@torqueboards what bullet size do the motors have?
5.5mm 10chars.
If itâs really anywhere near $700 then Iâm definitely out. The way I see it, itâs 2 really big motors + custom truck + development costs.
2 big motors: (letâs go for the most expensive ones): 2 * $135 = $270 Really nice precision truck: around $130 Development costs: $???
Total: $ 400 + ???
So around $400 to $500 seems like a fair maximum to me. Of course, I know this math doesnât exactly add up, but if itâs much more Iâll just pray that the Carvon torquedrive comes back in stock, or that the Chinese clone this idea soon.
so much of this post hurts me.
thenâŚjust why?
and thats why so many innovations never see anything but the drawing board.
i mean⌠carvons are 600+ so its basically in the same ballpark
If youre hoping to go with these direct drives right now youre gonna have to shell out the bucks, like all new technology its gonna take time before prices drop as more people/companies hop into the game
But if youre going to wait, be prepared to wait for more than a year
Because I donât know his development costs⌠just saying what will seem like a fair price to me. Whatâs your ballpark estimate?
Hah! Calling this an innovation is kind of a stretch donât you think? The innovative idea came from somewhere else.
True, and they do look really nice⌠Weâll see once they come out.
Thatâs my point, none of us do but I assure you @torqueboards will need to sell at least 100 sets to recover the development costs. If these come in under $600 Ill be very surprised.
I agree, and honestly I was on the fence about Dexter making these, but the fact is Carvon is having production issues and cant supply its current market base. Most people are not gonna wait once the idea is out there, so its either Dexter or Chinese manufacturing that is going to fill the supply gap. Id rather it be Dexter.
$135/motor is for large manufacturing runs with slim profit margins. These motors are heavily customized, with additional machining and parts for the wheel interface.
Really nice precision trucks are more like $1000. The cheapest precision trucks are around your price.
@torqueboards went all out and got Riptide for all the rubber parts.
Also warranty/support and spare parts. And cost of doing business in the great US and A.
Dexter deserves to make some profit for his efforts as well. I imagine his level of investment is getting pretty high, and he seems to be filling all the gaps with new developing products!
No offence but this is just silly. You donât want them to make a profit?
I am gonna assume you have never ran anything resembling a successful business in your life. shrug
True, he does. Iâd just rather not see him price himself out of the market, but looking at the responses above everybody here is more than ready to shell over $900+ for a drivetrain, so I donât think heâll have a problem here. Just saying Iâm not, but guess what? Just vote with your wallet and it wonât matter.
Haha, well Iâll have to say youâre flat out wrong there buddy. Have had my own business for the last 6 years, stilll going strong. I also have to deal with the prices the market is willing to pay for our services, and adjust my rates accordingly.
There are many segments to the market. The low end is covered, and for most of us, leaves us wanting.
The mid end does not exist because the necessary improvements to the low end cannot be done for incremental increase in costs/price.
The high end market does exist, because this is what it costs at the moment, to achieve what we want.
Interesting point! There clearly is some âmid endâ demand since Iâm a part of it. But perhaps youâre right and it doesnât make business sense to target it, since the added volume might not be big enough to justify the decreased revenue.
@Epskampie yeah, unfortunately⌠to do things right it ends up costing more.
Weâve worked on this design quite a bit and have tested tons of different variations and options to build a powerful and reliable direct drive setup. R&D costs money and takes time.
Thereâs just no point in using casted trucks, crappy bushings, crappy bearings⌠just to save a bit. It ends up becoming a regretful purchase. Thereâs also no passion for us in offering lower quality products and unhappy customers. Weâd prefer to release products that are different then whatâs already available which are more reliable and higher performance.
These motors are designed and will be priced for customers that want the quality and performance. If there is no market for it then we simply wonât sell it.
Either way, I think even you will be happy about the pricing once itâs officially said. We simply just donât want to make any promises just yet.
I understand, there is no joy in the race to the bottom. Looking at the comments above Iâm sure people will buy it no matter what. Perhaps Iâll be unable to resist as well.
That is very wise, weâve all seen how changing estimates can damage a brand reputation.
Anyway, looking forward to see the end result in any case!
me threeâŚ
This is so true. There are âtoysâ and âtoolsâ and, for the most part, if you want a tool, you need to make it yourself or get only a tiny number of premium brands of prebuilt ⌠none of which use hub motors or come from California or Australia⌠and all of which are $2k+
I read so many people saying âI want to do DIY to save moneyâ and itâs always the biggest facepalm. Buy cheap china hub motor shit if you want to save money. Thatâs like saying I want to build a Lamborghini by hand because the Ford is too expensive to buy
I firmly hope these new direct drive are in the âquality toolâ category, arenât listed for-sale until theyâre in-stock, stand-up to snow and brine, and price is the last thing to be decided, in order for the rest of that to be true.
In fairness, the cheap Chinese stuff is usually the gateway drug (for some at least). Then youâre addicted, and spending all your disposable income on here lol
Itâs not a hobby or an addiction if you sold your car, itâs just clean, cheap (relatively) transportation. And this is only possible with âtoolsâ that wonât break down on your way to work or grocery shopping. When you know your motors arenât going to lock-up while youâre carrying your dog on your board.
People often discover this later on.
Iâd also say that building is a hobby. One could easily hire someone else to build for them, or they can buy something off the shelf.
Iâm defo interested in a set when theyâre released. Will be a nice addition to the unity foc box.