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- Bristol uk
ssshhhh u..
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Outerwears crankcase / flywheel cover discontinued?
- Thread starter Craig G.
- Start date
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- Messages
- 13,105
This is highly dependent on where you live. I remember a few years back at a Kohler engine update class, they were really push propane and natural gas conversion kits for gasoline powered engines. Which I thought was rather odd as they make gasoline powered engines. As I found out after the class there was a large distributer in California that was installing these kits and had a fit that it voided the manufacturer's warranty. So Kohler like the good little arse kiss they were jumped to keep a (one) distributer happy. In the 10 years I worked on engines we had to install a handful of those kits. Mostly to municipalities. It was a good idea but kinda flopped in the past few years around here. I know it coming but I don't think its going to be anytime soon. Most of our issue (I think) is related to the stigma of older engines that were a lot louder and very messy. By comparison a modern 2 stroke is quite clean and (can be) quite if so desired.
- Messages
- 1,130
- Location
- Portland, Oregon
I don't think our gassers have fallen out of favor for any political reasons. It's so small in adoption that it's an afterthought at best, environmentally. Sure the noise has closed off some areas to our antics, but I think it's more demographic than anything.
1/5 scale was always niche due to the high cost of entry, much like 1/4 scale was in an era prior. The basic RTR is in the neighborhood of $1000. Add to that the high cost of getting your rig reliable for racing, not just monetary, but in preventative maintenance wrenching prior to the first run. Think of how many folks sold their rigs because bolts dropped out due to a lack of locktite on their first runs.
The aftermarket created an even higher barrier of entry. You had a few small outfits creating the parts. With even the most basic upgrade costing upwards of $50-$100 per part. They need to hit their margins and still make a profit selling at wholesale, and the retailers still need to make a profit as well. There was no economy of scale in the early days. Unfortunately, the big aftermarket companies never got involved, so the hobby was never accessible to the average Joe. So the aftermarket waned.
Even the cheaper clones cost more than $500 to start. That's a pretty big pill to swallow if you're living on a budget.
Looking at the brushless "E" market, you can get a fully RTR model for less than $250. It also requires less wrenching, and will run circles around a nitro of the same scale with far less maintenance afterwards.
If you look at the most recent 5th scale races, you won't see a lot of younger guys like Z running their cars. You will see a bunch of middle aged gents like myself. We have the disposable income to run a large scale car, but are, unfortunately, not a large enough demographic to attract a wider aftermarket and more track sponsorships.
Sorry to say, but large scale will always be a niche market. It's up to us enthusiasts to keep this ball rolling.
1/5 scale was always niche due to the high cost of entry, much like 1/4 scale was in an era prior. The basic RTR is in the neighborhood of $1000. Add to that the high cost of getting your rig reliable for racing, not just monetary, but in preventative maintenance wrenching prior to the first run. Think of how many folks sold their rigs because bolts dropped out due to a lack of locktite on their first runs.
The aftermarket created an even higher barrier of entry. You had a few small outfits creating the parts. With even the most basic upgrade costing upwards of $50-$100 per part. They need to hit their margins and still make a profit selling at wholesale, and the retailers still need to make a profit as well. There was no economy of scale in the early days. Unfortunately, the big aftermarket companies never got involved, so the hobby was never accessible to the average Joe. So the aftermarket waned.
Even the cheaper clones cost more than $500 to start. That's a pretty big pill to swallow if you're living on a budget.
Looking at the brushless "E" market, you can get a fully RTR model for less than $250. It also requires less wrenching, and will run circles around a nitro of the same scale with far less maintenance afterwards.
If you look at the most recent 5th scale races, you won't see a lot of younger guys like Z running their cars. You will see a bunch of middle aged gents like myself. We have the disposable income to run a large scale car, but are, unfortunately, not a large enough demographic to attract a wider aftermarket and more track sponsorships.
Sorry to say, but large scale will always be a niche market. It's up to us enthusiasts to keep this ball rolling.
Billp
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 123
In the UK, two stroke isn't popular because of lack of places to run them. If you own your own land or know someone who has a few acres you're good but that's few and far between. There's also a huge misconception that two stroke is hassle and that they are too slow. Both of these are completely wrong. After owning a BL 5th scale, two stroke is far less time consuming. Charging, storage charging, discharging half a dozen pairs of 4s or 5s is a job and thats just to get an hour's track time. Until battery technology improves drastically, I won't be bothering again.
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- 19,475
Yep, I'm in the minority here ?? and big bore for someone my age is even more rare unless they have a lot of money coming in from somewhere (I make all of my money myself, nothing is handed down from my parents, I feel if they give me stuff it's not really mine and I didn't work for it) which people my age probably don't.
Craig G.
Well-Known Member
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- 107
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- Bend, Oregon
- Thread starter
- #26
Man, I agree! At this point I'm stocking up on EVERYTHING. I feel That real engines are trying to be phased out like the phone booth!
Old tights! Hell yeah!
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- 19,475
Well all the eco crazys pretty much are!
- Messages
- 17,175
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- Crafers South Australia
As long as you can buy petrol we will be safe.......cant see multinationals throughing in the towel right till the last moment ?
- Messages
- 2,044
- Location
- Long Island, New York
You may be able to buy petrol but there are places you cannot run our engines"Its a noise pollution issue on top of air/environmental pollution problem.
So running these engines in any capacity is now becoming illegal in a lot of different places.
And if you have grumpy neighbors,well life is gonna suck.
So running these engines in any capacity is now becoming illegal in a lot of different places.
And if you have grumpy neighbors,well life is gonna suck.
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- 13,105
I feel bad for you guys that live in a commie utopia.
- Messages
- 17,175
- Location
- Crafers South Australia
+1???
Craig G.
Well-Known Member
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- 107
- Location
- Bend, Oregon
- Thread starter
- #32
It is dude, running motors and making smoke gets some people super bummed! I still feel like we have the right to run!
- Messages
- 13,105
I just so happen to have an arse hat for an neighbor. But no noise ordinances. He tried calling the cops once, I called the township code enforcement officer ? now he lets me alone..... one man's junk yard is a pissed neighbors leverage
Craig G.
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 107
- Location
- Bend, Oregon
- Thread starter
- #34
Oh hell yeah, sounds like you're not there to take poop and you know your rights!
- Messages
- 17,175
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- Crafers South Australia
Craig G.
Well-Known Member
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- 107
- Location
- Bend, Oregon
- Thread starter
- #36
It's kind of the same with the dirt bikes and quads, I have to find spots for those too obviously. But with 1/5 scale RC I sort of wanted to run something closer to people so they could see a motor run and that they can do it too!