Frequently asked questions

The Nova. It's 4 kg light, tops out at a friendly speed, has four speed modes so you can grow into it, and the built-in deck handle makes it easy to carry. If you already skate and want more, the Phantom is the natural step up.

The Spartan and Relentless are both rated to 150 kg with the power to actually hold speed on hills at that load. The Phantom and DNASkate V4 carry up to 120 kg. Heavier riders should always size up on motor power - a board at its weight limit loses range and climbing ability fast.

Hub motors (Nova, Phantom, Spartan, DNASkate V4) sit inside the wheel - quieter, near-zero maintenance, and you can kick-push if the battery dies. Belt drives (Relentless) put the motor beside the wheel with a gear reduction - more torque for climbing and off-road, at the cost of some noise and occasional belt replacement.

Match the board to your round trip with buffer: under 10 km round trip, the Nova works; 10-25 km, the Phantom or DNASkate V4; beyond that, the Spartan's 720 Wh pack means you charge every few days instead of every night. Use the Range Lab on our Buying Help page to model your exact commute.

We're a small Joburg crew rather than a chain, but message us on WhatsApp - when stock and timing line up we can often arrange a demo session in Johannesburg.

We ship with The Courier Guy: typically 1-3 working days to main centres (Joburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban) and 2-5 working days to regional areas, from the moment your order leaves the warehouse. You'll get a waybill number to track the moment it's collected.

All stock ships from our warehouse in Johannesburg. We currently deliver anywhere in South Africa. For neighbouring countries, contact us first - lithium battery shipping rules across borders are strict, so it's case-by-case.

Use the Track Order page with your waybill number, or the link in your dispatch email. If anything looks stuck for more than a day, WhatsApp us and we'll chase the courier directly.

Yes - our boards ship in protective packaging that meets courier requirements for lithium-ion goods, and every pack has BMS protection against short circuit and over-discharge in transit.

No. Electric skateboards aren't classified as motor vehicles under the National Road Traffic Act, so there's no licence, registration or insurance requirement. That also means they're not treated as road vehicles - ride them where personal mobility devices are appropriate.

Rules are set locally, not nationally: most municipalities allow riding in parks, estates, promenades and quiet residential streets, but attitudes to busy public roads vary. Check your municipal by-laws, and treat pedestrian spaces with respect - ride at walking pace around people.

Legally it's a grey area; practically it's non-negotiable. At 25-45 km/h a fall without a helmet can be life-changing. Wear at minimum a certified skate helmet, and add our riding gloves - hands hit the ground first.

The Nova in its slowest mode is suitable for responsible teens under adult supervision. We don't recommend any electric skateboard for young children, and the faster boards are strictly for adults.

Roughly 2-5 hours depending on the pack - the Nova's 118 Wh charges fastest, the Spartan's 720 Wh takes the longest. At current Eskom tariffs a full charge costs only a few rand - orders of magnitude cheaper per kilometre than any car.

Three habits: avoid storing it at 0% or 100% for long periods (store around 40-70%), charge indoors at room temperature, and use only the supplied charger. Do that and you can expect several hundred full cycles before noticeable range loss.

Not really - charging is flexible and a full charge fits comfortably between stages. A basic smart plug schedule (or just charging when power is on) covers it. Never charge from a generator with unstable output.

No - lithium cells deliver less energy when cold. On a Joburg winter morning expect roughly 5-15% less range, recovering as the pack warms up. Our Range Lab has a temperature slider so you can see the effect before you ride.

Every board carries a 6-month local warranty covering manufacturing defects on the motor, ESC/electronics, battery and remote - assessed and handled by our certified electronics, battery and motor technicians in Johannesburg. No shipping things overseas. Wear items (wheels, grip tape, belts, bearings) are excluded, as is crash, water, terrain or negligence damage and unauthorised modifications.

Yes - you have a 7-day cooling-off period from the day your order is delivered (your right under the ECT Act). The board must be unused, unridden, undamaged and in its complete original packaging. Log it on our Returns & Repairs page, we arrange the courier collection, and once it passes inspection you get a full refund. A board that has been ridden outdoors can no longer be returned as change-of-mind - it moves to our paid Service route instead.

Photograph the box and board before anything else, then log a Damaged / Faulty on Arrival ticket on the Returns & Repairs page within 7 days of delivery, attaching clear photos and a short video by email. We pay the courier to bring it back, our technicians assess it, and if the fault is genuine you choose a full refund, replacement or repair. If assessment shows the damage was caused by riding or misuse, the claim is declined and we'll quote you for a paid repair instead.

