I'm out of my mind - LAOTIE R5 twin-engine skateboard test
Two engines, top speed of 40 kilometers per hour, adrenaline bomb.
contents show
Be sure to check out our video test too!
Introductory
I’ve always loved trying new things, but when I was asked if I wanted to make an article and video about an electric skateboard, my knees shook and not the excitement.
The last time I was skateboarding was around the age of 13-14. He was a real socialist skateboarder. It's small and it's all plastic, its wheel is so hard that even the tiniest gravel stuck it, and I flew on.
So I kept my knee shaking and I asked myself really seriously: Are you completely stupid at all thinking about the possibility of trying it out?
Then it turned out that yes, I am completely stupid. Or at least reckless, because I said, once we live, let’s cut into it! My favorite vlogger, Casey Neistat, raced a scooter on the streets of New York countless times, even talking to the camera, if he went to me, why not go to me?
Well, maybe because I can't skateboard!
Before I tell you about my adventures with the LAOTOE R5, let's see the board, the accessories, and then let's get acquainted with the paper form, ie the specification!
Packaging and exterior
The packaging of the skateboard is absolutely uninteresting, we get a smooth but rather large and heavy box. I mean, compared to the fact that it's a skateboard.
Inside, there is a foam at each end of the box that holds the wheels so the planks are not damaged during transport. At the bottom is a cardboard box with a user manual, a charger and a tool that I'll talk about later, and of course the remote control that we can use to control it.
Holding my plank in my hand, my first thought is huge. The planks in my memories were very tiny compared to that. The enclosure measures 970 x 256 x 135 millimeters, which is almost one meter long and 25 inches wide. It has a gross weight of more than 11 kilograms.
The wheels, like a good electric car, are out there at the ends, between them we find the battery box. On either side of it are two strips of LEDs that, using the machine, produce a play of light that runs faster or slower depending on the speed, illuminating the asphalt beneath us, which looks good.
Large LAOTIE inscription on the cover. The material is the usual non-slip something, like a very rough abrasive cloth. Carrying it in your hand isn’t very good either, because it literally rubs the skin off our palms, at least if we don’t just take a few steps.
Now I could write that the freewheel is at the front and the driven wheels at the back, but that wouldn’t make sense because the front and back of the skateboard look exactly the same, at least from above. I'll have something to add to that later.
It also belongs to the exterior, according to the factory data, the board is 8-layered and the material is Canadian maple. It is important to describe this because nothing is specifically visible from the wood, the covering completely obscures it. It is also important to have a curved width, which makes it much easier to control.
The wheels of the LAOTIE R5 are made of PU, ie polyurethane. The wheel diameter is nearly 10 inches and the width of the wheel is 52 millimeters. PU wheels are very similar to rubber, relatively soft, and can withstand the abrasion of roads quite well.
The chassis of the skateboard is of course made of metal.
Paper form
LAOTIE has launched two skateboards in recent months, the R5 and X5. The former is weaker, but as you will see, it is far from weak.
The electrical system, or drivetrain, whoever you like, consists of a 7,5 Ah battery, two 450-watt motors, and of course the controller. It can already be read from this that the total power of the scooter is 900 watts. Well, I wouldn't dare say that, even the behemoth of my last scooter test was "only" 500 watts.
According to the factory data, the charging time is about 4,5 hours, I can prove that, that was the same for me. The maximum load capacity is 150 kilograms, the maximum ascent that can climb 20 degrees. A single embankment can cover roughly 25 kilometers, but of course it also depends on the weight of the passenger and the topography.
It is related to the range battery that the roller recharges when braking, so we can save some energy.
The machine has three gears, which I was happy about. For starters, a speed of up to 12 Km / h is available at low acceleration. Advanced users get more acceleration with a middle gear and a top speed of up to 26 Km / h, and true pros can enjoy acceleration at the highest gear and a maximum top speed of 40 (FOUR) kilometers per hour.
I think I told you everything, the experience can come!
Good advice before you go
Although it’s just a skateboard and you’d think there’s a lot to mount on it, there is one. There are bolts on the front and rear of the chassis. This rubber travels behind the axle of the wheels, by pulling this rubber can be compressed, and by squeezing the rubber we can adjust how much force it takes for the plank to tilt and bend.
