Forums > General Discussion   Shooting the breeze...

Any real world experiences with battery skateboards?

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Created by myusernam > 9 months ago, 29 Nov 2017
myusernam
QLD, 6154 posts
29 Nov 2017 10:50AM
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buy.boostedboards.com/vehicles/all-boards
What are the good ones?

shi thouse
WA, 1154 posts
29 Nov 2017 9:06AM
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Evolve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go the GT Carbon. Brilliant board. Super powerful. These things have a scary top speed and can carry you up to 35k's.

I ride mine to work from time to time.

Even better is when a mate gets one as well. Going out for a skate around town is the best. We stop, have a few pints then hit the road again. After that, your riding gets even more fluid.

From what I know, the Evolve has a better control system and considerably more power than the Boosted. Plus I always ride my GT with the All Terrain wheels. Hence they handle rough stuff better than the skate wheels.

eppo
WA, 9762 posts
29 Nov 2017 11:26AM
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Boosted boards dropped the ball a couple of years back, evolve stepped up and took some of their market share dominance (a lot in Australia).

They apparently have fixed their technical issues and are aggressively marketing their new boards through the retailers again.

But I can't fault by GT evolve carbon board. One of the absolute best things I've ever bought.

Getting my son the bamboo version soon, because I need someone to ride with!!!! He's only nine and loves riding the Board. Super stable, super carvy ...it's like carving the face of a big wave for 15-25km...depending on ride distance.

And damn fast up and down hills.

myusernam
QLD, 6154 posts
29 Nov 2017 3:00PM
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Select to expand quote
eppo said..
Boosted boards dropped the ball a couple of years back, evolve stepped up and took some of their market share dominance (a lot in Australia).

They apparently have fixed their technical issues and are aggressively marketing their new boards through the retailers again.

But I can't fault by GT evolve carbon board. One of the absolute best things I've ever bought.

Getting my son the bamboo version soon, because I need someone to ride with!!!! He's only nine and loves riding the Board. Super stable, super carvy ...it's like carving the face of a big wave for 15-25km...depending on ride distance.

And damn fast up and down hills.


is the bamboo choice just for cost? they're not that much cheaper. look nice. would they feel nice and flexy underfooot compared to the carbon I suppose? like a soft snowboard (burton)

STUMP
WA, 79 posts
29 Nov 2017 5:55PM
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The rigidity of the carbon model allows the battery to be recessed into the deck reducing the thickness considerably and increasing ground clearance, the bamboo does not.

Havent ridden the new gt model with twin motors but my 3 year old carbon evovle still goes hard and aside from a couple of new belts has never given any issues.

45 km/hr might not seem that quick but I rarely hold it pinned in fast mode for more than a few seconds.
The new controller shows your speed also, that could be a bad thing if you don't keep focused at speed.

The braking effort is really strong, enough to throw you over the front if your not prepared.
Fitted the orange road wheels for a few days, great for sliding and super fast if you've got a perfectly flat surface but very hard ride over your average urban environment.

Put the A/T wheels on ages ago and never looked back.

Highly recommend there product, great service and website.

Dazzler75
QLD, 458 posts
4 Dec 2017 9:00PM
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Evolve Carbon GT by country mile. My profile pic is me on one of the older models. So much fun & they really get up & go.

Brilliant company any run by great people.

MikeyG
WA, 156 posts
4 Dec 2017 7:50PM
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A friend of mine had the evolve (think it was bamboo - bought about 8 months ago). He had a lot of warranty issues with the controller. battery, motor and belt. He also drove it through a small puddle and did a fair bit of damage. But to be fair to evolve, they sorted it all.

It is great fun to ride. Fast and pretty easy to master on the all terrain wheels.

laurie
WA, 3860 posts
5 Dec 2017 9:09AM
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shi thouse said..
Evolve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go the GT Carbon. Brilliant board. Super powerful. These things have a scary top speed and can carry you up to 35k's.

I ride mine to work from time to time.

