“In China, when you’re one in a million, there are 1300 people just like you.” - Bill Gates
April 30th update - new price list, below thanks @Winfly and Kenna
China is the world’s hottest market right now - and is widely-predicted to remain the fastest growing major economy for the next decade, and beyond.
We believe that our entire community benefits when we introduce you, our builders, directly to prospective suppliers in China.
When we all work together, our products will be better, safer and more cost-effective, for all our riders and their fams.
Yet working with China can be hard, and especially when facing language and cultural differences. It takes trust to build a true business and stuff moves pretty fast over there. It can be hard to keep up.
We’re trying to advance things and connect you guys in, directly.
We’ve taken the hard part - negotiating a price list with a Chinese supplier in Mandarin - and posted a B2B price list with small-batch discounts for you, below. No glitzy pictures, this isn’t marketing - this is a business-to-business introduction to introduce you to Lofty, so you too can benefit from your own contacts in Chinese esk8.
In full disclosure, we are not compensated by any means for making this introduction or negotiating this pricing for the community, and we’ve bought everything we have at the full retail or eBay price.
We’re just customers like the rest of you.
You order from Lofty directly, you pay Lofty directly, and you receive goods from Lofty directly. All pricing includes shipping to your door, and everything ships immediately.
Credit goes to @Winfly for leading negotiations in Mandarin, supported by testing from @mishrasubhransu, @sofu @landonkun and others, community leadership by @BillGordon and to the rest of the team in the eLofty thread, elsewhere on our forum.
Finally, this special “Builder’s Price Book” is only open until Wednesday, May 15.
Here’s the supplier contact information:
- Supplier name: Shenzhen Lofty Ambition Technology Co., Ltd
- Supplier contact: Kenna Yan
- Contact Phone WhatsApp/WeChat/Skype: + 86 134 1186 8423 (corrected thanks team)
- Supplier website: http://www.elofty-skateboard.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=60 and https://lofty-skateboard.com/collections/direct-drive-motor
To order: please use WhatsApp, WeChat or Skype and reach Kenna Yan, directly. (No we are not babying you with a form - go meet Kenna and build your network lol).
Kenna is super nice so introduce yourself on WhatsApp, tell her you’re from the Builder’s Forum, order what you want from the Lofty menu, and pay with PayPal. Your products should arrive in a week.
Without any further ado, here is your special pricing that expires on Wednesday, May 15 for the Lofty Direct Drive:
- retail supplier catalog is on their site, above
- all builders receive 30-ct. pricing, even if you buy just 1 item, until May 15th;
- if any category goes into 50, 70, etc. you will recieve the difference credited back to your account towards your future Lofty purchase;
- the drives have been tested to 58kv
- axial, Kegel-compatible, TKP or DKP only;
- newest generation - improved epoxy for better impact and heat resistance;
- integrated temperature sensor;
- 3.5mm bullets (comes with female bullets so you can swap if you are not using a Unity or FOCBOX)
- optional DKP baseplate (drivetrain hanger works with your Independent TKP baseplate);
- 85mm or 90mm “Boosted Lunar” wheels (cheaper in bundle) - 90mm strongly recommended
- “extra wheels” means additional set of wheels packed with your drivetrain order (saves shipping to buy +1 wheels)
Price list expires May 15:
To provide you an example of my discount for what I am purchasing in this buy, personally:
2WD + DKP baseplate + 90 MM wheels means:
- $499 retail (on Lofty’s site)
- $469 direct on eBay (direct from Lofty)
- $417 in this buy (direct from Lofty)
If, by some miracle, Lofty sells 100 drivetrains by the 15th, I (along with everyone else who purchased a drivetrain) will receive a store credit for $22.
(what we call a true-up in B2B pricing). Pretty simple.
For the entry-level TKP drivetrain for $279, you will receive the drivetrain hanger with motors; you will need a TKP base plate.
Here’s @mishrasubhransu’s solution that’s proven durable:
TKP setup
I paid a total of $22 for all the things needed for TKP setup.
1 X pack of pivot cups, bushing and nuts
2 X base_plate
I want to say thank you, again, to everyone from the Elofty Direct Drive - #1060 by landonkun - ESK8 Electronics - Electric Skateboard Builders Forum | Learn How to Build your own E-board thread that made this journey possible. Every piece of information, good and bad, helps us all.
We’re thinking about expanding this to two more industry-leading companies: Xinda (China) and walking you guys through every step it takes to make your own decks and enclosures, and Tay Guei (Taiwan PRC) to show how custom motors are made. AEND for wheels (Texas) can be on the list, too.
If you think this series about showing the business aspects of esk8 and dealing with suppliers is interesting and valuable, please let us know below.
Go forth, esk8 moguls. 
Thanks again.