So, the first and very important thing is to inject the amount of force you need to decide on the plank for your weight!
If you don’t do this, it will sway terribly under you and will be much harder to control, tending to sift at higher speeds, and that’s a straight path to jacketing. Don't fuss with the screw, it is almost completely released at the factory, so even with a body weight of 70-80 kilos, it should be pulled well.
The second thing I can advise before the first start is to mark the front and back in some way on the board. I walked several times without paying attention, got up on it, set off, and ran backwards from under me. Of course, I stood the other way around. So mark the beginning with a little ribbon or paint so you don’t get uncomfortable.
Third, if you’re not an experienced skateboarder, go with it a bit first without turning it on. It came to me, I didn't want to fall off it the first time I turned it on, I was able to adjust the hardness with the screws described above, and I also found the right position.
My fourth piece of advice is to always release the remote control, let it hang smoothly on your wrist if you don’t go with the board. The starting and accelerating wheel is quite sensitive, easy to turn and if you don't stand on the board it will start without you. It can also be an accident, you can break your own or another's ankle. I say I almost sent an unfortunate LAOTIE into a stream.
How to travel with it?
Well, it’s a lot easier than I thought, but still heavier than a scooter. If you set it up well, you won’t mess with it back. The softness of the wheels is enough to pass through smaller pebbles, road defects, tree branches, but that doesn’t mean you can off-road. Absolutely not. The LAOTIE R5 is the real terrain of the city, with a good quality bike path and paving stone.
So if it’s set up properly, you can stand up to it and start pulling the gas, or you can choose what I often push a little like a traditional board, then you get up and then you can pull the gas. I suggest you look for some enclosed area for the first time, I e.g. I rolled on a plastic-covered handball court.
If you’ve already set off, make sure you stand on the board as well. I have to get used to this because it’s safe to stand in a small stretch, your feet perpendicular to the board, and your soles at the widest parts of the board.
This is good for several reasons. As I wrote above, the plank is a bit concave, so if the feet are not in the direction of travel, you can control the plank much more finely by tilting the foot back and forth. The other is that with this posture, you can dynamically lean in the direction of travel when accelerating and hold back when decelerating. So the plank won't run out from under you.
Unfortunately, I’m still there just to watch my feet stand, because I tend to keep the one in front of me in the direction of travel, so with that foot I can’t essentially control the curve, and I skate much better under the skateboard.
So this is what you need to learn!
Pay close attention to the brakes because they are sensitive. The higher the speed you have to stop at, the less it will be, but at low or medium speeds, if you pull in, the board will actually stop below you, and you will continue to run from the momentum.
I note here that I have not yet dared to engage in third gear, so I can only say, referring to the tests available on the net, that it is indeed capable of the promised speed of 40 kilometers per hour. For the time being, 25 kilometers per hour was enough for my own knowledge, I still feel safe there.
As described above, the lowest speed is 12 Km / h in the lowest gear. Acceleration at this stage is not crazy either, but the brake is very biting here as well. So if you are not experienced, I suggest you use this gear as it is a speed suitable for a faster paced run. Here, too, bitang can fall a lot, but you still have a much better chance of not crushing yourself.
If it's already falling. Perhaps most importantly, don’t forget about protective gear. I warmly recommend everyone to wear a bike helmet, possibly elbow and knee pads. You can also get a wrist / palm protector, which is also useless. The point is to keep your fingers free because you won’t be able to handle the throttle in gloves.
And then, connected to the throttle, let's talk about the remote control!
It is a palm-fitting device with buttons and LEDs on the front, with the throttle lever on the top right front and the mode selector below. Push the scroll wheel up to accelerate and pull it down to brake.
The LEDs show when the connection to the board has been established and we can also see the charge of the board on them. One button on the front panel is for turning on and the other for changing direction. The driven wheels are the rear by default, but with this button you can reverse the direction of travel.
This reverser also serves to turn on the lights at the bottom of the board by holding it down for 2 seconds.
