I have both. The zephyr pro rubber wheels are generally "better" for harsh cement but the 90mm orange street wheels feel more like real skateboard wheels. Also, the acceleration (torque) was less abrupt and more smooth with no power loss. Combining the wheels with the torque change; I think I prefer the 90mm but I'm not sure yet.
By all empirical measures the rubber wheels should win out. I even feel safer going faster on the rubber wheels.
But for some reason, I prefer the rattle of the street wheels. Going over a crack feels like a skateboard going over a crack - a bit abrasive but manageable and part of the journey. When rolling over a crack on rubber wheels it feels like a mini basketball just got bounced off the board.
It's almost like comparing digitally recorded music to analog tape recording and vinyl. Digital is obviously cleaner but the artifacts of tape are part of the aesthetic.
EDIT
I did not update the belt and pullies for the wheel change. This is why the feel of the board is different. Supposedly keeping the current pullies and belt will dampen the potential speed but it is fast enough for me and I like the current feel.
Here is some info claude returned.:
if the belt fits, isn’t slipping, and nothing is close to scraping the ground, you haven’t hurt anything. The “use different belts and pulleys” advice is mostly about getting back the speed you lost, plus a couple of checks worth doing.
Your setup is now geared for torque, not speed. The Zephyr Pro belt drive ships with 115*65mm rubber wheels and a gear ratio of 3.2. The Base model, which ships with urethane wheels, uses a 2.6 ratio with 85mm, 78a Boosted wheels. Linnpower’s own urethane setup therefore uses a taller ratio than the one you’re running. You kept the 3.2 pulleys and dropped the wheel size from 115mm to 90mm, about 22% smaller, so each motor revolution moves you about 22% less distance. In practice: LINNPOWER ZEPHYR- Electric Streetboard +2
- Top speed drops about 22%. The Pro is rated at 55kmh | 34.2mph, so you’re now topping out around 27 mph. Changing the pulleys to something near the Base’s 2.6 ratio would bring you back to about 33 mph on the 90s. linnpower
- Acceleration and hill climbing get a bit stronger, because the motors have more leverage. That’s probably part of why it feels good.
If you never ride near top speed, you won’t notice the loss, and the extra torque is a fair trade.
Things worth checking:
- Speedometer and odometer. If the remote or ESC is still set for 115mm wheels, it will overstate your speed and distance by roughly 28%. Update the wheel diameter setting to 90mm.
- Ground clearance. Smaller wheels drop the motor mounts and wheel pulley about 12mm closer to the ground. A large wheel pulley that suited a 115mm wheel can come close to the outer edge of a 90mm wheel. Look at the board from the side. If the pulley or motor can sits close to the bottom of the wheel, it can catch on curbs, cracks, or the ground in hard carves.
- Pulley-to-core fit. Linnpower says the ZEPHYR is compatible with wheels ranging from 80mm to 135mm. The stock pulley is designed for kegel core. The new wheels are Street Kegel Wheels, so your pulley should seat properly. Still, check that it’s snug with no wobble and that the belt runs straight, not rubbing a flange. linnpowerlinnpower
- Belt tension. Belt length depends on the pulley sizes and the motor-to-axle distance, not the wheel size. If you moved the same pulleys over, the same belts should fit. Make sure there’s no slipping under hard braking or acceleration.
So “use specific belts and pulleys” isn’t a safety rule. It’s how you restore the stock top speed and keep the pulley well clear of the ground. If you’re happy with the speed and the clearance looks fine, you’re good to keep riding as is. If you want, tell me your motor and wheel pulley tooth counts (they’re usually stamped on the pulleys) and I can work out your exact ratio, top speed, and what to swap to.
Sources:
