Remote disconnects which results in boards hard braking, poor quality batteries with sag and very limited charge cycles, poor quality components etc… Their just released new GTR boards hopefully have resolved these issues but formal real world reviews are still pending.

      Samjdelaide summarises it perfectly.
      https://www.samjadelaide.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-evolve-own…

    • +1

      Really depends how much use it's had. There's no doubt if the specs of this are what Ownboard says they are (Samsung 30q 10s3p), than the battery on this is miles better than any Evolve with ancient prismatic cells (every model prior to the GTR…) Not to mention all the countless issues with remote disconnects etc…

      If it's had only a few cycles maybe go the evolve, especially if you want an AT setup.

      • +2

        An AT board is also a huge sacrifice for ride comfort if you don't intend to go on trails with it. Most AT boards are 12kg+, have markedly reduced range and top speed is significantly less at ~35km/hr.

        IMO for most people 97mm wheels is smooth enough for the majority urban surfaces.

  • Any opinions on trying to learn to skateboard on one of these vs a standard board OP?

    • +1

      Take it slow, keep your knees bent and wear protection. I always have my full face helmet, knee, elbow and wrist guards at all times.

      Try at your local park/street first and then go from there. Takes a couple of weeks to get confident and then slowly ramp up the speed and throw in some carves as you get more comfortable.

      In my opinion, if you have reasonable fitness/balance it's not that hard. Your lower core strength will develop with time which will improve your confidence and comfort.

      • Can you link a full face helmet you’d recommend? Thanks!

        • +2

          Bell Super 3R - particularly in QLD. Very well ventilated, light weight and removable chin piece.

          TSG Pass - Gold standard downhill helmet. Has a full face visor for wind/bugs.

          Cheaper options:
          https://www.99bikes.com.au/helmets/full-face-helmet

          Theoretically motorbike helmets are also ok but they're close to 1.5kg vs. 700-800g for a downhill/MTB helmet.

          • +1

            @apptrack: Too bad it’s expired. Would’ve gone great with my heelys!

        • +3

          Not OP, but I love my Fox Proframe. It's a downhill MTB helmet, quite light (780g or something?) and has great ventilation. Also very open at the front so you don't feel so enclosed.

          Whatever you go for, definitely try it on first. The helmet I thought I wanted (Bell super 3R) was actually really uncomfortable on my head but others love it, so it's a pretty personal thing.

      • +6

        Take it slow, keep your knees bent and wear protection.

        That's what she said

  • As a skater myself, I was always curious as to why not just go with a longboard or a regular skateboard? Curious to see the responses.

    • +1

      Coz if they had to push, you know they’d be mongo haha

      • +1

        Same reason people go with electric bike instead of a push bike.

        Edit. If it wasn't illegal in most parts of Australia, it would be a legitimate means of transportation. Also, you can't skate uphill.

        • you can't skate uphill.

          only if you skipped leg day lol.
          i can't ollie over an ant, but hell yeah i can skate up most inclines unless they're very steep.

    • +5

      ??? Because skating 8kms to work is gonna leave you absolutely wrecked and/or take hours, whereas this would be lightning and easy?

  • +5

    Don't need one but I voted because of your awesomely thorough post

  • Whats the motor kW rating output?

  • -3

    These are highly illegal it’s to fast and you will be fined. 200watt moto and 10km speed in Nsw your better off having an electric scooter.

    • I was going to ask if electric boards have been legalized. The last I knew they were in illegal here. If they're legal then I would buy the Boosted Board.

    • Legal in Qld. https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-device…

      I believe Victoria and South Australia is doing a review? Illegal currently in everywhere but Qld.

      Just be judicious of speed depending on your surroundings. Obviously don't go more than 25km/hr at Southbank/CBD/in busy areas. At night on the bikeway, who's going to be checking?

      • -7

        The police

        • +2

          Thanks for your appropriate use of a negative vote :P.

      • Is this a new development? I remember checking just months ago and it was said to only be legal on private property.

        • +1

          Since December 2018. Coincided with the Lime scooter trials.

