The first body to hit the Comic Racer line is a Subaru WRX STI NBR Challenge 2010. There is much more information to come on these in the near future, until then Click Here to check view other cool vehicles from Kyosho America.

Thank Goodness It’s Friday, check out This BSRC Mystery Link.

Check out the video below of the Comic Racer in action from the guys at TeamMiniZ.

To learn more about all of Kyosho’s products THIS LINK takes you to the Kyosho America website. To read more Kyosho news right here on BigSquidRC THIS is the link you want.

8th scale electric buggies are still mega-hot and make incredible bash machines. On the high-end side of things Kyosho has just announced their new Inferno MP9e TKI buggy. The Kyosho MP9e TKI utilizes many of the advancements from the TKI3 nitro buggy including-

* Medium length shocks with threaded bodies and light blue Kyosho springs
* Shorter rear tower
* HD Driveshafts
* Stronger upper arms and reinforced bulkheads
* Anodized and milled motor mount
* Milled rear hub carriers

Looking for more Kyosho news? Check out THIS link right here on BigSquidRC.

Other features that stay the same on the DMT VE-R are 4wd, a 2.4 GHz radio system, and big bore shocks. The part number is #30844B and the street price is $380. Hit up the Kyosho America website for more information.

Check out THIS link for more Kyosho news right here on BigSquidRC.

* Colors: black, orange
* 360-degree flight
* 3ch control, infrared handheld controller
* Size: 200 x 200 x 200mm
* Durable design
* Flight time: roughly 5 minutes
* Charging time: roughly 50 minutes
* Li-Po battery for Space Ball
* 6 AA batteries for controller

Expect a street price of around $70 and they are available here in the States. To view all of Kyosho’s products HERE is the link to their official website. Hit up THIS link for more Kyosho news right here on BigSquidRC.

Check out the video below to see the Space Ball in action!

* XXL high performance nitro engine
* XXL tank with 200ml capacity for extra run-time
* High-performance chassis made ​​from 3mm aluminum
* Waterproof servos for steering & throttle/brake
* Water-resistant receiver box
* 2.4GHz Syncro KT-201 radio system
* Extra large oil shocks
* Full ball bearing drive train
* Engine stop switch for easy engine shut down
* Buggy body with roll cage, lights and figure
* Flip-top body design for easy access to the interior of the vehicle
* Adjustable turnbuckles
* Extra Large Sand tires
* 17mm hex hubs
* Extremely rugged heavy-duty drive train
* Externally adjustable slipper clutch
* Gull Wing Front Design
* Mid-engine chassis layout
* Fully functional side air channels
* Heavy duty side protection
* Fully equipped with Allen screws
* Length: 630 mm
* Width: 402 mm
* Height: 244 mm
* Track (F): 353 mm
* Wheelbase: 452 mm
* Gear ratio: 16:1
* Weight: 4,000 grams
* Engine: 4.6 cc Nitro

No word on a price or release date on this one yet, but you can hit up the official Kyosho Website to view all their other fine products.

Looking for more Kyosho news right here on BigSquidRC? HERE is the link you want.

First up is a new motor plate. You can get the motor plate in a variety of colors (red, gunmetal, and blue) and it’s been CNC machined out of high quality aluminum. Fins in the plate help to dissipate heat and it has longer motor screw slots to give you more gearing options. Street price on the motor plate is $11.

ST Racing Concepts has also created some new rear hubs for the RB6. These are also available in multiple different colors (red, gunmetal and blue) and come in zero, .5, and 1 degree of rear toe. The hubs have been CNC machined from high-grade aluminum and feature extra camber link holes for even more adjust-ability. For extra attention to detail- the bearing holes are CNC machined after anodizing to ensure a precision fit, and the set-screw on hinge-pin design makes for a perfect fit with reduced wear. Street price is $25 per pair.

If you are looking to put maximum tuning options in your toolbox, STRC is also selling all three toe configurations (zero/.5/1 degree) of the rear hubs as a set for only $69.

To get more information on these pieces along with the rest of the uber parts that STRC produces hit up their official Website.

