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- Xtreme RC Cars - Kyosho ZX-5 -
Words by Edseb
Back
when I was a kid, I went to school in black corduroy pants, a white
starched shirt and god-awful (oops, did I say that?) brown shoes. It
wasn't my choice; it was the dress code that the nuns and priests of my
Catholic School had established. The rules were enforced in the hopes
that our attention stayed focused on lessons and not on the trends and
comparisons that come along with the peer pressures that happen to
kids. Well it must have worked to some degree, because I do remember
the story about the Prodigal Son. The story is about how a son was
loved and cherished and at one point decided to leave to explore other
avenues only to return years later and be welcomed home with open arms
and all sins forgiven. Today, some may argue that leaving the 4WD buggy
scene to explore other classes may have been a bad choice for Kyosho
and the rest of us, but most will agree that having the company back in
the class will be good not only for 4WD, but for racing in general. At
the last IFMAR Worlds in 2005, no less than eight manufacturers were
represented in this class that many are speculating will make a heroic
comeback. Time will tell, but if companies like Kyosho are willing to
develop race-worthy 4WD buggies, it looks like off-road electric racers
are the ones who will benefit.
FEATURES
The new Lazer ZX-5 has a host of unique features that make it a very
race-worthy off-roader. Although the debate of shaft vs. belt has yet
to be resolved (how many online forums have threads regarding this
subject?) Kyosho has decided to go with the shaft design in the hopes
that its inherent pros are more prevalent than the cons. Aside from
that, there are other features that make this new offering much
different than the current crop of 4WD racers.
Don't Be a Spool
Here's something that should be standard in today's 4WD kits. An
interesting find in the box while building was the inclusion of 3
seperate choices for the front gear case. Basically you get a choice of
installing either a standard ball differential, a one-way differential,
or a spool setup that can be configured three different ways (so I
guess that makes it 5 choices overall). With this many selections
available, you'll be able to swap the front diff to whatever matches
the track conditions and layout without having to buy more parts.
Solid Suspension
True to competetive form, the Lazer ZX-5 stands on a tried and true
double-wishbone suspension design. Both ends are equipped with
adjustable upper turnbuckles and the front end is equipped with
universal swing shafts. Also, the Lazer's "Twin Cap Pro" shocks aren't
budget; they feature full aluminum construction with threaded shock
bodies and Kyosho's silver springs.
Hardware
Do yourself a favor and get a good Phillips screwdriver; you'll be
happier, I guarantee it. While most companies have shied away from
using this type of steel hardware, Kyosho has decided to stick with
Phillips screws. Although often easier to strip, replacements are
plentiful and cheap. Better yet, skip the screwdriver purchase and use
that money to get easier to use, more durable, and lighter hex-type
hardware that is commonplace in RC, especially when it comes to
competition-type vehicles like this one.
Gears and Drive Train
As mentioned, the buggy is equipped with a shaft drive that translates
to quick acceleration and has less of a chance of dirt and debris
getting in and fouling things up. That's a pretty good thing for this
buggy, because the bottom of the chassis has all sorts of cutouts. The
shaft drive system alone can jar a vehicle if you're running a hot
modified motor; add to that the similar drive train-stressing reality
of off-road jumping and you would think that you won't get by. The
designers at Kyosho must have thought the same thing, so as a simple
solution they included an adjustable slipper clutch to protect the
gears in the transmission. Although slippers are more commonly found on
2WD off-road buggies, it makes even more sense that a slipper should be
standard issue for 4WDs. With the Lazer ZX-5, Kyosho has you covered.
Standards Can Be Good
4WD electric is trying to make a comeback, and part of that comeback is
making things easier for the racer so that the class isn't too
discouraging. Most likely if you are jumping into 4WD, it isn't your
first or only class, which means it would be nice to have things a bit
more universal and standardized. While just about every offering of
rubber tires will fit from the major tire manufacturers, you'll have to
stock up on Kyosho's wheels since they are kit-specific. It's not the
end of the world, especially since the kit comes with one full set of
wheels, but it would be nicer if the industry could standardize a wheel
hub that worked for everyone (note to companies: this class needs help
to make a comeback, so make it easier on us all). Maybe companies will
go the other way and follow Kyosho since their hex design is sound and
true, letting the wheels spin straight and balanced.
Building and Instructions
I went with the stock booklet settings for the rest of the kit and
fitted the buggy with both the included front and shaft one-ways (this
class usually has a hard time finding good steering, since 4WD often
leads to a push without a proper setup), and Losi Pink Taper Pins all
around (the hot ticket for Intermountain Raceway's clay surface). Make
sure you keep track of your settings and changes since there isn't
really a definitive initial setup, and at the time of this testing no
other setup sheets were available on Kyosho's web site.
TESTING
After outfitting the buggy with electronics and making sure all the
settings were good, I headed out to Utah's old and traditional indoor
track, Intermountain Raceway, home of the April Fool's Classic. The
track has high traction clay, with all sorts of jumps, berms, woops and
technical sections, perfect for 4WD electric buggies. The track has a
lot of local fast guys and 4WD is enjoying a resurgence here too. The
track does approach blue groove at times, but on most testing and club
nights it tends to have good traction with slippery areas, especially
if you get off the run line, a good combination to test most of the
limits of a 4WD electric buggy.
Acceleration and Speed • With a Checkpoint 14x2 bolted in, I thought I
might be a little under-motored for a 4WD buggy. Fortunately the Lazer
ZX-5 was able to extract every bit of power out of this motor by means
of its very efficient shaft drive with almost no inherent drag. This
drive train is smooth, and with the slipper set properly, I was able to
pounce out of the corners without any noticeable torque steer. 4WD
buggies are known for their ability to lay down the power and find
traction, and I wasn't disappointed. The kit does come with a pinion
gear that seemed to be suited for the motor, but with other pinions and
a more powerful motor, you could easily get yourself in to trouble or
drop the competition real quick; this buggy moves.