  • With the 15km commute, it would be interesting to see how this holds up at the 3, 6 and 12 month mark.

    • +2

      As mentioned above, the parts they use have been fairly reliable on the ESkate scene. There are original Meepos having done close to 1000 miles replacing wear and tear components. I'm saving close to $2000 a year on public transport costs so after 12 months it would have paid for itself more than 2 times over.

      Crusing home after work is also very therapeutic compared with cramming on public transport in peak hour.

    • too long to put up with rain and cold.

      legal or not I see these everywhere

  • -1

    What I'm interpreting from your post is that you pay $597 for something that you have to then spend additional time and money tuning so that you can commute 8km one way at a reasonable speed provided that you weigh less than an average adult male.

    Is that about right?

    • The default package is pretty good and would be enough for most people. People on the original wheels reached 42-44km/hr. I just had some spare parts lying around as an ESkate enthusiast.

      I cycle some days too. However not needing to shower or worry about punctures at night in poor lighting makes it a good option for me.

      • Fair enough. I just spent a bit of time reading the reviews on the website and a fair few mention needing to tool around with trucks, upgrading bearings etc. out of the box.

        It also seems to be a fairly new product based on one of the review responses saying that the person who left the review was one of the first people to receive to board in mid April 2019. Based on that I'd say it's probably a bit early to talk about long term durability.

        Also watched one of the videos with a guy saying the wheels and drive sprockets were an all in one unit making wheel upgrade options limited. That was for a test board so not sure if that's been remedied in the retail board?

        A few comments from the manufacturer saying that they are going to "upgrade" the parts on their website soon (I assume they mean upload?). Have they made parts available for the W2 yet? I couldn't find anything specifically for that model on the website (e.g. spare belts etc.).

        • Yep, definitely a new product but using components with good rep. The belt drive is a clone of the Boosted board. First used by Crownwheel about 12 months ago, an exclusive chinese branded board sold only on Aliexpress, with no international shop front etc. Its different to other budget belt drives as it has belt tension adjustment which makes a big difference in the longevity of the belts. Naturally you want to keep the belts as loose as possible without skipping. With time the belts also sag which can increase wear if not properly adjusted. The crownwheel boards had limited distribution but positive reviews from those who used them. The rest of the key components of the board - Hobbywing ESC, Samsung 30Q batteries are otherwise very well known and used in pretty much every chinese board with good reliability. The only thing I can fault is the uneven truck lengths which most people won't notice unless you decide to change the stock wheels.

          Wheel pulleys are removable and are now metal. You can fit any ABEC wheel or clone you want. They are also making Kegel pulleys which are releasing soon according to the rep.

          They haven't updated their website yet for the W2 accessories. The belts are HTD-252-3M and are readily available on AliExpress for probably cheaper than Ownboard when you factor in shipping. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5pcs-lot-HTD-3M-Timing-belt-…

  • +1

    Holy informative post

  • +2

    Thanks for the detailed writeup! The Mi scooters have always looked interesting to me, but a board looks like more fun. One day I will be able to justify the purchase!

  • What do you think of the backfire galaxy gt2?
    At only 6.5kg it seems to be about 2kg lighter than the other options which is pretty significant. I'm pretty concerned about weight and size - if I get one I expect I would need to carry it and take it on the train etc.

    Also - do you think these can be ridden on those paver type paths? I'm talking about this type of surface: https://www.abel.co.tt/product/interlocking-pavers/

    • +2

      I think the G2T is one of the best hub motor boards, but its still a hub motor board. Acceleration, top speed, hill climb and ride comfort will be markedly better on the W2 or indeed any other belt drive system. Backfire try to offset it with larger 96mm wheels and a metal core but the rear wheel polyurethane is still ridiculously thin compared to a proper full sized wheel that a belt drive system allows.

