Bajaboard Pantera review stupid powerful is still stupid.

[@esk8spirit362]

First time ever am I hearing these so important faults out loud... Big thumbs up. no reviewer had the balls to do that yet as far as I know. Those controllers are the biggest deal braker, goes along with the remote. It's dangerous, you gotta ride in low mode, low speeds... You are honest, you talk about specifics, great job man... Your channel will grow and outgrow others quickly if you keep it up.

[@DredSk8]

I have another video planned where we 'fix' the problem, just waiting to hear back from the supplier, but yeah the whole feel of this board was like finding out your new McLaren always gets stuck in third gear.

[@warren_duke]

Thank you Scott Dred for a amazing review of the Pantera. I am blown away at how relatable your content is to me. I'm considering buying a 2nd board after a few yrs on Evolve GTR and depend on reviews like yours to spend my money as wisely as possible. I want to point out how great you are at explaining what you experience on your test ride and overall critical thoughts of each board. You seem to approach the description first technically then, again, in real world terms. This is where you shine and pull ahead from other esk8 reviewers. You're no-nonsense wrap up of each point is spot on and punches through all the marketing hype. Board Devs beware! lol. For me, you are speaking a language that I completely relate to and now I want to hear your reviews of everything esk8!! Sub'd. Ty

[@DredSk8]

Thank you kindly, glad I could provide some useful info, theres definitely a market for the pantera and the Baja's in general but I'm still put off by the lack of any real development/progress on their core tech. If you want a quick power upgrade with minimal BS the Lacroix jaws or the Flux motion are not a bad choice 🤙 Though it also looks like Evolve is launching a new version of the Carbon soon so might be worth waiting to see what thats about if you want another carver.

[@tonygil243]

Thanks for your fantasticly honest review of the Baja Panthers. I’m on of those Bigger guys you mentioned in your review. Can you give me your recommendation of a board like a Baja board level of performance? Thanks again

[@DredSk8]

Happy to help, so if you eant similar ride feel, Propel boards are kinda the go to since they also have a similar suspension, but not the same power, if what you're looking for is a quality off road board with lots of performance than a custom job from Trampa might be the way to go. Alternatively I would also recommend the Acedeck NYX for an off the shelf option. Honorable mention to the Onsra Velar for just raw power and looks but its got some quirks as well.

[@primalrockart1520]

great review bud really appreciate your honesty baja need to take notice i was sold up until now..

[@DredSk8]

My short take is that is that baja offers a certain amount of value if all you want to do is take it offroad, but it fails to do anything else all that well and comes with a bunch of hassles and the hardware and software hasn't really changed since 2016. I think the g4 and the s2 are ok but for the money you could build out a much more reliable trampa build that could ha dle trails and street riding way better for half the cost.

[@Ts0usermax]

@@DredSk8 sorry but it was a terrible review..... _Hey guys , here we have Baja Pantera, I dont know anything about it, no idea what motors it has or battery it uses, Didn't even bother to find out the cost but im gonna do a video bitching and moaning about it anyway so here we go...._ A trampa build that handles trails better than Baja top model and is more reliable, for $1250USD?!? what a joke. base model Baja S2 is $2600USD, same price as Ecomobl M24pro and Propel EV X4S.

[@Ts0usermax]

Baja don't need to take notice, nobody buys the Pantera model, it is for people with more money than brains.

[@DredSk8]

Pretty much

[@DredSk8]

Well you're welcome to make you're own video filling in the blanks if you dont care for mine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've been over the matter of why i dont care for Bajas drive train at leght with others and the owner, the price is not really the most annoying thing next to the acceleration curve. That aside l would agree that Propel would be the way to go after a few more real world folks start getting them.

[@robertneville2678]

Can’t hear him but I got the g4 x and it’s fantastic if you don’t trash your board it should be fine no matter where I go I get stopped I live in nyc from Central Park to Rockaway beach boardwalk it’s a total bad azz board

[@DredSk8]

I want to try the G4X, also turn the volume up, mixing was not great on my earlier stuff, but TLDR old kelly controllers and trigger remote were just not a good mix here, I've confirmed this with multiple people i had try it out, its fun to throw at hills and bounce around on but its a purpose built machine that comes with a lot of trade offs. in the case of the Pantera Baja knows this, but its just unfortunate they havent really kept apace of the rest of the market in terms of features and accessibility. That said theres definitely a market this appeals to so to each there own.

