The Yawboard is an E-longboard that Will Take Whatever Punishment You Dream Up

Purely and simply it’s called a Yawboard. Why? Because it relies on your body's movement and yaw to maneuver around. It’s very possible you may have seen a similar design on a classic children's toy, but this is no toy. If anything, a kid really does need to do a bit of learning before even attempting to ride one of these.

The initial structure looks no different than that of an off-road long board. But then you notice that huge metal handle just jutting out of the woodwork. Don’t worry, that’s one of the main components that sets this trinket apart from others on the market.

First of all, it’s electric. Yup. An electric longboard. Underneath the board we can see a number of rechargeable lithium ion battery packs coming in with a total 14AH. If we look closely, however, we can see that there is some space between each pack. This is done so that natural flexing of the board while riding doesn’t affect its performance or place any stress on the battery.

One factor you need to take into consideration when looking into a Yawboard is its relatively low range. We are only offered 20 miles (32km) of range. But the board does include a regenerative braking function. We just don’t know if this will add to the already existing 20-mile range, or if that’s all you can get with this system in place. When you do run out of juice, you will need to pull over for a bit, maybe have lunch and a siesta, as the batteries take four hours to recharge.

But what are the batteries for? The motors of course. Yeah, plural, motors. The rear of the Yawboard includes two 1500W motors. One on each wheel. I’m not even going to ask if that’s safe. Safe or unsafe, these two puppies bring in a max speed of 22 mph (35Kph). This is more than some road legal bikes and scooters from Europe. Of course, in the U.S. we won’t have that problem.

But this high speed is in the board's most energy consuming ride mode, race. In the remaining adventure and economy mode, the board reaches 16 mph (25.7 kph) and 12.5 mph (20 kph), respectively. And each one with less and less power to make sure you’ve got the hang of it before you attempt to take this out on a track. That’s right folks, it’s made to even be ridden on a track.

The basic steering mechanism is mostly the same as on a classic longboard, except that the front is steered only if you also pull the handle in the direction you wish to go. This particular design is made to mimic snowboarding. How well it does it we’ve yet to find out, as this sidewalk surfer is still funding on Indiegogo.

If you have any sort of worries if this board is able to withstand the pummel and punishment of your ride, take into consideration it’s made using 7-ply bamboo and fiberglass, giving it flexibility and strength for a rider up to 220 lbs. (100kg), so relax, but not too much as you will be tested on this soon-to-be-released not-so-toy. I wonder if it’ll be in time for Christmas because for $890 for the early bird, it’s a nice wish.