by Chris |
Last Updated: December 2, 2021 Exway X1 Review
Pros
- Sophisticated design
- Seismic trucks and bushings
- Magsafe-type charge port
- Water and dust resistant
- Advanced remote control
- App benefits
- Light-weight
Cons
- Limited range
- Not recommended on rough surfaces
If you are looking for a mid-range electric board, Exway X1 is definitely a strong contender in the category. While at first glance, it looks like a regular longboard, you will feel the difference when riding 40 km/h thanks to its immense torque and acceleration.
Its whole design and features are all about improving your urban transportation experience. Users love the Exway longboard both for fun experiences or exploring the city and also as an effective and fast way to get to work and run errands.
Don’t let its light weight trick you into thinking that it can’t perform. This dual-hub motor eboard is one of the most powerful boards on the market. Fast, water resistant, thin, sleek and smart – this is what gets Exway X1 5 out of 5 stars.
Let’s have a closer look at all the quality components and special features that make Exway X1 stand out among the competition.
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Key features:
IP55 water-resistant – Exway X1 is one of the most water resistant boards available on the market right now. So, if you like to ride along the coast or live in a rainy part of the world this might be the smart choice for you.
10-mile range – if you ride on long commutes, the X1 does not disappoint. While 10 miles might not sound like much, the good thing is that once you are out of power, you can still enjoy riding. It has very little drag as it is belt free. It also charges pretty fast up or downhill.
Durability – Exway has a very tough skin deck making it one of the most scratch proof eboards out there. Same can be said about its wheels, but the manufacturers throw in an extra set of wheels just in case. You can simply remove the allen screws and change the wheels.
The app & remote – the board’s app lets you control ride modes, acceleration curves, and customize riding levels and style. A digital smart remote sends you vibrating warnings as you go. With the X1, the rider’s control is maximized with the precision thumb wheel.
Now, it is time to go over all the basics including, hardware, built, spend and etc to see if this is the board for you.
Hardware
The X1 sports a 37-inch multi-layered, Canadian maple, bamboo, fiberglass and carbon fiber deck. Flex? What does that even mean? This deck is as stiff as it gets, which can be good or bad depending on your riding style.
The deck is supported by 45° Seismic Aeon downhill trucks complemented by proprietary Seismic 90A bushings. If you didn’t already know, Exway X1 comes directly from China.
So, now you know why we are so impressed by such a high-quality truck and bushings. It is pretty rare for Chinese boards to have premium quality parts. The Wowgo 2s, for example, uses a popular generic truck, which is a common choice among Asian budget boards.
As for the wheels, here we have 80 mm 80A Kegel clones. These large diameter wheels makes it easy to generate high roll speed. They also have enough width (56 mm) to provide versatile balance of traction and slide response.
Overall, the default wheels on the Exway X1 really hug the road as you ride. Included in the box is also an extra pair of 83 mm urethane sleeves for the hub motors.
Once you hear the sound of the dual 1000 watt hub motor, you might feel the resemblance to the Harvoo board. Both of them have this distinct sound that just screams quality.
The motors come with impressive hub caps that give the board a refined and futuristic look.
A 12s1p flat pack built right into the enclosure-less deck is where all the power comes from. In total it amounts to 2.8 Ah, which is not that exciting as it is quite small for an electric board. You can’t expect too much range, but that’s the sacrifice you should be willing to make for a slim-line board.
The battery pack is 120 Wh. The good thing about the battery is that it is travel-friendly in most countries, where the allowance is up to 160 Wh.
Time to get to the fun part – the ESC and remote. Together with the professional RC supplier Hobbywing, Exway created a custom ESC and remote for the X1. While at first look, you might confuse it with Wowgo’s remote, the quality definitely does not come close.
Exway has really stepped up their game here. It has a matt design and rubberized finish improving the grip.
The remote has 4 speed modes that are displayed on a small OLED screen, along with the speed mode, direction of travel, mph/kph, board battery percentage and remote battery percentage.