[@hawkpantera9425]

Thank you Scott, for this very informative review, as I was about to buy. The last thing I need is an abrupt gain of power at 30 mph. You think they would have done a little more research and development of their final product. At this price point, this is absolutely unacceptable. Looks like I'll probably be going with the propel X4S

[@DredSk8]

For sure, in retrospect I was maybe a bit over critical in this one but my original points are still valid. I like what propel is doing which is taking the original concept and updating it to a modern standard. The Baja was the best of the best in category six years ago, but they have constantly passed on updating their core systems in favor of keeping their older in house hardware despite most of the eMTB community moving on the VESC 6 based controllers. The Baja ride feel was incredible though when just cruising, unfortunately the QoL trade offs just aren't worth it.

[@Thoughtfulbuildsllc]

Man I was just wanting to get this? Have they improved the controller and that glitch?

[@DredSk8]

Not sure if the rough edges have been smoothed but a lot of people have told me they love their Atrax, so might be worth dipping your toe in with that model first before going all in, also worth looking at some alternatives like Propel Boards which offer a lot of the same features/ride feel at half the cost 🤙

[@Thoughtfulbuildsllc]

@@DredSk8 thanks for the response man! I tend to go for or look for the best products out there!

[@hcows]

Great video. Always wondered about the Baja

[@DredSk8]

Thanks was a blast filming, quirks in all.

[@chriskriaris4304]

danks braa for the deal bruuhs broo

[@monkeysoup1993]

Great vid man. I see alot of negatives about bajaboards and broken parts in social media.At these prices diy seems better off

[@DredSk8]

Hi Martin, I've had a few people reach out to me after I put this up saying as much, which I personally can't speak to since only having it for a short while but considering that most of the struts and supports are forged and not milled I can see them snapping or shearing eventually if you ride this board as intended. Which is unfortunate because Baja really does have something unique here it just feels like they stopped development to early.

[@andresm3537]

Hi Mate from Australia ,nice review very honest and spot on. I asked for the price here in Melbourne and is 8500 Aus it's just ridiculous, I can bloody buy a car with that money. Very beautiful piece of engineering machine and has that badass looking, but according to your experience how does carving feels like and also can u carve nicely in the Lacroix boards in a 22kg and 26 kg board? cheers

[@DredSk8]

Hi Andreas, if you're looking for a board you can carve on the Baja definitely is not it, the S2 fairs a bit better in that department but the g4x/pantera feels very on rails when your turning. Kaly or Lacroix would be a safer bet if you want power and responsiveness, the nazare and lonestar do great in that respect, or if you dont want to go that extreame and just go for short jaunts the BKB Duo kits decent as well 🤙

[@Sievert31]

Hey! Idk why im searching for fast boards when I'm just a trying to get into the market for an electric board but its fun lol. My question is what would you suggest for a new person getting into this? I know how to skate on a normal board so I'm not new to skating just don't know where to start in buying an eboard. A max budget would be around 1300 or so dollars

[@DredSk8]

Hi William, no harm in window shopping and plenty of good starters in the $1k or below range my immediate got to is the Exway Flex with the Riot drive then after that the BKB Duo, Wowgo 3X, Meepo NLS or a used Boosted stealth with XR battery, but really the Flex is probably the best starter board in terms of price, range, features and power 🙂

[@Sievert31]

@@DredSk8 awesome i will check it out thank you so much!

[@DredSk8]

Happy to help

[@Sievert31]

@@DredSk8 hi again I've seen reviews of the exway flex. But I'm worried about shipping times since its not based in the US do you know of a similar board offering that kind of experience that's here in the US?

[@DredSk8]

That would be the BKB but you have to be willing to do a bit of assembly, also Exway has US warehouses now but not sure if they are currently stocked.

[@hay829]

They do say it’s not practical they built it because they can. If it’s not for you it’s not for you. But some crazies still love this board. It’s personally too much for me.

[@DredSk8]

I agree to a certain degree, but when you're talking about things from a business perspective nothing happens in a vacuum. This was a targeted product to a specific consumer group, but in that regard yeah its not going to be for most people, my main angle here was addressing some of the very real rough edges for this board incase someone who might not be as well versed in the esk8 space was saving up towards this as like their grail board. Baja has made some iterative updates to their core line up since I made this though and I would love to get my hands on one of their newer models to see if they have tamed some of the rougher out of the box issues 🤙

[@hay829]

@@DredSk8I actually have their atrax newest model. I absolutely love it. I haven’t taking it to a 100% though I only got it last week that’s why I’m here watching your video. I think the atrax is really worth it. I absolutely love mine.

