2fast2slow

Hey everyone


Well i have been into Nitro Buggies for about 1 year, but paying for 33 dollars for a gallon of gas is killing me. So i'm think about getting the Baja but the fact the it costs so much in the beginning, but in the long run i think it is a good investment. But before i really start thinking about getting one i have some questions.

What is the stock top speed?

With upgrades will this baja be able to reach speeds of 45-50 or over?

HOw long does the engine last?

IS there any hope of an optional 2 speed?

What things would i have to watch out for?

And i think that is all, but suggests will be great.

Thanks you very much,
Shawn

ProRCRacer88

Well, i dont have a 1/5th scale yet, but i can tell you, for more speed, get the jetpro pipe ($190) and u will see about 10mph increase. Stock speed of this buggy is 40-45, havent heard of a 2speed for it yet. You can also change the stock engine for a bigger displacement engine for another $300. If you start getting speed option parts, also invest in some cable disc brakes, so you can get the 30 pounder to a stop easier. The stock transmission that it has on it is nothing for a car of that size. When you do decide to get this, be sure to not go cheap on a controller, get a spectrim or somthing like that, A nomadio is probably the best controller you could get for any land RC because it does everything other controllers do and also tells u how fast u goin, temp of engine, and battery life onboard the RC. Also put a return spring on the throttle incase of servo failiar or something, because if one of these runs away, you will really have a high repair bill, at least the spring will not allow it to run away under power. Im not sure how long the engine lasts, but do a short break- in period just to be sure that all the internals of the engine are well lubricated, before you start full throttling it.[8D]
Im sure i left some stuff out, but what i did mention, should give you a good idea on the budget on your new machine.

Timmahh

once the rub issue is solved ( which its really close ) buy a spektrum or nomadio radio ( you can sell the new prety much not used nitro to fund your new radio system), buy teh Xcan for 80.00, richen your L and H a tad, maybe 1/16 to 1/8. and go, there is no breakin needed. gass it up, check everything is right, and GO!!!! and dont forget to read the Knowledgeable forum to get your pre run check and dont look back. by the time you buy and receive it, you ll most likely get a fully updated model. theres a few issues here n there besides the rubbing issue, but HPI has be Fantastic with the warrenty anc customer support, at least here in the us.

I give the buggy a firm 9.8 out of ten. for 1000.00 you ll net get great rc. HPI outdid tehmselfs even with the issues i have had. i d do it all over again.
Timmahh

hellya

My friend in Germany told me .....In order to buy nitro gas in Europe you have to be 18 yrs old, show id with current address the government is allowed access to all purchase records......

it cost 20 euros a liter or $26.00 for 1 liter which is equal to 0.264172052 gallons

$104.00 for 4 liters which equals 1.056688208 gallons.......... we got it cheap[X(]

