Backfire G3 Review: Best electric skateboard under $1,000?

Deep dive: Backfire G3 review

Ok, let’s dive deeper into what makes the Backfire G3 an amazing e-longboard – even after more than one year since it came out.

Portability – 7/10

This is a longboard so don’t expect to walk around like you would with a penny board. However, compared with other eskates on the market, it’s still quite portable. The weight is around 18.5 lb or 8.5 kg which is just a bit more than a Boosted Mini.

The thin flexi deck contributes to making this board somewhat lightweight, even with the big 96mm wheels. If you’re less than 6ft tall, you could probably just drag it around. The nice thing about this as any hub motor eskate, is that there’s almost no friction on the wheels so you can use it as a normal (heavier) longboard if you wanted.

When you carry it horizontally by grabbing in the middle, the slight concave of the deck and the balanced extremities allow you to get a solid grip and pretty much get to your destination without too much of a hassle.

Speed – 10/10

Ok, the kicker. This e-skate is for the thrill seekers who don’t want to sacrifice ride comfort..

As other Backfire boards, the G3 offers 3 speed modes that you can set using the bluetooth remote: Eco, Sport and Turbo. If you’re a beginner definitely start with Eco mode, get familiarity with the board and controls before you get faster.

Sport mode might come after Beginner but it’s a big jump so get ready. Acceleration and deceleration curves are way steeper and top speed already reaches 25/26 mph. This is what I use most of the times to get good mileage and punchy performance.

Turbo mode is for the pros (and definitely not very usable here in the UK). If you live somewhere with open roads and lots of room to shred, Turbo mode will take you to 29 mph easy. One of the biggest differences from the G3 and its predecessors is that now Turbo is not limited to 30 seconds (older boards like the G2 also needed 30 seconds to “cool down”, before using it again). Now you can use Turbo without any time limit and the difference with Sport is very noticeable.

Even if you don’t live in a race track kind of place, turbo might come in handy when going uphill.

One thing to note here is that thanks to the Hobbywing ESC (Electric Speed Controller), the board feels super manoeuvrable and accelerating/decelerating both are smooth and effective.

This takes us to the next point. When you’re going this fast, this smooth, you need good brakes.

Brakes – 7.5/10

When it comes to braking, the G3 doesn’t particularly shine in my opinion, especially in combination with its high performance and specs.

It happened more than one time that I was approaching a crossroads from a downhill slope and even with full brakes on, the board couldn’t stop its momentum. This of course depends on your weight and on the incline, but I was expecting the braking power to be a bit stronger. Sometimes it’s scary decelerating from 25+ mph and realizing the board is not stopping as soon as you’d expect it to.

This is another reason why, as mentioned above, I don’t think the G3 would be the best board for a beginner. Your muscle memory and your reflexes will need some getting used to this.

By contrast a board like the Slick Revolution Flex 2.0 Carbon has really good brakes for about the same speed (but also a higher price tag).

I’m still giving it a 7, because after some practice and with the right preventive measures in mind, braking correctly and safely, gets pretty straightforward.

Range – 9.5/10

When it comes to range I was excited to see if the board could really get the 15-18 miles (24-30 km) advertised. When you’re used to riding a Boosted Mini everyday with its 7 miles, having all the extra range looks like a dream.

Well I have to say it really holds to the expectations.

I’ve used it for one year on hilly roads here in the UK and every time I could get an average of 15 miles or 24 km which is fair considering I’m 6’3 and 183 lb (83kg). More than that, there’s basically no voltage sag, meaning even at low battery, you still get the same high performance which is awesome.

Randy at Backfire asked me to point out that this improvement is thanks to the new battery system (30T 21700 12S2P 259Wh capacity with a 60A maximum sustainable current). This new battery pack guarantees a higher range, no overheating and no voltage sag, because the maximum current required is usually 30A – 50% or less of its capacity.

Here’s a more in depth explanation if you’re interested.

This battery system simply works with more margin and you can push it faster and longer.

Versatility – 9/10

Let’s face it, this is not gonna be as versatile as a shortboard, but for a longboard, the flexi deck, the somehow lightweight, and the 96 mm wheels, make it a pretty well balanced e-skate. I’ve been using it on really rough surfaces here in the UK and it’s incredible how the board absorbs almost any bump.

Other than the really flexible deck, the nice surprise for all hub motors users is how thick the back wheels (the ones which contain the motors) are compared to other hub e-skates like Meepo or Exway. This helps with the smooth ride.

The 3 different speed modes and the unlimited turbo also contribute in making this a good choice from anyone to the mid to expert user.

The remote is comfortable and easy to use. You kind of have to get used to the sensibility of the wheel when accelerating or braking as it’s quite “light” to the pressure of your finger. Oh and I forgot to mention, this board comes with a led light placed directly on the batter pack which makes it look a bit like a “Bat e-skate”. The light comes in handy and allows you to ride during the night (even though I recommend either adding a front and a tail light or using a running light to see where you’re going).

I’ve also tested the board on really wet roads, sometimes down and uphill too (not recommended). It’s not water proof, but if it’s not pouring and you’re taken by a surprise shower, the board won’t get damaged. The battery is protected by an extra layer that ensures water doesn’t go through for short periods of exposure.