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HIGHLIGHTS
Performance: weight: price (ratio): Seriously, this is damn good!
The remote: The Wowgo/Ownboard-type Boosted clone remote is a pleasure to use. The thumb wheel has more throw/travel than the alternative Winning/Nano clone used by the new Meepo's, the Verreal V1s and others. It generally feels more precise and smooth. It's simple to use and intuitive. If they could just match the better LED system of the new Winning/Nano clone remote we'd finally be somewhere close to having a perfect budget remote.
It's heavy-duty feel: The Harvoo genuinely feels more robust and solid than a lot of the competition. Light and strong options all-round include PPT20 plastic enclosures and magnesium alloy trucks. Steel brackets also support the enclosure bolts, which is a nice touch and adds to the overall solid look and feel of the board.
Something else to note is the fact that the enclosures fully enclose both the battery and ESC. Most electric skateboards mount what is essentially a lid-less enclosure to the bottom of the deck, using the deck itself as the "lid." The Harvoo is different. Both the battery and ESC are fully enclosed in their separate enclosures and then mounted to the deck, completely sealing both. This is closer to how Boosted do things, further differentiating themselves from the competition. Although Harvoo stop short of self-proclaiming any level of water or dust resistance rating, this "fully enclosed" approach must put them leagues ahead of the competition in this space.
It's simplicity: There is nothing ostentatious about this board (except maybe the logo). A battery, an ESC and two barely noticeable hub motors. That's it! The wiring is well-organised and clean. There are no lights or battery meters on the board itself, just a power button and charging port. No bells and whistles and no frills. Nothing to over-complicate matters. This is just pure esk8!
Light-weight and well-balanced: This is the second or third time I've mentioned the weight, I know, but 14.7lbs/6.7kg is seriously light for a 10.77mi/17.34km range board!
A well-balanced split enclosure system in an incredibly light-weight, full size longboard package. All-in-all the Harvoo is a super user friendly, grab-and-go board.
LOWLIGHTS
The urethane: It didn't take long to notice imperfections in the rear urethane sleeves. It started with that annoying noise a small, flappy bit of urethane makes at 20mph! I don't know if the urethane is too soft, poorly cured, or what? But with daily use and generous carving, I don't see the thanes lasting all that long.
The rear urethane sleeves are replaceable, but at the time of writing this Harvoo don't appear to have replacement urethane sleeves for sale on their website. Hopefully the rectify both of these issues, 1. A better urethane formula for the rear sleeves, and 2. Actually have them for sale, soon (or at least replacements in the current formula).
The deck/deck-swap challenge?: For all of the positives regarding Harvoo's unique enclosures, they appear to be custom fitted to Harvoo's deck. Although I like the low ride height of the Harvoo deck, as usual with these China-direct boards, the deck is weakest part of the product. Unless you're in to dancing and tricks, the deck isn't entirely practical or functional. A softer, flexier, bamboo deck will always be my preference for a light-weight commuter. So, 'deck-swap,' I hear you say? This is where the enclosures come in. Their unique shape would make this a bit of a challenge. Not impossible, but a challenge.
CONCLUSION
This is a seriously enjoyable board. The Harvoo probably shares the same category as latest Backfire (G2s), which is best described as a budget/mid-tier category that sits slightly above the typical Meepo/Wowgo/Ownboard/Verreal-type boards. I'll be reviewing the Backfire G2s very soon, so it will be interesting to see how it stacks up against the Harvoo, but for now the Harvoo has seriously impressed me!
It's acceleration and top speed performance is commensurate with the type of ESC (Wowgo/Ownboard-type) used. This means that it's not the fastest board in the world, sure, but it matches all the other boards that share the same ESC/remote combination; and let's not forget, most Boosted boards top out at the same 22mph/36kph top speed. The acceleration and braking delivery is buttery smooth, predictable and reliable. Range performance is outstanding considering the size of the battery, which also keeps the board incredibly light.
The motors are very nice. There's something about them I can't quite put my finger on, but they're unique and feel great under your feet! They feel strong, well-developed and high quality, but they're also silky smooth when paired with this particular ESC and remote. The whole package has created a tremendously awesome-feeling ecosystem!
Aesthetically the deck might not be to everyone's pleasing and the urethane quality isn't the greatest. In fact, I can see the rear urethanes degrading quite quickly, but luckily the urethane sleeves are replaceable, which leads to hope that Harvoo might release a better formula in the future.
If you're in the market for a budget board and are willing to spend a little more to get a board that stands apart from the rest, the Harvoo is a very, very solid option.
Read the full review at https://www.samjadelaide.com/harvoo-a-new-budget-alternative.html