Raptor Talon – 3 3/4 X 55 X 65

MOTIV’s current goal is to release bowling balls that will be able to provide bowlers with an arsenal of equipment to combat all conditions. 

Description: The Raptor Talon is the third Raptor being added to the high-performance range.  The Raptor Talon uses the same Predator core as the previous two Raptors, but with the all new Fusion Solid Reactive coverstock.

Reaction:  The addition of the Raptor Talon has filled MOTIV’s slot for a very early revving heavy oil ball.  The Raptor Talon is best suited when everything else is too clean in the front or middle part of the lane.  It allows you to keep a ton of ball in your hand yet maintain control throughout the entire lane.  At the box finish (2000 grit sanded) I found the ball to be most effective for the intentions of the ball.  Adding polish made the Raptor Talon similar in length to the original Raptor (4000 Grit Sanded), yet the Raptor Talon maintained a higher hook potential because of the strength in the front and middle part of the lane.  I didn’t experiment with adding more surface to the Raptor Talon as the box surface started the ball plenty soon!

Comparisons:  The Raptor Talon is obviously MOTIV’s biggest hooking ball.  However, even though you may currently think you don’t need more hook, the Raptor Talon brings much more than just hook.  It brings a lot of power and a lot of control.  In my video you will see that the original Raptor is played a few boards right at the arrows and has a more defined backend motion.  The Venom Strike is even further right at the arrows, although not as continuous as the Raptor Talon.  I think it should also be noted that those who really like there Thrash…The Raptor Talon will be the Thrash’s BIG BROTHER.

Summary:  The Raptor Talon is not going to be a ball for me that will see a lot of league action, but will be the first ball I choose to put in the bag for tournaments.  I can see the Raptor Talon seeing a lot of time on tougher patterns and looking forward to throwing it on some heavier conditions when most are struggling to get the lane to open up.

YouTube Video:
MOTIV Staff Member - Mike Magolan

BALL SPECS

Pin Length: 2.3"

Starting Top Weight: 2 oz.

Ball Weight: 15 lb 3 oz.


DRILL PATTERN

55 x 5 1/4 x 30, no extra hole


BOWLER STYLE

Rev Rate: 400 RPM

Ball Speed: 19 MPH

PAP/Track: 4 3/8 left, 5/8 up


SURFACE PREP

Grit: 2000

Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Abralon


LANE CONDITION

Length: 35 ft, 37 ft, 39 ft, 41 ft, 40 ft

Volume: variety

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS, PBA Animal Patterns, NCAA Collegiate Patterns


BALL REACTION

Length: 3/10

Back End: 6/10

Overall Hook: 10/10

Midlane Read: 9/10

Breakpoint Shape: 6/10


COMMENTS

Likes: I am thrilled to have the Talon in my bag. It is a tremendous asset for me personally as I am a speed dominant bowler. The Talon grabs the lane extremely early and anchors itself hard in the mid lane. The majority of this ball's reaction occurs in the first half of the lane which sets up for a smooth, controlled breakpoint. I can use this ball longer than most people can because of my physical game and I love the shape it makes. I prefer arcing bowling balls with a lot of overall hook and this ball certainly fills that gap for me. Obviously, the best environment for this piece would be heavier volumes of oil unless you throw hard, then you can also pull it out on medium environments. I had a lot of success with the Talon on Scorpion, NCAA Pattern #2, and PBA Viper. I have even used it on certain occassions on Cheetah when I want the ball to burn up and stop at the backend.

Dislikes: What makes this ball so special is also its demise. It is a very conditional piece because of its aggressive nature. Don't even think about taking this one out on anything less than medium oil. It will most likely burn up and not continue through the pins. I throw quite hard and realistically I only know of one bowling center where I could regularly throw this monster. Even with a good coat of polish and weaker drillings it will want to check up too soon. Use it on the appropriate conditions and you'll be quite satisfied.

*I would also like to point out that for those of you who own a 2Cruel that is a tremendous piece for the middle and later part of a block. It is a lot cleaner, and creates much more angle down lane. You can drill up a Talon with a similar layout (consult your pro shop technician) and have an exceptional 1-2 punch for heavy oil/tournaments. The Talon will dominate the fresh and the 2Cruel will handle the transition with ease. I am personally going to look into this as I feel the 2Cruel will be more handy for me with this latest addition.


