Hi gang—I’ve been reading through the forum quite a bit, but I’m still well behind the general knowledge curve to be sure. I’m a 48 year old graphic designer with a casual long boarding hobby. Now I want to go electric.
I was led here after researching many pre-builts and determining the following:
- I’d like the ability to choose my own deck & some components—I want what’s right for “me”.
- I’d like to really learn more about the specifics & science—always achieved from DIY, not to mention the ability to replace, tweak & improve.
- I’m a parent, and although I have some discretionary income, spending a lot of money all at once is not in the cards. A piece-by-piece build fits my lifestyle better.
That said, because I’m a designer and not an electrician, I am trying to achieve a “plug-and-play” board of sorts, in the vein of one of RunPlayBack’s videos. Aesthetics & simplicity (from an assembly standpoint) are of major interest to me: So… here’s what I’m thinking
• MOTORS: dual hub motors (I live in Florida—no hills to speak of, and I want to maintain pushability & clean lines). Thing is, I have no idea what sort of hub motors are easiest—or available. I’ve looked into Enertion & Carvon, but they don’t seem available for sale at the moment.
• BATTERY: I love the idea of an all-in-one LIPo/power switch/meter component like Enertion’s SPACE Cells. I literally want to combine fewer components & do it cleanly.
• VESC: Honestly… I’m still reading up on this stuff. Pretty in the dark, but know I need (want) one.
• CONTROLLER/RECEIVER: same as above, really.
• DECK: Not sure yet on specifics, but a 38-40" longboard deck seems like my style.
• TRUCKS: I’d love to be able to use standard trucks (I skate on 10" Caliber 2’s right now), which is another reason I’m going hub motor & DIY.
WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH IT: Have fun. Carve. Cruise through backstreets & neighborhoods. Head up small inclines at a decent clip. I don’t need eye-rolling torque, or breakneck speed—but I definitely want some power & zip. Topping out in the mid twenty-something mph with ease sounds great. Most important to me though is smooth power transition… I’m a fan of fluid acceleration–I’m not racing. Solid braking ability would be a great thing, too.
Any insight on my initial thoughts would be great. I fully understand that this forum represents a wide range of interests and alliances—casual builders and business owners with their own products—I get that, and I welcome that diversity. I’ve seen some pretty big political rants in some of these posts, and I’m interested in the tech of things—not the “pick a side” of things. Research is first, but I’d love to get my act together by mid summer, so I can actually get out there too.
Thanks guys!