You have seen the un-boxing pictures. You have seen the crazy snow video, now you can finally head over to the RC Reviews section, and read what we think of the vehicle after a month of testing. We got our hands on the Platinum edition, and if you have been thinking about that or the stock 4×4, you will really want to read this.
Pro-Line Rat Rod Package Contest!
Review – ProTek RC Universal Radio Case
Review – Duratrax Nissan GT-R Nitro RTR Review
Review- TrakPower MS Series 8.5 Turn Brushless Racing System
Review – Vaterra Twin Hammers 1.9 Rock Racer
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What's new: Friday, March 26th, 2010
What's new: Thursday, March 25th, 2010
The Pro-Line blog is showing off an aggressive new tread for short course trucks. Going by the moniker Trencher SC, they have a very all-terrain style like you might see on your friend’s rock crawler. It’s going to be molded in their M2 compound, which should provide long life both on and off-road.
Go check out the Pro-Line blog for a couple more tales of interest.
Just got word from Traxxas about their new 2.2 Pro S1 Compound Tires and Dish wheels for the 1/16 E-Revo VXL. These are engineered for competition grade traction and performance. They widen the E-Revo by 14mm, and the 12mm hexes allow the Traxxas 2.2″ dish wheels to be used on other 1/10th scale buggies as well.
For more info check the Traxxas Website.
Dear Cubby,
I enjoy reading your columns every week, but now I have a question for you. I have a VXL system in my Slash and after landing from a jump it doesn’t want to go forward anymore. What do you think is wrong?
Trans-Am Man
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I had a Pontiac Trans Am one time. Mine was a bright red 95 version. I gotta give props to GM on that car, I drove that car like I stole it for 2 whole years with no problems (unless you consider balding tires a “problem”). Life was good with the t-tops off, just cruising down the highway listening to that glorious V-8 engine. Everyone should own some American muscle at some point in their life.
Oh, I guess you did ask an r/c related question. So you have a Slash and it rips hard with a way super dope brushless system in it. Or well, it used to rip, now it just sits. There are very few weak links on the Slash. The only truly nagging glitches are-
1. the shock caps love to pop off and coat the inside of the body with oil and
2. the stock spur gear likes to spit out teeth faster than Rufus The Stunt Bum.
Most likely you landed rear wheels first from a jump and knocked some teeth off your spur. Remove the screws that hold on the gear cover and have a look to see that I have certainly guessed correctly on this one. Lucky for you Slash spur gears are dirt cheap, so be sure and buy at least one spare while you are at your friendly LHS. 
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That’s it for this edition of “ASK Cub Reporter”. Submit your questions to cubby at
BigSquidRC dot com!
YOUR Cub Reporter
Schumacher Racing sends word today of some new hop-ups for you proud owners of the Anderson M5 Cross. And for you people who were as confused as I was about who Anderson is and just what this M5 Cross thing is supposed to be, well it’s Europe’s version of the Duratrax MX450.
So now that I’m not confused anymore, on to the new hop-ups!
If you’re needing more front-end responsiveness from your M5 Cross then you can easily put on the new lightweight shock shafts for the front forks. If you’re not a fan of wheelies that tear up your rear fender then you can add the new wheelie bar set to help support and protect it. And finally, NEW TIRES… er…. TYRES! They call them Chocolate Tyres, and they are geared toward high grip surfaces, offering less bite than other types of tyres.
For more info on these new hop-ups for a r/c motorcycle you may or may not have heard of check out Schumacher Racing’s web site.
What's new: Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Hot on the heals of their recent 1/10 stadium truck, Robitronic has something new for you 1/8 scale nitro buggy lovers. They’ve re-engineered their Protos buggy and are introducing the Protos V2. Some of the changes include a new chassis layout for better balance, improved brake system with added front/rear brake balance adjustment, increased steering throw by 5%, and a redesigned rear chassis brace to allow for a larger range of gear ratios. It’s also got a load of hot looking red anodized parts on it.
For a complete rundown of the additions and changes check out the official Robitronics announcement.
In our effort to help our fellow bashers save some $$, this might be a good deal if for some reason you need a Losi Strike! Over on the Horizon Hobby website, they have the Strike with 2.4ghz receiver (no transmitter) for only $119!!! That’s like getting the strike for about $50 with the purchase of a Spektrum receiver! If you don’t have a transmitter you can get the full RTR version for $149!
Our guess is that this is the last we will see of the Losi Strike, as this is probably a blow out price. While the Blitz and Slash are the current leaders in the short course truck market, we didn’t think that Losi would throw in the towel this soon!
Anyway, if you need a extra receiver, and happen to want to bash a Losi Strike around, you should act soon!
A painted body for the strike costs $54! So actually if you needed a receiver, and a new body, it’s like getting the strike for free! LOL.
