367LikesSerpent X20
11-07-2019, 01:33 PM
#122
11-07-2019, 03:07 PM
#124
and no, it won’t build itself - that would be VooDoo - but under the right amount of influence (the proverbial “light buzz”), it will seem like it.
11-07-2019, 03:43 PM
#125
Technically speaking, White Claw would be classified under the broad category of beverages known as “flavored beer” (no joke there)... Think Mike’s Hard Lemonade (actually, it’s made by the same company that produces Mike’s), except that they use seltzer water, and it’s made with Gluten Free alcohol.
and no, it won’t build itself - that would be VooDoo - but under the right amount of influence (the proverbial “light buzz”), it will seem like it.
11-08-2019, 03:58 PM
#127
Well, looks like I have a serious decision to make about the 4X Pro that I still have new in the box...
Happened to be in the area and noticed that Serpent America just got their first batch in... Couldn’t resist.
Happened to be in the area and noticed that Serpent America just got their first batch in... Couldn’t resist.
11-09-2019, 12:50 PM
#128
I would use the X20 platform as it will continue to get developed and obviously uses queues from other top end cars. The 4X pro has a reputation for being difficult to set up and to be consistent across run/s.
11-09-2019, 08:17 PM
#129
11-10-2019, 05:59 AM
#131
OK guys I got the first race in with the new Serpent Medius X20. (sorry for the poor photos. I have a bad lens on my camera phone)
I first want to post comment on the negative part of the car. The building of the car sucked! I got the box and it had NO manual booklet. So I had to use the download manual on the Serpent web site and if you look through it you will see no real setup to run. Some of the photos were not very clear when you are dealing with small parts. Also no support for a base setup on any of the sites I could find related to Serpent. With that said....
I went to the track with how the manual recommended and my final adjustments on my setup station which is a very must have with this car.
So the track is a covered concrete treated track and I am running 17.5 blinky with a Protoform Type S body. I never changed bodies so I wanted a base for my testing.
Once I got my radio adjustments for steering I made my first lap around the track. One thing that really grabbed my attention was how straight the car tracks. With standard tie rod cars I always felt the car would have a slight drift to one side with the play in the linkage. This car was dead straight! As I entered the corners I really like how smooth the car rotates around. The mid motor really is a smoother feel compared to my rear motor car. After a few laps I went back to the pits to find a setup. The manual build was not going to work as I suspected.
As I made changes throughout the day I really like how I could make a small change and instantly tell the effect on the track. For me that was a huge plus. The other awesome aspect with this car because of the pivot balls front and rear is huge range adjustments at your disposal with the box stock. I could change caster, rear toe with tie-rod links, I could change rear hub angle. With a C hub car and standard rear hub cars you have to buy those adjustments. This was awesome because I am kind of a cheapy and a bit of a lazy tuner. Meaning I would rather work with what I got rather than going through the trouble of buying a 3 degree hub and changing it only to find out I don't like the feel of it and stuck with a part I will never use.
This was a HUGE plus in my book. I can run a 3.5 degree front caster with a .5 degree rear hub angle if I want. This is precision tuning in my book and I love looking for the hot setup.
All day I searched for a setup and as I tested and tested I enjoyed the car steady improvement. I qualified 4th and managed to finish 2nd. I even had a pass for 1st spot but got spun out.
All in all I am very impressed with the results with the car.
A few key notes if you want to buy the Serpent X20
1: Keep your PC near by because you will need to download the manual and use to build.
2: The car does not come with any chassis braces which I think is a bit of a negative but worked fine without but I will be buying a couple because the car has a tone of flex.
3: Make sure you have a setup station and board. You will need a setup station with caster adjustments.
4: Perhaps soon some setups will be posted to give you a starting point.
I hope this helps!
I first want to post comment on the negative part of the car. The building of the car sucked! I got the box and it had NO manual booklet. So I had to use the download manual on the Serpent web site and if you look through it you will see no real setup to run. Some of the photos were not very clear when you are dealing with small parts. Also no support for a base setup on any of the sites I could find related to Serpent. With that said....
I went to the track with how the manual recommended and my final adjustments on my setup station which is a very must have with this car.
So the track is a covered concrete treated track and I am running 17.5 blinky with a Protoform Type S body. I never changed bodies so I wanted a base for my testing.
Once I got my radio adjustments for steering I made my first lap around the track. One thing that really grabbed my attention was how straight the car tracks. With standard tie rod cars I always felt the car would have a slight drift to one side with the play in the linkage. This car was dead straight! As I entered the corners I really like how smooth the car rotates around. The mid motor really is a smoother feel compared to my rear motor car. After a few laps I went back to the pits to find a setup. The manual build was not going to work as I suspected.
