The Enertion Raptor 2 - Initial impressions
In 2017 I was lucky enough to sample the Enertion Raptor 2 on three separate occasions. This was back when there was a total of maybe five units in Australia and less than a hundred globally. I followed up my experiences with a couple of separate articles for That Esk8 Life.
This new article is a summary of my initial impressions of the beast!
This new article is a summary of my initial impressions of the beast!
Think about a high-performance production sports car. I'm talking about the type of car that takes what manufacturers learn from the race track and translate that technology into its road-going division for everyday consumers. The Enertion Raptor 2 is the electric skateboard equivalent of that idea.
First, Enertion led the way in DIY electric skateboard products. Everything the company learned from trial and error in that market led to the production of the original Raptor electric skateboard. Everything the company learned from the trial and error of producing the original Raptor then led to the off-shore production of the Raptor 2.
After a long and arduous journey, again filled with trial and error, Enertion have nearly filled all of their Raptor 2 pre-orders. There are now more Raptor 2's out in the wild then there ever have been before. True to form, lessons learned from this process are now being implemented into the fully optimized iteration of the Raptor 2, dubbed the 2.1.
With probably the most well-balanced spec sheet for dollar ratio in the industry, the Raptor 2 also revolutionized the way the community thinks about in-wheel hub motors, which is no small feat.
THE SPEC SHEET
The Raptor 2 clocks a top speed of 30.5mph/49kph! Let that sink in. It has a claimed range of up to 25mi/40km and is proven to conquer hills in excess of 30% gradient!
The deck is 38 inches long, so it definitely classifies as a longboard, but the shape is closer to downhill bomber than the freeride-style longboard decks we're used to seeing on most electric skateboards. The aggressive kicktail even lends itself slightly to the cruiser category, albeit an over-sized one! Built for speed the Raptor 2's deck has near-zero flex.
The Raptor 2 comes standard with 90mm wheels and weighs in at hefty 25lbs/11.4kg.
THE HARDWARE
Accompanying the custom deck are custom, reverse kingpin, precision trucks. These trucks are bespoke, proprietary items; the rear truck doubling as a heat sink for the powerful hub motors.
The drivetrain is completed by a massive 10s4p Samsung 30Q 18650 battery pack running through two FOCBOX motor controllers (or a FOCBOX Unity from the 2.1 onwards). With Enertion's FOCBOX products being based on the VESC open source project, together with a battery pack comprised of some of the best cells in the business, you know you're getting some of the best hardware money can buy!
With the battery pack totalling a whopping 432Wh, the Raptor 2 is the exact opposite of air travel friendly! This board stays on the ground (and eats it up)! Having said that an air travel friendly battery pack for the Raptor 2 is currently in development and will be sold separately soon.
The Raptor 2 is controlled by Enertion's NANO-X remote control, which is based on the popular Winning remote.
THE LOOK AND FEEL
It looks like a beast, obviously!
Going by the spec sheet alone it's easy to understand a little apprehension from riders who aren't familiar with boards that perform at the Raptor 2's level. In reality though, the Raptor 2 is extremely manageable. When applying gradual pressure to the throttle, the acceleration curve is equally as gradual - you control the length of the animals leash! When you find a speed that you're comfortable with, it's quite easy to hold the board at that speed and cruise at your leisure with plenty of power in reserve when you need it.
The low speed mode curtails acceleration to make the board even more manageable for cruising, but even in this mode, if you want to hustle, you can! Hilariously, the low speed mode on a Raptor 2 is about the equivalent of fast mode on a lot of other boards! Fast mode (R-Spec) on the Raptor 2 should be re-titled "ludicrous mode!"
R-Spec on the Raptor 2 is truly "the beast, unleashed!" This is where any false illusions you have about hub motors being low on torque completely disappear! The Raptor 2's full arsenal of torque, acceleration and top speed is all unlocked and there at your fingertips.
On both modes I found the Raptor 2 as smooth as butter. It's a genuine pleasure to ride. You could happily cruise around in (cough) "slow mode" (cough) all day if you wanted to. Kicking it into R-Spec is just as smooth, but the power at your disposal certainly lets you know you're alive!