Horizon Hobby is giving away a $250 shopping spree to two lucky people that write a product review on the Horizon web site. You only have until March 31st to get your review in though, so don’t dawdle. The official rules say One valid and complete product review equals one contest entry,
but they don’t specify what a complete product review is, so make it something someone else would want to read. If you don’t write very well the official rules say you could also enter this way:
Send a postcard containing your name, mailing address, and phone number to Horizon Hobby, Inc., Consumer Division, 4105 Fieldstone Road, Champaign, IL 61822. Entries must be received by Horizon Hobby, Inc. by 11:59 PM CST 3/31/2010.
But your entry would be cutting it kind of close at this point.
For all the information and official rules go to Horizon Hobby’s web site.
For the basher HPI people out there, RPM has some new Rear Bearing Carriers for the HPI Blitz, Blitz ESE, Firestorm 10T, E-Firestorm and E-Firestorm Flux. The stock bearings are 5×10, but the new RPM parts allow 5×11 bearings! Every little bit helps!
Note, the bearings are not included.
Visit the RPM RC site for details.
Pro-Line’s plethora of preformed polycarbonate has grown a bit bigger today with the introduction of two new bodies and an undertray. New for the Slash, Slash 4×4, and SC10 we have the officially licensed Ford F-150 body. For you 1/16 Slash owners they have appropriately scaled down their Desert Rat 2.0 body. Both bodies are clear and include decals, window masks, and overspary film. And finally for the Slash 4×4 owners in the crowd they have created a new undertray specifically for you. The undertray will help protect your nice, new chassis and also keep some of the crud out. It’s made to mount with the existing hardware already on your Slash 4×4, so installation should be a breeze.
MSRP for the Ford F-150 is $35.95, the Desert Rat is $24.95, and the undertray is $29.95.
For all the info you could possibly want about these things give Pro-Line’s site a visit.
What's new: Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
All new episodes of the MythBusters will soon be upon us! The first of which is this Wednesday night at 9:00pm eastern on the Discovery Channel. We here at the Squid are big fans of the fedora sporting ADHD guy and the mustachioed, beret wearing, mountain of a man (or maybe it’s just Kari… yeah, that’s probably it). Anybody who’s watched the MythBusters knows that they have converted more than a few full size vehicles to radio control in cases when having a human driver would be too dangerous. We can only guess what kind of cool new radio controlled projects they might have up their sleeves for this season. So let’s reminisce about some of their projects from seasons passed, shall we?
What's new: Monday, March 22nd, 2010
ST Racing Concepts is showering us with gifts today! Well, not really gifts, but a bunch of new products for all you short course enthusiasts out there to buy. Whether you got a new Traxxas Slash 4×4, an HPI Blitz, or an OFNA Hyper 10SC they’ve got something new for you.
The Slash 4×4 is still brand new, but ST is on the ball with a CNC machined aluminum center shaft front drive hub (or CMACSFDH for short). This will drop right in place of the stock plastic piece and let you put down even more insane power. Bullet proofing the drive train is always a good idea whether you race or bash. It just makes sense. Your have your choice of Blue, Gun Metal, Red, or Silver to match the scheme of your ride. MSRP is only $9.99.
Dissatisfied with your Blitz’s stock steering bellcrank? Try STRC’s new CNC machined aluminum bellcrank, it’ll flex a lot less than the stock bellcrank when used with high torque servos or under harsh conditions. You can get it in any of these colors: Orange, Gun Metal, Silver, or limited edition Red. MSRP is $27.99.
Finally those of you that went with an OFNA SC10 shouldn’t feel left out in the rain. For you they’ve got an CNC machined adjustable position battery plate that allows you to shift your battery by 10, 20, or 30mm; allowing you to fine tune your truck’s weight distribution. Your color options are limited to the monochromatic: Gun Metal or Limited edition Silver. MSRP, cheapest yet! $9.25.
Get all this information and more at ST Racing Concepts’ site!
Yet another week in rc has gone by the wayside, so what were the scoops this week? Well, this was a trade show week, and most of the industry was sitting in sunny SoCal working the RCX show, yet still no “big” news emerged. The internet age has eliminated most of the “big” surprises from popping up at trade shows, and RCX was no different. A few new parts here and there, but nothing Earth shattering. I will say this about RCX, they definitely have the most 1:1 rides of any rc trade show, and Traxxas even had one of Jake Weimers Pro Circuit Kawa’s on display.
Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Jesse Masterpool. Jesse was a 14 year old motocross prodigy that succumbed to injuries he suffered at the Lake Whitney National about a week ago. Jesse was not only an incredible talent, but also a great kid, RIP.
The 2010 RC Pro Series Nitro Off Road series races have been posted. If you are looking for a few big races to hit this summer, these are the best events to support, as Carlton Eppes runs the best show in the rc biz.
Breaking Bad is the best show on television right now. If you missed the season three premier tonight, you really need to climb out from under that rock you are hiding under and take a look. This blatant plug really has nothing to do with rc, but the show is way super dope, and you gotta have something to watch while wrenching on your new Jammin SCRT.