Would you mind helping me start out?

DIY Builds
#1

Hello fellas, i am completely new to the subject of building your own electric skateboard. After a tad bit of research and price related reasoning i think it is the best for me to go with a singel moter or hub moters. I live in a country with literally zero hills or mountains. Bud if i made my choice to go with a singel moter or hub why am i on this forum? Well there a lot of questions i have and thinks I don’t really understand ( many becaus i am quite young or haven’t had any lessens in electrical theme’s). I also am on a pretty thight budget of around 600 euros (around 650 dollar)
I could pay 700 if needed, bud would prefer to stay around 600. The things i am looking for in an electric skateboard are mostly speed and good looks, for the range 8 or so miles will be more than enough.
Because i am so new to this i dont even really know where to buy certain parts, i am sorry for that and wil ofcourse continue my research bud i thought maby u guys could also help me out.
I live in the Netherlands, that is maby good to know for shipping prices.

So Just to specify i am looking;

  • fast speeds ( 28+ miles an hour?)
  • good looks (my definition of this is as sleak possible, so now top containers or big extensions)
  • a range of maby 8 miles?

Thanks a lot guys i have been reading your discussion and didn’t really wanted to start my own bud couldn’t really find anyone who is in the same situation.

If u have any questions please feel free to ask i will reply as fast as i possibly can.

And also sorry for the possible language mistakes i am not so good at English
Thanks yall🙃

4 Likes
#2

I forgot to mention that i already have an longboard where the components could be mounted on.

1 Like
#3

Hi there!

I would take a look at some of the prebuilt options on the market if you are just getting started.

Many of them fit your budget and will check all of your boxes.

Diy can get pretty pricey once you start factoring supplies, tools, mistakes, etc.

Ownboard, meepo, and several other companies have been around for a good while. You could start off on one of these and if/when you outgrow it, you will be ready to tackle a full diy.

One for example

8 Likes
#4

Hey man! Welcome to the forums. I by no means am an expert but having built 3 boards now i would consider myself applicable to aid in your research. So, some things you have to consider when building a board…

Deck
Trucks
Wheels
Enclosure
Battery
ESC
Controller
Motor(s)
Etc…

Really the fiest thing you should worry about on this list is your deck, because that will designate what enclosure you can and cant use what space you have for a battery, if there is clearance for bigger wheels etc… so add the deck you already have to your post, and if you dont want to use that do a bit of research if you want a large deck like a dropthrough or something smaller. After this is settled then you should worry about an enclosure followed by a battery. In this order you can make sure the enclosure fits and then find a battery that will fit inside it comfortably with room to spare for an ESC and other things like a power switch. Keep in mind you also want room for padding ideally in here and some waterproofing around the edges. After that is done then if you choose to go with hub motors you can avoid most research for mounts trucks and motors because they are 3 in 1 essentially. They overheat easily but on a budget (like yours) they ate probably the way to go as this build is gonna be hard to stick within that budget as it is. Then lastly you should consider wheels probably somehwere around 100mm thane but it varies so much. Also dont forget protection (this should really be the first thing you by, because this is a dangerous hobby). But welcome to the forums, i hope this gives you a base to start. There are so many great people on here way more knowledgable than i am, but there are also youtube videos about building boards step by step and many threads on here detailing the process. Be sure to check some of them out.

P.s. this board probably wont end up looking “amazing”, budget prebuilts often look far better than a custom built under like 1k because you dont have extra money to buy aesthetically pleasing parts.

Edit: I do agree the prebuilt section or even the used section of this forums may be a great place to start, because you will save A LOT of money and get much better preformance per dollar than building it yourself.

5 Likes
#5

Show us a picture of your existing longboard so that we can tell you what will work with it or not :slight_smile:

Since esk8 is illegal in the netherlands, you might want to keep your board stealth looking, so that it doesn’t draw much attention. Hub motors would be the perfect choice, especially since you have godlike cycle paths there. Since you’re on a budget, a less powerful ESC like the maker x DV4 would suit you well.

Battery I recommend buying used off someone, since building / buying a new battery can be expensive, especially if you’re not after much range in the first place.

