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Is The Onewheel GT Worth It?
There’s a new king of the Onewheel universe! The Onewheel GT is a completely new electric board that takes the best parts of the Onewheel Pint X and Onewheel XR and puts them together for the ultimate experience.
The result is a Onewheel GT that is more powerful, smoother, and longer-lasting than its predecessors. But are the upgrades enough to make the new Onewheel worth it?
Read on to find out.
Featured Image Credit: @thatsginterev
The Tire
When you’re riding a Onewheel, any slight change to the tire will significantly impact the overall performance. Unfortunately, Future Motion did make some significant changes to the tire for the Onewheel GT.
The older models used standard-size Go-Kart wheels from brands such as Vega, Hoosier, or Burris. The GT, however, has changed the tire dimensions, so tires that would have worked for the Onewheel XR or Onewheel Pint X will not work with the GT.
However, for the first time ever, Future Motion has included the option for a stock treaded tire from the company. The treaded tire is a great option for those who will be spending most of their time off-roading with their Onewheel. The tread gives a bit of extra traction on loose terrain, making the tire an ideal option for any gravel, sand, or even damp riding conditions. Amazing for carving on the beach!
The standard slick tire offers better traction on pavement and any relatively smooth and dry surface. The slick tire also allows for better battery life and a slightly longer range.
No matter what type of tire you choose, paying attention to the tire pressure is vital to the life of your Onewheel GT and will completely alter the way it rides. Make sure your tire is measuring the correct PSI. Lowering the PSI can lead to a more comfortable, forgiving ride, but you probably don’t want to go much lower than 14 PSI. And going over 30 PSI could damage the tire.
This tire pressure gauge is relatively inexpensive and will allow you to measure the PSI and inflate your tire. It’s what we carry in our backpacks.
Speed and Power
The Onewheel GT is the fastest and most powerful Onewheel yet. In terms of speed, the advertised top speed for the Onewheel GT is 20 mph. That is slightly faster than the 19 mph top speed of the Onewheel XR and the maximum speed of 18 mph for the Onewheel Pint X.
While the GT gets a relatively minor boost in speed, it gets a significant upgrade in the power department. Future Motion claims the GT features 3 horsepower, compared to just 2 for the XR.
So why did the power jump up, but the top speed was left relatively unchanged? The extra power will be really apparent when trying to ride uphill obstacles or rough terrain.
The Onewheel GT has plenty of torque, even when riding at speed.
The Battery
Besides the tire, some of the biggest and most exciting changes come with the new Onewheel GT battery. One of the most critical questions about any new Onewheel board is ‘how far can you go on a single charge?’.
Several variables come into play when determining the range of your Onewheel. Everything from your tire’s PSI to your weight and even the terrain all have an impact.
Future Motion says that the Onewheel XR and Pint X have standard ranges between 12 and 18 miles. The original Pint was even less, at just 6-8 miles per charge.
Now, Future Motion says that the range for a Onewheel GT is a whopping 20-32 miles!
Charging the battery can take 200 minutes when using the included standard charger. If you plan on stopping during your ride to charge up your board, you might want to opt for the fast charger, which can fully charge your Onewheel GT in just 90 minutes.
And one of the most requested new features is the ability to automatically stop charging your Onewheel GT at 90%. The Onewheel GT charging to 90% feature is not only increasing the lifetime of the battery but also helps people that are living on a hill. The Onewheel has regenerative braking, meaning that as you brake or slow down the battery will gain some extra energy. This is great for getting some extra distance on long rides, but there are some drawbacks.
The regenerative braking will still charge your battery, even if it is fully charged already. This results in an overcharged board and can lead to a full-battery push back. By only charging to 90%, even people who live at the top of a hill don’t have to worry about the regenerative braking overcharging their board.
The Headlight
Anyone who enjoys a night ride on their Onewheel will love the new headlights in the Onewheel GT. The headlights are brighter, adjustable, and have a high beam option that isn’t available on either the Onewheel XR or Pint X.
The Onewheel XR had a headlight with a max brightness of around 150 lumens. In the Onewheel GT, the lumens have been boosted by 300% and now measure at 500 lumens.
Future Motion has also given the rider control over how bright the headlights are. You can now control the brightness conveniently from the Onewheel mobile app.
Turn the lights down when riding in well-lit areas, or crank them up when visibility is low. And if you really need to shine a light on things, trigger the new high beams, and everything will seem so much brighter.
Drawbacks and Concerns
While the Onewheel GT has several major performance improvements, it’s not all speed and gadgets. There are some things to consider before rushing out and buying a Onewheel GT.
Previous versions of the Onewheel were known for their ability to be fully customized. Every element of the board could be customized to show off the rider’s personality or shape the rider’s experience. Because the Onewheel GT is nearly a complete redesign, very few third-party or aftermarket mods for the Onewheel XR will work with the Onewheel GT.
While this is just a matter of time before you can fully customize your Onewheel GT board, it could give current Onewheel XR owners pause before pulling the trigger on an upgrade.
There have also been concerns about the Onewheel GT “ghosting.” This happens when the front sensor activates even when nobody is standing on the board. Some riders will come to a stop and jump off, only to see their Onewheel reactivate and take off without them.
It’s certainly annoying, but it can also be dangerous. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of a 35-lb machine heading your way at 20 mph.
Luckily, there is a safe way to solve the ghosting issue. The Onewheel GT does have Simple Stop. When Simple Stop mode is active, the board turns off the motor whenever the tail is dropped. This prevents your board from ghosting, but it also does not allow you to roll “fakie” or backwards. For now, Future Motion has identified the problem and is providing replacement footpads for customers who are experiencing this issue.
There have also been reports of customers receiving new boards that are DOA (dead-on-arrival). Social media was filled with people hoping to show off their new board, only to see that it was DOA, and would not turn on.
Unfortunately, there are no official numbers on how often new Onewheel GTs are showing up DOA although it does look like the majority of the DOA boards were from the initial batch of boards shipped out to customers. If you experience this issue, the best thing is to contact Future Motion and they will quickly fix the situation.
Conclusion
Right now, users looking to buy their first brand new Onewheel will have three options: the Onewheel Pint, the Onewheel Pint X, and the Onewheel GT. With all of the performance upgrades and advancements, it is easy to say that you should absolutely look at the Onewheel GT. It has a significant boost in range and power and can be more forgiving than the smaller models.
Is now the right time to upgrade? Anyone who already has a Onewheel will have a more complicated decision. If customizing your board and waiting for the early bugs to be worked out is important, you might want to hold off a bit. But if you’re less concerned with that and just want to ride the best version of the Onewheel out there, we firmly suggest making the upgrade.
Whether riding along on the new Onewheel GT or still ripping the Onewheel XR, you can represent your love for Onewheel with our incredible Float Gang merchandise. We have shirts, hoodies, hats, stickers, and more. If you have any questions on the Onewheel GT or just want to say hello, reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you!
SHOP ONEWHEEL MERCH
Graphic Tee’s, Hats, Stickers and More
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Onewheel Punk Rock Shirt
$26.95 -
Onewheel Chair Cruisin Shirt
$29.95
