Planning a lightweight street build

Hey guys, I’m planning on building a street board for commuting, and I’d really appreciate some part suggestions. My vision is of a longboard with a fairly stiff deck, drop-mounted RKP trucks (probably caliber, but I’m open to alternatives), and ~100mm PU wheels. Weight and maintainability are the top priorities. Below are some components that I’d love people’s input and part suggestions on (though feel free to comment on anything else lol).

Drive System
I’d really love to use gears if possible, but I suspect weight will be too problematic. If anyone has any suggestions for lightweight drive systems (ideally with a durable metal case and light POM internals), I’d love to hear them. These motor mounts for a belt setup are my top choice right now. Pulley suggestions would also be useful. I run HTD5 for my mountainboard, but finer belts do seem to offer better reduction.

Battery
I haven’t yet decided which chemistry/cells to use for the battery, but I know I’m targeting 200-300 Wh capacity (in a 10S or 12S setup, since I’m using a Stormcore 60D+ ESC). I have some lithium polymer packs on hand that I could attach a BMS to, but I’d prefer to get a more energy dense lithium ion pack from a competent builder.

Enclosure
I think a mono-enclosure is probably the way to go here. A ribbed design plus a modular battery to accommodate flex would be awesome, but I’m not sure how easy those are to come by. Since I’m trying to get a small battery anyway, I don’t think I have to be super particular here, though whatever I choose needs to be pretty low-profile because of the drop mount.

For motors, I’ll probably be going with 6355s. I’ve had good luck with Flipsky, so that’s my frontrunner. I don’t think I want to go down to 50mm cans, but I’ll consider it if I can get enough gear reduction.

I think getting a pack from a competent builder is a great idea.

For a commuter board you use for work, I would stay away from plastic gears. They’re not as robust as metal.

If you want to keep it light, then only build a vehicle that goes about twice as far as you need it to. Using a grossly oversized battery will kill your dreams of it being light. As a battery ages, its capacity can degrade a little bit. Also, keeping the battery current turned down can help range, longevity, and reliability. 20A battery current per motor is really plenty and it can have a high range and be very reliable, using parts that other users run far more power through.

Also order of operations can help you greatly.

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I work remotely, so I’m actually not planning on putting so many miles on this setup, but that’s a good point. I’ve had pretty good luck with POM gears in the past.

Sorry, I don’t follow.

Sorry, question was for @b264 since he’s openly supporting thieves now. I’ll delete.

I finished building my first serious board this year which is focused around street only. I wouldn’t say the board is light weight(maybe it is compared to other builds out there) but this is what I ended up building. Maybe my specs could help you make some choices

Deck: 42" Fiberglass/bamboo Rayne Demonseed
Enclosure: @eBoosted/Eboardsperu SS enclosure
Battery: 12S5P p42a 21700 SS made by @Skyart
ESC: Stormcore 60D(with upgraded mosfets)
Motors: Reacher Tech 6385 173kv
Trucks: Front Caliber 50° baseplate and BN270 hanger/back BN Adjustable baseplate @ 40° and BN270 hanger
Motor Mounts: @IDEA mounts(best mounts around imo)
Wheels: 6" Sunmate Pneumatics with BKB Hubs(I know, I know…)
Gearing: 60/15 or 4.00. tops out at ~30-32mph with lots of torque

I don’t have a scale but estimate the board weight at ~35lbs. It’s not the lightest thing, but it’s not super heavy either.
This is my only form of transportation I have and it has served me well. I’ve done over 1100mi on this board since finishing it in February 2022 and absolutely love it. This thing is definitely a street machine and has been holding up to my abuse fairly well. If I follow Vesctools battery settings, I get about 26mi on pneumatics. I’m sure I can get more out of the battery, just haven’t tested it past vesctools default cutoff values




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Everytime I see a Rayne deck I think to myself “why you not got one them yet” looks great bro! Clean build, question tho, why did you chose to top mount and not drop through? Clearance thing?

