KOMODO Build | Customized Zero Dark 40 Deck | TB 218 trucks | 200kv APS 6374 | 10s2p Graphene "Namasaki battery" | FSESC Dual 4.20

Just stepped off the first ride on this thing and felt it’s finally time to share the story thus far.

First things first, I want to say that this online community is such a wealth of useful info and helpful people from all over the world, it just blows my mind seeing humanity united over a hobby(lifestyle really) like this. I want to thank everyone who’s ever posted on here because you never know who will benefit from your smallest insights into this awesome hobby. I certainly found answers to questions I didn’t know I had in almost every thread. I came to this forum with very limited if not zero electronics background and some minor skate experience and in less than a year came out with a crash course in electronics, rc, battery building… everything esk8. That being said, I have to say I owe this build to @Namasaki. Without his thread on building a High powered 10s Lipo battery pack I probably never would have gained the confidence to actually buckle down and attempt something like this.

So thank you Namasaki you are a gentleman and a scholar and I love you :sparkling_heart:

Alright, mushy stuff out of the way let’s get down to the components:

My goals for my first build have shifted and warped so many times for so many reasons it’s hard to say what I initially set out to make. Honestly my first and only goal was to make a board that was fast and looked “cool as shit” because what else would be worth the effort. So I started buying parts that looked good like the MBS Pro 90, Maytech spring trucks, Evolve Pnuematics… etc. Once I gathered enough parts to mentally piece things together I could see some glaring issues start to appear, so I switched from the initial MTB deck to the ZD40 to simplify the build and get me up and running sooner.

So here’s the final components used:

-Deck is a Quest Zero Dark 40 hill bomber I picked this because it’s wide and looks “cool as shit” https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Skateboards-Downhill-Longboard-Skateboard/dp/B01H755BFE Once I got my hands on it I stripped it down to bare wood, then stained and sealed it and repainted it with a big lizard because those are cool

-Trucks are TB 218mm’s… I feel like those are self explanatory. Swapped everything out with Riptide and the ride quality was drastically improved (I’ve since changed that bushing configuration to be more carve-friendly)

-Angled risers ~85a I needed a bit more distance between the trucks and the deck in order to fit the components for the volt meter, charge port and power switch which I knew I wanted to be top mounted through the drop thru slots. The angles also help balance out the steering geometry since the deck has a bit of “droop” from end to end. Its Declined in the back(which makes it about level) and inclined in the front which adds to the already slightly inclined steering I need to trim those bolts down…

-(Sigh) The wheels… Slick Revolution 110mm 85a Rough as shit wheels… @brenternet, you were right sir I now need some dental work and a new set of testicles after my first ride on the street. Holy shit are they stiff. Every little crack and pebble fires a shockwave through my brand new system, up into the deck, my knees, aforementioned man parts, teeth, eyeballs… they even shook one of my @marcmt88 mounts loose and those things were CRANKED on with properly cured loctite. I wanted to love them but they are now temporary as I wait for a set of black MBS 100mm’s to arrive. Unfortunately this also means I’ll need a new set of wheel pulleys as the ones I got from banggood don’t fit the MBS cores (surprise surprise) but, this also means if you’re into the Rough Stuff wheels they DO fit quite nicely, which is why I kept them at first. I’m looking at @jlabs modular wheel pulleys now since they are cool as shit and will fit right in.

-DIY Clamp plates (X-things) So I loved the idea of the original x thing, from @akhlut I think? And decided to cut my own out of some scrap 3/16" aluminum plate I have

I just used a cad template I drew up to guide my janky saber saw then smoothed them out on a grinder and drill pressed the hole sizes. The volt meter window was more of a pain since I could only remove so much with circular form of the drill bit and had to come back and hit it with some force from a rectangular file :smirk: Also added a layer of 1/16" neoprene to add some cush between the plates and the deck

-The battery

HK Graphene 5000mah 2s2p 90c x5 wired into a powerful 10s2p brick of lighting under the gracious and thorough tutelage of the man @Namasaki I cannot express how happy I am that when I finally set down the soldering iron and took a step back, holding my breath and sweating profusely as I turned on the power with a stick from across the room, that this whole project didn’t just explode into flames and sparks in my tiny studio apartment. The lights came on, and could breathe. I no joke paraded the board around like baby simba in front of my gf while she’s trying to watch her shows.