As I made changes throughout the day I really like how I could make a small change and instantly tell the effect on the track. For me that was a huge plus. The other awesome aspect with this car because of the pivot balls front and rear is huge range adjustments at your disposal with the box stock. I could change caster, rear toe with tie-rod links, I could change rear hub angle. With a C hub car and standard rear hub cars you have to buy those adjustments. This was awesome because I am kind of a cheapy and a bit of a lazy tuner. Meaning I would rather work with what I got rather than going through the trouble of buying a 3 degree hub and changing it only to find out I don't like the feel of it and stuck with a part I will never use.
This was a HUGE plus in my book. I can run a 3.5 degree front caster with a .5 degree rear hub angle if I want. This is precision tuning in my book and I love looking for the hot setup.
All day I searched for a setup and as I tested and tested I enjoyed the car steady improvement. I qualified 4th and managed to finish 2nd. I even had a pass for 1st spot but got spun out.
All in all I am very impressed with the results with the car.
A few key notes if you want to buy the Serpent X20
1: Keep your PC near by because you will need to download the manual and use to build.
2: The car does not come with any chassis braces which I think is a bit of a negative but worked fine without but I will be buying a couple because the car has a tone of flex.
3: Make sure you have a setup station and board. You will need a setup station with caster adjustments.
4: Perhaps soon some setups will be posted to give you a starting point.
I hope this helps!
11-10-2019, 08:27 AM
#132
Great job! Yeah, Serpent has been doing the USB thing for quite a while. The two kits that I bought beforehand (4X Pro and 750) were like this, so that was expected for me. What was NOT expected was that they did not have a base setup for the X20 - considering that team drivers have been running it for at least a few months, I would think they’d have those up by now. EDIT: Wow, they don’t even have a blank setup sheet available for download yet - I wonder if it’s on the USB?
I agree that having a board is a necessity - loosening and re-tightening the top plate between runs seems to be the MO these days for touring cars - they can tweak themselves little by little just from the rigors of running around the track. It’s what the top drivers do every run as part of their race prep. That being said, a flat surface is mandatory.
As you were running 17.5, I wonder if it will still be viable in mod? They introduced the 3-point suspension in the rear on the 4X Pro because drivers found the active toe to be a handful in that class.
EDIT: From what you said, I sure hope they start getting the optional parts in stock soon. It might be handy to have some of the optional stiffening components handy, depending on the surface.
I agree that having a board is a necessity - loosening and re-tightening the top plate between runs seems to be the MO these days for touring cars - they can tweak themselves little by little just from the rigors of running around the track. It’s what the top drivers do every run as part of their race prep. That being said, a flat surface is mandatory.
As you were running 17.5, I wonder if it will still be viable in mod? They introduced the 3-point suspension in the rear on the 4X Pro because drivers found the active toe to be a handful in that class.
EDIT: From what you said, I sure hope they start getting the optional parts in stock soon. It might be handy to have some of the optional stiffening components handy, depending on the surface.
Last edited by TurnNBurn; 11-10-2019 at 08:41 AM.
11-10-2019, 08:42 AM
#133
Great job! Yeah, Serpent has been doing the USB thing for quite a while. The two kits that I bought beforehand (4X Pro and 750) were like this, so that was expected for me. What was NOT expected was that they did not have a base setup for the X20 - considering that team drivers have been running it for at least a few months, I would think they’d have those up by now.
I agree that having a board is a necessity - loosening and re-tightening the top plate between runs seems to be the MO these days for touring cars - they can tweak themselves little by little just from the rigors of running around the track. It’s what the top drivers do every run as part of their race prep. That being said, a flat surface is mandatory.
As you were running 17.5, I wonder if it will still be viable in mod? They introduced the 3-point suspension in the rear on the 4X Pro because drivers found the active toe to be a handful in that class.
EDIT: From what you said, I sure hope they start getting the optional parts in stock soon. It might be handy to have some of the optional stiffening components handy, depending on the surface.
I agree that having a board is a necessity - loosening and re-tightening the top plate between runs seems to be the MO these days for touring cars - they can tweak themselves little by little just from the rigors of running around the track. It’s what the top drivers do every run as part of their race prep. That being said, a flat surface is mandatory.
As you were running 17.5, I wonder if it will still be viable in mod? They introduced the 3-point suspension in the rear on the 4X Pro because drivers found the active toe to be a handful in that class.
EDIT: From what you said, I sure hope they start getting the optional parts in stock soon. It might be handy to have some of the optional stiffening components handy, depending on the surface.
Last edited by Brian10811; 11-10-2019 at 08:45 AM. Reason: added more info