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Advise needed for mounting a drive wheel to a Flowboard. Kit suggestions?

Hello, I am planning to mount a internal hub drive wheel to the back of a Flowboard, a type of skateboard with 14 wheels mounted on two curved axles. The wheel would be mounted on a swing arm with springs connected from the swing arm to the tail of the board to apply downward wheel pressure and to allow movement of the wheel up and down. The board leans up to 45 degrees into turns so the tire should be curved for optimal contact with the concrete.

I would like to mount the battery and controller on the bottom of the board if possible. If there’s not enough clearance I think carrying the battery in a backpack could work. I would also like a pistol grip wireless speed controller if possible. I want it be capable of speeds around 20 mph with the ability to climb moderate hills. 

Any advice on the best kit/package for this project would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks! Morgan

For a 20 MPH top speed, you will need a 500 Watt or lager hub motor. Since the top speed of a wheel with hub motor is not changeable, one with a top speed of 20 MPH will need to be sourced.

We do not currently carry the type of parts that you will need for the project. however, we have seen them available online. It sounds like the combination of an electric scooter wheel with hub motor plus an electric skateboard speed controller and handheld remote control would be needed for the project.


A search online should point towards sellers of these parts. We can help with determining compatibility between the motor, controller, and battery pack, once you have them sourced. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess I don't really know how fast I need it to go. I don't want to risk my life, I just want to simulate carving on a snowboard or surfboard. Maybe a little less or a little for speed than 20 mph would be good. Then there's the torque question that I'm not sure about. Maybe quick power response at slower speeds would be good. The speed control can be a basic one with a spiral cable, either pistol grip or thumb operated. 
Maybe I should find a used Razor or similar scooter for the project, just to get an idea of what I'm aiming for. I'm a little impatient to get it done though, but at the same time I don't want to spend a lot then find out it's a bad idea altogether.

That should have read 'maybe a little less or a little MORE speed than 20 mph would be good'.

If you find a used Razor electric scooter that works then it would have everything needed for the project. Its twist throttle could be mounted on a piece of handlebar that was cut off which you could hold in one hand and twist with the other, or you could buy a thumb throttle for it to mount on a piece of the handlebar which you could hold and operate with one hand, this way you will be able to move your arms around for balance which I think you would need to do. I recommend a Razor E200 or larger scooter so it has a 250 Watt motor with variable speed control and 15 MPH top speed. The E100 scooters only have one speed, need to be pushed walking speed before they will start, and are pretty slow so they would probably not be a good choice.

Thanks excellent advice. Thanks a lot for taking the time and not trying to sell me more than I need!

I'll be searching 'thumb throttle' on your site shortly.

Cheers,

Morgan.

One more question if you don't mind. I found a Razor e300s on Craigslist for $115. I see that new ones retail for a little over $100 more. Can you tell me if I would be able to source similar basic components for my project for a comparable price? I'm guessing it would cost considerably more.

Thanks! Morgan

The cost to buy all of the new parts not including the frame and handlebar would be the same or more than buying a new E300 scooter, so buying a used scooter would be less expensive. The thing to look out for with a used scooter is the condition of the batteries because the scooter could run fine for a 2-minute test ride but then you could find out that the batteries only run for 5 or 10 minutes once you get it home. $115 sounds a little high unless the batteries have just been replaced and the seller has a receipt to prove it. Maybe you could negotiate the price to $75 if it does not have new batteries or wait for a less expensive one to be listed. We just picked up a nice Razor SX500 dirt bike with bad batteries for free on Craigslist so amazing deals are out there if you wait for them.

Thanks a lot. You've been so generous taking the time to clue me in. I seriously hope I can pay it back buy patronizing your store!

Hello, so I built the motorized Flowboard and I'm pretty happy with the results. I still have some tweaking to do in order to eliminate some wobbles that happen in the back end when I'm making turns. The addition of car hood dampers has helped in that regard. The E300 scooter I used has a throttle that's non-variable, which makes the ride a little more interesting, given the jerkiness it causes. I would like to buy a variable speed thumb throttle from you. I'm also wondering if you can advise me of a way to convert it to run lithium batteries. I found a video online of a guy who 'hacked' his razor to run batteries for a cordless drill but I'm not sure I'm feeling that ambitious. I would like to get a little more speed out my E300 motor too, if possible. Do you have a speed controller that would make that possible? I'm attaching some hastily taken pics.

Thanks a lot! Morgan.

We replied to your new topic regarding this at the following link: https://support.electricscooterparts.com/support/discussions/topics/1000086485

I bought the controller and throttle. Thanks again for the tips. Please extend my apology to Levi for the awkward phone calls the other day. Somehow my billing address was changed with my bank. Levi repeatedly tried to explain to me that my billing information was not a problem on your end and I got sort of uptight on the phone. 

So I'm in the process of connecting the new speed controller and throttle. I have hit a few snags, the first being that the red and black brake lever switch connector wires have female terminals identical to the female terminals of the black and yellow wires on the controller. Is that just a matter of replacing one set of wires' terminals with male parts?

Also, I'm stumped by how to make the connection with the red and blue key switch wires of the controller to the e300's on/off switch, which has two thick red wires with a thin black wire going to the battery charger connector. The terminals on the thick red wires are larger than the terminals on the red and blue wires of the controller. Could it be that the SPD-2430-B is incompatible with my particular e300? 

Thanks! Morgan.

Razor scooters have wiring harnesses, connectors, and wire polarities which are typically only compatible with the original controller.

Installing an aftermarket controller can be done by attaching different connectors onto the scooter's parts and reversing the connector pin polarities where necessary, or by using adapters. We carry both connectors and adapters so either installation method can be performed using our parts.

The connectors needed for the installation are located on this page: https://electricscooterparts.com/whitewiringconnectors.html

And here is a list of the adapters needed to make the SPD-24350B controller be plug-and-play with the Razor E300 version 13 and up electric scooter:


Installing new connectors on the brake and battery pack, reversing the polarity of the charger port and motor connector, and making an adapter for the switch should only take around $2.00 of parts. The connectors require soldering or using a special crimp connector tool that we sell at this link: http://electricscooterparts.com/whitewiringconnectors.html#connector-tools


If installing connectors to perform the installation then the SPD-24350B controller's wiring directions will need to be followed which are located at this link: https://electricscooterparts.com/hookup/SPD-24350B.htm


The adapters cost a lot more than installing connectors however they make installation a plug-and-play job instead of it requiring installing and reversing the polarity of connectors.

That's great, thanks a lot!
Now I'm working on the next generation, a pic of which will be attached. I put a front wheel from another Razor scooter in the center of the board to test the ride characteristics. I was planning to mount a e300 wheel and motor/ batteries but decided that cutting the wheel hole to 6 inches wide versus the current width would compromise the torsional stiffness of the board.


 Now I'm thinking about mounting a motor with a small urethane or aluminum wheel to the underside that would be pressed against the Razor tire. Either that or an internal hub wheel. I like the minimalist aspect of an internal hub but after I see a cost comparison of each package I may go with the less expensive approach. I would like to have some braking ability, which I could have if I went with the e300 assembly. I'm wondering if there would be much inherent braking on deceleration with either of the drive wheels I have in mind.


I know you don't carry internal hub wheels. As for the direct contact motor, small urethane wheel against Razor tire, concept can you help me choose a motor that would propel the board to maybe 20-25 mph? I would want to use lithium batteries as well. 


Thank you! Morgan


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