Price: $300
If you’re searching for a straightforward means to get round city for work, college, or simply for enjoyable, Base Camp’s F11 E-Skateboard is a wonderful selection. It’s compact, pretty light-weight, lasts for up to 9 miles on a single cost, and can max out at a velocity of 10 miles per hour.
Electric skateboards are simply as handy and snug to commute on as electrical bikes, however for some purpose, they’re not as broadly well-liked. With a prime velocity of 10 mph and a 9-mile vary, Base Camp’s F11 electrical longboard ought to positively be in your radar, whether or not you employ it for enjoyable or for a piece commute.
Here’s What We Like
- Great, compact dimension
- Top velocity of 10 mph
- Battery can final up to 9 miles
- Stable rides, with robust vehicles and massive wheels
- Battery and motor might be changed when wanted
And What We Don’t
- Can’t deal with steep inclines by itself
- Heavier than a standard skateboard
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Specs
- Deck Construction: 8-Ply Maple
- Deck Dimensions: 74 cm (29.1 in) x 23.5 cm (9.25 in)
- Wheel Size: 90 mm x 51 mm
- Weight: 11 lbs (5.5 kg)
- Range: 9 mi (14.5 km)
- Top Speed: 10 mph (16 kph)
- Max Load: 220 lbs (100 kg)
- Battery: 4000 mAh
- Motor: 300W Brushless Single Hub Motor
- Charge Time: 2 – 4 hours
- Max Incline: 10 levels
Design & Build Quality
When you try Base Camp’s F11 on Amazon, it’s described as each a skateboard and a longboard, but it surely’s nearer to the longboard definition. Yes, it’s shorter than most longboards, however a longboard isn’t all the time outlined by simply being a “long board.” With the F11 particularly, the deck, vehicles, and wheels give off extra of a longboard vibe.
Made of eight layers of maple wooden, the deck is fairly sturdy. It doesn’t have a complete lot of flex—which is usually a good factor or a foul factor with skateboards and longboards—however I feel the deck being extra inflexible is an efficient factor because you stand up to such excessive speeds. The rigidity of the deck, together with the anti-slip grip tape, offers you all the soundness you want.
The bearings are good and clean, and the wheels are a superb dimension at 90 millimeters and have an honest softness with 85A PU. One of the wheels incorporates the 300W hub motor inside it, and you’ll be able to—and ought to—commonly rotate the wheels with the included skate instrument. You may even electronic mail Base Camp to order a brand new motor or battery when the time comes to substitute both.
I didn’t want to alter the vehicles or the rest after unboxing the e-skateboard. Everything comes well-adjusted sufficient so you’ll be able to simply unbox it, flip it on, and get going. In addition to the board itself, the distant, and their respective charging cables, there’s additionally a carrying bag you’ll be able to put on as a backpack, the manuals, and as talked about earlier than, a skate instrument for changes and upkeep.
Overall, the F11 is well-built and appears to be like nice. I like that the board’s design is impartial, sporting a basic blackish grey and white mixture. Right now, the board doesn’t are available in another colours or designs. The distant is plastic and feels less-than-premium, but it surely’s fairly ergonomic to maintain and stood up to one unintentional fall.
The First Ride
When you first unbox the whole lot, cost up each the board and distant, and set out in your first experience, you’ll be in Beginner Mode, the bottom velocity mode. Base Camp recommends that you just get snug with the board in Beginner Mode—through which the throttle is much less delicate and your prime velocity is decrease—earlier than transitioning to one of many different three velocity modes: Eco, Expert, and Professional. If you’ve ever ridden a skateboard or longboard earlier than, it received’t take lengthy in any respect earlier than you turn to Professional Mode.
Before you do the rest, grow to be aware of the included distant as a result of it’s required to use any electrical options on the board. To management your acceleration and braking whereas on the board, there’s a throttle wheel within the higher proper nook of the distant. Then, there are a couple of indicator lights on the distant that may simply get complicated as a result of they will imply a number of various things—battery lifetime of each the distant and the board, which velocity mode you’re in, and how a lot braking distance you need—however extra on this later.
Everything that the handbook recommends in your first experience makes full sense, and simply looks like what somebody would naturally do. Move the board slowly, flippantly improve the throttle, hold a large stance and low middle of gravity, lean ahead when accelerating, and lean backward when braking—fairly intuitive.
I feel I solely experimented in Beginner Mode for about 5 minutes earlier than I used to be snug sufficient to check out the opposite three velocity modes. To change, you simply have to faucet the ability button shortly a second time after initially turning the distant on.
Even on my first experience, I felt snug bumping it up to the third and fourth velocity modes. I primarily rode round on residential streets, with numerous straights and a couple of light curves. Honestly, getting used to the brakes took an extended time than getting used to the throttle.
As a reference, I haven’t been on a skateboard or longboard in months, and it took me only some minutes to get used to Base Camp’s F11. But even in case you’ve by no means skated earlier than in your life, I don’t suppose the training curve could be enormous. You might purchase an everyday skateboard first, see the way you prefer it, and then purchase the F11 e-skateboard—or simply put money into the F11 and take your time getting used to it round your neighborhood.
Overall Riding Experience
There are 4 completely different velocity modes to experiment with: Beginner, Eco, Expert, and Pro. I all the time considered the velocity modes extra as numbers, with Beginner as velocity one and Pro as velocity 4. For probably the most half, I stayed in velocity 4, and generally bumped it down to velocity three.
