Originally Posted by
sperera
this is where a bit of foward planning will come in handy, allot of clubs and tracks dont allow clones (yes i know sounds very unfair) so if you think this is something you might want to race (even a slight maybe) i would go genuine HPI (or now even Losi).
ive been into largescale rc for 2 years, owned a HPI Baja 5bSS (for a week, didnt like it so it went) and a number of FG's so trust me when I say regardless of which they are both going to need upgrades to be reliable if you bash even half hard.
if budget isnt an issue you might as well go genuine, that way if you want to join a club you will have no restrictions. At the end of the day however whats the point of buying the model @ $1500+ and spending on upgrades when you can spend half that and buy the upgrades your most likley going to end up buying anyway?
Sperera has the right idea here.
Fact is, there are not many tracks PERIOD that will allow 1/5th scales so most of the events that restrict to genuine HPI, are HPI sponsored, or are sponsored by companies who are well respected in the industry. These are the events that are planned about a year in advance, just to get large companies to commit to sponsorship.
At the risk of sounding redundant, here's another spin. Watch a production video of ANY baja event. Look for a banner that says "King Motor" or "Rovan" hanging on any barriers, walls, fences, pit tables, etc.. You won't find one. Put aside the thought of "clones vs. genuine" for a minute and consider this. REGARDLESS of what KM or Rovan manufactures, THEY DO NOT SUPPORT BAJA RACING IN THE USA. They are just riding on HPI's coattails in that they advertise as "HPI Compatible."
I haven't picked up any RC magazines in awhile, but last I knew, they didn't advertise in any of those either. Sure they have cheaper product, but all they do is manage logistics here in the states, with an imported product. Why should I support them (I've had 3 KM's and still have one HPI) when they don't support me?!
I can't believe HPI didn't recall every last Baja when the VERY FIRST clone appeared. They should have, only to change up a color scheme or something, just to help distinguish themselves from the clones.