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When I ordered my board there where some shipping issues that were not on the behalf of ownboard. When I emailed them asking them about the status of my order they got back to me in less than a day to update me and sooth my concerns.
I’ve had this board and have hit 1000 miles on it so I can tell you how it really handles. The board runs great as great power but not overwhelming and works with remote perfectly. Some remotes you barely move it and it’s too extreme, this is perfect. Problems I’ve had- literally within the first week my hubs on this were destroyed I went back and forth with ownboard but I could tell they wanted to blame me. Within 3 weeks I ended up putting 7 inch evolve wheels and hubs and yes I come close to wheel bite but I’m good and that’s been a game changer. No problems since so that’s how I know it’s ownboard crappy hubs. Without that I would of been super disappointed. The hubs and bolts are cheap on this board yes they look nice but they are no good. Great board but better components are a must and make it with 7 inch wheels with stronger hubs and you’re perfect.
Background
I have been riding longboards for 8 years and esk8 for 3 years. I like to ride hard, high speeds, lots of carving.
Unboxing
Packaging did not feel like a premium board, no paperwork, info or anything just ziplocks with extra screws, pulleys, bearings, attachable handle, T-tool etc. (It was nice that they included some spare-parts though)
First inspection of the board
* Large air bubbles under the grip-tape, it was not properly installed, next day I took it off and installed the hexagonal grip tape that was included.
* Front truck was rattling, tightened all the screws properly. Same with back truck but at least it didn’t rattle. (It’s pretty tricky to secure 2/4 nuts under the trucks since the hangers are in the way of using the T-tool) no separate tool to do this included. I grabbed a small wrench + Allen key and secured all the nuts that way.
* Belts were to tight, adjusted them and put on loctite on all the screws on the motor mounts.
* After first full ride I unmounted the battery to have a look inside and one of the 16 Allen screws were almost stripped from factory install, wasn’t easy to get it out and there are no replacement screws for the battery pack.
It would not have been safe to ride it out of the box. Apart from these things, it was fine.
First start up
The remote screen tells you what speed mode you’re in, brake strength, if it’s in “drive” or “reverse” and of course the speed and trip/total distance.
I had no clue how to change it from MPH to KPH (European rider), or how to change break strength etc. After some Googling I found out that all those settings are applied after remote pairing. (Turn everything off and hold power button on board and remote for 5sec)
First ride
I quickly noticed that I needed to tighten the trucks because it felt super wobbly at first. The back truck needed so much tightening (to be able to go full speed in turbo) that I snapped the included T-tool tightening it, but after it snapped it was luckily tight enough.
The deck is hard, wouldn’t say it’s flexy but it does have a slight flex.
Acceleration is intense during first 20%, makes even straight flat roads kinda intimidating on turbo.
The 120 Cloudwheels are too hard for my liking, it didn’t feel safe to carve with them, easy to slip which is very scary in the beginning with such a heavy board.
I switched to 115mm Onsra Rubber wheels and that felt smoother, grippier and more safe.
First 100%-10% ride the next day
I’m 82kg and did some off road ( couple of KMs on grass and gravel), but mostly street, uphill and flat roads (pretty windy as well) and got 37km range, mostly in speed mode 3 with quite a lot of top-speed runs in turbo. This was on 115mm Onsra rubber wheels and 40T pulley.
Battery sag was substantial during half of the 3rd bar and 2 last bars (at 50-40%) which I found weird since I heard that the P42A should have little to no sag. May be because that the softer Onsra rubber wheels and 40T pulley draws higher current.
My guess is that 120 cloudwheels and stock 44T pulley would get a bit more range cause of gearing and CWs are harder.
After some experimentation with tightening of the trucks I got it to handle pretty well between 25-60km/h. It carves all right and it’s a blast to zip around. But on stock truck/bushing configuration I struggle to get a good balance between top speed stability and lower speed carve/manoeuvre ability.
I have now changed the bushings to Riptide Krank Canon 93a in the back and APS 90a Canon front. It’s so much better, now it feels like a longboard, stable at high speed and great turning radius at lower speeds!
Conclusion
The Ownboard Bamboo Zeus Pro is a fast, great board with good range BUT I wouldn’t call it premium because of the quality control and the packaging/documentation. I would have been 100% satisfied if it arrived ready to ride but in my case it didn’t.
It feels like it was assembled in a rush.
I would have appreciated some documentation and instructions on how to set up the remote and board for different wheel/pulley configurations, what’s included and maybe some tips on how to customise it for your riding style.
I personally would pay 50$ more if it came fully prepared to ride with nicer packaging, documentation and setup guide.
I’m happy I didn’t go with the M50A cells if they have more sag than the P42As because of the experienced battery sag.
Cloud wheels are not good for street carving.
I feel that changing bushings is a must, the board really came alive with Riptide Krank 93A Canon in the back and Riptide APS 90a Canon I’m the back with cups instead of washers. I’m 83kg so choice of bushings will of course depend on rider weight.
I’m really happy with the board now but I wasn’t right out of the box, both because of the rushed assembly and bushings and cloudwheels.
This board is such a good combo!!
The deck and trucks makes the rider have good controle and it looks supernice!!
Motors and ESC work so beautyful together, and range and speed is so good. This board gives you a joyful ride everytime.
Belts are of good quality. The reason I order is the great customer service. I will purchase products from ownboard in the future.
Love skateboards, value for money. This is excellent compare to other ones I’ve seen. dual belt drive is better than hub drive generally, and this goes quick. Super efficient for getting around.
First, i do not like, that the tube is "speacial" size.
2: its waaaay t oexpensive.
3: it lasted only 1 year
4 and most important: Delivery time was waaaaaaaay to high. not acceptable. months until arrived.
Of course it works.
I have the Ownboard Zeus OG, the Ownboard Zeus Pro, and now the Ownboard Zeus Bamboo. I wanted the Max, but will probably now not buy it...read on as to why.
I like all three boards. I really like the bamboo as it gives the old skate feel and look due to the multi-layer deck. The wider trucks are great. I had an issue with the left motor, and this is where the negative comes in. I reached out to after sales service, and they ran me though a series of unrelated fixes such as using washers on the bash guards. I knew the motor was defective and that a magnet had failed, but I could not get them to understand that...even with video. Finally, I just put new motors on the board...at my expense...and the issue was resolved. So, while there is a warranty, to get anything covered by the warranty is an extreme chore. I had a very similar service experience with my Pro.
So, what I am saying is that the Ownboard boards are great...I really do love them. The after sales warranty service is really, really, really bad. Because of that, I have decided not to buy the Max...which I really wanted.
If warranty is not an issue for you and you can fix your own issues, ya, these boards are great. If you need the warranty and don't want to be frustrated or have to wait weeks and weeks for a diagnosis, fix, and possible parts...you might want to explore your options.
I have ten eSK8 boards, so this is not new to me. Good luck in your decision.
These tires have a great ride and long life. The rear drive tires lasted 1000 miles. The front tires are still going. I expect close to 2000 miles before they're done. They are a little difficult to get true but if you make sure they are concentric on the wheel before you air them up they do ok. Sufficient for the job.