No it’s not - it is an electric vehicle. Just because it requires more parts and is bigger does not make the fundamental process any different. You order - they produce (as fast as they can).
There is more communication on here about delays, progress and whatever than you will find for other products. Tesla will not give you any information, Apple will not, Evolve will not.
And do you really think there are no changes made to other products? If a manufacturer sees a way to save money they will change it as soon as they can. So yeah - as long as the outside performance stays the same companies will change components even mid-batch if it is economical. But with enertion you will probably not only get the cheaper parts but maybe also added features or increased performance or better quality - so no reason to not like them making changes. At the time of order you agree to the deal they offer - the product will not be made worse so you get exactly what you ordered - or a little better.
Joking aside:
I do see your point, absolutely. If you state them though there are always going to be the people that jump blindly to support the “garage business”. (Not saying they do not have a point but I think you all get my drift.)
As you say “I think I’m going to buy a production board to start and hopefully build one along the way.” I personally would advise to buy the Evolve and if you like it and think that there may be a way to improve then you can always build one as well. If you wish to use Enertion products then you always can, hey you can build your own Raptor then.
I have not ridden the Evolve but they have a decent enough rap and the new board does look good so I think it would be a pretty safe bet.
As you are an experienced skater though maybe it is performance that is the key and then sure, building it yourself is the only way as you an build it to your liking.
Decisions decisions…
Whichever way you go I hope you get the ride you are looking for.
I’ve read all of the posts previously and will offer just an opinion. I can understand the frustration with not being able to get your product “immediately”. We all live in a “fast-food” world where immediate gratification is the rule these days. I actually do have the raptor, having just received it about a week ago. I’ve been dealing with Jason for almost a year and a half now and find him to be courteous, helpful, giving and level headed. I disagree with the statement that he would ever try purposely to be biased concerning his boards vs others. In fact, I feel he’s gone out of his way to try and give all manufacturers equal scrutiny. He’s always inviting anyone with any other manufacturer board to post their thoughts and opinions. As far as the raptor is concerned I couldn’t be anything but impressed. This board is a monster. It handles great, has tremendous battery life and the new handheld remote is superb. I was lucky enough to receive (I think) the new battery compartment lid so I have not had ANY issues with connectivity. I really love the board and was able to ride the boosted board previously. I actually think there’s no comparison. The raptor is wonderful. Look, let’s face it, there’s going to be improvements and “new” boards hitting the market every few months. We all have to understand that these things are going to be like the computer market. No sooner will you buy one when something new will appear. Jason is an innovator. He’s what industry needs to move forward. For that very reason I love supporting him and his goals.
I’d really like to throw my two cents in on this one… But I’m caught by a rather curious note…
It seems with the raptor, as many are continually stating, the final product is not really final yet… and that it is changing and upgrading as it goes…
You could really say that Jason’s product is still evolving…
because you said it . you want to buy one & later build one . so here is my suggestion ~
get a Dual Raptor !
at least if you want to make a new DIY eboard , after you’ve purchased the Dual Raptor ?
you can just take one set of motor + esc + belt + motor mount …
and transfer all of those to a brand new board of your choosing : )
oh yes , not to forget though .
just need to get a remote GT2B (or others) & 1 more (probably 24V Li Ion) battery
now you have TWO ELECTRIC LONGBOARD ! ! ! ! ! YaaaaaaY !
you can ride alongside your friend , girlfriend , boyfriend or siblings : )
when you buy other makes , you CANNOT strip them down to your liking .
UN STRIP ABLE . is my english correct ? i’m not caucasian . i am malay asian from singapore .
but with the Dual Raptor ?
you CERTAINLY can .
thats my point !
am i correct on this one ?
somebody back me up please .
I bought my raptor for the reason that if anthing brakes it can easily be repaired and i am not dependent on a single vendor if he is willing to repair my board or if he thinks it is to old i need to buy his new board.
if you are in europe you could also buy a complete from esk8.de than you would have to pay the import taxes into the eu.
and i do think you could get this boards build to your custom specs since every board is build on order. And if you buy in europe you get 2 years warranty what i would personaly like with the vesc since they seem to brake quite often
Looking at the Raptor you see a “bleeding edge” product that simply offers everything regular non-diy boards just don’t offer, from specs to customization. Someone once mentioned that the Raptor is really just a pre-assembled DIY board (minus the battery) rather than something just off the shelf and that is exactly it. It is raw, not beginner friendly, and is to be taken seriously. The Boosted board is easy, simple, and isn’t even intimidating enough to make stupid NYC riders wear a fucking helmet. From the experiences I’ve heard from owners with their Raptor, if you were to ride it at full speed with no gear you will likely kys lol.