Looking for more STRC news? We have it, check out THIS link.

NeXXt Review…
*Handling – 7/10 -* The NeXXt is not the worst driving vehicle we’ve ever tested, but it was pretty darn close.
It’s gets a passing grade even though it’s one of the worst vehicles you’ve ever driven? I think your scale is a bit off.
Jason

Cubby- Yo what’s up Jason, thanks for the email and be sure to shoot Brian your snail mail for some of our uber stickers to paste your rig with.

I’ve explained this before, but I’ll post it up again for those readers that may have missed it. Since we’ve gone to the 1-10 rating system we rarely use 6′s or below. For the most part we use 7-10 as sort of a grade system, such as 9-10 being a type of “A” and being superior, an 8-9 being a sort of “B” and being “above average”, etc. Starting in 2013 we will be going to the grade system. Instead of a 1-10, we’ll simply be going by grades, A through F, which in theory should be easier for readers to relate to, and easier for us reviewers to stay consistent with. High hopes, I know.

As far as the NeXXt goes we gave it a 7 out of 10 for handling even though IMO it was one of the worst rc vehicles I’ve driven in the last 30 years. However.. we use multiple testers, and not all felt the same way I did. While I did not enjoy the NeXXt bouncing around like a basketball with 50 psi of air in it, other testers thought that was a blast. Iron Mike couldn’t get enough wheel time with the NeXXt, and each time he got to drive it he would plow straight into the roughest section of track he could find just to get it bouncing all over the place. What was fun to Iron Mike was pure hell to me, and that’s why we use a multitude of testers in pretty much everything we review here. Each and every one of our readers is different, enjoying different handling styles, etc. We attempt to get a broad spectrum of input from our testers because we already know you guys have very diverse tastes, then we attempt to state as many of our opinions as possible to get you guys in the ballpark with whether or not you would enjoy the product.

There it is, and there ya are Jason. If you don’t dig a buggy that bounces around uncontrollably, the NeXXt is NOT for you, but if you are as brain damaged as Iron Mike, you might laugh yourself silly every moment you are pulling trigger on it.

Oh and.. I’m wayyyy too lazy to check, but I would doubt that we’ve issued too many handling scores lower than the one we gave to the NeXXt, if you have some free time research that for me and LMK.

Young bashers vs. new battery tech

I have a truck/battery tech question that I’m seeking expert advice on and believe you can best answer. The forums are filled with so-so or partial answers so I’d like your take on the matter. I’ve been out of the hobby for over 20 years and battery tech has evolved quite a bit.

My kids (4&6 yrs old) have been begging for R/C vehicles and this year Santa is coming to the rescue. The younger one wants a Gravedigger 30th anniversary RTR and the other a HPI Blitz RTR. Both come with LiPo cutoff and brushed motors. While shopping for a charger, I came to the following conclusions. Overnight chargers will not cut it and good NiMh chargers can only handle one battery at a time. I’d need two chargers to keep up with two kids, and we’d still spend most of the day charging. In cutting to the chase, why not just go LiPo, where I can balance charge in parallel – with one potent charger (liking the i-charger 400W). I am eying up the Turnigy Nano-Tech 2S2P 5800 mah batteries which are no more expensive than NiMh and they can provide the desired run times of around 20-30 min. Charging at a 2C rate safely at 5A, I should be able to charge two batteries in a more reasonable amount of time. I’m not interested in speed at this time, but can’t see sinking one dime into NiMh battery tech.

Q1: In keeping with the brushed motors for the time being, are we going to fry motors or ESC’s with this brushed /5800 LiPo set-up sooner than brushed/5000mah NiMh?

Q2: Assuming heat in the motors/ESC is what kills them – and for my newbie kids, top speed is irrelevant, what gearing should I go with?

Q3: Is there another battery tech that is better for my application such as A123′s LiFe – the rumor being it offers lower voltage and is less damaging than the LiPo?

Love the reviews – keep em coming. They led me (and my son) to the Blitz RTR. Also, the 30th anniversary Gravedigger, with 2.4 Ghz resolved my issue with Traxxas putting crap Radios with their basic RTR packages.

