Raptor Grips Review

In a sport where we are constantly going to another sport (Bmx) to get certain products, it is good to see that some companies are starting to attempt to change that, by creating these products themselves. Though, to be honest, most of the time, despite the fact that scooter companies make these parts, we find ourselves going back to the Bmx brands who have been making them longer. Well that might be changing here with Raptor.


Raptor is under the same parent company as Elyts, 841, and AO, which all makes different products. Raptor makes grips, and not just any grips. They are the first company that made grips specifically made for scooter riders. I recently had a chance to get my hands on these grips (no pun intended) and here are my initial thoughts, on Raptor Grips.

I spent about a week with each grip installed on my bars. The first I installed were the Scale Grips you see below. At the first feel of the grips you realize immediately how soft they are. You probably figure they are going to wear out really fast, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Because Raptor actually has 1.5mm more thickness than your average grip.

I slid them on without much issue, and they felt pretty good. Also, the bar ends are not your normal push in plugs that most riders use. These actually screw right in using an allen key, so that was pretty cool, and definitely kept them in nice and snug. After riding them for a week I got really into how thick they were, it really did help with shock absorption, which is something Raptor wanted to do. They did a feel a bit short to me though, but I do have pretty big hands. Also if your hands sweat, you won’t have too much of a problem, but you might slip a bit.


That following Monday, I put on the Claw Grips that you see below. You’ll first notice the design of the grips themselves. At first grab once they are on the bars, they might feel a bit strange. But keep riding for a while, and you’ll get used to them really quick, to the point where they actually feel really comfortable. They feel like they truly begin to contort to your hands. They also feel like they have a bit more grip than the Scale Grips.

After riding them for 3-4 days, I realized that I preferred these grips over the Scale. They feel thinner than the Scale grips, and for some riders that’s what they prefer. There was also how grippy they were, which felt perfect. Despite them feeling thinner, after the week was up there was little to no wear and tear on the grips. Keep in mind I do have pretty rough hands, and can eat through Animal Edwins with ease. So this was a welcome surprise.

Overall with Raptor grips, I was pleased. I would like to see a couple more colors though. As you can see from the picture, there is no White or Blue grip. I’d also like to see them make the grips a little bit longer. When you have a longer grip you can always cut it down to size. But having a shorter grip leaves riders that prefer a longer grip with only one option, and that is to go back to a Bmx brand. If you want to get yourself a pair of Raptor Grips, head over to your local scooter parts dealer or website and see if they got them for sale. If not, request them!


Below are some following specs on Raptor Grips, as well as my boy Cory Vanlew talking about Raptor.


Colors:

black, orange, red, purple, green, yellow

Team:

Jon Reyes, Luke Painter, Cory Vanlew, Zig Short, Mitch Baldry