Bundy_Bear

iTrader: (11)

Hi

I have been using these RCTech forums for many years and of late it seems to me less activity in this on-road section then before. Just wondered if it is a sign of the times Worldwide and people have moved onto other types of R/C or people just can't afford it in current economical climate? Or have people found another r/c fourm site to hang out on!!!!

Andrew

hobbipro

iTrader: (23)

I've noticed the off-road segment on here growing by leaps and bounds. IMHO on-road has been hurt the most by the recession, and manufactures who are unwilling to lower there prices for kits. A top off-road kit can be bought for 1/2 the price of a top on-road kit, it doesn't take long for people who have less money these days to move on to other forms of R/C.

littlealex

iTrader: (86)

to be honest onroad just too expensive.
people either quit or changed to offroad.
if you drive nitro you should know what i mean.
gas and tires will cost quite abit besides upgrading and replace worn out engine/parts.

i m onroad electric fan and i m trying to get friends to get in this hobby. they ususally got scare by cost of this hobby (even for used cars and electronics...etc) or just can afford getting a mini.
if manufacturer can make some reasonable price for their cars and electronics, i think it may help getting more interest of onroad

just my own opinion

Bundy_Bear

iTrader: (11)

Hobbipro:

You make a good point, here in Australia off-road in the last few years has really taken off and when you walk into a LHS this mostly what they stock now.

Do rules need to be changed to encourage more people into the sport/hobby with RTR cars bringing costs down?

Electric has Tamiya Mini and F1 racing, what does Nitro offer people as a starting point?

Andrew

Vector03cobra

iTrader: (11)

offroad tires cost more. unless your not going to try and use worn out tires.

TWRC

iTrader: (14)

Yea... Ive definitely noticed this. Both hobby shops 10 mins from me dont carry on road any more and are all traxxas traxxas traxxas now. I have to drive to hobbytown usa 45 mins away if i need to talk to someone about a part. Until the economy makes a turnaround i think on road will continue to dwindle. Drifting is still fairly large, touring not so much

Bundy_Bear

iTrader: (11)

Thanks for your comments, every form of racing has consumables and they will vary in price from class to class. I think we are more talking about the starting costs and why people might be choosing different classes over onroad.

Andrew

nitrodude

iTrader: (8)

It seems like every 6 months somebody has to start one of these threads, it doesnt help when people that want to get into onroad read these threads, it scares them off.

A set of offroad tires will cost you between $40 and $60 (1/8th) plus wheels, plus foams, and then people have to spend all kinds of money on different types of tires and foams. A set of onroad foams(1/8th) will run you between $30 and $40, and the tires are all just as good, AND they last longer, and theres no need to buy wheels or inner foams, you just need the right shore rating, and most everybody run 32f 35r.

THe new Kyosho buggy is $900, and new Serpent 966 is $585, and most kits are about this price as well. The only thing more expensive in onroad is the engines.

I think part of the reason a lot of people are turned off by onroad is the level of detail required for the cars to handle properly. Its a lot of work to keep these fine machines running smothly, plus the setups are a lot more detailed.

I will never run offroad, it just doesnt appeal to me. Even electric doesnt appeal to me, but if I had to quit gas onroad, I would run electric onroad, probably 1/12th scale, doesnt hurt that I have a track 5 minutes from my house, for electric.

mkiiina

iTrader: (71)

I disagree that offroad is more expensive, you need to look at what people are actually driving.

SCT has exploded (1/10) where we havent seen anything "new" come out for nitro onroad. i used to have a nitro car but never had anywhere to really run it and fewer people to race with.

Also bashers (self included) arent going to mess with all the nuances where offroad bashers will want to just go drive.

nitrodude

iTrader: (8)

I was talking about 1/8th scale because thats what I run. We are talking about racing, bashing is a whole 'nother can of worms. You cant bash an onroad car, not one that you're going to want to race.

Delawareguy

iTrader: (11)

I don't know about the rest of the country or world but in my area on-road is definetly not dead. I agree with the previous post saying that part of what turns new people off is the level of complexity that is involved with nitro on-road. I tried to get my friend involved but he wanted something that was more "arrive and drive." I think that is part of the reason that short course has gotten so big. I hope on-road continues to thrive in this area because for me it is a lot more appleaing than off road. At first I was put off by the cost but I was able to get a lot of things used from here and when I add the money that I have in nitro TC it doesn't appear to be that much more than what I would have had to put into an off-road rig. There is nothing like 40,000 RPM's and a long straight away....

DJ_Shakespear

I agree, I myself have stepped out of the onroad scene for the last few months because of financial reasons (stupid economy and bills etc.)
But I will start racing again in the coming months after Winter is finished here in Australia (nothing but bad weather and rain lately)

Onroad vs Offroad, I would say Offroad is on the increase because you can do it anywhere, anytime really. And with onroad, you need a clear section of road and good weather to have some fun. Plus onroad is still as expensive as it was before, and I dont really see the prices coming down anytime soon (just like fuel)

The question is, why are the kits still so expensive? Fair enough it has reasearch behind it, but $600 for a brand-spanking-new kit is a little extreme (from a 1/10 perspective) You can get a 1/8 kit which is larger for less! At least, this is how I see it anyway.
Having said that, I would still go onroad anyday - it's just sooooo soo much fun!!!!

Mr-s413bt

iTrader: (5)

Hey all,

Being one of the lucky ones who runs both 1/8th classes at national level here in Australia i can say that i do find onroad more $$

Where i am based in Adelaide, South Australia we have 1 onroad track and 1 offroad....

At an onroad club day we get approx. 10 entries... at an offroad day we'd get double that straight away.

Tire wear is an issue here for onroad but i know its not like that everywhere.... I think one of the major hinderances to onroad is the cost of engines and the potential for damage...

To run a club day in onroad i got thru 2 sets of 32 shore tires... its a low grip purpose build track but the bitumen is aging... IN offroad i'd use at least one set...

To run at the very sharp end in onroad u need horsepower, in offroad you can get around that with less power...

Anyways my 2 cents

Bundy_Bear

iTrader: (11)

Sounds like i am just a tight arse then.... Cause i think it is crazy that you have to spend approx $600 dollars on a chassis and then purchase radio gear and engine seperate to be competitive.

And my point is Electric and off-road have cheaper alternatives where you can get something ready to go for $400 approx.

Sorry if people find this discussion offensive and a turn off for new people looking at getting in...


Andrew

bobbyblaze

iTrader: (1)

im a formerly off road racer and here in Georgia there is tons of offroad tracks bash, electric, nitro, supercross tracks you name it.but only one onroad track here which no telling it might be gone ....most of the nitro guys here travel to race onroad...just wish it was more onroad tracks we need it