Thanks in advance,

Ed M.

Cubby- Wow, a lot to chew on in your email Ed, but thanks for taking the time to write in.

First- to your direct questions.

Q1- Are you going to fry more motors when using a 2S Lipo or when using a 6 cell Ni-Mh? Answer- I have never buckled down and done a somewhat scientific study on that one. The Lipo will maintain a higher voltage under load, thus making your motor faster, but it is much lighter. The Ni-Mh is putting out less voltage/slower, but it’s heavier to hall around. I’ve done impromptu testing on this subject, but it always yielded spotty results for me- sometimes the motor driven off a Lipo lasted longer, sometimes it was the motor being powered by the Ni-Mh. If I had a spare 100 hours or so I’d doing more testing on this for ya, but I don’t, so I’m not going to give you a solid answer on this one.

Q2- What gearing should you go with? I am a big fan of gearing via temp gauge. Your kids may never get the stock motors hotter than 100 F with bone stock gearing due to their driving styles, in that case you could elect to leave gearing stock. Or you may choose to drop a few teeth on the pinion to knock a few mph off the top end (making them easier to drive) and get longer run-times. Whatever you do gearing wise, pick up a cheap temp gauge from your LHS and use it. Below 120 is awesome for motor life, 120-160 is less than optimal, and hotter than that and you start ruining electronics. But… IMO more important than gearing is properly seating the brushes on those RTR brushed motors. Out of the box most RTR brushed motors arc like mad because the brushes are not seated properly to the comm, thus causing lots of extra heat, wasted energy, and short lifespans. Yes, water dipping a RTR motor is time consuming, it might take up to an hour per motor in the water to seat the brushes, but it is well worth it if you are wanting to get the maximum life (and power, and run-time) out of a motor.

Q3- Is there better battery tech out there for your application than A123 LiFe cells? The A123′s have one major downfall, their form factor. They are a PITA to fit properly in most of our vehicles. And yes, 2 cell LiFe vs 2S Lipo, the LiFe are about 1 volt less under load, meaning your truck will feel significantly slower unless you gear up. But… when you gear up you pull more amperage to make the power, making more heat. Lastly, A123 filed for bankruptcy a couple of months ago, and they haven’t been supporting the rc hobby the last couple of years, so I would not recommend you buy them at this time.

My recommendation to you is… wait for it… no, seriously wait for it… Ni-Mh.

I have a 5 yr old son that is getting his first ever rc truck for Christmas this year. In theory I plan on him doing most of his own charging (we’ll see how well that goes.. LOL) so he’s getting a new ECX Torment and four 1800 mah Ni-Mh packs with an old school Dynamite twin peak charger. I’ve water dipped the motor and made sure the slipper is a bit on the loose side so when he pins it WFO against a wall it burns up the slipper and not something else. I’m going Ni-Mh for this reason- you can do stupid stuff to a Ni-Mh and not get into much trouble, that is not the case with Lipo. For years I was paid to burn Lipo’s up, I know first hand how they react in a thermal runaway, and while the chance is small it might happen, I don’t want my 5 year old anywhere near a Lipo fire.

YOUR Cub Reporter

When the Kyosho NeXXt buggy was first announced certain staffers of ours couldn’t wait to get their hands on the unique “moon buggy” looking vehicle, even though it was aimed directly at entry level enthusiasts. How does the NeXXt drive? How does it hold up to abuse? Does it turn heads at the track, and most importantly, is it worth buying? Read on my friends and let’s find out…

From: Kyosho
Direct Link: NeXXt ReadySet
Unboxing Pictures: BigSquidRC Unboxing the NeXXt

Review By: Cubby
Pics By: Cubby

Specs:

RTR or Kit: RTR Factory Assembled with Electronics
Age: 14+
2wd or 4wd: 2wd
Electric or Gas: Electric
Waterproof: No
Scale: 1/10th
Length: 395 mm
Width: 245 mm
Wheelbase: 270 mm
Motor: Brushed, 22 turn
Speed Controller: Kyosho KA-18
Low Voltage Cut-off: No
Radio: 2.4 GHz Kyosho Syncro KT-200
Differential: Gear diff
Slipper Clutch: None
Driveshafts: Metal bones
Gear Ratio: 9.2:1
Shocks: Plastic body friction type
Screws: Phillips
Spur/Pinion Pitch: 48 Pitch
Tires: Unmarked brand with soft foam inserts and moon tread
Battery: Not included
Part Number: #30834T1B
Top Speed (measured by BSRC w/ 2S Lipo): 20 mph
Street Price: $140

Primary Competition: Ummmm…. the NeXXt is quite a unique vehicle. It’s competition would be extreme entry level 10th scale electric buggies.

What’s Needed To Complete: You’ll need 4 AA batteries for the transmitter, a 6 cell Ni-Mh battery for the buggy, and a battery charger.

Build Quality: We found strange noises while rolling the buggy, lots of slop here and there, and one of the rear wheels has been reluctant to come off.

Test Drivers: Cubby, Brian, Tim, Sam the Noob, and Iron Mike

Test Venues: RC Outlaws in Collinsville Illinois, Dirtburners in St Louis Missouri, PetCo parking lot and a city park.

Set-up Notes: We used Venom AA batteries in the transmitter, we used a MaxAmps 2S 4200 mah Lipo to power the truck, and a Dynamite PassPort Ultralite charger was used to power up the battery.

Turning: The NeXXt exhibits some under-steer on most surfaces, thus making it easy to drive for noobs (that have a tendency to over correct). However, it has virtually no side-bite, meaning it can not carry much corner speed and literally drifts through most corners (on dirt and on pavement). The NeXXt is easy to drive in the corners, just don’t expect it to get turned in a hurry.

Jumping: Taking off from a jump face is quite interesting with the NeXXt, but not nearly as interesting as its landings. Those friction shocks combined with massive bump steer and radical camber change during the suspension stroke results in some mighty strange jump launches. When landing, once the NeXXt hits the ground (and blasts through its suspension travel) get ready for a crazy ride while it bounces around trying to regain its composure.

Bumps/Whoops: Low ground clearance combined with small diameter (and no traction) tires plus friction shocks equals an old school wild ride through the rough stuff. When you point the NeXXt into a rough area and pin the gas you really have no idea which direction it’s going to come out. This is the worst vehicle I’ve driven in the rough since sometime in the 80′s. If you like crashing or getting high centered in the rough, the NeXXt is totally dialed.

On-Road: The lack of any front or rear side-bite on the NeXXt results in no traction rolls, and I mean ever. On-road the NeXXt has a bit of under-steer making it fairly easy to drive, well, except for when you want to drive it in a straight line when the NeXXt refuses to center properly resulting in constant course corrections.

Grass: You do not want to drive the NeXXt in grass. The combination of the small diameter tires (that have about as much traction as slicks) and low ride height result in a buggy that gets high centered even in very short grass.

Tires: Wow, there is a lot than can be said about the stock moon buggy tires. On pavement they drive a bit like paddle tires do, meaning they are very bumpy and jostle the buggy around unnecessarily. On dirt they offer little to no traction, about like slicks. On every surface they offer virtually no side-bite. The only redeeming value of the stock tires is their unique look.

Power: We measured top speed at 20 mph (on a 2S Lipo) which is right in the ballpark for what newer drivers can control. The power was typical sealed brushed motor- soft on the bottom with a gradual ramp up in power through the mid-range then ended with a short winded top end. Overall- an easy to drive power-plant with enough grunt to have fun.

Radio: The included 2.4 GHz Kyosho radio system worked fine for us. Adjustments were simple to make, the stock foam/trigger/grip felt fine, and it never lacked range for us. Balance was good, and the radio was exceptionally light in hand.

Broken Parts: Our tranny gave way before we got to any serious destructive testing. So… at the end of our testing nothing is broken other than a tranny where power goes in but doesn’t come back out.

Misc Notes:

The stock speedo was quite notchy and loved to go into nuclear reverse instead of brake (typically at the worst possible time).

I’ve driven some vehicles that didn’t like to center very well when trying to drive straight, but the NeXXt was the worst of all time. You didn’t have to hit anything to knock its center off, it simply would change on every pass while blasting up and down the street. Poor centering is a PITA to experienced users, and makes the buggy much harder to drive than it needs to be for noobs.

The NeXXt comes with some cool looking bead lock wheels.

The NeXXt uses a plastic “push on” pinion gear. In this day and age? Yes, seriously.

You can remove one of the front shocks on the NeXXt and its ride height does not change. Yes, the NeXXt is very over-sprung, which is quite the combo with the friction shocks.

We did manage to find one place where the stock tires and friction shocks were a blast to drive- on a prepped baseball diamond. The lack of overall side bite combined with zero rebound or compression damping was actually quite fun on that surface.

The body is made out of hard plastic, not polycarbonate. Our body did not break and held up ok, although the NeXXt never made it to the true torture portion of our testing.

There is more slop in the rear end of the NeXXt than I’ve ever seen on a hobby grade vehicle. Combine all that slop with the paddle type tires and friction shocks and the rear ends skips around like mad, even on glass smooth surfaces.

The NeXXt turned more heads at the track than anything else we’ve ever driven (for better or for the worse).

We liked the quick access battery door on the bottom of the NeXXt. It worked fine for us and allowed fast battery changes. However, it does limit the size of packs you can use in the buggy.

The Kyosho is a PITA while wrenching, and it doesn’t really matter what you are attempting to work on. It takes 6 screws to remove the body, two of which are hidden under one of the top body panels. Then, once you get the body off the driver figure has to be removed requiring two more screws. Also, we nearly had to break the gear cover to remove it.

The NeXXt doesn’t come with a slipper clutch, this is bad news for the lifespan of the drive-train.

Our ambient temps were not very hot (usually around 50-70 F) and our motor temps were always quite low. The hottest motor temp we encountered was just under 100 F.

Best Mod Under $5: For less than $5 I would work on shimming all the play out of the rear end and ditch the stock battery connector.

Best Mod Over $5: There are lots of mods I would recommend over $5. Replacement of the stock speedo, stock servo, stock servo saver, and adding oil shocks are just a few of them.

Summary:

Time To Bash – 9/10 - It’s quick and easy to pop in 4 AA’s and a 6 cell to get the NeXXt on the track.

Workability – 5/10 - It takes 6 screws to remove the body, plus 2 more to remove the driver. The gear cover is very hard to remove and we still haven’t been able to remove one of the rear wheels.

Car Show Rating – 7/10 - The NeXXt just might be the most “love it or hate it” machine we’ve ever tested. Those that liked how it looked Really liked it, those that disliked how it looked simply hated it.

Bash-A-Bility – 6/10 - Our tranny went out fairly early in testing, in fact it went out well before our true torture testing even began.

Fun Factor – 6/10 - There were a few of our testers that had a great fun with the bouncy old school feel of the NeXXt, but most were not happy when having to drive it.

Handling – 7/10 - The NeXXt is not the worst driving vehicle we’ve ever tested, but it was pretty darn close.

Value – 6/10 - The NeXXt sells for $140. An ECX Boost sells for $100 and not only boasts more modern technology, but also vastly outperforms the NeXXt in every way.

Parts Availability – 6/10 - Out of the 4 local hobby shops near us that I checked, none stocked parts for the EZ series Kyosho, and only 1 of them was even willing to try and order them for me.

BigSquid Rating – 6.5/10 - Tentacles. The Kyosho NeXXt is a dreadful buggy. But… there are reasons to buy one. If you are into a buggy that drives like something out of the early 80′s, the NeXXt is for you. If you are into the “moon buggy” looks, the NeXXt is for you. Otherwise, steer clear of this one folks.

The MIP team has also created two new spur gears for the Losi Ten SCTE, a 39 tooth and a 41. These sport the precision uber quality you’ve come to expect from MIP, and sport a price of $15 each. Part number is #12198 for the 39 toother, and #12199 for the 41.

Hit up the official MIP Website for more information on these and all their products, and hit THIS link for a BigSquidRC TGIF mystery link.