Verreal RS Review – the best bang for your buck?

While many eskate companies strive to produce a board that they consider to be complete, Verreal encourages and even offers modifications for their flagship electric skateboard, the Verreal RS. Featuring dual 1500 watt motors powered by a variation of battery configurations including a 19.2ah option, the RS offers an incredible power-to-cost ratio. The belt driven board can be paired with a huge variety of wheel combinations, and the large cutouts in the stock deck accommodate very large pneumatics. If you are focused on the core elements when making your purchase decision and are willing to make modifications and upgrades, the RS is an excellent value and an ideal starting point for assembling a great board. It is the fine details that are lacking, uninspiring or downright dangerous, and in this article, we will outline these and describe ways in which to remedy them.

See the Verreal RS at Verreal’s Website

The Contributors to this Review:

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Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Overall incredible value for a sub-$1000 board. The important elements are built to last and made to work hard, features not often found at this price point.
• Powerful, dual 1500 watt motors provide plenty of torque for a wide variety of wheel applications and terrain exploration, and hills are no issue. Daniel has measured 30% uphill inclines and conquered them with ease.
• Updated HobbyWing ESC has so far shown itself to be free of the problems that plagued earlier iterations. Acceleration and braking are predictable.
• Battery options are uncommonly generous. Even the “lowest tier” configuration gave Romeo 15 miles of range with aggressive riding.
• Strong, attractive dual kingpin trucks allow for adjustable, precise carving. Paired with RipTide bushings, the true potential is realized.
• Deck cutouts and powerful torque allows for a wide array of wheel options, including large pneumatic tires.
• Belt-drive paired with strong motors and robust batteries allow for wheel variations that give this board true flexibility in the type of terrain it can tackle.
• Customer service is very communicative, especially for a Chinese brand.
• Overall beautiful design, especially when you focus on the drive-train, battery and mechanical aspects of the board.

CONS:

• Deck hardware is not safe to ride with for very long. The rivet nuts in the deck that are intended to secure the battery enclosure underneath are made of brittle carbon steel, inappropriate for this application. Must be replaced.
  UPDATE: Vic says that the current models will be shipped with stronger Screws.
• Stock bushings leave much to be desired and do not provide ample stability for speeds in excess of 20mph. This can be remedied with aftermarket kits.
• Deck design is considered too feminine by some riders, and the grip frit does not have the fortitude to provide traction over the long term. 
• Shipping times will not satisfy the impatient. Do not expect to have your sooner than 5 weeks from purchase.
• The board does not have the refinement or polish found in some of the competition, and cost-cutting has led to insufficient hardware.
• There is no onboard USB port for charging cellphones or peripherals.  
• The board is cumbersome and awkward to carry, do not get stranded.
• The braking system has a learning curve. Overall this board requires the rider to become familiar with its personality, as its controls have quirks.
• There is not currently an All-Terrain wheel package available from the manufacturer, as the previously available options were taken out of the store because of manufacturing defects.

Overall Riding Experience 

Rider’s who have never experienced the push of a belt-driven board will want to take it easy for the first 50 miles at least, and should stay in beginner mode until they have familiarized themselves with the torque these motors provide. Our colleague Romeo described the feeling aptly upon first experiencing this after riding hubs…”flippin’ amazing!” As he had only ridden hub boards before his experience with the RS, he also noticed the increased comfort that comes from riding on wheels that do not have a motor hidden inside. He is also right in his assessment of the stock deck that ships with the RS; it’s very stiff. This may have more to do with the full-length metal enclosure running along the bottom than the deck itself, but the result is an unforgiving yet precise riding experience. The stiffness complements the DKP trucks nicely, allowing for hard carving with minimal effort. This site’s founder, Daniel, is very into carving. He has reported that the RS allows him to enjoy his preferred style with superb acceleration.

Accelerating & Brakes

I personally find the acceleration and braking curves to be ideal for my style of riding, which I would describe as “sport commuter”. I value safety over stunt, and I look for quickness over top speed. I much prefer to reach 25mph in short order than to hit 35mph+, and this board delivers in that respect. Although there are different “riding modes”, the acceleration curve remains the same; only the top speed varies. This is perfect for a rider such as myself, as I can stay in Mode 2 and limit my top speed to around 26mph while maintaining quick acceleration. 

