Lycaon GR – A Review

This is an intro to the brand known as Lycaon. They’re a company that sort of came out of nowhere and appeared in the eskate scene with a small digital footprint. They only have 2 models of boards; the “G” and the “GR”. They have since sold out of the “G” model so only the “GR” version is left, but that is their board that represents them best. An interesting fact that I found out by talking to someone through the live chat support when I was asking questions about the board, is that the person who started the Lycaon brand is “family-friends” with the owner of the brand TeamGee. If you examine both boards side-by-side, you notice certain features are the exact same, based off 2 distinct models between Lycaon & TeamGee. For example, the Lycaon G is comparable to the TeamGee “X” board, and the Lycaon GR is comparable to the TeamGee H20T model. What holds Lycaon over TeamGee is that the overall build quality is better and not to mention the maintenance is easier, otherwise, you could swap out parts between them.

Check out the Lycaon GR at: lycaonboard.com

Specs

Top Speed26 mph | 42 km/h
Range15 – 25 miles | 24 – 40 km **
Weight18.9 lbs | 8.6 kg
Motor Rated Power2 x 480 Watts
Hill ClimbingUp to 30%
Length37 inch | 94 cm 
Ground Clearance4.2 inch | 10.6cm
Max Load220 lbs | 100 kg 
BearingHCH 608RS ABEC-7
Input Voltage100 – 240V, 50/60Hz
Charging Time3 – 4 Hours with fast charger 

**(Depends on rider style, weight, terrain and weather) & Data is based on a rider weighing 155lbs with smooth road (from website)

Overall Riding Experience

In terms of ride feel, it rides very smoothly, though the braking can yeet you off the board if you have the brake setting set too high, especially if you’re not ready for it and/or if you’re not used to riding LingYi type ESC (over Hobbywing) As for the feeling of the deck under your feet, it rides a little more on the stiffer side due to a combination of smaller deck size, large metal casings, and singe type of wood (no mixed types). Other than that, I would say for first starting out, overall, it’s not a bad board to try out.

Accelerating & Brakes (Control and ESC / Smoothness)

LingYi = slower initial acceleration, much stronger brakes

Hobbywing = faster initial acceleration, smoother braking

Build Quality

As long as you treat the board well, it should hold up for you. I, being just a bit more impatient, have smacked it head-first into several metal-doors and the occasional elevator-doors, so the front of my board has chipped off, but nothing a little electrical tape can’t fix in a hot minute. (P.S. more-aggressive rider w/several years’ experience)

Overall, I’d say the quality of wood is pretty solid, a smaller deck size helps that as well.

Summary

Personally, I like the cut-out look of the deck, it stands out from every other very typical cut-out longboard-look. As a starter “budget board” for beginners or for college-age campus-riding, it works very well, the only drawback is the weight, but you will get a workout every time you have to carry it, but after a while, you’ll get used to the weight. The 90mm wheel size is perfect for better distance and for handling sidewalks that have cracks that would take you off your board if you were otherwise riding < 90mm wheels. The lack of flex in the board provides better stability and balance-support for those whose balance and center of gravity are not as good when it comes to learning/riding.

Deck (Look, Concave, Flex)

The deck is made of 8 ply Canadian maple. On a side note: even though this board is flat and has no other type of wood mixed in besides maple, this board has VERY little flex, it’s almost as stiff as a carbon-fiber type board.

Battery

Battery18650 cells in 10S3P 36V 7.5Ah 270Wh

Water Sealings

IP RatingIP54  (Prevent against daily dust and splash)

The board has metal casings + a rubber-lined strip between casing & deck, this works very well at deflecting loose rocks, dirt, dust & water from getting into the board’s esc/battery.

Wheels and Trucks

Wheels90mm
TrucksHigh tensile CNC magnesium aluminum alloy

In my opinion: 90mm wheels are a great size for wheels, due to being the middle-ground type wheel. 80-anything-mm and you feel everything, 100+mm and you have less road grip

Shipping Time

I believe I got my board in about a week’s time, though this was in 2019 (pre-covid).
From what I’ve seen, it seems any boards coming from china are taking up to a month to arrive at destination (worst case scenario could be as long as 2 months wait-time)

Customer Service

Decent Quality – pretty responsive through live chat (which sends a copy to email)

Price

$430 (with fast charger)

The board used to be $600, I bought it back when it was $500, and it has since come down to $400, which, considering the board’s overall quality/specs, is very good.

Conclusion

On this ending note, between the price of the board, with the almost-next-to-no-flex   and short length of the deck, combined with a heftiness of weight that would show how sturdy it is for durability and ability to be thrown around and still hold its own, this board is a decent quality “budget board” for beginners, someone who doesn’t want a board snapping under them (for heavier riders), and/or someone who may have roads that would otherwise tear up the undersides of other boards due to their respective material. Having ridden this thing over rough sidewalk, bad-quality roads, and asphalt sidewalks that were minorly flooded with water from sprinkler systems, I can attest that this board can put up with a lot of “real-world” abuse before it shows signs of any need for repair…

Link to the Lycaon Website: lycaonboard.com

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