Want to slow your roll? Or fast-track forward? Let’s get you up to speed on hoverboard speed control.
Using your body weight
Jetson hoverboards will sense shifts of the rider’s body weight to make slight adjustments in speed. To move at a faster pace, lean or tilt your body slightly forward and put pressure on the front of your foot while you are on the move. To slow down, pull your shoulders back and stand upright so that your body weight is again centered over the board. (“Lean” machines, right?)
It’s the same idea when you are riding backwards—just reversed. Lean back and put pressure on the rear of your foot to move faster, and come back to a more upright position while moving pressure to the front of your foot to slow down. (We’ve got more tips on how to ride a hoverboard here.)
Using Jetkart handles
When your hoverboard is being used in conjunction with one of our Jetkarts, your handles will apply weight to the hoverboard—mimicking the shifting of body weight. Pushing down (forward) on the handles will slightly increase the speed, and pulling up (backwards) on the handles will slow it down.
Changing speed modes
Some Jetson hoverboards also have pre-set speed modes—two or three, depending on the model. (Not sure if yours does? Check out its user manual.)
Our “easy/beginner” speed modes are preprogrammed with a low maximum speed and are a good choice if you’re new to hoverboarding—or just want to take it slow. “Medium/intermediate” and “fast/advanced” modes will allow you to ride at a swifter pace (and earn lots of mph bragging rights). Many of our hoverboards use different illuminations of their indicator lights to communicate what mode the board is set in at any given time.
If your hoverboard is one with multiple speed modes, you’ll change from one to the next in one of two ways:
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Push-button control: For some of our models with multiple speed modes, you’ll use the hoverboard’s power button to cycle through them. In the case of our Strike hoverboard, you’ll do that by standing the hoverboard upright on its wheels so that it is positioned vertically. Then, while in that position, quickly press and release the power button to move from one mode to the next.
The hoverboard that comes with our Impluse Jetkart Combo also uses the power button to cycle through modes, but for this one you can change modes with the hoverboard resting flat on the ground.
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App control: Some of our hoverboards are compatible with and controllable through the Ride Jetson app, which can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices. For those, you can change speed modes with a few finger taps in the app. (Power in the palm of your hand!) You can switch modes in the Settings section of the app, where you can also set a different maximum riding speed.
Some of the Jetson hoverboards with this capability are the:
- Flash
- Hali X
- Impact
- Input
- Rave
- Stereofly
- X10
One last note before you take off: Certain factors—including a rider’s weight, roughness of terrain, and weather conditions—can affect your hoverboard’s ability to reach maximum speed. You’ll be able to cruise the fastest on smooth, flat surfaces.
Questions? Contact us. We’re here to help keep the pace.