Romeo found the braking to be, as he puts it, “quite strange.” He points out that HobbyWing traditionally engages the brakes softly when hitting them at a high speed, increasing the “grab” gradually as the board slows. This would seem to be an effort to prevent throwing the rider at high speeds, allowing them to form their stance as the brakes grab harder. With the RS, he has reported the braking maintains the softer pull throughout the braking process, and I have found this to be mostly true as well. Due to my riding style I am rarely traveling over 25mph, I anticipate stops far in advance, and have only needed to resort to “emergency measures” once. If you find yourself approaching a collision and you can reduce your speed to a safe dismount velocity, hop off the board while holding the brake and it will come to a full stop in short order once detached from the momentum associated with your weight. This is a matter of physics that holds true with all boards.

Something many riders point out, and we at e-skateboarder.com can verify, is that you should not expect the board to bring you to a complete stop going downhill. In his testing, Daniel found that while he was able to bring his speed to a safe velocity at 30% incline, a full stop was not possible. Again, dismounting from the board will allow the RS itself to come to a stop.

Top Speed

The top speed of this board is advertised at 27mph in Mode 3, and Romeo has found that at 200lbs he is achieving similar speeds. At a mere 165lbs, I can report that I am having no trouble reaching that speed in Mode 2, and although I do not make it a habit, I have reached 30mph on more than a few occasions. For my part, speeds were measured both with the remotes’ onboard speedometer as well as multiple iOS applications. I have found that with aftermarket bushings (RipTide’s RS kit) I was able to maintain 30mph for ¼ mile with no instability beyond butterflies in my stomach. It should be noted that for my top speed runs I am able to find very forgiving, newly constructed bicycle paths running throughout my city. Daniel’s stature is similar to my own, and he tightened the stock bushing down hard to minimze the wobbles, although he has found that his comfortable top end is 21mph…beyond this speed he starts to get wobbles that force him to hold back.

Range

The Verreal RS offers 4 battery configurations, and each can be expected to offer varying range capabilities. Romeo (200lbs) has found that he can beat 15 miles out of his RS with the Samsung 30Q, which is the least expensive configuration. Considering his aggressive, full-throttle riding style, it can be assumed that a more relaxed cruise might carry him past 20. Daniel (165lbs) is riding the 16Ah LS pairing, and has found that in his area of ample elevations (2400ft up and down) he was able to ride for 2 hours and covered 19miles. Without elevation, he feels confident he could clear 23 miles in a run, and this is consistent with expectations. I opted for the 19.2Ah “Tesla” offering, and I have never found myself needing to head home for a charge before I’m ready to call it quits. Depending on where I’ve ridden and how hard I’ve hit it, my range has been between 25-35 miles on a charge. I am a lighter rider, weighing in at 165lbs, and my style is not aggressive…I tend to stay in Mode 2 and cruise at around 22mph. From speaking with other riders, it seems that the posted range estimates on Verreal’s site do generally reflect real-world performance. Weight, terrain, wind, and temperature all contribute heavily to range capability, but I expect that most riders will find themselves reaching distance close to what is claimed.

Weight and Portability 

This board was meant for riding, without much thought given to carrying it around. The deck does not incorporate a handle, something Romeo has been missing after owning a board that did. He and I have both found that pulling the board by the front trucks with the motors towards the ground will inevitably result in scrapes. Both Daniel and I have the motor guards installed on our boards, and have found that pulling the board by the crossbars of the guards with the nose to the ground is the best option for wheeling it in and out of buildings or through a crowd. Before modifications, this board comes in at well over 20lbs, and the weight is not centered at all. With the large capacity batteries on offer, your best bet is to watch your “fuel level” and avoid getting stranded altogether.

Build Quality 

The build quality of the RS is a mixed bag. The motors are seemingly top-notch, with a level sound and even rotation. The trucks are quite nice, attractively sturdy and emblazoned with the “RS” demarcation. The deck features a “w” concave, clear grip frit and a flower pattern reminiscent of the EVOLVE Bamboo.