ScooterTrash

I think you would be happy, I was thinking the same, then I figured the new Gas burner it would pay for it's self in fuel $$$. I would run it stock for a while, then when you upgrade it Pipe, Air filter, etc. You will be able to tell the diffirence[sm=thumbup.gif] But do not learn the hard way about the engine like I did! IT DOE'S NEED TO BE BROKE IN!!![sm=lol.gif] BREAK it IN! What & How do I break in my engine?
The break in procedure of any new engine is essential, I've read about people who did not break in there engines correctly only to be punished afterwards with poor performance & countless problems, not only will your engine have a much longer life but the performance will always be at its best.
The run-in (or break-in as some call it) procedure is straight forward & simple, in fact the hardest part is your patience! this is where a lot of people think "sod it!" then decide to skip the rest of the procedure which they soon learn was a BIG mistake!
To break in a new engine requires you to start/stop your engine a number of times; I will explain the method for running-in a Zenoah engine below:
Tank 1
1) Fill fuel tank up (with 25:1 fuel/oil mixture)
2) Start up your engine, let it idle run for 5-6 mins with varied throttle, let cool for 15, then kill engine & let cool for 5-10 mins run again,
3) Start engine back up & Keeping below 1/4 throttle at all times, begin to give some throttle & take it easy, keep going for about 15 mins then kill the engine (that's turn it off for those not familiar with these terms!)
4) With the engine off, let it stand for 15 mins to cool down again, then start it up again
5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 until the tank is empty
Tank 2
1) Fill fuel tank up (with 25:1 fuel/oil mixture)
2) Start up your engine then begin to give some throttle, after 5-10 mins of run-time you can now go past the 1/4 throttle but don't go above 1/2 throttle, try not to keep the throttle in the same position for too long, best method is open & close the throttle as you drive around.
3) After 1/2 a tank of fuel has been used, kill the engine, let stand for 5-10 mins, then re-start & continue doing what I explained in step 2 until all the fuel has gone.
Tank 3
1) Repeat steps in Tank 2
Tank 4
1) Fill fuel tank up (with 25:1 fuel/oil mixture)
2) Now you can begin to open her up a little! After 5-10 mins of run-time you’re now free to open your throttle to 3/4, again try not keeping throttle in same position for too long. Once 1/2 a tank of fuel has gone you can now begin to open her up at full throttle, but gently do it, don't keep her at full throttle for a period of time, do it in sudden bursts.
3) Continue this method until fuel has ran out
4) Finished!..Your engine is now ran-in & ready for some serious bashing!
People have there own methods of breaking-in an engine, this is the one I've used on many engines in the past & my own Zenoah for my FG Bigfoot which now runs sweet as can be!

USABaja5B

No one I know breaks in a gas engine for 4 tanks. That is almost 4 hours. Hell, the tires will be worn out by then, and the a-arm will be worn in half.

ScooterTrash

[8D] To each his own!

USABaja5B

Thats the good thing. If you have the time, it won't hurt anything.

TurtleRacing

There is absolutely NO reason on this earth to break in a gas engine for that long, yeah it's preferance but one tank is more then enough!! Anybody that knows anything about 2-stroke engines would not break them in that long! If anything it would start having the opposite affect!!!

pilotjohn

1- A complete 29cc motor is $185, not $300. You could buy just the top end kit(big bore) for about $100.
2- 21-22 pounds, not a 30 pounder.
3- What is wrong with the stock transmission? It has ALL metal gears, and the diff is all metal geared too, not to mention oil filled and viscous controlled.

fourwheeler

As Timmah said the buggy is pretty solid right out of the box. If you order one now it will be upgraded to help the rubbing issue of the rims on the rear a-arms so that shouldn't be a problem. If you upgrade the radio just start running it. A buggy this big moving at 35-40 miles an hour is an awesome sight!!!

ProRCRacer88

Pilotjohn, that was an error, i meant to say the stock transmission brake is nothing not the transmission itself

Earth Surfer

Break in procedures---everybody has their own, and Zen does not even mention it in their owners manual. I have seen heavy guys on peds go wide open on the first ride with no problems, but I know the ring is not totally seated to the cylinder until about two 1 liter tanks are run through on a ped carrying a 200lb guy. I still don't wait that long to let er rip though, and eveidently Zenoah does not think it is important enough to put it in their owners manual---and that manual actually has some really good info in it. But--the ring has another function of transfering heat to the cylinder walls so it can disipate to the air. A ring that is not seated, can't transfer heat as well as a ring that is seated--so I can see that point also.

There are tons of opinions on break in procedures on the web. One I remeber reading was against the grain, but it makes sence to me. This guy said to ride it on the hard side for a bit when brand new, because as you make more power, you are making more cylinder pressure. The spring of the ring is not the only thing that holds the seal, it also gets pushed against the cylinder wall by the cylinder (expanding, burning gases) pressure. The pressure finds it's way over the ring, and pushes, from the the back side of the ring to force the ring against the cylinder walls. His idea is to get the ring seated before the cross hatch on the cylinder wall wears down, and avoid tarnish build up and blow by for a stronger running engine. He claimes the engine life is fine, and he has had no problems. I tried to find that article, but I don't have the time to look through all the stuff on the web.

badz

My Feedback: (1)

LOL or 4 years on a weedwacker.....we fire $1500 DA150's up run em maybe 1/4 tank and are off flying....I've tossed brand new top ends in my gasers and ran em wide open right away.....it's over a year later they run just fine still.

