Xtreme R/C Cars Magazine - SF501 Review

lorenzo_MiniGP · Oct 08, 2004, 07:44 PM

Xtreme RC cars magazine did a review on the SF501 nitro bike and
the review's extremely positive. Looks like the test guy really enjoyed
the bike and gave it a big thumbs up. Also, he included a few links
to some r/c bike websites, which we all have visited at one point
or another.

Anyways, the review was very positive and from how it sounds, I'll
bet several people may dive right in and buy a bike.

Lorenzo

grymg · Oct 08, 2004, 08:14 PM

I agree, there were thumbs up all over the place.

The only drawback I saw from the article was the price. At the end it listed the total price (as tested) as around $950 I think. That alone can draw away customers.

Ian

mollycbr123 · Oct 08, 2004, 09:30 PM

I hope that price alone won't be that big a factor, Ian. I know I see a bunch of RTR trucks and buggies and such going out the door at the LHS for that kind of money, too.

We just have to realize that, unfortunately, ours is a nitch hobby. I think it will appeal to people who enjoy full scale bikes and want to extend that enjoyment (like me). It may also appeal to those who are already into r/c and want to try something new. The good thing is that both of these groups are used to spending a lot on their hobbies. So price alone, I hope, won't keep the bikes from selling, and the magazine article should otherwise hit it's mark.

I think we all realize that the bikes will never appeal to as broad a spectrum of folks, i.e. every 12 to 40 year old kid, as the r/c trucks and cars do.

STeve B (I could be wrong

) in NC

lorenzo_MiniGP · Oct 09, 2004, 12:15 AM

I don't think price will be a major problem. When you have
people who fly r/c jets with real turbines that cost 3,000
dollars and up. If you crash that's probably a replacement
item.

Look at me for instance.. When I learned about the bikes it
didn't matter what it cost; I had to have one. Now I have
2 and the third is coming any day now. I'm hook.. Run my
SF almost everyday now. I feel that r/c bike hobby can only
go up, don't see any downside.

I love it and will never go back to four wheels..

r/c bike for life.

Lorenzo
http://www.freewebs.com/rcmotorcycles/

steliosh · Oct 09, 2004, 03:28 AM

there was a similar boom in the bike sales, late 80s-early 90s, mostly because of the Kyoshos and then the follow-up of HOR's. Other bikes of that era didn't really catch, like the Royal or even Kyosho's own FA series. But then again, the internet was not in our homes as it is today, and I guess this has probably helped a lot more. Our only source of the day was the sole R/C magazine, Car Action in the USA and two mag's in England:
RC Model Cars and Radio Race Car. Now there are tens of mag's going on, and of course the internet, as I said!

Back in my first days of internet, in the mid 90s, I used to search on Yahoo for "rc bikes" and there was nothing there! This actually prompted me to start my r/c bike page with old things like MK1 and then HOR bikes. Talk about hop ups... What hop ups?! A rear shock, a light flywheel and a slightly faster motor!

I think progress is good!

DABBIDOSO · Oct 09, 2004, 07:16 AM

like Steve says, rc motorcycling is a nitch hobby but the cost it's not the problem. In the races we have in italy i can cuont about 20 riders for race, 10 nitro and ten electric, i see people outside the racetrack very happy to see a show like this! The problems for a newbie is driving.. Many guys buy the bike and try alone to drive the bike and often leave all and send the bike.
We have to create a day or more dedicate to the new comers and help them to drive.
I think next year comes a nice season for italian championship and i really really hope to ride against guys from other countries! And i dream to come il LA for 2005 race but the cost...
Maybe a day we have "RC-MOTORCYCLING WOLRD CHAMPIONSHIP"...only a dream? I don't think so...

Bye guys have a nice wend

adc501 · Oct 09, 2004, 05:25 PM

Yes Dabiddo,
that would be awesome to have a world grand prix, it would even be better if the real motorcycle industries got involved and produced small versions of the Honda, Yamaha, ETC........ and you could have real factory backing but just on a smaller scale.

Have a good one Alan.

adc501 · Oct 09, 2004, 05:27 PM

Whoops my bad i spelled your name wrong sorry

Dabbidoso

mollycbr123 · Oct 09, 2004, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DABBIDOSO

like Steve says, rc motorcycling is a nitch hobby but the cost it's not the problem. The problems for a newbie is driving.. <SNIP>
Many guys buy the bike and try alone to drive the bike and often leave all and send the bike.

I'd agree with this too. I've talked to a couple of guys who had gotten r/c bikes (or had a friend get one) and they couldn't make the thing drive right. They finally gave up in disgust, and one of them told me he just gave his away to someone!