The battery variations are all strong contenders, but the 19.2a Tesla 10S4P configuration is the one ridden by your beloved author. I have been enjoying range to the tune of 30+ miles to 25% capacity, and have never had to head home before I was done with my ride. For his part, Romeo opted for the 12a Samsung 30Q 10S4P variation, and he has been regularly logging 15 miles on a charge, but he reports much more aggressive riding than myself. Given that the Samsung is the baseline tier for battery pairing with your purchase, there doesn’t appear to be a bad option here…my decision to purchase the largest capacity setup has to do with my overall riding style that values overcompensation. I look at my large wheels and huge battery as comparative to the way some drivers prefer to deploy Hummers on the highway.

Deck

The 36” “W” concave deck that ships with the RS is composed of 7 layers Canadian maple paired with 2 layer of bamboo. This may have allowed for a bit of flex if there wasn’t a solid metal enclosure strapped to the bottom of it, but that’s how she goes. To be clear, there is essentially no flex.

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The deck itself has been known to show grain-line splits in the bamboo, but this is neither unexpected nor especially concerning…the bamboo’s strength is drawn lengthwise, and should be maintained regardless of this condition. The concave is a welcome feature for some riders, others find it painful. I personally enjoy a stiff deck with a classic concave, but had I not required a deck swap for other reasons I would not have been seen the “W” as a nonstarter in and of itself. The graphics on the deck depict a flowered vine, which some buyer’s have felt is a bit too feminine given the target audience…others have embraced this look, even adding glow grip to accentuate the leaves and petals! If you are in the group that doesn’t appreciate the appearance, a sanding or deck swap will set things straight.

ESC

Since the inclusion of an OLED screened remote, the RS has seen multiple ESC-based issues that made it through production and onto customer’s doorsteps. The first issue was remote control disconnection, a potentially deadly malfunction. Although no fatalities have been brought to this writer’s attention, the potential for a rider to lose control at speed while approaching an intersection is just one example of how this could result in a worst-case scenario. This issue was quickly acknowledged by Vic Duan, although the remedy was not received by affected riders for many months. This delayed response probably has more to do with logistics and vendors than Verreal’s intentions, but with such a major malfunction a fast fix is critical. 

Our own contributor, Romeo, received an ESC and remote pairing that gave him false feedback in regards to speed, inflating the values by 33% above. While this doesn’t present any real danger, it can have the effect of dampening a rider’s confidence in his electronics. For Romeo, this complicated his ability to accurately review his RS for publication…however, not to be undone by a simple calculating mishap, our man came through strong as expected! Romeo reports tales of a third issue that seems to have come about due to overcompensation on Verreal’s part in an attempt to correct the inflated values…round 3 ESC’s top speeds were several mph lower than advertised capability. According to Romeo’s reporting, anybody who had disconnect issues or problems with reduced top speeds was eligible for replacement parts…those who simply dealt with false reading were left to wonder at their own velocity.

Something that seems to vary across the board within the Verreal RS community is the point at which the battery level will indicate low voltage, the number and frequency of beeps associated with this notification, and the actual capacity remaining one the ESC register 0%. As expected, Verreal seems to have more control over the hardware of the RS than the software, as HobbyWing is known to produce inconsistent performance outside of their main partnerships.

Battery

The RS initially offered battery configurations as unremarkable as 10Ah, but has since narrowed the options down to 4 choices ranging from adequate to impressive. Starting with the 12Ah Samsung 30Q 10S4P (432 Watt hours) that Romeo comfortably forces 15 miles of range out of with a heavy beating, we can take a step up to the 14Ah 35E 10S4P, also by Samsung (504 Wh). Next in line is a 16Ah 10S4P “LS” battery (576 Wh), followed by the true king of the hills, the 19.2Ah “Tesla” 10S4P (691.2 Wh) which I find hard to exhaust. With regular commutes back and forth to my office (4 miles round), I can go a full work week without charging. On a true exploratory ride around town, I can navigate hills, paths, roadways and a bit of turf and get a solid 3 hours of riding in before my remote starts screaming, and regardless of where I am in town I’ll have enough juice to make it home. Daniel has pointed to the RS with the 19.2 as quite possibly the best cost/Wh ratio on the market, and I certainly haven’t found better myself.