Built for speed, the stock Raptor 2 deck might not be everyone's pint of ale. It rides ridged and high off the ground. Luckily the entire Raptor 2 drivetrain was designed to be easily transplanted on to any deck of the riders choice. Unfortunately this only applies to stiff decks due to the Raptor 2's hard enclosure case that spans the bottom of the board. For those riders looking for more of a carving or freeride setup, there are still plenty of drop-down options to choose from without going down the flexy road (you don't want a flexy deck on a board that goes this fast).
One challenge out-of-the-box is trying to optimize the Raptor 2's bushing setup and tension. The best setup for slow mode quickly becomes way too loose in R-Spec. Tighten things up for R-Spec, and the Raptor 2 becomes difficult to manoeuvre in slow mode.
First, Enertion led the way in DIY electric skateboard products. Everything the company learned from trial and error in that market led to the production of the original Raptor electric skateboard. Everything the company learned from the trial and error of producing the original Raptor then led to the off-shore production of the Raptor 2.
After a long and arduous journey, again filled with trial and error, Enertion have nearly filled all of their Raptor 2 pre-orders. There are now more Raptor 2's out in the wild then there ever have been before. True to form, lessons learned from this process are now being implemented into the fully optimized iteration of the Raptor 2, dubbed the 2.1.
With probably the most well-balanced spec sheet for dollar ratio in the industry, the Raptor 2 also revolutionized the way the community thinks about in-wheel hub motors, which is no small feat.
THE SPEC SHEET
The Raptor 2 clocks a top speed of 30.5mph/49kph! Let that sink in. It has a claimed range of up to 25mi/40km and is proven to conquer hills in excess of 30% gradient!
The deck is 38 inches long, so it definitely classifies as a longboard, but the shape is closer to downhill bomber than the freeride-style longboard decks we're used to seeing on most electric skateboards. The aggressive kicktail even lends itself slightly to the cruiser category, albeit an over-sized one! Built for speed the Raptor 2's deck has near-zero flex.
The Raptor 2 comes standard with 90mm wheels and weighs in at hefty 25lbs/11.4kg.
THE HARDWARE
Accompanying the custom deck are custom, reverse kingpin, precision trucks. These trucks are bespoke, proprietary items; the rear truck doubling as a heat sink for the powerful hub motors.
The drivetrain is completed by a massive 10s4p Samsung 30Q 18650 battery pack running through two FOCBOX motor controllers (or a FOCBOX Unity from the 2.1 onwards). With Enertion's FOCBOX products being based on the VESC open source project, together with a battery pack comprised of some of the best cells in the business, you know you're getting some of the best hardware money can buy!
With the battery pack totalling a whopping 432Wh, the Raptor 2 is the exact opposite of air travel friendly! This board stays on the ground (and eats it up)! Having said that an air travel friendly battery pack for the Raptor 2 is currently in development and will be sold separately soon.
The Raptor 2 is controlled by Enertion's NANO-X remote control, which is based on the popular Winning remote.
THE LOOK AND FEEL
It looks like a beast, obviously!
Going by the spec sheet alone it's easy to understand a little apprehension from riders who aren't familiar with boards that perform at the Raptor 2's level. In reality though, the Raptor 2 is extremely manageable. When applying gradual pressure to the throttle, the acceleration curve is equally as gradual - you control the length of the animals leash! When you find a speed that you're comfortable with, it's quite easy to hold the board at that speed and cruise at your leisure with plenty of power in reserve when you need it.
The low speed mode curtails acceleration to make the board even more manageable for cruising, but even in this mode, if you want to hustle, you can! Hilariously, the low speed mode on a Raptor 2 is about the equivalent of fast mode on a lot of other boards! Fast mode (R-Spec) on the Raptor 2 should be re-titled "ludicrous mode!"
R-Spec on the Raptor 2 is truly "the beast, unleashed!" This is where any false illusions you have about hub motors being low on torque completely disappear! The Raptor 2's full arsenal of torque, acceleration and top speed is all unlocked and there at your fingertips.
On both modes I found the Raptor 2 as smooth as butter. It's a genuine pleasure to ride. You could happily cruise around in (cough) "slow mode" (cough) all day if you wanted to. Kicking it into R-Spec is just as smooth, but the power at your disposal certainly lets you know you're alive!