My LHS stocked a TT because I kept telling the owner it would sell. They had my phone #, and were told that when they sold it to give my number to the person who bought it. I was in last week, the bike had been sold to someone in a town about 20 miles away, but they didn't have the name, and didn't give them my number!!!! So, there's another new bike owner close by, but we probably won't ever find each other, unless by accident! And if he can't figure out how to set it up by himself, he might end up quitting too. You really have to enjoy these bikes (like me!) to stick with it, with no one to race with.

STeve B in NC

nuovaic · Oct 09, 2004, 06:43 PM

I'm with Lorenzo, Steve and Davide, I don't think it matters the cost, unless you are only half interested. The 'haves' and 'have nots' are a world apart at the moment, I don't understand why.
But I'm beginning to think the major link is 1:1 bikes. Those of us who ride or have ridden full size bikes know what it takes, know how much fun and exhileration there is, it's not something easily described, and it's only natural for us to want to see it from another perspective. This gives us the patience to carry on with the smaller bikes where others give up. I think the target for new rc bikers should be 1:1 motorcyclists. But I know there are rc bikers who have never rode a full size before, I would be interested to hear what they have to say about this?

John

steliosh · Oct 09, 2004, 07:10 PM

I agree with you, John, here. I was interested in the bikes because I rode a real one everyday... Nowadays, I ride rarely everyday, (being scared, as I get older!) but I love the way the (rc) bikes run.
Actually, I ve always said that its not speed you have to look for, in the bikes, but really the ability to make turns, see them lean, feel how they do it...

You have to be (or have been) a rider to understand that!

mollycbr123 · Oct 09, 2004, 07:40 PM

Back when I was a fearless single guy, I used to put in 40-50K miles a year on my touring and sport bikes. I made it a point to ride some just about every day of my life, and that's who I was, a motorcyclist. In all those years I rarely thought about getting whacked by an SUV or 18 wheeler, or crashing. I was pretty much invincible.

Now I have a wife of 2 years, and two stepkids, and a third child, who is so new, we hardly have him unwrapped yet. I still love 2-wheeled vehicles, and these little bikes have given me the ability to continue "riding" almost every day like I used to. Like Stelios, I also think more about what would happen to my family if I did get hurt or killed on my full scale bikes. It seems that the roads have gotten more and more dangerous for bikers every year, so a lot of times if I have the choice between fighting the traffic to find a good road on the big bikes, or having an hour of parking lot blasting with the little bikes, the little bikes win out. I honestly get _almost_ the same thrill watching one of my r/c bikes carving a corner as I would if I was doing it myself. Plus, if my rider dude unfortunately highsides at 120 mph (to scale

) I still go home feeling ok!!!

My 0.02 on the "riders who like 1/5 bikes".

STeve B in NC

grymg · Oct 09, 2004, 07:45 PM

Wow, I never thought one comment would spark this amount of contraversy!

Well after looking back, price is NOT a big issue for those 1:1 bikers, R/C enthusiasts, and people who have the "seen it, gotta have it" mentality. But I was referring to the everyday R/C beginner maybe. I dunno, maybe these types are not the target for this at all.

On the second thought, people who usually read R/C mags have some R/Cs in some form and aren't opposed to spending the $$$. Heck in the same mag there was an FG 1/5th scale buggy that went for $2,500 but I'm confident it will sell (hopefully less than the bikes!)

Stelios and John I was actually the opposite of what you described! I got into the car aspect of R/C but as soon as I saw R/C motorcycles in RC Car Action Magazine (it showed pics of a royal) I had to have one because I was interested in how they stayed up, steered, and plus no one I knew had one. Then I eventually got a Royal, then a HOR and was wondering who Doohan and Schwantz were. After I got into motorcycle racing on TV, and the rest is history. . . but the bottom line is that I've never ridden a 1:1 bike before (I've ridden pocketbikes though) and will most likely never buy one because I'm afraid.

As for the R/C Moto Worlds race that would be a site to see. What I envision is having a national championships in Japan, UK, Italy, North America, Greece, etc. and the top three from each national gets a free ticket to wherever the worlds will be held.

Ian

mollycbr123 · Oct 09, 2004, 08:43 PM

Ian, if you ever got on a 1:1 bike that had some horsepower, with proper instruction and protective gear, and went through a few nice twisty roads away from all the traffic, or better yet had a track school day, you'd be hooked.

Then you would realize why the little 1/5 rider figure dude keeps coming back for more, with a big grin under his faceshield (as rough as he has it)!

Drillah · Oct 09, 2004, 11:57 PM

I had a 1:1 bike. Crashed it hard back in '94 and almost killed myself. All alone on a twisty mountain road (Famous HWY 74 in Southern California), and went down a cliff about 100ft.
I'm content to race these little bikes for a bit longer. plus, I can't afford a new 1:1 bike atm.
$950 is going to put a lot of people off. I have not read the article yet. Was it just a spew off the NF box and website rhetoric like the rtr Duc article was or did they use their own words and really like it?

