A2ESK8 Mini Cruiser | 30" Carbon Fiber Deck | Single Carvon V2 Hub Motor | 12s1p LiFePO4 | VESC

My original DIY Electric Mini Cruiser Skateboard still holds up quite nicely even after 6 months of hard riding and natural wear and tear. But as with all things DIY, parts can always be upgraded. I think I’ve hit the next phase of DIY where I’m able to port certain parts into new builds and experiment with different configurations because I’ve accumulated extras. One key feature that I wanted to improve upon was weight, so once again, I researched the right combination of components to make an already awesome commute even better. I’ve nicknamed this build - the A2ESK8 Mini Cruiser.

30" Hi5ber Ion 30 Carbon Fiber Deck Carvon V2 Single Hub Motor ABEC11 90mm Flywheels Custom 12s1p LiFePO4 Battery Custom ABS Enclosure Ollin Board Co. VESC Kaly 2.4ghz Nano Remote

Dialing in the VESC settings is critical for creating a safe and fun mini cruiser, especially after seeing a few friends get hurt. My original build was capable of hitting 31 mph but the sweet spot for a board this small is around 15-18 mph - more than enough for carving through a dense city filled with intersections and pedestrians. Also, the 12s LiFePO4 battery delivers a stronger punch than my 10s lithium ion with a more stable discharge and minimal voltage sag. As much as I enjoy releasing the full power and speed from a DIY eboard, there’s something quite satisfying about taming a mini cruiser eboard that has the ability to hurl you but won’t because you’re keeping it on a leash. But I digress - for all you beefy, power hungry dudes who only like riding face rockets, this build probably isn’t for you. But for anyone else - you can read my full, comprehensive breakdown article of this build here. Also, check out this little test video that we did on the campus of Eastern Michigan University - the perfect board for campus cruising.

https://vimeo.com/173304961

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This is just BEAUTIFUL Rik, keep it up! I thought your boards couldn’t get any better and they did :sunglasses:

Thanks man, that Hi5ber carbon fiber deck is really the secret sauce for me. Damn that thing is fun as hell even without electronics.

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Awesome battery pack! What charger are you using for it?

It’s just one of those generic laptop style chargers that outputs 43.8v

I may upgrade to this charger at some point http://www.batterysupports.com/36v-438v-5a-lifepo4-battery-charger-12s-12x-32v-life-charger-p-161.html

Alright, thanks. What kind of range are you getting?

Haven’t done a range test yet but I’m a lightweight 130 lbs and ride mostly on flats in a dense city so range will be fine for my needs. I’m having tons of fun riding this in the city because it’s nearly silent on FOC mode and the ultralight 30" carbon fiber is very responsive to carving.

Awesome build. Perfect inner city/ cross-transport solution.

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As always, beautiful build. You seem to love the mini cruisers, I reckon I would to. At 13, I don’t need a 42" board. I am doing Hummie’s hubs with 2x Vescs and jet spud for next build.

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Sweet setup… I was riding the jetspud recently and was shocked at how small it is lol.

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Hi @RunPlayBack, great build !

Did the nose guard come with the deck or did you attach it separately? Do you have any link to it if that is the case?

Thx

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Awesome looking build! Not to mention another great write up on your blog as well. I have to admit the benefits of lifepo4 are very enticing, I am surprised they’re not used more in the diy scene. How did you go about selecting the BMS for your pack? Wish I could see this in person!

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nice build, how much does it weight?

not too fond of the boosted 100Wh battery … this kind of limited range makes an eboard nearly useless for me. :neutral_face:

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Your builds are the only reason I’m considering a cruiser deck! How much riser do you have? I’m paranoid of wheel bite, but don’t want to be on a 4x4.

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Beautiful build :heart_eyes: are you selling your enclosures?

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I’m going to rebuild the Jet Spud at some point. It’s just such an interesting deck and that 10" concave is kind of amazing. It’s probably the only mini board I feel confident going over 25mph on.

The nose guard comes with the deck as well as the tail guard. It appears to be some kind of edge trim similar to this

I modded it slightly with a tail guard that I mounted on top as a footstop. It allows me to pop the board up a little easier because the kicktail is very mild.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skateboard-tail-guard-/221766292556?hash=item33a24d144c:g:wvQAAOSwv0tVS7mL

@CRABOLSKY I’m still testing LiFePO4 but it just seems to be more efficient at discharging, although its a bit more bulkier than 18650 cells. The BMS was a generic from Alibaba but I just got the Bestech one that @treenutter recommended which is a lot more robust. I plan to install it soon because it’s really well made.

http://www.bestechpower.com/384v12spcmbmspcbforlifepo4batterypack/products-2465.html

@whitepony weighs in at about 10lbs. I fluctuate between 125-130 lbs so range/power is hardly an issue for me especially on FOC/hub combo. The downtown in my city is pretty dense as well with pretty crappy streets so there aren’t a lot of places to hit full throttle.

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@popopopop I’m a lightweight so wheelbite is not really an issue. I do have 1/4"’ shock pads on it though

https://www.daddiesboardshop.com/khiro-1-4-shock-pad-large-skateboard-risers

@JLabs sure I wasn’t planning on it but I can if you want one. Shoot me a PM and I can share the specs.