Boosted Board 2nd Gen Hands On REVIEW
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I am a skateboard enthusiast. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually been on one because of an injury I sustained during a martial arts demonstration nearly 20 years ago. So, naturally, when I learned about the insurgence of electric skateboards over the past couple of years, I was ecstatic. I thought that maybe I could finally ride again. So, I sought out what I felt was the best option for me to try out — the Boosted Board.
The Boosted Board is designed to improve the urban transportation experience. The board is larger than a standard adult-size skateboard. It measures approximately 38 inches in length, which is more of a long board size. It’s a bamboo deck designed by Loaded. Bamboo was chosen because of its natural suspension and damping over bumps. The deck is supported by custom designed trucks made special for the Boosted Board. Finally, the wheels are 80mm Orangatang Kegel Wheels. They have an hourglass shape and are made from a urethane formula that ensures flexibility over bumps and grip through turns. In my opinion, it’s a great design especially with the placement of the battery because it never hits the ground.
One of the most popular questions I’ve been asked since I started working with the Boosted Board is, “How far does it go?” According to its specs, it can go up to 7 miles on a single charge. Boosted offers an Extended Range Battery that allows you to travel up to 12 miles. Since I had the standard battery option, I was able to get about 6 miles of use from a single charge. To test this, I took a ride and had Robyn ride alongside me in the car so that when it finally ran out, I wouldn’t have to walk all the way home. In our town, 6 miles is a decent distance to get to most places. It’s really unfortunate that our area isn’t really set up for non-traditional commuters like those who enjoy riding bicycles or scooters instead of driving cars. That said, I did find it useful when I wanted to take a quick trip to the bank or store, which are both close by my house.
One of the more impressive stats of the Boosted Board is its speed. On a full charge, the Boosted Board can approach a top speed of 22 MPH. The board features a belt drive system that amplifies the torque of the motor 3 times. This provides for faster acceleration and the ability to climb hills easier. The Boosted Board is able to climb hills with a 25% grade and it has a powerful regenerative braking system. While I didn’t have the chance to climb many hills, I did take full advantage of the speed and braking features. After I had some practice on the board, I did try to take it up to full speed and while I didn’t have a speedometer on me, it felt fast. My 14-year old daughter came along with me on a bicycle and couldn’t keep up with me in our neighborhood. The brakes work very well and I felt like I had really strong control every time I rode the board.
What’s really nice about the Boosted Board is that it’s made to work for beginners and pros. Boosted created four separate levels of use on the remote so that you can work your way up to more advanced levels of use. The beginner mode limits you to a top speed of 11 MPH as you cover different terrain types, you can switch between modes to get the most out of the board. The remote is actually very easy to use and I was able to pick it up the first time I rode. The only thing to be careful about is making sure it stays charged, too, because if it dies, you can’t use the board anymore. I found that out the hard way one time and had to carry the board all the way home.
There was one other concern I had when I hopped on the board the first time — repairs. While this isn’t something that most people would think about, being a skater from back in the day, I realize that sometimes parts fail and I was wondering how easy it would be to switch parts out. Boosted actually, makes it very easy because they get it. The board has a modular design, which makes it easy to repair and be on your way. There is also a 6-month warranty built into every device.
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to test out this remarkable product. Brian, another MacSources writer, and former skateboarder, also had the chance to ride it a couple of times. He had the same opinion as me — it’s a lot of fun to ride and easy to use. He felt that the speed was a bit intimidating at first, but really got into it the longer he rode it.
As much as I enjoyed the board, I do have to issue a small warning — don’t be over eager. When the board arrived at my doorstep, I was so excited that I unboxed it and took it for a ride around my subdivision. I had a great time and made it all the way around my block with no problems until I arrived home. I decided to try and make a quick turn at a high rate of speed. I ended up with a nasty road rash as a result. This was entirely my fault because I was overzealous and thought I was experienced enough to give that trick a try. The Boosted Board did what it was supposed to do. I bring this up because the Boosted Board is an amazingly fun device for transpiration, but you still need to be cautious to keep from boosting yourself.
While I really enjoyed testing out the Boosted Board, I feel that I was not able to use it to it’s fullest potential because of my geographic location. Cities with true urban environments and temperate climates are probably the best-suited places for it.
For more information, visit boostedboards.com.
Find Boosted Boards on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally published at macsources.com on June 2, 2017.