Edit: looks like wheelbite might be the reason

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Mainly clearance with the wheels and deck longevity, but also for ride comfortablity. Wheel bite is an issue on this board using AT wheels no matter how you mount. Wish it had multiple wheelbase options kinda like the Rayne Nemesis has

I’ve seen lots of broken/snapped noses on drop thru boards around here so i made the choice to top mount. This way, the noses are not bearing the full weight of the rider + battery and whatever else. Also, Why be close to the ground if I’m not actually pushing the board?
I also wanted some extra cushion to my ride and used a 1/8 rubber shock absorber.

I am a die hard Rayne fanboy. Absolutely fell in love with my nemesis and once I saw the Demonseed shares the exact same board profile as my gateway nemesis I had to have one.
I fully recommend picking one up at some point! Go straight for the Fiberglass/bamboo construction tho. Pass the maple version up imo.

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All good reasons. And I bet it’s still stable as heck.

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Incredibly stable. No flex to her at all. I keep this board maxed around 30, but I’ve done 40mph on the nemesis with no worries. Run split angle and you’ll never catch a case of speed wobbles

1000mi so far on the Demonseed and the deck shows no signs of de-lam or cracks.
I’ve put ~2000mi+ on my nemesis with the same results. Rayne can really build a sturdy deck

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+1 member of the Rayne fanboy club here.

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TKP’S would help this a good bit, the axels sit further out.
Also, wheelbase extendor plates are an option.

Been working through these issues myself with DS44 build

:100:
Maples are shit lately

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I would highly recommend getting gear drives from @Boardnamics . Kevin also stocks FS 6354 as well as some really strong and light parts.

Doesn’t hurt that the prices are fantastic as well for what you’re getting.

Whats your target weight here? Because when I read lightweight commuter, a 35lb AT board is not it AT ALL. But whatever your target weight and range requirements will dictate the rest of the build.

Sub 20lb PU? Maybe go single bn gear drive with a 6374, MAD 105s or momentum hollows for the weight savings, and then Spec the battery to the remaining weight allowance.

Alright going into the 30lb range? Dual 6355s EASY, plenty big battery, and AT wheels are probably on the table or dual belt/gear drive with your choice of wheels.

Dont even bother looking at 50mm motors. Nobody is making decent mounts for them anymore, and theyre really hit or miss on mounting patterns.

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~20 lbs is the weight target. I’d like to go lower, but I don’t think that’s realistic with 100mm wheels and decent-sized motors. The torque ceiling for a single 6374 is going to be a bit too low IMO (plus I already have the dual ESC), so I guess I’ll be going with belts for this one.

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His gear drives are great, but they’re really heavy. I think I’m stuck with belts lol. That’s fine.

Thing is, the hubs+tires don’t really weigh that much more than certain urethane wheels
Most of my weight comes from the battery and motors.
If you want a light board then your going to want a small battery and motors.

Eh. I guess. Im also one of the like 3 people here vehemently opposed to pnuems in general. possibility for flats, tire maintenance, balancing, its all just :face_vomiting: The worst streets i deal with are just fine on my 105s, and the hollow wheels weighing about the same as cags could be a fantastic weight savings.

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Pneumatics might not weigh a ton more than PU, but they do require bigger pulleys, longer motor mount arms, and wider trucks, which adds up a bit. They also make the board a lot bigger.

Personally, I just don’t like pneumatics on asphalt either (I have a relatively light AT DIY that I use for jump parks and trails already). Not badmouthing anyone’s preferences lol, but I’m going to stick to urethane for this one.

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I fell in love with the cushion pneummies provide.
Maintenance is a pain in the ass but once they are set up correctly, they get a lot easier to maintain. I went from having multiple flats a week to wearing down the tires before the tubes go bad.

However, I am excited to try out the new hollow wheels once the shipment arrives! I hope the ride comfort is comparable to 6" pneumatics