gee-dub

iTrader: (1)

<--Would gladly pay a premium for an American made iteration of the kits I purchase. I believe there is a viable market for this; provided the product quality is what one would expect.

Cptn Cartwheel

iTrader: (4)

In the corners yes. If you can tune your way into some traction on power it will be very close. At Spektrum the top guys lap times between 2wd mm and 4wd were only 1/2 second apart. It was insane. I actually heard a half dozen people cursing "wtf" while watching the monitor during the race. It was completely ridiculous.

ray_munday

iTrader: (4)

The driving style is different as the two chassis have different strengths and weaknesses.

RM: More forward traction on power, easier to wheelie, better braking, more mid corner steering, less steering on power, can be loose off power due to rear tyres being overloaded / pendulum effect.

MM: Less forward traction on power, less wheelie, worse braking, less mid corner steering, more exit steering, very stable off power.

With an RM you have to drive 'point and shoot' to take advantage of its strengths. Brake hard into the corner, rotate it as tight as possible, punch it out of the corner. It tends to respond to tracks with sharper corners and lower traction.

With an MM you need to drive more of a racing line to take advantage of the smoother cornering. The forward traction isn't as high but you can hold a higher entry and mid corner speed. For flowing tracks and those with high grip, MM is much easier to drive fast. RM tend to be edgy to drive in these conditions.

MM with 4 gear also have very good pitch control in the air compared to an RM.

The pros have pretty much stuck to MM as they tend to run on tracks with decent traction. It seemed to take a long time for them to make the switch but they wouldn't be running them if they were slower. Ive back-back tested the MM and RM and it is very much dependent on track conditions. You can add ballast to both (to the front of an RM and the rear of an MM) to suit your track but the best handling comes when you have the least ballast hanging out one end of the car.

Ray

beyondthepack

iTrader: (5)

I agree, that would be great, however the average person would be able to afford the made in China or where ever price.

Second. My supplier has a Lat Feb. Showing for the release. In my time in the business I have never known them to have a product ready before the release date. Trust me guys, late Feb early March.

markt311

iTrader: (34)

Just in time to take my tax money!

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

TLR released theirs early when they came out with the 2.0.

skrichter

iTrader: (13)

Is it me, or does it seem like the motor is still not centered??

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

where did you get that pic? Wayyyyy to much motor hanging out. I would like to see an after market bumper with better motor protection. And no, it does not look centered to me.

fredswain

iTrader: (1)

You don't want the motor totally centered. The spur and slipper have mass too and they are offset. You need at least a small mount of motor offset to balance it.

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

Then the picture is meaningless for that type of answer. You need 4 scales to check the balance with your electronics.

Mason

AE updated their site last night. its under the model's "pics/videos" tab

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

They're in the business to make money. If this were a viable business I believe someone would emerge to serve it. X-Factory has done some great things in this regard but I fear the B5m might put them out of business or make them change drastically anyway.

+1, the physical center of the motor may not be the center of mass either. The back 1/4 of a motor is hollow, with the sensor board being the most significant part. The other end is windings and steel.

A long time ago we found that lipos with internal 4mm plugs were not symmetrically weighted either. There is a heavier end.

the incubus

iTrader: (17)

It's not totally centered but it seems it's been moved over a tad. One thing to keep in mind is that the motor is pulling the rear counter clockwise a tad because of how and where it mounts. The centering kit reduces the rotational mass a little bit which is why I'd prefer it was a bit more centered, but overall it seems the B5 is better designed in this regard.

Pittsdriver

iTrader: (11)

Well, from an engineering standpoint, having the motor completely centered doesn't mean the weight would be centered. It could be offset due to the weight of the transmission/spur/slipper etc etc. the weight might be right on the money.

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

Enough theory....Must have the car in hands....Seriously though, aside from the really ugly gear cover, I am really like the design. Like most of you, I am curious as the fit, finish, durability and how quickly it slops out. Its an AE 2wd, I am sure it will handle well. They are not in the habit of releasing turds in the 2wd buggy class. Although some say the b2 was a turd, lol. Aside from the front arms, I thought the b4 was pretty durable. It just wore out too fast. So I am excited about this car and really look forward to its release.