The quickest you’ll be able to presumably go is 10 miles per hour, and belief me, that’s sufficient. Any quicker, and I’d be afraid of how harsh a fall could be. On one experience, I hit some gravel with a bigger rock within the combine and the board stopped, however I didn’t. I used to be carrying denims and an extended shirt, so I didn’t have any bigger scrapes, but when I used to be going quicker than the max velocity of 10 mph, that fall might’ve been a lot worse. At 10 mph, there’s a noticeable distinction between the F11 e-skateboard and an everyday skateboard.
There are additionally 4 choices for braking distance, every indicated by one of many center 4 lights on the distant. The backside of the distant’s 4 center indicator lights offers you probably the most braking distance (or least braking drive), whereas the highest mild offers you the least braking distance (or most braking drive). I usually used the third choice, irrespective of how briskly I used to be going, as a result of I felt prefer it gave a superb stability of braking distance and cease drive.
You can even reverse the whole lot in order for you to when you’re driving, however I solely did this as soon as to try it out. Since most individuals both experience common or goofy, not each, it was a lot simpler for me to bodily step off the board and flip it round than attempt to speed up and brake in reverse mode.
Base Camp’s F11 board actually shines in open areas like parking tons, the place you’ll be able to simply carve throughout and have enjoyable, not worrying about how briskly you’re going. Parking tons are the place I additionally love to experience round on a standard skateboard, so this is sensible. There’s not a lot wobble, which often interprets to a wider flip radius, however this didn’t matter in a big, open area like an empty parking zone.
This would possibly go with out saying when you have any information on skateboards and/or longboards, however don’t anticipate to do any tips on this board. Even if it’s potential, I wouldn’t danger it as a result of the battery is housed on the underside of the board. I’d generally use my toes to redirect the board once I got here to a pointy 90-degree activate the sidewalk, however typically, it was simply simpler to decide it up since it’s barely heavier than a standard skateboard.
The board mechanically senses wheel motion, so if I get on the board and begin pushing manually, I’ll hear a beeping noise. Then, all I’ve to do is flip the distant on if I need energy. With the Fiido D3 Pro E-Bike I attempted out, you can use the throttle to provide you with further energy, however the bike’s motor would nonetheless kick in and help if you pedaled. With Base Camp’s F11 board, all the ability comes from the throttle management on the distant. Without the distant, you’ll be able to manually push the board all you need and it’s only a common skateboard.
Base Camp says the board can climb 10-degree inclines. I stay in Texas proper now, which implies that it’s just about flat anyplace you go. When I’d discover a uncommon hill, I might inform that the motor was working a bit more durable, however I by no means had to take my toes off to push and manually climb a delicate hill.
I additionally examined the F11’s incline power with my driveway, which is fairly steep and at the very least double the incline the board is rated for. Riding up to it at full velocity, I used to be nearly ready to attain the highest, however not fairly. When the board couldn’t go anymore, it form of simply held me in place and I used to be ready to safely put my foot down to manually push the remainder of the best way.
Battery Life & Charging
The F11 e-skateboard has a 4,000 mAh battery that has been UL2772-certified by testing. It has a most vary of 9 miles on a single cost, however this all will depend on how briskly you’re going and what number of small hills you’re going over.
To totally cost the F11, it solely takes about two to 4 hours. Then, the distant remains to be going robust after a couple of weeks of use, so that you probably received’t have to cost the distant a lot in any respect—definitely not as typically as charging the skateboard.
On the correct facet of the distant, there are six mild indicators. The prime indicator lights up when the distant and the board are linked, and the underside indicator lights up crimson when the distant reaches 20% battery capability and wants to be charged. Then, the center 4 indicators primarily present the board’s battery life, and when all 4 indicators are lit, you’ll know the F11 is totally charged.
However, these center 4 indicator lights can even point out the charging standing of the distant’s battery if you end up actively charging the distant. You additionally use these center 4 indicator lights to set your most well-liked velocity mode and braking distance. To change your velocity mode, you faucet the ability button once more as soon as the distant is already on, and then use the ability button to toggle between velocity modes, watching the indicator mild to see which mode you’re in.
To customise your braking distance, you pull the throttle wheel backwards as in case you’re braking and then faucet the ability button to allow modifications to your braking distance. Then, you push the ability button to toggle between the 4 completely different braking distances, and watch the 4 center indicator lights to make your choice.
As the battery lifetime of your board drops, you’ll see solely three indicator lights, then two, then one, and then your board is useless. There are additionally 4 battery life indicator lights on the facet of the board as nicely that correspond with what the distant exhibits you.
The board solely ever died on me as soon as, however I took it out when it solely had roughly 50% battery life. I used to be out for fairly some time and anticipated that it would die, however I didn’t care since I used to be fairly shut to house.
If the battery dies when you’re out, you’ve got two choices: stroll or simply experience it like a standard skateboard. That stated, I’ve gone to a close-by fuel station 4 or 5 occasions since charging it final—roughly a ten minute experience every time—and the distant nonetheless exhibits all 4 battery indicator lights for the board.
Verdict: Really Freaking Awesome
There are some fairly compact electrical bikes on the market—I’ve even reviewed one—and even electrical scooters that fold down, however none are fairly as compact as an electrical skateboard. Base Camp’s F11 electrical longboard (or skateboard, nonetheless you need to have a look at it) is really easy to zip round city with and pack up in a handy bag you’ll be able to put on in your again if you want to go in someplace. It has a fantastic battery life, a wholesome prime velocity, and feels extremely snug to experience on.
Here’s What We Like
- Great, compact dimension
- Top velocity of 10 mph
- Battery can final up to 9 miles
- Stable rides, with robust vehicles and massive wheels
- Battery and motor might be changed when wanted
And What We Don’t
- Can’t deal with steep inclines by itself
- Heavier than a standard skateboard