Yes - through our paid Service & Upgrades route. Log a Service ticket on the Returns & Repairs page, describe the issue, and ship the board to us (inbound shipping is for your account). Our certified technicians assess it and we send you a written quote - the technician's cost plus our service fee. Nothing happens until you approve and pay. Once the work is done, we pay the courier back to you - and if it turns out the job can't be done, we still pay to return your board.

Everything starts on the Returns & Repairs page. Pick the path that fits - 7-Day Change of Mind, Damaged / Faulty on Arrival, or Service & Upgrades - fill in the short form, and you'll get a reference number plus instructions to email your photos and videos. We confirm the next step within one working day.

It depends on the path. 7-day change of mind: we arrange and cover the collection. Damaged / faulty on arrival (valid claim): we pay the courier both ways. Paid service & upgrades: you cover shipping to us; once the work is done (or if it can't be done), we cover the courier back to you.

Yes - out-of-warranty work is quoted upfront: the certified technician's cost plus a Journ-E service fee, and work only starts once you approve. Wheels bought separately on the site are fitted by you - installation, configuration and compatibility are the customer's responsibility - though you can book a paid install through the Service route if you'd rather we do it.

Customisation is deliberately limited to keep boards safe and warranties intact: wheels only, on request and subject to fitment (rear drive wheels on hub-motor boards are motor-specific). Motor, battery, ESC and remote modifications aren't offered - our technicians will assess electronics, motor and battery repairs, but not performance mods.

Assessment happens within 3-5 working days of the board reaching us, and you get the outcome in writing with photos where relevant. Approved refunds go back to your original payment method - allow 7-10 working days depending on your bank or payment provider.

Riding damage - impacts, terrain damage, water exposure, reckless riding or negligence - plus unauthorised repairs or modifications, missing parts or packaging on a change-of-mind return, and normal wear on wheels, grip, belts and bearings. If a claim is declined, we'll always offer the paid Service route as the alternative so the board still gets sorted.

PU street wheels: when the urethane wears visibly uneven or below about 80% of original diameter, or after a big flat-spot. Honeycomb airless wheels last longer but should be replaced if the structure cracks. Grip and braking degrade before wheels look 'finished' - don't wait for the last millimetre.

Often, within limits - bigger wheels add comfort and top speed but reduce torque and effective range, and clearance varies per board. Rear drive wheels on hub-motor boards are motor-specific, so always check with us before ordering drive-wheel replacements.

Yes - wheels, belts for the Relentless, remotes, chargers and grip tape all ship from Johannesburg with the same 1-3 day courier times as boards. No 6-week waits on a slow boat.

No - and we'd rather be upfront about it. Journ-E stocks standard, non-motorised replacement wheels only. Hub-motor drive wheels (motor built into the wheel), dual-drive sets, and belt-drive wheels, pulleys or belts are board-specific parts we don't keep. If yours is damaged or worn, WhatsApp or email us before buying anything - our technicians will tell you honestly what can and can't be done.

You do - wheels purchased on the store are fitted and configured by the customer, and we're happy to guide you on WhatsApp. Prefer not to? Book a paid installation through the Service & Upgrades path on the Returns & Repairs page: you cover the courier to us plus the quoted fee, and we cover the courier back.

Checkout runs through Payfast, South Africa's most widely used gateway - cards, Instant EFT, SnapScan, Zapper and Mobicred. Manual EFT/bank deposit can be arranged for larger orders (boards ship once funds clear). Every payment is processed over a secure, encrypted connection - Journ-E never sees or stores your card details.

Yes. Payments are handled by Shopify's PCI-compliant checkout with Payfast, you're covered by the 7-day cooling-off right on delivery, every board carries a 6-month warranty, and we're a registered South African business you can reach on WhatsApp, email and our contact page - real humans in Johannesburg, not a faceless storefront.

The moment your parcel is collected you get a shipping email with your Courier Guy waybill number. Track it any time on our Track Order page, or straight on The Courier Guy's site.

It's optional - your 6-month warranty runs from your delivery date either way - but two minutes on Register Your Board puts your serial and delivery date on file, which makes any future claim or service ticket much faster and settles "when does my warranty end?" instantly.

Everything lives in one place: the Store Policies hub covers shipping, returns, warranty, service & upgrades, wheels & customisation, payments, riding safety, privacy and terms - the same policies linked at checkout.

Honestly - no, and we won't pretend otherwise. We're a small team with certified electronics, battery and motor technicians, but limited stock, parts sourcing and capacity. Some repairs (especially drive wheels, belt hardware and non-Journ-E boards) simply won't be possible. Log a Service ticket or message us first: we'll assess, quote only what we can genuinely and safely do, and if we can't help, we'll say so straight and still courier your board back on us.