Raptor riding experience. The good

It’s really not hard to throw on a new compatible pulley either. Same work as changing a wheel.

I do as well…is it really harder to just switch the pulleys on the Raptor instead @onloop?

@Jinra I’d just like to see someone who has done it before with the Raptor specifically or at least the motor/truck set up

it is not an answer to your question but i would change the pulleys for more top speed instead of going with bigger wheels because you have mutch more control when driving with one riser less. if i were you i would really try it! i would not have believed it myself that the difference is so big if i had not ridden both configurations in direct comparison

Then can someone please post some pictures of the process with the pulley needed to do the job?? lol at this point I just don’t want to go at this in the dark and fuck up the hardware and have to get a replacement if it involves me drilling into something

maybe @longhairedboy could give his 2cents on this topic

it’s not hard to change the pulley, you need to make a new pulley & maybe get a larger belt to ensure it will fit over the larger diameter.

Have any of you guys actually riden a skateboard at 28mph+ before? why do you need to go faster?

I have a feeling a lot of people who want these speeds never really went them before and don’t know what they’re getting into :stuck_out_tongue:

Some experienced riders want more speed, 28mphr should be ok for most

@onloop thanks for the info. I don’t plan on doing this upon receiving the board as I will not know what my limit is. I just like knowing that if I do get tired of the speed eventually I can always make it go a bit faster :slight_smile:

@Jinra I don’t at all :stuck_out_tongue: but I do know it is completely possible to get bored with a board’s speed when you’ve ridden it enough. I’d say the limit is @Photorph’s board, I don’t want to go over 30mph because I’d need leathers at that point and that isn’t practical for my type of roads and riding.

@Dedbny it probably will be, I will see. I figure give it a month or two and I will know whether or not I want a speed bump. I’m thinking I will be fine considering I appreciate torque way more since I do a lot of stop and go and have massive hills.

@Mr_Mahal Bombing up hills is the best feeling and that Raptor eats hills. Youll be wanting to find hills and race up them.

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i do not have any hills here it is more than flat here :smiley: and i actually do plan on waiting a bit before changing the speed i only have ridden the board three times once a week ago and two times yesterday but i was a bit surprised that already the second time riding the top speed (which i did not even reach the first time) did not really feel scary even though i have to say i was practicing in an empty area and i would think that the surrounding are a big factor

This is the right question to ask. I doubt many people here commenting have, unless there are people who do downhill longboarding or have taken their normal longboard on a long descent a few times. Everyone just wants the fastest board, until they fall lol.

To all of you I’d say you don’t need to go that fast. I think when onloop set the limit to 27ish mph that’s actually perfect. The body evolved to travel no faster than about 25mph and at that speed (even if you have knee pads and a helmet) a fall will seriously mess you up to the point where you won’t be E-skating for a while. If you’re going any faster and you hit something, your bones and organs simply can’t handle the forces without CE approved armor. And I believe you lose 1mm of flesh for each mph you are going above 25 mph without leathers. If there is anyone here who has went down at 25+ mph without leathers on Tarmac, I’d like them to chime in. I’m sure their opinion about raising speed might be different.

The fastest I’ve gone was ~52 mph downhill in Colorado on my landyachtz EVO (a DH specific board that is extremely stable at high speeds). I had a triple 8 full face, gloves with pucks, and cheapo set of leathers with armor in knees and elbows. I had to build up to that by gradually going on bigger hills.

Fast forward to today when I prefer E-boards rather than traveling to Colorado to find hills…I’ve hit 38 mph on an electric board and I can say it feels just like hitting 52 mph on that EVO downhill. In fact I can say I was more confident on the EVO going 52 mph vs going 38 mph on an Eboard that can’t have a very low center of gravity due to the hardware under the deck and doesn’t have bushings/wheels/trucks set up for DH speeds. Esk8 are much more prone to speed wobbles than boards set up for DH, your footing and balance has to be perfect above 30 mph.

Going 27 mph on a raptor will give you the same sensation as hitting 40 mph on a DH board that you feel like you have more control over. I can say that if you feel comfortable handling raptor max speed in a straight line and while turning, you can easily do 40 mph on a board set up specifically for DH because that’s more manageable in my opinion.

