Chris Nicastro

My Feedback: (3)

Yeah you remind me of the numerous guys Ive instructed to fly RC planes that are real pilots. They have a hard time understanding how to fly an RC pane because they are not in it flying by the seat of thier pants. Makes sense to me because they know more about full scale flight than I do but they have a hard time getting the same info from the plane as they would if they are in it. So for you its the same. Try to take what you know about riding and tuning bikes and set it aside while you absorb and wrap your head around what this little bike does. Later you can combine your knowledge to really push the GPV-1 and your going to destroy the guys on the track.

The front end will compress quite a bit due to the G load the bike experiences. The springs are set as a result of testing many set ups and finding the best average set up. The key is to get the front to compress smoothly as you know but the point at which it does it is key, that center of balance. Thats located at about the tank body post. If you push down on the bike right there both the front and rear should compress evenly. The front will be stiffer than the rear and it has to be this way to a point so the rear can find grip and drive forward.
The first place to find grip with this bike is the rear end because even in the worst conditions the front can hold up pretty well. Work with the rear shock and tire most of the time and make sure the front is just working smoothly. I hardly ever adjust the front end once its set and working well.

Chris

Super_Dave

Yeah I finally got the front shocks working smoothly. The o-rings looked nice and broken in but there was still a lot of friction because of how tight they were. I filed off 1 thread from the shock body to take off some of the pressure from the o-rings and it is much smoother now and they don't seem to be leaking yet. The bottom of the rear shock was also fitting to tight in the swing arm so that was binding up but a little sanding fixed that. The suspension is pretty even now with the rear being a touch softer with nice fluid movement on both ends. Its raining now so I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

hobbimaster

I just placed my order for one of these. After about a month of trying out a EP TT Ducatti, I found the TT needed an area bigger than where I was running. however, I am still interested in bikes and if I like the venom, I'll invest in a BL system for it. Might even wait for the Venom BL system to come out for this.

Super_Dave

I just put the Castle Sidewinder 6800kv in mine and its a lot of fun. Could use the softer compound tires but with the grip that I have here its still easy to drive. I would HIGHLY recommend getting the front brake kit for it if you're going to go brushless though. Trying to stop with just that rear tire from 40mph can get pretty intresting.

There aren't many radios that will mix their 3rd channel with the throttle/brake which is needed for the front brake option. After putting my Futaba Fasst 3PM in the bike last night I found that this radio can mix the 3rd channel servo to work the front brakes when you push the trigger forward. You could stick with the stock radio which is very nice for an RTR but if you're looking at buying a new radio to use in the bike the Fasst 3PM is a good choice.

topdave31

Hi Venomous and all,
Is there a setup that will allow my new GPV to run in an area 32 feet x 22 feet on ozite rc carpeting (like the car guys race on). I have no problem running my Kyosho bikes in this size area with simple road course or oval track layouts. I can't get the GPV1 to balance at less than 10 MPH, when I steer the bike it just flops from side to side. I've tried all settings of steering spring preloads from loose to tight and changed the rake angle to try to settle the steering. The traction seems ample enough, the bike will stand up after a tip over, (then quickly flops over on the other side)so I was wondering if the softer tires would help. Should I try EXPO on the steering (OR WHAT)...lol > I hope I bought the right bike for indoor carpet racing. I have a lot of patience but running out of ideas. Thanks in advance, Dave

swanpondwv

I have some suggestions for you. Turn your end point way down to 55 for the servo. Turn the Expo way down too....maybe -50. This should allow you to control it without flip flopping. Good chance you'll need the soft tires, but try this first. A detailed thread is posted @ rcgroups.com.

Bill

Super_Dave

It sounds like the epa is to high. You can make it easier with expo too but its smoother just turning down the epa. Sense the GPV steers like a real motorcycle its very reponcive and top heavy at low speeds just like a real bike. You could also try changing the rake to 64 degrees or move the steering linkage to the inside hole of the tripple tree which will make the steering less sensitive. None of this is going to make it more stable at low speeds though. The only thing thats going to make it more stable is to get some very heavy wheels. Just like a gyro its going to be more resistant to change if its heavier. I'm pretty sure venom is selling a heavy rim for it but I don't think its out yet. You could also get some stick on weights and put them in the front wheel as long as you keep it fairly balanced. Putting them on the rear wont help a whole lot though.


