The Komodo Saga
This twisted and confusing “build thread” encompasses three four builds that began from the time, ideas, parts and mistakes made trying to build one.
It begins (and ends) with this deck:
The Komodo AT
A now discontinued MBS Pro 90 Kite board
restyled in black with custom lettering.
The concept for something still to come.
But before that board gets built, three more will come to exist.
The Komodo ST-H
The K2
The Scimitar
Good luck following this crazy mixed up Marvel Timeline-esque shit show of a thread, I’ve tried to include many pictures for your sanity…
The saga begins like no other… /s
…With an antsy noob who wanted a cool, deadly-fast board for as cheap as possible.
Expensive inspirations took place:
Credit: @kaly
Cheap concepts were visualized:
Materials were purchased:
Progress halts.
“Shit, maybe I should have thought this whole enclosure thing through first…”
~N00b Pivot~
Instead of solving a complicated flexible and narrow enclosure design, I took those parts and built this:
The Komodo ST.0
Komodo ST.0 Ingredients
Modified ABS Argonaut DS Enclosure
Because of the aggressive concave and rocker on the ZD40, angled reliefs were cut into the corners of the enclosure to allow it to conform to the deck. These will eventually be reinforced with ABS glue and skinned with fiberglass
10s 5000mah Battery from 5 x 2s2p Turnigy Graphene lipo hardcase packs
Namasaki Style
Based on a very beginner-friendly format made popular by @namasaki on the .builders forum, this design is what gave me the battery building confidence to dive into a diy build in the first place
-Bestec 80a Discharge BMS
-FSESC 4.20 Dual
-APS 200kv 6374 Motors
-TB218 Trucks
-Janux Idler Mounts
-SR 110mm 85a Rough Stuff Wheels
-15:36 15mm Gearing
-2.4ghz Mini Remote
Komodo ST.0 Initial Estimated specs:
-35.8mph loaded top speed
-17.5Nm Total max torque
-9.6mi Max range
The Komodo ST.1 (Thane)
The SR 110mm wheels were very unpleasant to ride and were replaced with MBS 100mm 78a wheels which were a moderate improvement.
The original 36t Alu wheel pulleys were replaced with Janux 38t POM
The latching E-switch mounted vertically in the rear clamp plate would unlatch suddenly during rough impacts, shut off the board and subsequently result in rapid unscheduled departures from the deck.
The 100mm MBS wheels worked nicely on pavement but provided very little comfort or traction on dirt paths, so an Evolve AT kit was donated from the Komodo AT
The Komodo ST.1 (Pneumatic)
This improved the off-road performance and feel of the ride immensely, but also brought the range down immensely.
ST.1 Estimated specs:
(Thane 2.53 Ratio)
-30.8mph Loaded top speed
-18.4Nm Total Max Torque
-9.6mi Max range
(Pneum 4.4 Ratio)
-31.0mph Loaded top speed
-32.0Nm Total Max Torque
-4.8mi Max Range
It ran for about 100 miles in this configuration and even went on (most of) a Mission Bay group ride with the Evolve crew and some SD peeps.
That group ride ended with a long walk back to the car with drained cells and loose motor mounts.
The battery was then charged to 80% and the board stored while maintenance and upgrades were slowly contemplated.
~Foreshadowing~
When the time finally came for some overdue maintenance, I discovered the pack was wildly imbalanced with several cells well below a recoverable voltage- likely due to the partial charge given to drained cells with a BMS that only balances at the top end of cell voltage during a charge cycle. Learnt.
Pivoting into ~N00b Stage 2~, a 12s4p NESE module is ordered as replacement with 50 30q cells and an LLT Bluetooth BMS.
An organic, locally sourced, non-GMO Unity was ordered from EnertionBoardsUSA with Prime shipping to replace the underwhelming FSESC 4.20.
These parts sat in boxes for nearly a year.
The delay was due to the fact that the deck had become noticeably warped, and it was preferable (at the time) to straighten and reinforce the existing deck and enclosure rather than buy a new deck and enclosure to move the build into.
The deck was easily straightened thanks to some clamps, a heat gun and this video:
The deck was not so easily reinforced with fiberglass and tinted resin thanks to an outdoor workspace plagued by relentlessly intense desert wind, dust and some thicc procrastination.