      IMO, 1.8kg is pretty insignificant when trying to carry the board. The main limitation is the length/size of the board. The Ownboard has a really useful handle on the side. You can easily tow any board by carrying it by the front trucks like luggage behind you. You can kick push it on platforms etc. Once you get on board, you can stand it up in a corner and the weight is irrelevant. I"ve carried my previous W1 (7ish kg) and the W2 (8kg) on trains/buses with no issues.

      To cap it off the Ownboard is cheaper than G2T and has a significantly larger battery (10S3P 9Ah vs. 10S2P 6Ah). Having tried something similar to the G2T in the W1s, there is no circumstance where I would go back to a hub motor board.

  • Interesting

  • Can you use these like a normal skate board? Is there a way to de-clutch them or when turned off is there minimal motor resistance?
    In the nanny state WA they are never going to legally allow these, No fun using them up and down the drive of your private property. Thinking if you could use them as a normal skate board when you are close to the city etc and electric away from everything on the footpaths.

    • +2

      You can kick push them but there will be some slight resistance. It's slightly easier on hub motor boards. I kick push my board at train stations/platforms etc for short distances without any issues. Not as easy as a normal skateboard without a belt/hub motors obviously. IF kick pushing is really important to you, get a hub motor board. I recommend the Exway X1 Pro which doesn't have an underslung battery casings as its all integrated into the board. Has a really stealth longboard look if legality is a concern.

      https://www.exwayusa.com/products/x1-pro/

      Cheapest would be through ebay if you stack it with some 10-15% off coupon codes, discounted ebay gift cards etc:
      https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ExWay-X1-Pro-Electric-Longboard/…

      Main downsides would be the range (real world range is 12-15km riding aggressively), voltage sag and rougher ride comfort with hub motors and a stiff deck. They do have a fast charger though which charges ~1%/min.

  • +2

    Absolutely love my W1, loaded vangaurd deck, paris v2 trucks, samsung battery.

    Will definitely be getting a W2 without the deck when they list it as a kit, was very impressed by the smoothness of the esc on the last model so hoping the new one is as smooth. Bigger wheels will be a game changer, had a blast riding around Rottnest Island here in WA over summer, but larger softer wheels and some more vibration reduction will be a great addition.

    • Its available for $516 USD if you message the rep directly on their website. Not sure if the $100 off code will stack but you can try :)

      Belt drive >>>>> Hub motors imo for pretty much everything.

      • Thanks mate I'll message them

  • -2

    Lot of money for an electric skateboard.

    • Happy for you to show me something cheaper which is comparable? You can get hub motor boards with significantly inferior range for ~$630 AUD mark.
      This is the first mainstream budget belt drive board with adjustable tensioners that I'm aware of.

    • +1

      you're paying mostly for decent batteries and motors.

      fell free to go make a cheaper one powered by eneloops or something that has the same performance.

  • +3

    Thanks OP, wanted an electric skateboard for a while but didn't want to pay the hilarious price tag for a boosted or deal with the issues of an evolve, this is perfect.

    • +2

      No worries. I was in the exact same boat before I discovered this board :) Budget belt drives are the future imo, before direct helical drive becomes cheaper and mainstream.

  • Isn't the Meepo V3 better than this and cheaper? Asking from a ignorant position as the Meepo V3 just came out a few days ago.

    • Haven't seen any reviews of the Meepo as it theoretically ships from the 19th! Looks like they upgraded their hub motors, trucks and remote. This is a belt driven board so will have markedly better comfort than any hub motor board. Hard to comment on acceleration but I can't see the Meepo bettering a belt driven system, probably equals at best? The $430 price is for a 4Ah standard battery with ~18km of range (11 miles) which is using an inferior battery cell (Samsung 20R). The new ER (Samsung 40T) battery looks promising but is $629 USD. Still using the binary Liying ESC from what I've read too :(

      Meepo always puts out decent boards and I'm in no doubt it will be an iterative improvement on the already good V2. For me it was all about improving ride comfort without resorting to a heavy, expensive, slow AT set up. The W2 does this (particularly with larger 97mm wheels). The extra acceleration, top speed and hill climb ability is just a bonus.

