XRAY - Model racing cars

Many local hobby shops offer building services. Why not just ask them to build your kit for extra? As it is then you will know the person first hand who put it together and support your LHS.

LOL I don't have a LHS. I live in a VERY remote mountain town and I believe JRC is right. I want to know my kit in every detail and want to make it my own. Just for the sake of getting deeper into the hobby, I think I will go ahead and build it myself. I have loved RC for years and it's time I got to know their internals as well. I have just started a new second job so I begin saving up for the kit and accessories. What would you guys recommend me running? I am in a debate right now on UltimateRC.com concerning Tekin RX8 versus Mamba Monster. I plan on running either (depending on your opinions, others, and my own personal preferences) the 2650kv 4S setup from either company or the 2000kv 6S setup. What do you guys think?

I will tell you from my personal experience, although I'm VERY far from being any sort of competent racer, that Tekin has an extremely good product, and second-to-none customer service. Randy Pike, from Tekin, is wonderful when it comes to tech assistance, advice, and is quick to make right any sort of abnormality. He has even allowed me to exchange a fried ESC at a minimal cost.
Castle, on the other hand, was NOT helpful in answering questions I had, and I am still waiting for an email over a Castle link they promised years ago. Castle has grown in the last couple of years and seems to have a popular following. One cannot deny that their systems are fast. Joining up with Neu was likely a good move for them.
However, if you take a look around at the winning cars in the electric class, and take a look at the electric xrays from the team drivers, you will notice a LOT of Tekin systems. I would encourage you to purchase Tekin. And also to post up some pics of the build.

Well the thing is I am sliding more towards Tekin myself but I would very rarely be racing. This will be (more or less) a purely bashing vehicle. I have seen Tekin win A LOT of races, but what is with almost nobody running the RX8 system other than serious racers? It actually takes some time to find GOOD bashing videos running RX8's on Youtube. Then once you find the videos they always appear to be running them in Traxxas Summits (More specifically the Truggy 4S 2250kv setup, witch I am also considering seeing as it uses a longer, larger, more powerful motor).

It cant be a pricing problem as Tekin ESC/Motor combos are the EXACT SAME prices as Momba Monster ESC/Motor Combos on AmainHobbies.com (They are all $329.99 Regardless of KV rating).

So now I'm wondering... Is there a problem with bashing the Tekin? I've heard from other forums that the Tekin setup is known to run the motor hotter than equal Momba Monster setups (Meaning equal KV, Equal Voltage, and Equal Gearing setups) by about 15-20 degrees F when BASHING ONLY (I cannot find comparisons on track racing) because supposedly the Tekin is only built for track racing.

The thing is though I'm sure this problem is due to those people probably running the censored setup while bashing witch is not a good idea. On a track most of the time all 4 tires are on the track (i.e There are only a few large or erratic jumps) witch the censored operation can handle just fine. But when you're on rough bashing terrain or hitting large jumps with considerable air time, it confuses the sensor because throttle inputs, wheel spin, and impacts are so erratic, making it difficult for the sensor to keep up, thus heating up the motor.

What do you guys think? Do you think the Tekin will be alright bashing so long as I run censor-less?

I would pose that question to the guy on the Team Tekin forum. My perspective was that bashers weren't always as serious as racers and the racers insist on having the good stuff. But excellent points you have made about the running conditions.

I can only submit that my Tekin RS Pro system installed in my 2WD Traxxas slash has taken a severe pounding both on and off the prepared surface. It showed no signs of wear or tear after an afternoon at a skate park in Dallas while on vacation. It was only being overgeared and on a high traction surface (carpet) and a questionable solder joint that was the demise of the RS Pro ESC. But one professionally written email to Randy Pike, and the unit can be exchanged and upgraded for a NEW RX8 at well below retail price. I challenge Castle to match that customer service.

If you have money to spend, I highly encourage you to look also at Hacker Brushless motors. First there was Hacker, then there was Neu......get my drift? But I will buy a Tekin System over a Castle system ANY day.

Take a little look around there. I get lost in all that technical jargon and the numbers. But anyone who understands the electric portion of our program should get it fairly quickly.
Again, I am no expert, but have been told by a few that the Hacker motors are second to none in construction and materials used. What I actually know about the subject would fit on a pinhead along side a dump truck.

Jeeze those are some expensive motors wow! But whats weird is it says the max power is just 1200 watts (about 1.5 HP). Tekin combos lay down up to 4000 watts continuously (about 5 HP). Why are they so expensive then?

You know what though some real advice for the XRAY guys: HURRY UP WITH THE XT8E ALREADY!!! lol it's been nearly a month!

They have a LOT of motors to chose from. The particular one I linked to appeared, to me, to be a 4 or 6 "S" capable. I didn't do the math but are you sure that wasn't a 1.5 HP per lipo cell? A little country boy math and it would seem to be a little more truggy friendly.....But they do have quite a selection. The one I linked to may have not been the right one to choose. I'm quite sure, though, that Hacker makes a motor that would light up an XT8E like Christmas.