Performance
Before we get into details, here are some basics:
- Top Speed: 25mph (40.2kph)
- Range: 10 miles (16km)
- Hills: 30%
- Weight: 14lbs (6.35kg)
As with all other eboards, the range will vary based on your weight and riding style. You should expect your range to be anywhere from 6 to 10 miles.
It has to be said that battery performance will probably exceed your expectations. The sag isn’t an issue until it hits about 20%. And even then, the difference is really not that big.
When it comes to conquering hills, you can rest assured that anything up to 25 – 30% incline will not be an issue even under maximum weight.
Ride Feel & Aesthetics
The design of the Exway X1 is simply to say futuristic and ultramodern. There are no protruding parts. There is nothing old-school about it. Whether it is a good thing or bad is completely up to your preferences.
The ride feel varies greatly based on the terrain. As long as it is smooth, the ride experience is remarkable; it’s like you are gliding without even touching the ground. However, once it gets a little rough, the X1 is probably not the most dependable option.
Overall, the board provides an exceptionally free, yet soft ride experience. As for the brake response, the thumb-roller control configuration is definitely one of the highlights of this Exway creation. It provides maximum control and incredible smoothness during acceleration and deceleration.
The app
The Exway app is what truly set the whole company apart from its competition. The over-the-air updates feature is very comfortable and funky. The app keeps an odometer reading throughout the life of the board.
You can also configure custom acceleration and braking curves through the app.
Let’s see how it compares
Exway X1 vs BACKFIRE G2S Electric Longboard
Backfire G2S has a lot of similarities with the Exway X1. Both boards have basically the same weight, hill climbing, and 80mm wheels.
This electric board is well-known for its low maintenance cost and affordable pricing in general. It’s rather flexible and provides a smooth riding experience.
The maximum speed is also pretty close; the G2S has a top speed of 23.5 mph. Backfire G2S does have a little more range (12 Miles on Sports mode and 15.5 Miles on Eco Mode), than the X1.
So, if you have longer distances to cover, Backfire G2S might be more appealing to you if you are willing to sacrifice all the cool features and smooth design of the X1. Read our review
Exway X1 vs Boosted Board 2nd Gen Dual+ Standard Range
The fact that Boosted electric board is more popular than the Exway board does not necessarily mean that it is better.
The first difference that anyone would notice straight away is the design. Boosted has wooden elements that do not really do much. It does not look as sophisticated as the Exway board.
As far as the features go, the standard hill climbing grade is 25%, the same as in the X1. The X1 beats the Boosted when it comes to the top speed by 3 whole miles.
One thing that might sway you towards the Boosted longboard is the travel-friendly battery option with 6-mile range. They also have a 12-mile range battery eboard, which is great for longer commutes.
Exway X1 vs Evolve Bamboo GTX
Evolve skateboards definitely excel compared to the Exway in some aspects. They have a range of up to 31 miles! That is about 3 times more than that of the X1. However, so is the price. When it comes to the speed and hills, there really is no big difference.
Even by looking at the Bamboo GTX series eboard, you can tell that it is much sturdier than the X1.
The Evolve board performs flawlessly on all kinds of smooth and hard surfaces (ie: tarmac, bitumen, concrete), as well as hard or compact surfaces (ie: short grass, dirt, uneven and poor terrain surfaces).
While the Evolve design is also super futuristic, it definitely is not as sophisticated as the X1. Read our review
To sum up…
The Exway X1 might not be perfect, but for a mid-range longboard, you surely get the value for money.
You get a lot of premium features all put into a thin, sleek design and that is not an easy result to achieve. If you are planning on riding for hours on tough terrains, then the X1 might not be the obvious choice for you and you should opt for an all terrain board.
However, if you are in the market for a fast, responsive board at an affordable price, the Exway X1 comes with a lot of perks. The X1 is great for short distance, high-speed riding, and carving.