Tigger N. Bennie

Little does he know or realize how many members have found this site, then purchased Kyosho Mini-Zs prior to ever joining MZR. Regarding that timer at Tower, that is actually the same one I have converted. If you want to spend several hundred, check out Core, but who really knows if the price will go up or down since Kyosho picked them up.

http://www.corespeedway.com

bolter9

Easy does it boys, I recognize you both from MZR and was just saying "howdy".

Tigger N. Bennie

I recognized "you" too even without the avatar.

bolter9

Ok let me start this off on the right foot this time (since I'm new to the forum).

Introduction:
As my avatar says, I'm bolter9. I'm 32, married and have a bachelor's degree in graphic design. I've spent the past 10 years working in corporate america as a web designer. My RC experience is pretty much limited to mini z. However, I'm starting to get interested in full-sized RC as well, which is why I signed up here!

My Z collection consists of 2 F1s and 6 racers, an RCP track and an Airtronics M11 with AM module. I also have a couple of hopped-up xmods that don't get much use.

Aside from adding more Zs to my collection, I'd like to get a 1/10 touring car, but all the clubs here race 1/10 offroad buggy, nitro truck or 1/18 mini T...so we'll see what happens. I'm also considering looking into RC planes, but the club only runs in the summer.

Anyway, just wanted to say "hi", and that I'm looking forward to learning from and contributing to this board!

Here are some pics of my mini Zs

46u

My Feedback: (3)

Welcome to the form bolter 9. To see some of my RC vehicles just click on my screen name and go to my models and gallery. You all so will see a picture of me with my first love. I am 51 and have been a motorcycle technician and machinist for over 30 years. I spend the last 18 years raising 3 girls just about by myself. My youngest daughter just started college and my middle daughter just gave me my first grandchild. [8D]

bolter9

Hey congratulations on your family!

51 huh? it sure is funny how many assumptions we make accross the internet- I had you pegged for a 21 yr old Asian kid (joking)

Speaking of motorcycles- I owned a CBR900RR for 4 years...bought it new in '99...beautifuly fast bike.

Our mini Z group here is pretty good for a smaller town, but one of our members (and a long time friend of mine), is moving back to Korea in a few weeks....so we need to do some more recruiting.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

My motorcycle is not fast but I love hitting the cruse control around 80 turning up the XM radio adjusting the air ride seat and doing at least 700 per day. In the past 4 years I have averaged all most 18,000 miles a year. All so in the past 4 years I have ridden throw 44 states. This past July I rode from Georgia to Alaska and back. I lodged over 10,000 on that trip. I am finally getting to live my dreams I made over 30 years ago.

There are very few people around here in to RC cars and trucks. I cannot find any one at all in to Mini-Z’s. That is why I want some sort of timing system so I can race against the clock.

As far as bigger scale RC I run mostly off road nitro. The closes off road track to me is around 50 miles one way. There is one on road oval track near by but I like racing where the wheels turn both directions.

Tigger N. Bennie

I used to own a dirt bike, but I haven't rode onroad or offroad in a long time though I have considered purchasing a small onroad bike. However, it would only be something to get around town and not something for long trips though I don't see that happening anytime soon unless I sold my Corvette.

As far as finding Z racers--I've been traveling out of state to race Zs (California and Utah). However, I can tell my game is slipping since I haven't been practicing at all--the solid firsts on the Fourth of July turned to second place finishes come Labor Day. Though the batteries appeared not to be holding a puch as long (need to cycle since I haven't been using them), I still hit the RCP Track barrier walls a lot more times than before and that ain't going to cut it in California next month. I may have to set up the Mini-Tile 96 or just put together some Ls outside in the driveway like in the old days. Since one of you brought up Korea, I was also stationed in the Republic of Korea (South) sometime ago with the Second Infantry Division. On the bright side, I did recently meet a new Z'er locally though I also anticipate he will eventually jump up to 1/16-20th scale.

The "MyModels" link and "Gallery" link show a few photos of my 50+ RCs though the vast majority of the Z photos are in Gallery TNB at MZR. My website is pretty much zippo since I deleted all the pages not that long ago with the exception of the home page--the website is just something to play with and justify owning the Adobe and Macromedia products I own.

bolter9

heh...yeah that's definitely the way to go for distance riding....I took a trip to the coast once on my CBR (about 700 miles round trip), and vowed never to do it again...not really the type of bike for long distances- so I just stuck with local riding and the occasional trip to the track day.

Regarding RC tracks- we've actually got a really nice club facility in town...they've got a great offroad track built, in addition to a paved runway and airspace for planes. The nearest touring club is an hour away, but I think they're in-between race tracks at the moment.