2 Likes
#6

I actually have another board if this one isnt good enough, because i have quite some experience in skateboarding

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Bud really really thanks that u guys give me such good advice and even so fast! I wil definitly look into a pre build one and maby even make an excel for prices or somThing. U all have already have helped me!

3 Likes
#7

Klaas, via http://esk8.world
Kan je de NL eskate groep joinen op WhatsApp.

Eng:

Brother, you can join the NL WhatsApp through this link.
They can help you out, also a lot of stuff for sale available.

6 Likes
#8

I don’t think anything from this board can be reused except the bearings & deck, which looks cheap anyway. Best if you left this as a spare board / sold it off to someone when you no longer use it.

#9

Oh alright, thanks for the advice

#10

Personally I would not go the way of Meepo, Ownboard or the like.
I would suggest starting as I did:

This one you can get fully built or as a kit you can put together over a weekend or two.
Then you’ve have a board with a VESC controller, and commodity battery so you’ll be well positioned to start making changes in the future if you want to, and if something breaks (something always does eventually) you will not be at the mercy of some people in China to send you some part.
I mean, yes all the parts are still available from China, but you are not beholden to Meepo to get you some dumb proprietary antispark as is happening to a friend of mine right now. Or to get some battery with very specific Ownboard dimensions or something like that.
;
(Props to esk8.news and @Justaguy who gave me this advice in my similar thread:

It was the right advice for me I think.)

1 Like
#11

Ah sorry I reread your original message. 700 euros is not enough for this board. In this case, yeah maybe a Meepo or the like actually is the right answer.

3 Likes
#12

Haha no problem, bud thanks for the advice many if i have enough money i will look into it

#13

With the specifications you’re after I doubt you’re gonna be able to build a quality board for 6-700EUR.
I’ve spent more than 600 EUR just for my battery and enclosure just to put the prices in perspective.

I’d recommend you check out the pre-built alternatives. They are cheaper and will probably fill all your beginner needs. My first board was a used Backfire Ranger X1, a brand I really recommend.

If you still wanna build your own, you’re probably going to have to track down used parts to fit your budget.

#14

Welcome!

My humble 2 cents if you want a bang for the buck specs board and fiddle DIY with it (improve the deck, trucks, get quality bushings, even wheels) and still fit all of it into your budget :

Buy a Lycaon GR

Electronics and battery deliver way more than you are asking for at a small part of your budget. Tried one, startup torque for a hub pre built is surprising and @City-Blade-101 knows the full story :joy:

ESC is Ling Yi style. Batteries are like 30+km range from standard. Enclosure is full metal, which is sturdier than the usual plastic Meepo / Wowgo etc use.

Hubs are reliable and solid too. You can trust your drivetrains with these things.

However stock trucks and all are really shit tier in my experience. But given you wanna DIY, here is the full picture for you :+1:t4:

You could find a Lycaon for less than 400-450 and use the rest of your budget for upgrades.

Paris Trucks hangers and baseplates 50° front and 43° rear for example, Riptide bushings + pivot cups @RipTideSports can tailor advise you on your choice so your board acts and feel exactly as you want.

There’s actually a full Sheet of most RKP trucks available with inter compatibility I can send ya.

You will still have spare budget for a sweet deck, either cash out for a new one or you could always grab something amazing second hand on here, on kleinanzeigen or private listings and just change the grip for a new one. Bustin, Rayne, Arbor, Prism, Pantheon, Landyatchz the list goes on.

If you still have money left you can upgrade your wheels and bearings. Zealous steel bearings are a candy for your ride.

3 Likes
#15

Yet another vote for a prebuilt.

DIY is really unlikely to be cheaper spec-for-spec especially at this low of a price, and double-especially if you’re going to need to acquire any of the DIY tools and supplies to go with the build.

It can be done, but it is rare and difficult, and maybe impossible for a first build.
Going with a prebuilt that you can modify and upgrade later is the best option in my eyes.

4 Likes
#16

Wow thank you so much i think i am going for this one

2 Likes
#17

WELCOME DUDE!!!
Thats excactly the way i got into DIY .
Started swapping pre build budget boards first and upgraded just trucks and stuff. And…best part is you can go FWD then. Its much better for many readons imho specially on hub motors.