The reason why the Kyosho HOR is so easy at low speeds is it just uses weight transfer to make it turn which is very unresponcive so it feels more stable. When you drive the front tire out from under the bike like the GPV-1 does its just going to fall over unless its at a decent speed. You can deffinatly drive the GPV in that small space and I've done it before but I think they designed it more for a 1/10 track. I have no doubt weighted rims and some tweaks on the setup will help though. From what it sounds like you aren't having any problems with grip.

topdave31

Thanks Dave and Swanpond!
I did every thing you guys suggested, and now the bike is able to run a simple oval track course with some level of control. I can straighten up for the short str8s and occasionally not drag the rub bars thru the corners, lol. Ya have to carry so much speed it doesn't give you much time to think about "smooth" lines. heehe.
Rght now I'm set at 35 epa, moved the ball on the triple clamp to the outside hole, and added 5 oz.! of wheel wts. to the front wheel. the automotive wheel wts fit perfect under the brak rotors without any hacking on the oem parts. I think that much waight in the front wheel has some bad side effects, as well as good, like almost any mod does. First thing I noticed is that the front wheel bounces over stuff now that before I didn't notice it doing, possibly too much unsprung weight or the tire won't support that much added weight. Also The front tire acts like it's 'slip gripping' now too, so it looks like I''ll have to try softer tires too.
I'm thinking of throwing a Kyosho front wheel on it just to see if the lesser weight, but larger outside diameter weights will have a better overall feel to to the bike.
oh yeah, what after market tires will fit kyosho and the venom rims and who in the U.S. has them in stock? should I go directly to the soft compound or medium?
Thanks again, dave

Super_Dave

If the wheel is unbalanced it could cause that hopping thing you're talking about (if you haven't checked the balance already). Dubro makes a prop balancer that will balance just about any wheel or prop in RC. I guess you could just take the tire off and hold the axle in your hands to balance it too. Just add weight to which ever part of the wheel ends up on top untill it balances evenly. If the wheel spins freely and no part of the wheel drops to the bottom then its balanced. As for which compound tire to use the softer the better. If you're going to run it somewhere that might wear the tires out fast you might want to stick with medium or hard but it sounds like you wont have that problem.

I don't think there are many parts in stock for the venom bike yet but HorizonHobby, TowerHobbies, and Venom-Racing.com are good places to get parts from. I don't have the Kyosho so I can't give you any input about those wheels.

cheesl

Mind showing me picture on how u added the weight to the wheel?I have been having the same problem like u ever since I got the bike 1 month ago but seems can't make it to ride like what u are facing earlier.Anyway I'm still using the stock motor esc & battery.
Tnx

topdave31

I used 1/4 oz. (real car) lead wheel wts. (self adhesive). You get them at any tire store. First pull off the front wheel and remove brake discs. The weights are rectangular in shape, so you need to place them 'long " side on the Y spokes against the inside diameter of the rim. Try to center them as best you can on each spoke centerline. I tried just 5 wts on one side of the rim and didn't see much improvement, so I doubled up on the opposit side with better results as I described above. You can only fit 10 wheel wts onto the wheel. I've since tried a Kyosho front wheel on the bike and that seemed a little better yet, lees overall weight but weight is a larger diameter, so more centrifigal force. Kyosho wheel needs to be modded (hub narrowed) to fit correctly. Good luck

speedtrash

ive got the venom gpv-1, and it handles real well. and i put my mamba micro pro with 8000 kv w/20t pinion in it. unfortunately the package is rounded off with a 1320mah 2s lipo. is there a body thatll let you run a 3s? ive tried a 3s 1320 and it didnt fit, because the body rubbed the spur gear. dont get me wrong at the highest motor timing its a fast little bike (and the lowest) but im power hungry!

also big problem i have is my chain stretching from the power. very loose after moving to the farthest setting. is there a mini chain breaker i can buy, as i dont see a break link on the chain? im ready to take a finishing nail and have at it.

R6-Dave

I just received my GPV-1 from Tower and I'm sorry to report that I have never been more disappointed with an RC vehicle. I can understand it not being perfect , due to the low cost but wow, it's FAR from decent. The battery area is too small for a better pack and the single retainer strap is a waste of time. The stickers look like a drunk 8 year old put them on. The stock Venom battery pack will barely take a charge and then runs load-free for about 2 minutes ( just like every other Venom battery I've heard of), then dies out. The metal guide rail holders were messed-up from the start, one of them was bent in and when I tried to bend it back, it just snapped off. I would normally never bother posting this kind of thing but I am really pissed-off about this. I don't think I'm even going to run the thing......... maybe the LHS will take it on trade.

R6-Dave

I decided to try it today............. holy crap !............... POS !! This thing is junk. I'm going shootin tomorrow and I think this GPV-1 will make a fun target !

R6-Dave

Since my last post was deleted.....
Tested it today and I can't understand how you guys have good things to say about it.
Tomorrow it is getting hit by 12G double O buck shot.
JUNK.

whitham69

To complicated for what it is, stupid screw sizes fiddle to work on, tolance set to close in places and some flaws which should have been learnt from the 1/5th bikes, lucky enough there already hop up parts to cure most the problems.