[@timzstr]

Did they fix the remote problem yet i am looking for a fast board but if controlling is bad whats the point

[@DredSk8]

Ha no, it's not so much a controller issue as a ESC issue, and that they can't actually fix it at least not for the quad drive

[@versatile6714]

Dream board for me would be a TRAMPA or a board from Kaly NYC. I’m using a dual belt onsra black carve currently with venom 97A bushings and some ShredLights (I’m 165lb) and I’m loving it. I can’t justify picking up a second board so I’ll probably have to wait until I deplete the lifespan of my onsra before I get a TRAMPA or Kaly. Or I suppose I could sell my DH mountain bike(s-works specialized demo 8) which was $10000 and get both boards 🤣🤣🤣

[@DredSk8]

It's a good Strategy basically ride the hell out of your current board then when your ready sell it off to a new rider to subsidize the upgrade if it's still holding up 🤙🤙🤙

[@JasonMyers1212]

Another good choice would be lacroix or bioboards

[@DredSk8]

Depends on the requirements but both generally solid, however on the case of Bioboards they actually aren't in a production phase right now so might be a minute if you order one

[@valentingorobets5046]

Can you make a video of charging a board by using the break system . Or maybe even with boosted board . Like on a boosted board will you get better charge with just pressing the trigger or pressing the trigger and rolling the scroll backwards

[@DredSk8]

Hi Valentin I think I know what your after, and yes I could but to answer your query, regenerative breaking is a super inefficient way of charging with I think to returns being around 1-2% per mile but don't quote me on that, might be fun to do a short vid on how long it takes to charge a boosted to full on nothing but regen just going down hills in SF or on a treadmill.

[@valentingorobets5046]

@@DredSk8 happy to have met you at skate meet up . I was the one with the stealth long board

[@DredSk8]

Very cool meeting you man, didn't see if you were with us at the Presidio so hopefully you had a bit of fun carving up the pier 🤙❤️

[@valentingorobets5046]

@@DredSk8 yes siirrr

[@MrPhillipsTheChangeAgent]

I need to try one of these.

[@DredSk8]

See if you can find a G4 OR S2 the Pantera was a bit of a let down and pretty inconsistent in the throttle.

[@JT-xf9sw]

Patrick, its $6k...wouldn't you rather have a motorcycle...🤔

[@DredSk8]

It's $6,666 dollars actually*

[@AN-if5tk]

Time will polish you...just keep the Faith and keep it coming

[@RSMethodology]

How does this compare to the LaCroix?

[@DredSk8]

It really doesn't, the LaCroix is smooth and agile in turning and acceleration, by comparison the baja is like driving a muni bus with upgraded suspension, it's a comfortable ride and it chews up off road but it lacks polish on the actual ride expirience, my thoughts are pretty much the same, the baja is still a very specific type of toy/tool that you throw in the truck and hit the trail for an afternoon of fun but it's hard to use it as a street board, conversely the LaCroix is just not good at any sort of true off roading without modification.

[@BenjaminPeterParker]

I'm thinking about building a fast enough board to replace driving a car or motorcycle. Would it be crazy to dream of such a board? Thanks for the content

[@DredSk8]

It's not about the speed when you talk commuting it's about the range if you can hit 30/30 your golden 30mph+ 30+miles range

[@oddity6176]

@@DredSk8 speed definitely matters if you want to ride in san antonio where the average speed limit is 40mph, and there aren't any bike lanes.

[@DredSk8]

In that instance totally, but if that's the case this may not be the board for you depending on your weight and comfort level you might want to DIY something more purpose built as for most riders on 18t 40 will be to upper limit, I say that because yeah you can go 20t gears but it really guts your torque and acceleration which in that kind of scenario you really don't want to sacrifice if you're having to ride in traffic a lot, I'd even go so far as to say a scooter might be better if your not opposed something like a kaabo or a dualtron would be choice for riding 40-50mph with traffic and is a bit more reliable than most boards for commuting, but just my two cents.

[@DredSk8]

Edit I totally thought this was for the Lonestar vid, yeah definitely don't get this board to ride in traffic, I am of the opinion that the way the controllers are setup it will try and kill you of you push 40 😂

[@oddity6176]

@@DredSk8 Thanks. Do you know if bajaboard has fixed these issues in the past five months? Also can you do a review on the ngv nextboard? I haven't seen really anything on that board at all.

[@TylerMcKinney]

"it is a beash unleashed"

[@DredSk8]

In a way yes, but i have driven and ridden what most woyuld call performance vehicles and track cars, and those have a certain degree of refinement and control that you can adapt to, but this just feels like a poorly tuned board.

[@AhilMohan]

No bullshit review. Thanks

[@chriskriaris4304]

Thanks bruuhs bra

[@Ts0usermax]

The problem with the people doing e-board reviews on youtube is they are the type of people who would struggle to ollie up a curb on a regular skateboard or even just roll around on one.

[@Ts0usermax]

even if you won the lottery you would be disappointed if you buy one of these even now a year later because they haven't been fine tuned and all the Baja effort has gone into the upgrade of the S2 to the Atrax, no more belt drive, 1800Wh battery, 35+ top speed and range of 60miles.....to buy a pantera over S2 atrax even now in July 2021 you would be spending more money to go backwards.