2 Likes
#18

dutch:

Voor als je toch nog graag de diy route zou gaan.
I woon in België en heb nog wat materiaal rondliggen waarvan een deel zit in een oude single motor build (200km gereden). Verder maak ik ook zelf mijn battery packs en ik zou er ook 1 kunnen maken voor jou.

wat ik heb en wat ik er voor vraag:
van hobbyking
-esc: turnigy sk8-esc V4.12 : 50€ (oudere vesc versie, gebruikt maar in goede staat)
-motor: turnigy sk8 5054-195kv sensored : 50€ (gebruikt, in goede staat)
-aftstandsbediening: 20€ (gebruikt, in goede staat) https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hobbykingr-tmhk-gt2b-3ch-2-4ghz-transmitter-and-receiver-w-rechargable-li-ion-battery-1.html

voor de batterij die ik kan maken: de batterij zal beschermd zijn met fish paper en kapton tape (ik heb geen schrinkwrap), de aan/uit schakelaar zal met een xt90s loopkey zijn. Ik zou werken met nieuwe samsung 40T cellen tenzij je een andere voorkeur hebt. De prijs is een schatting van deze cellen uitgaand. De rijafstand is een inschatting op basis van de esk8 calculator die je kan vinden op dit forum (11,2 wh/km).

10s1p: met een 40A discharge bms en een 4A lader: 140€ (12.9km)
10s1p: met een 40A discharge bms: 110€ (12.9km)
10s2p: met een 40A discharge bms en een 4A lader: 190€ (25.7km)
10s2p: met een 40A discharge bms: 160€ (25.7km)

12s1p met een daly discharge bypassed bms: 130€ (15.4km)
12s2p met een daly discharge bypassed bms: 180€ (30.9km)

Als je alles zou kopen heb je enkel nog nodig: een deck, goede trucks+wielen, motor mount+ belt drive en een enclosure (+ lader als je een optie zonder kiest)
totaalprijzen:
met lader
-10s1p: 260€
-10s2p: 320€
zonder lader
-10s1p: 230€
-10s2p: 290€
-12s1p: 250€
-12s2p: 310€

De prijzen zijn nog licht onderhandelbaar maar ik vindt dit zeer redelijke prijzen.

english:

In case that you do decide to go the diy-route.
I live in Belgium and still have some stuff lying around of which part is incorporated in an old single drive build (200km use). Furthermore I build my own battery packs and I could build you one.

what I have and what I’m asking for it.
from hobbyking
-esc: turnigy sk8-esc V4.12 : 50€ (older vesc version, used but in good shape)
-motor: turnigy sk8 5054-195kv sensored: 50€ (used, in good shape)
-remote control: 20€ (used, in good shape) https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hobbykingr-tmhk-gt2b-3ch-2-4ghz-transmitter-and-receiver-w-rechargable-li-ion-battery-1.html

For the battery that I can build. The battery wil be protected with fish paper and kapton tape (I don’t own any schrinkwrap). The on/of switch would be an xt90s loopkey. I would be working with samsung 40T cells unless your preference would specify different cells. The range is an estimate based on the forums esk8 calculator (11,2 wh/km).

10s1p: 40A discharge bms and a 4A charger: 140€ (12.9km)
10s1p: 40A discharge bms: 110€ (12.9km)
10s2p: 40A discharge bms and a 4A charger: 190€ (25.7km)
10s2p: 40A discharge bms: 160€ (25.7km)

12s1p daly discharge bypassed bms: 130€ (15.4km)
12s2p daly discharge bypassed bms: 180€ (30.9km)

If you buy everything all you would be needing is a deck, apropriate trucks+wheels, motor mount+ belt drive and an enslosure (+ charger iff you go an option without it)
totaal:
with charger
-10s1p: 260€
-10s2p: 320€
without charger
-10s1p: 230€
-10s2p: 290€
-12s1p: 250€
-12s2p: 310€

The price is somewhat negotiable but I consider it to be very reasonable.

sorry for the sales pitch people

2 Likes
#19

Hi guys its been ahwile but i have purchased a pre build board y’all suggested to me. Seriously cant wait.
Thanks for the offers, bud il keep it at this for some while. Will definitely come back on when its time for some upgrades😉

5 Likes
#20

Awesome! Which one did you go with?

5 Likes