Caster Racing ZX-1R Factory review
 

Here's the review -> http://www.myrcbox.com/review_caster_zx1r.htm

Great review. Everyone that has gotten one has been happy with it. Now with the big bore 16mm shocks it will be even better!

Sylvain,

Thank you for that review. I personally think it was 100% accurate. I wish that the US would have been informed of it though...but not a problem.

I have some questions for you and some comments for you and anyone else that reads this thread.

1.) We have been discussing at length about captured hinge pins. We intend on providing them for the U.S. market.

2.) Clutch shoes. We have a 7075 based optional shoe kit and a teflon based kit available as accessories. We will look into maybe switching over for the factory pro kit in the future.

3.) I agree with you on the wing and body, but for the racer, these are almost disposable anyways. You did mention your concern, and I agree, but nothing did break, and that is a good thing. The product is more forgiving and durable than it would appear.

4.) Your review shows the vast improvements we have made over the past 6 months and we do listen to everyone's input. It only makes our products better for the end consumer, and that is our ultimate goal.

Now for the questions.

What does it take to get 5 stars? You commented (in my opinion) very positively on the handling and it got 4 stars. Have you given 5 stars before? I am not familiar with your rating system and I know that some people say "It is virtually impossible to get a 5 or a 10 because it is absolute perfection"

Can you send a better picture of the ackerman plate? There are 2 available and I just want to make sure you were using the one we decided on. I cannot tell from your pictures. Caster has a reputation for handling and I would like for you to test it with the other one IF you do in fact have the other one. Based on your reviews, it is probably irrelevant and I will take what you said, but I want customers to know what they are getting.

Other than that, I think it is spot on for a review and I appreciate your honesty. I couldn't have reviewed it better as you did see the good and the not so good as I see it today. Caster is serious about becoming a big player in the market now and we are improving daily. We also are innovative and are coming out with the Fusion line of electric 1/8 scale buggies and truggies in August and have a couple of project-x items on the drawing board.

Mike Mazza
Caster Racing USA

The ackerman plate on the reviewed car is not the same as the ones that will be in the US cars. The "US" plate we feel gives more overall steering.

Very interesting review, thanks!

Mike... easy on the stars. LOL I don't need a 5th star to see it's good!!!

The wing mounts have proven very durable. In the past, the wings have been brittle in cold conditions, but we are told that the plastics have been changed so the jury is out. I haven't broken one in a handful of races this summer. Never broke a wing stay.

My factory wing never broke either or wing stay. The ackerman plate he has on the review buggy is not the one we have here now. I put that plate on my truggy and it made a big difference. Ordered another for my buggy, supposedly makes a huge difference on an already great turning buggy.

Thanks for the good words guys, this is really appreciated. Since I use to speak French, writing an English review is double work for me ! LOL

I was surprised by how the guys at Caster Racing has an opened mind compared to others big manufacturers and they listen to what buyers ask. This worths a 5 stars !

Concerning the stars rating. I rarely give 5 stars, nothing is perfect in this world ! But the buggy was nearly perfect. I tried to explain in the text the more I can so readers can judge with the text and not with the stars.

I'm more a truggy guy than a buggy guy, I wished Caster has sent me a truggy but I'm sure the truggy is as good as the buggy.

To resume, Caster Racing impressed me ! I'm racing and bashing another brand for many years and let me tell you that I'm thinking to do the switch to Caster.

Exactly as I thought on the stars... I just wanted it clarified because I have seen it both ways. I guess when it is your baby, you want everything to be perfect.....lol. That is how I read it and I remember when I got reviewed on job performance in a job years back and the company said that God would get 5 stars, but no one else would. I asked them why have 5 stars then.....lol.

I still would like some pics just so I can send you the plate if it is different. You don't have to review it, but I would like your feedback. Here is why, it is apparent that you know what you are talking about and I am curious to see how it would affect your opinion and the product over there. We have completely different track conditions over here and that probably leads to a different driving style. I am curious to see how it fares on the international market. We have distributors in the UK, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc... and it is hard to get feedback from them sometimes. I just want to make sure that we provide the right product for the right market worldwide... This is bigger than just the U.S. (RC industry) and a customer in Africa is just as important to me as the guy at my local hobby store.

Mike Mazza
Caster Racing USA

Are you Mikey ???

I'll post a bigger pics of the steering rack, I should have one somewhere...

Thanks

I've got 2 gallons of drive time on my Caster and I have been impressed so far.....and I honestly don't see that changing. It's absolutely NOT a junk buggy with sub standard parts and quality. :)

No I am not Mikey... I would have posted much differently if I was Mikey....lol. I am Mike Mazza. I am in the United States and I am one of the owners of Caster Racing USA. We got together about a year ago with Mikey and we have helped him improve the name and the product known as Caster Racing. We are very excited to see what the future brings as we have been very conservative this first year testing parts, racing, etc... And of course, when we get bored, we design things like the Fusion line and a few other items that are in the design phase still. And of course, Caster is over there doing the same thing working as a team with us.

Caster Racing USA is basically the main window into the world of Caster Racing. We try every day to make Caster Racing products better and we try to make the best products for the customer and we do it at a fair price. We have a great group of team drivers that have also helped improve the products by letting us know problems and solutions. I would personally like to thank them for their support. Most of them are really good racers and they are getting better. I can't wait for the day when one of them becomes the next big name driver. That means a lot more to me than just buying a name and trading them off to another manufacturer after a year or so... We will only get better as time goes on.

I personally was in the electronics business (Alpine, Kenwood, Harmon Kardon, LG, Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Rockford Fosgate, etc....) and I have dealt with those manufacturers for years. I can honestly say I have never dealt with anyone like Mikey and Caster Racing. It is hard to work with someone from another country, etc...but like I said, he is a class act, he is honest, he is genuine, and he listens to what we want, which is what our customers want. I want to publicly thank Mikey for his hard work and dedication to us and our goals over here and I hope he has learned from us as much as we have learned from him.

I feel your review proves what I am saying and I know that over the next year, we will have several new products and our current ones will be made better. The great thing is that we plan on sticking with the current designs for quite some time. We do not like the idea of changing every 6 months or every year just for hype. I feel that is a disservice to our customers. However, if we think new kits should come with captured hingepins or a new ackerman plate to meet customer demands or benefit a customer, we will change them and try to let previous customers know about it.

Mike Mazza
Caster Racing USA

Here's my steering rack

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2...img4706fn5.jpg

That's the old ackerman plate....the new one gives much better steering all around.:)

Cannot wait to get mine in! Anybody notice his buggy had captured ball ends on the steering linkages??? Hak we need those on the US ones!

if nothing else move the forward hole on that plate.

No no no no no..... He needs to get the right plate. I just want to know his opinion of the new plate. His driving style might be different, etc...and I KNOW the tracks are different. He appears to love it and the scores won't improve anyways. I just want to know his personal opinion from an international standpoint.

It won't have any effect on the US market no matter what he says, I am just trying to help Mikey as a personal mission.....

We only have zigzag to go off from over in France and he runs truggy.....that is not enough in my opinion.

Mike Mazza