Huh I'm not sure if it's power per LiPo cell or not but if it is then you're going to need a SERIOUS ESC to deliver that kind of Amp draw. If it's 1200 Watts per LiPo cell then that means 7,200 Watt total power. No current 1/8 ESC could even supply that lol. That's a total continuous draw of over 320 Amps! That would mean Bursts capable of up to 1200+ Amps!

The Tekin RX8 is the highest power supplying 1/8th ESC I even know of and its max is only 210 Amps. That motor would destroy an RX8 lol.

On the other hand Jang tested Tenshock's X802 1/8th motor (A short 68 mm buggy motor) and found it to be as powerful as a Castle 1515 74mm Monster Truck Motor! Now Tenshock has Released the X802L (Note the "L", Full Monster Truck 74mm). This Motor is said to draw up to 190 Continuous Amps (or up to 4,788 watts on a fully charged 25.2 Volt 6S battery) or up to ~6.5 Horsepower! Thats 70 Amps fore than a Castle 1515! And 40 Amps more than a Mamba Monster ESC could even handle!

I think the Tenshock would do very nicely and at $115 it's cheaper than a Castle 1515 or Tekin T8!

Sounds like you're doing your homework alright. I get completely lost in all that electronic mumbo-jumbo frankly.
I have never even heard of a Tenshock; shows you what I know. Good luck on your build man. Be sure to share pics!

Ya I will definitely post pics when available but the XT8E isn't even out yet and on top of that I just started my new job and I'm broke for now.

If you want to see some Tenshock motors check this page out: http://www.funshobby.net/index.php/bran ... -list.html

The cheap X801 ($74.99) and medium priced X802 ($99.99) were both reviewed by Jang, the owner of UltimateRC.com. He specifically described the differences in saying "Back when Tenshock first premiered their first 1/8th motor, the X801; It felt pretty much the same as low end Hobby Wing or Tacon motors: Not very good in the low-end or mid range RPM. This new X802 however not only has 18 slots as compared to the 9 in the X801, but now has 6 Poles instead of the standard 4. (Tenshock is the ONLY company out there right now running 6-Pole motors) This motor is AMAZING! It feels like a Castle 1515 despite its shorter size! There's an explosion of power and torque in the low to mid ranges of RPM." -Jang

Now if you look at the X801, X802, and X802L power and Amperage differences, you will see why Jang says these things.

Something is needed to remove the huge play on the inner hinge pin when using alu suspention arm holders. Another 2mm washer is too much and so a washer like 4.2x10x1mm would be perfect.

You can use the XB8 EC clips for that. There is a 1mm clip included.

I use them on all my cars to change the wheelbase without disassembling anything. Part number: 352380

Thank you, Robin. I've got them on order.

Hello, greetings from México:
XB9:
I like:
Overall Quality
Carbon fiber Shock towers
Wing desing
Black coat in aluminum parts, really nice!
Model Performance
I Dont Like:
No carbon fiber on radio tray or upper plate
No Clips on battery box, screws are a pain in the head!
Boddy thickness, nice desing but dont last 1 day (lol)
No tires
No whels

1- XB9 battery box should have a small holder to help remove it since the place is tight, also future option of having pin or screw option for the battery tray would be nice.

2- New heavier and thicker body to withstand abuse more since there is so much corners on the current body, its more easy to break compared to the 2011 body.

3- New servo tray with more rigid support near the servo throttle since the amount of flex going there is alot, been noticing alot of carbs getting damaged in the carb barrels and or snapped idle needles. Hot weather mainly, suggestion to have harder plastic and or carbon renforcement in future designs. Carb barrels that are prone to easy damage are aluminium based carbs. For High voltage servos and or High torque. Also little ventilation going through that area, maybe new design needs more under clearance and or less hosing around the front and rear servo to provide more airflow in hot weather.

Servo tray inner passage where the battery leads go to the reciever, the two ridges in the bottom, should be lower as opposed to being higher up to allow more room for battery cable area, way to tight in this area.

4- Center universal shaft boot cover can be of denser rubber material to avoid being damaged easily.

5- Shock boots easily pops off, can do with a tighter seal on the upper opening where is sits in the shock body lower groove.

6- Shock end washers can be of better plastic, or something like delrin to last longer. Two black washers that sit in between the orange orings and at the end of the orings prior to screwing the shock end cap.

7- Basic setup sheet should be updated to 5/5/3 or 5/5/4 since 5/5/2 has way too much rotation on the car.

8- Replace aluminium camber links with previous old camber links, new ones will break, old ones bend.

xray 808e:
what I like:
lightweight
the quality of the car
carbon shocktowers
hudy stuff
the 7075 chassis

what could be better:
battery box should be higher so you can use softcase
spiral diffs
the "new" drive. the one like the xray 808 2011 version.
the manual.

I can't find more than 4 things that could better

Can we see a xray xb9 GT car in the near future? I've seen several people convert their cars with great success. I'm currently in the process of doin the conversion myself.