Built for speed, the stock Raptor 2 deck might not be everyone's pint of ale. It rides ridged and high off the ground. Luckily the entire Raptor 2 drivetrain was designed to be easily transplanted on to any deck of the riders choice. Unfortunately this only applies to stiff decks due to the Raptor 2's hard enclosure case that spans the bottom of the board. For those riders looking for more of a carving or freeride setup, there are still plenty of drop-down options to choose from without going down the flexy road (you don't want a flexy deck on a board that goes this fast).
One challenge out-of-the-box is trying to optimize the Raptor 2's bushing setup and tension. The best setup for slow mode quickly becomes way too loose in R-Spec. Tighten things up for R-Spec, and the Raptor 2 becomes difficult to manoeuvre in slow mode.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
Yeah, she's fast! She's also smooth though too!
The weight of the board makes it feel "locked in" to the road - like it's on rails! The lack of flexibility in the deck (a feature usually wanted for its shock absorption) is somehow compensated by the boards weight. It's a tank! It almost doesn't matter what you hit or roll over - you don't feel it!
I've increasingly become more and more of a fan of handles on electric skateboards, and at the Raptor 2's weight, it needs them!
The Raptor 2's hub motors are the biggest and most overly-engineered in the game. They're smooth, predictable and as silent as the grave.
THE LOWLIGHTS
I've only ever ridden a Raptor 2 on stock settings, so this issue is likely something that can be adjusted via the FOCBOX/BLDC tool, but, the brakes... In both slow and R-Spec modes the braking just didn't seem strong enough for me.
Making it into both the highlight and lowlight categories is the weight. It's not always possible to physically be on your board at all times, particularly in many daily commuting scenarios. A heavy board is not a fun board to have to lug around - handles or no handles.
In spite of my love for the handles, if I were to buy a Raptor 2 (something I'm seriously considering), I would ditch the deck. It's a personal preference and everyone is different. But for me, I'd be looking to something like the Landyachtz EVO or a similar drop-down deck that gets me lower to the ground for deeper, sharper and longer carves.
The battery meter on the bottom of the enclosure case is very hard to see.
The NANO-X remote, although small and minimalist (which I like), isn't really commensurate quality-wise with the rest of the board. At a minimum the NANO-X should be made from premium grade materials like the rest of the Raptor 2, not cheap plastic!
Outside of my personal testing, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention that many people continue to be frustrated by Enertion's continuous delays, quality control issues and inconsistent customer service. Issues I know for a fact Enertion are working relentlessly to try to improve.
PERFORMANCE
During the Australian Raptor 2 demo event in Adelaide, which was held on the Adelaide Parklands Street Circuit, many of us pushed the Raptor 2 passed 31mph/50kph. The board was so stable that you almost didn't notice, which is a good thing! It speaks volumes for the confidence we as riders had in the board.
I never had a Raptor 2 in my possession long enough to do a range test, but two reviews by Michael Gatti help fill in the gaps here. With what I would call fairly aggressive riding (how esk8s should be ridden), the Raptor 2's real-world range seemingly sits around 15.5mi/25km. Bump the board down to "slow mode" and shred a little less and its easy to estimate an achievable range of 18.5-22mi/30-35km. You would have to be pretty conservative though to fully achieve the claimed 25mi/40km worth of range.
Hill climbing? Just watch this!
WORTH IT?
Without question!
This is a true high-performance and bespoke product! You can fully customize the look and feel of the Raptor 2 by changing the deck and configuring your own FOCBOX settings respectively, making your Raptor 2 unique and one of a kind!
The hub motors are huge, immensely powerful and are more than capable of beating almost everything else in its class (consumer-performance) in any showdown you'd like to throw at it - be that acceleration, top speed, hills and often range. There are a couple of boards capable of beating the Raptor 2 in perhaps one or two of these categories, but never all of them without drastically exceeding the Raptor 2's weight (by using larger battery packs) and price. This brings us back full circle to one of my opening comments: The Raptor 2 probably has the most well-balanced spec for dollar ratio in the industry.
The Raptor 2 production story hasn't been without its set-backs, but with pre-orders close to being filled, incremental improvements to water ingress protection, the quality of the rear urethane sleeves (outwheels), the introduction of both 97mm and 100mm (Crossover) wheels, handle re-positioning, the introduction of the FOCBOX Unity and possibly more deck options, Enertion looks poised to take the next step with the Raptor 2.1... "In stock and shipping!"
