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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
@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.
@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.