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Kyosho Ultima
RT5 - Carl Hyndman - XRC Review -
| Kyosho
has a long tradition in the offroad electric segment that reaches
way back to our early RC history. Then a few years Kyosho took a
break from the scene until 2007 when it released its
much-anticipated RB5 buggy and has seen some refinements with a
new "SP" version, but until now there hasn't been a
truck. That changed recently with the new RT5 racing truck and I
am fortunate to have put it through the paces on an indoor high
bite track. Yep, Jared Tebo and other noteworthy drivers are
running the truck now, and it is being put through its paces at
the highest level. Let's see what the hype is all about. |
Quick
Release Axles No need for tools here, the RT5 comes standard
with quick release axles for both front and rear. Races for
electric are never long enough to warrant a quick wheel change,
but for us lazy racers it is one more quick step in convenience
and security; no more worrying about a wheel nut coming loose.
Shocks Kyosho shocks have been around for a little while now
and have a well-deserved reputation for performance. Yeah they are
still the emulsifying type, but time has proven their design to be
solid. The shock bodies are also threaded and "velvet
coated." The design includes a top cap, threaded aluminum
body, and a bottom screw on cap enclosing the O-rings.
Front Shock Blocks Most front-suspension arms on electric
offroad vehicles incorporate mounting holes for your shocks with
different locations, but this placement is unique. The 2 mm of
adjustment is standard and raises the bottom of the shock up away
from the level of the arm. The mounting block is also a separate
piece and can be replaced.
1. Tungsten diff balls are now standard.
2. Body mount is attached to the front end instead of the front
tower.
3. Front kickup can be changed by just rotating the front block.
4. Idler gear borrowed from RB5 SP is included.
5. Chassis specific wheels with hexes can be used front or rear.
Testing
The OCRC in Southern California was to be my testing ground.
Luckily the track is an indoor, high-bite facility with a big
straight and flowing layout with just a touch of very slow,
technical sections. The layout also had a mix of big jumps, off
camber sections and some rhythm sections that should really test
the suspension. I chose the hot tires that the locals were running
and set up the truck according to the instructions in the box.
After charging up a LiPo pack, I hit the track.
Acceleration and Speed Since this is a race kit roller without
any guts, I went with a Team EPIC 10.5T and LRP ESC set on a
pretty aggressive timing setting and geared it appropriately. That
setup combined with the power of LiPo really mohawked the rear
tires and gave me another lesson in throttle control. The truck
screamed on the track and my white knuckles held on as the tires
grabbed at every bit of clay. Quick blips of the throttle made
short work of jump approaches, and fortunately, the slipper helped
out or it would easily have flipped itself on to its back. Pick
your power wisely, this truck movesand with only two wheels to
move you forward, keep some smooth throttle finger in your
arsenal.
Rating: 9.5
Braking As with any rear wheel drive car, braking can be a bit
of an exercise in light finger input. In fact, dialing back a
little EPA on your push brake should be one of the first things
addressed when hitting the track. Of course you will have to find
the correct balance between slowing the car down at the end of a
straight, using your brakes for flight control and sliding around
corners. Once you find that balance, this truck's braking will be
a little less scary.
Rating: 8
Low-Speed Since the car was equipped with LiPo power and the
initial setup was probably based around the weight of six NiMH
cells, take some time to either get used to the change and its
effect on handling, or make some appropriate changes. The car was
smooth and went through the corners well, but was a little pushy.
A slight change in springs, pistons, oil or shock location could
compensate for this and luckily all of those things are easily
addressed. The truck did respond quickly to quick changes and it
wasn't too long before it settled down. The instruction manual
doesn't really address this and in fact, there is virtually no
help on how to tune for track conditions, so take a little extra
time here.
Rating: 9
High-Speed Handling I was impressed at how balanced the truck
felt at speed. There was a big sweeper at the end of the straight
that had a small step down mid-corner that could get your truck
sideways if things weren't done just right, but that wasn't a
problem for this truck. I had lots of confidence with it and could
really drive hard and tight. It was fairly easy to hit the same
line every time and with all the power I had at my disposal.
Rating: 10
Wrenching
Maintenance The design of the truck is pretty conventional
here, and most of the normal high-maintenance items like shocks
and suspension are a pleasure. Everything is well-thought-out with
a few extra items to make the short time between racing qualifiers
a social event instead of a hair-pulling stress factory. Parts
have great tolerance and everything goes together without any hand
fitting; in fact I never had to reach for tools to do those
tedious tasks.
Rating: 9.5
Wear and Tear On the track, the truck took a lot of hits and
held up pretty well. Most crashes would have seen a walk back to
the pits, but with the help of oversized ballstuds, beefed up
stainless steel turnbuckles and Kyosho's composite plastic,
breaking was kept to a minimum. I'm not saying it went without a
hiccup, but compared to other trucks in its class, I'd have to say
this thing is pretty stout.
Rating: 9
Tuning The RT5 has plenty of tuning options for even the most
seasoned racer. All the standard choices and allowances apply:
shimming the pivot balls to change the roll center, different
pistons available for the shocks, shock location holes, wheelbase,
kickup, anti-squat, etc. But with a few things like the removable
lower front shock mount, tuners may have some things up their
sleeves to get creative with. Kyosho owners are also happy to
know, that many of the parts on this truck are interchangeable
with the smaller RB5 SP buggy. Unfortunately, as I have mentioned
before, do your homework on tuning because Kyosho only offers help
online and not in the manual.
Rating: 10
Conclusion
Lately, 2wd stadium trucks have taken a back seat as classes like
Core Truck have grabbed hold. That doesn't mean the class that is
pretty much dominated by Losi and Team Associated couldn't use
some competition; this truck should easily challenge for those
podium spots. It's a little pricier than those other options, but
offers a solid alternative choice with its own driving
characteristics and unique, high-quality parts. If you are looking
to run in a class that's pretty much Merican in origin, take a
good look at this design because it could help to bring back some
life to stadium truck racing. |
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