pilotjohn

Did you ever run one or see the brake setup on the Baja? It has a fin shaped plate sandwiched between two discs, those three parts float on a hex shaped hub, nice beefy brake pads too. IMO, HPI did a great job on the brakes, mine work great [8D]

emu67

Back to the original question...things to watch out for:

- rubbing problems that people have mentioned (rear rubbing on the arms and shock ends; being fixed by HPI
- sometimes the beadlocks screws come loose which might lead to a tire ripe; check them once in a while
- my spark plug was loose from the factory and my exhaust
- throttle linkage needs to be adjusted to get the carb to open up all the way; I adjust mine by putting the linkage further out on the servo arm
- Big jumps will break things on this buggy especially if you don't land right
- My right, rear shock blew its oil out when I landed from a big jump. that was weird. The shock is ok.
- shocks end caps (both top and bottom) were loose from the factory so I had to tigthent them (yeah...after I lost half the oil in them!)
- Diff will probably be half empty of diff fluid and you'll complain the rear is too loose. You'll need to open it up and fill the diff as per instruction with the included oil. It works absolutely great when its filled, even on a dry track


These were minor problems that happens to all buggies especially when you're running them. The engine has been superb and has plenty of power when running on a dirt track. Never tried the stock radio since I put my nomadio on it as soon as I got it.

Have fun; it's a different driving experience than nitro cars

Oh...visit usabaja5b's forum - there's lots of guys there that obsess over their buggies and they'll give you an unabridged view of the baja

ProRCRacer88

Pilot i havent even seen a 5B up close in person yet, people around here are into the 1/10th and 1/8th cars and trucks, only a few people have a 1/5th scale and i dont really never see them play with them at all[&o] And i never ran a 1/5th yet.

Timmahh

Pro Rc, theres some Great Videos that us have linked on that site. you ll get a GOOD VIEW and understanding of what this thing is actually capible of, and still have your jaw hit the ground when you open it up and see it in person for the first time.... many with jumps, track runs, bashing, racieing, ect. many different terrains, once you see/drive this thing, you ll never view nitro the same. and imo, even though FG does ok by that WOW standard over nitro, the BAJA is just I M P R E S S I V E ! @ every aspect, with the exception to the 27Mhz Radios and the Dreaded Rub. when the rub is nub, and you add a Nomadio or Spektrum type radio/ its like a TacoBell Crunch Wrap - GOOD TO GO!!!!

i have one issue wiht one statement i have seen here so far. this one "Big jumps will break things on this buggy especially if you don't land right " though a bad landing is NEVER a good thing, I have not broke a thing over one R and one F shock shaft. and beleive me when i say, its been getting ran, and its been jumped BIG.. im just about at a standstill due to rubbing and rim issues, so until i get the needeed rub replacement upgrades., im taking it easy. but this thing was getting drove like it was stole! and tanking pretty much everything ive been thrown at it... mostly it boils down to driving style.. but the Baja doesnt handle at all like a typical rc. its much more 1:1 scale in driving charecteristics. and thats what the people the DONT OWN ONE, are missing. this this is simply the SHIZNIT for scale driving abilities imo. it handles exactly like you would expect it to.
Timmahh

ProRCRacer88

Timmahh, I have seen some vids of 1/5th scales, but thats it for now, and i seen a few for sale at the hobby shop. I already know that when i get one, thats the only thing im going to mess around with. Nitro is very expensive in the longrun the a 1/5th rc is in the future. I can pay 2Gs on a 1/8th onroad car and the same for a 1/5th onroad. I would rather have a gas burning car than a nitro burning car.

Timmahh

these vids are all of Bajas, not just 1/5ths. and its not here at RCU, but the other one mentioned, go there, and check the video links. then you can compare how the baja runs compared to the other more expensive 1/5ths out there.
Timmahh

CaptBags

What is the real addy of the forum mentioned above. I tried a few versions of the name and, nothing comes up.

USABaja5B

Do a search for HPI, Baja, Forum on Google. It'll show up on that list.