Oct 08, 2004, 07:44 PM	#1
lorenzo_MiniGP 2 Wheel Junkie 4 Life Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Diego Lindberg, California, United States Posts: 1,433	Xtreme R/C Cars Magazine - SF501 Review Xtreme RC cars magazine did a review on the SF501 nitro bike and the review's extremely positive. Looks like the test guy really enjoyed the bike and gave it a big thumbs up. Also, he included a few links to some r/c bike websites, which we all have visited at one point or another. Anyways, the review was very positive and from how it sounds, I'll bet several people may dive right in and buy a bike. Lorenzo

Oct 09, 2004, 03:28 AM	#5
steliosh www.steliosh.net/rcmoto/ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 1,772	there was a similar boom in the bike sales, late 80s-early 90s, mostly because of the Kyoshos and then the follow-up of HOR's. Other bikes of that era didn't really catch, like the Royal or even Kyosho's own FA series. But then again, the internet was not in our homes as it is today, and I guess this has probably helped a lot more. Our only source of the day was the sole R/C magazine, Car Action in the USA and two mag's in England: RC Model Cars and Radio Race Car. Now there are tens of mag's going on, and of course the internet, as I said! Back in my first days of internet, in the mid 90s, I used to search on Yahoo for "rc bikes" and there was nothing there! This actually prompted me to start my r/c bike page with old things like MK1 and then HOR bikes. Talk about hop ups... What hop ups?! A rear shock, a light flywheel and a slightly faster motor! I think progress is good! Last edited by steliosh; Oct 09, 2004 at 03:38 AM.

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Oct 08, 2004, 08:14 PM	#2
grymg RCMCC.tripod.com Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 2,218	I agree, there were thumbs up all over the place. The only drawback I saw from the article was the price. At the end it listed the total price (as tested) as around $950 I think. That alone can draw away customers. Ian

Oct 08, 2004, 09:30 PM	#3
mollycbr123 STeve B in NC Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina, USA Posts: 7,724	I hope that price alone won't be that big a factor, Ian. I know I see a bunch of RTR trucks and buggies and such going out the door at the LHS for that kind of money, too. We just have to realize that, unfortunately, ours is a nitch hobby. I think it will appeal to people who enjoy full scale bikes and want to extend that enjoyment (like me). It may also appeal to those who are already into r/c and want to try something new. The good thing is that both of these groups are used to spending a lot on their hobbies. So price alone, I hope, won't keep the bikes from selling, and the magazine article should otherwise hit it's mark. I think we all realize that the bikes will never appeal to as broad a spectrum of folks, i.e. every 12 to 40 year old kid, as the r/c trucks and cars do. STeve B (I could be wrong ) in NC

Oct 09, 2004, 12:15 AM	#4
lorenzo_MiniGP 2 Wheel Junkie 4 Life Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Diego Lindberg, California, United States Posts: 1,433	I don't think price will be a major problem. When you have people who fly r/c jets with real turbines that cost 3,000 dollars and up. If you crash that's probably a replacement item. Look at me for instance.. When I learned about the bikes it didn't matter what it cost; I had to have one. Now I have 2 and the third is coming any day now. I'm hook.. Run my SF almost everyday now. I feel that r/c bike hobby can only go up, don't see any downside. I love it and will never go back to four wheels.. r/c bike for life. Lorenzo http://www.freewebs.com/rcmotorcycles/

Oct 09, 2004, 07:16 AM	#6
DABBIDOSO Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Padua (Italy) Posts: 248	like Steve says, rc motorcycling is a nitch hobby but the cost it's not the problem. In the races we have in italy i can cuont about 20 riders for race, 10 nitro and ten electric, i see people outside the racetrack very happy to see a show like this! The problems for a newbie is driving.. Many guys buy the bike and try alone to drive the bike and often leave all and send the bike. We have to create a day or more dedicate to the new comers and help them to drive. I think next year comes a nice season for italian championship and i really really hope to ride against guys from other countries! And i dream to come il LA for 2005 race but the cost... Maybe a day we have "RC-MOTORCYCLING WOLRD CHAMPIONSHIP"...only a dream? I don't think so... Bye guys have a nice wend

Oct 09, 2004, 05:25 PM	#7
adc501 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 37	Yes Dabiddo, that would be awesome to have a world grand prix, it would even be better if the real motorcycle industries got involved and produced small versions of the Honda, Yamaha, ETC........ and you could have real factory backing but just on a smaller scale. Have a good one Alan.