If you need a "little more" from your production esk8, don't want to sacrifice too much of one spec for the sake of another and want to keep to the stomachable price bracket (for a consumer-performance board) of around $1500-$1800 USD, the Raptor 2 is worth some serious consideration!
Yeah, she's fast! She's also smooth though too!
The weight of the board makes it feel "locked in" to the road - like it's on rails! The lack of flexibility in the deck (a feature usually wanted for its shock absorption) is somehow compensated by the boards weight. It's a tank! It almost doesn't matter what you hit or roll over - you don't feel it!
I've increasingly become more and more of a fan of handles on electric skateboards, and at the Raptor 2's weight, it needs them!
The Raptor 2's hub motors are the biggest and most overly-engineered in the game. They're smooth, predictable and as silent as the grave.
THE LOWLIGHTS
I've only ever ridden a Raptor 2 on stock settings, so this issue is likely something that can be adjusted via the FOCBOX/BLDC tool, but, the brakes... In both slow and R-Spec modes the braking just didn't seem strong enough for me.
Making it into both the highlight and lowlight categories is the weight. It's not always possible to physically be on your board at all times, particularly in many daily commuting scenarios. A heavy board is not a fun board to have to lug around - handles or no handles.
In spite of my love for the handles, if I were to buy a Raptor 2 (something I'm seriously considering), I would ditch the deck. It's a personal preference and everyone is different. But for me, I'd be looking to something like the Landyachtz EVO or a similar drop-down deck that gets me lower to the ground for deeper, sharper and longer carves.
The battery meter on the bottom of the enclosure case is very hard to see.
The NANO-X remote, although small and minimalist (which I like), isn't really commensurate quality-wise with the rest of the board. At a minimum the NANO-X should be made from premium grade materials like the rest of the Raptor 2, not cheap plastic!
Outside of my personal testing, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention that many people continue to be frustrated by Enertion's continuous delays, quality control issues and inconsistent customer service. Issues I know for a fact Enertion are working relentlessly to try to improve.
PERFORMANCE
During the Australian Raptor 2 demo event in Adelaide, which was held on the Adelaide Parklands Street Circuit, many of us pushed the Raptor 2 passed 31mph/50kph. The board was so stable that you almost didn't notice, which is a good thing! It speaks volumes for the confidence we as riders had in the board.
I never had a Raptor 2 in my possession long enough to do a range test, but two reviews by Michael Gatti help fill in the gaps here. With what I would call fairly aggressive riding (how esk8s should be ridden), the Raptor 2's real-world range seemingly sits around 15.5mi/25km. Bump the board down to "slow mode" and shred a little less and its easy to estimate an achievable range of 18.5-22mi/30-35km. You would have to be pretty conservative though to fully achieve the claimed 25mi/40km worth of range.
Hill climbing? Just watch this!
WORTH IT?
Without question!
This is a true high-performance and bespoke product! You can fully customize the look and feel of the Raptor 2 by changing the deck and configuring your own FOCBOX settings respectively, making your Raptor 2 unique and one of a kind!
The hub motors are huge, immensely powerful and are more than capable of beating almost everything else in its class (consumer-performance) in any showdown you'd like to throw at it - be that acceleration, top speed, hills and often range. There are a couple of boards capable of beating the Raptor 2 in perhaps one or two of these categories, but never all of them without drastically exceeding the Raptor 2's weight (by using larger battery packs) and price. This brings us back full circle to one of my opening comments: The Raptor 2 probably has the most well-balanced spec for dollar ratio in the industry.
The Raptor 2 production story hasn't been without its set-backs, but with pre-orders close to being filled, incremental improvements to water ingress protection, the quality of the rear urethane sleeves (outwheels), the introduction of both 97mm and 100mm (Crossover) wheels, handle re-positioning, the introduction of the FOCBOX Unity and possibly more deck options, Enertion looks poised to take the next step with the Raptor 2.1... "In stock and shipping!"
If you need a "little more" from your production esk8, don't want to sacrifice too much of one spec for the sake of another and want to keep to the stomachable price bracket (for a consumer-performance board) of around $1500-$1800 USD, the Raptor 2 is worth some serious consideration!
July 2018