Backfire G3 Upgrade(s) VESC, Remote, Motors

How-Tos & Esk8 mechanics Esk8 Mechanics
#1

Okay, my 10 yo son and I have been sk8’ing for a month or so now and I desperately need to upgrade my G3 to bigger and better. I have some questions and hope that knowledgeable threaders will/can help. Listed by number:

  1. Can I upgrade the ESC (originally Hobbywing-specific on G3) to a VESC and new remote?
  2. Can I program the factory Hobbywing ESC somehow to juice up the motors somewhat for hill climbs?
  3. What motors will work with this thing?
  4. Can I simply buy an off-road kit and use the batteries that are already on the board? I know that the range won’t be great, but I need to make it up a hill here in NE Tennessee

What would you all do to upgrade this thing cost effectively (<$500) for off-road or not?

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#2
  1. Yes you can. That would run you about 200-300 euros. Maybe more maybe less.
  2. Not sure about that but I would not recommend it. The esc is probably rated for x amps so probably not wise to overclock that.
  3. Hubs, yes but would not be an upgrade. I guess all motors will work but then you would need to get new trucks with motor mounts.
  4. You could…but once again would not recommend. I believe the battery is a 12s2p 21700 which maybe outputs 30a max? That is not enough for off road.

I don’t think it is possible to upgrade this board to offroad cost effectively. I would just buy a new one or build a new one.

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#3

After all the time and money, it would have cost the same to build a new board. And then you’d have a spare.

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#4

Like the others have said, a new build is the most cost effective lol

You’d essentially be replacing everything on the board except maybe deck, enclosures, and drivetrain

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#5

I’m a big Backfire fan. But I have to admit there is nothing you can do with a stock G3 to make it hill climb anywhere near Johnson City. Them’s some brutal hills.

In the stock setup, voltage sag is the likely cause of it crawling uphill. You can’t really fix that unless you outboard a well built 12s4p or 6p pack of P42A Molicels. That’s $500 right there. You’ll be able to double your uphill speeds from 5 mph to about 10 mph. Then the biggest issue will hub motor overheating, or ESC overheating…

#6

Amazing answers … thanks. I’ll build one or buy a 12s5p or better with VESC and proven motors.