  • What are you guys on? So much tech talk and handy work, I feel like a stone age fart! Very interesting stuff. Great post and comments.

    This looks like an essential to carry along when traveling internationally too where hiring a car would be a luxury or prohibitive. Wonder if it is legal in most countries?

  • Is this going to get destroyed if you hit a water puddle or use it in rain?

    • Ridden my first gen Ownboard in the rain many times with no dramas, the esc and battery are well potted so I'd hope the new one would be the same. They have a video somewhere of it running submerged

  • -1

    Wouldnt want to hit a stone at 42km/h 😀

    • Small pebbles are fine. Obviously don't want large stones.

  • +5

    i learnt so much about this topic even thou im not getting one.

  • Wanted an electric skateboard for a while but the cost was always prohibitive. Roughly how many charge cycles would the battery last for?

    • +1

      You're better off looking at the specs for the cells used. Since this board is using 30Q's, with 4A charge and up to 22A discharge will result in 70% usable capacity after 250 cycles.

      There's lots of assumptions here, for example the BMS cutting off @ 3V per cell (or parallel pack) and charged to 4.15V. Anything lower or higher than that will age the cells faster, the same applies with leaving them empty or fully charged for extended periods of time or even worse in hot temperatures.

      • Agree with all the above.
        250 cycles is also referring to full cycles. If you only deplete to 40% each time then that's less than one cycle.

  • +3

    8 deaths this year on esk8 forums. Get. A. Helmet.

    It will also destroy your budget for bandaids if you don’t get wrist and elbow pads at least too.

  • Christ alive - I feel like I'm about to launch up when I get to about 32km/h on my scooter. I can't imagine 45+ on a skateboard :O

    • +1

      It's really not that bad! It can mostly depend on what trucks you're using and the stance that you ride at.

      Shift the majority of your weight onto the front of the truck, this helps massively. Soon 45kmh seems like not enough anymore 🤣

      • +1

        As someone who has never been a cyclist I truly never knew about how extensive the Brisbane bikeway network actually is. This all changed when I got my scooter and am constantly impressed by how much of the city you can actually traverse without ever having to deal with a road. I just checked out the V1 and can now totally understand how you can hit these speeds cruising along next to the motorway.

  • OMG, $863 :D

  • Hey mate,
    Thanks for the extensive writeup.
    Any thoughts on a decent bang for buck mini?
    I've got a carbon gt that probably only has 50 discharges on it. Find that it's a bit big to carry around in town. Was looking at the wowgo or onboard mini versions. Cheers!

    • +1

      Both the wowgo and ownboard mini are decent hub motor boards. The bang for buck pick would be the ownboard with the Samsung 30Q 6.4Ah battery (better than the Wowgo Panasonic option). I used to have a Ownboard mini but deck changed it for the W1s longboard deck.

      The main cons of the shorter decks is ride stability and comfort. As you're standing right over the trucks, you feel every single bump and crack and your feet get tired quickly. I wouldn't recommend going more than 3-4km on it, but it might be ok if you're riding on perfect bitumen. This then had a knock on effect of reducing your confidence to really floor it at high speed. For me, the continual slowing and bracing took away a bit of the fun. I found the longboard decks of the W1s/W2 not really that much harder to carry compared to the mini. The weight is similar (7-8kg) and they come with a handle which makes all the difference. You can also tow it behind you like luggage if needs be. The mini boards are still too heavy and long IMO to really put into a backpack, which was my initial justification for getting a mini over a longboard deck. It is easier to carry the mini vertically by the front trucks, which maybe helpful in super crowded places as even with the handle you'd be carrying the longboard horizontally.

      The evolve boards are much heavier at 12-13kg and bulky especially with AT wheels, you'll find anything else in comparison will be much easier to carry.

      There's always the Boosted Mini X if you want to splurge. In theory belt drive will offset some of the discomfort of a shorter deck, but range and price isn't the best. Good luck in your decision making!

      • +1

        Thanks for the reply!