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtugVptfaOg&feature=youtu.be

Ball Specs:
Motiv Raptor Talon
Solid Reactive
2000 Grit Sanded
Asymmetric Core
Layout  65x4.5x75 (no balance hole)

Bowler Specs:
Right Hand. PAP 5 Over 3/4 up
Rev Rate 275. Tilt 20. Rotation 50.
Speed off hand 18
Review:
The New Motiv Raptor Talon is hook in a box.  My Raptor P7’s hook a bunch, but the Talon is 3-5 boards more. The main difference I see is that the Talon reads the lane much sooner than the P7 but keeps the same backend move. Some balls that read too quickly burn out and don’t have enough “fuel” in them to hit. The Raptor Talon does not seem to have this problem. That being said you will need head oil for this ball to perform its best.  We have also found this ball works well with pin up or pin down drillings. I used the Talon on some flat Kegel patterns and it seemed to love the longer patterns as long as I went up the boards.  This is a nice addition to the Motiv line and with the biggest hook rate given by Bowling this Month magazine you can’t go wrong if you are looking for hook.
The hit and pin carry of this ball is very strong. The Talon even carries light hits nicely. This is probably due to the backend this ball has. The backend is strong for a dull ball that reads the pattern early. The Raptor Talon is the top of the hook chart for Motiv and may be the strongest ball in production at this time.  This ball is predictable as most dull balls are, and is made for heavy oil. Sport shots will be made easier by using the Raptor Talon. The ball has a great logo and color. This color was used on the first Primal and looks even meaner on the Talon.
Summary:
Early read with strong backend motion.
Excellent hit and carry, even on light hits.
A great ball for heavy oil.
Another nice addition to the Motiv lineup.
This is a great piece to have if you bowl on wet lanes or tournaments with longer patterns.
Glenn
PBA Member
Motiv Staff
Turbo Staff
Video Link – http://youtu.be/E1FLMZOSDfo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWipbdPe1E
My info is in the Video.
     The Raptor Talon is a more aggressive version of the Raptor.  It uses the same core but the cover is like having sheetrock screws drilled into the track.  The ball will not cover the whole lane, unless it is covered in oil, but it reads SO HARD.  There are basically only a few times you can use a ball this strong.  My fear is that bowlers will buy this ball and say it isn't great when they throw it on lower volumes and  don't see it cover 40 boards.  I found it to be very aggressive in the fronts.  On sport conditions where my benchmark (Track 716T) was washing out, the Talon was going through the face.  The further left I moved the further left I had to move my breakpoint as to retain enough energy.  On the wrong conditions you WILL NOT like the reaction of this ball.  On the house shot I was surprised how this ball worked.  Almost the opposite of what I thought.  I started a little deeper and used my regular release.  Game 1 was nothing special.  As the lanes transitioned and some carry down from the other bowlers got in front of me, the Talon went on the hunt.  I had as much as 5 boards at the breakpoint once the lanes changed.  Others were getting skid and washouts and I had the whole lane.  I only added a little tilt to my release to clear the very front of the lane and the Talon did the rest.
If you TRULY bowl on heavy oil this ball cannot be beat!  You just have to be honest with yourself or you will not like this ball.  Truly a great piece of equipment in the right hands on the right conditions.

My video for the MOTIV  Raptor Talon.I hope you enjoy.And I hope  the video helps.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38hhmzjpiaE&list=HL1356408605&feature=mh_lolz

LANE CONDITION

Length:

Volume:

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):


COMMENTS

Likes:

Dislikes:


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

Lane Condition:
   40ft THS on Brunswick ProLane
   Medium-Heavy Volume

Layout:
   5” x 5”
   65 x 5” x 40

If you need a ball that has no problem finding the friction through even the heaviest of volumes, look no farther.  The Raptor Talon is the newest addition to Motiv’s line that gives you unparalleled control in oil without sacrificing any hitting power going through the pins.  The new Fusion Solid cover stock (finished at 2000 grit) combined with the aggressive Predator core (2.46 RG, .060 Diff) creates a very strong, early motion.  I laid my Talon out a bit on the weaker side based on my (happy) experience with the Raptor P7.  Even with this layout the core is very strong and perfectly complements the aggressive nature of the coverstock.  The moment I release this ball I can see it trying to gain traction on the lane.  The midlane motion is very pronounced; the white and yellow logos make watching this ball flare extremely easy.  While the backend is understandably smooth and controllable, the power through the pins is nothing short of amazing.  To date there have been no issues about this ball hooking on any pattern I have thrown it on.  Raw hook is what the Motiv Raptor Talon is all about.  Shred the lane!

Trent Overbey
In the Zone Pro Shop
Motiv Staff
www.motivbowling.com