Raith's Vengeance Carbon 4WD is a beast capable of world-record speeds

There are countless electric skateboard manufacturers in the world, but from what I’ve seen, only one brand has set a world record with its ability to reach life-threatening speeds: Raith. Today, let’s explore the kind of gear they have for the masses.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s 2017 and electric skateboarding has been around for a while now, but it was in that year that the world was graced by the presence of Raith. If this brand doesn’t sound familiar, all you need to know is that it’s Australian and born out of a love of speed and downhill skateboarding.

A few years later, in 2022, Raith founder Raine Kent would set a world record on one of their boards; watch the short clip below. During that event, he reached a top speed of 132.37 km/h (82.25 mph) on a Raith, and it was enough to solidify the brand’s presence in the industry.

Well, as I was researching this brand, I realized one thing: their most expensive board, the exact same one you can order right now from their website, can give you the same feeling that Raine felt just a couple of years ago.

Carbon of Revenge

Photo: Raith Skateboards

It's called Vengeance Carbon, and this 4WD board boasts a top speed of over 130 km/h (80 mph). If you’ve never ridden a board, you might want to skip this one; that’s a life-threatening speed. Oh, and just to get this off our chest, we’re being asked to shell out no more than $3,000 (€2,700 at current exchange rates) for our death trap; man, I can’t wait to try it, but I’ll admit, that’s more speed than I can handle.

Now, to kick off the Vengeance, let’s take a closer look at the deck, the backbone of these machines. Here, Raith goes all out with performance-enhancing materials, chief among them good old carbon fiber. Not only does this mean a lightweight board (remember, this thing has four motors) that weighs just 12kg (26lbs), but the carbon fiber also allows Raith to control the composition of the board, adding stiffness and flex where desired. This material is also one of the reasons for such a high price.

From here, we need to dive into how this board reaches its top speed of 130+ km/h. Well, as mentioned, four motors are strapped to this speed demon and each is rated at 2,400W. However, the real takeaway here is the direct drive setup; there are no belts on this one. Having two controllers instead of one means power when and where you need it, not to mention braking. Three torque levels also allow you to dial in the amount of power you need.

Carbon of Revenge

Photo: Raith Skateboards

Next on our list is the battery. After all, four motors means a lot of mouths to feed. Tucked under the deck, Raith adds a 407Wh battery pack that’s custom-built and rated for a continuous discharge of 150A, fueling that top speed.

The downside is that this board only has a maximum range of 28 miles (45 km), but that depends on rider weight, speed, and road conditions. Sure, some riders will brag about taking longer rides, but they’re clearly not flying around town at 80+ mph. The cool thing about a battery this size is that you can be back on your board in just two hours.

This brings me to a very important point in the story of this board: where can we ride it? Well, city streets are one option, but you better know what you're doing. The natural habitat of the Vengeance, as I like to call it, is a proper race track or closed road.

Carbon of Revenge

Photo: Raith Skateboards

I think it's best to drive a car this fast in an environment where you can really appreciate its capabilities. A race track is also best, as it eliminates countless factors that could cause damage or make you lose concentration. Trust me, the last thing you want is to lose control while driving in traffic. Raith says the best terrain for the Vengeance is on “sealed surfaces,” like asphalt and concrete.

Last but not least, the reverse kingpin trucks, ABEC 9 bearings, and urethane wheels will give you control of your ride. If you're curious, you can slide on this one. The FOC regulated regenerative braking is also part of the action, so you know, have a blast.

Now, this is a serious machine, one that would make my adrenal gland pump the good stuff. That means safety is of the utmost importance here, unless you’re a fan of broken bones or worse. So, make sure you’re wearing a full-body suit, a helmet, gloves, and maybe even one of those dog fighting suits. Yeah, maybe that’ll be enough to drive the Vengeance. On the other hand, your love of speed should be enough to have it on your Christmas list.

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