-The VESC So, amidst the recent flipsky hype I got myself a smaller than expected FSESC dual 4.20 instead of my original plan of 2 focbox’s. After a fairly long wait to get it in hand, the negative reviews started pouring in… this was very upsetting. I was ready to box it back up for the shelf and save it for a loaner build… but then comes along another esk8 saint, mr. @mmaner with his review of the flipsky which proved, at least in the realm of 10s that they are reliable within certain parameters and actually performed halfway decently for their very accessible price point. So after seeing this I confidently picked it back up and continued onwards with the build. After a quick test ride (following the simba parade) with the settings at:

Motor current max: 30a Motor current max brake: 30a Battery current max: 50a Battery current max regen: 40a

The results were adequate, but underwhelming due to the hills in my area. So I came back to the computer and bumped the settings up to:

Motor current max: 40a Motor current max brake: 40a Battery current max: 50a Battery current max regen: 40a

This led to a much more impressive result (for me, a first time rider) I still need to mess with some throttle curves, but even with 40 amps this thing really picks up and moves. It’s nowhere near powerful enough to start on and incline and accelerate, but it definitely packs enough juice to handle some steep ass hills in my area once it’s moving. I am looking into Bluetooth modules and the metr app to log some data and actual speeds, but if I had to guesstimate I’d say today on my first “out in the world” ride I hit at least 30mph very quickly on level (and rough as shit) streets. Worth mentioning I have experienced no cut outs or faults at 40a and I pushed this thing pretty hard today with a couple full throttle starts and hard braking from ~20mph. (This is all in BLDC, haven’t tried FOC yet) I may bump it up to 50a just to see what the cut outs are like (if it even will cut out) all in the name of science and higher speeds.

All in all I freakin love this board and it has far surpassed my initial expectations. I still need to thermoform my enclosure, but I will continue to update this thread as I make more progress, and adjust settings to squeeze out as much power as possible from this little monster :smiling_imp: IMG_0941

25 Likes

Dang that board looks great blacked out. And excellent job on the x-things plates. What motor mounts are you using? Great write up too!

2 Likes

it looks really stunning! :grinning:

1 Like

Thanks! :grinning: the mounts are from @marcmt88

1 Like

…which I told you to leave them on the rear position. :wink::yum:

Also… :dragon:

@257

Once I got my hands on it I stripped it down to bare wood, then stained and sealed it and repainted it with a big lizard because those are cool

Don’t forget to tell them (very few ones) that is not any ‘lizzard’, Komodo actually reffers to the Komodo Dragon…a huge Iguana on steroids!!

2 Likes

Haha yep you were right about rear mounting the motors :ok_hand: looks way better.

And yes of course I mean no disrespect to the dragon lol. It’s a mysterious and majestic creature, just like me :nerd_face:

1 Like

Great build brother, looks awesome.

2 Likes

Super cool built, you need to come to Indonesia to make a race with the dragon :grin:

3 Likes

:rofl: I know this feeling. Nice build!

2 Likes

Do yourself a favor and run those new mbs wheels over a belt sander to take a tiny bit off and they will feel waaaaay better than those rough stuff wheels.

1 Like

Rough Stuff Wheels are like stones.

1 Like

I :heart: @Namasaki too

4 Likes

nice holes!

yeah I said it

4 Likes

Nice work. Looks beautiful :smile:

1 Like

Omg reading that sounds awesome lol, however in reality if I ever got near enough to one of those to actually make it chase me on a board I would no doubt go down in history as the esk8er who died screaming and crying like a water buffalo

1 Like

Thanks Mike you’re the sweetest :kissing_heart:

Been waiting to see this build since the pic thread teaser. Awesome fit and finish man. Look forward to the enclosure.

1 Like

Thanks man! :grin: It’s a great thread to dip your feet into the forum lol

I’m pulling together a junkyard vacuformer right now with an old quartz space heater, a shop vac, and some mdf to form this 1/8" abs sheet. I’m betting it’s not going to get hot enough but I’m attempting it anyway since it’s stuff I already have and therefore free :+1:IMG_0962

2 Likes

If it works them I’m on it. Have all that shit downstairs. Good luck.

2 Likes

For science :metal::face_with_monocle:

1 Like