is the 777 really worth that much money? I would like to be convinced. Why is kyosho so greedy?

Kyosho is not greedy. They have been building World Champion buggies for years....Worth the money? Yes...for beginners.....no. I started with a Hyper 7 pro.....Moved into an Inferno MP 7.5 Kanai 2/3....No comparison...Kyosho takes the cake. hands down. Once I drove the Inferno I knew that every penny was well spent. If you are new to this and by your question I am going to assume you are I would look into an RTR Buggy...There are lots of guys out there who have many opinions on RTRs...You will definitely get an answer...

I have a 777SP1.

I've spent quite a bit of time building it, setting it up, racing it, crashing it, rebuilding it since it came out.

When I was new, I didn't know enough so I just got the latest model out there to ease some of the jitters of choosing the wrong kit.

Now that I do know more now than I did before..

I think it's overpriced.

[Flame Suit on]

Don't get me wrong, I'm quite happy with the performance of the buggy, it's just that other manufacturer's offerings give better value for the money.

For the $620 I paid for just the kit, I expected better.

- E-clips should've been phased out by now.
- Self-tapping philips screws? Come-on Kyosho.. it doesn't cost THAT much to switch over to countersunk f/h allen screws.
- Plastic formulation not as robust as others.
- I solid rear torque rod would've been better
- toe-in plates could've been built better to last longer
- Front upper plates in plastic (K3 was metal).
- Rear toe-in plates in plastic (ok if the kit was priced maybe $500, not above $600)

That said...

XRAY offers the best value (free tools, RX battery), solid engineering
OFNA (Hyper 7) offers the next best value. Durability undoubted, parts pricing right on.
MUGEN offers somewhat better quality parts, but again isn't priced competitively.

So what are the differences between the 777 and the K2/K3? The parts look similar. Also what are the differences between the K2 and K3? It seems they change one or two parts and call it a new name. I have my eye set on a K2 or K3, but still don't know what the main differences are.

the k3 and 777 are exactly the same, they just gave it a new name to go along with its new price

As far as K2/K3... very small changes, basically K3's were kinda like K2's less a lot of the bling to save weight.

As far as K3 to 777... There's a whole lot of changes.

- Chassis is different because the engine was moved forward.
- Suspension geometry is very different.
- Rear shocks are longer.
- CG is lower due to the shorter servo tray posts, the servo has less than 1mm clearance before it hits the chassis.
- RX box is smaller.
- 777SP1 adds a stinger protector.
- Servo saver upside down compared to previous versions.
- Ackerman is also different.

Those who have both K3 and 777 say the difference is profoundly noticeable, much so that setup sheets used the K3s will NOT work with the 777. The 777's rear is so finicky in stock setup it's not funny, with sometimes annoying oversteer so you gotta dial it out.

As for the differences between standard 777 and SP1 version, here's a link;

http://www.towerhobbies.com/rcwnews/...-kyoc0564.html

I suggest you get a hex screw conversion kit right away, those Self-tapping screws included in all inferno's have a tendency to back out.

i built my 777 up with the titanium screw kit from a K3 to shave a little weight during the build, but i used some Mugen steel machine screws in the front & rear gearboxes as i know the standard self tappers have a habit of loosesning during a long race!
that way i get the bling of titanium where you can see it & the reliability of steel where you need it

LoL- You don't know too much do ya?

Go do some research before you spout off at the mouth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i couldn't even be bothered to reply to that one

there have been loads of threads on this & every other RC forum about the differences between the 777 & K3! i guess he either don't read too good or he don't remember nuthin

i know there are differences... the internet needs a sarcasm button...[&o]

it was meant as a joke... you guys take **** too seriously....

I'm just surprised that the 777 came out so soon after the K3. Isn't Kyosho afraid of ticking off all those K3 owners who spent top buck only to have an obsolete car in a few months? I'm looking for a buggy and that's actually scaring me away from Kyosho.

the 7.5 in its various guises was with us for nearly 4 years so i wouldn't be too worried about comitting to a 777

if you wanted it to be a joke you shouldn't tpye it so it looks so serious. put some !!!! marks in places and say Jk or something.

As much as i love the K cars, I've always wondered why people put up with the above, as well as a few other little PITA querks for so long.

Hopefully the advent of the XB8, the recent thrashing at the hands of the MBX5, and the plethora of Kyosho faithfull jumping ship will spur them to be a bit more attentive to customer feedback......... Nah!!

The 777 isn't a new line, it is very much so part of the 7.5 line. The only reason that car was created was to celebrate the 7th Kyosho win that didn't happen. Kyosho sales are obvious declining due to the near-perfection of the original 7.5 forcing them to come up with the marketing themes for new buggies. The 777 was contengency plan for the Kanai III, they didn't make their quota for that buggy. The net price of the Kanai III dropped almost $200 in three months and thats not good. The 777 was suppose to be introduced as an $800 kit to the US, and thats definately not happening now. Without a big marketing scheme they can't make money, as my marketing professor stated "it's not the steak that sells, it's the sizzle". All of their cars are great cars but when you buy kyosho for $700-$800 you'd want to be able to sell it in a year for at least a 60% return, you can't with Kyosho due to their marketing. It helps them, but burns you. I suggest you buy a good car and don't buy another one until a company can prove without a reasonable doubt that their new car can improve your lap times, which Kyosho is not doing right now.

hence the "" smart one..

("" designated more sarcasm)

the only problem is that the way kits are sold in japan and the us are different. ive heard from here and there that when in the US, it is cheaper to buy your car online than at your lhs. in japan however, it is FAR cheaper to hit your hobby shop instead. as soon as an iten hits the hobby shop, it is marked down 20%, give or take a few. in japan, kyoshos are a great deal, whereas other cars arent. [the same applies tu mugen seiki, which is also a japanese company] i got my sp1 for 550, and the lhs owner tossed in a few goodies as well, like a full set of tires etc. so in the end, i saved quite a bit more than buying from say hobao or something

Well, I'm on the fence now between the Kyosho and Mugen. With the Kyosho, I'm sort of leary because it seems like they can make another buggy in a few months and have that be their flagship car. There should be a longer cycle between new products. Imagine if Sony released a Playstation every 6 months.

It really ticked me off when I bought my k3 in March and to hear 3 months later the 777 was coming out. So I sold my k3 and bought a mbx5 prospec. I just didnt want to buy a 777 and Kyosho come out with another new buggy in a couple months

For the fence sitters... grab an XRAY.

I'm reading through the instructions right now... SWEET!

For the price you pay for it, you get an incredible value.. IMO makes the OFNA/HoBao's look pricey now...

Aside from the basic kit, you get the following free that NO other manufacturer can yet match.

- 2 sets (not just 1) of shock springs (medium and soft).
- 1200mah Receiver battery
- Hudy Profitools ($$$$ if you buy them separately)
- 3 sets of clutch springs (not just 1)
- Shock oil included (not just DIFF OIL)

And the XB8 is a full US$ 100.00 cheaper than a Kyosho SP1 kit, over here, it only cost $55 more than a HoBao Hyper 7 PRO.

I hope the XB8 shakes up the industry a bit, it's about time we had a price war that benefits the consumers... US!!!