75 mile follow-up
The headline is: I fucking love it so much. I feel like I’m falling in love with this board all over again 
Allow me to explain why, in excruciating detail:
The biggest change I’m loving is the extended truck mount/lowered standing platform. Holy shit, it’s so nice!!! Dropping my standing platform 8mm, putting it nearly in line with the axle, has completely changed how the board rides.
Steering is completely locked in at any speed. Low speed turning is greatly improved. High speeds make the board feel like it wants to “fall” into a centered/stable position. It absolutely EATS potholes and bumps at any speed, and snaps back to center with no drama. Oh, and of course carving is a dream.
All this is without me touching my bushings at all, by the way. They’re exactly the same as they were before the spring refresh (zero preload in the back, slightly negative preload in the front). I could gush about this all day, it’s that good.
I forgot how nice fresh Vicious griptape is! Its so aggressive, I feel totally planted. That, combined with the clean and extended front grip area, I have such excellent control over the deck now.
The printed wire channel/standing mat is growing on me. I was worried the unintentional w-concave was going to be a dealbreaker, and while I still dont love it, I’m getting used to it. Maybe that’s just cope because I dont want to remove the VHB though 
The VHB seems to be holding up great so far. No evidence of the adhesive coming loose or the foam substrate shredding. Seems like that was a good choice for this application.
These tires! OMG!!!
These Kenda 473 tires are amazing. They are really well balanced, and roll very smoothly. The grip is excellent both on the road and off. They are verrrrry comfortable over bumps and cracks. I’ve got them at 40psi, and they are feeling awesome without a noticeable impact on my efficiency. Haven’t got a flat yet, and I ride over all kinds of shit roads and debris.
We did some playing around in a grassy field, and it was such a blast. These tires with their deep tread have better grip and control than some off-road-specific tires I’ve used.
My only reservation is their longevity. After only 75 miles I cant be sure about anything of course… but they seem to be wearing a bit faster than my old tires. My old generic tires went over 200mi before the flashing and sprues started wearing off. They were gone off these tires in less than 50mi. I dunno if I should be drawing any conclusions from that, but it certainly isnt a great sign.
The bummer is, I like these tires enough to keep buying them even if they have shit lifespan 
and I really cant afford to do that. I’ll keep yall updated.
I did end up moving my wire hold-downs back to their original position, so I can back my ankle up to them without fear of stepping on the wires. I dont love how the wires are bunched up like that, but it’s probably fine and I’m not gonna drill any more holes to move the hold-downs again.
I’m so fucking happy with this board right now. It’s such a joy to ride, and I cant wait for CarveSEA next month!