For those modding raptors and trying max speed runs that will exceed 27 mph I would say leathers are highly recommended if you value having skin. I would also advise to tighten your trucks (specially the rear ones) a bit more than usual. If you feel like you are about to get the wobbles, relax and do not stand up… Stay low and keep your head straight and focus on following a line.

@Mr_Mahal looking forward to seeing your video of you maxing out the raptor. And if you want a lot of views try a manual (basically a wheelie) at max speed… That will be a cool video lol.

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Nicely said @photorph about the dangers of higher speeds. The details about losing flesh tho…makes me really nervous. I’m going to be extra cautious just thinking about that.

increasing wheel diameter will increase your top end but it will also increase the startup torque required to get you moving and will affect your hill climbing ability as well to some degree. It’s all about achieving the balance you are looking for because there are tradeoffs with every decision you make.

Am i the only one around here who just likes to cruise at sane speeds around 20mph and below?

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You want me to die eh? Lol

Thanks for the info, definitely good to know for my clothing choice…might go ahead and order that abrasion resistant jacket when the raptor comes around :stuck_out_tongue:

Everyone’s comfort level and skill is different, I’ve never done downhill before so of course idk what it’s like going through 0 go 50mph, but of the one time I did bail it was during night and because I didn’t know my route as well as I thought, I kinda freaked myself out after going over a bump and basically ended up just jumping off. That said, I’ve come close many times before but my balance saved me.

One thing I’d need to do before going max speed on any of these boards is learning how to foot break properly as I never really got good at it (barely needed to with the BBs speed, I could always run off).

The reason I want to go faster is because the BB has proven to me that 20mph isn’t shit, and unless I’m going DH it’s not even fast enough to warrant a speed tuck or crouch… Cyclists pass me, cars cut in front of me because I’m going too slow. I like to be on the road and when you can’t even go the speed limit it can be difficult to enjoy it when you’re the slowest one on the road and regarded like an average city bike commuter. I don’t need to go 30mph, but it’s more about having it available too me…

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I’m with you on the comfortable speeds.

correct, as does increasing the teeth on the motor pulley. it puts more load on the motors.

My advice is to leave the raptor as is…

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Yep, but a wooden (or CF) board with 4 tiny wheels without air… hard to compare that with a car or a bike. Racing/keeping up with cars or bikes shouldn’t be the goal, because a bike is wayyy more stable than any skateboard and of course a car I’m not even gonna mention. You’re in a lot more danger going 25 mph vs a biker going 25 mph. Most bikers average speed is 12-18 mph though, so even 20 mph should be enough to pass them. Hard care road bikers can hit 20 +. Lance armstrong averaged 25 mph. So with the raptor (or the GT) you can take out any cyclist in your area, but you’re in a lot more danger than they are going full speed.

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I don’t want to race cars or bikes (although off the start I do enjoy taking off quicker), it’s more about not impeding traffic when I’m on a one lane street. As you may know the “bike lane” that most streets have that isn’t clearly designated has a lot of debris in it which is dangerous to ride on with any board. So I tried to keep as close to the shoulder of the road as possible without riding over it. Still, cars will tend to honk at me occasionally or speed around me like I’m kick pushing in the street lol this is only on some roads but it really bothers me as I know what it’s like to have to go below the speed limit in a car to accommodate a cyclist that I can’t pass.

Well I must live near some hardcore bikers or my BB was defective because it doesn’t take much effort for cyclists around here to pass me (on flats at least). It’s not always the case but it’s happened enough to get annoying.

I understand the danger rapidly increases as I get to 25mph and further, I’m not going to be hitting that constantly since there is traffic that I have to adjust to and for that I will go slower. But there are enough times when the road is open and literally there are no cars or people in sight to where I can just max out without fear of hitting something or someone. When I get my board I’ll record my commute for you guys as you don’t seem to really understand my environment

I’m totally in to that to. Thinking of a good way to mod my future Raptor for lower speed instead :grin: