Need for speed?

[miramar]

I have noticed that some of you TC-members are very focused on topspeed of your models. This is not new to me, as the most common question customers asked during the 17 years I worked in the RC-trade myself, was "How fast is it?" I probably asked the same question in hobbyshops myself during the x months I saved money for my first RC-car.

I understand that topspeed means a lot for somebody, but is it really of any importance? I think no, and I guess I'm throwing a blazing torch into the forum by saying so. [][]

I of course want my models to be responsive and "fast", I want torque and acceleration, but I don't care about the actual topspeed. A Super Hornet or Fighter Buggy feel extremely fast when going 20km/h over bumpy surfaces, whereas a TA04 (or any modern touring car) seems slow going 30km/h.

Also, when I run my XC's under heavy off-road condition (trial type) I'm sometimes asked how fast they are. My typical answer; "not slow enough!", even though I have a 4:1 airplane gearbox between the motor and the gearbox, and a 27 turn armature inside a modified motor can with strong magnets (more torque/lower rpm).

The same applies for running my Tamiya trucks, my Kyosho Streamliner and similar models.

For my "fast" models, I just want "perceived" speed and don't care about the actual topspeed. I think you know what I mean.

I would love to hear your opinions about "speed".

[limas_mtb]

Here's my throw:id="Arial Black">Although I think top-speed is very important, I'll have to agree with "miramar".[^] My BMW Mini Cooper feels a lot faster than my fully hopped-up TL01, without actually being so.[:0] It's more challenging to drive and very fast in changing direction. Anyone who's taken it for a quick spin agrees it's possibly "The most fun RC" they have ever driven![] Just so you can see for yourselves, check out both my runners at my showroom.[]

P.S.: I'm still looking for ways to make both my cars faster!!![}]

[TWO STAR]

i myself enjoy a r/c to have more bottom end and midrange than top speed.its also nice to have a variety of

r/c s that are different from each other.ie stock, semi modified, and extremely modified.

[djcrossie(2)]

I think its important to get a good balance depending on the car and surface. I have only just got back into the hobby and bought a fifteen turn motor for my TL01B Baja Champ. It is causing problems and with help from miramar (thanks geezer) i am currently sorting it. I was keen to get a "fast" motor but now realise it is more important to get a good balance. Even when the 15 turn motor works it is to twitchy at top speed and too dificult to control especially to a novice like me. Top speed isn't important its the whole balance and setup of the car that is. A smoother more responsive drive

[]

[netsmithUK]

At the end of the day, I think more important than any of the available hop-ups is the quality of the driver. You could put the most hopped up car available in my hands and you average RC racer would still wipe the floor with me running most standard models out of the box.

[Bibbo]

It is correct throughout anykind of motorsport, real or scaled down.

I worked for many years in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing series. This is pretty much top of the tree stuff and you would expect to get riders that are top of the tree riding at this level.

The hours I have spent working on bikes and changing parts because the rider said it would go faster like this or like that does'nt bare thinking about.

The biggest difference is, like Netsmith says, found in the driver.

[]If the riders I worked with realised that I would have saved hours of my life!!!...The fast riders/drivers do realise this. Thats why they are the fastest[]

[limas_mtb]

I agree that the greatest hop-up is driving skill. But when it's down to just the car, it's what the little spinner brings out in you.

What gives you more pleasure? Fast lap-times, or slides & counter-steering? It all depends on car & driver...[]

[raemin]

I recently had a race on an extreemly slippery surface with a friend of mine, he had a losi 2wd fitted 13turn motor, I was with my celica... At the end of the day he just swopped the two cars and could not stop playing with mine. Additional bonus was the technigold 15 min of autonomy.

And as far as my grasshopper is concerned I've downgraded the batteries from 7.2v to 6v in order to maintain a certain level of handling. On a bumpy surface this chassis cannot handle anything else than the regular 380 motor.

[DJTheo]

Yes, speed is relative, remember when I was a kid, I thought my Hornet with its Techituned was flying, also 20 years ago going with a real car 150km/h was an impressive experience, now you almost fall alseep at that speed, especially if you were going 250km/h few minutes before.

Its a newbies/kid thing, also when I was a kid I remember I was always mounting the biggest possible pinion, now accelartion/controllability are on a higher priority. We shouldn't forget that smaller pinion means also better controllability, not due to the lower top speed, but because of the higher range of torques (accelartions) we can apply to the wheels, both in positive and negative direction. With enough torque you can create a relative slip to your drive wheel and thus, change the yaw angle (over or understeer behavior) of your vehicle.

[DanielSchenstrom]

I'm 28, and whether I'm looking at motors for my RC, RC cars or full scale cars, what I primarily want to know is how fast it will go. The higher number, the bigger thrill.

This of course differs from when I'm actually driving them. Right now, both I and my brother have reawakaned our RC interests and I've started hopping up my Manta Ray and assisted my brother as we tried to get his Kyosho Rampage to move at all. And now that it does move I'm looking for two things. 1) A motor that will make my car equal in speed to his car. 2) The fastest Tamiya motor that I can fit in the car just to see how fast it could go. (The fastest probably being the Dynatech 02, since the super modified 11T is 4T under my ESC turn limit.)

It's probably more sensible to upgrade slowly, to learn to cope with the added speed, but it's fun to shock the system too. Speed! Speed! Speed!

[njmlondon]

Whilst "Top Speed" appeals to the child in me that believes bigger, faster, higher, stronger is automatically better, I have to say I agree with Mirimar...

quote:I was keen to get a "fast" motor but now realise it is more important to get a good balance.

id="quote">id="quote">

Balance is everything, particularly if you want to enjoy the car for a long time. top speed is fun for a few minutes, but sooner or later you are going to want to see how the car handles curves, chicanes, reverse cambers, rain, bumps and every other element of everyday real and rc driving.

quote:At the end of the day, I think more important than any of the available hop-ups is the quality of the driver.

id="quote">id="quote">

I think we all agree with this, but the only way to practice your driving is with a well balanced car... high speed will follow with the smoothness that comes from having a perfectly balanced car that matches your preferred driving style.

[DJTheo]

quote:I'm 28, and whether I'm looking at motors for my RC, RC cars or full scale cars, what I primarily want to know is how fast it will go. The higher number, the bigger thrill.

---

id="quote">id="quote">

I personally get bigger joy and thrill from a better acceleration, especially in a real car, don't forget that a human can feel only accelaration and not speed, othewise we would be dizzy from the rotations of the earth []

[DanielSchenstrom]

Ah, so that's why I'm not noticing I'm going 100 on 50 roads when I'm riding a MC, I should have accelerated more to "feel the speed".

[DJTheo]

Good excuse when you are caught by police, not sure if it would work though []