But eventually…
Aaaaand… deck progress halts here and has remained halted.
For like, months.
Long enough that the thicc and syrupy procrastination has settled into a deep, depressing lack of esk8 riding, which prompted me to initiate
N00b Pivot 3
It popped up in the marketplace with an enclosure for $150.
I saw it.
I said “shit, I could make that work”
I bought it.
It came with free beer.
I love it (and loved the beer)
Thanks @Agressivstreetlamp
Enjoy the Beer Thread Review
Unfortunately, the Hummie cutout doesn’t agree with NESE modules in a conventional 12s4p layout so those are gonna stay with the back burner ST~K2 rebuild.
For now
The cheapest and easiest battery solution apparent to me was the “20 Mile” Metroboard 10s4p flat pack for $150usd
Rewired for bypassed discharge
Mystery 2200mah cells…
I was never able to figure out which cell Metroboard uses in this particular pack, but I optimistically assumed they are at least capable of 15A each, and I’ve been running them at 60A total discharge for the battery with no issues to date
Removal of original leads is unnecessary.
Some minor expansion of the Hummie cutout was necessary with a router. Original cutout dims: 585x145x13mm
New cutout dims: 585x160x13mm
The mildly widened cut out was then coated with epoxy as a mild reinforcement.
Spontaneous sidebar to the original inspiration who waits in push-form…
…End sidebar
And so, out of frustration and a pile of repurposed parts, a Hummie Komodo was born.
I decided to spice things up a bit and give front wheel drive a try.
Short story short:
It’s sooo good.
The FWD Komodo ST-H.0
My first functional esk8 to be completed since the creation of the original ST.0
Ingredients
Donated from original Komodo ST:
APS 200kv 6374 motors
TB218 trucks
FSESC 4.20 Dual
MBS 100mm 78a Wheels
Janux 38t POM wheel pulleys
2.4ghz Mini Remote
New components:
Hummie deck
ABS Arc V2 SS Enclosure
Metroboard 10s4p 8.8ah battery
Bypassed 30a Metroboard BMS
BKB Fixed Motor Mounts
Metroboard 17t steel motor pulleys
Komodo ST-H.0 Estimated Specs:
(FWD 2.24 Ratio)
-34mph Loaded top speed
-16.3Nm Total Max Torque
-9.8mi Max range
The FSESC 4.20 began having issues not long after the transplant. One side of the dual would intermittently stop working mid ride until the loop key was pulled and everything was power cycled. Then it would work for a few seconds then quit again. I suspect an issue with the CAN BUS forwarding the throttle signal as both sides showed no errors via the LEDs, and only the side connected to ppm would illuminate when the throttle was pressed.
So the ST donated its Unity to the ST-H, and a Xenith was ordered for the ST~K2.
A Hoyt Puck was ordered to accompany the upgraded ESC.
The difference in power delivery and smoothness in acceleration between the FSESC 4.20 and the Unity running FW5.2 is immense. The board is a whole new animal with the Unity + Puck
The ST-H.1
Glamour shot courtesy of photographer gf
So now we’re all up to date and we look ahead to the prospects of tomorrow…
On the bench now is the K2
K2 Ingredients
-Customized Quest Zero Dark 40 Deck
-Modified Argonaut ABS DS Enclosure
-12s8p LG MH1 Battery by @Skyart
-BKB Xenith 5.2
-BN 10mm 270 trucks
-BN 5.2 AT Gear Drives
-BN 190kv 6384 Motors
-Trampa Phat Ladz Hubs
-Kaly 200x75 Phatty Tires
-Hoyt Puck
The deck is in a state of half-skinned limbo and requires more fiberglass on the bottom and a fresh coat of tinted epoxy all around.
I’m still debating between my usual grip tape style or going glass frit for this one. I’m leaning towards the grip tape so it’s more of a throw back to the original format this deck previously existed in
Anyways, I’m hoping for any form of feedback/advice with this ongoing shenanigans I’ve got myself into here.
This thread will be continuously updated as things progress and the remaining builds find their way to completion 
Thanks for reading!
” looks great bro!!
The Switchblade as well.
Cool guys, I just hate Facebook lol
