Best Electric Longboard DIY Kit - How To Make Your Longboard Electric
Skateboards, as well as longboards, have been popular for a few decades now - skateboarding even has a culture of its own. So, it’s no ordinary surprise that there are more and more electric solutions for boarding and strolling down the city.
Electric longboards are new in the world of the electric rides, and you might even be tempted to trade in your beloved board for a shiny, new e-skate. This is where we come in with our idea - how about DIY kits?
Can I make my longboard electric?
Sure you can, it’s not even that hard! If you have a little bit of time to spare (or kill), it could be fun to learn how to build it yourself. There are even some full DIY kits available.
In case you haven’t heard of DIY kits, they are basically a do-it-yourself kind of kit, to make your old faithful skate or longboard into the electric-powered one. There are a few parts that are essential for making the longboard go electric.
The basics are a hub motor, wheels, and a motor controller. There are so, so many of these parts available on the market, making it super hard to choose.
Luckily, you don’t have to. We picked it out for you - the hub motor kit, the motor controller, and the wheelset. So, for those who love tinkering, let’s get right on it!
The Best Hub Motor Of 2020 - Flipsky 6384 Brushless Skateboard Electric
Our Verdict:
Weighing at a little more than two pounds, two and a half to be exact, this motor is easily bolted on any longboard, without adding too much weight - and we all know important that is. A longboard that is too heavy can be hard to stop once you’re skating down a steep slope.
This unit is powered by 4000 Watts of power - which is more than enough to create a powerful DIY unit, even more powerful than any model offered by a commercial brand.
This motor can allow you to reach up to 42 miles per hour. Keep in mind that this is well over any city limits. This is the number-one motor if you’re leaning on the heavier side pounds-wise. You will still be able to reach a solid speed, which is a good thing if you’re ever trying to beat the morning rush.
At 8 Nm, torque got us going, to be completely honest. A good hub motor doesn’t exist without good torque. The motor itself is pretty robust, so it’s a reliable product you’re sure to use for at least a good while. The powerful braking this product has is something every longboard has to have if the main purpose of it is for street rides.
Maximum durability is ensured by the lamination. Lamination is made of Japanese steel. Sturdy shaft and steel made this motor dustproof. Remember to check all the connections when you’re buying a motor for your electric skateboard - if it’s not perfectly closed at all edges, the dust can be lethal.
The only flaw of this motor? Since it’s rather powerful, it’s not exactly what you would call quiet. It makes a noise when operating.
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The Best Wheel Set Of 2020
Our Verdict:
IWONDER’s wheel set is a set of four wheels and a pulley. By far, this is the best wheel-and-pulley set available on the market, today.
The number one characteristic of a good wheel set is how good the wheels absorb the vibrations from the road. The average range of an electric longboard is at least 20 miles, and if the wheels don’t take in vibrations well, it will result in the ride being unreasonably uncomfortable.
This is all thanks to a damping foam core technology. These cloud wheels are perfected with damping foam, so they absorb even the bumpiest of roads. Remember to always check out the wheels when you’re out for a DIY kit because you want the ride to be as enjoyable as possible - nobody uses an electric skateboard because of convenience.
So, this is, without a doubt, a great product, as it will assist you in reaching a higher speed. The wheel core is an advanced version of the entries, which is something we have to congratulate. The development is astonishing - now the core is made of super-strength composite, so it has more impact resistance.
Unique treads and the curve of wheels make sure you don’t slide off if you’re steering through the skid. So, if you’re caught in the rain on your board - you’re still safe!
There are two wheel sizes available - 105mm, a medium-size, and 120, a large size. If you’re a beginner, we’d certainly advise you to pick the larger size, as it’s easier to keep a balance on large wheels. On the other hand, smaller wheels are of assistance if you want to cut sharp corners. There are eight available colors, so you have a good variety to choose from! However, IWONDER would certainly benefit from including a 90mm wheel size in their offer.
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The Best Motor Controller Of 2020 - DIYE 2.4GHz Mini Wireless Remote Control
Our Verdict:
This one is of the latter type, it’s ergonomic, so you’re able to get a good, comfortable grip when you’re out skating. The high-quality plastic material ensures long-lasting use of the controller. It’s even splash-proof, to further ensure the durability.
What most users experience as a problem with their controller is the lag between the control and the speeding or braking. Luckily, this remote has a 2.4 GHz receiver, so the lag is so minimal (because lag is inevitable), you won’t able to even notice.
Some remotes can be rather bulky in size, but not this mini-sized. It fits in virtually any pocket once you park the skate and rest for a while.
DIYE mini remote allows you to steer the skate left and right, forward and back. You’ll be glad to know that it’s highly responsive and sensitive to the command given.
The package includes one radio transmitter, a receiver, and the instruction manual. What we found to be a flaw is that the remote is charged via USB, but a charger cord is not included in the package. Buying all parts needed to build your electric longboard can be time-consuming, everyone would prefer not to think about the little things like this. Overall, an amazing product, but the package would certainly benefit from a USB charger.
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Advantages of making a DIY electric longboard
There are a few advantages to doing it yourself. Let us start by saying it’s not what you would call easy peasy, but it’s not rocket science either. Take the instruction manual in one hand, and the YouTube tutorial in the other - and you’re good to go!
It saves you a lot of money in the end, because it may take a few days to put together the electric skateboard, but it will save you even more than $1000 if you plan carefully.
Plus, you’ll have more power over the components. When you buy a commercial longboard skateboard, you can only pick from a few models of a certain brand. Either way, there is not much freedom to pick the exact product you like. That virtually never happens with DIY longboards, because you’re free to choose every component yourself.
What about those who don’t feel like tinkering?
Well, we have to keep in mind the audience that isn’t so crafty or so well-managed in their time to have a good few days to spend on picking out the parts. And that’s not even the end - then there’s more time spent in making them all work together on a traditional longboard. We feel you, it can be time-consuming so, we ought to help you out.
For you, we have this all in one kit. It has all the necessary parts for you to do the full conversion from a traditional, to a full modern longboard skateboard. This is by far, the best DIY kit we have for you in the year 2020.
