B-One Carbon Hercules Hidden Mode

The B-One Carbon Hercules has a hidden speed mode that I didn’t mention in the review. But before I get to that, I need to correct a mistake:

In the video I got confused about the ESC’s max current and said that it’s 50A. While the ESC hardware is rated for 50A, the ESC program limits it to 30A. The part of the video where I talk about that in detail has now been cut. Sorry about the mistake!

It is still an upgraded ESC from previous generation boards, particularly in the improved brake performance, but the current and voltage are otherwise the same as the 12S 30A boards from the uphill comparison video. (This board would likely have ranked near the top along with the other 12S boards.)

Hidden Speed Mode

When pairing the remote with the board, on the remote’s display you’ll be given the option to configure the board’s gear ratio and whatnot. The default gear ratio is 4.4 (66:15). If you change that 4.4 to 6.4, the ESC removes the speed limiter, upping the top speed from 45 km/h to around 50 km/h.

This affects the speed and distance calculations so the numbers you see on your remote become inaccurate if you do this.

There are a couple other features that I left out in the video but are worth a mention:

Tail light on/off

When you brake using the remote, the brake light will always flash, but you can control whether the tail light remains on or off when not braking by double-clicking the remote’s power button.

Motor detection

If for some reason you decide to change the motors, such as to more powerful motors or to direct drive, you can. Here’s how.

1. Plug in the new motors.
2. Make sure the drive wheels are in the air because they will spin during this process.
3. Turn off standby mode. (While the board and remote are on and paired, turn off the board using the board’s power button.)
4. Turn on both the board and remote. Once paired, immediately press the board’s power button 5 times.

If you did this correctly, you’ll hear an electrical squeal, and then the motors and drive wheels will spin in opposite directions. This will last for about 30 seconds. Once it’s over, you’re good to go.

If you decide to do this, you might want to double-check with B-One about the new motors’ compatibility before you get them. Most e-skate motors should work.

Standby mode

I actually did mention this in the video but only very briefly near the end. Standby mode means you can turn the board on or off using the remote so you don’t have to use the board’s power button.

When you turn the board off using the remote, it’s not actually completely off – it’s in “standby,” like your computer’s sleep mode. If you don’t use the board for 48 hours, standby mode turns off and the board becomes completely off. To turn it on again, press the power button on the board.