Even better is when a mate gets one as well. Going out for a skate around town is the best. We stop, have a few pints then hit the road again. After that, your riding gets even more fluid.

From what I know, the Evolve has a better control system and considerably more power than the Boosted. Plus I always ride my GT with the All Terrain wheels. Hence they handle rough stuff better than the skate wheels.



Agreed. I've clocked up over 2500km on my GT Carbon. Great fun. AT's (all terrains) are the go - can go anywhere in comfort, up steep kerbs & bumps & lumps and don't slide out - trustworthy wheels!

Agree with all above - great company, great vibe, great gear, great support.

Nod1100
1 posts
7 Dec 2017 4:52PM
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I just bought the Evolve One from www.actionsportswa.com.au
Give them a call, they have the Boosted and the full range of Evolve available for test rides...they were great to deal with, competitively priced and gave me plenty of time to ride and decide.
...ah your in QLD...sorry they are WA..

Cowville
WA, 36 posts
7 Dec 2017 7:29PM
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I built one last year (and building a couple more this year), I have ridden a few commercial ones as well.

Boosted - limited range
evolve GT - great speed, looks cool as hell, disliked the brakes and have heard reports of issues with battery (few people doing upgrades)
Enertion Raptor - never ridden one, have heard good reviews by those who have

heaps of great options out there only limited by your budget!

Building yourself is also an option that you shouldn't rule out

sn
WA, 2775 posts
7 Dec 2017 9:59PM
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saw a bloke with [I think] an evolve bamboo 'lekky board on the train yesterday.

looked like the board has had a hard life - battery pack under the board was held on with copious amounts of gaffa tape

MikeyG
WA, 156 posts
8 Dec 2017 11:00AM
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sn said..
saw a bloke with [I think] an evolve bamboo 'lekky board on the train yesterday.

looked like the board has had a hard life - battery pack under the board was held on with copious amounts of gaffa tape


Ahhh, if you're heading to / from Safety Bay then this is my friend who had the battery / water issues. He covered it in tape to stop water getting in.

myusernam
QLD, 6154 posts
8 Dec 2017 1:52PM
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Small world!

Emanjay
WA, 115 posts
8 Dec 2017 7:06PM
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I've had a FiiK for several years, before anyone was retailing any make in Perth. Its I think 6 years old, had plenty of use, has lithium battery and still goes strong. fiik.com/

I see they've got an evolve type board now too-does 45kmph! Mines old (cheaper) tech motor so not very quiet...otherwise its perfect. I've had myself and two kids on it lots of times (probably 130 +kgs) and it doesn't complain. I'd love something with all terrain tyres but not worth upgrading for my use

DavidJohn
VIC, 17569 posts
8 Dec 2017 11:30PM
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You should consider the One wheel..

I've tryed a a few others and ended up with the OneWheel because it can go on dirt, grass, gravel and even sand.

The other good thing is that there's no hand controle.

myusernam
QLD, 6154 posts
9 Dec 2017 5:57AM
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Thanks David I'lm checking out.


This guy in Melbourne liked the GTX over GT. It does sound from above that the flex and the battery pack mightn't be compatible.

sn
WA, 2775 posts
10 Dec 2017 5:46PM
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Select to expand quote
MikeyG said..

sn said..
saw a bloke with [I think] an evolve bamboo 'lekky board on the train yesterday.

looked like the board has had a hard life - battery pack under the board was held on with copious amounts of gaffa tape



Ahhh, if you're heading to / from Safety Bay then this is my friend who had the battery / water issues. He covered it in tape to stop water getting in.


nah....I usually catch the train from Leederville to Warwick a bit after 4pm-ish, sometimes a bit later.

beaten up board was already on the train when I got on @ Leederville.

