by Chris |
Last Updated: December 2, 2021 Exway x1 Pro
Pros
- Lots of speed
- Long range
- More power than normal for hub drive
- Seismic trucks guarantee and comfortable ride
- Shock absorbing grip tape helps
- The app makes this a very customisable board
- Riot belt drive can be hot-swapped with the stock hub drive
Cons
- The unibody battery pack isn’t everyone’s favorite type of battery
- The level of customization that’s available might be too much for some people
- It’s a lot for a beginner to handle
Exway is the Apple of the electric skateboard world. Their goal is always to keep the board slim and sleek while packing it full of features and tech that no other manufacturer can match.
The x1 Pro is the updated version of the original x1. It has some new design features that are supposed to make it more comfortable to ride while giving it a longer range, as well.
The idea was to take an already beloved board and make it even better. Keep on reading to see if they succeeded.
Key Features
- Top Speed of 29 miles per hour
- 16 mile range
- Weighs 15 pounds
- IP55 Water resistance
- Android and iOS App allows customization of the controls
- Regenerative braking system
- Turbo mode available
- Two 1200 Watt motors
- Hill grade up to 30%
- 4 speed modes plus a throttle wheel for precision control
- Seismic trucks
- 85mm wheels
- Charges in 2 hours and 45 minutes
- 6 month warranty
Design and Construction
The Exway x1 Pro has a 37 inch deck made of layered Canadian maple, bamboo, fiberglass and carbon fiber. This makes the deck light, but sturdy.
The battery pack is built into the deck itself. This helps keep the board slim, but it also means that there’s no flex in the deck at all. Instead, exway is relying on the seismic trucks to make the ride comfortable, since the deck can’t flex with the battery inside of it.
Connectivity
One of the coolest features of the x1 Pro is the app. The app lets you mess around with acceleration curves and speed for each preset speed mode, so you can customize those settings to a degree.
You can also set your board into safe mode, set your standby time, toggle the gear change settings, cruise control, and turbo mode. You can also set your wheel size if you swap out the stock wheels with something different, so that all of the other settings will stay accurate.
With the app you can install firmware updates, and the new Dash feature gives a live read out of the boards performance while riding. The app is a unique feature that really makes this board a lot of fun to use.
Motors
The x1 Pro features two 1200 Watt hub motors. Hub motors don’t provide quite as much torque as a belt motor, but they’re quieter, more efficient, and more reliable. With fewer moving parts, they just don’t break often.
They’re lighter, too, which contributes to the speed and range. Exway wasn’t satisfied with that, though, and they went and made the Riot drive. It’s a belt drive system that you can hot-swap onto your x1 Pro. That means you don’t have to choose between belt and hub drives anymore- you can actually have them both for the same board.
That’s a feature that we’re pretty sure no other board can match, and it makes the x1 Pro surprisingly versatile.
Ride Quality
With a completely rigid deck, you’d expect the ride quality for the x1 Pro to be low. Most boards use deck flex to smooth out a bumpy ride, after all.
Exway went a different route, though, and uses their trucks like shock absorbers. The Seismic trucks do a fantastic job of smoothing out the ride, and they’re backed up by 3mm thick shock absorbing grip tape on the deck. All in all, this board has one of the smoothest rides out there.
Battery and Charging
The 16 mile range on the x1Pro is definitely impressive. Of course, that range is calculated using optimal conditions- lightweight ride, flat ground, gentle acceleration curve, etc. Your actual range is going to be somewhat lower, especially if you’re on the heavy side or you live somewhere with lots of hills.
Still, a 193Wh battery is massive. The fact that it charges in just 2 hours and 45 minutes with the standard charger is hard to believe. if that’s not fast enough for you, you can also buy a fast charger that will get it done in 70 minutes.
Brakes
The regenerative braking system, similar to those used by hybrid and electric cars, can extend the range of the board by up to 56%. That, of course, will depend on how much braking you do.
Additional Features
The hub motors have been upgraded to generate more torque, allowing the board to handle a 30% hill grade. That’s better than most hub drives.
The board has built in overcharge, overvoltage, and overheating protection for the battery. The remote has a convenient OLED screen that displays your speed and remaining battery charge, and it will vibrate and display an error if it detects anything unusual going on inside the board.
Overall
The x1 Pro is a thoughtfully designed board loaded with great features. It’s shockingly comfortable to ride for a board with such a stiff deck, and it has great speed and range.
The swappable drive train lets you enjoy a hub or a belt drive depending on your needs, and you no longer have to choose between them. There’s very little to complain about here.
How Does it Compare?
Exway x1 Pro vs Slick Revolution Flex 2.0 Carbon
With similar speeds and ranges, anyone shopping for new board is likely to be comparing these two.
The x1 has the speed advantage, topping out at 29mph compared to the Flex’s 27, but it has a shorter range. The Flex can go for 19 miles, while the x1 won’t exceed 16.
They also differ in their design philosophy. The Flex is built with lots of deck flex to ensure a smooth ride, while the x1 uses its seismic shocks for that. The Flex is also designed specifically for rough, uneven pavement, which the x1 would struggle with.
They both use dual 1200W hub motors, but the x1 also has the option to swap the stock motors for a belt motor if you need more torque.
The x1 has better hill climbing ability (30% vs 25%) with its hub drives; if you install the belt drive, you’d widen the gap considerably.
The Flex is the best board for places with rough and uneven pavement. For smooth pavement and/or places with lots of hills, stick with the x1. Read our review.
Exway x1 Pro vs Vokul V1 Cruiser
The Vokul is a slower, less powerful board. With a max speed of 13mpg and a max range of 10 miles, it really can’t compare with the x1 in that area.
The Vokul might be better for beginners, though. The x1 is a lot to handle, and it could easily overwhelm a novice rider. The Vokul is under powered by comparison, but it’s also a very easy, safe board for a beginner to learn to ride on.
For a first time electric skateboard rider, the Vokul is the better choice. For a more experienced rider, the added range and speed on the x1 makes it the better choice. Read our review.
Exway x1 Pro vs Boosted Board Plus
Any electric skateboard has to be compared to a Boosted Boards product. Boosted Boards is a huge name and one of the most popular brands of electric skateboards out there.
The Boosted Plus is their long board, so it’s a natural board to compare with the x1 Plus. It has a top speed of 22mph, which, while slower than the x1 Pro, is still pretty fast. The 14 mile range is also less than what the x1 can do, but still impressive.
The x1 has a nicer remote, and the app makes it more customisable. Plus, it has both hub and belt drives, while the boosted board only has hub drives.
The x1 is the more customisable board, while the boosted board is really more of a plug and play product. If you like to mess around with acceleration curves, the x1 is the choice for you. If you just want a simple board that you won’t have to think about, get the Booosted Plus.
Summary
The Exway x1 Pro is a fantastic board overall. It’s fast, it has a long range, it’s still light, and it’s highly customisable. It’s ideal for commuters in hilly cities since it’s powerful enough to handle hills without sacrificing too much range, and it recharges quickly so you can be sure to have a full charge on your way home, too.
It’s also a good option for those who just ride for fun, since it has the speed and power to handle any situation.