A bit of TLC and money and it works well enough.

Super_Dave

I have no idea what you guys are talking about. The space for the battery is a little tight but its much better than the Kyosho HOR with the lower fairing falling off all the time because its not large enough to fit the battery in. The stock battery just needs to be cycled and it will get you about 10-15mins of run time depending on how you're running it. The chain stretchs a lot after the first few uses (like all other chains) which is why it comes with the 14t front sprocket to tighten the chain.

The bike handles excellent right out of the box as long as you're area has a decent amount of grip and its clean (which all RC motorcycles need). The only thing I've broken is the body mounts out of 3 full hours of run time with a Mamba 6800kv motor and a 2 cell li-po. The stickers are poorly applied but I'm more concerned about performance and plan on painting my own body anyway.

The bike is much simpler then the Kyosho HOR which is the only other popular 1/8 bike and the GPV-1 is designed just like the well built expencive 1/5 scale bikes. The plastics and screws could be better quality but if you want a quality rc bike then you need an $800 1/5 scale kit not a $230 1/8 RTR.

speedtrash

haha r6dave youre a drama queen, hehe put the shotty away, and order an aftermarket hardware kit as i plan on doing. as for the battery. a piece of velcro on the battery itself will lock in in place when strapped on. i did order the front disc brake kit and have to admit im dissappointed in the quality of the kit though. all around theres a couple things that could have bee n done better, but some people bought the venom for the looks, and some people had a mamba micro pro w/8000kv layin around. needless to say ive broken all the body mounts and one of my triple clamps but the bike has held up to many high speed wrecks, and more high speed speed bumps than id like to admit, so i cant bash venom on this one.

not to mention its like a ricky bobby moment when you realize that youre blasting down the asphalt at 50+mph taking turns with ease.

and i remember reading that they came with a different sprocket but didnt find the reason, just knew the first gpv-1s came with an additional gear that was installed on later models in place of the stock one. didnt even think abou that takng care of my loose chain problem. thanx superdave

Guidoracer

If any of you are in the Ventura County or L.A. County areas of California, I'm working on having a 1:8-scale bike class at the Ventura Roadrunners Grand Re-Opening race at their track in Camarillo, CA on February 8. We're planning on having it open to all 1:8-scale bikes Kyosho HORs, OTO-Bike Studio T-258s, and of course, the Venom GPV-1. If the response is good, they will consider adding 1:8-scale bike to the regular club program. For track info, go to roadrunnersrc.com

Lito

speedtrash

aww man thaqt sounds awesome , im a little far for that though, i think. who long of a drive is pomona from there, i'd like to race, i just run in a parking lot( good lot if anyone is in the area wanting to race/practice. ) ive got a mamba micro pro with dynamite9200kv 2s 1320. so i wanna race. anythin ggoing on in my area? and any other forums where motorcycles are more established? theres not much going on here with the bikes.

stubbyphilips

Dude I'm driving all the way down from SF (I know i'm a kook)

But there are so few of us and we are so far apart we got to do what we gotta do to race.

And always the more the merrier.

Hope to see you out there.

Guidoracer

Yup, Stubby has no problem driving down from the Bay to race with us, and I have no problem driving up there to race with him and his crew.

We're both kooks.

buscg1

I have to say I too am dissapointed in the GPV-1. I mean it looks like a cool little machine but also like the guy said earlier the decals look like toddlers put them on, and the body rubs the spur gear. I also had to rig the battery with velcro. I charged the battery up with my good duratrax ice charger put it in and all I got was constant beeping and flashing from the esc. I checked the battery voltage to double check and it was 8volts. It wont even let me program the esc. After emails back and forth with venom customer support I was told a new esc was sent priority mail on monday, its now saturday and a no show. Its really testing my patience. Ive had it almost 2 weeks and cant use the thing. I have a dynamite mini tazer brushless system 8kv motor. Im not sure if I even want to try it or not. Maybe check the classifieds for a new opened gpv-1 soon for a good deal. haha

speedtrash

im not familiar with the dynamite brushless system, but my mamba micro pro 8000kv does real well. and im putting in a 9200kv soon with a 3 c lipo. so its going ot be unbelievably fast. definately worth while trying out at least. but if you've never driven a moto its going to be real difficult. dont get discouraged, you can tune your remotes steering trim although im not sure how, and that will make it easier to drive. nothing like pulling a one wheeled wheelie at 50 mph!

navy_mustang_pilot

My Feedback: (1)

i picked one up and thought i was going to be dissapointed but turns out all i needed was the right area to run in.... took it out today along with my other toys (baja 5t and a mini-t) and this was the only thing i ran all day.... does need more power but could handle itself just fine for being my first time tunning a moto.