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
10 Dec 2017 9:05PM
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The wife chewed my ear for a bit spending $2000, but i put it in GT mode and was soon out of earshot, GREAT FUN BOARD,
Action sports in balcatta had a couple at the midwest windfest, the gtx imho had a really nice carving feel compared to my carbon which is a lot stiffer and more precise in feel, the all terrain wheels such a fair bit of performance from your normal set up, not cheap but worth every penny, also id look at your terrain for use , no point if you havnt got anywher to fully take advantage of it, its a 15 klm trip from home to my cafe, along the cycle track next to the ocean, tunes on and a great commute to work, always happy to give the local kids a go also
cheers mick

FlySurfer
NSW, 4460 posts
11 Dec 2017 2:34PM
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~4 years ago I got an electric scooter, but the wheels were too small (80mm) to not get knocked off with a small pebble, so it ended up on ebay pretty quick.
I then got an electric scooter 1000w brushed, w/ a $700 LifePO4 battery which was slow and the purported 40km range total BS.

Here it is getting a LiPo + Brushless Motor/ESC setup.... NOW it rocks; use it pretty much every day and it puts a smile on my face. It will climb a car park ramp at 30kmh w/ 100kg load.

jbshack
WA, 6913 posts
11 Dec 2017 4:43PM
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I followed a young guy the other night up westcoast highway. Holy cow i clocked him at 40kms and he was ripping

2stubborn2quit
WA, 169 posts
16 Dec 2017 9:22PM
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I have the carbon GT with the all terrain wheels. Love this skateboard, I easily cruise at 34 clicks in fast mode and I weigh 87kg. Performance drops off in a head wind but that is to be expected. GT mode still scares me unless going up steep hills. Some clown stuck a small carpet to the top of one and went cruising around town with a turban on, like he was on a magic carpet. (RESPECT)
Its the ducks nuts and after a couple of pints ( only theoretically) with Shi - thouse the cruise home has a real cool relaxed feeling.
I googled the laws regarding the skateboards and apparently we are treated in the eyes of the law the same as a pedestrian.
So:
You can ride in the LHS of the road as long as the speed limit is 50km/hr or less and it has no white lines painted down the middle.
NO speed limits
You are allowed to ride them on any footpath unless signposted.
No licence required - at all.

Anybody out there know differently. Looking for facts not your opinion here.

On a side note. I sent the hand piece in for the programme update - wish I didn't, signal now drops out from time to time. As the saying goes - If it aint broke don't fix it.

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
16 Dec 2017 9:52PM
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2old2quit said..
I have the carbon GT with the all terrain wheels. Love this skateboard, I easily cruise at 34 clicks in fast mode and I weigh 87kg. Performance drops off in a head wind but that is to be expected. GT mode still scares me unless going up steep hills. Some clown stuck a small carpet to the top of one and went cruising around town with a turban on, like he was on a magic carpet. (RESPECT)
Its the ducks nuts and after a couple of pints ( only theoretically) with Shi - thouse the cruise home has a real cool relaxed feeling.
I googled the laws regarding the skateboards and apparently we are treated in the eyes of the law the same as a pedestrian.
So:
You can ride in the LHS of the road as long as the speed limit is 50km/hr or less and it has no white lines painted down the middle.
NO speed limits
You are allowed to ride them on any footpath unless signposted.
No licence required - at all.

Anybody out there know differently. Looking for facts not your opinion here.

On a side note. I sent the hand piece in for the programme update - wish I didn't, signal now drops out from time to time. As the saying goes - If it aint broke don't fix it.


Had 3 pints after a evolve skate with my old mate Eppo and was pretty fluid skating home in gt mode, sent me a txt to make sure I got home ok, great fun board, she's charged up for another session