Summary
I will be honest, I was very scared of this test. Sure, the little devil rumbled in my ear so you could do it, but secretly the pants were pretty full. Then when I arrived at the LAOTIE R5 and I unpacked it the feeling just intensified. Big and hard, what am I going to start with?
For the first time, I didn't even stand on the street. My guys and I went to the school's handball court, they came on their scooters, I carried the board with me. The track is covered in plastic, so I was hoping the wheel wouldn’t get stuck in anything, and even if I farmed, at least I wouldn’t fall on the asphalt.
At first I didn’t turn it on, I rolled back and forth a bit. I tried to get my feet up and to be able to stop at all when the plank was standing. For me, this practice is approx. It was 15 minutes, after which I dared to turn on the engines.
I’ll note here that I really didn’t stand on a skateboard for approx. 40 years and not much then. So for me, it wasn’t like cycling, which they say once you’ve learned, you won’t forget. Well, I didn't remember anything from skateboarding. I don’t guarantee you will have enough 15 minutes, but assume I’m a dick over 50, so I’m not going to do tasks like that in lightning speed anymore.
If you are younger, you have a sense of balance and it will work for you in 15 minutes.
I only described this to make you understand that my fear of the board was a bit unreal. I’m not saying it’s not like a bike or a roller, you get up / sit and go. You have to practice this a bit, but once you get into it, the experience can really hit you.
So we were there to turn on the engines. I pushed the board nicely, pulled the gas, and went, turned around, tried to follow the lines on the handball court, and realized it wasn’t that hard.
Of course, I start in the lowest gear, but after another 15 minutes of practice, I switched to the middle and soon to the strongest. Then from there I quickly switched back to the middle because I felt that the roughest grade would be a bit much for me.
Since then, of course, I’ve used it on the streets as well as on the bike path, and I know that this middle gear, the maximum speed available to me at 26 KM / hour, is plenty for my current level, and sometimes I even have to handle it with caution. So, the main thing is gradation.
So what is this skateboard like?
On the one hand, I love it, it’s an incredible free feeling to travel with it. I also ride bikes, bikes and rollerblades, but I can’t compare to any of them. Really very good!
However, it should not be forgotten that such a skateboard is much more of a hobby and much less a means of transportation than a bike or a scooter. In good weather, on a dry road, you can travel quite long distances with it, but it doesn’t hurt to know the route and know that the pavement is of good quality.
Although the roller is protected against water, the PU wheels are smooth and slip wet, so even in the “shop” state, the R5 is not suitable for wet asphalt.
Let’s say there’s a solution to this problem, all you have to do is replace the wheel, put on one that will be less susceptible to road errors and not slip in the rain. Because anyway, the power and design of the scooter is well suited for even the purpose of daily transport.
So the thing is solvable, the solution is not complicated!
Who dare I recommend the LAOTIE R5?
For the first time, I support the manufacturer’s warning that under the age of 16, I don’t recommend it either. It takes some maturity to do this as well, especially in higher gears, as falling from 40 is not pleasant. I already had this part with a motorcycle, my shoulders hurt for months after that even though I was wearing a tread leather jacket.
Secondly, I dare recommend it to those who have a good sense of balance. If it isn't there, it's almost unnecessary to try it, you won't have much pleasure in it.
Third, I recommend it to those who aren’t afraid of a little challenge because practice will be a must if you’re not an experienced skater.
If, on the other hand, you buy it and feel it, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it insanely. Not just because everyone will be staring at you, but because it’s a very special experience to stand on a board, gliding with your feet barely ten inches off the ground. It is a very special experience to control your feet, your body, to bend into the bend, to jump out of your knees and small bumps. It’s such a very active, very enjoyable, truly adrenaline-fueled mode of transportation.
I'll keep it for now. I’m not saying this will be my primary electric vehicle, but I’m going to use it, probably quite often. If we go to a place where I can go with it, I can smoothly throw it in the trunk of the car, it doesn’t take up too much space, and then I can take it out and team with it.
If you liked the LAOTIE R5, you can now buy it from the Czech warehouse, the price is a BGHU2037 with coupon code instead of 180 forints 000 forints here:
