Vehicle: Losi XXX-SCB
Type: Short Course Buggy Scale: 1/10 Drive: 2wd Fuel Source: Electric Length: 20.078 in (510mm) Width: 11.42 in (290mm) Height: 7.24 in (184mm) Wheelbase: 12.95 in (329mm) Weight: 4.25 lb (1.92 kg) Motor: Losi LM-32K performance brushed motor Speed Control: LiPo-compatible ESC Battery Tray Dimensions: 8 in X 2.875 in Radio: Spektrum 2.4GHz DSM Losi radio system Shock Type: Coil-over, oil-filled, aluminum with plastic pre-load collars Bearings: Complete 3 Available Trim Schemes: Rockstar, Stronghold, & ReadyLift
With
the popularity of 2wd electric short course trucks, many newcomers
have taken a hand at RC racing. Realistic short course racing
offers a realism not found in other off road classes. Unfortunately,
the very thing that has attracted so many to short course trucks,
also poses some handling challenges. You've guessed it, the body.
The large short course bodies catch air and create a parachute
effect, especially while jumping. You can remedy this by butchering
the rear of the body to allow air to escape, but then you've just
lost that realism that attracted you to short course in the first
place.
Losi
has come up with a solution. They call it the XXX-SCB, which stands
for Short Course Buggy. Losi's new short course buggy offers all
the realism, coupled with great handling characteristics. The
tight fitting body allows air to pass by without becoming a paratrooper.
The plastic roll cage not only looks awesome, but it adds a great
deal of support. Four posts on the roll cage insert into four
molded mounts in the chassis adding rigidity to the body and chassis.
The body posts slide through the roll cage at all four points.
The
Molded short course driver is strapped in to his seat with a tight
grip on the steering wheel. He looks like he means business. Rubber
nets are mounted to either side of the driver for that extra touch
of realism. You can actually see them shutter in the breeze while
driving. Cool!
The
Losi XXX-SCB includes the necessary tools for working on the buggy,
such as four hex wrenches, a "T" socket, flat wrench,
and binding plug. Two additional steering servo horns of different
sizes are also included for tuning steering response.
Wheels, Tires, & Suspension
I was pleased with the wheel and tire combo Losi chose for the
XXX-SCB. No clumsy replica tires here. The SCB is equipped with
the same race-proved Losi Eclipse tires and wheels found on the
XXX-SCT short course truck.
The Buggy effectively uses a lower H-arm and upper adjustable
link suspension. The H-arms are made of quality plastic with just
enough flex to add durability. Captured hinge pins hold it all
together.
The hub carriers are designed specifically for the "RTR"
model. It actually has "RTR" printed on the side. I
did break one of the rear ones, thankfully a buddy of mine had
a spare from a different model Losi vehicle, the XXX 2wd buggy.
It was a perfect fit! I will most likely replace them with the
race proven parts later on. It's good to know most parts are interchangeable
throughout the XXX series.
Toe in/out and camber are also readily adjustable with the included
tools. Adjustable shock placement provides added handling adjustments.
The overall width of the vehicle can be adjusted with the removal
of a few pins. The front is set to wide and the rear is set to
narrow in stock form.
Losi's aluminum bodied oil filled coil over shocks are some of
the smoothest I've seen on RTR vehicles. With the use of the included
hex wrench, the plastic adjustable collars make it simple to adjust
ride height.
Drive train
CVD joints are used on this 2wd short course buggy for added performance
and durability. Rotating parts are supported with ball
bearings throughout the XXX-SCB.
Inside the gear box are three gears, two plastic and one metal.
All are supported with ball bearings.
The SCB uses a sealable gear differential which uses four metal
planetary gears and metal bevel gears. The sealable differential
is filled with grease.
The green plastic spur gear is protected from over stress by
an adjustable slipper clutch. A protective gear cover keeps debris
out of the pinion and spur gears and a removable rubber plug allows
easy access for slipper adjustments.
A plastic cage protects the gear box and motor from hard hits
and the use of hinged joints allows quick access if needed. Plastic
LED light buckets on the front and rear scream "light me
up." The actual lights can be bought separately for added
realism.
Electronics
The
included LM-32K performance 12T 550-sized modified brushed motor
provides the perfect power to weight ratio. An internal fan helps
to keep temperatures down. The motor is a closed end-bell design
so brush replacement is not an option.
A
water resistant ESC regulates power flow to the motor and
allows the immediate use of LiPo battery packs. A built in voltage
cutoff protects the batteries from over discharge damage and a
single button allows easy setup. The ESC can handle 7.4V 2s LiPos
and 8.4V 7-cell NiMH. High flow EC3 connectors are used to prevent
current loss.
The battery tray on the XXX-SCB is huge providing much room for
battery placement. Five foam block spacers are used in the 8 in
X 2.875 in battery tray. A single clip secures the battery strap
in place.
A Spektrum 2.4GHz DSM Losi radio system offers great control
and simplicity. Four AA batteries for powering the transmitter
are included. Steering and throttle trims are located to the right
of the steering wheel and the steering dual rate knob is located
to the left of the steering wheel. Servo reversing can be found
on the top of the radio.
Rubber bushings provide shock resistance to the spectrum SR300
three channel receiver and a mini switch is mounted to the chassis.
A digital servo provides plenty of power to steer the front wheels.
Losi's 2s LiPo battery pack
If
you're looking for the perfect power supply for your XXX-SCB,
try looking at Losi's 7.4V 3600mAh 2s 20C LiPo battery pack (LOSB9868).
The 3600mAh pack will provide good run times without over heating
the motor too much. You must have a Losi charger or balance plug
adapter to charge the battery because Losi uses a different plug
than most. Check
them out online.
Performance & Handling:
The Losi XXX-SCB was an absolute pleasure to drive and looks awesome maneuvering around the track. The included tires hook up great and offer plenty of overall traction.
Stability and Cornering
With the added weight on top from the cool looking roll cage, the XXX-SCB was more stable than expected. The suspension works great in the turns, offering the right amount of roll to keep traction and stability.
With any 2wd vehicle, throttle control is needed. The SCB will spin out if you are not careful and that is exactly how it should be. I did not experience much push at all, maybe a little. I absolutely loved how the SCB handles the corners.
Many at the track asked me if the SCB was a brushless 4wd vehicle. They were impressed when I told them it was a brushed 2wd vehicle. With the proper throttle inputs, this thing handles like a dream.
Acceleration and Braking
The SCB has the perfect power the weight ratio for hours of fun. Their was plenty of power to get the SCB up to speed quickly and top speed was great for the test track. Driving the SCB was different from many other vehicles I've driven. I'm usually all out balls to the wall, but the SCB was just fun, almost relaxing. I could just drive it all day. Actually, I put about eighteen packs through it over the course of a few weeks.
The ESC offers great braking and smooth acceleration.
Jumping
The XXX-SCB jumps great. I tested the SCB with several different battery packs and preferred two foam blocks up front and three foam blocks behind the battery pack. This seemed to be the sweet spot for arcing over most jumps.
The throttle has little effect during flight so approach and takeoff are important. Thankfully, the SCB has all that room in the battery try to tweak the balance point for your track or yard. The tight fitting body eliminates that annoying parachute effect found on short course trucks.
The large jump on the back straight way was not groomed properly
which resulted in some unpredictable hang-time. I landed on the
front bumper a few times which produced a scary sound. It sounded
like plastic breaking. After inspecting the vehicle, I was pleased
to discover the sound was coming from the hinged bumper. Although
noisy, the hinged bumper absorbed the impact beautifully. No damage
was found and I was on my way again.
See the XXX-SCB on an off
road track using a 2s LiPo!
The Losi XXX-SCB is an awesome short course buggy. It is a pleasure to drive and watch. It may not have been as fast as the 1/8 scale buggies, but onlookers were talking about the XXX-SCB! I heard several say they were going to get one.
The brushed motor provides the perfect amount of power and speed to make the XXX-SCB a dream to drive, however I managed to burn it up using a larger capacity LiPo. The motor tends to get hot, so long run times provided by high capacity LiPos proved to be fatal. Sticking with the Losi LiPo highlighted above or any LiPo with a rating of around 3600MAh should be fine.
The chassis is durable and components are high quality. The tires hook up great and the body looks incredible. The roll cage did a great job protecting the Rock Star licensed body.
I believe the XXX-SCB will start the next big craze in RC off road racing and is quickly becoming my favorite off road vehicle.
Losi, a division of Horizon Hobby
4710 E. Guasti Road
Ontario, CA 91761 USA
The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review.
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