MBS DWII First Impression

MBS Dylan Warren II First Impression

This is a first impression of the DWII. image image TLDR

The MBS DWII delivers a more comfortable and predictable platform to electrify at a better price point compared to Trampa. This however comes at the cost of the board not being as lively and as surfy.

I will be dialing in the board in the following weeks including trying the various shock block setup to see if I can find the balance of ride feel and stability. I will also be putting the larger 170kv torqueboard motors on. I’ll update this post with any significant finding (here’s your cue to bookmark this :D)

Background

My Trampa based build had been my daily commuter.

It’s a great board for the pothole \ crack ridden roads of boston.

Very versatile, I have no problem keeping it under control at speeds up to 35mph and the flexy deck combine with spring trucks is a lot of fun to ride.

There are however a few drawbacks.

  • Although I can keep the board under control at decent speed but I have to actively work to keep it stable. The springs have great snapback but they do oscillate \ wobble.
  • Chamber is great for the board to act as a spring but it results in uneven pressure being applied to your foot and ankle. My foot \ ankle fatigues with longer rides.
  • Lack of concave makes it harder to turn. You have to lean, you need bindings. Hard carves are really hard to do without them

Enter MBS’s lineup

  • Shock blocks VS spring to help manage the wobbles. A block of thane\rubber does not oscillate like springs do. This also allows the location of the shock blocks to be closer to the center of truck which should allow for easier carving
  • Very light chamber should allow for more even pressure across the feet.
  • Asymmetrical concave should not just make the board more steerable but more comfortable as well.

First Impression

Again note that this is after 2 rides. I’ll follow up with a more detailed review after.

Comfort

As expected the board was significantly more comfortable to stand on. It felt close to a standard longboard. I did not miss the chamber at all and the concave was a good fit to the profile of my foot. I was surprised that even with a stiff deck I did not feel a significant increase in vibration VS the trampa. The tires and shockpads that came with the complete did a really good job dampening everything.

Control

Once again MBS delivers on the promise. The steering was predictable. I felt no wobble. Entering and exiting carves were smooth. The concave def help with the turning, I can steer the board more with just my foot as oppose to always having to lean. The bindings are excellent (Review here:https://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/mbs-bindings-first-impression-for-those-who-really-want-to-be-one-with-their-board/71900) and the griptape are like super glue. No seriously… these grip tape are nuts. They really hold you in place…. And will probably take chunk off your skin if you rub against them… Theres no moving or shifting around once you are locked in.

The Ride

So this is where it gets interesting. Everything is very buttoned up with the board which results in the ride in being almost a little muted. You can pump during the carve but because the deck is stiff you don’t feel it as much. You still hard carve but the rebound is linear and predictable as oppose to the snapback that you feel with springs. Its not as lively and if you are looking for a surfy feel the spring trucks actually does a better job delivering that.

Conclusion

The MBS DWII delivers a comfortable and predictable platform to electrify. I found that it delivered more comfort and greater control at a better price point compared to Trampa. This however comes at the cost of the board not being as lively and as surfy. There isn’t a “better” platform here. Once again you have to ask yourself what you are looking for. A good analogy for car lovers, do you want a pre Audi Lambo where you’d have to work to keep it under control or it’d rip your grinning face off or post Audi Lambo where you can trust it to do what you tell it to do and allow you to push the limit further.

Again this is without really having time to dial in the board which I would be doing in the upcoming weeks to see if I can find a balance between fun x control.

More Pictures here

https://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/no-words-just-pictures-delete-words-2/88821/479

Parts + Stuff

  • MBS DWII Complete <link>
  • Idea TD MBS mount with Idler <link>
  • Janux wheel pulley <link>
  • Custom CNC ESC box
  • Foxbox unity
  • Torqueboard 190 kv Motors <link>
  • 12s high discharge lipo
17 Likes

If you haven’t thought about it maybe look into getting a set of each of the blocks. I have a set of yellow, orange and red. I was surprised by how much of a difference they made in feel to me. Originally I thought because of my size I’d want the reds but I’m actually using a mix of yellow and orange and I like it a lot. All personal preference of course but food for thought. Nice write up

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Yub, thats the next step. I haven’t dialed the board in yet. Wedges and shock blocks are def items that I am looking to try :slight_smile:

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I haven’t tried wedging it yet. I should definitely look into it. Thanks

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Etoxx sells wedges specifically for mbs :wink:

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That was a good review. It’s well written, linier and non-biased. Good job.

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Thanks! :slight_smile:

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Great review! You answered many questions I didn’t want to bother asking

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I secretly read your mind :wink:

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Nice write up. That board looks sick as hell. I think your assessment is pretty spot on. I haven’t pushed the speed envelope much yet, but on my Comp 95 with Matrix 2’s, dewedged rear 5°, and only soft yellow blocks, the ride and stability feels rock solid at the 30mph+ mark. At ~200lbs/90kg, I expected some jitters with the soft yellow blocks at top speed, but I was pleasantly surprised. MBS does not disappoint. :metal::stuck_out_tongue:

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Ya I might try to get my hands on a comp 95 deck in the future for the flex. The shock blocks do work well. :slight_smile: Def not snake oil.

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Quick update. I am familiar with the board enough to really bind my foot down onto the deck. Shockblock setting tried: Yellow in front, orange in the back Yellow in front, Yellow in the back

Findings:

  • Shock blocks definitely helps with carving. Coupled with bindings I can make much tighter turns now.
  • There didn’t seem to be much impact on stability even with double yellow. I will be riding this setup for now.
  • The turning radius still isn’t as tight as trampa probably due to the 5 degree difference of the deck. (trampa 35 vs MBS 30)
  • I can hold my carves with ease now. Its like dealing with playdough (MBS) VS water (trampa).
  • The surfy feel is still no quite there which makes sense… waves are less controllable. Thats not what the shock blocks are designed to do.
  • Theres black magic with the dampening. I don’t feel the bumps… even though its stiff deck.
  • Deck has clearance issues, at maximum carve, the deck will hit the motor mount since its so wide. Gear Drive will probably be challenging here.

More pictures: https://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/no-words-just-pictures-delete-words-2/88821/558

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  1. do you happen to have STL files for the ESC box anywhere?

  2. what bag is that holding the lipos?

I don’t have the STL.

I had a guy take an existing aluminum box, did all the holes + powder coated.

Bag here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0725P7BR7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Appreciated :slight_smile: thanks for the good review too.

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hmm great write up but leaves me a tad concerned… I’ve just purchased this complete with the intention of fitting etoxx 4:1 helicals. what options do you think I might have if the deck hits the drive?

you can trim the deck. Check out @Nowind 's build image

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Im sure I can handle some trimming. Cheers

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Yeah just cut the edges

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@MBS Should I be worried about this crack? It looks like it is slowly expanding into the upper layer of the deck. It was small at the beginning.

IMG_6702

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