Oct 09, 2004, 05:27 PM	#8
adc501 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 37	Whoops my bad i spelled your name wrong sorry Dabbidoso

Oct 09, 2004, 06:43 PM	#10
nuovaic Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Wetherby, UK Posts: 1,066	I'm with Lorenzo, Steve and Davide, I don't think it matters the cost, unless you are only half interested. The 'haves' and 'have nots' are a world apart at the moment, I don't understand why. But I'm beginning to think the major link is 1:1 bikes. Those of us who ride or have ridden full size bikes know what it takes, know how much fun and exhileration there is, it's not something easily described, and it's only natural for us to want to see it from another perspective. This gives us the patience to carry on with the smaller bikes where others give up. I think the target for new rc bikers should be 1:1 motorcyclists. But I know there are rc bikers who have never rode a full size before, I would be interested to hear what they have to say about this? John

Oct 09, 2004, 07:10 PM	#11
steliosh www.steliosh.net/rcmoto/ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 1,772	I agree with you, John, here. I was interested in the bikes because I rode a real one everyday... Nowadays, I ride rarely everyday, (being scared, as I get older!) but I love the way the (rc) bikes run. Actually, I ve always said that its not speed you have to look for, in the bikes, but really the ability to make turns, see them lean, feel how they do it... You have to be (or have been) a rider to understand that!

Oct 09, 2004, 07:40 PM	#12
mollycbr123 STeve B in NC Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina, USA Posts: 7,724	Back when I was a fearless single guy, I used to put in 40-50K miles a year on my touring and sport bikes. I made it a point to ride some just about every day of my life, and that's who I was, a motorcyclist. In all those years I rarely thought about getting whacked by an SUV or 18 wheeler, or crashing. I was pretty much invincible. Now I have a wife of 2 years, and two stepkids, and a third child, who is so new, we hardly have him unwrapped yet. I still love 2-wheeled vehicles, and these little bikes have given me the ability to continue "riding" almost every day like I used to. Like Stelios, I also think more about what would happen to my family if I did get hurt or killed on my full scale bikes. It seems that the roads have gotten more and more dangerous for bikers every year, so a lot of times if I have the choice between fighting the traffic to find a good road on the big bikes, or having an hour of parking lot blasting with the little bikes, the little bikes win out. I honestly get _almost_ the same thrill watching one of my r/c bikes carving a corner as I would if I was doing it myself. Plus, if my rider dude unfortunately highsides at 120 mph (to scale ) I still go home feeling ok!!! My 0.02 on the "riders who like 1/5 bikes". STeve B in NC

Oct 09, 2004, 07:45 PM	#13
grymg RCMCC.tripod.com Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 2,218	Wow, I never thought one comment would spark this amount of contraversy! Well after looking back, price is NOT a big issue for those 1:1 bikers, R/C enthusiasts, and people who have the "seen it, gotta have it" mentality. But I was referring to the everyday R/C beginner maybe. I dunno, maybe these types are not the target for this at all. On the second thought, people who usually read R/C mags have some R/Cs in some form and aren't opposed to spending the $$$. Heck in the same mag there was an FG 1/5th scale buggy that went for $2,500 but I'm confident it will sell (hopefully less than the bikes!) Stelios and John I was actually the opposite of what you described! I got into the car aspect of R/C but as soon as I saw R/C motorcycles in RC Car Action Magazine (it showed pics of a royal) I had to have one because I was interested in how they stayed up, steered, and plus no one I knew had one. Then I eventually got a Royal, then a HOR and was wondering who Doohan and Schwantz were. After I got into motorcycle racing on TV, and the rest is history. . . but the bottom line is that I've never ridden a 1:1 bike before (I've ridden pocketbikes though) and will most likely never buy one because I'm afraid. As for the R/C Moto Worlds race that would be a site to see. What I envision is having a national championships in Japan, UK, Italy, North America, Greece, etc. and the top three from each national gets a free ticket to wherever the worlds will be held. Ian

Oct 09, 2004, 08:43 PM	#14
mollycbr123 STeve B in NC Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina, USA Posts: 7,724	Ian, if you ever got on a 1:1 bike that had some horsepower, with proper instruction and protective gear, and went through a few nice twisty roads away from all the traffic, or better yet had a track school day, you'd be hooked. Then you would realize why the little 1/5 rider figure dude keeps coming back for more, with a big grin under his faceshield (as rough as he has it)!

Oct 09, 2004, 11:57 PM	#15
Drillah I'll be back..bwap bwaap Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Seattle Posts: 450	I had a 1:1 bike. Crashed it hard back in '94 and almost killed myself. All alone on a twisty mountain road (Famous HWY 74 in Southern California), and went down a cliff about 100ft. I'm content to race these little bikes for a bit longer. plus, I can't afford a new 1:1 bike atm. $950 is going to put a lot of people off. I have not read the article yet. Was it just a spew off the NF box and website rhetoric like the rtr Duc article was or did they use their own words and really like it?