Battery Capacity	Black Friday Prices
432 Wh (12 Ah)	$699
504 Wh (14 Ah)	$729
576 Wh (16 Ah)	$799
691 Wh (19.2 Ah)	$879

Trucks and Bushings 

The bushings on the RS are a generic Chinese product. They are not high quality, and will not perform as such. To get any real stability they must be tightened down beyond the advisable limit, and this will of course lead to quicker deterioration. It can be imagined that for a rider who has no interest in traveling beyond 20mph, these bushings may in fact prove sufficient, but we at E-skateboarder.com do not view the RS as a board to buy for low speed travel. At the time of this writing, Romeo did not have much to say regarding the bushings, but his lack of sharply negative experience with them may be related to the lower center of gravity offered by the 90mm wheels he’s been running.

The RS trucks appear to be very well built, the components lock into one another very well, and they have a low-profile beauty to them. They are emblazoned with the RS branding and feature a matte finish. The double kingpin action allows for lazy carving or intense cuts, depending on your preference. 

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Both Daniel and myself have found the stock bushings paired with the formidable 120mm Cloud Wheels to be a shaky proposition. I have fitted my board with the RS kit put together by the experts over at RipTideSports.com, and I recommend the same to you. 

Wheel Options 

The wheel options are essentially limitless on the RS, made so by the deep cuts in the deck and the powerful motors driving the belted rollers. Verreal has offered a wide selection of changing options since the release of the RS, removing some due to production and supply issues and adding new ones as they become available. Initially, the board was paired with wheels rumored to have been produced by the manufacturers of the Boosted Board 90mm, but those have since run dry. There was also a brief period of All-Terrain pneumatic availability, but those have since been discontinued pending redesign.

Currently, you can order your RS fitted with 85mm grey polyurethanes, 97mm pink glow wheels with embedded Lights, or Cloud Wheels in either 105mm or 120mm with varying color availability.

While Romeo has been enjoying the transition from hub motor to the 90mm Boosted clones like a breath of fresh air, Daniel and I are quite taken by the 120mm Clouds. They catch a lot of flack from people unimpressed by their off-road capabilities, but I bought them with cracked sidewalks and small sticks in mind…they perform beautifully in response to these small obstacles.

I was also a member of the inaugural All-Terrain wheel crew, having purchased the 6” pneumatics. I have not had any problems with mine, but I only rode on them for a couple days before swapping to the more efficient 120mm Clouds. Having heard of the potential dangers presented by the poor design of this first batch of rubbers and being fully satisfied with my 120’s, I haven’t been inclined to punt them back on. I will say that my brief experience with them did include a fairly high speed spill due to wobbling, and I can’t help but wonder if this was the malfunction playing out.

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Water Sealings – How about its water resistance?

This board is not advertised as waterproof, and should not be treated as such. All of us over here at E-Skateboarder.com consider water to be a no-go in the current market, regardless of efforts made to keep moisture at bay.

That said, there are many measures you can take to promote survival should you hit a stray puddle or get caught in a surprise drizzle. I myself have used electronics-grade silicon to complement the factory installed neoprene resting between the battery enclosure and the deck, but I still will not go out in the rain. Having gotten the warning out of the way, I believe that should your board get splashed or sprayed it is likely to survive, but you should towel dry and hit it with warm air as soon as possible.

Shipping Time

The shipping time for Verreal is nothing to write home about…but if you do, your letter will get there before your board arrives. Romeo experienced a wait time of almost 11 weeks to Europe, delayed by COVID as well as ESC reconfigurations to address the issues mentioned earlier. My board took 47 days to arrive from the factory to Indiana, USA, also delayed as the most recent ESC troubles were being addressed and the virus continued to complicate shipping. It seems that when ordered outside of a product recall or retooling, riders are getting their boards within 5 weeks when shipped by boat or train, and around 3 weeks by air. Daniel got his board via Air shipment and can confirm the estimated time, his board was delivered after 17 days. Accessories and replacement parts take 2-3 weeks, and some are now shipping from California. Vic is developing relationships with warehouses in the US, so it is possible we will see better delivery times in the states in the future.

Customer Service

Vic tries to respond to his customers quickly via email or WeChat, although this can vary greatly depending on the time of year and the attitude you portray when communicating with him. Daniel has had responsive support through WeChat, and I myself have had great communication through email.

