They're probably already working on the 777 Model, so perhaps you should wait for it.
I for one would like to congratulate Serpent on their continuing attempts to improve their product line.

i don't see this as a problem i think they were just upgrading
the current car impulse to 705 so that it can have the features
that would still be competitive with the market untill a completely
new car was ready for production 710. i assume that when you bought the 705 you compared features with other cars in the
market. would it have been better if they left the impulse as
is when first introduced untill the 710 was ready 4 years later.
that is the nature of racing develop the current car as technology
permits it. just like the battery below the tank that would not
have worked just because the aaa bateries did not have enough
capacity back then wich was adressed with upgrades along
with other upgrades. as for the 705 there was so much upgrades
on that car from the impulse pro that it would have been cheaper
to buy a kit.

If 710 is like a "People Friendly" RC race car that all level of racer can handle.........I think they should take a look at the NTC3 manual. Personally, I think NTC3's manual did a great job of telling everyone the standard STOCK setting on all areas (like 2-speed, clutch, ride height, ball diff....etc) then give the option FOAM tires setting at the back of the manual.

I think Serpent can consider the same, printed out the stock setting on all adjustable parts while we put the car together........then give a "SMALL TRACK" setup (or something similar) and a "Large Track" setup.........

I knew Serpent and their team does have a lot of info on their website, but honestly, mytsn is NOT the easiest site to look thru, for others that cannot have too much time to spend on internet, they can only do whatever they can find on the manual.......I also know that, no NEWBIE should considered Serpent 710 (or general Serpent) for their first car.............but I personally think 710 CAN be a first car for newbie, as long as the owner has enough information about the 710.

Overall, I think the Serpent Manaul is not that "People friendly"......for those like us that raced/owned Serpent the last 4-5 years, it is not a big deal, but if Serpent want to draw ppl from others like HPI or AE, I think a better listed manual (or diagram) is a must...........

My article seems not to be as clear as I hoped. To put it simple, the 705 was a logical evolution of the Impulse. It was NOT a new car. We were faced with a big race (the world cup) and tried to get the maximum out of the Impulse platform (as a new car was still a thing of the future). Put against the competition we needed to stretch the cars performance to the limit. And on the limit the 705 (as the impulse) is a difficult car to setup correctly. The Impulse was driven by many people of different skill level and the 705 was a different car in details. We made the cg lower and the chassis stiffer which made the car better. But far from what we have achieved with the 710

The concept of low inertia drivetrain was designed (ie the new internal ratio). The centax III and the new pitch gears came later. To change the internal ratio of the 705 would have needed changes to so many things you'd almost be building a new car.

The FC was a prototype part when the 705 was released. In the beginning we never intended to use it on the 705. During Cincinatti we found them to work better (although they can increase the risk of traction roll on the 705). Like the prototype rear suspension Ralph Burch used at the Nats and the changed front geometry we used at the Euro's it was a half cure to keep the 705 sort of competative against the newer cars of the competition. We would have very much liked to have the new car at those races I can tell you!

In a way the 705 is nothing but an Impulse with a conversion/ hop up kit. The 705 is a step up from the impulse. Unfortunately it was all we could do at the time.

I suggest you re read my article about us scrapping the first prototype because we were not entirely satisfied...

Thank you

Re: Bearing sizes
 

Wheel bearings 10*15*4 mm
Diff bearings 12*18*4 mm
2-speed and middle axle 6*13*4

All I know is they are different from previous ones.
That does not mean the old ones were bad design;)

Re: Re: Bearing sizes
 

Thanks :)

I for one have a hard time understanding why some people have an issue with the progression through Imp Pro-705-710. Any manufacturer that produces anything will always try to improve on their line-up. Last week, the new Durangos were out here in the US. I have yet to hear anybody being angry with Dodge for releasing a new car. I have also not heard anybody that complained abour Dodge selling 2003 Durangos when they were secretly designing the 2004 version. Get with the program ! 705 is still one of the best cars out there and I for one plan to race the living s**t out of my 705 in local parking lot racing before It gets to retire on my shelf.... If you don't like 710 being out there, just keep doing your dirty work with the 705/impulse SS/Pro or whatever you run. No one will stop you.;)

The 705 was my first ever RC car and putting it together was great fun. When I got a little stuck, I asked the good people here and got the answers I needed. Now that I've been running it for about 7-8 months, the driving has improved a lot and I can start to learn more about setup (i.e. now that the car last more than 1 hour without needing a major rebuid :blush: due to poor driving :D)
To this end, I also bought myself last month a Tamiya Surikarn EVO III - comparing the two cars in terms of building, it was pretty much the same.

Manuals can always be improved and I'm sure this is one of Serpent's goals.


I didn't find the manual bad, sometimes, though occasionally a diagram wasn't as clear as it could have been, but asking here always got my answer :D

Cheers, Mark.

Agreed............and I just hope Serpent is not just improving the car itself and ignored the important of the manual, if every Serpent owner are Initial D or ammdrew, then all Serpent need to do on the manual are BEFORE and AFTER pictures of the 710 in 2 pages....LOL (I am sure they can build the 705 from scratch with their eye closed and use only 1 hand while chatting on the internet.........)

Re: Re: Fuel tank
 

Surely though InitialD if this was the case you would get the same effect as the fuel level drops even in the flagpole tank. :confused: :D

Re: Re: InitialD 5001 Posts
 

Old Chinese proverb (I think) Better to be the master of one, rather than a jack of all trades. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

It is very interesting to know that serpent acctually considered shaft drive.

Cmon guys.... Can't we just get over it and be happy with the S710? I don't believe people went on like this when Mugen released the MTX3 from the MTX2 Pro Spec?