  • +1

    I love my Xiaomi M365, but you're very correct in saying it stuggles up hill… I zoom past many cyclists but they overtake me back on the next incline…

  • Hey OP, messaged ownboard who stated that their carbon AT will be available for preorder this month. Thoughts?

    • +1

      Had some thoughts here re: AT boards.
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/7275894/redir

      Looks decent being belt drive and all. Will probably be more expensive, heavier and slower than the W2. But if you are dead set on AT, this and the Backfire X1 Ranger look decent.

      Historically Chinese companies don't always get their kingpin trucks right the first time (Wowgo, Raldey) so I'd wait for reviews rather than a preorder.

  • Now available with black wheels on the website

    • +3

      Good spot. Looks like they're 90mm. I'd probably go with them for improved ride comfort and top speed. Don't think you'll miss the mild decrease in the still plentiful acceleration.

  • +2

    Thanks OP - picked one up yesterday. I had been eyeing boosted off for a long time but couldn't justify price.
    I also picked up some abec 97mm 75a freewheels. I also have caliber II trucks lying around, and idea if they would work on it?
    I wanted to grab the kit and perhaps throw it all on the Loaded "Motherboard" but their support couldn't give me any details on the kit and told me to email them and they will get back to me by the end of May haha.
    +1 for such a awesome detailed write up, maybe ill see you on the trip into Brisbane city one day.
    Also, mega props for managing to get the $100 discount!

    • +1

      Yes calibre trucks will work. You can replace the rear base plate as well but the motor mounts will be hard as they appear custom and are glued as well as bolted on.

      No worries mate. Enjoy! The main boards I see are old gen 3 evolve boards :(.

  • Looks fun, but where do people actually use them?

    I don't know about other states, but they seem limited to private property in SA:
    https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/driving-and-transport/cycling/m…

    Feels like the time I was looking at drones, but found I couldn't use them anywhere.

    • +1

      Only legal in Queensland currently. I believe SA and Vic are doing legislation reviews. SA had the CBD limited lime trial but were limited to a paltry 15km/hr.

  • +3

    Just an update for everyone. I found out why they have delayed the boards shipping.

    I spoke with a rep and the new boards that are being shipped in June have the truck issue fixed (one axle shorter than the other) that OP mentioned when changing his wheels out. So all boards from now on shouldn't have the issue.

    I assume they found this out when they added the option for the black 90mm wheels.

    Just thought I would share.

  • +3

    Just a heads up - the promo code expires on the 30th May. So if you had interest in getting the board, get in before then.
    Thanks everyone for the kind and constructive comments. Hope even those who didn't buy, found the topic interesting :)

  • +2

    Just pulled the trigger after too many Evolve boards have failed for me (3 of the overpriced bastards).
    Weird thing I saw that the website updated the price to AU $1002 then switched back to USD $697 when I selected the wheel options.
    My order was changed to "shipped" within minutes of my order. Can't wait.
    See you around Brisbane.
    FYI, the current PayPal conversion tagged me for a hair under $900. Still cheaper and no doubt better than the Evolve GTR I had my eye on.

    • Yup. Congrats :) Come to the next group ride. I used a currency conversion fee free card rather than the PayPal exchange rate (28 degrees, Bank west etc).

  • +1

    After debating this for some time, I finally bought one. Been wanting an Esk8 for over a year now, but the price was always prohibitive for the decent models and the cheap ones just didn't have any guts in them for what they were charging as well. This seems like a very good option for the price and can't wait to replace my car and/or train route into work. Heavy Brisbane traffic in the morning and evening isn't the best for my Triton haha. Bonus is that my journey to work will be more fun as well.

    • +1

      Enjoy mate! Definitely has guts and fun in spades. I skate about 60km a week on it for commutes. Haven't needed to drive once this year for work. The portability of a skateboard over a scooter allows me to easily take it on a bus/train in case of rain. Come join us for a group ride one day :)
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/7276046/redir

      • Cheers for that. I'm in those now haha.

        I'm hoping I get the upgraded parts that they've posted on their Instagram with my order.

  • +1

    Missed this deal… any chance it will come back?

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