[@calistogar4046]

Hello, While I appreciated your review, I think you are missing the point. You don't purchase a Porsche GT3, track it, and complain about power, lack of control, and your anxiety. Instead, you make sure you are proficient, up to the challenge, and accept the risk. The Pantera is not a Prius, it's a GT3. Prepare yourself appropriately and accept the challenge and risk. P.S. Please wear appropriate protective gear; you were minimally guarded.

[@DredSk8]

Hi Calistoga, I can see your point there and yes defo should have brought my pads, however the point here is not that I bought a bought a track car and am complaining about to much power, it's I bought a track car and it always gets stuck in third gear, I own and have built 40mph boards and compared to those the performance issues I expienced while riding were simply unacceptable for a board in this category, but that's simply my opinion, we're all adults here so everyone can make their own choices :)

[@morgancavanaugh796]

Valid response.

[@nunbeam]

@@DredSk8 Eager to see your video "fixing" the problem, I'm a 300 lb guy trying to offroad on an EV so it seems like the Pantera is my only real option. Is the "fix" running VESC on the controllers?

[@jeanclabowski8785]

lmao you dont think people that drove for porsche around the racetrack ever had criticism for porsche as a company? you're reaching man. Porsche also has proven themselves to consumers as knowing how to build a machine that is near flawless, if their cars were as unnnessisarily jerky as this video creator is saying his pantera is in 2021, then a porsche would cost less than a hyundai.

[@ReyConejo29]

Cómo se tiene una Bajaboard Pantera

[@stevemuzak8526]

They using cheap components etc. That board isn't really build like a tank. They handing specs for a reason.

[@DredSk8]

Actually they are using forged aluminum a frames for the wishbone suspension arms which have a tendency to shear after taking a beating, it's funny that they are just now correcting this on the new board, if you look closely they have added X braces to the frames. It holds up just fine but it's a question of when one of those frames will break not if, if you do any serious off roafing regularly.

[@BayAreaFPV]

1100wh pack 30Q Samsung cells

[@DredSk8]

Was wondering that's some hard info to find without slicing the pack.

[@ReyConejo29]

Quiero una

[@oburkeconnor48]

Which eye is lazy? Hard to tell, and I'm not trying to be disrespectful here, I'm just curious.

[@DredSk8]

Left, I actually used to be completely cross eyed as a kid, took a few surgery's to sort it, now it just sort of does its own thing when I'm focusing on something lol.

[@oburkeconnor48]

@@DredSk8 My best freind had the same procedure and the same out come. Thanks for the response, I really enjoy your reviews man, much love!

[@DredSk8]

🤘 for sure, thanks for the support and good vibes.

[@jeffsan8227]

@@DredSk8 do your best in life G . We are supporting you

[@DredSk8]

@@jeffsan8227 positive vibes much appreciated 🤙

[@Ts0usermax]

The thing is dangerous end of story and having a different screen for the setting or being able to change things via your phone would somehow make this thing less insanely powerful? You wouldn't hand someone a skateboard who has never ridden a skateboard in their life and say hey drop in from that mini ramp and then do a review on that skateboard setup.

[@wravennn]

There is not only a power setting to tune the boards power down and there is even a throttle control to tune how it delivers the power.

[@DredSk8]

Yeah i spent a bit of time attempting to tune it but it always ranged between to gutless on the torque and to twitchy on the throttle. Thinking back on everything retroactively its possible that the quirks I had to deal with may be native to the Panteras particular ESC settings that were a redult of them patching over the old firmware to run with a higher current/duty cycle and not being wholly compatible with the normal setup/config.

[@wravennn]

@@DredSk8 I also think the profile you are in hard caps some variables. For example: if I’m in intermediate profile, with zero throttle curve (full throttle) and 50% power it caps me to 20mph when even at 50% power the board is absolutely capable of more, the profiles have other “feels” to them in ridding. Might be part of the equation but regardless not overly intuitive.

[@DredSk8]

Yeah that was one of my main sticking points, its one of the most capable boards out there, but requires a significant amount of user tweaking and the material that is available dosent really go in depth on the settings which is where o think they need to monderize and creat a real app PC or otherwise that gives you a full view of the settings and what your actual profiles are and whats beong limited ect. VESC obviously already supports all thos natively but they stuck with their older in house stuff based off the old Kelly controllers so the UI/UX experience is still very much enthusiast grade.

[@Jd-zd6bh]

$6000? OK. . . I need to stop watching now. . .

[@DredSk8]

Yeah you can safely skip this one, its a weekend toy for full stack engineers and day traders with more money than sense 😜

[@robertneville2678]

Can’t hear what this clown is saying

[@Thoughtfulbuildsllc]

Killer video too! Followed you on ig as well