- Lacroix Hypertrucks
- 8" Kenda Tires, Rockstar2 Hubs
- Kaly.NYC XL Deck (Hard Flex)
- Kaly.NYC 5.0 Enclosure, stamped bucket style aluminum.
- Foxbox Unity
- 2x 6389 10mm shaft sealed 190kv motor
- 17/18/20:72 Belt Drive
- 12S9P Samsung 30q battery
- DieBieMS
- OSRR
Witnessing the coming of LoveChild into this world has been an odd sensation to behold.
Strangers will often stop me while I’m out riding and ask:
"Andrew, what is that gorgeous machine you are so elegantly perched upon and also how are you this handsome? You must work out."
After sharing a few hair care & workout routine tips (never skip Ankle Day), I continue on my stylish way until this situation inevitably repeats itself in a few minutes.
So needless to say it’s been an adjustment period.
My build methods tend to lean towards minimalism and I feel the pictures do explain the process pretty well, so I’m going to share some observations & lessons learned during the build & riding experience, and how some build decisions panned out vs others.
What Worked:
- HyperTrucks - These are a game changer for me. In my mind they are clearly built for street over AT/off road, simply due to their wide stance & design intent focused on higher speed carving. I am still running the softest bushings that came with it (@Arch thinks this is silly), once broken in these have become the very lively - coming from heavy use of spring trucks its nice to still get that with bushing blocks. They are far more responsive than yellow shockblocks on MBS. At high speeds, these trucks are the most stable and give me higher rider confidence than any other channel truck I’ve ridden. I’ve maxed out at 43mph on LoveChild going downhill and stability was not holding me back at any point.
- Excessive Silicone Potting of the batteries/internals - So far it’s rock solid, and not a thing has come loose. The board is dead silent from vibration noise; not a single noise from it aside from the tires & motors. Thanks @Sender for sending me off the deep end with this methodology.
- DieBieMS - This continues to impress me as an option when you have the space to fit one in. I have these used in 3 boards total now and have come to rely upon them. Minus one minor issue (later), these have worked flawlessly for me. Unity AS switch is jumpered/bypassed and using DieBieMS RollToStart/Power button.
- Maytech 6396 190kv Motors - I have a tendency to destroy motors. Ask @torqueboards. The pair I’ve been using showed up to me second hand and a bit beat up, but they continue to perform. I do hear one of them with a bearing starting to go out, but I’d estimate the motors themselves have 4k+ miles on them at this point and have not been treated gently. Well done on these Maytech, the large secondary bell bearing really helps longevity/durability. Experimenting with some lower KV options next month.
- Double sided Neoprene Enclosure Seal - I’ve not been careful about keeping this board dry, and have continued to ride it through the PNW Fall/Winter Season (read: Rain). I doubled down on my enclosure seal efforts by sealing inside/outside with electronics grade silicone. Not the prettiest thing up close but really helps create a strong moisture/rain seal in conjunction with 1/2" neoprene on each side of the deck + enclosure buckets. Only opening I have is for power button + XLR charge port.
- XLR Charge port - Holy shit. All my builds are getting these moving forward. Unfortunately this makes me charger-compatible with OneWheelers, which makes me feel dirty, but the port standard is very robust, available in IP67/68 outdoor versions, and capable of up to 20amp of current.
What Didn’t Work
- DieBieMS Power Button - Ugh. My one gripe/issue with this build is an erratic power button input on my original DieBieMS. I disconnected it and just used RollToStart, but even since it’s been replaced I kind of wish I had just left the power button out of the equation entirely as RollToStart on the DieBieMS works flawlessly for me. Less ports of ingress the better.
- Kaly 4.0/5.0 Aluminum Stamped Enclosure - It’s clean and it can hold a ridiculous amount of batteries, but 4 months in and I’ve dented it in multiple places from handling + riding. Not sure how well it will hold up in the long run, overall the aluminum used simply feels too soft/thin.
- Belts - These actually work great. They just aren’t perfect for me given how accustomed to gear drives I have become. Luckily there are ways of fixing that sort of thing.
- Samsung 30q - Why did I build a 12S9P with 30qs? Because I had excess inventory of them and I’m lazy/pragmatic to a fault at times. I kinda hate 30qs at this point. They sag to an extent, even on 9p config, I am moving on to bigger cells in the future.
At this point I have about 3k miles on LoveChild and I can confidently say it’s become one of my favorite boards of all time. The size and wider stance of the HyperTrucks is very appealing to me, and the 35/35 end angle of the Kaly deck, firmer stiffness, shorter wheelbase, and gas pedals really differentiate it from how a Nazere handles for me. I love the more aggressive snappy response this setup brings, and am excited to see how the build continues to evolve.