Rating: 9/8
Braking • Considering I went with the more aggressive dual one-way to
start off with, I was very happy to see that the buggy didn't get too
upset when hitting the brakes. Sure, I needed to dial out some brake on
my radio so that the car wouldn't spin out, but since a one-way is
usually a handful, with slight brakes applied the ZX-5 is controllable.
After swapping out the one-ways to a slightly more user-friendly
one-way shaft and front diff, braking improved. Either way, considering
what transmission you choose to use, braking isn't something to cringe
about.
Rating: 8
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Low-Speed Handling • Many 4WD buggies struggle in this department. With
so much going on in the drive train compared to the more common 2WD
buggy, and all four tires grabbing, it is often hard to find a setup
that rotates through the corners or has other needed characteristics.
Even in most of the stock settings with the dual one-ways, the buggy is
rather nimble. I was able to go in deep in the turn and let off and was
surprised at how quickly the buggy rotated through the tight turns. It
did rotate well and held the rear wheels too, but was somewhat twitchy
and aggressive; a quick decrease of dual rate in the radio and I was
right where I wanted to be. Even when I tried swapping the front
one-way with the included front diff, it kept a lot of speed and stable
manners.
Rating: 10
High-Speed Handling • Usually when a buggy is good at one thing, it
suffers at others. In the case of the ZX-5, I was pleasantly surprised.
Its geometry lends itself to just the right amount of steering and
stability. The track I tested on was indoors, tight, and although not
tiny, isn't considered to be very high speed or flowing compared to
some others. And yet there was still a rather large sweeper at the end
of the straight and some infield off-camber, high-speed stuff to test
the buggy, and it handled them very well. The kit also includes a rear
swaybar (only one gauge of bar included, but more than most kits), so
if the roll of the chassis is too much and the track has the traction,
using the swaybar could be beneficial.
Rating: 9
Rough Track Handling • Since most 4WD electric race buggies will see
smooth and race prepped surfaces for 90% of their racing life, I can
say that the ZX-5 handled rough spots pretty well. There was a rather
rough section at the end of the straightaway and some other various
sections including some woops in the infield and other divots and
chunks throughout that really tested the buggy. The buggy was set up
pretty soft, so it handled the smaller bumps well, and I noticed that
even when they got bigger it didn't get too upset. I think this is
where the soft chassis helped out. The buggy was pretty damp overall,
and didn't have that scary jittery feel that stiffer buggies seem to
have. Combine that with the springs, arms, and so on, and the buggy
will feel right at home on a lot of today's racetracks. I do think the
oil that is provided is a little on the light side for the rear, so
adding some thicker stuff should help.
Rating: 8
Wrenching
Maintenance • As I mentioned earlier, make sure that you use a good
quality Phillips-head screwdriver, since screw-stripping is always
looming over your head. Fortunately the buggy isn't overly complicated
or over-designed. Accessing most features is a matter of wrenching on a
few screws, and any problems with replacing or upgrading parts means
you'll usually make your next heat without any panic or stress. The
diff housings in the front and rear open in half from the top, so
transmission issues are easier than normal to repair, and as I
mentioned earlier the shaft drive train tends to be more impervious to
debris, and unlike belts, they won't shred or stretch.
Rating: 7.5
Wear and Tear • Usually when a new kit hits the market, there are a few
bugs that haven't been totally exterminated. In the case of the ZX-5
there are a few, but nothing catastrophic. After an early hit that led
to a bent turnbuckle, I got a little more comfortable with the buggy
and started to push it. During one pass through the rhythm section, I
had my timing off and that resulted in a less-than-perfect jump over
the small double. I landed and rolled the buggy over. Nothing too
unusual, but I did hear a small "crack." Turns out it was one fo the
parts in the front end that broke. It was a rather small piece, and
very easy to replace, but like most parts it comes molded on a tree, so
you have to purchase a pack that contains the tree and a lot of extra
parts. Some internet dective work revealed that this part is commonly
broke and aftermarket parts are on their way to fix it.
Rating: 7
Tuning • Since there really isn't a definitive starting setup for the
ZX-5 and no included blank sheet, you may want to give yourself some
time for trial and error before you find a setup that suits your needs.
In fact, maybe give yourself a little more extra time since you can
tune just about everything on this buggy. Seasoned racers will welcome
all these options, but you better get organized, because this "wheeler"
responds well to changes in materials, geometry and speed and you could
get lost in them. Most changes are easy and quick to make, and with
some time I'm sure it could be tuned to just about any track condition.
Rating: 9.5
Conclusion
I'm glad that a company like Kyosho has decided to come back to the 4WD
electric buggy class, since this can only mean more choices for
drivers, and that's a welcomed improvement. We all know that
competition pushes innovation and technology, and in the end we gain
from it. Even though it has been a while since Kyosho has been involved
in the class at this level, their return looks to be a pretty good one.
You will learn a lot about setting up a 4WD buggy with the seemingly
endless tuning options on the ZX-5, and with the class looking to grow
again, you should have more competition and friendly advice to benefit
from. Though some of the parts and materials have me wondering who this
kit is aimed at, looking at the lower cost and almost infinite tuning
options has made this kit inviting to everyone from mildly experienced
racers on a limited budget on up to seasoned racing veterans with
tuning expertise. Once you find that setup that feels good, chances are
it won't be the buggy that keeps you from the top of the podium. Who
knows, perhaps with the help of this buggy we'll see the class become a
mainstay instead of the predominantly second or dropped class that it
has been for quite some time. For 2006, it looks like the prodigal son
is back, innovative and faster than ever.
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