Need a little motor buying help

[Big Daddy]

Getting back into RC,,,probably buying a Losi 8ight and was wondering what some of the popular motors are that are being ran local. Price isn't the biggest option, just want a good all around motor that is versatile to the tracks here. I'm thinking of racing at M&M and maybe at the one in New Caney. There is so much info out there that it is actually pretty overwhelming to someone that was in electrics 20+ years ago. Any recommendations of one that would have available parts here in Houston is important,,,,also pretty much the same information needed on radios as well....Thanks alot!

[dirtracer1]

i can't speak for your local tracks, however, you have to consider what is being ran acoss the country.

radio recommendations..........

check around or on ebay and look for a good used airtronics M8 with a spekrum modul and pick yourself up a spekrum receiver. if you don't want used, then look at the new airtronics M11. the M11 replaced the M8 about a year ago. go ahead and pick up a spekrum modul and receiver for the M11 if you go that route.

with the spekrum, you'll never glitch and you don't have to worry about changing crystals ever again......ever.

both the M8 and the M11 are pretty much the standard across the country. you'll find them everywhere.

motors......

can't ever go wrong with an os.....easy to tune, hold a tune, good fuel mileage and power.......especially the .21 vzb v-spec. if you want something a little more affordable, the new os .21 vg is the way to go. with either motor, you'll want to use the os t-2050 pipe. the 2050 is a perfect match for the vzb. os also has the t-2060 pipe, but it depends on the type/size of track you'll run on.

if money is not a problem and you want italian power, then look at either the novarossi P5 motors or the RB Concepts motors.

the other pipes to use are the Jammin' line of pipes.....jp1, jp2 or jp3 pipes.....again, depending on the track.

there are other options of course, but you'll probably find these motors and pipes being run in the majority at most tracks around the country.

there are, of course, waaaaay more motor options than just the ones i mentioned, but go to your local track and see what everyone there is running....and you'll probably see a bunch of p5's, rb motors and v-spec's.


btw....welcome back to the hobby. :D

[Big Daddy]

Thanks for the indepth informative reply, I looked at the NovaRossi motors and found the "21 plus 35" motors, they had a diffrent version that is a "Jim Hots Modified",,,is this guys motor mods like a blue printed motor? Is his mod the way to go or go "Stock"?

What is your opinion of a motor like this on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/novarossi-21-5-eb-modded-buggy-truggy-motor_W0QQitemZ130051027913QQihZ003QQcategoryZ3406 2QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotoho sting

I'll get into pipes later and you pretty much answered my question on the radio,,,,Thanks alot and look forward to some more of your info!

[Gary]

BD, I have the M11 with the Spectrum Pro like DR1 is talking about, and Im very happy with that combo. Something to consider though, running the Pro, youll need digital servos.

I dont know alot about nitro, but I know quality and if money isnt an object, Nova Rossi is top of the line! But factor this in. Both MnM and K&M are "slick" tracks and wont take alot of HP for the newer guys or us older guys that arnt the best when it comes to throttle control. If it were me, I would go with OS.

Welcome back bro! :D

[Big Daddy]

Thanks Gary, I'm almost kind of leaning toward the Futaba, thats the brand I ran before but the M11's sound good as well. Where is the best place to purchase radios? Its kind of confusing with all the receivers, modules, servos and so on.

If I went with a Nova can't I actually 'downtune' the motor with these slick tracks so I can have the power I need? Maybe with going with diffrent pipes? I always believe in having the power if needed but not always using it. Thanks for the input,,,it is appreciated!

[dirtracer1]

Thanks for the indepth informative reply, I looked at the NovaRossi motors and found the "21 plus 35" motors, they had a diffrent version that is a "Jim Hots Modified",,,is this guys motor mods like a blue printed motor? Is his mod the way to go or go "Stock"?

What is your opinion of a motor like this on ebay?personally, as far as motors go, i'd stick with new, in the factory sealed box myself. the guy might be great, but, ya just never know.