Mail	[email protected]
WeChat ID	JHDVic
WhatsApp	+86 186 8894 1204
Facebook	facebook.com/verrealboard
Instagram	instagram.com/verrealboards

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Romeo makes note of the fact that Vic takes ownership of the problems with his products, and gives honest answers instead of hiding or feeding us bullshit. Expect this from him, but also expect to be ignored or pushed back in line if you act inappropriately. It seems that too many of us in the Western world have grown accustomed to companies smiling and giving us freebies to calm our nerves, and Vic just won’t do that. Act like an adult, and you can expect to be treated as such. Take to social media spreading discord and making false accusations, and you may find your shipping times delayed. It should be mentioned that China has holidays not celebrated elsewhere, and these can affect response times as well.

There is an active and enthusiastic Facebook group called “Verreal Board Owners” made up of Verreal RS riders that is probably the best source of customer service you will find. A couple of brand ambassadors are members, and if the members are not able to guide you in fixing whatever problems you may have, someone can get in touch with Vic for you and help you resolve the issue.

Recommended Upgrades

Bushings: RipTide’s RS kit is around $70 shipped and has been dialed in specifically for this board. This is recommended by most RS riders as the most important performance upgrade you can make to this board, and with good cause. Link to Riptide’s Website.

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Motor Cable Clamps: The plastic clamps guiding the cables from the ESC to the motors are cheap and shar at the same time, and could potentially cut into the wire sheathing over time. Get yourself some metal clamps with rubberized interiors.

Thread Lock: None of the screws on this board have thread-lock. Get some. Use it everywhere, with special attention paid to the screws surrounding high-vibration points like the motor mounts.

Isolation Rings: The framing around the entry points of the motors wires crumble immediately upon opening your battery enclosure, and should be replaced/reinforced with silicone adhesive sealant. Even if you never open your battery enclosure, this is a level of waterproofing we highly recommend. It can be done without dropping the battery, but can be done like a pro if you’ll take the time…besides, you should take a look in there anyway!

Headlights & Taillights: Lighting is very important if you plan to ride in anything less than broad daylight. While you should not expect any board-mounted lighting to allow you to see well enough to travel at speed in the dark, they can make you more visible to others. Since a rider on a skateboarder has a much lower profile than a vehicle, any effort to make yourself more visible to driver’s is advisable. You SHOULD NOT use strobe effects with front-facing lights, as this can confuse and distract oncoming drivers. Link to Shredlights.

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Deck: This is not necessary, but it is also not necessarily difficult. I opted to make it very difficult by wrapping a 39” deck in carbon fiber before doing the organ transplant. This operation was the perfect opportunity to upgrade all of my hardware, seal my isolation ports and vulnerabilities, and upgrade my neoprene. I also made some custom padded grip tape similar to DopeGrip. If you do not wish to replace the deck entirely but would like to spice it up a bit, some sanding and artwork finished with a product like LucidGrip will do the trick. Alternatively, you could sand off the flowers and apply any sort of grip tape onto the board, be it low-profile or high octane custom printed! Link to Dopegrip Griptape.

Price

The Verreal RS is quite possibly the best deal in eskate if you are willing to get a little dirty. The most important components are top-notch, and the questionable hardware and unappealing aesthetics are inexpensive and relatively easy to swap out. The 19.2Ah “Tesla” offers the guts of a board twice the asking price of under $1000 (after discounts), and gives you all you need to build a board to suit you perfectly. 

Model	Sea Shipping (EU/ US)	Air Shipping (Worldwide)
432 Wh (12 Ah)	$699	$799
504 Wh (14 Ah)	$729	$829
576 Wh (16 Ah)	$799	$899
691 Wh (19.2 Ah)	$879	$979

Check current Prices at Verreal’s Website

Upgrades	Price
Fast Charger	$30
Glow Wheels	$30
Cloudwheels	$110
Riptide Bushings Kit	$69
Necessary Hardware Upgrades	$10 – 50

Closing Thoughts

Riding and modifying the Verreal RS has been an absolute pleasure, and writing about it has been a labor of love. Even among those who have been a bit burned by faulty ESC’s or crazy shipping time’s find room to praise the power and pull of this board. The price is right, the core is strong, and the options are endless if you want to put some work into making it your own. There is a large, active community of RS owner’s out there, and they love to talk shop, so you’ll find the advice and support you need from people all over the world!

See the Verreal RS at Verreal’s Website