A friend of mine took some pics of the local offroad track:

Album 1
Album 2

And just to stay on topic, here are some pics he took at one of our mini z race nights (first night with F1)
Album3

46u

My Feedback: (3)

I have ridden in both of your states on my motorcycle. Hopefully the end of next year I will have 49 states. I sure do like the 38 to 42 miles per gallon with the price of gas! Bolter9 I could not get the links to open. Do not know if it was my computer or what. Will try again later. This is the link to the closes off road track to me and it is VERY technical!!!! If you go to this link click on the picture and when it comes up by is self click again to enlarge. Check out the top left corner where you have a jump and immediately a 180-degree turn. This track was designed by pros for pros, which I am not.
http://www.boyztoyzrc.com/

Going to reboot my computer and see if I can get the links to open

46u

My Feedback: (3)

If interested here is a web site my riding partner did on our Alaska trip.
http://bigjames.gotdns.org:8000/

After rebooting my computer I was able to open the links. Nice track and I think my next RC vehicle is going to me a nitro buggy.

Tigger N. Bennie

Should I move this thread to the off-topic section?

46u

My Feedback: (3)

Being it is only 3 of us I do no see why but if you think it needs to be go for it. Sure is not much different then a lot to threads I read.

Tigger N. Bennie

It's turned from Kyosho F1 to barely R/C to non-RC. Non-RC belongs in the off-topic forum and not in the main forums.

My suggestion would simply be to start a "motorcycle" thread in the off-topic forum since the full-scale forum doesn't appear to include motorcycles. Other members who are also interested in motorcycles and trips would probably join in there as well.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_392/tt.htm

bolter9

Sure.

I did include pics of mini Z f1 in my last post though...

ok ok, it was at the bottom!

BovineD

Hey bolter9 I am a 28 year old Asian kid so do I still get to participate???

All kidding aside I just wanted to post my F1 pics:



and a couple of my latest additions:

46u

My Feedback: (3)

Nice cars, do you have any trouble getting F1 cars and parts where you live? [&:]

BovineD

There is a prety well stocked Hobbytown near my work and another LHS down the street so parts are pretty easy to come by but F1 stuff, especially RTRs and ASC's are pretty scarce. Tower used to be teh place but now that they have stopped carrying MiniZ stuff ebay is usually where I go hunting...

46u

My Feedback: (3)

Towers have quite selling anything Kyosho not just the Mini-Z. If I am not mistake it is because Great Plains has lost the import contract with Kyosho since they opened the Kyosho US. Most of my F1 stuff I have to get over seas and that to is drying up. There are so many rumors about the Mini-Z F1 don’t know what to believe? Guess we will just have to wait and see.

The local hobby shop around here is Hobby Town USA and they are terrible!!!!!!!! I do not buy much from them and they do not carry anything for the Mini-Z’s.

BovineD

That sucks about your Hobbytown. The HobbyTown in Fremont, CA has probably the largest offering of MiniZ stuff in the bay area and they try to push it hard as there is a pretty big group of Z fans that race there regularly. They have a large RCP track setup for racing 3 days of the week and sell lots of RTRs, standard ASCs and a healthy offering of parts including official Kyosho stuff as well as great third party stuff you can't get anywhere including 8 degree radial tires. The GM of the store David does a good job of supporting the Mini-Z scene there.

I hope that since Kyosho is handling it's own distribution now that they will work out a contract with Tower soon; hopefully it will only be a matter of time. At the very least I like the set prices of the ASCs at 25 bucks MSRP.

bolter9

BovineD-

After re-reading my post, I realized my comment could have been taken offensively. That was lame on my part, and for the record, I wasn't intending to stereotype anyone other then myself for assumming I knew anything about 46U's background. I know we're all just having fun here, but I'm a firm believer in equality...and want to clarify my sincerity.

My apologies if the comment was taken other then it was intended.

Regarding availability of F1s- I remember reading a post on MZR that someone called Kyosho and the scoop is that they've had a hard time keeping up with demand for the F1...so hopefully things will turn around soon. I also suspect that we'll be seeing better distrubution in the US now that Kyosho has a stateside facility.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

I did not take any offense! Yes I read that in MZR if this is true and they are selling that good I would think they would made a special production run. Just have to wait and see.

Tigger N. Bennie

Perhaps, they are trying to get more licenses from "new" teams for new season bodies.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

That would be great!!!!!!!!!

BovineD

Hey bolter9 don't even worry about it man! It's all in good fun and I do not take offense to it at all...just playing along with it so no worries. The F1's always seemed to be in limited quantities anyways so I guess it is no surprise although in the past they would have already announced any new F1 bodies by now.