....and yep, modded motors are souped up versions of a box stock motor. usually resulting in a little more hp (and sometimes) a bit more fuel mileage and alot bigger price tag...and depending on how they're treated, a little longer life span (ie, better bearings).

however, since your just getting back into the hobby, i'd really stick with factory motors for awhile (from what i see, the vast majority of racers run unmodded motors anyway).....at least untill you get the feel for nitro in general. trust me, today's motors are more than plenty powerful. you'll be surprised. most likely, unless you're on a really big, wide open track, you might not even have the chance to open up the throttle all the way anyway. since you're coming from electric, and 20 years ago at that, think the most wicked mod motor you ever ran with 7 cells. it ain't even close to today's nitro.

i don't know your local tracks, but gary does (i'm in northwest florida).....he'll have some good advice for you.....but if gary says those tracks are slick, then you won't need a modded motor anyway. stick with os....you won't be sorry. i've even seen a couple of pro's running a small block os .18 motor in an 1/8th buggy before on slick tracks. you don't need all the power you can buy to be fast. before you spend the big bucks, take a good loooong look at the os .21 vg. it's an inexpensive motor, but it has plenty of ponies and is very competitive..easy to tune and it won't break the bank. os motors are known for how great they are to tune. even alot of people that run other motors sometimes use an os carb on their motors. i just read on trinity tech talk that even adam drake uses an os cab on HIS motors....and he even has his own line of motors. that post by adam drdake himself is in the ask adam drake thread over there.

if, however, you reeeeeeally still want the most motor you can buy and price ain't nothin', then take a look at eb mods modified motors. they're one of the top (if not the top) motor modders in the biz. mostly what i see at the track, besides os v-specs, are the novarossi p5's or the rb motors with a scattering of mugen ninja motors.

....and yes, you can de-tune a motor. there are basically two ways to do that. carb restrictors or head shims. carb restrictors are just like they sound....they are inserted into the throat of the carb and restrict the air-flow into the carb. the v-spec comes with two in the box. they are great tuning tools. the other way, is to take compression out of the motor by adding shims between the head and the motor body. the more (or thicker) shim(s), the less compression the motor will have. there is a third way, but not really common....and that's just using a fuel with less % nitro in it. most people use 30% in .21 and larger motors and 20% in small blocks (.12/.15....used mostly in 1/10th scale). most people use the 30% in their .21's, not only because it makes more power, but the motors run cooler with the higher nitro content as well.


radios......

again, i loooooove my trusty M8 and would only replace it with a M11 if it ever crapped out on me. go to the track, and i'll bet that airtronics M8's and M11's are what your going to mostly see there. .....and the spekrum modules and receivers are THE only way to go. their not cheap, but they are worth it and are a direct fit to the airtronics radios. in fact, they where originally designed specifically for the M8 to start out with.

i know how you feel about the futaba being familiar, that's what i used to use 20 years ago too. :D however, i love the way the airtronics feels in my hand, plus, it's really easy to use and program. if you want the spekrum stuff (and who doesn't), i'm not so sure that they have modules that are compatable with the futaba radios......they might!.....but i'm not sure. do a bit of online research before you commit to buying one brand or another.

back to pipes.......

again, there are others, but just from what i see at the track, in the mags and on the net, there are basically two brands that seem the majority of racers use....the os pipes, and the jammin' pipes, no matter the motor.

best place to buy.....besides your local hobby shop......

on the net.......

a main hobbies, b main hobbies, stormer hobbies, tower hobbies, horizon hobbies, losipartshouse just to name a few.

whoa, that's a long post. :D

good luck.

oh.....i almost forgot......servos. over the years (20 plus), i've used futaba, airtronics, ko propo and JR servos. hands down, i'll never use anything but a JR servo ever again. JR's are all i'll use.....period. but that's just me....again, ask around at your local track(s) and see what the fast guys there are using.

again, good luck. ;)

[dirtracer1]

oops......i think i spelled spekrum wrong...........it's spektrum with a t. :D

....and i looked it up....they do have modules for futaba's. ;)

[Gary]

WoW! :D

You Da Man bro!

[backdraft341]

i personally race at km. because wether is not a factor. they have an onsite hobby shop with great prices. they also change the layout alot. most of the texas area pros are requlars there, ronnie norris, jason branhm, roger aryes, jim sheffield, and are more than glad to help u with any problems. as far as motors go most people run rb ws2 or nova p5x's. I personally run the sts 21. its got the power and never goes over 200 degrees. All u need to do is change out the carb. radios, the nomadio sensor is a very nice radio, some people at the trak using them no more need for temp guns because it has the temp right on radio.
Want to know how fast ur going down the straight just a simple glance at the radio. Hope my imput helps.

Travis Zipps

[Ronnie Norris]

personally, i have a Jim hot mods nova rossi plus 21-5 and it is with out a doubt the best motor i have ever run. any help ya need you can PM me or e-mail me and i will help in any way possible.