As far as liking Jason goes, I really only value these two things: that he fixes my board if its a manufacturer defect or helps me fix it if its my fault. I just need customer service. I don’t give two fucks about how much he talks about competitors, won’t even go into that, if he delivers a great product I am happy! Rather than scrutinize him all the time I’d rather just ride my board. The wait time @Photorph and others have experienced was (imo) due to Jason not realizing how much demand there would be and the difficulties that come with getting shit from manufacturers. Lots of the issues with delays have been to him dealing with manufacturers getting shit wrong (like the replacement lids, and new decks), customs hold ups (like the battery and wheels), or not anticipating demand and ordering enough (like the VESCs). All of those problems are being solved or have already been. In my opinion, for a single man op he has done quite well considering the limitations he has as a small business.
Looking at the Evolve, you see a promising board that looks well polished and all around great. If I were just looking for a nice commuting/recreational vehicle I’d only get the GT. BUT what the GT doesn’t have that the Raptor does is customizable power and endless torque. The GT can climb hills and stuff and thats great, but from what I’ve seen/heard its nothing compared to the power of the Raptor. And takes twice as long to hit the top speeds it claims. Basically, it is not the best option if you are a speed demon and want the best. The Raptor goes 0-45km in 3 seconds. The GT goes 0-40kmh in about 5-6 seconds (according to beta testers) and some don’t even hit that top speed.
TLDR; If you want to just have some good ol’ fun tearing it up in the dirt for hours on end and cruising around town get the GT. If you want to mind-fuck the masses, shit your pants at the idea of going full throttle, and generally just get to places faster, then go with the Raptor. I personally will get both
I own the dual plus and the raptor dual and I just sold the old carbon. I have to say that nothing can be compared to the speed and torque of the raptor. But if you want something that works out of the box go with the gt. The raptor has some “bugs” like connecting problems and from my opinion riding the board is more different from riding a longboard than the other boards. But if you want the best power, speed and the advantage of customization the the raptor.
@loose_nickers Jason will back his Raptor if you put faith in a purchase. He wants it to be the best product and hence why he has gone out of his way to replace the lids at no cost to Raptor 0.1 buyers.
Understand your concerns on the man himself. Hes too passonate on the forurm hence why hes takem himself off the forum. Hes praised evolve on the GT in his last vid. Its going to be a biased opinion and definately he comes off the wrong way in how he responds to comnents. Text never comes out as well as words face to face.
All I say is just be patient which ever way you go. These eboards take forever. Well you can get the current evolve and street off the self. If its the latest new release youll have to wait. I ordered my Raptor presale in Nov and it didnt arrive till late Feb. Get over the wait. Most of Enertions issue is parts supply. I dont understand what all the fuss is over Enertion. Do you understand.
Make your own descision based on what your comfortable with and paying. You wont lose. All these boards are good. You cam always sell it if you dont like it.
electronics are under the carbon fiber, so you should be safe from water. you can also seal the hole where the motor wires go into the deck for additional water proofing. You don’t have much to worry about with water, just make sure you clean your bearings if they get wet.
The Raptor motors arent waterproof. You need to get some cooling in there. As a rule I dont go over even small wet paths, but you can do that as only the wheels will get wet. Water and motors dont mix. Electronics are sealed on Raptor.
Theres also the issue of slippery conditions anyway like what Evolve have advised. You lot want this thing to be everything. Its an expensive product and should be used in an appropriate manor. Common sense. Ive gone over like a wetted path becuase garden tap left on, but didn’t realise till after going through it. Raptor was fine, wet wheels… Just dont use it in wet is my advice. Im sure evem BB2 wont handle ploughing through a puddle, even if they say so. IMO
The GT cost €2450 for the 2 in 1 version (from the Evolve UK site), the raptor dual drive is “only” €1400 + 25% in taxes and cosums. So i will be going for the Raptor, because of that high price …
Brushless outrunners are waterproof, you can submerge them and they’ll run fine, just lube the bearings afterwards.
I’ve used mine in a downpour for several miles and they still run fine.