uglyduck
1 posts
11 Mar 2018 1:45PM
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WARNING - EVOLVE SKATEBOARDS ARE LEMONS!!
READ THE FOLLOWING CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMPLAINT BEFORE YOU BUY!!
********************************
Case Assessment and Response Unit
Office of Fair Trading
GPO Box 3111
BRISBANE, QLD, 4001
Re: Consumer complaint against Evolve Skateboards Dear Sir/Madam, I wish to lodge a complaint against electric-skateboard manufacturer Evolve Skateboards based at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast. I have had the worst consumer experience I could have ever imagined possible with Evolve Skateboards, and the matter remains unresolved. I purchased Evolve's latest model carbon-fibre electric-skateboard back in early June 2016 at a cost of $2,159. For that price, I never expected the nightmare that followed. There was a six-week waiting period for delivery at the time as these were Evolve's latest and greatest design of electric-skateboard, and therefore I didn't receive the board until the last week of July. It was only a little over a month at the end of August, I was making the first complaint of electrical issues to Evolve, raising some serious safety concerns. The board would either turn off unexpectedly mid-ride, resulting in the board having no brakes to slow-down or stop; or switch to its slowest speed without warning leaving you with less power than expected upon going to cross an intersection leaving you vulnerable to collisions. To solve the issue, on the 5th September Evolve sent me a replacement "motor-controller" which is the main processing circuit-board between the battery, hand-remote and the power to the motors. This did appear to resolve the issues for a short while, but it wasn't before long I was experiencing the same issues. In fact, I was making my second complaint to Evolve by mid-January. I was starting to feel frustrated with the board by this time as it was proving itself to be more trouble than it was worth. Evolve requested I send the board to them as this was the second instance of electrical issues; so I did (at my cost). The motor-controller was then replaced for the second time. I didn't receive the board back until late February, as Evolve returned it to the address where I lived at the time I initially purchased the board, even though I had explicitly notified them of my new address to avoid such occurring. They were then asking me to pay for the additional return postage costs, even though it was their mistake. Despite the frustrations with the postage, I was pleased upon receiving the board back as I was hopeful that after it had made the trip to Evolve, that it would be finally repaired and I could start enjoying the thing finally. Unfortunately, this was not the case and it was soon the same old story. The board seemingly had a will of its own; some days it would turn on; others it wouldn't; or quite often it would wait until you were a few kilometres from home before it completely died; leaving you with no choice but to lug it back home. I was seriously upset by this stage; the board was still not repaired and it was so unreliable I didn't even feel comfortable riding it further than 500m due to the fear of being stranded. I was tired with speaking to various people within Evolve about it, and wanted someone to take ownership of the problem and make this whole situation right for me. I knew the owner Jeff, was actively involved in the daily operations of the business, so I called and requested to speak to him, only to get the response; "Jeff doesn't concern himself with customer complaints". I raised my concern to the person I was speaking too, of the costs involved with continually shipping it interstate for repairs, only to get told that sending it back at my cost was their policy and the only way forward in getting the board repaired was to do just that. So I did - again. Before I posted it back however, I took great time and effort in monitoring and documenting via video the problems I was experiencing. I was hoping this would assist Evolve as I understood the problems were intermittent; they were not always present making it not the easiest to diagnose. The collated video, along with an email detailing the issues were sent to Evolve in Queensland, and so was the board a short time later. I specifically told Evolve that the 'symptoms' of malfunction often don't begin appearing after 5 to 15min of riding, and I requested they keep the board for however long it was needed for it to be repaired. Well it wasn't more than a week later I received a notification the board was on its way back after having its motor-controller replaced (again). Although once again, Evolve had actually sent the board back to my old address in Sydney and I had to wait for it to be returned to Evolve and re-dispatched. Before I had even physically received the board back, I expressed my concerns to Evolve at having heard that just the motor-controller had been replaced again. As this had been done 3 times now and the problems had just kept arising after a short while. I expressed my concern that it may be a battery or motor irregularity causing the motor-controller to malfunction, hence it needing to be replaced continually. After pulling it out of the box upon receiving it back, I only got roughly 500 meters down the road before the board started turning itself off again mid-ride. I turned it on again only to get another 10 meters and it was off again. Well I was furious - absolutely livid. I was ready to throw the