Ronnie norris
Team X-RAY
Team Helotes
Gearhead Graphix
GulfCoast raceway
K&M R/C Raceway

[Big Daddy]

Now that!!!!Is some freakin' information!:D Thanks alot for the time to make the post! Will take all advice and factor it into my purchases,,,,Think I've all ready made my decision on the first purchases but probably won't be rolling till after the first of the year. Hooked up with MeToo and got the Losi 8ight today so I'm getting there!personally, as far as motors go, i'd stick with new, in the factory sealed box myself. the guy might be great, but, ya just never know.

....and yep, modded motors are souped up versions of a box stock motor. usually resulting in a little more hp (and sometimes) a bit more fuel mileage and alot bigger price tag...and depending on how they're treated, a little longer life span (ie, better bearings).

however, since your just getting back into the hobby, i'd really stick with factory motors for awhile (from what i see, the vast majority of racers run unmodded motors anyway).....at least untill you get the feel for nitro in general. trust me, today's motors are more than plenty powerful. you'll be surprised. most likely, unless you're on a really big, wide open track, you might not even have the chance to open up the throttle all the way anyway. since you're coming from electric, and 20 years ago at that, think the most wicked mod motor you ever ran with 7 cells. it ain't even close to today's nitro.

i don't know your local tracks, but gary does (i'm in northwest florida).....he'll have some good advice for you.....but if gary says those tracks are slick, then you won't need a modded motor anyway. stick with os....you won't be sorry. i've even seen a couple of pro's running a small block os .18 motor in an 1/8th buggy before on slick tracks. you don't need all the power you can buy to be fast. before you spend the big bucks, take a good loooong look at the os .21 vg. it's an inexpensive motor, but it has plenty of ponies and is very competitive..easy to tune and it won't break the bank. os motors are known for how great they are to tune. even alot of people that run other motors sometimes use an os carb on their motors. i just read on trinity tech talk that even adam drake uses an os cab on HIS motors....and he even has his own line of motors. that post by adam drdake himself is in the ask adam drake thread over there.

if, however, you reeeeeeally still want the most motor you can buy and price ain't nothin', then take a look at eb mods modified motors. they're one of the top (if not the top) motor modders in the biz. mostly what i see at the track, besides os v-specs, are the novarossi p5's or the rb motors with a scattering of mugen ninja motors.

....and yes, you can de-tune a motor. there are basically two ways to do that. carb restrictors or head shims. carb restrictors are just like they sound....they are inserted into the throat of the carb and restrict the air-flow into the carb. the v-spec comes with two in the box. they are great tuning tools. the other way, is to take compression out of the motor by adding shims between the head and the motor body. the more (or thicker) shim(s), the less compression the motor will have. there is a third way, but not really common....and that's just using a fuel with less % nitro in it. most people use 30% in .21 and larger motors and 20% in small blocks (.12/.15....used mostly in 1/10th scale). most people use the 30% in their .21's, not only because it makes more power, but the motors run cooler with the higher nitro content as well.


radios......

again, i loooooove my trusty M8 and would only replace it with a M11 if it ever crapped out on me. go to the track, and i'll bet that airtronics M8's and M11's are what your going to mostly see there. .....and the spekrum modules and receivers are THE only way to go. their not cheap, but they are worth it and are a direct fit to the airtronics radios. in fact, they where originally designed specifically for the M8 to start out with.

i know how you feel about the futaba being familiar, that's what i used to use 20 years ago too. :D however, i love the way the airtronics feels in my hand, plus, it's really easy to use and program. if you want the spekrum stuff (and who doesn't), i'm not so sure that they have modules that are compatable with the futaba radios......they might!.....but i'm not sure. do a bit of online research before you commit to buying one brand or another.

back to pipes.......

again, there are others, but just from what i see at the track, in the mags and on the net, there are basically two brands that seem the majority of racers use....the os pipes, and the jammin' pipes, no matter the motor.

best place to buy.....besides your local hobby shop......

on the net.......

a main hobbies, b main hobbies, stormer hobbies, tower hobbies, horizon hobbies, losipartshouse just to name a few.

whoa, that's a long post. :D

good luck.

oh.....i almost forgot......servos. over the years (20 plus), i've used futaba, airtronics, ko propo and JR servos. hands down, i'll never use anything but a JR servo ever again. JR's are all i'll use.....period. but that's just me....again, ask around at your local track(s) and see what the fast guys there are using.

again, good luck. ;)

[Big Daddy]

Backdraft and Ronnie,,,thanks alot and look forward to meeting you guys,,,take some pics of the race tomorrow and post em up if you can!