Direct Drive vs. Hub motors?

So Meepo announced their NLS a little while ago and Im a little confused on the Direct drive system. Isnt it just the same as the regular Hub motors?

Direct drive = a drive with no reduction. So yeah Hubs are Direct drive

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Hub motors have a thin sleeve of urithane between them and the road. This is because they are inside the wheel, and this also limits their diameter and width by the size of the wheel. Direct drive motors are attached on the truck, and connect to a regular wheel, and this allows for a more comfortable ride. Direct drive motors can also be longer because they are outside the wheel.

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True. I tend to just call hubs, hubs and CarvOn types direct, just easier to picture it that way…it’s either that or prong drives?

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Yeah they are both the same, just carvon style drives are more comfortable

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I think they manage heat abit better too being exposed to more airflow directly as seen with Carvon reducing the urethane sleeve around its motors for better cooling plus protection.

By definition they’re the same but by market status they are still different products. One allows more wheel choice, better cooling and the other allows for uhm… small sleeves of urethane…?

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Or even foregoing the urethane wrap altogether. With the thin sleeve my drives still get hot as hell after a good distance of hard riding. I’ve heard the newer ones don’t have as much on an issue with heat.

I do have to say I don’t miss full thane with my hummies. They do get warm but after going up a hill I am still able to grab my board by the back truck.

I’ve melted a couple urethane sleeves off the hubs doing a 12 mile ride on a hot day, haven’t gone back since! However, Dexter is sending me his new direct drive to test first so maybe I can be brought back to the darkside :grin:

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You saw the hummies hubs a little bit in action in Vegas. Those have less issues with thin urathene since the motor it self is longer and narrow, allowing for thicker thane.

When you compare it to say an abec fly wheel, the core of the motor is only 4mm in diameter more than the core of the abec fly wheel. So they are not that different.

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Never saw you have an issue riding up there, they looked like they rode great. Just had my own negative past experience with hubs is all.

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