stupid thing off the rail bridge I was on I was so angry. How could it possibly be returned in this state? Do they really now expect me to ship it straight back to them at my cost? I was even more pissed-off when Evolve told me that they hadn't bothered viewing the videos I made for them to assist diagnosing, as the file was "too large" (2gb) for them to download. I knew too well by this time what needed to happen. The issues were well documented to have commenced a little over a month after I first received the board and Evolve had since attempted to repair it on 3 occasions without success. The board had failed to meet any basic and reasonable expectations in quality, reliability, safety and value. It's for these reasons I have never questioned whether I would be eligible for a refund if I deemed it necessary. Before any demand was made however, the slim possibility had to be ruled out that it wasn't the hand-remote causing any of the issues. Each time the board had been returned to Evolve, they must have had to use their own hand-controller, as the one that came with the board had stayed with me. To prove it was indeed the board that had the malfunction, I purchased from Evolve a brand new hand-remote at a cost of $120. Well after receiving the new hand-remote and experiencing exactly the same issues, it was confirmed that after 3 attempts, Evolve had indeed failed to repair the board to a usable, reliable state, and I simply needed to demand my money back. I sent the board back with a demand letter requesting to be refunded for the initial cost of the board, and took the opportunity to express my dissatisfaction. I also explicitly told them not to send the board back to me. The only emails I received back thereafter, were emails that were attempting to suggest the board had been ill-treated in someway. For instance, I had replaced the brand new belts I had recently paid extra for with worn ones before returning, which they were ever so quick to criticise. That there was dust or dirt they thought had got in somewhere that shouldn't. The thing that infuriated me the most however, is their claim the boards carbon-fibre deck itself has been damaged at the rear somehow and it needs replacing at a cost of $550! I was given notice of this in an email several weeks after it had been in their possession and after several emails that made no mention of it; which makes me think if there is such damage, it's of their doing. I can swear on my own life there was no such damage when the board left my end last and I refuse to accept any different. Weirdly enough though, it didn't stop Evolve trying to return the board to me. Yes that's correct; after explicitly instructing them not to send it back; and demanding to be compensated; and after their email saying the carbon-fibre board had itself been damaged and needs replacing; they attempt to send it back! They sent me an email stating that some electrical component had been replaced again and further testing had been done (someone riding my apparently broken board around) with no further reports of any issues. Well I'm sure I can be understood for not being so gracious. I refused to sign the postal consignment and I assume the board has now been returned to Evolve. It's evident Evolve are deliberately trying any tactic to weasel their way out of compensating me by trying to pin whatever issues the board has on me, framing it in a way that I had somehow misused the board in some way. This is complete nonsense. Submitted with this complaint is the collated email correspondence between myself and Evolve from the first instance of malfunction to the present. This clearly documents this being an ongoing saga of electrical issues from little more than a month after I first received the board. The electrical issues being experienced rendered the board unsafe, unreliable and generally unusable as an electric-skateboard is inherently useless without working electrics. It's astonishing to learn that after the woeful experience I have had with Evolve and their product; after 3 failed attempts to fix the issues; Evolve somehow think they are not responsible or obliged to give my money back. I never imagined I would experience the misery I have had from a product that was intended to be fun and cost over 2 thousand dollars. I experienced nothing but continual electrical issues that made the board unreliable, unsafe and generally unusable from almost the time I first received the board. I believe I have a strong case and wish to take it as far as it needs to go to receive a refund for the initial cost of the board. I request the services of Consumer Affairs (CA) to assist in this process. I will attach the original invoice along with this letter. The 2GB of video showing the issues as they were experienced is also available upon request but is is too large to attach along with this letter. I regrettably was unable to attend to this matter sooner due to a hectic end to the year myself, and therefore fully expect this won't be a matter that CA will assess until the new year. I would appreciate to hear back from someone around then. Please don't hesitate to contact me via the details provided if you may have any further questions that may assist in the matter. Yours sincerely,

Gazuki
WA, 1363 posts
11 Mar 2018 2:39PM
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Solid first post!



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Forums > General Discussion   Shooting the breeze...


"Any real world experiences with battery skateboards?" started by myusernam