Long range riding on the Onewheel with the Vamp Kit

6 min read

It’s the new way to extend the Onewheel’s battery range without stopping to juice up or dealing with unwelcome kickback.

Long range riding on the Onewheel with the Vamp Kit
April 15, 2019

Long range riding on the Onewheel with the Vamp Kit

The mods for Onewheel boards have come a long way since the Original Onewheel V1’s back in 2014. With mods to install for tricks, fenders to protect the tire and concave footpads for more grip and control, the opportunities to personalize your board to make it your dream ride have never been better. But what about the problem every frequent rider has - how can the OW battery range be increased without stopping for a charge halfway through your ride?

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The Ego EXTENDER V2 for VnR Vamp N Ride Complete Kit from SonnyWheels could be the answer. It’s the latest in the Ego battery extension range via the ‘Vampire method’ through the controller box - a fast and easy way to ramp up the OW’s battery range and get in some gnarly distances! It’s a hot topic on forums such as Reddit so read on for the lowdown on this sick piece of kit...

 

The V2 Vamp Kit can be seen with the velcro straps on the right.

credit@oneradwheel

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How does it work exactly?

Despite the name, the only juice sucking going on is from the Ego battery to the stock battery. Simply put, the Ego battery acts as an external battery for the board’s stock battery, juicing it up when it’s fading. The Ego battery is simply hooked up via a cable that comes with the kit to the XLR port for charging and the stock battery gets topped up. On group rides, or riding with a friend you can also hook up your Ego battery to their boards providing:

 

–They have a Plus or V1 Onewheel.

–If they have the Plus, the Plus hardware version is 3206 or lower.

 

This particular kit (V2 Vamp Kit) attaches the battery to the OW fender with velcro, straps and hooks, meaning it can be taken off easily if needed. The batteries themselves come in various sizes, for example the BA1400 2.5Ah Battery adds 2x range to your ride and the BA2800 5.0Ah Battery adds 3x to your range. Maybe you can find a rider with a Onewheel rental on Friendwitha to see if you can try before you buy.

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Here are some of the batteries you can purchase at the Ego website www.egopowerplus.com.

 

credit@egopowerplus

 

There’s also an Ego backpack version that’s available on Sonywheels too and a Greenworks Complete Kit for the XR.

 

What do I need to start?

First get yourself an Ego Battery. Next is a hard bolt on fender, but there’s plenty of reasons to get a OW fender aside from just being a nice mount for the battery. The Ego batteries aren’t cheap but they’re damn good. Despite looking like a Ninja Turtle weapon, they’re bursting with some pretty sick specs for humans on Onewheels too.The batteries are Arc-lithium, water-resistant and also contain an Integrated fuel gauge so riders can check out juice levels as they ride. They’re made with a Keep-Cool battery technology that keeps each of the cells cool, living longer and still ticking over even in the most extreme of conditions.

credit@homedepot

 

There’s no need to fret about the battery over-discharging or overheating either as the Ego comes with a patented power management system that keeps the battery pack performing (and safer) for longer. If we look at the 5.0Ah Battery for example, when charged with the EGO POWER+ rapid charger it is fully charged in 40 mins, with the EGO POWER+ 56-Volt charger it takes 100 mins, but it can be charged with a Onewheel Ultracharger too if you want to keep costs down, it takes maybe 3 times longer. All batteries come with a 3-year limited warranty which is pretty rad.

 

credit@oneradwheel

 

What does the kit come with?

The Ego EXTENDER V2 for VnR Vamp N Ride Complete Kit (fender) comes with:

 

–VnR Cable with Posi-Taps.

–Extender adapter cable to be inserted into EGO battery.

–Curved plate with velcro to be placed in center.

–Reinforcement 36" strap with hooks + 1 extra to be connected to fender.  Will cover 2.5AH and 5AH.

–24" strap for EGO battery.

–2 X small straps to hold VnR cable to rail.

 

credit@sonnywheels

 

How is it installed?

It’s best to watch Oneradwheel’s Jimmy Chang explaining the differences between the V1 and V2 Vamp kits and how to install the V2 video as it provides a lot of details and a step by step installation walkthrough. OW users say the installation is basic and fast, simple enough to do at home.

 

credit@oneradwheel

 

Here are the actual instructions that come with the V2 Vamp kit.

 

What are the pros of the V2 Vamp kit?

There are actually a bunch of benefits of the V2 Vamp method. Riders will be thankful there’s no opening up the battery compartment and having to get to grips with it and also no need to wait for the stock OW battery to reach max before plugging in the Ego battery. They can be charged at the same time. What does this mean? A lot more juice plus more torque, as the Ego battery is handling some of the power demands. Pretty sweet.

 

There’s no need to drill holes in the fender or attach the parts with screws with the V2. The battery height is adjustable on the fender and the metal plate is low profile. Riders can swap batteries on the go and they can also easily ride with the fender clear again by simply removing the battery attached by velcro (only the little velcro pads remain) on the fender. The whole system is made from quality parts that are well designed. Check out Oneradwheel for a great and detailed article on the V2 and a summary of the other extended battery products out there.

 

Any cons?

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that most of the worry that surround external batteries for the OW centers around safety. Those that do tricks worry it’ll weigh the board down and the battery will get scratched up if the OW flips or skids. Some riders worry about the risk of shorting if the cable is damaged. There’s a more in depth conversation here about some of the (perceived cons) of the V2 Vamp kit on the Onewheel forum.

 

credit@sonnywheels

 

All in all...

We get it. All this kit on top of what you spent on your board is making you think is the Onewheel worth the money? And that depends on you as a rider. If you commute to work everyday and enjoy long rides at the weekend, then for sure it’s worth it for you. What this kit can do is make your rides longer, support your friends’ boards on group rides and give you a piece of mind that range is pretty much covered wherever you go (within reason). It doesn’t take long or require professional knowledge for you to install the V2 Vamp kit, but those that worry about safety may decide that dealing with that much power from a mod that isn’t made by Onewheel isn’t worth the gamble. Word on the street is that it’s safe from those that have used it, but when it comes to safety, it’s a choice only an individual rider can make for themselves. Happy riding!

 

Do you have a V1 or V2 Vamp Kit? If so, how has it changed your riding range? Would you recommend a Vamp kit?

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